Parts and Fits

My husband Mark and I have joined a new church, and we love it! The preacher is articulate, interesting and challenging. The singing is relevant and inspirational. The members are friendly and involved. The ministries are varied and out-reaching. We look forward to serving and building new relationships.

At the orientation meetings we attended, a couple of men subtly encouraged Mark to become a referee or coach in the Upward sports programs. I'm sure their intentions were terrific--the men talked about how much they got out of helping kids in the community. Mark was polite, but he knows that is not his gift. Oh, he could do it. He likes kids, he likes sports, and he likes teams who follow the rules.

But that would be like sticking a foot where your head is supposed to go. Mark is brilliant with video and drama. He writes original skits, directs plays, shoots video of events or creates and directs video, and then he can edit and even post it to a website or PowerPoint presentation. Almost every church we have belonged to has realized what a blessing this gift is and has used Mark's God-given talents in special ways.

You may think I'm biased and just bragging about my husband. Maybe... but ask yourself... are you participating in a ministry just because someone asked you to... or because that is where you are brilliant? If you're the person who recruits people for service, are you just getting warm bodies, or are you finding people who are passionate about the project?

Don't settle for less. God doesn't. He created each one of us with a gift. Some talents are just easier to spot.

"For just as we have many members in one body and the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ..." Romans 12:4-5 (NASB)

Prentice Meador

I didn't intend to write about Prentice Meador today... I had a whole different essay I wanted to share with you about our new church. But our new preacher has the same fiery intensity and great delivery that Prentice has... had.

Prentice died Tuesday after a quick, but toxic infection took over his body. Prentice was an incredible communicator, a great preacher and terrific writer. I attended his church in Dallas for about six years, and see that as a time that my faith grew incredibly... due to his teaching.

You may know Prentice from his appearances on "American Religious Town Hall."

Dr. Meador leaves behind a wonderful legacy of children, grandchildren, books and sermons online. I hope that all those of us inspired by his love of the Lord, his admonitions to speak well of the church and to follow Jesus will leave a legacy, too.

Prentice was a runner. But he had his priorities. After I ran my first marathon, he congratulated me, and said sadly, "I'll probably never be able to run one, since they are held on Sundays."

One time, while I was working for the Automotive Satellite Television Network, I had a cool Dodge sports coupe to drive for a week. One Wednesday night after church, Prentice and I were walking out of the building at the same time. I dangled the keys, "Would you like to take a spin around the block?" He grinned and had that standard shift dancing in seconds. Then he said, "I could never have a car like this. Some people would complain that I was making too much money!"

It cannot be easy to be a preacher.

But I know where he is now... and I'd like to think God called Prentice so quickly because there was a little red sports car parked on a cloud that just couldn't wait for a new owner.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Some folks really get on their soapbox about the appropriate time to decorate for Christmas or the date to send greetings. I think this is humorous since we can celebrate Jesus' birth all year long!

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for Christmas hymns, carols, songs. We interviewed a gospel recording artist on our morning talk show this week. His name is Travis Cottrell, and his new Christmas CD is Ring the Bells. Sometimes when there are extra give-aways, we hosts get to keep a copy for ourselves, and I'm so thankful that I got to keep this CD. It's great! I normally try to wait until after Thanksgiving to play Christmas CD's around the house, but I've been listening to Ring the Bells all day, and it has kept a smile on a my face. My favorites are the title song and his rendition of "O Holy Night." It's heart-soaring.

So if the economy has you worried, put on a Christmas CD. And think about that little baby in a manger. He came to Earth so you wouldn't have to panic about anything... at any time.

Finding Solutions

Sometimes encouraging can be as simple as not picking people apart on different opinions. My friend Dena Dyer came up with a compromise for political arguments by creating a clever YouTube video. I liked it so much, I asked her opinion to put it on "Mornings," and then she wrote a press release about her video. She's given me permission to share it with you.

Top Mom-Blogger Urges Mothers to Vote, Not Fight

After noticing that the nomination of Sarah Palin had re-ignited the "mommy wars," mom-blogger Dena Dyer created a Dr. Suess parody video called "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom" urging mothers to vote their beliefs, not fight about them.

