Minnesota Weather Alert!

Those of us who live in the Upper Midwest, and in southern Minnesota in particular, are experiencing a glorious day.  The sun is shining, there are white puffy clouds in the blue sky, and the temperature just topped 50 degrees!  This is wonderful; we've been looking forward to a day like today for months.  As you can see from this view of Pillsbury College's Old Main from my office window, the snow is beginning to melt in earnest.  Of course, the tree outside my window only has buds at this time; the leaves will take a few weeks to appear.  Nonetheless, we are thankful that the Lord does give us four seasons every year.  The Psalmist says it best:  "This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  (Psalm 118:24)

Interesting Thoughts on Vice Presidents

Dr. Charles W. Dunn is a friend from my BJU days.  He has been an outstanding political science professor at the University of Illinois, Clemson University, and Grove City College.  Currently, he serves as the Dean of the School of Government at Regent University.  As many of us do, he has a blog—his blog is entitled "The Chuck Dunn Report."  He has already had several perceptive posts on the current political campaign.  Today, he posted a very interesting discussion on American vice presidents.  I urge you to read Dr. Dunn's comments, which are entitled:  Vice Presidents: "You've Come a Long Way, Baby."  Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are slugging it out for the Democratic presidential nomination, while John McCain has things wrapped up for the Republican nomination.  But a huge question remains—who will be the vice presidential candidates for the two major parties?  Stay tuned.

Finally . . . The End of Winter Is In Sight

It has been a difficult winter for many folks here in the Upper Midwest.  Some of our neighbors in Wisconsin have already received over ninety inches of snow this winter.  Just last weekend, Ohio got clobbered with up to two feet of snow in some locations.  Here in southern Minnesota, our snow totals for the winter have been well below average.  What we have experienced is some thirty days of below-zero temperatures during the last three months.  Frankly, Nancy and I would rather have the cold than the snow.  The forecast for this week includes several days with temperatures in the forties.  I say, "bring it on!"

Pillsbury College Missions Conference (2008)

This past week, Pillsbury College hosted its annual missions conference.  We enjoyed hearing from veteran missionaries and missionaries just getting ready to go to the field.  According to Mr. Dan Morrell, who heads up the Pillsbury Missions Department, we had more missionaries and more mission boards represented than ever before.

The first of our keynote speakers was Rev. Steve Fulks.  According to the Baptist Mid-Missions website, he is the Administrator for Church Relations and Enlistment.  He and his wife Judy were missionaries in Peru from 1985 until 1997.  He spoke from Ezekiel 37 concerning the role of Ezekiel in speaking to the valley of dry bones.  God asked Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, but it was God who breathed life into those dry bones.  The application was that when we do our part to reach people with the Gospel, God will do His part to bring some of those people to Himself.

Our other keynote speaker was Dr. Mark Batory, who is the Executive Director of Gospel Fellowship Association.  He and his wife Paula served as missionaries to Mexico from 1979 to 1983.  He also assisted Dr. John Vaughn in planting a Hispanic Baptist church in Greenville, SC.  Our daughter Cynthia attended that church for several years.

Dr. Batory spoke about the fact that several of the the apostles were those "who turned the word upside down."  Yet these "Galileans" struggled while they were being mentored by our Lord during his earthly ministry.  After our Lord's resurrection, God sent the Holy Spirit to minister to the needs of the apostles.  It's the same way with the Christian life.  Many of us are just like the "Galileans."  We have struggles in our Christian life, but the Holy Spirit ministers to our needs and helps us achieve spiritual victories.

The theme of our Pillsbury missions conference was to encourage all of us to worship God more.  As a result of that, we will then have the proper motivation in our ministry to others.  All in all, our missions conference was spiritually uplifting.