Malaysia Trip - August 10, 2008

A couple of days ago I was asked to preach on short notice at Bridlewood this Sunday. This was a special challenge because I am getting a cold, and didn’t have time to prepare my usual set of notes. Instead I preached from a rough set of notes, perhaps a page in length, plus the actual text of 1 Corinthians 12 written out. I ended up cutting some of my material and still went overtime, but nobody seemed interested in leaving. The subject was Spiritual Gifts, in the context of the local church working together as a body. The message seemed to go well, and my voice held out. But the highlight of the meeting was that the church held a special time of prayer at the Sunday morning Family Bible Hour, concerning my upcoming trip to Malaysia. One of the elders called me to the front of the church, laid hands on me, and a number of the men prayed. I had been feeling considerable anxiety about the trip (travel, leaving family, etc) but since this time of prayer I have had complete peace about it. This trip is an answer to prayer, I know what I am supposed to do, I’ve done all the preparation I can do, my fellow Christians are praying, and that’s that. Two more days of work at Alcatel-Lucent, and then I fly out.