C4 Connextion Corner

  LOVE BROUGHT US BACK FROM THE BRINK TRANSITION 4 TRANSFORMATION Transition— movement passage or change from one position, state, stage, subject, or concept Transformation —Change in form, appearance, character, and nature We would all concur that 2021 has been another transitional year! There have been gains, losses, misses, and lessons! We've been up, down, right, wrong, crooked, straight, bent, broken, delighted, surprised, elevated, promoted, sharpened, setback, setup, empowered, encouraged, and equipped! As the waning hours draw to a close and we use tools of inflection as well as reflection, if we're completely honest, we will truly admit and acknowledge that LOVE (Agape) rescued us even if we did not recognize we needed it! Love as God displays it through the entrance of His one and ONLY beloved begotten Son full of grace and truth! Real love indeed is an action, a behavior. It's identifiable! It's visible, palpable, not just an emotional moment! W...

Transition for Transformation: The Prerequisite by Taji Brown Focus Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7- "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." A prerequisite must happen first or something required as a prior condition. For example, having money is a prerequisite to purchasing something. I can remember when I met with my academic advisor when it was time to register for classes at my university. Before taking any courses specific to my major, I had to take prerequisite courses. These classes were the first steps I needed to take before becoming who I intended to be based on my desired major. In a nutshell, "you have to crawl before you walk." I find...

A Repositioned Life During our 2nd week of Advent, let’s look at how we can reposition ourselves to see Jesus clearer than we have all year. Thanks be to God he saw humanity and knew we were in need of a savior, sent Jesus to us, Jesus the Light of the world! John 8:12 Reposition: The return of something to it’s proper position. To place or put in a new position; to position again. Change places or direction. If you have ever been sitting in an uncomfortable position, maybe legs crossed for too long time, you may have experienced a leg or foot falling asleep. Your body becomes agitated, and tingling may begin. You might feel numb and stiff. Most likely it will register to your brain that the body, “is in pain!!” You should begin to reposition yourself in your chair to feel more comfortable. Reflecting on Jesus this Advent season, we see his entrance into a numb and sleeping world void of God’s light. Let us take the opportunity to reposition our lives from unbeliever to believer, fr...

  Transition for Transformation: The Power in Pivoting Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical calendar. I guess it's only fitting that the church year begins with the reminder that Jesus is coming. The Advent season, often conflated with the Christmas season, recognizes the initial coming of Jesus to Earth as a means of reminding us that he's coming back.   Through this, we acknowledge the gospel through the birth, the life, the death, the resurrection, and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The gift of this reminder is that it allows us to reposition ourselves for him to come back. It reminds us that our time is limited and should be used wisely. I have learned the lesson that in life, it is genuinely impossible to remain still. Despite the reality of us taking our feet off the pedal, we are unable to stop moving. Regardless of the speed, we are either moving forward or backward. The weight of this reality is that we often don't know we are moving backward unti...