getting into Romans

well, the calendar is turning as it always does. and although this is usually a week of reflection on the past year for me (actually, this is usually the week that we are at nationals), with camp being early in June, my mind has also started moving toward next year's material - specifically Romans.

i have started to refresh/memorize some and even to write some cards. then, this morning during my reading, i was reflecting on the fact that most of the books currently in my stack are pretty academic and that i could use a devotional addition to help warm my heart. well, i found a little gem sitting in my unread box that fits right in: "To the Glory of God: A 40-Day Devotional on the Book of Romans" by James Montgomery Boice. i love Boice's commentaries and this book of excerpts from his 4 volume Romans set should be good for dipping my toes in the gospel stream. when i read this quote in the preface, i was encouraged that i am making a wise choice:

"We all fear change, of course. It makes us anxious. But change is precisely what we need. If we are spiritually moribund, we need to be brought from a state of spiritual death into a state of spiritual life through the gospel. If we are lethargic in our discipleship, we need to be awakened to the glories of a renewed life in Christ. If we are indifferent to the spiritual state of others, we need to be alerted to their peril apart from Christ and be moved to take the gospel to them."

Praise God! May His word do His work in me and in those around me! I'm excited for Romans, for camp, for Mark preaching through Romans at church and for the year to come!