28 Jun, 2006
IMMOKALEE, Fla. - Muffy measured in at 22 feet, 1/4 inch long
- enough to take the title of largest Burmese python on display in
America away from the Bronx Zoo's Lulu. The New York snake had been
advertised as being 19 feet, 6 inches.
But Muffy wasn't ready for her 15 minutes. She fumed, spewing from her nostrils and opening her jaws wide enough to swallow a poodle as she was held down and measured six inches at a time, the News-Press reported Monday.
Muffy's keepers, Bob Cowlishaw, owner of Everglades Day Safari and Capt. Bob's Excellent Adventure, and Ski Oleski, owner of Lake Trafford Marina, bought the snake five weeks ago from Miami herpetologist Tom Crutchfield.
Cowlishaw says she's young to be that big, and still growing at a foot or two a year.
He says he didn't measure Muffy for bragging rights, but instead to call attention to the problem of pet pythons being released into the wild.
"A person goes to a pet shop and buys a baby python. It's cute. You feed it mice. Pretty soon, you feed it rats. It's not long before this creature is too big for the average person. And it's dangerous," he said.
Watch Out For Snakes
WHO WERE THE "SNAKES" THAT PAUL WAS WRITING ABOUT IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE?
Paul was writing this letter to the early church in Corinth. He was warning them to look out for false teachers. Just like Eve was deceived by the serpent (Satan), believers were being led away from the true Christ by "religious" people who were preaching ideas that were not based on the Truth of God's Word as revealed through the power of God's Holy Spirit.
Satan is the master of deception. Not much has changed in the last 2000 years. Today, smooth-talking, smart-sounding, spiritual-like teachers and preachers are putting out messages that people like to hear, but they are based on feel-good, politically-correct philosophy rather than the inspired, Holy Word of God.
Part of God's Story is that He gave us His Word and His Son Jesus. And that's the Truth!
HOW DOES THIS TRUTH CONNECT TO YOU AND HOW CAN YOU APPLY IT?
Be careful where you look for spiritual input. There are lots of celebs, events and even churches that are "big" in the news. They can sound pretty good at first, but they are just another form of "spirituality". Religious? Yes. Truth? No, because they are not based on Jesus Christ and the authority of God's Holy Word.
Study God's Word every day.
Talk to God about it through prayer - Thank God for His inspired, authoritative, Holy Word. Ask His Holy Spirit to help you learn the Truth and apply it every day in your life. Ask His Spirit to help you recognize what is true and what is false. Ask His Spirit to help you keep your daily focus on the Christ of Scripture rather than on cultural ideas of who Jesus is and who He isn't.
Now, ask Jesus to show you how to connect the truth of God's Story today and My Story to Their Story.
It starts with prayer. Ask Jesus to give you a heart of compassion and listening ears as you interact with others. Ask them about their spiritual interests. If they seem open to talking about this topic, you could ask them if they think it's possible to really know what is true spiritually? Listen carefully. Be careful not to jump on them with your perspective, but trust Jesus to nudge you if you should share more about your story and God's Story.
If you have a relationship with someone who is really interested in the Bible, you could show them today's story about the snake and Paul's writing. The bottom line is - stay close to Jesus and He will show you how to connect to Their Story.
18 Jun, 2006
Big Ben might ride again, but not without a helmet.That was part of the remorseful message from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday, in his first comments since a motorcycle accident Monday left him with multiple head and facial injuries.
Roethlisberger, expected to make a complete recovery, was not wearing a helmet when his motorcycle slammed into a car on Second Avenue at the Armstrong Tunnel and 10th Street Bridge. In a statement released through the team late yesterday afternoon, he apologized to his family, the Steelers organization, teammates and fans.
"In the past few days, I have gained a new perspective on life. By the grace of God, I am fortunate to be alive, surrounded by loved ones and lifted by the prayers and support of so many. I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers organization, my teammates and our fans.
"I recognize that I have a responsibility to safeguard my health in the offseason so I can continue to lead our team effectively. I never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me. If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet."
Are you wearing your helmet?
If you have been a regular reader of Daily Devos during the past two years, you know how important it is for believers to wear "God's armor". I have used today's scripture several times to remind us about the spiritual battle we face every day. God's power and protection is the only way to win the fight against Satan.
