“It’s nice…to be nice”- Debra Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond

It’s true, it is.

And in the same vein, it’s fun...to have fun.

So, I hope you had as much fun as I did in our parking lot last Sunday night, at our Fall Festival.

I had fun being there with Carrie and our kids.

I had fun being there with you, seeing all the fun costumes.

I had fun listening to our live band who were just having fun playing.

I had fun watching all “the littles” pet animals and grab a bunch of candy and smile, a lot.

But what I may have had the most fun of all doing was serving alongside so many great people. And here’s what I have learned about that: I’ve noticed that the families that serve together, that prioritize serving their community and others, are usually the happiest families. Of course, people can overdo it, of course, people can overextend themselves, and of course, three-year-olds can’t haul hay bales or break down tables…but.

But what I experienced at the end of the day on Sunday wasn’t just fun for fun’s sake, although that’s great (for real).

What our family experienced was the joy of serving together–of getting our teens involved with not just enjoying the stuff (although they did) but also the joy of seeing them feel something meaningful afterward. That joy was much more connected to the service they gave rather than the fun they received.

As a matter of fact, I would make the case that real joy comes from both–from both giving and receiving, which is what a real, loving relationship looks like.

So, from one Mosaic member to another, thank you to all who served and who helped make this past weekend great for many hundreds and hundreds of people and guests, many of whom had never been on our parking lot or in our facility before.

You made a huge difference.

And isn’t that nice?

I’ll see you Sunday for a special standalone message, as we look at how Jesus’ life and miracle power can deal with and overcome our personal and cultural anxiety.

Much love,

Morgan