“I just don’t know what to do,” I complained to my friend, telling how one person known for starting me on the crazy cycle was acting up again.  “It’s making me go cuckoo.”  Silence.  Agh!  The madness of having a smart phone that is always smart and only sometimes a working phone.  I put the device down, frustrated and consumed by my overwhelming problems.

The next morning, I picked up a copy of the Voice of the Martyrs, where I learned of a young woman’s plight.  Asia Bibi shared the love of Christ with fellow Pakistani workers.  The message cost her everything.  Imprisoned for blasphemy, she no longer enjoys the comforts of home, the sweet embrace of her husband, or the uplifting laughter of their children.  Instead, she sits in a jail cell, hoping her death sentence will be overturned. 

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.”  Colossians 1:24-26

When I read these verses, I thought about writing on God’s purpose in suffering or His promise to work all things together for good.  Then I remembered how enmeshed I became in problems this past week and weighed them against the true heartaches and desperation of those around the world who are imprisoned, tortured and killed for their faith. 

I can’t keep the tears from streaming down my cheeks as I think about the courage it took for a woman to share her faith in her small village.  I want to reach out to the other side of the world and say, “I will pray—pray for your family, pray for your freedom, pray for the message.”  If you want to join me in praying for and encouraging Asia or other imprisoned believers, go to http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_197_profile.html

I’m sure at some point in our lives we’ve heard the phrase declared, “No IFS, ANDS or BUTS. If truth be told, we’ve probably said it a time or two. A few years ago I remember sternly asking my daughter to clean her room. Before she could even utter an excuse to put it off any longer, I declared that very phrase. A few minutes later she met me at the top of the stairs, in tears, telling me that I had hurt her feelings by calling her a “butt.” Trying to hold in my laughter, I told her we were talking about different “buts,” and that I would never call her a crude name. However, trying to explain that to a then five-year-old was a bit impossible. Today I want to draw you to a particular “if” in Colossians.

“Now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” Colossians 1:22-23 (NIV)

Throughout scripture we read of many great promises made by our God to us. In verse 22, Paul speaks of a beautiful promise of how one day we will be presented before God as holy and without blemish. I can only imagine and dream of what that will look like.

Followed by this particular promise is some great instruction that I think we should pay close attention to. This “if” does not lead into a statement about works, or how we earn this blemish-free soul. No, I see it as instruction for how to live until that day that we are presented before God.

God wants us to live a life that is established and grounded in our faith in Him. A life that is free from excuses and what ifs. A life that always looks heaven-ward. If we truly live for the hope of heaven that is told to us throughout the gospel, then I’m wondering if we can enjoy the freedom that comes from reconciliation right now on earth?

Cleaning up messes is never fun. My daughters will attest to that every time the request to clean their rooms is given. But I guarantee the freedom that comes from living in a clean room and in a reconciled relationship with their mom is priceless. Imagine how much more we will enjoy this earthly life by being established in our faith and holding to the hope of heaven.

My husband tried reconciling the checkbook yesterday.  He added the amounts of the checks that haven’t cleared and subtracted that from the total, but even still the amount he showed in our ledger didn’t match the bank’s balance.  He spent a good portion of the morning trying to get the two numbers to line up to no avail. 

The same is true in our relationship with God.  If attempt to reconcile ourselves to the perfect master of the universe, we will fall short.  We can try and try, but our efforts will be fruitless.  The gap is just too great.  But don’t despair.  Colossians 1:21, 22 says,

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

Did you catch that?  God reconciles us.  That’s like my spouse going to the bank and telling the clerk that there is a $18,583 difference between the amount they show and our sum.  “Well, sir,” the teller says, “we can see where you erred, but we’ll go ahead and credit the difference to you anyways.”  I’d love for that to be the case, but of course it never will.  But with God it is entirely different.

God’s own son, Jesus Christ, came to Earth and remained sinless.  Jesus willingly went to the cross to take on our sin so we might be presented as holy, clean and free from accusation. 

My husband broke out into a happy dance when our checkbook finally matched the bank statement.  How much more should we celebrate that our very lives are  reconciled.

Last weekend our whole family was involved in a science project for my fourth grader. You know how those school projects go. As parents we want our children to do well in school, but reading over the guidelines of the project, we know that they will need our “help” to carry out this monumental task. Right? Soon “help” turns into an “idea” and then “great ideas” come forth from our mouths, and soon what would have taken the student an hour, takes two grown ups and the student all day on Saturday.

