29 Jan, 2010
Let the Wind Blow!
231-mph NH wind gust is no longer world's fastest
CONCORD, N.H. – First the Old Man, now the Big Wind. New Hampshire's Mount Washington has lost its distinction as the site of the fastest wind gust ever recorded on Earth, officials at the Mount Washington Observatory said Tuesday.
The concession came three days after the World Meteorological Organization posted a snippet on its Web site saying a panel of experts reviewing extreme weather and climate data turned up a 253 mph gust on Australia's Barrow Island during Cyclone Olivia in 1996.
That tops the 231 mph record set atop Mount Washington on April 12, 1934.
"It's obviously a big disappointment. Having the world record for over six decades was such a part of the soul of this organization and for fans of Mount Washington around the country," said Scot Henley, the observatory's executive director.
The official title at issue is "highest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth by means of an anemometer." But to most people in New Hampshire, it was simply "the Big Wind," a source of pride in a state that also revered its Old Man of the Mountain, a rock outcropping that appeared to be a man's profile and was featured on the state's quarter.
The Old Man crumbled to bits in 2003, seven years after the wind record apparently toppled.
Henley stressed that Mount Washington still holds the record for the Northern and Western hemispheres, and said it still can claim to be home to some of the world's worst weather given the combination of bitter cold, snow, wind and freezing fog it frequently experiences.
"So the work continues up there, and we'll be ready for the next one," he said.
No one noticed the new record gust at the time, Henley said.
"Somehow it fell through the cracks and the Australians didn't think it was a big deal," he said. "We hear that, and it kinds of blows our minds, but of course, we're weather fans and we're tuned into that sort of thing."
Henley first heard about the meteorological organization's conclusion Monday, when someone posted a link to the item on the observatory's forum. He contacted the organization and learned that the information was part of a report being presented at an international conference in Turkey next month.
The panel of experts has shared its research with observatory officials, who plan to review it in the coming weeks.
"There's no reason to believe it's not accurate, but we owe it to this institution and to our state and really to weather fans all over the world to make sure it is indeed accurate," he said.
The Mount Washington Observatory is a private, non-profit organization that maintains a weather station at the summit of the 6,288-foot mountain. On April 12, 1934, there were three crew members, two guests, three cats and five kittens at the observatory, according to observer Alex McKenzie, who later wrote a book about the Big Wind.
According to his account, April 11 started with a brilliant sunrise, but the weather soon turned cloudy. By evening, fog obscured the summit and rime ice formed up to a foot thick. Early the next morning, when observer Wendell Stephenson headed outside to clear ice from the anemometer, the wind knocked him flat on his back as he opened the door. When he accidentally dropped the club he was using to break up the ice, it went flying off into the fog. Gusts were at 150 mph.
"I dropped all other activities and concentrated on observations. Everyone in the house was 'mobilized' as during a war attack and assigned a job," observer Sal Pagliuca wrote in a log book.
Gusts grew stronger through the afternoon, until 1:21 p.m., when the 231 mph gust was recorded.
"Many people have wanted to know what we did after that," McKenzie wrote. "Did we cheer or open a bottle of champagne, or what? Well, we didn't do anything special for a while, except make more measurements."
Mary Stampone, assistant professor of geography at the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire State Climatologist, said she had long expected the record to fall.
"As we improve our technology in terms of instrumentation, and we're observing in more locations, we were bound to pick up on something," she said.
Story and Photo courtesy of news.yahoo.com.
John 3:5-8 (New International Version)
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
What does God's story teach us about the wind?
Have you ever experienced high winds? Probably not like the ones in today's story! Can you imagine wind over 200mph?! Wind is a powerful thing! And it is unpredictable.
Think back to when you started getting to know Jesus. Did you expect him to work in your life like he did? Most likely the Holy Spirit surprised you as he began to work in areas of your life.
Jesus explained that we cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit. He works in ways we cannot predict or understand. Just as you did not control your physical birth, so you cannot control your spiritual birth. It is a gift of God through the Holy Spirit. (Life Application Study Bible)
Connecting My Story to God's Story
- Thank God for sending His Holy Spirit to work in your life.
- Ask God for a fresh experience with the Holy Spirit this weekend.
- Read these other passages from God's Story for more about the Holy Sprit: Romans 8:16, 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6.
Connecting Their Story to God's Story
- Do you have a friend with whom you've been sharing God's Story? Ask them for ways that they have been surprised by God's Story.
- Ask them what areas of their life have been most surprising.
- Talk with them about the parallels between the wind in Today's Story and the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
28 Jan, 2010
Broken people in Haiti
Haiti’s Children Adrift in World of Chaos
Not long after 14-year-old Daphne Joseph escaped her collapsed house on the day of the earthquake, she boarded a crowded jitney with her uncle and crawled in traffic toward the capital, where her single mother sold beauty products in the Tête Boeuf marketplace. “Mama,” she said she repeated to herself. “Mama, I’m coming.”
Abandoning the slow-moving jitney, Daphne, petite and delicate, got separated from her uncle and jumped onto a motorcycle-for-hire. She arrived alone at a marketplace in ruins and ran, in her dusty purple sandals, toward a pile of debris laced with “broken people” she said.
Growing closer, she saw her mother, lifeless. She froze, she said, eventually watching as her mother’s body was dumped in a wheelbarrow and her only parent vanished into the chaos.
