Boasting in the Lord: Celebrating the Two-Year Mark

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others.Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. --2nd Corinthians 10:13-18 (NIV)


The most gratifying emails that I receive are the ones in which someone tells me that something I wrote in "Pools of Grace" had meaning to them. I like knowing that the time I spend actively reading and searching God's Word provides a valuable learning experience not only for me, but for people in the greater Christian community too. Now and then I'll touch upon a topic that generates quite a bit of thought provoking emails between myself others. My faith grows as God reveals himself to me through scripture; it's yet another example of the ways I see him moving in all areas of my life.

This week marks the second anniversary of "Pools of Grace" as a web-based, format. I am humbled by how far God has brought this ministry, particularly in the ways that he has enabled it to grow and expand beyond a simple email. I am encouraged by how many people, subscribers and non-subscribers, are visiting the site on a regular basis. I am also excited about the opportunities to share God's word in a meaningful way by having "Pools of Grace" featured occasionally on Dailywisdom.org, as well as being quoted within the Christian community on a variety of personal websites.

It is my hope and prayer that as I embark upon another year of writing, God will see fit to commend my efforts. I also hope that God will continue to expand the edges of the pool, so to speak. Perhaps "Pools of Grace" will wash over more and more people, enabling them to see how powerful God is, and how much meaning is found in serving Him alone. I know from my own experiences that there is nothing more incredible, nothing more challenging, and nothing more rewarding than a life spent loving God and obeying his commands in response to his love for me.

I believe that God is using me to make an impact for his kingdom through what I write. I say this not out of arrogance, but out of confidence of my calling and the gifts I have been given by the Holy Spirit. In a way similar to what the apostle Paul expressed in his letter to the church at Corinth, my hope is that the activity of this ministry will grow such that the gospel is preached to a wider audience. In order to make that happen, I need your prayers and encouragement. Please let me know, either by making use of the comments feature on the website, or via email, when a particular day's meditation or verse resonates with you.

Praise God for another year of writing! May He continue to bless me as He blesses you, and may the truth of the gospel go forth to many!