Be Strong. Fight Bravely. Trust God.

When there is nowhere to turn, what do you do?
When you are at the end of your rope, what do you do?

When things seem to be going well, what do you do?
When you are amazed at how well things are going, what do you do?

In each of these circumstances:
Be strong.
Fight bravely.
Trust God.

With no where to turn, surrounded by enemies, Joab, one of David's commanders, positioned Abishai, his brother against one side while he prepared to fight the other.
His advice to Abishai was "Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our Good. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." (1 Chronicles 19:13)

As we are coming to the end of our time, I have realized and need to continue to trust in the truth of this passage.
I need to prepare as best as possible and trust that the LORD will do what is good in his sight. Whether it is housing, finances, ministry responsibilities or entering an internship with a new born baby, I need to trust in the LORD.

God has proven himself faithful and amazing throughout our time here @ BBC&S.
Four years ago, I could not imagine how God was going to work circumstances out for us.
He has over and over again.

Now, I wonder the same thing as we prepare to go to Toledo for internship but I know who God is and what He is able to do.

Cowper's Fountain of Blood and Smiling Face

Romans 1:16, 17 and Proverbs 19:21

In my previous two posts
There is a fountain filled with blood
and
God moves in mysterious ways
contain the lyrics of hymns by William Cowper.

This past Friday night at the mission we sang "There is a fountain filled with blood."
As we were singing that song of joy..

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day.

I was reminded of his poem "God moves in mysterious ways" ...

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan his work in vain; GOD IS HIS OWN INTERPRETER (emphasis mine), and He will make it plain.

These two hymns remind me to find joy in the salvation I have in Christ and the hope I have in God no matter what the circumstances.

I have been reminded over and over again of
the joy found in Romans 1:16, 17
and the hope found in Proverbs 19:21

There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood

There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood:
Lyrics William Cowper
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine."

God Moves in a Mysterious Way > Lyrics | William Cowper

God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Lyrics William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sov’reign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain."

Veracity no matter what the weather is

This weeks is the BBC missions conference www.bbc.edu/Missions_conference/ and the plans are/were to take students out to various cities for an off campus opportunity to live out and share their faith. With the coming storms the original plans are changing.

As I think about the time and planning that has gone into the conference up to this point. It is my prayer that the attitudes and actions those who have been involved in the planning, myself included, would demonstrate a dependence and trust in God.

I am not sure what is going to happen over the next couple of days with the mission conference but I do know this truth. God is God and I am not. That is truth that I need to passionately live out.

Please pray that
no matter what the weather,
no matter what the activities,
no matter what the circumstances,
students and staff will realize the importance of passionately glorifying God in their lives.


Through this time I have really been challenged to consider
-my reactions to things that happen around me that I cannot control.
-my reasons for why I do the things I do.

Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purpose of his heart through all generations.

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Pursuit of the Truth

This next week is going to be very busy for me. Very exciting. Very busy.

Later today I am going on an overnight men's retreat with Heritage Baptist Church. I am very excited about going to Arrowhead Campgroup to grow in Christian Character. Some of the sessions are on Holiness, Humility and Honesty.
I am looking forward to the retreat.
Pray for Krista and the boys this weekend.

Next week, starting Tuesday night, is Baptist Bible College's Mission Conference. The focus is on urban ministries. The theme word is VERACITY, which means a devotion to the truth. On Thursday we are planning to take over 400 students to various places to do and see ministry. Please pray for all the details of the conference, for the students, and for those who will hear the truth of Jesus Christ that day.

I will write more about the conference later but I need to get to class now.

I have been cleared...

by my podiatrist this week.

I don't need to see him again regarding my foot surgery

by my Hebrew professor to take second semester Hebrew, which starts in just over a week.

Doctor appointments

I had a doctor's appointment this week.
However this photo is not from that appointment.

The pins are out of my toes. However there is still a lot of swelling in my toes and ankles. The doctor, not Josiah, said there is nothing to be concerned about now.

With the diabetes, he was a little nervous about infection but it has not been a problem.

Krista's pregnancy is going well. She is experiencing tiredness which is probably from the pregnancy and dorm life.

Joel finished soccer season. He improved so much during the season. We think taking part in Big Blue soccer camp here @ BBC helped with that. He is also doing great in first grade. One of his school friends has started coming to AWANA at Heritage.

Josiah is enjoying Cubbies and once a week preschool @ BBC.

He loves washing dishes, singing and "teaching" the baby how to do things.

A Lesson from the Living Room Couch

Well this semester has been really busy. Good but busy.
Classes. Mission. and other things.
Actually our time here @ BBC&S has been very busy.

Sitting on the couch, recovering from surgery has forced me to slow down a little bit.

"Never get so busy doing the work of the kingdom that you forget who the King is."
Anonymous.

A temporarily slowed down life, this quote and much more have me thinking about our time @ BBC&S.
I have been very thankful for my experience here.
Especially the fact that the professors at the seminary stress the importance of a personal relationship along with a knowledge of the Bible.
I have also loved being able to take the things I have been learning in classes and applying them @ the Scranton Rescue Mission.

Health Update from the Rodgers family

This Tuesday Krista and I were able to hear the heartbeat of our baby.
The due date is May 7th, graduation day here @ BBC.

The boys are very excited to have a younger brother or sister.

Also, on Friday I am scheduled to have surgery on my left foot.
- I have a cyst on my ankle that needs to be removed.
- Two of my toes are going to be straigntened out.

Josiah Preaching

This is a video of Josiah talking with
some of the girls in the middle floor lounge.

All is quiet in Northeastern PA

Vibbard Hall has been quite since yesterday @ 2:00 pm.

