A Few Busy Thoughts

We finished up a busy week of homecoming/revival, redoing my tenure application to address some concerns of the departmental committee, and our neighborhood fall festival. On Tuesday my oldest son, Jesse (age 6), made his public profession of faith. This week the church is doing a Halloween alternative event for the kids on Friday night, together with New Vineyard church. And I need to rush out now for a special meeting of Mission Mississippi...

Recently I was attending my university's Founder's Day assembly, and was reminded of the PrayerPaddle by the story of our "founder". Henry P. Jacobs was a slave who managed to learn how to read and write, and then used that knowledge in order to escape to Canada. After reaching the freedom of Canada, he became a Baptist minister. During the Reconstruction years after the Civil War, Mr. Jacobs and others became concerned about how newly emancipated blacks in Mississippi could be educated and trained for the ministry. Returning to Mississippi, he was chosen in 1869 as the first "permanent president" of the General Baptist Missionary Convention of Mississippi. He worked with the American Baptist mission board to establish in 1877 a seminary (Natchez Seminary) that was the precursor to what is now Jackson State University. So what does that have to do with the PrayerPaddle? Well, once again it appears that God has linked together Canada and Mississippi. The differences are huge of course between the PrayerPaddle and the task that God gave Mr. Jacobs. Yet the parallels are still compelling, in light of how completely unrelated Canada and Mississippi would appear to be.

Trying to Make the Transition

After turning in my tenure application, I thought I would find much more time to work on PrayerPaddle stuff. Instead, it seems that I’ve just ended up busy with other things. Right now I’m in the Atlanta airport on my way back from the National Weather Association meeting in Louisville, KY. Last week we made visits to the state fair with the kids and to help at the Pro-Life Mississippi booth. This week is also mid-term exams at JSU. And of course, we’re about to begin the homecoming/revival at our church this Sunday.

Last Saturday we took the whole family out to the reservoir to paddle around a bit. It was a little rougher than I'd expected, so Cynthia had some trouble controlling the inflatable kayak. But Nancy and the boys did pretty good in the canoe. Rebecca got a ride with me in the sea kayak. I also got to practice a few rolls for the first time in waves.

Finally, I’ve started trying to follow up individually by phone with key people about the PrayerPaddle. Also, I wrote up drafts last night of suggested activities for volunteers, a statement of doctrinal fundamentals, and questions of how the success of the PrayerPaddle will be gauged. These will be posted online soon, probably via the blog first.