Rejoice in the Lord always!

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4 - 7

Over the last couple of days I have been reading and reflecting on this that a very dear friend of mine has been praying through (he encouraged me to do the same). This passage has been very helpful in reminding me of the power and presence of God with me now as I prepare for Belize and that will be present with me this summer. I have found myself constantly turning back to it when I start to worry about the "unknown" of the summer - it's acted as a great comfort to me over the busyness of this last week. It has reminded me that even though I will be experiencing a lot of the "unknown" over the next few months, there is one thing that I can depend on to be "known" and that is the love of God reflected in the lives of the people I meet, in the ministry that we share together and in the Gospel that we proclaim.

As my departure date creeps closer, I'm growing nervous however, I'm looking forward very much to the challenges, new insights, and relationships that will arise through this experience.

Thank you all for your continued prayers for peace, affirmation, courage and discernment over the next few months!!