Comments

1) My Community Group - Darrell, Marc, Jeff, Tim, Keith, and Carl have all been there to encourage me through the rough times and celebrate with me during the great times. I do truly feel like lifting up a prayer of thanks for them every time they come to mind.

I love how The Message translation puts Philippians 1:9-11 because this truly is my prayer for each of the guys -- "So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God."

2) Grace Chapel in Londrina, Brazil -- I am going on a mission trip there again (the first time was in July 2003) March 3-14, 2006. They have a new pastor and just hearing about the faithfulness of the church to God during their rough times has been very inspiring to me.

The way The Message translates Philippians 1:3-6 makes me think of the congregation at Grace Chapel: "Everytime you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears."

My prayer right now for the congregation of Grace Chapel is that God will reveal His faithfulness to them in ways they never even possibly imagined!