The project: a three-D image of the calcium atom. In preparation for the project, our daughter Googled the number of protons, neutrons and electrons that make up the calcium atom. At times you could actually see the wheels spinning in my husband’s head. So many ideas, so little time. And the Periodic Table, that I never thought I would look at again, became our screen saver. Yes, it was quite a week working on this project.

As strange as it is to admit, this whole science project has left me pondering the nucleus of an atom. I’m a little scared. What is happening to me? I even ran across an article written by a Christian author that talked about how the nucleus of an atom is clustered (protons clustered together); however, how can protons be drawn together when they are positively charged? Don’t opposites attract? And how are electrons (negatively charged) not drawn to and collapsed in the nucleus? It’s a great mystery among scientists that leads to the question, “What holds the universe together?”

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

Could it be as simple an explanation as that? If God let go for just a second, would this whole physical universe go up in a bang? If those protons could follow their natural way and repel each other, what would happen? And could it be that the Hands that hold this world hold you and me?

I am normally not a lofty thinker, and after delving into scientific research, I am convinced that I can’t scientifically answer the question, “What holds this universe together.” In fact, I really don’t want to. I’m fine living in my limited bubble of scientific knowledge. It is much easier for me to look to scripture and point to God. If anything, I take great comfort in knowing that God knows.

I am thankful for Paul’s teaching in Colossians. False teaching was creeping into Colosse and the people were denying the deity of Christ, but then Paul’s letter arrived and he explained the supremacy of our Lord. Who knew that what was God inspired thousands of years ago and penned through Paul, would impact a fourth grade science project in 2011? I love how our supreme God goes before all things, and in Him all things hold together—even a three-D model of a calcium atom.

Article referenced in post can be found at: **http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=1&contentID=7236&commInfo=25&topic=Colossians

“Mom, I’m sorry,” my eight-year old daughter said.  “Don’t worry about it, we all make steaks,” I replied, mimicking my preschoolers cute, but inaccurate way of explaining that we make mistakes.  The offense was so small I can’t even remember it.  Perhaps it was from when she spilled a glass of water.  But despite the simplicity of the error, the apologies continued to flow out faster than the beverage from the cup.  “Mom, I’m really sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”  “I know, honey.  It’s okay.”  Two minutes later, she apologized yet again.  Not even thirty minutes passed before she sought yet another round of forgiveness for the same accident. 

Can you imagine feeling so bad over something that you keep asking time and again to be forgiven?  If you’re anything like me, you don’t have to imagine.  We’ve been there, kicking ourselves as we think “how did I ever let myself do that?”  Like a small child wanting to be in a right relationship with her parent, we keep begging our daddy for forgiveness, secretly believing we’re too undeserving of it. 

For he (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:13,14, emphasis mine

The forgiveness of sins.  Plural.  Not just a one-time pass.  Not even limited to an hourly event.  As often as necessary.  We aren’t told only the minor offenses are forgiven, nor is our pardon based on the number of times we plead for it.  We aren’t part of this equation.  It is God and his Son.  They have chosen to forgive us.  Radical, huh?  So unthinkable that Jesus came to earth, purposefully knowing He would die to remove our sins.  There is no need to continue to act like a small child and beg over and over for the same offense.  Nor do we need to believe our actions are so grave they can never be forgiven.  Instead, we can accept the undeserving gift of God’s mercy and celebrate the great truth that in Him we have redemption, “even the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:14, KJV)

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.” Colossians 1:9-12

That’s a pretty gigantic prayer Paul made on behalf of the Colossian people. “To live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way?” No pressure, right? I don’t know about you, but it sure would be easier if Paul said something like: “To live a life worthy of the Lord (the best you can) and please Him in (some way).”

This weekend my husband and I attended the funeral of our friend and chiropractor. He was diagnosed with a form of Melanoma cancer over a year ago and passed away January 7. Our family was patients of his for nearly six years. Over the years we had the opportunity to get to know Dr. Kurt and his wife Mary through our bi-weekly visits to their practice. He was one of the most caring and kind people I’ve had the privilege of knowing. And his faith in the Lord was truly what guided his life.

But what I discovered at his funeral service was that I barely knew this man at all. As friends and family shared, one after the other, I found out that Dr. Kurt was not only a wonderful husband and father, but a musician, a Bible study leader, a student of God’s Word, an honorably discharged Navy medic in the military. He was someone who prayed over his patients, and especially for those who weren’t believers yet. He treated many patients at little or no cost if they could not afford chiropractic care.

