Words

Howdy Folks,

I noticed today that it has been over two weeks since my last post, so I thought that I had better step up to the plate and post something.

Life has continued these past 16 days in much the same manner as the 16 previous to that. I'm trying to make slow steady progress on my research, with varied levels of success, and trying to do my best to stay balanced in other spheres of existence as well. In the midst of this, I find my thoughts turning more and more to what awaits me in life after college - whenever that comes. Not much about that is in focus yet, but I continue to pray and ponder.

I've also been spurred on in my thinking by the MIQRA class on Philippians - especially passages like:

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Phil 1:20-21

or

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:7-14

One can't read stuff like this without being forced to do a little introspection as to the degree to which my life, values, priorities and passions fall in line with what is described there. Definitely convicting and challenging stuff.

Thanks for listening.

JJ