Day 17 of 40

I got the most amazing note from JM today. It touched my heart and encouraged me to know that the 40 days are for God and our family.

"I needed to clear my head before I began to write so I sat and ready your fasting blog. So much for clearing my head. But it was amazing. Your willingness to be obedient is overwhelming to me. I am amazed at your desire to seek God and find him. I am touched by the way you see Him in the kids and I love the way you are honest about where you are in the process. I love you. I am praying for you. Thanks for giving me the time to get this done. "

He is preaching tomorrow and I have had so much fun listening to him prepare for this. I am so proud of him. He will be preaching on

Philippians 3
No Confidence in the Flesh

"1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

I have enjoyed this passage as I pray for him and seek God during my fast. This is the passage I read everyday knowing I can pray for JM and find Christ in my life.