“I wanted to kill myself,” Daphne said in a whisper.
Haiti’s children, 45 percent of the population, are among the most disoriented and vulnerable of the survivors of the earthquake. By the many tens of thousands, they have lost their parents, their homes, their schools and their bearings. They have sustained head injuries and undergone amputations. They have slept on the street, foraged for food and suffered nightmares.
Two weeks after the earthquake, with the smell of death still fouling the air, children can be seen in every devastated corner resiliently kicking soccer balls, flying handmade kites, singing pop songs and ferreting out textbooks from the rubble of their schools. But as Haitian and international groups begin tending to the neediest among them, many children are clearly traumatized and at risk.
Story & photo courtesy of — The New York Times.
James 1:27 (NIV)
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
While "religious people" in the media spotlight lecture and argue about "why" the earthquakes in Haiti happened, James reminds us that the most important thing that followers of Jesus can be doing is to "look after orphans and widows in their distress." In a time of great suffering and trial it's nice to have things broken down to the basics, and in today's God Story scripture James does exactly that. James even goes so far as to say that looking after orphans and widows in their distress is a pure a faultless act of devotion to God!
Jesus was also notorious for breaking things down to the basics; he was a master of getting to the root of things. At one point in his life Jesus said that "all the law and prophets" hang on the commandment to love your God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22). It doesn't get much simpler than that!
Unfortunately, we live in a world that typically places the self above and beyond all other values, and as Christians we are constantly tempted to reject the words of Jesus to put others and God first in favor of ourselves. At a time like this, when thousands of orphans are in dire need in Haiti, I can think of no better time than to recommit our allegiance to the greatest commandment.
- How can you "look after orphans" in Haiti?
- How have you been "polluted by the world"? Take some time to reflect on all of the ways you are being tempted to love yourself more than God and your neighbor.
Ask a friend what the "most important law" in their life is? Tell a friend about yours.
26 Jan, 2010
That's Crazy Beesiness!
Polish beekeeper Josef Guzy found still alive in coffin
As the lid of his coffin was about to be sealed, Josef Guzy’s grieving widow made one last request for her late husband’s necklace.
The 76-year-old Polish beekeeper had collapsed earlier in the day and been pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor.
When the undertaker reached into the coffin for the last time, he thought that he detected a faint pulse. On closer inspection, Mr Guzy was still breathing.
The same ambulance that had been called to the pensioner’s home near the southern city of Katowice and found no sign of life now raced to the undertakers to discover that their patient was still alive.
For the full story check: www.timesonline.co.uk.
Picture provided by: pacificmobilesolutions.com.
Romans 6:1-3 (The Message)
So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
What does God's Story Scripture teach us about new life in Him?
Paul has a way of sliding in these exciting truths throughout his letters. This is another one of those places. This piece of his letter to the Romans is another affirmation that God loves us enough to give us new life — eternal life.
The beekeeper from our story seems like he has a new lease on life. He gets to keep going, but even he understands that eventually his heart will wear out and there won't be another back-from-the-dead miracle. Paul tells us though that with Jesus we are reborn into an eternal life, that we get to keep going in the presence of God. Wow!
How can we connect today's God's Story Scripture to our lives?
If nothing else we can be encouraged by this part of scripture... Despite how bad things seem, no matter how dark and unforgiving our world might seem, we can have hope. We can live each day with joy because our focus is on the eternal life that we share with Jesus. This gift is a huge "I love you" from God!
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and out story to others?
In a hard world, one of the best things we can show our friends is a new life. To share with them that our joy stems from a God that loves us enough to give us eternal life with Him. We can survive because new life is offered us in Jesus. Share your joy with your friends because they might need it right now. Share with them the joy of the miracle in today's story; celebrate life together.
26 Jan, 2010
Anything
That's what young people can do for God!
Yesterday, I read an article about a 16 year old girl who just set sail alone in a yacht. Where was she going? Around the world! You can follow her blog during her voyage at http://www.abbysunderland.com.
Today, I read an article about a 7 year old boy who wanted to raise some money for the people in Haiti. How much did he raise? Almost $200,000! To read more about it, go to http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/25/uk.boy.charity.haiti.
In the Bible, I read about an 8 year old boy named Josiah who had kind of an important role in Judah. What did he do? He was King of Israel...at 8 years of age!!! To read more about his story and how he turned the people back to the one true God, go to II Kings 22.
I Timothy 4:12 [NIV]
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Philippians 4:13 [NLT]
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
What does God's Story teach us about doing ANYthing for Him?
Today's stories are amazing.
Who would have thought that an 8 year old boy could raise almost $200,000 for the Haitians? Most any adult who heard a kid say that they wanted to raise that much money would simply dismiss them, share with them a long list of reasons why it wouldn't work, pat them on the head and thank them for their good intentions... but Charlie Simpson did it!
And who would have thought that a 16 year old girl could sail around the globe... by herself? Even in her months of "prayerful preparation", as her blog puts it, she had many people trying to convince her that she wasn't ready. But in one article about Abby Sunderland, a renowned Australian adventurer, Don McIntyre supported her, saying children "have lost the art of dreaming."
Throughout the Bible we see God using young people in amazing ways as well. David was a young boy when he defeated the giant, Goliath. Mary was likely just a teen when she gave birth to the Messiah. And in II Kings 22 we see an 8 year old King turn a whole nation back to God!
