bartering skills

so the idea of "bartering" our skills has come up several times recently and i think it is a neat idea.

• barter: barter is a form of trade where goods or services are exchanged for a certain amount of other goods or services, i.e. there is no money involved in the transaction. It can be bilateral or multilateral as trade. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter)

now for those of you out there that are thinking: "having to give and get something equal in return doesn't necessarily fit with the jesus paradigm"... i know, i know. however, let's just say that we really have a lot of skills to offer one another whether given something in return on not.

my hope here is to start a thread of people listing what they can offer!

what do you do that can help others in this community save resources, time, etc?

i can:
-cut hair
-design stationary, invitations, business cards, announcements
-be a workout buddy (running, biking, swimming, tennis, lifting weights)
-teach soccer
-plan menus/make dinner
-share my car

hope

This is a phrase that I pieced together from various things I heard this last weekend away. As it seems to coincide with our conversation last night, I thought I'd share it. It is my prayer for our community...

that we would be a group of people
living a common life
characterized by grace and love.

I realize that may not sound profound, and yet I think the actualization of such a group in its truest, realist sense, would have a profound effect. It would have to point to Jesus.

American Heritage Dictionary defines "characterize" as "To be a distinctive trait or mark of; distinguish."

Imagine a group of people distinctively marked by grace and love! I'm choosing to believe that the Lord could (will?) do this among us.

Thoughts?

Qualities of a Disciple

In the conversation of being like Jesus, Kelly (some of you met her she was here with us a couple of weeks ago) had told us she would send us a copy of "Qualities of a Disciple" (the qualities her community has chosen to live by) to share with us. So here they are:

- A person who puts Jesus Christ before others, self and possessions

Luke 14:26-27, 33

- A person of love

John 13:34-35

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

- A person of prayer

Luke 11:9-13

Matthew 6:9-15

- A person of the Word/who takes Scriptures seriously

John 8:31-32

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Hebrews 4:12-13

- A person who bears fruit

John 15:7-8

Galations 5:19-23

- A person of the Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

2 TImothy 2:2

- A person of unity

John 17:20-23

- A person led and empowered by the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8

1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 16

As I ponder this list, I just imagine what it would be like to live like this; and not just me a group of friends living this way could change the world. If we could be constantly in touch with one another over becoming more like this . . . how would our lives change and how would the lives of those around us be changed. I would love to hear some thoughts of all of ours around what challenges us from this list, what we desire, what we hear the Lord nudging us on.

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