I was really distracted this morning from the odds and ends I needed to do before leaving for an appointment. I recognized the feeling of needing to settle myself and hear what God had for me today. So....... being distracted I picked up my favorite book - "Disciplines for the Inner Life" and turned to the "distractions" chapter. I looked at Tuesday's scripture (today being Tuesday!) and it took me to 2Timothy 1:1-14. " for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day." Then I saw a devotional entitled "Be Strong in God's Grace". Sounded good to me. It was about the Nazarene man that had been taken hostage in Iran in the 80's. I remembered this and had read it before but figured it couldn't hurt to read again. It's always good to be reminded of God's grace. It seems that this man was given a Bible and he turned to Isaiah 43:5 - "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west." He said those words felt as if God was making a promise to bring him home safely. I turned to Isaiah 43:5 and there next to this verse I had written "Mikey '98". I had claimed that promise for my son 10 years ago. God has been with my son all those years. He never leaves us sometimes we just are so distracted we don't realize He is there. Today I am claiming that same promise for the little girls we are trying to bring home from Liberia. Isaiah 43:1 says,"fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." He knows them, He knows their names and soon we will.