Philippians 4:1-8

"Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always again I will say, rejoice! Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you." Philippians 4:1-8 NIV

It is so easy to let worries and stress completely take over our thinking. Some days we do everything but rejoice in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because our minds our consumed with worry... worries about our finances, worries about loved ones, worries about a situation at work and on and on.

I tend to let a bad or worrisome situation replay in my mind over and over and over and over. It will keep me awake at night, it will cause me to be distracted and irritable. In general, it can be make a very unhappy and unpleasant person. I hate to admit it, but many times I go way too long in this mode before I slow down and remember that if I would just turn it over to the Lord, I wouldn't have to deal with the misery that I put myself through.

Verse 4 tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always". How can we truly rejoice in the Lord when we're worried and troubled? For me, it is downright impossible. The worries and the troubles overshadow all that I know to be true and right and worthy of rejoicing. It gets in my way of rejoicing in the Lord.

My daughter is 3 yrs and recently has been having nightmares that frighten her to the point where she comes flying to Mommy and Daddy's room for the rest of the night. One evening just before bedtime she was worried about having these dreams again that night. Her big brother, who is 6 yrs, walked up to her, put his hand on her shoulder and said (in the sweetest big brother voice EVER), "You don't need to be scared, 'cause God is with you. ALL THE TIME!"

When our worries get the best of us and we can't focus on anything else, we should do the same thing. Remember that God is always with us -- we don't need to worry. He will take care of it all. In verse 6, Paul tell us to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God". We can never truly rejoice in the Lord if our focus is on the worries and difficulties in our lives. For only when we completely turn them over to God in prayer will we find the peace of God that frees us to truly rejoice. Instead of worries, we should focus our minds on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (vs 8).

In closing, I want to share a song that I think of whenever reading verse 4 of this scripture passage. I learned it in my church children's choir as a child. We would sing it in a round and loved to do so over and over and faster and faster. It still brings a smile to my face and rejoicing to my heart!


Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice,
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice,
Rejoice, Rejoice,
Again I say rejoice.
Rejoice, Rejoice
Again I say rejoice.
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - "Victory In Jesus"

My grandfather had a great love for the Lord. He was a Baptist minister for many, many years and loved sharing with others the joy he had found in the Lord. He and my grandmother shared a special love for each other and thru that love created a wonderful family legacy. His children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren were so very special to him and each one of us knew it -- with no doubts. He was special and, as a member of his family, we all know how blessed we have been to have him as father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Several years ago grandpa passed away. His funeral was about a 6-7 hour drive from where my family and I live and my husband was unable to attend. My 2 year old son and I set out on our own. After about 5 hours listening to the Wiggles, Barney, Veggie Tales, etc, and no other adult to talk to, I had a real need for some other sort of music. I began singing hymns and 'Victory in Jesus' was one of the first ones that I sang (as it turned out, it was also a hymn we sang at his funeral). As I came to the last phrase of the last verse, "and some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory", the tears began to flow. Some of those tears were because I knew I was going to miss grandpa so very much, but I also know that many were tears of joy for him. You see, after all these years on earth sharing his love for the Lord, he is now in heaven singing that song of victory.




Victory in Jesus
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.

Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and bro't
To me the victory.


Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I'll sing up there
The song of victory.


Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

For more "Then Sings My Soul Saturday" posts visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders.

Philippians 3:17 - 21

"Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." Philippians 3:17-21 NIV

In the scriptures leading up to these, Paul speaks of the joy to be found in the Lord, Philippians 3:1 "...rejoice in the Lord". In Philippians 3:8, Paul writes of the glories found in following Christ; "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...". Then, in Philippians 3:14 Paul tells us of the prize to be found in heaven; "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".

As Paul continues in verse 17 we are reminded that we must do more than just profess with our mouths to be Christians. We must also live our lives in a way that professes we are Christians. Admittedly, this is where it can get tough -- despite the fact that we are Christians, we are also humans and as humans we do not always follow thru as we should on our beliefs. Sunday in church our pastor shared some statistics from a poll that TIME Magazine did a few years ago regarding the nation's views on Christianity. I don't remember the exact percentages, but approximately 75% of the nation believed there was a God and attended church. However, the percentage dropped to around 30-35% when these same people were asked if their belief in God played a role in the way they lived their lives.

