Unexpected Blessing

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20, 21 HCSB)

It was a couple of months ago when I got an email from NOBTS, where I am working on my Masters of Divinity degree. It had said that they had received my application for financial aid for Spring 2013. I thought this was interesting because I had not put in an application. I asked my wife if somehow she had gone behind my back (in a good way) and done this. No.

The reason that I had not applied was that I knew that I would not be enrolled at full-time status which is a requirement for most aid. I just left it to a glitch in the system. I wasn't looking forward to getting some aid but having to return it because I was not full-time.

Here we are in December. The current semester is closing down. Looking ahead to the next semester, we wonder how much we will be able to do to complete this degree - the finish line is in sight!

All of the sudden, I get an email from NOBTS that says "Congratulations!" It was a $400 grant for next semester. As I said earlier, I wasn't looking forward to going to the Financial Aid office and telling them I don't qualify. Then I saw this in the email...

Enrollment can be full- or part-time (on-campus, extension center, or internet courses).

Then it hit me. I do qualify for this one... and I can use it! Praise the Lord! This will be great. I am looking to do a workshop in January that will complete my on-campus requirements. That means if the funds come in for that workshop ($1110), I will be able to finish my degree online and no longer have to commute to New Orleans. (Too bad this grant can't be used for the workshop.) This grant/scholarship will just about cover an online class for the spring to get me one step closer to the end.

God never ceases to amaze me. When I thought there was no way to qualify, apparently He made a way for even me in my situation to qualify. He has a special way of reminding you that He is Emmanuel - "God with us."

As we are praying for God to provide for this workshop in January, I would ask that you pray for us. If God lays it on your heart to help meet this goal, please contact me and I can show you how to do so.

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Remembering Dreams

This past Monday, I was at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for my classes.  In between my two classes that day, I ran into an old friend.  She was at the seminary with her mother working on her doctoral work.  We had gone to undergrad together at Blue Mountain College back in the day.  After our run-in and short catching up, I began to dwell on our days at BMC.

We were a part of something great.  It was known as "Disciple's Cross".  It was the first praise band that Blue Mountain College had as a ministry.  We worked out of our campus ministries program.  It was a great time.  I spent two years with this praise band.  The first year, I played bass guitar.  My last year, I played "lead" guitar (really nothing more than distortion).  I thought about the long practices of trying to bring all the members together on the same page in that old abandoned roller skating rink on campus that is now the "Johnnie Armstrong Gal-ry".  I thought about the weeks spent in prayer with the band mates over what the name of  the group should be.

This trip down memory lane was good because for a long time during my teenage years, I had a dream of being in a Christian band one day.  I dreamed about touring the country, taking the Gospel to people of all ages and enjoying some fun along the way.  I have always enjoyed music.  Being a part of that praise band in college for two years and going all over Mississippi and Memphis, TN was a dream come true.

I am so grateful that God allowed me to see one of my dreams come true.  It was good times and a lot of fun for the most part.  But one thing I realized was that though it was fun and God allowed me to partake in it, being part of a band was not what I was created for.  God has shown me that I was to preach and teach His Word to people.

I've learned that sometimes God will allow us to experience our dreams to show us that even our dreams are so far beneath what could be.  Just think about this...

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the LORD’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.   (Isaiah 55:8-9 HCSB)

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or  think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  (Ephesians 3:20-21 HCSB)

We too many times settle for the small dreams that we can come up with on our own.  God has a plan for our lives that is so much more than we could ever imagine.  We can experience that "God-sized dream" when we truly trust Jesus Christ and allow Him to lead our paths.

Who are you letting determine the size of your dreams?  

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