The Book of Philippians.

I don't often write about my personal experiences in the church, of although I might quote scripture from time to time. I feel that our spiritual journey is a private one and each of us having the freedom to either attend church, mass, temple, whatever or whatever not, will have an experience of their own and I don't need to bore you with mine! However, this morning was different....
We are in the 5th Sunday of the book of Philippians. Background: "Saul (later to be known as the apostle Paul) was zealous in all that he did. He was from the Jewish tribe of Benjamin, and when describing himself, he said he was a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Mosaic Law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the Christian Church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (Philippians 3:4-6)

Saul did everything he could to try and stop the growth of Christianity. In fact, when Stephen (the first recorded Christian martyr in the New Testament) was killed, Saul was there (watching the cloaks of those who were stoning Stephen.)"Before his conversion, Paul approved of the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), and was a merciless persecutor of the early church.
As you can tell, this was one bad dude at one time.......
So, the Apostle Paul, who started as one of Christianity's most zealous enemies, was hand-picked by Jesus Christ to become the gospel's most ardent messenger. Paul traveled tirelessly through the ancient world, taking the message of salvation to the Gentiles. Paul towers as one of the all-time giants of Christianity.

Bottom line here, it ain't where you have been, but where you are and where you are going. The two real journey's that I printed this morning from two different women, in two different sets of circumstances represent the fact that most of us are in a state of transition, and we will continue to change.
 
Philippians is filled with common passages: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6), “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (1:21), and “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (4:13) are just a few. But the portrait of Jesus Christ as a humble servant serves as the core of Paul’s teaching in this letter (2:5–11).

In living a "purposeful life" - one filled with action, work, reflection, happiness and unhappiness, we often forget we all have much to be thankful for, the pace and the pressure of life often squeeze the joy from us - we hate, envy and abhor our neighbors. We rage in our car, when we think no-one is looking --- my own neighbor a couple of doors down gave me "the finger" while her husband uttered some obscenity as I inadvertently backed out of my driveway without looking, narrowly avoiding an accident. I stopped, apologized for my mistake but asked them why they decided not to be "neighborly". They told me that I should drive better, and walked quickly into their home. Angry at first, I pray for them because their level of disappointment with their own existence appears to be unbearable. I will now make sure to look both ways, since I really don't want to be in an accident nor a victim of "road rage".
 
So in everyday lives, we sit with "Our shoulders slumped and our heads bowed, we find some days—or months—very difficult to get through. Desperate, we often search for joy in all kinds of ways—acquiring possessions, visiting places, or seeing people. But none of these can provide lasting joy. Where do you find joy in the midst of a trying circumstance? "
Our society teaches us that if we acquire that Coach bag, Manolo shoes, Burberry Heritage Trench Coat or Vera Wang dress, everything will be better. If that were so, why do I find these very items in the Goodwill boutique 2 miles from my house? There is nothing sadder than an expensive wedding gown in the Goodwill store. The "event" either did not end well or the original owner is dead - NOT a great way to celebrate YOUR good day.

"God can change anyone. God gave Paul the strength, wisdom, and endurance to carry out the mission Jesus entrusted Paul with. One of Paul's most famous statements is: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Philippians 4:13, NKJV), reminding us that our power to live the Christian life comes from God, not ourselves."

And, let's give our "neighbor" (everywhere) a break, - - the name calling, condescension, conniving, stereotyping, politicking, and "back-biting" have all been done and tried before. Drive by any cemetery and you will find the headstones of people who had days, just like yours, nothing is new under the sun or under the Son.