Too Busy?

Sorry to those of you who check it regularly to see how I am doing. Things are getting busier and busier, and with final papers due in just a few weeks, I am starting to feel the stress level rise. This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the CCEF annual conference, just a half hour from where I am living in Roslyn, PA. The highlight, of course, was the Rebecca came down for the conference, so I got to see her 5 days in a row! Others from the Vineland area were down, too, and it truly was a blessing to have them here for dinner last Saturday- welcome to my world!

However, what goes up must come down, and if not for the pressing business, life would seem rather lonely- actually, at times it is, but the business makes up for it. I realized today that I have a God who is so accessible, and so willing to enter into relationship with me that He sent His Son do die on the cross to make the possibility of such a relationship a reality- and by my actions I demonstrate that I really do not appreciate Him for that.

I suppose that I am not alone in this, because even here in the seminary, many people admit that their devotional time is not up to snuff. Myself included. I can spend hours and hours on the phone with my wife-to-be, but spend so little time getting to know my Bridegroom-to-be. Foolish, huh?

I am immersed in gospel truths day in and day out, and I complain because it becomes burdensome. I wonder if God feels the same way about me. Does He weary of calling to me to return to Him? To spend time in intimate communion with Him? To tell him how my day went and to thank Him for the glorious truths about His person that He reveals to me and with these enthralls my soul?

Pray with me that He will as our faithful Father continue to reveal to us in new and special ways the length and width and depth and height of His love for us. I believe it was Spurgeon who said, Imagine yourself alone at the foot of the cross. See Jesus hanging their in pain-wracked naked shame, and ask yourself: "Who did God love more?"

Please remember me in the coming weeks, with papers and exams due. But most of all, pray that I will take the time to spend in holy communion with the Lover of my soul. If there are specific ways I can pray for you or your loved ones, please let me know via email- it will help hold me accountable to join with you in prayer. Blessings.

WE'RE ENGAGED!!

She said yes! lol Actually, the surprising thing is that I managed to surprise her. I had to be quite the jerk in order to convince her that I did not yet have a ring, and succeeded in doing so. After a day of shopping and looking at engagement rings (to get an idea of what she liked!), we went to Horseplay Niagara close to Lake Erie in south Wainfleet. We went horseback riding together with a guide by the old quarry, along the beach at the lake, and back around by the quarry. We got off the horses and hitched them in the woods, then walked a few minutes to the edge of the quarry. The guide left us to enjoy a picnic basket full of food and Champanade, but before we dug in, I popped the question- and Rebecca's eyes just about popped out of her head! But she did say yes- we've set the date for May 31, 2008. Let the planning begin!







We would like to thank you all for your support and prayers- and covet them still. Above all, we thank our heavenly Father for directing our lives in such rich ways to afford us the pleasure and comfort of one another's love and support. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Prayer Request

Things are going very well here in Philadelphia. There is much reading to do and assignments due every week; but the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. On the positive side, however, the more I learn, the more precious the Christ of the gospel becomes! I can see His guiding hand in my life here, as He continues His sanctifying work of uncovering my sinfulness through the situations I face as well as revealing the perfection of His work that He has begun in my life.

Which leads me to my prayer request: today we had a presentation at WTS from an organization called Harvest USA. This non-profit ministry seeks to "proclaim Christ as Lord to a sexually broken world". They offer free counseling, some one-on-one but also in group settings, seeking to help those who battle with sexual sins and/or are trying to help those who are so burdened. The goals of this ministry struck a chord with me: this is why I came to Philadelphia.

I am excited to share with you, therefore, that Harvest USA, based here in Philadelphia, is resurrecting an internship program for seminary students and church leaders. This would involve training through reading and discussions with a mentor one-on-one as well as in a group setting with a certified Biblical counselor present to give instruction and feedback. Aslo included is an opportunity to counsel with a mentor, eventually working toward counseling one-on-one with a counselee. What an awesome opportunity this presents for more focussed learning and training in the area of sexual brokenness!

However, they hope to only take on 4 males and 4 females, to begin interning in January. So, I ask that you would make this a matter of prayer that God would open this door for me, and thereby use this internship to sanctify me and teach me more about Him, with the intent of being equipped for service in His kingdom in this sphere of counseling. Please also remember to ask that He will direct me in the way that He wants me to go should this not be His will, but that He would make the way clear.

Thank you for all your prayers already. I thank God that He has allowed me to taste of his mercy and goodness by bringing me into the Body of Christ and be able to share these things with you, and fellowship with you as well. God's blessings to you and your families.

'Just a thought'

" A heart humbled by God's terrible majesty can begin its recovery and grow strong. Sin can't thrive in a humble heart."

Kris Lundgaard

The Enemy Within

p. 128

'Just a thought'

"You stir up man to take pleasure in praising You, because You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You."

~Augustine

Confessions,

Book I.i.1

'Just a thought'

In response to counseling with the claim "God loves you just as you are. God has unconditional love for you." David Powlison writes:

"The Gospel is better than unconditional love. The Gospel says, "God accepts you just as Christ is. God has 'contraconditional' love for you." Christ bears the curse you deserve. Christ is fully pleasing to the Father and gives you His own perfect goodness. Christ reigns in power, making you the Father's child and coming close to you to begin to change what is unacceptable to God about you. God never accepts me "as I am." He accepts me "as I am in Christ." The center of gravity is different. The true Gospel does not allow God's love to be sucked into the vortex of the soul's lust for acceptability and worth in and of itself. Rather, it radically decenters people-- what the Bible calls "fear of the Lord" and "faith"-- to look outside themselves."

~David Powlison

The Journal of Biblical Counseling,

Vol. 13.2, 1995

Praise God for his unspeakable riches in Christ!

"...For He both hears and answers prayer"

With praise to our God and heavenly Father, 'who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ', has also granted that Rebecca and I may pursue a closer relationship. We are overjoyed, to say the least. God in His amazing grace has placed us in the loving family of His church; this family has helped us over the past few months, and even years, in ways which are difficult to express. He is more than worthy to be thanked and praised; it is also fitting to share our joy with you, and to thank you for the many prayers and support you have shown us. Though the road has not been smooth, we can testify to the faithfulness of Christ who has been with us every step of the way- and we know He will continue to be. Please continue to uphold us in your prayers; although God continues to work in us, we are still broken people in need of much change.

"Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together."

~Psalm 34:3

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works"

~Hebrews 10:23-24