Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 De•ter•mi•na•tion\…
Dear ODBC Family and Friends How is it possible to be exhausted and energized in the same? My sincere apologies for not communicating more faithfully. I’ve been analyzing what is different about this trip. I’m still dropping into bed by midnight and rising at 5:45, but have not had an uninterrupted block of time to collect my thoughts (always a painful process) and write a report. The work here in Jamaica has been incredibly rewarding. Every facet of ministry has been…
Saturday/Sunday report Dear ODBC family and friends, We have safely arrived on the island of Jamaica! Our travel was uneventful but exhausting. When I say uneventful, I mean that everything went as well as can be expected for the transport of 15 people with personal luggage and 1000 pounds of ministry supplies. I was particularly worried about the350 precious care packages for the school students at Cornwall Mountain All Age School, the little pre-school further up the mountain and JSD-…
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 It always amazes me to consider the kinds of people Jesus chose to be the apostles of the early church. With the exception of Paul, they were mostly fishermen- blue collar, never graduated from high school, stubborn, hard living, low wage laborers- quite literally the salt of…
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 3:2-3 Whitewater rafting is definitely a team sport. Three years ago I had my first experience whitewater rafting. It’s not that I’m adverse to extreme sports or anything. I enjoy a challenge as much as the next guy and have done some dangerous stuff in my day, just never rafting. A…
… know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3-4 “Are you asleep?” It’s the universal question that every married man hears after being awakened out of a sound sleep by the tossing, turning and deep sighs of a sleep deprived and slightly cranky wife. “I was…” I say, as I sluggishly take my mind out of ‘park’ and slowly shift it into…
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 Several months ago I was taking a doctoral level class at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA. My professor was Dr. Ed Stetzer, the head of LifeWay Research- the cutting edge research and development arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was he (and his team) that…
I got another email update from Steve/Pam this morning. It’s amazing how much I look forward to these little tidbits of information from their trip. I hope you all are enjoying reading about the trip, them, and Katelyn too! It’s always helpful to know how to pray too. They flew from Shanghai to Guangzhou on Friday. They were told that while Shanghai is 800 years old, the city of Guangzhou is well over 2000 years old!! On Sunday they were…
Dear Prayer Team, Family and Friends, I often look back at the birth of our biological children as being particularly miraculous days. True, every day is a miracle, a gift from God and evidence of his manifold grace, but at the birth of a child it seems like God laughs out loud. He bends low and kisses the earth. He the Author of Life, and a Loving Artist splashes the canvass of that day with the bright colors of anticipation,…
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 There’s something nice about new beginnings. Remember starting a new school year in elementary school? Everything felt so fresh and clean. I had new notebooks, new pencils (number 2, freshly sharpened), new tennis shoes and a new teacher. There was a new locker combination…