This is Victory!

Gentle Reader,

What do you carry around? Well I carry a lot around in my Bible. pens for note taking, a list of people I pray for (although since you started reading my blog entries I have transferred all of your names to my CPU [serving over 100,000) And I also find little clippings sermon notes and quote that are meaningful to me. Here's an example of something tattered and torn from constant reading and rereading I thought you might like to get inside my head. (Not that I keep much in there since I got my first computer).

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you
don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is
happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is Victory.


When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving
silence, that is victory.


When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any
annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility -- and endure it as Jesus endured, that is victory.


When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any regiment, any interruption by the will of God, that is victory.


When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your
own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown, that is victory.


When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can
honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, or question God, while
your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances, that is victory.


When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than
yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no
rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart, that is victory.
"that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," (Philippians 3:10)

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25).

"Lord Jesus, make thyself to me

A living bright Reality

More present to faith's vision keen

Than any earthly object seen;

More dear more intimately nigh

Than e'en the dearest earthly tie"

a prayer for understanding

Father in heaven,

Help me to understand the needs of those who struggle every day to stand against the world's pain

Help me find a way to give hope to those who have turned to drugs or alcohol for survival

Help me teach the children the lessons of life that will shape their future, body, mind and spirit.

Help me feed the poor and elderly too proud to say they have not eaten today.

Help me look inside myself and see that all mankind is one. And grant me the strength to understand that I. . . I can make a difference "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," (Philippians 3:10)

Rev. Dr. Denis O'Callaghan Ph.D., Th. D., D. D.
http://drcallahan.bravejournal.com