Chase Me!

Our puppy loves to play chase. She even sort of gets, "Tag! You're it!" When I tell her that and run the opposite direction, she catches me and nose bumps me. It seems I always tire out before she does.

We have a special child in our lives--Ben--the son of our dear friends Brooke and Laura. When Ben was about two, we had the treat of living in the same town. We would go over to their house, and for hours, Ben wanted us to chase him around the den, living room and kitchen in a big circle. "Chase me, Unca Mark, chase me!" he would squeal. It seems Mark and I would always tire out before Ben did.

I'm not sure why some of us like being chased, but maybe it's because we become the center of attention, the focus of the chaser.

The good news is that Jesus is chasing you! You are the center of His attention. He wants to catch you and shower you with blessings and love. In this case, the chaser will never tire out before the chasee. But don't run from Him; run to Him. It will be the best game of your life.

A Prayer for the Overwhelmed

Dear God:

I come to you overwhelmed with obligations.

Take my time today and bless it so that it stretches and seems longer than 24 hours. Please give me the energy to do all the things I think I need to do. And give me the courage to let go of those action items that I don't really need to accomplish.

Forgive me for overcommitting once again. Help me to get my priorities straight and put you at the the top of the to-do list. On a day you have given us to rest, help me to see that recharging is more important than doing.

Lord, help me to get as much satisfaction in being with you as I do in checking off something on the list. Help me to live by your Word more than my list.

Thank you for giving me one more day to live for you.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Update From the Ark

Thanks to so many of you for calling, emailing and facebooking your concern about our safety and well-being after the flooding in north Georgia. I was touched to hear from friends that I love, but don't hear from so often.

We got as much rain in five days as some of you get in a year!

And some parts of the region were hit much worse than others. For instance, my co-worker, Larry, is still on a boil-water alert. Some districts are unable to reopen schools, and then there are those who actually lost loved ones.

So we feel blessed to only have a little bit of flooding. And that may have been a structural issue with our home that we have already been able to repair. We won't know for sure until another hard rain... and let's pray that it's awhile before that happens again!

Our house smells awful because of the wet carpets and who knows what else... and it reminds me of the way our sins must offend God. I am thankful His grace wipes away the odor and makes us presentable to Him.

Well, I better get back to cleaning... may your day be bright and filled with sunshine!

Difficult People

Phewee, have I had my share of difficult people to deal with the last couple of weeks. As tactful but honest, compromising but principled as I tried to be, I still didn't persuade, and in one case, even got cursed at!

I thought about throwing up a prayer, "Dear Lord, if you would take these difficult personalities out of my life, I could do so much more for your kingdom." But then I remembered Jesus had his share of difficult people to deal with. And he had much more tact and many more persuasive skills than I. But he still got yelled at, beaten up, cursed at and even murdered.

It's my suspicion that we will all have difficult people in our lives until we die. Let's just hope we all become easier to get along with when we reach heaven.

Squirrels, Birds, Planes and Jesus

One of our dogs goes crazy when she sees a squirrel. The puppy doesn't even notice squirrels. Birds catch her attention. People are like that, too. My husband thinks baseball and planes are fascinating. I'd rather be in a sailboat or scuba diving. We all have some interest that makes our heart beat a little faster, our mind work overtime.

And some marry their passions to their ministry. For instance, a running group started here in Georgia is adding chapters all over--it's called Christian Runners. It would be great if we could start a faith club for every hobby. Just imagine, we could reach people who love to do what we do who would never hear the gospel message any other way. My husband could write "Sermons on the Mound" for baseball fans who might be seekers. I could join "Sailors for Jesus." Knitters, swimmers, skateboarders, ice skaters, tennis players... you name it, we could reach out to people and have fun at the same time.

I am going to see if there's already an organization of "Under Water Witnesses." Just as soon as I go get the dog away from the squirrel.

Encouragement from Music

We had a lovely singer-songwriter on our talk show today. Her name is Angela Kaset. She performed several of the songs on her new CD, while playing the keyboard. Such talent. I've been humming her tunes all day. Her album is eclectic... several songs are faith-based, some are romantic and others reflect what is going on in our world. Check out www.AngelaKaset.com!

Gifts

Today, two precious listeners to our morning talk show gave me special gifts. Lewis, in the studio from Pennsylvania, brought a handmade quilt from Amish country. It is beautiful. He also brought a neat shell from his dive in North Carolina. And when I got home, there was a package from Duane with fresh ground coffee and homemade jellies and preserves.

While I love to get surprises, I was so humbled that they would take the time to pick out such nice things and take the trouble to get them to me. I felt so undeserving. It's not my birthday, anniversary or Christmas! And I didn't get them anything!

These unexpected gifts remind me of God's grace. We do nothing to deserve his mercy, but he surprises us with blessing after blessing even when there is no special occasion. We cannot earn his mercy, but like Duane and Lewis, God is generous.