What I discovered was that Dr. Kurt knew what it meant to live a life worthy of the Lord and how to please Him in every way. There was evidence all over the chapel on Saturday of the “fruits” of his good work. His children and wife gave testimony to his strength, endurance and patience in his 56 short years of life on this earth.

I believe Dr. Kurt knew the secret to living this kind of life we are all called to live. He knew how to tap into and be strengthened by the power of God’s glorious might. Actually it’s no secret at all. It’s a nugget of truth woven through these passages. As his wife Mary stated, through tears and sobs, “You should see his Bible. It is well underlined because he studied and studied the Word.”

Dr. Kurt knew that the key to life was “growing in the knowledge of God.” The only way to know God is to be in a relationship with Him. And to know Him is to want to know Him more.

**“to know Him is to want to know Him more,” paraphrased from the Casting Crowns’ song, To Know You.

Correction does much, but encouragement does more.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Writing letters is a dying craft.  Oftentimes I have great hopes of sending grandma a note to say hi, but unfortunately it happens less than I’d like.  Perhaps the same was true for Paul.  After all, he’d been shipwrecked, imprisoned and continued to tell everyone he could about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Maybe he’d wanted to drop the Colossians a line for a while and just hadn’t gotten around to it.  But once word got to him that the church was doing troublesome things, he made it a priority to pen them.

There were many pressing things he wanted to say, words of rebuke to help steer them back onto the right path, but you’d never guess it from the first few lines.    “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people” (Colossians 1:3, 4). 

Paul could have started by listing the things concerning him.  Maybe they would have listened and took his suggestions to heart or perhaps they would have become disgruntled and embittered, possibly even leaving the faith altogether.  He took a different route though, one that is frequently evidenced elsewhere in the Bible.  He starts by sincerely telling them of their importance to him and the high level of regard he held for them.  No pretentious compliments solely to prepare for the reprimands.  Just truthful, heartfelt praise.

I often do the opposite, especially when my anger clouds my vision to the things I most cherish about certain people.  Rather than diving in with my hurts and offenses, I’d do well to follow Paul’s example and start nice.

Let’s be honest, we’ve all encountered a time when we’ve gone to turn on some electronic device and it doesn’t work. We try and try again, but to no avail. After some investigating, we realize “it” wasn’t plugged in in the first place, and kick ourselves for the lapse of foolishness.

I am reminded of a similar situation that unfolds in the book of Colossians. At first glance of this book, it appears the Colossian people are not plugged into Christ. In fact it looks as though they have made some unhealthy connections all together. The truth is that false teaching had infiltrated this early century church, and as a result many of the Colossian people had combined other thoughts, philosophies and religious ideas with Christian truth. As you can imagine, the result was not good.

Thankfully the Colossians’ mistakes don’t get the best of them and through the Apostle Paul’s letter to this church, these critical issues are addressed.

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10

On behalf of the Intersection team, I invite you to join us as we journey through and begin unlocking the teachings of the book of Colossians during the first half of this New Year. It is my prayer as you read Colossians and follow the Intersection postings, that you will gain a fresh understanding that in Christ we have everything we need. He is our ultimate Power Source, and it’s time to plug in.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. “ Luke 2:9

What do you think it looked like, the glory of the Lord that is?  Imagine being a shepherd so many years ago.  What did the night sky look like once the angel of the Lord came?  I’ve come to liken it with bright, fluorescent lights after seeing so many Christmas pageants.  But perhaps it was so much more.  What if the light was bright and glittery or if it wasn’t a light at all, yet a combination of colors displayed like a magnificent rainbow?  Whatever the case, it was magnificent.  Awesome.  And terrifying. 

As we conclude our study of Philippians at this most marvelous time of year, I can think of no better verse to finish on than Phil. 4:20: “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  What if we took the images of glory we just conjured up and gave them back to God.  After all, the old cliché tells us it’s better to give than to receive.  Now of course I’m not saying that we can create a glory equal to that of God’s, nor do I believe our praises can fuel the glory of God.  But what if we incorporated glory into next year’s resolutions?  What if we determined to give our God and Father glory for ever and ever, or, for starters, every day of 2011?  What might that look like in our lives?  In the lives of our loved ones?  Even in the lives of people we don’t even know yet or maybe never will.  As I think about all of us praising God glory while talking to a cashier, dentist, colleague or anyone else, I’m left with only one word.

Glory.

Last week was my birthday. If you have any type of celebration that occurs in December, you know that we are the blessed ones. At least that’s what I tell myself. Who else has the privilege of competing with a big holiday like Christmas? Who else is handed a nicely wrapped package (in Christmas wrap) and told, “Now this gift is for your birthday and Christmas.” I hardly doubt those with June birthdays hear that.

