It's time to go...

We're putting the final touches on our packing and cleaning as we get ready to head down towards the airport for our early Sunday morning flight to Atlanta and then on the Belize City. We should arrive in Belize around noon - well ahead of Hurricane Dean who might stay north of us - and then arrive in duPlooys in the middle of the afternoon. These past three weeks have been great for rest and getting ready and now we get ready to live out that which "makes us sing" as was the theme of the Lilly Foundation application. I am most looking forward to spending two weeks with my two boys and wonderful wife as we explore and experience things that will be new to all of us. My hope is to try and keep you up-to-date with writing and pictures on a daily basis but we'll see what happens. We'd appreciate your prayers for safety and also for being open to experiencing God's grace, glory, and creativity as it is prepared and presented before us.

I think of Paul as he was heading out on his journeys but I realize that while we are going for rest and renewal with very little threat to our being, Paul was going for reaching out and sharing the resurrection of Christ and the restoration of all humanity to God through Christ. Paul risked life and limb to make sure that message was shared with any and all, especially those whom the church of the day deemed unworthy to receive such a message. The reality is that each of us is called to go on our missional journey to share the same message with all whom we encounter and we are to use the very gifts and words that God gives us to do so. Are we walking with Christ? Are we working for Christ? Are we offering the restoration of relationship with God through our words, deeds, thoughts, and attitudes?

Though our family has a very specific plan laid out for us as we take this physical journey to another part of God's world, the truth is that God has a plan for our spiritual journey laid out for us if we'll just follow the map and trust in God to lead us along the way. Thanks be to God for such a wonderful gift!