It is easier to live IN the world and follow what others around us are doing instead of following what God wants us to do. As Christians, though, we are called to follow the road that isn't always easy. Follow God. Not just say we follow God, but REALLY follow God -- show his love in our daily lives, follow his leadership and guidance as we make choices and decisions for ourselves and our families. As James 1:22 states, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves".

No, we have no promises that this will make our lives easier, that we will live longer, that we will have more earthly possessions, or more friends. What we are promised is that God will always be with us and that we will have eternal life in Him. Verse 20 tell us "For our citizenship is in heaven...". I recently ran across this phrase -- "This world is not my home, I'm just passin' through". Isn't this so very true for us as Christians? We're just "passin' through" on our way to our eternal home in heaven. And once we reach that home God will "... transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory...(vs21)". What a promise if we choose God first and show the world the God we know by living our lives for Him as we pass through our earthly home and on into heaven!

Thankful Thursday - March 27, 2008

Today I am thankful for precious family time and for this beautiful and amazing world that God has created.

Last week we took a family vacation trip to San Antonio. This is a city that I absolutely love to visit. It is full of Texas history and several family oriented theme parks. It was such fun sharing some of my favorite things in San Antonio with my children and to completely enjoy their view of things. A child's insight is so precious!

As we spent many hours outdoors experiencing nature and wildlife I was once again made aware of this amazing world that God created. We toured caverns that are just outside of San Antonio and enjoyed the animals of the oceans at Sea World. As I viewed these sights, I was absolutely awestruck with the wonders of this earth. It was almost like I was seeing them all again for the very first time!

Part of the Easter celebration for me is a renewal of life -- a renewing of my relationship with God and my commitment to Him. As part of this, I notice each year during this time all the changes that occur in nature. As part of spring, we see a renewing of life in nature. The changing of the trees and grass from winter brown to spring time green, the new blooms on the flowers and the new life in the animal kingdom. I am so thankful for this, as well. For me, it serves as a wonderful reminder of all the Lord has done for me in sending his Son to die on the cross so that I may have a new life in Him.

For more "Thankful Thursday" posts visit Iris at Sting My Heart.

Word-Filled Wednesday - Revelation 4:11

For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.






Picture taken at Natural Bridge Caverns just outside San Antonio, TX.

Philippians 3:12-16

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained." Philippians 3:12-16 NIV

This earthly life can be so very hard at times. More days than we care to count are filled with heartache, stress, pressure, and pain. Some are blessed with fewer days like this than others, but they are still there in some shape or form for each and every person.

While in college, I worked during summer breaks for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. My job was as a registrar for their summer camps, so I was able to attend about 4 camps each summer. During one of these summers, the theme for the camps was "Press On" and this set of scriptures were used. The verse the theme focused on was "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." The analogy used was the comparison of the work and effort that goes into winning a race compared to the struggles we face in life as we press on toward the rewards awaiting us in heaven.

While I would always like to think our earthly life is only full of happy days, the reality is that it is not. Some days we must fight and struggle just to make it through the day. We do this in much the same way an athlete must fight and struggle to get to the finish line at the end of a long race.

I love the thought that heaven is our finish line. After all we experience here on earth, we have the assurance that if we accept Christ, our finish line will be heaven. How worthwhile the daily struggles are when we know we have heaven as the reward!

Glorious Morning

Glorious morning, Jesus is risen!

No tomb could hold him, no stone could seal

Glorious morning, the world has a Saviour!

He is alive!

And His truth is revealed!

Picture courtesy of www.christianphotos.net
Words from chorus of "Glorious Morning" - as sung by Sandi Patty

Easter Blessings

I'm taking a brief break for a much needed and anticipated family vacation time. I pray all of you have a blessed week as we all prepare our hearts for Easter. I'll be back soon!

