There are so many opportunities that it is easy to miss all of them.

When I am faced with many choices it is difficult to decide. So sometimes I decide not to decide.

I am overwhelmed at the abundance of concerts, museums, plays, movies, sporting events, and other leisure activities and entertainment. How does one choose out of so many? It is easier to stay home and rent a movie or watch one of over 200 television channels. But which one?

There is no shortage of good restaurants. First decide what kind of food you have a taste for- one website lists 57 different types of cuisine. What price point? Casual or fine dining? Atmosphere? Dress? Distance? It is much easier to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or hot dog at home. But you still have to choose.

The Braves’ season is over but there are the Hawks, Thrashers, Falcons and all the high school and college teams. Couch potatoes even have a hard time because there are dozens of games on each weekend and with cable and satellite you can watch hundreds of games. So many choices make it easy not to choose.

There are so many opportunities that it is easy to miss all of them.

This is also true when it comes to doing good. We receive solicitations almost daily in the mail and on the telephone for many worthwhile and some not-so-worthwhile causes.

There is great need in Samoa and Indonesia because of the recent tsunami and earthquake. Local churches are engaged in their annual stewardship campaigns and they depend on our gifts of time, talent, and finances in order to fulfill their mission in our communities and around the world.

We must be careful to guard against compassion fatigue. Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, defines this as a “gradual lessening of compassion over time.” When we are overloaded with information and graphic images it is easy “to become cynical, or become resistant to helping people who are suffering.”

Sunday, October 25, a special offering will be received for Aldersgate Homes (http://www.aldersgatehomes.com), a related agency of the North Georgia Conference serving persons with developmental disabilities. This ministry provides adults with safe, comfortable, affordable residential placements as well as opportunities for accessible recreational activities.

The 27^th Annual Wesley Walk for Others (http://www.wesleycenters.org) begins at Stone Mountain First UMC on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 a.m. The Wesley Walk is 6.2 miles, on a walker-friendly, gently sloping course around Stone Mountain. This fund raising (and fun) event supports three projects of the Wesley Community Centers: Camp Wesley, Bethlehem Senior Center, and Project Extend.

The Conference Disaster Response team has transitioned into long-term recovery mode for the flood victims in our area. Persons with needs and teams with rebuilding skills (contractors, plumbers, UMVIM teams with previous rebuilding experience) can contact the Call Center (678.533.1443) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Flood buckets are still needed (http://new.gbgm-.org/umcor/getconnected/supplies/flood-bucket/).

You can help reach persons struggling with hunger, homelessness, and addiction with the special offering for Action Ministries (http://www.actionministries.net) on November 1.

There are so many opportunities that it is easy to miss all of them. “Let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good” (Gal. 6:9, The Message).

Jamie Jenkins
jjenkins@ngumc.org

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We Must Go! Mission Conference Adds Flood Relief Information Session

We Must Go Mission Conference will be a major information release point for the latest news on flood relief efforts and how local churches can plug in. The "Connecting the Dots" workshop will focus on this important information. We Must Go will be Saturday, October 24, at Mt Pisgah UMC in John's Creek. The purpose is to connect, equip and provide resources to churches in North Georgia to help them become externally focused and reach a higher level of effectiveness for the Kingdom. Pastors, lay leaders, and anyone in the church who wants to move your congregation to have a more effective impact on your community and the Kingdom is invited to attend. For more information and registration, visit www.ngumc.org/wemustgo.