Friday, January 4, 2019



He certainly was ill {too}, near to death. But God had compassion on him, and not only on him but also on me, lest I should have sorrow{over him} coming from sorrow. Philippians 2:27 AMP

Paul is speaking about Epaphroditus, the faithful messenger sent from the Philippians to him, in order to bring funds for Paul's living expenses. It is time for Epaphoditus to return home, since he has been gone for quite a while. 

Not only did he travel a long way to Rome, his illness set him back.  I don't know about you, but being in a foreign country, and being sick is no picnic! Paul tells the Philippians this fellow risked his life in bringing Paul aid. Following after God can have serious outcomes, but it is never the wrong way.

The outcome of not following God is one that can make me shutter. None of us want to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Life outside of Him is a scary place. The covering provided by living a yielded life is worth far more than anything else in this world.

"Safe" in spiritual terms, doesn't mean safe from physical harm. Many a missionary or believer in a foreign land can attest to this. There have been more martyrs in the past century than  all other centuries combined. This could be a sign of the soon return of our King.

Epaphoditus might have had mixed feelings about returning to his homeland. He has spent time with the Apostle Paul and certainly learned many wonderful things from him. He loved his family at home, but now he had family in Rome as well.

I don't like saying goodbye to my daughter when she visits for a time, and returns to Chicago which she has made her home. She was home for two weeks and we had fun, doing not much at all. I can now say I have binge watched a whole series. We sat a whole day and watched" The Great British Bake Off." It was her idea, and I liked it. Even my husband thought it was nice!

This is Rachel's love language, which means she knows we love her because we did a binge with  her. I know men are different, and I'm sure Paul and Epaphoditus didn't do anything silly like Rachel and I, but praying through a brother who is near death can do something to you.

Rachel has had some serious health issues for a 26 year old woman. We pray and trust, and pray and trust again. God has been faithful to bring her through so now she can defend the poor children of Chicago through legal advocacy. She will be the voice for the little ones who can't defend themselves. This brings all of the Migliores great joy. She's out there, doing what God has put on her heart, and she's no push over!




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