I will admit that has happened a time or two to me, but for the most part I have wonderful friends and family who make the two celebrations very distinct. Among the very nice birthday gifts I received last week, there is one that stands out in my mind. A girlfriend of mine gave me a very nice ice bucket. You might be thinking practicality. My seven-year-old daughter certainly thought that. She looked at it and said, “Oh good Mom, now we have something to take with us when we stay at hotels.”

All joking aside though, I LOVE my new ice bucket! It’s something I have needed for a long time. If you have ever been to my house for dinner, you know this, as I have to send my guests to the freezer to get their own ice. Not quite my idea of being a good hostess. It just so happens that my girlfriend picked up on the “ice situation” when she visited, and made note of it. We had a good laugh when I opened the gift. But I know whenever I serve ice in my new ice bucket, I will be reminded of her and her beautiful friendship.

We are almost to the end of our study on Philippians. As Paul winds down his letter to the church in Philippi he discusses this very topic of gifts in regards to the financial support of his ministry.

“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Philippians 4:14-16”

Do you see how Paul’s focus is on the giving and receiving, not on the specific need or the specific gift? Think about that. All we know is that Paul was in need and this church provided for him. In our consumer-minded society how often do we focus on the gift? Or the amount someone spent? Whether it was on our wish list? Or do we immediately look for a gift receipt to exchange it?

We have all received unique gifts. They trigger a memory and bring a smile to our face, but most of all they remind us of the one who gave the gift. Whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a spray of perfume, or a much needed item for entertaining guests; gifts are all about the relationship between the giver and the receiver.

“They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. Philippians 4:18b”

Merry Christmas to all our readers! We are truly honored to write for you each week!

In Love and Prayers,

Krista, Michele and Stacy

Do-it-yourself books line the shelves, teaching “dummies” everything from picking a tagline to enhance an online dating profile to how to design a garden.  A friend quipped, “I might not know how to do something, but I can easily grab a book and learn.”

Come to find out the same is true of contentment.  In a time of year when that c-word is easily replaced by consumerism, we can go back to the how-to on contentment.  The trick?

For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”  Philippians 4:11, 12

The original word for “have learned” is just as it seems—to learn by use or practice; to be in the habit of.  Contentment, that elusive, often-forgotten Christian discipline, can be obtained through nothing more than practice.  As I flip through countless ads trying to find the perfect gifts for loved ones, the gimmes creep into my life.  I can continue adding to my wish list and find myself growing bitter over the realization that my wants exceed the means of those giving, or I can practice.  Just like sit-ups are especially painful at first, it is hard for my mouth to claim the truths of Psalm 23.  “The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.  I shall not want.”  At times I want to throw in the towel and allow myself to be consumed by things rather than the one who says He is a consuming fire.  After all, it goes against most everything our culture teaches and its oh so hard.  But then I read the next verse of Philippians 4.  “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  I can.  And so can you.  Let’s learn together.

This past week I had the opportunity to speak at our women’s Bible study at church. This was something new for me, and honestly I was quite nervous. Not so much about the speaking, but writing a lesson from scratch and teaching from God’s Word on a certain subject. It terrified me. I didn’t want to mess up by misinterpreting scripture, or saying something that might cause someone to become offended and angry with me.

The night before the morning I was to speak, I felt God speak to me and I actually giggled out loud. I felt Him say, “Silly Girl, just read the words. Nothing needs to be changed, deleted or added. Just read the Words.”

Sometimes when I write posts for the Intersection I feel the need to be clever and creative in my writing to get a certain point across. Often times it works, but sometimes, like now, there is no interpretation or explanation needed. The written Word of God speaks for itself.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Not even my suburbia-bubble protects me from the effects of the global economic crisis.  One friend will lose her house to foreclosure this month, while another’s goes on the auction block in December.  Another friend works multiple jobs to feed the very ones she rarely gets to see.  The bank repossessed two friends’ cars, while a neighbor waits to see if he, too, will lose his house.

Times are tough.  And yet, we’re entering a season where we’re supposed to be thankful.  We typically stuff ourselves with turkey and fixins’, but the exquisite sides might be a bit out of our budget this year.  We can easily find ourselves feeling more like Scrooge than Tiny Tim.  And then we stumble across Philippians 4:4, which says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Rejoice?  Bah humbug.  That was easy for Paul to write.  After all, he was called by God and had his blessing upon him.  He had a nice, easy life.  Right?  Wrong.  These words were penned while Paul sat in prison, incarcerated solely for his faith in the true and living God.  Despite his chains, Paul commends us to rejoice in the Lord, just as he did.  Always.  Not after the bank approves the loan modification or when the test results come back negative.  Always.

