preparation:

graduation is now 4 days away.  i do not know what i will be doing in august, and for the time being, i am not worried about it.  jeremy and i plan on staying around birmingham for at least a couple of years while we sell our house and save money for future endeavors.  we will begin looking into seminaries (for jeremy) and graduate schools (for me) this summer.  first up, gordon-conwell seminary and boston university.  we will stop by these schools on our way back from nova scotia.  

we are definitely going to nova scotia!  financial support has been raised and God has opened the door even more for us to go.  here is a video of nova scotia for your enjoyment:  

the road going through the hillside is the cabot trail and that is the road we will be circling all summer as we build relationships with people all over cape breton island.  

canada is somewhere neither of us have ever been, but both of us understand the need for the gospel here.  nova scotia is a place i have always wanted to go. the beauty of the island and the simplicity of the people match my personality perfectly.  God has created that island to be a special place.  i need only to remind people of their Creator and the care He has for them.  when i think of my task this summer, i first think of romans 1:19-21, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

Paul's language here sounds very strong and stern, yet we are not without excuse either.  How much of our day is surrounded with God's beauty and we never see it...we never see Him...we never acknowledge Him.  We because pointless in our thinking. We have a routine and we stick to it, yet the beauty and glory of our Creator is all around us if we would only open our eyes to it.  

I also think of romans 10:14-17, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

These verses are often cited when thinking about missions...and in my opinion, they very well should be.  the only breakdown in these verses occur we when do not preach.  we have been promised that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be able to believe in Him; that if people hear, they will believe; and that if we preach, people will hear.  but what about the part that says, "And how are they to preach unless they are sent?"  we are being sent.  all we have to do is preach Truth.  

-i ask that you begin to pray for jeremy and i as we prepare our minds and hearts for preaching in nova scotia.  
-i ask that you pray that we speak only Truth and preach only Christ that our words would be useless and His be heard.
-i ask that you pray for the Holy Spirit to be ever close to us and open people's hearts to be receptive to their God.  
-i ask that you pray that God is glorified above all and ask Him to open our eyes to Him all around us.  

to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.-romans 16:27