Christian Archives - Page 126 of 166

Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! Philippians 4:6-8

During my personal study of God’s Word this week, I spread out two different versions of the Bible and a commentary to look at different aspects of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In the passage above from Philippians, we see the culmination of His time as a man – death on the cross. This single act saved me and continues to save me from sin and destruction. And this same salvation is available to anyone who seeks Him and receives His gift. Jesus’ death remains the most important and beautiful occurrence in history. What a gift. His death changes everything. And yet His life caught my attention as I studied.

If we back up to verse 7 in the text above, we see the first sacrifice Jesus made. “…he made himself nothing”. That’s a huge demotion for the creator of the universe. One commentary I read said He, “willingly girded Himself with the apron of a slave.” Mark 10:45 says, For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. He chose to give up all that heaven is and all He was entitled to so He could walk as one of us. Francis Chan put it this way, “He emptied Himself of all of His glory” to come down to this. I’ve been sitting with that this week.

Matthew 8:20 quotes my Savior as saying, Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. At the height of His ministry, He had nothing. Nor was He welcomed or accepted in His own hometown (Luke 4:24). In heaven angels worshipped and attended to Him, but here, He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53:2) Toward the end of His life, He was betrayed by one in His inner circle (Matthew 26). Those in authority spat on Him, beat Him and mocked Him (Mark 14:65). Jesus hung on the cross to make a way to God for us. But He relinquished so much before he ever made His way to Calvary.

I am eternally grateful for Christ’s death in my place. But today, I wanted to thank Him for His life.

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With temps still over 90 degrees here in the beautiful Dallas, Texas area, it’s hard to believe that we are knocking on October’s door. But the calendar says it is so. We filled our September days with school, work, eye exams and dermatology appointments, church, and tending to loved ones with medical conditions. I got to attend open house at the high school for the first time. Walking my daughter’s schedule at this 3 story behemoth left this country girl breathless and overwhelmed. It sure dwarfs the two hallways that made up my 3A school. I guess that’s one way these kids put all that energy to good use. And once I finally found it, I helped decorate the girl’s locker room to commemorate the start of volleyball district play.

Allie’s team competed in a couple of tournaments which gave me a little PTSD from the club volleyball season. Our girls brought home gold from the second, but Allie brought home a concussion. This is our first foray as a family into head injuries of any kind. And even though it is slight, trainers and doctors take these things very seriously. She has to be symptom free for a week before she can be cleared to play, and so far she has experienced headache, nausea, dizziness and light and sound sensitivity. She is currently doing physical therapy specifically for concussions (which I still don’t completely understand what is – for the record). I had no idea this kind of PT existed, but apparently a combination of ocular exercises, balance work, cardio, and hand eye coordination drills can help the brain reorient more quickly.

On the 19th, a new Sparks was born. A little 5lb 13 oz sweet niece for Chuck and I named Dylan. Can’t wait to meet her in person. And I am adding new gray hairs every day because Allie has her first high school boyfriend. Jesus be near. She is also getting involved in Young Life – where Jesus IS near – and had fun at their annual Crud War. A massive outdoor food fight the likes of which her clothes and our car interior may never recover from.

Chuck and I went to the theater on a double date to see the Downton Abbey movie. After months and months of waiting, it did not disappoint. At home we watched the John Crist comedy special I Got Questions and Too Funny to Fail – a documentary about the rise and fall of The Dana Carvey Show. I always loved his characters. I read Giddy Up, Eunice: Because Women Need Each Other. I was ready for a light and funny snack and I love the podcast the author Sophie Hudson does with Melanie Shankle. I’ve also started reading, and discussing with a friend, Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families: T he 5 Love Languages for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities by Gary Chapman and Jolene Philo.

I finished the month by turning another year older. I am now officially closer to 50 than to 40. A moment to cry about that, please. But I got to celebrate with a girls’ weekend and then with my twin sister and PawPaw surrounded by family. I can’t think of a better place to be, and I’m so grateful. I’d love to hear what you did this month. What you read or what you watched. Drop me a comment below. And don’t forget, I love you, I thank you, and I hope October treats you well.