Traveling again to India-na!

I leave today for Indiana (I am so glad for the last two letters of my destination - as much as I enjoyed my trip to India, I am not up for the 36 hours of continuous travel it takes to get to Naya Akola! The two hours it will take to get to Indianapolis will seem like NOTHING - at least I hope this is the case!). I am heading to Indiana to take part in Grace College and Seminary board meetings. The Grace Board meets twice each year, once in the spring and once in the fall. When I think of serving on this board, I feel conflicting emotions rising up in my soul. First, I feel excitement about the opportunity to serve our Fellowship of churches in this role. What happens at Grace Schools will impact our Fellowship far into the future. But at the same time I feel inadequate. At my first board meetings last fall I recall looking around the room and asking myself, "John, how did you get asked to serve with this group?"

At these moments when I feel inadequate (which is not really a bad thing), I remind myself of this truth from God's Word: "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." (1 Corinthians 3:5). My competence comes from God. He equips me and enables me to rise to whatever task he lays before me. That, my friend is an encouraging reality! Would you please pray for me this week that God would indeed make me competent to accomplish this task of serving on the Grace Board. And please do not stop praying for me when I return. I need God to enable me to be the pastor, husband, father, friend, police chaplain, etc. that he calls me to be!

Thanks for stopping by. . .

pj

P.S. - I will try to post at least one blog while in Indiana. However, I am not sure what my Internet access will be, so if I am unable to post, I will "see" you next week!