CHEERS!

(Wendy’s ‘welcome back from Cali for the week’ with most of the women from Camp)

A little while after our ‘cheers’, our food started to arrive and one of us forcefully thanked the other to pray. After some laughter, we bowed our heads and allowed the mood to change as any prayer usually does. She thanked God for the food and the time of fellowship, and then acknowledged our many different paths in life and what a blessing it was to be able to get together during such times. As best as I can remember, I quote: ‘…with one of us returning from Cali, another recently coming out of the hospital, and yet another getting ready to be married in a few weeks…‘ It all seemed quite crazy. With some of us working full-time and others still in school, she prayed that we would all ‘encourage one another‘ wherever life takes us and whatever it puts us through. My definition of family.

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” 

— Philippians 2:1-11

From all four corners of the world (kinda)… Cheers.