God's Word teaches us clearly that He wants to use young people in powerful ways and that they aren't supposed to wait to "grow up" before He uses them!
How does this connect with my story?
Maybe God has it for you to do something that the whole world will know about... like sail around the world or raise hundreds of thousands of dollars... and maybe He wants to use you in other less noticeable ways. In either case, remember...
- God does not want to wait to use you. He has plans to use you right now!
- Don't let anyone "look down on you because you are young" or try to snuff out your dreams. If God gives you a vision to make something happen, He will help you get it done... regardless of what others may tell you.
- Nothing is too big for God. You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.
- The "size" of what He calls you to is not important. He might want to use you to start a new ministry on your campus, begin a new website that reaches out to millions of people or perhaps go next door and share Christ with that 1 neighbor who desperately needs Him. No matter how big or how small...just doing it and being faithful to what He calls you to is what is important.
How does this connect with their story?
"Their story" will certainly be impacted by Charlie Simpson and the $200,000 he raised... you can count on that!
What God calls you to do will also impact those around you. It might be directly or indirectly, but it will certainly have an impact. Start dreaming big...and while you are seeking what God would have you do...remember that we serve the God who is able to help us do ANYTHING.
25 Jan, 2010
Are You Anxious Today?
I scanned the internet for a good story to share today but came up empty. As my deadline approached I recognized the familiar feeling of anxiety.
What is anxiety? The dictionary defines anxiety as a state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties. I think we all can relate to this feeling very well. Most of our efforts in life are to remove this state of anxiety and feel safe and secure. If you're like me I get frustrated with myself because I am not very good at eliminating some sources of my anxiety. For me, it's money. I never feel in control when it comes to money. Actually, the anxiety I feel often results in fear. I don't want to look at my bank account for fear that it will be in the negative. I have read many books on managing money but nothing really takes the anxiety away. It is then I am reminded that God wants to be my security not my management of money. It is He that is in control and wants me to be dependent on him. I often feel that He won't accept me unless I have it all together (especially in the area of finances). Let's read God's word and see what He says about that.
Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
What Does God Say About Being Anxious?
God wants us to be dependent upon Him. I love my independence. I bet you do too. I love doing my own thing and trusting in the limited knowledge and skills that I have until something goes wrong. That's when I pray - HELP! But God wants us to seek Him for understanding; to Him for security; and Him for direction. Giving everything to God means just that - everything. As the Scripture says, let's lean on Him for direction. Let's acknowledge Him when things go well and not so well. What really frustrates me is that this never ends. It is a daily exercise. We never figure it out and do it just right. The point is we need to do it. Let's trust Him today!
- What are you anxious about today?
- How have you tried to handle your anxiety on your own? Were the results good or bad?
- Even if the results were good begin to gently give God parts of your life today. Don't be too hard on yourself. It's not about perfection. Acknowledge God's control of the situation and trust Him for direction, peace, and understanding.
Undoubtedly the world around us is anxious. I'm sure many of your friends are stressing over a handful of situations or relationships. Ask God to give you the wisdom and opportunity to share with them how you give God control in your life. Be honest with them. Don't make it overly spiritual but give them a glimpse of the difference it makes to trust in a God who is in control.
22 Jan, 2010
New Beginnings in the Netherlands
Dutch airlift brings 123 Haitian kids for adoption
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands – Enveloped in his new mother's embrace, 4-year-old Jersen Silvester Eefting gazed wide-eyed around a hotel lobby at the end of an 11-hour flight that whisked him from the devastation of Haiti to his new home in the Netherlands.
"It feels magnificent," said Roel Eefting as he videoed the newly adopted son he had met minutes earlier.
Jersen was one of 123 children, aged from two months to seven years , flown into this southern Dutch city Thursday. They arrived on a plane chartered by the Dutch government and two adoption agencies to airlift children out of Haiti to new lives in the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Wrapped in blankets against the cold of a Dutch midwinter, the children walked or were carried one by one from the Boeing 767 to a bus that ferried them to the terminal of Eindhoven Military Air Base.
There they had an emotional private meeting with their new families.
One boy waved to reporters and said a word that sounded like "Dag" — Dutch for hello. Another wore striped socks and no shoes. Graying piles of snow lined the edge of the tarmac.
None of the children was hurt in last week's earthquake. But Macky Schouten, head of the Netherlands Adoption Foundation, said it was difficult getting them from their orphanages in Haiti to the choked Port-Au-Prince airport.
"They had to come from different houses in a situation that was very dangerous," she said.
The children were accompanied on the flight by medics and psychologists trained to deal with post traumatic stress, Schouten said.
The children slept through most of the flight. Then, two and a half hours from Eindhoven, they woke up, had a meal and a drink — and started doing what kids do the world over.
"It was a big playground in the plane," Schouten said.
The quake may have killed 200,000 people, and it left thousands of children orphaned. That triggered a rush of inquiries from around the world about adopting a child from the impoverished Caribbean country — which before the quake already had about 380,000 orphans in need of homes.
Experts have warned against taking newly orphaned children out of Haiti or rushing adoption procedures. UNICEF said it was working to prevent children being abused and exploited and to reunite them with family members.
Earlier this week, 54 orphans arrived in the U.S. city of Pittsburgh. They were given medical care and placed in group homes until adoptions are finalized.