Philippians 3:8-11

"More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowhsip of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:8-11 NIV

Do you find it a struggle some days to determine what should be the priority for the day? Do you ever look at the "to do" list and just not know where to start? I know I do. Life is so busy and there are so many things that need to be done. We get direction from every facet of our lives -- home, church, school, work. They all have something that needs to be done.

I've really been trying to weed out the "non-essentials" on my "to do" list over the last few months. Or, at the very least, re-prioritize and put those things at the top that truly belong at the top. For example, the laundry or time with my kids? Unless there is absolutely no clean underwear to be found in the house, the kids get my time. The laundry can wait until the next day.

As I've slowly gone through this re-prioritization and even more slowly made some changes, I've realized one thing that rarely makes it on the "to do" list. Taking the time to KNOW Christ. Sure, I spend time in prayer and I do read my Bible... some (working hard to make that more). I go to church regularly and I teach my children about Christ. But, what I don't take a lot of time to do is seeking to KNOW Christ more. And, in the end, that is the ultimate gain. There will be more gain from seeking Christ than all the loads of laundry I do in a lifetime. As Paul says in Philippians 3:8, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.."

Thankful Thursday - March 13, 2008

Today I am thankful that I am not alone. God is always with me and has provided wonderful family and friends to be my side in times of need, in times of great rejoicing, and all those days that fall in between.

For several months now, I have felt God moving me in a different direction. I'm still not sure exactly where this is going to lead, but I feel there will be many changes along the way. The majority of the time I am excited to see where God will lead, but I also have those days when I'm not so sure and feel a bit leary and, then, some where I feel down-right scared. However, because God is so great, not only does he direct me in new and exciting directions, but he goes there with me... holding my hand all the way.

For more "Thankful Thursday" posts visit Iris at Sting My Heart.

Word-Filled Wednesday - Isaiah 40:31

"Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31 NIV


For my first time participating in "Word Filled Wednesday" I have chosen a picture and scripture that is often seen. Because it is a visual that many are familiar with, I almost chose something different. However, it is one of my very favorites and gives such a glorious picture of what our lives can be like if we follow our Lord.

The world will tell us that our lives are restricted and limited if we follow the Lord. However, this scripture tells us the TRUTH -- which is the exact opposite. If we will follow the Lord he will give us strength. A strength that is freeing and allows us to soar!

For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.

"I Am A Promise"

I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin' to hear God's voice
And I am tryin' to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.

I can go anywhere that He wants me to go
I can be anything He wants me to be
I can climb the high mountains
I can cross the wide sea
I'm a great big promise you see!

I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin' to hear God's voice
And I am tryin' to make the right choice
I'm a promise to be anything God wants me to be
Anything God wants me to be!


As a child I loved this song. I had almost forgotten about it until a few weeks ago when I arrived a few minutes early to pick up my son from his children's choir rehearsal at church. They were singing this song and, as I soon learned, will be singing it as part of a musical they will be performing in a few weeks entitled "I Am a Promise".

As I listened, I had tears well up in my eyes as I watched my son sing "I am a promise, I am a possiblity, I am a promise with a capital "P", I am a great big bundle of potentiality". And, in true form for him, he sang it all with a great, big grin on his face. How awesome it is to see that and think of all the promises he has ahead of him because he is a child of God! My sweet, little 6 year old son has a whole wonderful world of possiblities out there and he can truly be anything God wants him to be.

As I pondered this, I then began thinking of my responsiblity as a Christian parent. The responsiblity to guide him to seek God to find all the possiblities that are out there and to discover what it is that God wants him to be. It boggles my mind that God entrusted this huge responsiblity to ME!

Over the course of the next few days I continued to further ponder these thoughts. One day I was with my mother and shared some of this with her. We discussed this for a few minutes and then she threw this out to me: "You know, though, this song isn't just for little children." Although I had never thought of it this way before, I instantly followed her train of thought. No matter how old we are, we are all wonderful possiblities that are constantly growing into the people that God wants us to be. We never stop leading promising and important lives in God's eyes. How special is that?! No matter what choices we make in life, no matter what mistakes we might make, no matter how old we are, we are a promise and we are a possiblity that God can still mold into something wonderful if we will only listen and follow Him.