This year, instead of just saying what we’re thankful for, let’s also remember to say who we’re thankful to.

“In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:21, emphasis mine

It was an event I will never forget. A significant day in the life of our family. It wasn’t a marriage, an anniversary, or a birth, but something significant none-the-less. It was February 4, 2009, the day my Jamaican husband became an American citizen.

There were over 100 immigrants representing some 40 countries all gathered at an auditorium in downtown Denver to be sworn in as American citizens. As the words to Lee Greenwood’s song, “Proud to be and American,” echoed through the auditorium tears streamed down many faces. With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in the minds of these new citizens.

Were they hopeful? After all they were now citizens in the “land of opportunity.” Were they sad? Most of them were surrendering their citizenship to their home countries to become Americans. Were they relieved? The process for American citizenship is not easy by any means.

I love how Paul explains citizenship in Philippians 3, although the citizenship he is referring to is that of heaven.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21”

The citizenship process for Matthew began several years ago when he arrived in the States as a student. Once we were married the student visa he held was no longer valid and he had to apply for a green card. Several months and several hundred dollars later he had his green card. Then he had to wait another few years and a few hundred dollars later to apply for citizenship. It was a long, expensive process to say the least. On many occasions Matthew felt used and abused by the “system.” The rules and regulations seemed ridiculous, and we questioned if the process was worth it.

In the end it was worth it, and I live with a husband who’s proud to be an American, but what a contrast to read about citizenship in heaven. There are no forms to complete, no fees to pay, no waiting months on end for a letter in the mail that says we can go on to the next step of salvation. No, it’s a simple process with a huge reward. It’s a three-letter word—Yes—that states we are one with Christ. It’s freedom because we know that our future is secure with Christ in Heaven. It’s a privilege as we now eagerly wait for the returning of our Savior who will transform our lives to live in glory forever.

So my question is this: Why do so many migrate to other countries year after year and endure the expensive and difficult process of becoming a citizen to that country, but when offered the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus and citizenship in Heaven, many more turn their back and walk away?

“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.” ~ Philippians 3:12

He’d never run more than the obligatory mile in PE class. But his friends planned to join cross country, and he wanted to hang out with his friends. Middle-schoolers can be quite persuasive. So I paid the athletic fee, completed the forms, and made an appointment for a physical.

That was the easy part. I’d been a runner for thirteen years, and I knew his greatest challenge lay in the fact that only twelve days separated his decision from the first day of cross country practice. Learning to run multiple miles at a time isn’t crash-course material. It’s a skill earned over months and years of grueling practice–not less than two weeks.

But he was determined. I told him I’d pay the fee if he promised to run with me every one of those twelve days until school started. “I’ll be your coach,” I said, and he heartily agreed.

Until Day Nine when I pushed him to run further than he’d ever run before.

It was a typical August afternoon, blazing hot without a breeze. The first 1.5 miles took us uphill, at which point we’d turn around and come home. If he could make it to the half-way point, I knew he’d survive the cross-country team without breaking a sweat.

But he started to fade at the half-mile mark. By three-quarters of a mile, his good-nature turned around and went home, leaving me with a grumpy adolescent. By one mile in, he started talking about taking up another sport and all the reasons why running is stupid.

Up ahead I saw our turnaround point. I knew if I could get him to the top of the hill, to the light pole marking our summit, he’d make it home triumphant. But never has a half-mile felt so long. That final hill was long and hot, and in spite of my cheering and prodding, my son abandoned his run to the summit in favor of a nice easy walk.

Both my son and I learned two important lessons that day:

1. Sometimes the finish appears unreachable when you’re tired. But it’s not. Better to press on than end up kicking yourself a few hours later.
2. Even if you fail, get back up and keep running.

Since that frustrating day, my son has run up to four miles without stopping. He finished his cross country season, shaving several minutes off his original time. And now, every time he runs, he runs through to the very end, touching the light pole as a symbol of running his entire race, all the way to the finish.

Whatever your race, whether it’s a difficult child, a struggling marriage, a season of confusion in your relationship with God, or simply the struggles of daily living, run your race. Your whole race. And even if you fail, leave it in the past and get back out there to run again.

“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.” ~ Philippians 3:13-14