Friend of Dial Hope, whenever we get out of sorts and out of sync, whenever we are homesick for God, we can come home to God's presence. Yes, the good news is that we can come home, and God will welcome us home with open arms. God intended for us to stay close to him, to live every moment in his presence.

Now, there are many things in our world that fascinate me beyond description. The miracle of the telephone is one of them. It boggles my mind to think that we can push a few buttons on our telephone and in a matter of seconds be talking to someone thousands of miles away. Five years ago on Easter Sunday we announced that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan can now call Dial Hope. The Pentagon has established a specific number they can dial, 809-463-3376, which allows access to the Dial Hope toll free number. When this was announced in church, there was immediate applause. Wow! How exciting! We mailed hundreds of our Dial Hope cards to a Naval officer stationed in Baghdad. Thanks be to God! St. Augustine speaks for all of us with what has become his most famous quote: "My soul is restless, O God, till it finds rest in Thee." Friend of Dial Hope we can come home to God's presence.

Prayer: O God, our help in ages past and our hope for years to come, hear our prayers for the men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the globe. Embrace them with your wrap around love and hope. Now bless all of us so that we may be a blessing to others. We pray in the spirit of the risen Christ. Amen.