Philippians 3:1-7

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more; circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ." Philippians 3:1-7 NIV

"Rejoice in the Lord." I love that Paul starts out this 3rd chapter of Phillipians with the reminder to rejoice in the Lord. After all, isn't it through rejoicing that we find the JOY that comes from the Lord?

Unfortunately, rejoicing in the Lord does not mean there are not dangers in this world that we encounter along the way. Sometimes it means we are tempted even more. Satan so loves to attack the most faithful. Paul continues by warning of these dangers -- "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision". We must always beware of these influences in the world and stray as far from them as is possible. And, oh how hard this can be some days! Don't you find it hard to "walk IN the world, but not OF the world"? Some days it is such a balancing act. I find that if I should lose sight of the Lord for even the briefest of moments, that balancing act just becomes more and more precarious.

I choose to focus on the next part of the verse -- "for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh". Yes, because I am human there will be days when I have to fight harder than others to keep away the dogs and the evil workers. However, for me, I have found that if I can focus on worshiping the Spirit of God and glory in Christ that I don't lose my focus on the Lord quite so easily. And, yes, I do have days where I have to remind myself over and over and over that I must continue to worship God and that glory is found in Christ and I should put no confidence in the flesh. Seeking God is not always easy, but it is SO worth it!

Dear Lord, please help me to always remember that you are the one true God and that what I have in you cannot be found in this world. I know that putting my trust in the world will only cause me to lose sight of You. I pray I will always seek You to find my true confidence. Amen.

The Ultimate Blog Party!

Hello and welcome to the ultimate Blog Party!

My name is Melanie and I'm so happy that you decided to stop by and visit. I am VERY new to blogging. I just got my site up and running about 3 weeks ago. I almost decided not to participate in the big party this year since I am so new, but at the last minute decided, "why not?" I decided I just couldn't wait a whole year to join in on the fun.

I lead a pretty busy life caring for my two precious kiddos, aged 6 and 3, along with trying to be the best wife possible to my wondeful hubby, staying involved in our wonderful church and holding down a fairly crazy full-time job.

I started my blog in an attempt to become more committed to my personal Bible Study and sharing my faith with others. At least twice a week I am trying to post the scripture that I am currently studying along with my personal thoughts from my scripture study time. My goal is to eventually get through the entire Bible during that time (I know, I know -- pretty long-term goal there, huh? But, I'm committed and know that God will help me get there along with anyone that may choose to follow along). In between those posts I'm planning to share music that has touched my life, join in some of the memes I have run across (my favorite so far is Thankful Thursday) and anything else that seems like a good fit for my blog -- it's definitely still a "work in progress".

Thanks again for joining! Hope to see you again soon in our bloggy community!

Philippians 2:19-30

"But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly. But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly in order that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me." Philippians 2:19-30 NIV

As Christians, we are called to live our lives in a certain manner. A manner that would be pleasing to God and would be a witness to all those around us. When I think of the sort of lifestyle we are expected to live, the following characteristics come to mind: Integrity, Selflessness, Perserverance, Servanthood, and Sacrifice. In the scriptures above, we see that Timothy and Epaphroditus lived a life with these characteristics. Paul describes Timothy as a "kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus." Paul goes on to state about Timothy "that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father". Of Epaphroditus Paul states "my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need," and goes on to state that the Philippians should "hold men like him in high regard."

Over the last few years, the Lord has really been working in me about how I show these characteristics in my own life. Sure, I can "talk the walk", but can I truly "walk the walk"? Will I not just say I KNOW I should help the family down the street that isn't always able to put a full meal on the table, but that I WILL actually do something and share a meal with that family? Will I just say "I don't have time to teach a Sunday School class" or will I pray about it and re-evaluate my priorities and find that I am able to teach that Sunday School class? Will I just say "Thank you Lord for providing my family with so much" or will I take it one step further and say "Thank you Lord for providing for my family and because of that I am going to take what you have provided for me and share it with a family that does not have as much"?