Fredericksburg, Texas (PRWEB) October 18, 2008 -- The nomination of Sarah Palin has re-ignited the "mommy wars." Over water coolers, in chat rooms and in person, mothers are once again sparring over politics, childcare choices, and the work/life balance.

Award-winning mommy blogger Dena Dyer says, "It bothers me that so many mothers are up in arms, and that they are spending countless hours fighting about the candidates."Dyer has friends on both sides of the political spectrum, so she came up with a Dr. Suess parody that encourages moms to vote their beliefs, not fight about them. "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom" is based on the classic children's book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxVugi06wyM.

The video was featured on FamilyNet's national morning show, "Mornings with Lorri & Larry." Co-host and guest coordinator Lorri Allen says, "We are always looking for timely stories on our morning talk show. Dena Dyer's Dr. Seuss parody was a perfect fit for us. She not only entertains, she also offers a peaceful solution to political bickering."

Dyer believes that moms have more in common than they think. "I've been a stay-at-home mom, at work-at-home mom, and a work-outside-the-home mom. I've had my kids in public and private schools, and I have a lot of friends that homeschool their children. And you know what? We moms are more alike than not. We tend to want the same things for our children, though we may disagree on how to get there."

She adds, "I hope moms will watch the video and laugh. I also hope they'll realize that the energy they're spending on battling other moms could be better spent on making the changes they long for a reality."

For more info, including the text to "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom," visit http://www.denadyer.com.

College Football

I love this time of year! College football is so much fun to watch, and if you're a fan like me, it's great exercise--there's all the jumping and cheering in the stands and the throwing of things if you're watching on TV.

Time for true confessions: I am such a fan that it is hard for me to be a Christian Encourager when I think of my team's dreaded rivals. But in the last few years, I have decided it was time for me to grow up. How can I be a faith-based talk show host one day and be yelling nasty things the next day in the Cotton Bowl? Well, not that I would normally think of nasty things to say, but there's this one part of the fight song that the whole Longhorn nation has adopted that is just not polite language.

So this year, I prayed for the best team to win, for no one on either side to get hurt, and then... the hard prayer... to surrender the game! See, I think I thought that I could will my team to victory if I shouted louder, concentrated more or tensed harder. So many, many times in the dramatic game last Saturday, I prayed, "Lord, I surrender this game to you."

Now that might make me a bad fan to some. Like I was giving up. But it gave me peace. Victory in a football game just can't take precedence over victory in Jesus. I didn't want the rivals or the outcome to have that much control over me.

And you know what? I can't take credit for this, as much as I'd like to, but our team had a surprising upset over the #1 team in the country! And you know what else, the rivals' fans I encountered were nicer to me than I've experienced in years. Maybe God loves people from Oklahoma, too. Ha ha... just joking.

OK, now I'm going to start working on surrendering that Missouri game tomorrow night...

Notice Your Signs

When my husband gets grumpy, I feed him. Then he becomes the sweetheart I fell in love with. When I notice that every little thing makes me angry, I know I need a nap. For him, it's food. For me, it's sleep.

What are the signs you have gone from being a great person to a grouch? Most of us want to be encouragers, role models, Christian examples... but we are human. We can get waylaid by low blood sugar, fatigue or something else.

Please take care of yourself -- and I promise that I will, too! I don't like being angry. Hmmm, a nap sounds good right now.

Change of Scenery

Over the weekend, I snuck away for a weekend with girlfriends. Just to give you an idea of how beautiful God's creation is, we had a picnic at the place where the film The Last of the Mohicans was shot. I had no idea how just getting away from the city and spending time with friends I hadn't seen in awhile would relax AND invigorate me. I feel so rested and rejuvenated.

So I want to encourage you to take a mini-vacation. In these days of high tension and uncertainty, you may not feel like you can afford to drive a few hours away. But you can go to a state park or take a walk and appreciate the cooler temperatures. Sleep in if you can or take a nap--anything to change up your routine and recharge your batteries.