Most of the children who arrived in the Netherlands had already been matched with new parents. Some — like Jersen — were being introduced to them for the first time.
Nine had been approved for adoption but not yet matched with families; they will be placed in foster care until parents are found. Fourteen were going into the care of Luxembourg's adoption authorities.
Some of the children speak a little Dutch, having had daily lessons in a Dutch-run orphanage in Haiti.
Eefting said he and his partner, Imelda Hutten, started the adoption process four and a half years ago. They were close to traveling to Haiti to pick up Jersen when the quake struck.
As Jersen started settling into his new family, his father's joy was tempered by news that two Dutch couples were killed in the quake, along with the three Haitian children they had just adopted.
"We are happy, but at the same time we are very aware of the sorrow for people who adopted children and died and the people who died in Haiti," he said. "It puts this into perspective."
Story and Photo courtesy of news.yahoo.com.
Romans 8:22-24 (NLT)
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it).
James 1:27 (NIV)
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
What does God's Story have to say about adoption and orphans?
In the midst of the devastation in Haiti comes this story of hope and new beginnings. Can you imagine the emotions on that plane to the Netherlands? That story is so symbolic of our journey as God's children. While we have been adopted as His own, we won't experience the fullness of our inheritance until we get to heaven and we are in His presence. We will one day leave behind the sin and suffering of this world and enter God's perfect heaven. But until then, we have the incredible opportunity to share that hope of glory with those in our everyday life. With people who feel like they are buried under the rubble that sin has left in their life. Broken relationships. Broken dreams. Broken promises. Broken lives. God's Story is full of new beginnings. Why not find some to share with those around you this weekend?
Connecting My Story to God's Story
- Thank God for the new beginning you received when you began your relationship with Jesus.
- Search through God's Story this weekend for other stories of orphans and new beginnings.
- Ask God to show you some people in your own community who need to know a Heavenly Father Who will adopt them as His own.
Connecting Today's Story, My Story and God's Story to My Friend's Story
- Talk with your friends about today's story. Ask them if they have ever wished they could get a new start. Why not share your story and God's Story with them this weekend?
- Ask your parents, youth pastor, Campus Life leader, or another adult about how you might help the orphans in your own community.
- Talk with your friends and come up with some ideas to help as well.
- Pray for the adopted children from Haiti this weekend as they get settled in their new homes with their new families.
- Pray for the thousands of orphans still in Haiti.
21 Jan, 2010
Compassionate Texting
A Deluge of Donations via Text Messages
A push by celebrities, athletes and the first lady encouraging text-message donations for earthquake relief in Haiti has contributed to a fund-raising bonanza for the American Red Cross, which a little over a year ago turned to Congress for a bailout.
As of late Sunday, the organization had collected pledges of $103 million, about $22 million of which came through the text-messaging program. The National Football League’s promotion of text-message donations during its weekend playoff games produced stunning results, with money “coming in at the rate of $500,000 an hour,” said Roger Lowe, a Red Cross spokesman.
“I need a better word than ‘unprecedented’ or ‘amazing’ to describe what’s happened with the text-message program,” Mr. Lowe said.
The Red Cross is the biggest relief organization with a system in place to receive such donations, which are sent by cellphone to 90999 and billed at $10 each to the cellphone account. The total raised, a small portion of which will be shared with other members of the Red Cross federation, puts the organization well ahead of other relief groups in fund-raising for operations in Haiti.
Story & photo courtesy of — The New York Times.
Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV)
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
One of the most intriguing aspects of modern technology is that it connects people across great distances. Today's story is a perfect example of exactly this phenomenon; cell phone text messages sent from all over the United States are being harnessed as a force for good in Haiti by the Red Cross. By encouraging people to engage in "compassionate texting", the Red Cross is not only connecting people's generosity in the U.S. with people's needs in Haiti, but is making that connection in a quick and easy way.
While this way of donating might encourage people to mindlessly support the relief efforts in Haiti without fully understanding the extent of the need and suffering there, it's hard to argue with creating more opportunities to do good. In fact in today's God Story scripture Paul reminds us to not grow weary in doing good, and to do so whenever we have the opportunity.
The question is, are we living our lives in such a way that we are consistently creating space to do good, using whatever we can in every aspect of our lives to do so? Stay on the look out. There are opportunities everyday for the Kingdom of God to come "to earth as it is in heaven", it's up to us to recognize the need and respond.
- Does the technology that you use on a daily basis create more opportunities for you to do good?
- How have you created space in your life to do good for the thousands of Haitians in need?
- Talk with your friends about what's happening in Haiti.
- Create some space in your life to do good with a friend or for a friend.
20 Jan, 2010
Words, Words, Words
As humanitarian agencies ship food, water and medicine to earthquake-ravaged Haiti, one U.S. company is sending aid of another type: solar-powered audio Bibles.
Officials at Faith Comes by Hearing says 600 "Proclaimer" devices have been shipped to Haiti, where they'll be able to broadcast holy scriptures in native Haitian Creole to up to 300 people at a time.
"Peoples' houses are crumbled, their families are shattered and they are living in ruins," spokesman Jon Wilke said in a statement posted on the company's Web site. "Haitians will need that long-term hope and comfort that comes from knowing God has not forgotten them through this tragedy."
Wilke said there is an "immediate need" for an additional 3,000 devices to be used by disaster relief teams, church groups and ministries.
