FEELING OVERMATCHED BY OPPORTUNITY?

I'm back from Nashville. What a treat to spend time with Ken and Marca Young and family. The Fourth Avenue church in Franklin is a beehive of good people paying attention to others. I loved being with them.

I'm finding myself living in a wonderful state of so much needing to be done and overwhelmed at the possibilities. Here's what cooking. Some of it will come about:

1. I LOVE WORKING WITH MEMORIAL DRIVE: We have numerous and varying ministries popping with effectiveness. Memorial is freer today than it once was. People believe Jesus saves maybe more than we once did. He paid the price. He experienced our hell. He makes us victorious. I enjoy the fact Memorial lets me be in on its development in Jesus. I am most fortunate to be allowed to have office space and be a part of such a place.
2. WRITING OF FIVE BOOKS COOKING AT ONCE: I've never had this go on before. Each is within a stone's throw of completion. However, in writing this daily blog and having a church to tend, the books take a low priority. God is working overtime in my heart.
3. PLANS ARE IN THE WORKS TO FILM THE "100% NATURAL EVANGELISM SEMINAR": The church at large continues to need prompting about reaching to those without hope in Jesus. This seminar is so fun, so on target, and so effective. I've done it for years...now decades. Because I have curbed my travel, putting this series on DVD seems to be a move which would allow congregations to show a four part series in their Bible classes. The aim is to help congregations realize they already are evangelistic. This thing restores confidence in sowing seed and watching God bear fruit.
4. THE CALL OF RESCUING ABANDONED CHILDREN IS INCREASINGLY LOUD: I shared in last Sunday's sermon about the great need for the church to pay attention to the cry of abandoned children...globally. I met with Randy and Pam Cope while speaking in Joplin Sunday night. They are in the planning stages of reaching to orphaned ones...globally. Last night my friend, Dan Swartwood, called so moved at something which happened to him after Sunday morning's sermon. His friend in Minnesota shared he has a group--HOPE UNLIMITED--which is devoted to rescuing street children in Brazil. His friend offered to send me there to see the plight so I could offer input as to how to bring this matter to public awareness. There is discussion among some wondering if we could tap the St. Louis Cardinals' contacts to help alleviate the child catastrophe....globally.
5. AND THEN A LITTLE SIDE NOTE FOR A SMILE: I spoke at STREAM IN THE DESSERT in Midland a year ago. During that weekend I continued to exhort the crowd with, Don't you love right now? Someone at the seminar went back to Nashville and told someone who told someone and they told George Jones or Strait (Can't remember now) and he is writing a new song...."Don't You Love Right Now?
6. AND WHEN I RETURNED FROM NASHVILLE: An email was waiting from one who was moved by something I said somewhere and has contact with Bobby Knight of Texas Tech, who is a huge Cardinal fan. He wants a Jack Buck book to take to Mr. Knight to see if something might develop between the two of us. I love working that way.

I write this today to tell you I feel certain your plate seems to be too small for the load of opportunity you are carrying. First, wouldn't you rather have this life than the cemeterial boredom of nothing happening? And second, don't you continue to catch yourself noticing 5000 needs with only a sack lunch of skill to get to them? And that's why.....we are transformed in our thinking to believe more than us is working this work. Jesus really is our brother/partner. He is back supplying us with the courage to tackle the possibilities giving us reason to be full of enthusiasm.