Reflections

As I sit here reflecting back on the year that’s about to come to an end and looking forward at the year to come I realize how abundantly blessed I am! God has done so much work in my life this past year and I have grown in more ways than I think I even know. I am so thankful for so many things. That my God loves me enough not to keep me where I am, He is continuously moving me down the path He has set out before me. I have learned to relentlessly pursue Him as He pursues me and this has developed such intimacy that it’s hard to describe. I am deeply and passionately crazy in love with HIM! There are things in my life that I long to have like a healthy real relationship with my siblings and because we all live in different parts of the country it’s hard to do so God has provided me with an over abundance of many siblings right here in Birmingham! He knows and hears the cries of my heart and He answers my prayers. Not always in the ways I want Him to but always in the way that is best for me.

I am thankful for my amazing husband! Although our marriage is not perfect by any means we do intentionally keep God as the center of it all and that is the secret to a strong marriage. When you are both pursuing God together and independently it creates a bond like no other. I am so deeply and madly in love with my sweet Joe. He loves God and pursues Him with a passion that fascinates me. He loves me and the kids with all of his heart and soul and we know it!

I am thankful for my kids, Kaylynne and Dominic! Some days I wonder if God really knew what He was doing trusting me with these precious gifts. They are both pursuing God with everything they have. They are so smart and some days it scares me with the knowledge they have. Especially the knowledge & understanding they have of God already. Childlike faith is really amazing when it’s up close and personal in your own children. Their hearts are so giving, loving and compassionate towards others and even towards each other sometimes. Watching them grow into the young woman and young man of God that they are called to be is truly amazing.

As far as looking at the year ahead the only thing I can say is THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Attitude

Imitating Christ’s Humility

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Philippians 2:1-11

Politicians and other world religions point to unity as being key to a tolerant and harmonious life.

I find it interesting that Paul does not point the Philippians to the idea of Unity itself. But to a deeper foundation which is to be found in humility. Jesus Christ is God and man in one, indivisibly, meekness and majesty, the man who is God and Paul points us to having his attitude. The fact that Jesus was both God and man makes His humility that much more incredible to me. Christ had a higher priority than His own interrupted Glory. Christ did not give up the attributes of God by subtracting His Authority but He accomplished His plan by the addition of His humanity.

When we live with self being our priority and pride our conceit, disunity is born. It’s easy to miss what Paul is not telling us here, he isn’t giving us a list of things to do in order to be in harmony or unity with others, he is simply pointing to Christ and the fact that Christ did not hold onto His Authority but He made himself nothing, a servant. Don’t forget that God didn’t just speak to us from the heights of heaven but He spoke to us by walking with us and speaking to us right here on earth in the Form of Jesus Christ. And during His time with us, He established an attitude that is to be the attitude of His followers.

How does this relate to us in our lives? When was the last time you refused to forgive someone because you waited for them to make it right or you didn’t want to be the first to give in? When was the last time you refused to apologize because it wasn’t your fault? There are few things that we have control over but two are the effort we put into living our lives and our attitude. We must remember the example of Christ, we must live the example of Christ. Thankfully we are not without an unending supply of Grace because we are going to mess this up.