Can we talk about Bible college students for a minute? I mean really talk? I get calls and emails about Boston students — past, present, and future — just about every day. It's a wild ride. If somebody has peeved someone, it's funny how they become one of my students! But most of the time, I hear real success stories of ministry, or life change, of young leaders beginning to lead. I get a lot of calls from pastors and churches looking for one of our students to join their ministry family. I get emails from high school students who have heard the buzz about Boston.

I'll be very honest...there are all kinds of student stories. One of our professors here in Boston told me about a paper he just graded from a freshman who cited a verse from scripture as documentation. In proper form, that student cited the author of the quotation as "Spirit, Holy"! We got a good laugh...we know we have some work to do.

I want to take my view this month, though, to say to every pastor and church that invests in Boston Baptist College, our students are worth it. We don't bat 1,000, nobody does. But our work to educate a new generation of Baptist church leaders is valid, critical, and is being successful. I have proof.

It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve, and while surfing the web, a new email prompt popped up on my screen. I would normally ignore it, particularly with Christmas Eve just minutes away, but this email would not be ignored. It was from Josh.

Josh is from Virginia, spent last year here with us in Boston, and then his National Guard duty kicked in and he is spending this school year far away — in Iraq. Our student body called him on the telephone during a chapel service a few weeks ago, just to collectively encourage him and let him know we love him and pray for him. I have no idea what the specifics of his mission are, all Josh told us was that he was going to be out of pocket for a little while. So I was not expecting to get an email from him at Christmas.

I won't share all of his email with you, but you do need to read a few lines. Josh talked about how the war is maturing him, and all the other soldiers. He talked about how anxious he is to finish his tour and get back to Boston Baptist College. Then, this light-hearted, fun-loving, joke-a-minute kid got real serious in his email. He talked about his love for our college, and he thanked me for things I don't even remember doing. Then he wrote, "I would run over any bomb, or take any bullet, if it meant that the student body could flood the world with the loving news of our Savior."

I lost track of my computer screen.

I complain too much.

I get tired of asking for money to subsidize our students and get grumpy.

I can be way too cynical — wondering if some of our students will make it.

But I get to sleep in my own bed tonight, in a quiet suburb, where a dog barking is a "nuisance."

My student had become the teacher. I

know all of us get weary in well doing. Even our students do. But I got a holiday reminder of why we do this, and what kind of young men and women we get to train here in Boston. These students matter, and I believe deep in my soul that they are going to offer some amazing Kingdom service. Are they perfect? Of course not. With potential? Well let me ask you, don't you want "Josh" on our side? I do.