{"id":465,"date":"2018-02-16T06:05:48","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T12:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journey.jayctheriot.com\/?p=465"},"modified":"2018-02-16T06:05:48","modified_gmt":"2018-02-16T12:05:48","slug":"february-16th-ephesians-413-first-friday-of-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/?p=465","title":{"rendered":"February 16th – Ephesians 4:13 – First Friday of Lent"},"content":{"rendered":"

13\u00a0<\/sup>I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.<\/span> — Ephesians 4:13<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The signature I held on my emails for a while included my mantra:<\/p>\n

“Computing Through Christ” because
\n“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I did not know how prophetic my email signature would turn out to be.<\/p>\n

Since Dec. 17th, 2016, I have experience a major life struggle, a disease with no name that can leave me wishing to die to escape the agony and frustration of what my body becomes.\u00a0 It has been through Christ that I have been able to maintain what little resemblance of sanity that I have left.<\/p>\n

Originally, Ephesians 4:13 was my spiritual answer to the accusations of my co-workers that I seemed to have super-human abilities allowing me to stay with an issue for 36-hours at a time, with no rest.\u00a0 They would call me a “beast.”\u00a0 The truth of the matter is that I absolutely loved problem solving and was energized by the many conundrums presented by a network containing in excess of 20,000 endpoints spread out over a couple regions of a state.<\/p>\n

I began using it as the mantra of the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Technology Guild, which I founded.\u00a0 Our mission is, basically, get God’s Word out from St. Matthew’s to the Internet.\u00a0 In this process, we have made quite a bit of strides.\u00a0 Ultimately, they were all but destroyed by the rapid surfacing of my enigmatic disability.<\/p>\n

Let’s look at the first part of the quote:\u00a0 “I can do all things through Christ.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here, the Bible gives us a choice.\u00a0 We can either do things through Christ, or not.\u00a0 Choosing to do things through Christ reminds me that my intentions must attempt to emulate the Path of Jesus, the best I can.\u00a0 I know that I am a flawed human.\u00a0 I sin, and am capable of harboring darkness.\u00a0 But, “through Christ,” I can have positive motivations which are selfless and kind.\u00a0 Ultimately, for the good of others, I can produce results that will show people that I love them and I wish them well.<\/p>\n

“Who strengthens me”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ah.\u00a0 I couldn’t have survived this last year without this statement.\u00a0 This disease has proven too much for me to bare.\u00a0 Throughout my life, there were times that I enjoyed celebrating my Christianity.\u00a0 I don’t think I really thought I needed Christ in my life.\u00a0 It was a feel-good thing that I kept close to me.\u00a0 I rarely talked about my spirituality as to not offend anyone.\u00a0 I have had continuing conversations with dear friends that are not of the Christian faith.\u00a0 I admire their dedication and righteousness in their spirituality.\u00a0 However, Christ is my spiritual guide and he gives me strength to survive another day.\u00a0 To make it to the next minute.<\/p>\n

Laying on the table on September 7th, 2017, I was encompassed in light.\u00a0 I was shown terror.\u00a0 Then, I was touched by His presence and was made warm.<\/p>\n

Many other things happened during that event.\u00a0 Both, in the physical and ethereal realms.\u00a0 The most important feeling I was given was that “He strengthens me.”\u00a0 I owe my life, my being to the Trinity.<\/p>\n

When in crisis, sometimes you try to take it one day at a time, an hour, a minute or a breath.\u00a0 This tortuous disease occasionally contorts my muscles leaving me severely limited for days at a time.\u00a0 It is during these periods that “Who strengthens me” strikes the chorus.\u00a0 I know through Christ, I am given strength to make it through the torment.\u00a0 The waters will be calmed, and this too shall pass.\u00a0 Breathing is difficult when your entire abdominal wall is knotting.\u00a0 Stopping your limbs from flinging dogs off your legs are impossible (and rather an amazing sight.)\u00a0 However, Faith in Christ gives me the strength to make it through.\u00a0 To take that next breath.\u00a0 To live another day to do His bidding.<\/p>\n

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.<\/span>“<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taking the statement in its entirety, it beckons you to have faith, not only in Christ, but also, in yourself.\u00a0 I know that I will achieve things deemed impossible, through Christ’s strength.\u00a0 I can and will survive.\u00a0 I can and will produce things that others will enjoy. It is my wish and desire to leave this world a better place for others than I received it.\u00a0 It is through Christ, that I can make this happen.\u00a0 Since the beginning, there has been only one set of footprints in the sand.\u00a0 Many times, they have been considerably deeper than other times.<\/p>\n

Of all the phrases in the Bible, this one strikes me the hardest.\u00a0 It remarks to me to be dedicated to Christ, and yourself.\u00a0 When taken in conjunction with old adage “Where there is a will, there is a way,” the message I receive tells me that if your will is in Christ, you will find a way.<\/p>\n

Enjoy your journey.\u00a0 I am enjoying mine.<\/p>\n

Have a very good day.\u00a0 Keep the faith.<\/p>\n

In Christ,<\/p>\n

Jay C. “Jazzy_J” Theriot<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

13\u00a0I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. — Ephesians 4:13 The signature I held on my emails for a while included my mantra: “Computing Through Christ” because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I did not know how prophetic my email signature would turn out to be. Since […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jayscafe.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}