change of plans

So, obviously, I won't be living in New Orleans for the next entire year.

Bummer. I was really looking forward to it.

After much prayer and deliberation, I've decided that it's best for me to stay in Pensacola. I kind of think God wants me here for some reason. What that reason is, I have no idea. Hopefully it's to fulfill number three on my list of things to do in the next year--find a woman. I've already accomplished numbers one and two. So maybe something cool is in store for my time served here in Pensacola.

So...another thing to consider while living here has to be what kind of ministry in which to get involved. <--Check out that grammar. I reckon I'll get involved with the college ministry up at Olive. Sounds good to me.

I've already been on a team over to Slidell, Louisiana. It is pretty bad over there, and it's there that I realized that only being away from New Orleans for a year will still leave plenty of work for us seminary folk. I'm looking forward to the day we return and open up for business. That's going to be a good day.

What a way to start.

Having been called to be a pastor, it was pressed upon my heart to attend seminary to learn to preach and lead God's people. As a Southern Baptist, the wisest choice in attending a seminary came in the form of the six Southern Baptist seminaries located across the country. The cooperative program allows members of the SBC to attend seminary at a much reduced rate. However the decision to attend seminary in New Orleans was not necessarily an easy one. New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in America with one of the highest murder rates.

Needless to say, anything can and does happen, and a lot of trust in God is needed to live in this city. But it's this kind of city in America that needs to experience the hope and love of Jesus Christ and it is the urban populations that will become the forefront of missions in the near future in America. Christians can no longer afford to live in suburban America and live the safe life. It's easy to move to a mid-size city, send your kids to a safe school, and serve in a local congregation where some of the biggest concerns are who will bring the donuts for Sunday School.

Having said all that, I've created this blog to keep up with my time in New Orleans. I want this to be a time where I serve and committ to the people and city of New Orleans. I don't want to sit on the sidelines. I don't want to just learn things in the classroom. I want the city of New Orleans to be my classroom. There's a hurricane coming and as a seminary, we couldn't ask for a better opportunity to minister to the city of New Orleans. Hopefully we'll be able to pull together and meet the physical and spiritual needs of the people. And I certainly pray that the school won't sustain too much damage and that people will remain safe and smart during the storm.