The devices, which can play scriptures in more than 400 languages, can be used in tandem with a printed Bible to assist "illiterate children and villagers," according to the company's Web site.
Story provided by: foxnews.com.
Romans 10:14-17 (The Message)
But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims,
A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about how His story changes lives?
In the New American Standard Bible sitting beside me, this section of scripture is properly titled "The Word of Faith Brings Salvation." It is a theme that runs throughout scripture, that God uses scripture to impact and change lives.
In another letter Paul wrote, he pens: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version)." Paul makes it clear in these two places and others that scripture impacts our lives in profound ways.
It seems clear that Paul wants people to get that the things God says in His scriptures are important.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
A pastor friend of mine tells a story of one of his professors ministering to a man. The professor shares how as he spoke with the man, God brought a passage from Ezekiel to his mind that fit perfectly with where the man was. The students - my friend included - celebrated the story, but before they could finish their celebration, the professor turned and asked: " Have you done the work so that God can bring a scripture from Ezekiel to your mind?"
Every time I have heard this story, it has grabbed my heart. Am I able to help make the connections? I know I am probably never going to have the Bible memorized, but am I spending the time to know it at all? Am I constantly getting to know God's Story better? How about you? Are you spending time learning God's story?
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
Our friends need to hear the word of God, and they need to hear the part that matches their story, but for that to happen two things must be true. We must be listening to our friends, and we must be spending time in the scriptures to know God and His story.
19 Jan, 2010
Awaiting Aid
Survivors struggle while awaiting aid
Haiti (AP) — Desperately needed aid from around the world began arriving Thursday in quake-stunned Haiti, while rescuers struggled frantically to save the trapped and injured, using pickup trucks as ambulances and doors as stretchers.
President Barack Obama said "one of the largest relief efforts in our recent history" is moving toward Haiti, with thousands of troops and a broad array of civilian rescue workers deployed to aid the stricken country — backed by more than $100 million in relief funds.
To the Haitians, Obama promised: "You will not be forsaken."
In the streets of the capital, survivors set up camps amid piles of salvaged goods, including food scavenged from the rubble.
"This is much worse than a hurricane," said Jimitre Coquillon, a doctor's assistant working at a triage center set up in a hotel parking lot. "There's no water. There's nothing. Thirsty people are going to die."
Obama promised Haitians an all-out rescue and humanitarian effort, including the military and civilian emergency teams from across the U.S., adding that America — and the world — "stands with you."
Associated Press contributors to this story: Jonathan Katz and Jennifer Kay in Port-au-Prince; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Frank Jordans and Bradley S. Klapper in Geneva; Jenny Barchfield in Paris; Pauline Jelinek in Washington; Tales Azzoni in Sao Paulo.
To view full article go to sify.com/news 1/14/2010.
Isaiah 61:1-3 (New Living Translation)
Good News for the Oppressed
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
What does God's Story teach us about bringing aid to this world?
This passage in Isaiah 61 was first spoken by the prophet Isaiah. Then in Luke 4, Jesus gets out this very scripture, reads it and then tells everyone there that it was fulfilled in Him. Later on, in John 14, Jesus informs His followers that, if they have faith in Him, they will do even greater things than Him!
Isaiah...Jesus...you...me...
- all have the Spirit of the Lord upon us
- all have been anointed, appointed and ordained to do the Father's work
- all are to bring Good News to a hopeless world
- all are to comfort
- all are to bring freedom
- all are to bless those who mourn
- all are to bring praise to those in despair
- all are to bring aid to those who are struggling survive
Connecting today's story and God's Story with my story
The devastation and despair that we see every day on the news coverage of the disaster in Haiti connects with each of us. When we see people who are in dire need, there is something that rises up within each of us that compels us to help. Many of us will donate funds or even go to serve in Haiti over the next few months and years.
All of us, I hope, will recognize that there are people in desperate need of our help all around us. Our friends have parents who are going through a divorce and are crying out for someone to care for them. Others around us are struggling with addictions and they need someone to come and "proclaim the captives free". Still others, like thousands in Haiti, are "thirsty" for truth and desperately need someone to rush to their aid.
People all around us are struggling while awaiting aid.
God has given us His Spirit and anointed you and me to go and bring whatever aid is needed. Our friend's worlds have been shaken and everything around them is collapsing. God has called us to go and start sorting through the rubble of their lives...so that we can bring Good News, comfort, blessing and praise!
Connecting today's story, God's Story and my story with their story
Think of 3 people right now that you know are struggling in one way or another. Start by praying for them and while you are talking with the Father, ask Him what they really need most. Maybe it will be encouragement...you can write a note or give them a call. Perhaps it will be truth that they need most...you can share it lovingly. It could just be that they need a listening ear...lend them yours!
Take some time today also to pray for those in Haiti. Pray for strength and protection for all those who are down there helping. Also, ask the Great Redeemer to take these horrible circumstances and use it to draw people closer to Him.
18 Jan, 2010
Mark McGwire Admits Steroid Use
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former St Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire has admitted using steroids when he was a player, including 1998 when he broke the single-season home-run record.
"I used steroids during my playing career and I apologize," the 46-year-old said in a statement on Monday.
McGwire belted 70 home runs for St Louis in 1998 to shatter the record of 61 hit by Roger Maris for the New York Yankees in 1961.
