What's in a name?

I’ve been thinking about the place where we spent the weekend. Why is it called the Billy Graham Training Center? Why not simply a conference? It looks like a conference (well, like the nicest conference you can imagine). The food and program are like a conference. But it’s called a training center, because first Billy and Ruth Graham and then the hundreds of others who make it happen intend that we’ll go home and do something with what we learned, applying it first to our own lives and then finding ways to pass it on. They send us away with resources designed to help that happen. You know the problem: one comes back from several days away to lots of backed-up work, and the easiest thing in the world is to put the notebook out of sight, the spiritual lessons out of mind, and get-back-to-work-double-time. Help!

To our delight, the new friends we met there did come to Charlotte yesterday afternoon, toured both SIM offices with us, and then came home with us for dinner. Lovely visit. They left for their hotel by 7:00 as they have a very early flight this morning, and I hit the bed as soon as the dishwasher was running. I’m feeling ready for a new day today.

Our internet at the office was down both Friday and yesterday. I have two deadlines tomorrow, both of which depend on the internet. The geniuses who manage our technology are doing everything they can, and I’m praying for them.

Thanks for praying for Karin; the bug hasn’t hit her lungs yet, and I pray it won’t.

I keep finding such terrific things in the book of Jeremiah. Here’s a jewel in chapter 16, verses 19-21: Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors were foolish, for they worshiped worthless idols. Can people make their own god? The gods they make are not real gods at all!” “So now I will show them my power and might,” says the Lord. “At last they will know that I am the Lord.” That’ll be the day, won’t it!

Blessings,
Carol