The qualities of Timothy and Epaphroditus are the same qualities we should seek to show in our daily lives. If our lives are lived with these characteristics we will find that we can live a life full of JOY in Christ. There is JOY is reaching out to a world in need and showing them you love them, care about them, and are there to help them and show them the way to Christ.

Thankful Thursday - March 6, 2008

Over the last week, my daughter, my husband and I have all been sick with one nasty stomach bug. And, I suspect that by the time this week is over my son will have also fallen victim to the same bug.

As I have watched each of us struggle with this virus, I am reminded how fortunate we are to have our good health. At the most, this virus is an inconvenience, but it is a reminder that we are so very fortunate that is all we face. We do not have any long-term or life-threatening illnesses. We do not have to wake up each day wondering if we will be able to get out of bed or if we have only this day to tell our loved ones how much we do love them.

Thank you, Lord, for our health. I pray we never take for granted this gift you have given us.

For more "Thankful Thursday" posts visit Iris over at Sting My Heart.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

I have a memory that goes back over a number of years. Each time I hear the words "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine" I have played this picture back in my mind and, each time, I am filled with such a huge sense of gratitude for the Christian mother God saw fit to make mine.

You see, my mother not only loves the Lord with all her heart, soul, and mind but she also shows all those around her of this love she has. Any time I have ever sat in a service with her and this hymn was sung I remember such a joyful smile on her face. As she sings the words "This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long" there has never been a doubt in my mind as to her love for the Lord. She has seen in her life the glory divine, she has been washed in His blood, she is happy and blest in her walk with the Lord, she is filled with His goodness and lost in his love. Those descriptions from this hymn of what we can have in Christ have been experienced by my mother first hand and she is so willing to share that with all those around her.

For my sisters and I she has never hesitated to share with us the love of the Lord. She and my father always saw that we were in church, that we learned at an early age the importance of prayer and having a relationship with the Lord, they taught us how to live our lives with Christian morals and ethics, and so much more.

I pray that I will never lose sight of the gift that my mother gave to me in sharing her love for the Lord and that I will not fail to share this same gift with my own children. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Christian mothers and that because of them we are taught of your love from a young age. Because of this I, too, am able to joyfully sing "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine!"

Philippians 2:12-18

"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me." Philippians 2:12-18 NIV

Have you ever wanted to do something that might impact your testimony for Christ in a negative manner but thought "There's no one here that I know so I'll just do it this once and it won't matter"? There's a couple of problems with this line of thinking. The first being that what we do should not be based on whether or not we know anyone that is around us at the time -- what matters is that God is there and He sees all. The second problem is that there may be someone there that uses our poor behavior as an excuse to choose the way of the world over the way of God.

Paul begins this passage of scripture by telling the Philippians that, even though he is not with them, they should live as they did when he was with them in Philippi. They should continue to live for Christ, sharing with their fellow neighbors and being a living testimony to all those around them. It shouldn't matter who is there and who isn't -- the way they lived their lives should always reflect the fact that they had chosen to follow Christ and allowed him to work in their daily lives.

Paul also tells the Philippians they should work out their salvation "with fear and trembling". The fear talked about in this scripture is the fear of a life that is not spent working out their salvation -- striving to grow in Christ, to be a witness to others of what Christ can do in our lives, being a friend to those that are friendless, working to "appear as lights in the world" -- the list was endless of the many ways in which the Philippians could reach out to their city in the name of Christ.

The same is true today for each one of us. We should be constantly working out our salvation. While God's work for us is complete (he has provided us with eternal life if only we will accept Him), his work is not yet complete IN us. It is a daily journey that we walk when we choose to follow Christ. We must choose to grow in Christ and to make choices that show the world we live in that we do follow Christ. We must allow our light to shine out into the world as a means to show the world what they too can have in Christ -- to show them the Joy they can find in Christ. A Joy that can only be found in Christ.

The next time we are out and we ask that question, "Does it really matter what I do?", remember that not only does God see, but the world sees. We should live in fear that we would cause someone to walk away from God due to our behaviour or attitude. In the same vein, we should live in the JOY of Christ for giving us a second birth and the ability to walk hand in hand with Him each and every day.