Yesterday was Mother’s Day. It reminded me that mothers love things that no one else loves. My grandson, Price, told his mother he wanted to rent, “The Muppet Movie.” When she asked why, he explained that Miss Piggy and his mother were a lot alike. Other than admitting she had indeed kissed a few toad frogs in her life, she was speechless. Only love kept her from having a violent reaction. Only a mother could love being compared to Miss Piggy. I remember a night, many, many years ago, when my best friend was staying at my house and we were running wildly through the house shooting our plastic guns at each other. My mother was no doubt irritated by the noise, but rather than yell at us to be quiet, she simply found another plastic gun, hid behind a chair in the living room, and waited. On our next trip through the living room, she jumped out and yelled, “Pow! Pow! Pow!” I thought my friend had suffered an early cardiac arrest and I was in no shape to assist him. Only a loving mother could love two loud boys that way. The Bible is filled with stories of mother love, from Eve, the original mother, to Sarah, the mother of Isaac, to Rebekah, the mother of Esau and Jacob, to Jochebed, the mother of Moses, to Mary the mother of Jesus. In every case, and to this day, it is said of loving mothers, “Her children rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28). I am indebted to my mother’s love and I miss her greatly, especially on days like yesterday.

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for three couples who are in the process of raising funds to start churches on Vancouver Island, home to 750,000 people; the 2nd leading center of occult in the world.
• Pray for those who serve in the former East Germany, according to a recent report, now considered one of the least religious places in the world.
• Pray for those who serve in Mali as they await things settling down before re-entering into their country.

The quote was on the back of a T-shirt, three rows in front of me at a baseball game. “Good, better, best…never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is your best” but it was attributed to Tim Duncan, a professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan was not born until 1976. So what’s the problem, you ask? The problem I was having with Duncan was related to the fact that on my first school day at Miss Baker’s Little Kindergarten in Paris, Texas, my mother saw me out of the front door by reminding me of that quote, and that was a long time before 1976. A little research informed me that Tim Duncan said the quote came from his mother who made him memorize it and say it every night before his bedtime. A little more research informed me that the actual quote, “Good better, best, never let it rest until the good is better, and the better is best” came from St. Jerome, a Catholic priest, born in 347 A.D. and best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), as well as his extensive writings. Not sure where Jerome got the idea for the quote, unless it was from the author of Hebrews who wrote, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection” (Hebrews 6:1). Wherever it started, it is a worthy goal. So this week, let’s work on making our good, better and our better, best.

Join with me also this week in interceding for the following global concerns:
• Wednesday, May 9th, is Victory Day across much of the former Soviet Union. Check this map, http://g.co/maps/geqjw for prayer requests.
• Thank God for major answers to long-time prayers for new church starts in White Rock, BC, Canada and Victoria, on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.
• Thanks God for an open door into the schools of Olsberg, Germany and pray for Wendell as he enters those doors.
• Pray for the New Day Church and Orphanage in Zambia.

I have always had fears. When I was a child, I feared being separated from my parents. When I was a teen-ager, I feared being unaccepted by my peers. When I was a college student, I feared not finding the perfect mate for life. When I was a Seminary student, I feared not finding God’s will for the perfect profession. When I was a young adult, I feared not raising my kids correctly. When I was a median adult, I feared being unsuccessful in ministry. When I was a senior adult, I feared retirement. As a retired adult, I fear uncertain health and financial issues. I have always had fears. So, it’s a good thing that I discovered Psalm 56:3 early on: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” One reason I love the Psalms is that David never hesitated to share his fears. In fact, he may have shared them too often. Fear often makes us feel that we need God, and leads us to Him when we realize that we have no power to protect ourselves from impending dangers. I appreciate David teaching me that it is possible for fear and faith to occupy the mind at the same time. Like the Psalmist, I discovered trust in the Lord as the best antidote against fear. Join me this week as we face our fears with faith.

Join me also as we remember the following global prayer requests:
• Pray for Martha and the German collegiate ministry staff as they have their retreat on April 30 - May 1st) in Braunschweig, Germany.
• Pray for the Vancouver Vision Tour the latter part of this week.
• Pray for Stephen as he records 30 stories in the dialect of English used by the IT professionals in the country where he serves.
• Pray for those who serve in Mali as they wait to see if and when they can return to their country.
• Pray for Gary and Carolyn as they return to Eastern Hungary where their house was broken into while they were in the US.

“What can we do for you?” That was the question asked of ten church planters in an area where less than 2% of the population claim to be a part of evangelical Christian churches. All but one responded with the same first answer – “pray for us.” There were other answers with other expressed needs, but prayer was always first on the need list. The truth is - prayer is much more of a felt-need on the front lines of ministry being carried out on Satan’s turf, than in areas where Christian churches are populated and Christian resources are plentiful. Unfortunately, when we can provide for ourselves, we become less dependent on God to provide, and thus our need for intercessory prayer diminishes in our minds. Seeing God’s response to intercession for these unreached areas and the pioneers who serve there, makes me wonder what God would do if folks in the Bible-belt, with ample human and financial resources, would take prayer seriously. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are far too few. The Apostle Paul, who often served in areas heavily populated with unreached people, requested of the believers in Ephesus, “Pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19). In Satan’s strongholds, the “mystery” is what God can do in a life. In the Bible-belt, the “mystery” is often, what God would do if properly asked.

Join me in intercession this week for the following global concerns:
• Pray for Mary as she attends to many last-minute details before leaving Russia for a time in the US.
• Continue to pray for those who serve in Mali but are forced out of their country during the potential government take-over.
• Pray for David as he leads a biweekly Men’s Bible Study in Western Hungary.
• Pray for Hamish as he assumes the responsibilities as Church Ministry Catalyst for WestCoast Baptist Association, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Always strive for excellence. A well-known professional golfer, after not winning the Masters Golf Tournament, was reported to have said, “I’m not good enough . . . in 13 years, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to play for second or third place.” I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and hope that he spoke in frustration, as we all have done when we finish lower than our expectations. But if he was serious, you won’t find me pulling for him in any future tournament. Whether it’s golf or some other endeavor, you should always strive to be the best you can be. Never settle for second best. You were created for more. You may never achieve excellence, many people do not, but as long as you are striving for it, I’ll be your cheerleader. The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . . forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). Seems to me, excellence is as much a part of the striving as it is a part of the goal.

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for a group from St. Joseph, Missouri who are in Belarus this week working with people, who have special needs.
• Pray for six participants (2 from AL; 2 from GA; 2 from TX) in the Vancouver Vision Tour this week.
• Pray for Larry and Peter as they travel and teach in QingYuan, China this week. Peter will be teaching on the Epistles. Larry will be teaching on the 4 Gospels.
• Pray for those who serve in Eastern Orthodox countries as they celebrated Easter yesterday and Easter Monday, a national holiday, today.