I'll be away for the next ten days or so on vacation in Germany, so I thought to leave you with a re-run of a previous post on one of our favorite smaller city in Germany. Freising sits outside of Munich and is the perfect place to spend the night before flying out of Munich's airport. Enjoy, and I'll see everyone in a couple of weeks.
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Freising is a city situated near two hills. Back in the Middle Ages, Freising was an important city as the seat of a bishopric and a major religious center. St. Corbinian settled at a shrine in Freising around 724. On the city's coat of arms is a saddled bear. This stems from the story of St. Corbinian in which it was said that while traveling a bear attacked and killed his packhorse. Corbinian is said to have told the bear that since he'd killed the horse, he would have to take its place. All over the city there are adorable statutes of bears painted in a variety of ways. It received city rights under Emperor Otto III in 996, but with the founding of nearby Munich in 1150, it gradually lost its economic power. Today it is a quaint city that is best known for the Abbey and church on one hill and the oldest brewery in the world situated on the other. Enjoy some pictures of this picturesque town.

Labels: Freising, Germany, vacation

The following is a devotional from Words of Hope. I read it about a week ago and just loved its message, so I'm passing it on.

Philippians 3:1-16

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.

Pressing on Toward the Goal

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (NIV)

Joy from Having a Personal Relationship of Faith in Jesus Christ

Paul's testimony sounds different from the "gutter to Christ" stories we have often heard. Paul came to Christ as a high moral achiever. He was an Olympic gold medal winner in personal righteousness, a Mother Teresa or Albert Schweitzer of morality. Yet he regarded his trophies of self-righteousness as so much garbage compared to the glory of knowing Christ Jesus.

We work hard to accumulate credentials: degrees, honors, professional recognition, status, wealth. But when the Christ of the cross turns his gaze toward us the only thing we can cry is, "Lord, remember me when you enter your kingdom." As the gospel song has it, "Nothing in my hands I bring; only to thy cross I cling; wash me Savior or I die."

If God wanted to save us by adding up our achievements he would have sent a bookkeeper. Instead he sent a Savior. Laws, rules, regulations, rituals: they all have their value and place. But at the end of the day and the end of life they all fade away, while our relationship with Christ, by faith, shines as bright as the morning sun.

Prayer: Dear God, fill me and help me value the simple joy that comes from knowing Christ my Lord.

Labels: devotional, Words of Hope, Worship on Wednesday

Well, I got so busy last week that I slacked off my posting schedule. It wasn't that I forgot, I remembered, but usually not until it was so late and I was so tired that I just couldn't come up with anything to write.

This week probably won't be much better. As for last week's goals - how did I do? Well, I didn't finish my WIP. I'm still in the middle of Chapter 12 and I know I have at least two more chapters to go. We'll see what this week brings, but I'm pretty sure I won't get it done. But, I won't be for lack of trying.

I still have to finish off my friend's grandbaby's bibs and get them sent off before I leave for Germany on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the trip, but there's just so much to do before then.

I'll try to post on Saturday whether I got it all done.

Labels: Mundane Monday, Projects, weekly goals