The record was then broken again when Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants registered 73 homers in 2001.
McGwire last played in 2001 and was hired in October as hitting coach for the Cardinals. He said he wanted to set the record straight before beginning his new role with the team.
"It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected," he said.
"I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989-90 off-season and then after I was injured in 1993 I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the 90s including during the 1998 season.
"I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back I wish I had never played during the steroid era," added McGwire who started his career with the Oakland Athletics.
He joined the A's in 1986 and his 49 homers the following year led the American League and set a rookie record. The 12-times All-Star was traded to St Louis during the 1997 season.
McGwire is eighth on the all-time home-run list with 583.
Story and photo taken from: http://www.reuters.com
Psalm 15:1-4 (NIV)
1LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
He who 4keeps his oat even when it hurts.
John 4:13-14 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
The story of Mark McGwire is a sad one. McGwire was always a well respected player. In 1998 he became larger than life. He and Sammy Sosa were in a battle to see who would break the single season home-run record. A record that hadn't been broken in over 30 years. Well, McGwire won. He hit 70 homeruns that year. The record was previously 61. The story was a magical one. Fans flocked to see him play all over the country and it felt like that was the only sports story that year.
But McGwire had a secret. As this article documents, McGwire admitted to using steroids before and during that magical season. He had denied it for many years even though many suspected that he was lying. The results of the lie are that he most likely will not be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame and many fans who adored him now have their hearts broke.
This is why God wants us to be truthful to ourselves and each other. It is often not easy because we want to keep up a perception of ourselves (make ourselves look better) that is not totally accurate. Like McGwire, we live a lie that makes us so anxious inside that usually surfaces and makes our relationship with others much worse.
Jesus encountered many people who were living lies. Notice how he deals with the Samaritan woman at the well in the passage above (read 4:1-23 to see how beautiful Jesus interacts with her). He knows she has been living a lie but instead of focusing right in on that he leads her to the greater truth of living water. The living water is Jesus Christ who washes us clean and leads us into truth — truth about ourselves, the world, and God himself.
- What things in your life are hiding from God?
- Are you painting a picture of yourself that is not totally accurate? If so, ask God to forgive you and allow you to be truthful with Him and yourself. Tell another person (whom you trust). Pray together that God would allow you to walk in His Spirit and in truth.
As you encounter others who are living lies be gentle. Instead of pointing out their sins or telling them they need to live better point them to the "living water" — Jesus. Read John 4:1-23 again and watch how Jesus dealt with the woman from the well. Notice how handles her sin honestly but lovingly. He doesn't say it's ok, but he also does not blast her. He is always pointing her to the true source of truth and life. May we do the same.
15 Jan, 2010
Hollywood Gets Religion!
In 'Book of Eli' and other films, Hollywood gets religion
LOS ANGELES — In the nascent marketing of The Book of Eli last year, Warner Bros. executives urged the press not to reveal the title of the book, hoping to save it as a twist.
Now, stars and filmmakers can't be more vocal in pointing out that the titular book is a Bible.
Such is the suddenly divine landscape of Hollywood, where God is selling like hotcakes. Emboldened by the success of mainstream films such as The Blind Side, studios are looking to tout elements of faith in their pictures.
This month offers a few pseudo-spiritual choices: Eli opens Friday, the same day Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones, which lushly portrays the afterlife, expands nationwide. Legion, about a war that breaks out after God loses his faith in mankind, opens Jan. 22.
Hollywood's conversion is simple to explain: There's money in faith.
Full Story and Photo at usatoday.com.
Psalm 119:10-12 (New International Version)
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
What Does God's Story Teach Us About Protecting God's Story
In The Book of Eli, the main character has the task of protecting what is believed to be the last bible on the planet. It is believed that it holds the key to redeeming humanity, and people are willing to kill for it. That is a very interesting premise when you think about the value people place on God's Word today.
So what if there was only one Bible on this planet, and it didn't belong to you? How would you continue to lve in His Word? Check out what the Life Application Study Bible has to say about keeping His Word in our heart ...
Hiding (keeping) God's Word in our heart is a deterent jto sin. This alone should inspire us to memorize Scritpure. But memorization alone will not keep us from sin, we must also put God's Word to work in our life, making it a vital guide for everything we do.
Make a commitment that God's Story will be a "vital guide for everything" you do in 2010!
Connecting My Story to God's Story
- Ask God to help you as you dive into His Word.
- Read Psalm 119 this weekend.
- Write down what God says about His Word in that Psalm.
- If you haven't already, set a goal to read God's Story on a regular basis in 2010.
- Choose a verse or a short passage from Psalm 119 to memorize this week. Once you have it memorized, review it just once a week for nine weeks. You'll be surprised how easy it makes it!!
Connecting My Friend's Story to God's Story
Do you have a friend with whom you've been sharing your story and God's Story? Have they been struggling with the devastation in Haiti? Do they have something else going on their life that they feel is a major catastrophe? Ask them if you can read God's Story together. Take them to some promises that God made throughout His Story.
14 Jan, 2010
Earthquake in Haiti
Haiti Chief Says Thousands May Be Dead
Dawn brought horrible scenes to light in Haiti’s capital on Wednesday: piles of disintegrated concrete, with limbs sticking out and muffled cries emanating from deep inside; wounded people staggering through the streets; and bodies littering the landscape.
