[Knitting A Conundrum]

Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:8-14 RSV



St. Paul weighs things in the balance: Everything he could have been - a major player in Jerusalem politics, an up and coming young rabbi whose name would have been passed down in the Talmudic tradition, powerful, respected vs. being an itinerant preacher for Jesus - not respected, often accused and dragged into court, beaten, poor, tired, but doing what he feels Jesus called him to.

And looking back, he sees everything that might have been isn't worth a hill of beans to what he is now - a follower of Jesus. He knows it is worth every suffering (for didn't Jesus suffer for us, and are we not linked to him in part by such things?), every striving, every reaching out for the goal of being a follower of Christ.

Total commitment. And if the world thinks it is worthless, it IS worthless to the world, because Paul's faith replaces reaching worldly things with reaching for God, for knowing him is worth all earthly treasure.

As I look around at my life, I know, like St. Paul, I am far from perfect. My commitment waivers, and the things of the world look so good sometimes, but like St. Paul, I want deeply to press onward. May the Lord make it always so, until my last breath. May such desire fill all of us who follow Jesus. Amen.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[bperiwinkle7]

Amen.
From my son's computer......

[bperiwinkle7]

Amen.
From my son's computer......

[.30Carbine]

Total commitment. And if the world thinks it is worthless, it IS worthless to the world, because Paul's faith replaces reaching worldly things with reaching for God, for knowing him is worth all earthly treasure.

Thank you, dear sister.

[.30Carbine]

THE MASTER SPEED

No speed of wind or water rushing by
But you have speed far greater. You can climb
Back up a stream of radiance to the sky,
And back through history up the stream of time.
And you were given this swiftness, not for haste
Nor chiefly that you may go where you will,
But in the rush of everything to waste,
That you may have the power of standing still -
Off any still or moving thing you say.
Two such as you with such a master speed
Cannot be parted nor be swept away
From one another once you are agreed
That life is only life forevermore
Together wing to wing and oar to oar.

~Robert Frost





"Again I say unto you,
That if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall ask,
it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them."
~Matthew 18:19-20 (KJV)

"...and I -- I Am in your midst as He Who Is Ministering."
~Luke 22:27 (YLT)