In today's story, "Big Ben" apologizes to his team and fans for not wearing a helmet, which led to a significant injury when he crashed his cycle. (Yes Ben, that was dumb. We're glad you have learned your lesson and that you will recover!)
What about us? As followers of Christ, we know we're in a battle. Satan is hell bent on getting us to crash spiritually. When we believe that we're pretty tough on our own and we either "forget" or ignore God's armor, we can plan on serious spiritual injury - not only to ourselves - but it will also affect the rest of our team - Christ's body! How many times do we need to learn this lesson? Maybe some of us need to apologize to some believers around us?
Paul, the writer of today's scripture, understood the spiritual battle that all of Christ's followers face as individuals. But he is calling not only each of us, but the entire Body of Christ to unite together in our war with Satan and his fallen angels.
To win the the victory in spiritual battle, all of us must wear our helmets (and every piece of God's armor) all the time.
Thank God that being part of Christ's team means that you can count on His power to give you protection against the "crash strategies" of Satan. Ask His Spirit to use the truth of God's Word and your faith in Christ to give you victory over the enemy every day. Right now, confess to God any way in which you have not been wearing His helmet or any other part of His armor. Is it your thought life? Is it your relationships with friends, your parents, or boyfriend or girlfriend? Is it pride or jealousy? Is your focus on worldly possessions rather than serving Christ? Confess your struggle and He will forgive you! Thank Jesus that He will help you get your helmet back on and win the battle tomorrow!
- Read the entire passage of Ephesians 6:10-19. Read through Paul's list of armor again and ask God to help you focus on the piece you need the most this week. His Spirit will help you put it on.
- If your lack of using God's armor has affected your relationships with others, go apologize to them and make it right. You will strengthen Christ's "team" when you admit your weakness.
- If you aren't already in a prayer/accountability group, start one with two others at your school, church or work place.
9 Jun, 2006
Even though Paul is talking about the use of alcohol, his instruction also applies to any other drug that influences the mind and body. When I read today's story about 1 of every 5 American teenagers inhaling common household products, I felt compelled to warn you, whether you are a kid, a parent, or a grandparent. This is scary stuff!
Some students are huffing or sniffing just to try it, but many are inhaling because they are stressed, lonely, giving in to peer pressure, or feeling hopeless. Is this you? Do you know someone like this? Look at the notes from Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE: 5:18 Paul contrasts getting drunk with wine, which produces a temporary "high" to being filled with the Spirit, which produces lasting joy. Getting drunk with wine is associated with the old way of life and its selfish desires. In Christ, we have a better joy, higher and longer lasting, to cure our depression, monotony, or tension. We should not be concerned with how much of the Holy Spirit we have but with how much of us the Holy Spirit has. Submit yourself daily to his leading and draw constantly on his power. If you have been able to say no to drug usage, thank God for His strength. If you've been struggling with huffing, smoking, drinking, or some other drug, ask God for strength and for the courage to talk to someone to help you and hold you accountable. Pray right now for a friend or family member who is struggling with the use of drugs and alcohol. Ask Jesus to show you how to reach out and help. Ask His Holy Spirit to fill and control you every day.
Dangers of "Huffing"
By Amy Norton NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About 20 percent of U.S. teenagers admit they have gotten high by inhaling common household products, and fewer understand the dangers of this practice compared with teenagers five years ago, according to a report released Monday. The findings reflect a drop-off in educational efforts begun in the 1990s to combat the growth of inhalant abuse, says the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, which is publishing the report. Sniffing or "huffing" vapors from ordinary products like glue, spray paint, nail polish remover and gasoline was once a "fringe" activity, said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership. But by the mid-1990s, the practice had "exploded nationwide," he told Reuters Health, and even elementary school children were experimenting with the inhalants readily available under their kitchen sinks. In 1995, the Partnership launched a large advertising campaign that was credited with boosting awareness of the dangers of inhalant abuse -- which include damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, vision, hearing and even sudden death from suffocation or heart arrhythmias. More importantly, surveys found an accompanying decline in the percentage of kids who'd ever tried huffing, from 23 percent in 1995 to 18 percent in 2001. But the new findings, based on a national survey of more than 7,200 teenagers and 1,200 parents, suggest awareness has waned and abuse is on the rise. photo courtesy images.google.com & story courtesy cpyu.org, 04/24/06