Huge swaths of Port-au-Prince lay in ruins, and thousands of people were feared dead in the rubble of government buildings, foreign aid headquarters and shantytowns that collapsed a day earlier in a powerful earthquake.
The Haitian president, René Préval, told The Miami Herald that the toll was “unimaginable” and estimated that thousands had died. Among those feared dead were the chief of the United Nations mission in Haiti and Msgr. Joseph Serge Miot, the archbishop of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
“Parliament has collapsed,” Mr. Préval was quoted as saying. “The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them.”
“All of the hospitals are packed with people,” he added. “It is a catastrophe.”
Photo & article courtesy of — The New York Times.
Romans 12:12-15 (NIV)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
When a catastrophe of this magnitude occurs it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the pain and tragedy. That's why the first thing we ought to do when confronted with such incredible damage and suffering is to pray. Pray for those situations that are beyond our control and ability to intervene. Also, pray for the strength, courage, and inspiration to do what we can to bring light to the darkness and hope to the hopeless.
In his letter to the Romans Paul lists some really practical behaviors that we can all take some direction from as we, as the body of Christ, respond to this tragedy.
v. 12: Pray — Enough said. Praying about something like this should be as automatic as breathing.
v. 13: Share — What can you share with the thousands in need in Haiti? Clothing, money, food, water?
v. 15: Mourn — Cultivate a soft compassionate heart for those in need. The Bible often mentions that people's poor choices are a result of their "hard hearts". Allow yourself to feel the weight of the tragedy in Haiti, and allow it to soften your heart and move you to action.
- Pray for the the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
- Organize a special collection for the victims of the Haiti earthquake at your church.
Talk with your friends about what they would do if an earthquake hit their hometown. Ask them where they would look to for disaster relief?
13 Jan, 2010
How Far Would You Go?
Woman Who Hid Anne Frank, Rescued Her Diary Dies at Age 100
AMSTERDAM — Miep Gies, the office secretary who defied the Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family for two years and saved the teenager's diary, has died, the Anne Frank House museum said Tuesday. She was 100.
Gies died from a neck injury sustained in a fall at her home shortly before Christmas, museum spokeswoman Annemarie Bekker said.
Gies was the last of the few non-Jews who supplied food, books and good cheer to the secret annex behind the canal warehouse where Anne, her parents, sister and four other Jews hid for 25 months during World War II.
Story provided by foxnews.com.
Romans 13:8-9 (The Message)
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about loving others?
Paul, as he writes these words to the church in Rome, makes a huge statement. His statement is that above anything else, love is most important. This is a big statement, because to a Jew the "law" was life. The law determined how you dressed, ate, and did business. The law spoke into every aspect of your life. Paul, knowing that, tells the readers of his letter; all is summed up in one phrase: "Love your neighbor." Paul is challenging the way people have thought for thousands of years. First century Jews focused on the law, but Paul writes them saying if you will focus on loving people, the other stuff will take care of itself.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
Paul's words aren't just for the first century. They also don't mean we only love those who love us. Jesus set the example first, and then throughout history people like Miep have followed in Jesus' footsteps. Jesus demonstrated love to us by obediently dying on a cross. He didn't have to; he could have called down angels to fight for him. Instead he loved us enough to die for us.
Miep continued that tradition by loving the Frank family. She didn't have to, but she chose to. Each day lots of people walk in and out of our lives, and they all have a story that we don't know. We get to choose to love those people or not. How far would you go to show love? Miep said she didn't want people to think of her as a hero, because then people might think only heroes could do the right thing. She tells us that loving should just be part of us. What a challenge! Will you accept that charge?
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
The same question stands: how far would you go to show love? The love Jesus showed us has changed eternity. The love that Miep showed the Franks has changed countless lives and helped write history. Will you do the human thing and love people even when they seem unlovable?
Your friends and many people around you need someone to show them real, genuine love. Are you willing to be that person? Jesus will give you strength to love. Miep is encouragement that we can love even in desperate situations.
12 Jan, 2010
About that resolution...ummm...yeah
9 ways to keep your New Year's resolutions
With the start of 2010 and a new decade, let's make sure you stick to those New Year's resolutions. If your New Year's resolutions from last year have gone unresolved, you're not alone. Now a new year offers another opportunity to achieve your goals, and these nine tips should help you keep to your New Year's resolutions in 2010.
- Make it something you really want. Don't make it a resolution that you "should" want or what other people tell you to want. It has to fit with your own values, experts say.
- Limit your list to a number you can handle. "It's probably best to make two or three resolutions that you intend to keep," says O'Connor. That way, you're focusing your efforts on the goals you truly want.
- Be specific. "To be effective, resolutions and goals need to be pretty specific," says O'Connor. Jettison the amorphous "exercise more," in favor of "I'm working out at the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 p.m."
- Automate. If your goal is to save $3,000 this year, calculate the amount out of each check, then arrange to have it automatically deposited into your savings account each time you get paid, says Ernst.
- Make a plan. Rather than stating one daunting goal, create a series of smaller steps to reach it.
- Be prepared to change some habits. One reason that resolutions fail is people don't change the habits that sabotage them, says Rosalene Glickman, Ph.D., author of "Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self."
- Write down the goal and...put them in a prominent place where you'll view them frequently, such as the fridge or on your desk. Glickman keeps her important life goals and priorities on her computer's screen saver. That way, "I have to see them," she says.
