RussHutto.com

I’m ok with spaghetti. Angel hair pasta and meat sauce.
I’m ok with puppy kisses on my nose.
I’m ok with graphic design paying the bills.
I’m ok with 100% humidity.
I’m ok with watching Mary Poppins with my wife.
I’m ok with summertime golf.
I’m ok with deep email conversations.
I’m ok with major life change.
I’m ok with cookouts with friends.
I’m ok with an old acoustic guitar.
I’m ok with doing dishes.
I’m ok with buying a home on Saint Simon’s Island.

I’ve got a featured article up over at The Worship Community.

While life continues to roll around me this week I’ve come to one conclusion:

Family is utmost.

It is the most important thing in OUR ministry life. In my life right at this very moment some big things are happening, and one thing that I am pouring my heart and soul into is “family.” I don’t have kids yet, Lydia (my wife), is my family. I love her more than anything, than everything, and I never, ever want to be guilty of putting something else in this life above her (as we center our lives around God together, of course).

Here’s a few questions to ask yourself:

• What does it profit a person to gain the world yet lose his family?
• What does it profit a person to minister to thousands yet neglect her family?
• What does it profit a person to sing like an angel but never sing with his kids?
• What does it profit a person to write a timeless novel but never write a legacy with her children?
• What does it profit a person to pastor mega-churches but never cover his family?
• What does it profit a person to mentor the masses but ignore his wife?
• What does it profit a person to counsel the hurting while hurting her husband?
• What does it profit a person to sign a record deal but never record memories with his children?
• What does it profit a person to be popular on facebook but never connect her family?
• What does it profit a person to tweet hundreds of updates a day but never talk about his day with his wife?
• What does it profit a person to wear the latest fashionable clothing but never clothe her family in righteousness?
• What does it profit a person to work 60 hours a week yet never work at building relationship with his kids?

Family is utmost. It is of uttermost importance.

If you’re a minister, consider this. God wants us to be faithful in the “small” things. By small I think He also means “basic” things. Family is basic. Yet, somehow we lose focus so easily. We seem to think that family will:

• Still be there when we’re done with service.
• Still be there when we make our fortune.
• Still be there when we’ve earned our retirement.
• Still be there when we’ve beat that video game.
• Still be there when we’ve caught up on LOST.
• Still be there when we’ve planted that church.
• Still be there when we’ve written that self-help ministry book.
• Still be there when we’ve captured that once in a lifetime photo.
• Still be there when we’ve penned that hit worship song.
• Still be there when we’ve achieved OUR goals.
• Still be there when we’ve reached OUR dreams.
• Still be there when we’ve done OUR wills.
• Still be there when we’ve gained the world…

But sadly, they won’t be. And honestly, the sadness I feel is more for the family, not for the hard working motivated “minister” who can’t see past his own two hands.

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. — I Timothy 5:8

As life rolls along around us, I wanted to pause today and ask a simple question:

WHO ARE YOU LIVING WITH?

And by living, I don’t mean shacking up with, or married to, or sharing a roof with.

I mean LIVING. Doing life.

Who do you pursue fun with?

Who do you chase after God with?

Who do you paint pictures with?

Who do you break bread with?

Who do you write songs with?

Who do you devour Scripture with?

Who do you worship our Creator with?

Who do you defend the defenseless with?

Who do you exercise with?

Who do you cook dinner with?

Who do you share the Gospel with?

Who do you share bedtime stories with?

Who do you listen to music with?

Together-ness

Who do you SHARE with?

Who do you EXPERIENCE with?

Who do you JOURNEY with?

Who do you ADVENTURE with?

WHO DO YOU LIVE WITH?

Here’s the deal: I’m going on a ministry trip to Honduras in July. Our airfare is paid in full. We still have a few travel expenses to raise. And we’re also going to be filling duffle bags with clothes to take and donate. International flights are now charging more for extra checked bags. Would you consider helping out?

$20 Gets you a sweet, custom RussHutto.com blog header. I’ll take your photos, colors, and style preferences and custom design you a great header!

ALL proceeds will go directly to our Honduras trip. If you’re on wordpress.com or blogger.com this is a GREAT opportunity to spice up your blog image! Or if you just want to help out and get a sweet blog header in the process, now’s the time to do it!

I’ll take the first 10 contacts. This is a limited opportunity so act now!

Some examples of my blog headers and post headers:

More here at my Tumblr.

I’ll be taking donations through PayPal via our Honduras page, but make sure you contact me through the Contact page to get your header.