Krista and the women from Vibbard have gone camping.
From Krista phone report this morning, things have been going well.
It was very strange to have a quiet dorm on a Saturday night during the school year.

Camping Trip

Krista and 43 of the women from Vibbard dorm are camping today (Saturday, 09.12) and tomorrow @ Rock Mountain Bible Camp.

Please pray for the weather, safety and especially for the women as they spend time building relationships with each other during this time.

09.11 - In the midst of Pain, Suffering and Affliction

On September 11, 2001, I was in the Dominican Republic.
Every Tuesday Missionary Flights International would bring the mail to Santiago Christian School.
On this particular mail day I received a copy of The Hidden Smile of God, a book on suffering, pain and affliction, from my brother-in-law.

Several years later, my copy of the book was destroyed in a fire @ Emmanuel Christian School.
Through the difficulties of both of these situations William Cowper's poem "God Moves in Mysterious Ways" speaks volumes to me about God and His goodness even in the midst of difficult times.
The poem is below and the link to the online version of the book is above.

God Moves in Mysterious Ways
William Cowper (1731–1800)

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

Start of the Semester

The school year @ BBC started a week ago on Tuesday.


DORM LIFE:

Krista had a very busy week of leadership training last week. But it was a good time to reconnect with this years RAs and dorm leaders.

They developed the dorm theme of PERFECT PROFILE:

Finding the Face of God in His Book.

The theme passage is Psalm 62.

Please pray that the 24 new women in our dorm and the other 25 women will grow closer to God as the live in community in Vibbard Hall.



SEMINARY CLASSES:
Don't start until September 7.
I will be taking Hebrew and Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus).

RESCUE MISSION:
Things at the mission have been going great.
You can read about some of the prayer requests and praise @ the mission prayer site:
http://rescuemissionprayerpage.blogspot.com/


THE BOYS:
Joel attended Big Blue Soccer @ BBC and is now playing in the Abington Youth Soccer League.
Pictures can be found at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98581&id=501059302&l=3c5957d7d9

Josiah is excited he gets to attend Cubbies @ Heritage and preschool @ Jackson Hall.

Both of the boys are very excited the semester has started up because they are able to see all their "sisters" in the dorm.

Pictures...

Some links to pictures from the summer.

Steamtown pictures:
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94005&id=501059302&l=685add4633

BBC Lumber Company:
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94008&id=501059302&l=008deafa94

Our camping trip:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94004&id=501059302&l=ba35b250f7

If these links don't work please let me know.

My activities and priorities

MY ACTIVITIES:

From Thursday to Sunday night I have been to Philadelphia and back to Clarks Summit, then to Pittsburgh and back to Clarks Summit and then to Rochester, NY and back to Clarks Summit. (over 1400 miles of driving or riding in a car.

• Thursday - I went to Lincoln Financial Field to see the Philadelphia Eagles lose to the New England Patriots in my first ever live football game. O.K. I know it was only preseason.
• Friday and Saturday - Drove out to Pittsburgh and dropped the boys of at grammy's house for the week with her and Aunt Deb and cousins Jacob and Nolan.
• Sunday - Travelled with Krista to Rochester, NY to attend the celebration service of a 37 year old college friend who passed away very unexpectedly.

MY PRIORITIES:

I light of these events and one of the tributes shared @ Keith's Celebration service, I have been evaluating life's priorities and I wanted to share some insights with you.

Priorities in rank of importance:
1. Live life in such a way that God is glorified. This is done first and foremost through personal, life changing relationship with Jesus.

2. Remember the importance of spending time with family.

Much further down on the list: NFL football. There are so many things that are more important than an NFL football.

Our Trip out west & TLC (teen leadership conference)

OUR TRIP OUT WEST:
From Saturday (07.11) through Monday (07.20), Krista, the boys and I went to visit family and friends out west (western PA and Toledo, OH).
We spent a couple of days @ the church camp Dave went as a teen. It was great to spend time with friends and family.
After that we went out to Toledo and got to spend time with Krista's family.
(There are some pictures below)

TLC (teen leadership conference):
Last week and this week I have been doing a workshop @ TLC.
It is entitled:
Helping the Hurting, Homeless or Hopeless Where You Live

The following is the link to the official TLC website:
http://www.bbc.edu/tlc/
The following is the link to the website I am using for my workshop:
http://www.boonedy.com/tlc.html

Please be praying for the seminar and TLC in general.









The boys and their cousins at the Toledo Zoo.













Joel fishing.












Josiah at the dock fishing.














The boys and the neighbors in grampa's backyard staring down the slip and slide.













The boys and grammy.

The end of June Update

We are going to be making trip to western PA and Ohio very soon. All of us are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family.

Some of you may have heard about David's July 10th surgery. This surgery has been cancelled and will be probably be rescheduled in October. Below are some pictures of different things that have gone on in our lives this summer.

Rodgers family at the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees Game

Joel standing in front of a tree on campus @ BBC. We had a storm on Friday, June 26 that knocked many trees on campus.

Josiah and Bradley right before tonsil/adenoid surgery.

Joel and Josiah @ Knoebels' amusement park.

Josiah surgery/recovery and other things

Josiah had his tonsils and adenoids removed on Thursday (06.18).
Thankfully it well. Presently, he is not talking as much as usual but he does enjoy popsicles and ice cream.
Please continue to pray for his recover.

This summer, and I use that term loosely because it hasn't been much like summer, we have had some good day trips. Knoebels, an amusement park. Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees game. Sight and Sound Theater.
We had a great time with my sister and her boys.

Along with that work at the mission has been going well. Please pray for the services at the Scranton Rescue Mission on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Especially be praying for the resident program in Wilkes-Barre.