Stream of Unconsciousness...

Hey everyone!

I have to tell you all, it's been pretty amazing, some of the things that have been happening here since I left.

Throughout my entire contract, I've been continually reminded of the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles:
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.

I remember some years back, at one particular DiscipleNow at MZBC, when Bruce Wilkinson's book came out, I took his challenge:
"I challenge you to make the Jabez prayer for blessing part of the daily fabric of your life. To do that, I encourage you to follow unwaveringly the plan outlined here for the next thirty days. By the end of that time, you'll be noticing significant changes in your life, and the prayer will be on its way to becoming a treasured, lifelong habit."

Since I've been on this ship, I've seen direct answers to this prayer, over and over again.

God has blessed me with this wonderful opportunity to go out and see the world in the best way I never thought possible! Every morning, I have the privilege of waking up in a different destination, seeing places like Venice, the Greek Isles, Egypt, Spain, ...and even the REAL ATHENS!!!

Now, I'm floating on the back of a massive man-made floating technological wonder, but despite me being myself, the think that leaves me speechless isn't the ship at all. No, the time I enjoy the most is the time I have to myself and God, sitting on the top deck of the ship, miles away from any city lights, and looking up at the millions of stars in the night sky. I hear nothing but the gentle churning of the ocean's waves as they splash across the bow, and the whistle of the wind as it passes across the open decks of the ship.

There is rarely a time in which I have felt so close to God, as I am usually busied by the distractions and haste of land-based living.

Through my cruises, God has given me unlimited territory of influence! I've encountered people all over the world that I never thought I could've reached before. I've fellowshipped with people from Canada, South Africa and Brazil. I've also befriended people from Australia, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Poland, and England. And nearly every one of these encounters depended on what I saw as a mistake or a mishap along the way! But in fact, it's all part of an elaborate plan that I will one day see the results of.

Wherever I encountered a problem (like almost being disembarked in Senegal), God always brought the right person along to help out. Whenever I was feeling spiritually alone at Christmas, He introduced me to new Christian friends onboard. Whenever I was encountered face-to-face with temptation, He kept me from evil and provided a way out.

I have never seen the Bible become more real to me than since I've been here. I miss home very much, and ship-life can be stressful, and I get aggravated that I forget what day is Sunday. But every single day, I get another reminder from God, telling me that, "Yes, Scott. You're right where I want you to be at this moment. And that's all you need to worry about."

I know you guys are praying for me. I don't know who or how many of you there are, but I can feel it strong!

I love you all!