PHILIPPIANS 1

Greeting
Paul and Timothy, servants1 of Christ Jesus,
To all the asaints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the boverseers2 and cdeacons:3
dGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
eI thank my God fin all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, gbecause of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began ha good work in you iwill bring it to completion at jthe day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you kin my heart, for you are all lpartakers with me of grace,4 both min my imprisonment and in nthe defense and confirmation of the gospel. For oGod is my witness, phow I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that qyour love may abound more and more, rwith knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, sand so be pure and blameless tfor the day of Christ, 11 filled uwith the fruit of righteousness that comes vthrough Jesus Christ, wto the glory and praise of God.
The Advance of the Gospel
12 I want you to know, brothers,5 that what has happened to me has really xserved to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard6 and yto all the rest that zmy imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold ato speak the word7 without fear.
15 bSome indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, cknowing that I am put here for dthe defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ eout of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that fthrough your prayers and gthe help of hthe Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope ithat I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full jcourage now as always Christ kwill be honored in my body, lwhether by life or by death. 21 For to me mto live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 nI am hard pressed between the two. My desire is oto depart and pbe with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 qConvinced of this, rI know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your sprogress and tjoy in the faith, 26 so that in me uyou may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27 Only vlet your manner of life be wworthy8 of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you xthat you are standing firm in one spirit, with yone mind zstriving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is aa clear sign to them of their destruction, but bof your salvation, and that from God. 29 For cit has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also bsuffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same dconflict that eyou saw I had and now hear that I still have.

PHILIPPIANS 1

 

Yes Because

 

 

Yes, because I love you,

I am bound

 

Yes, because I love you,

I suffer

 

Yes, because I love you,

I pray always

 

Be one

Of one

In one

The One

 

Yes Because,

Love is

The One

Then Joy

Then Peace

Will abound

in Grace

 

in The One,                  Jesus

yes, because Love is,

Jesus.love_in_chains__alex_falc_chang

PRAYER

I carried a bushel of anxiety

The weight of which

burdened my spirit

burying Hope

and Peace

each time I tried to empty

the bushel

the basket would fall,

covering the flowering peace and hope flowers

stifling their blooming and

masking their sweet fragrance

Trust seemed distant

Did I have faith?

Carried by others’

prayer lifted the bushel basket

Light shone

And

Peace bloomed in my heart

Hope flowered in my Spirit

and I remembered

how sweet

Grace fills me with Love

MONARCHS

you summer

in the field above my home

enjoying the meadow’s flowers and

buckwheat nectar

my early morning stroll

disturbs your slumber

you flutter out of the trees onto the field as I walk by

dancing by my head in groups of 20 or more

just out of reach

rising on the breath of the hot wind

glancing back

you fill the moment by the hundreds

golden against the blue

this magical moment

brings simple joy as

your wings flitter

in the summer heat

till you hear the call on the breeze

that carries you on the horizon of time

to far away winter lands

only to return next summer

to dance in my meadow once more