- To tell or not to tell? Having someone hold you accountable can be a powerful tool. "In general, making a public commitment adds motivation," O'Connor says.
- Forgive yourself. If you fall off the wagon, jump back on. A trap that many people fall into is, believing that if they fail, that's it, says O'Connor.
To read the full article by Dana Dratch go to bankrate.com 1/6/09.
Proverbs 13:4 [NIV]
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
I Timothy 4:12-16 [NIV]
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
John 15:5b [NIV]
...apart from me you can do nothing.
Philippians 4:13 [NIV]
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
What does God's Story teach us about dedication to good pursuits?
This past week I was hanging out with a teenager and I asked him if he had made any New Year's resolutions. He excitedly said that he had. After asking him what they were, he even more excitedly told me that he had decided to read his Bible every day in 2010. I told him that was great and then I asked him how it was going so far.
With his head slowly dropping in shame, he replied with no excitement at all, "Umm...not so good."
We have all been there haven't we? Good intentions with little follow through. Perhaps you are there already after only 12 days of the New Year.
God's Word reminds us of a couple of key points today:
- Diligence does pay off...regardless of the goal.
- Dedication...especially to the reading of His Word, teaching, preaching and prayer are something to which we are called!
- Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.
- With Christ, we can do ANYthing!
Connecting today's story and God's Story with my story
In another conversation this past week, someone told me about their desire to lose 50 pounds...an impressive desire for sure. I then asked them if they were planning to sign up for the weight loss class at the local YMCA. Their response was, "I would, but it seems like such a hassle." Their "desire" did not translate into dilgient action.
Whether your goal may be to be in the Word more, pray more, start to serve in the community, love your family better or become healthier...set your mind to it with diligence as you rely on Christ's help!
Dr. David Jeremiah once said, "Against the backdrop of people who avoid work, cut corners, and do half-hearted jobs, a diligent man stands out. Practicing diligence is an excellent way to stand out for Christ at home, in the workplace, and even at church. Today, complete each one of your tasks, however big or small, with diligence."
Connecting today's story, God's Story and my story with their story
- Ask your friends if they have set any New Year's resolutions. Perhaps they could use some encouragement right about now.
- Perhaps a lost friend will need some companionship as they try to conquer their goals...maybe you could hop on the treadmill next to them at the gym, stick to the same diet or learn a new hobby with them. It will be a good reason to spend more time together and learn more about their story while you achieve whatever goals may lie before you.
- This may be the perfect time to ask them to read one chapter from God's Story each day with you...and then discuss it. Maybe it is finally time for them to investigate for themselves what you have been talking about for a while now.
11 Jan, 2010
Where Is Your Treasure?
PARIS (Reuters) - French police are investigating whether a pickpocket stole thousands of euros from passengers as they slept on an Air France flight from Tokyo to Paris.
"There is an investigation under way," a spokesman for the border police at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris said when asked to confirm a report on the website of the Le Figaro.
The paper said around 4,000 euros ($5,744) appeared to have been stolen from five business class passengers as they slept on the overnight flight.
"On this flight, which takes off from Tokyo Narita at 10 p.m., passengers often sleep deeply before waking up shortly before arriving in Paris at around 4 a.m.," Le Figaro quoted one of the alleged victims as saying.
A woman alerted the cabin crew when she woke to find a large sum missing, the passenger said."This lady called staff to say that all the cash in her handbag had been stolen. Counting Swiss francs, euros and yen, there was apparently about 3,000 euros," the passenger said.
A spokeswoman for Air France said the pilot had alerted police who were waiting when the flight touched down.
"I would say that it is really extremely rare to have several passengers at once reporting thefts on board," she said.
She said that while the company was responsible for baggage carried in the hold, passengers had responsibility for possessions they had with them in the cabin.
Story and photo taken from: reuters.com.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
If you think about it, much of what we do is based on security. We lock our doors at night before going to bed (at least most of us do!). We lock our cars before going into a store. We have an entire department of the government dedicated to homeland security. Our computers have software to protect it from viruses. You get the picture.
We also work out and eat right to feel secure about our bodies. We are diligent in our school work so that we can make good grades and feel secure. And all that is good. However, Jesus warns that we must be careful not put all our trust and hope in things that will eventually pass away.
Our tendency as people is to take the good things that God gives us and make them god in our lives. Another word for that is an idol. We obssess, worry, or even enjoy things, security, yes even good relationships more than God. God wants first place in our lives and will often remind us through events in our lives that this world is temporary. He is eternal. If you are tired and weary or things aren't working out just right it might be God reminding you that we are made for a better place!
What do you treasure? Things? Friends? Popularity? Take note of where you spend most of your time this week and what you think about most often. You will find clues to what is most important in your life. Take a few minutes each day and pray short prayers that God would become your treasure.
Many people who seem to have it all together either materially or socially are often empty and searching for more. That would describe me in high school. I was fairly popular but grew tired of that life. It was an unlikely friend who invited me to a breakfast at church where I met Jesus. Pray for opportunities to share the treasure of Jesus with someone you know. God may already be preparing their hearts.
8 Jan, 2010
‘Horns Feel Higher Power
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – The Texas Longhorns will storm onto the Rose Bowl field Thursday and attempt to win their fifth national championship.
But first, they’ll take time to pray.
Not just a handful of players or even a large group. If the season-long tradition continues, each and every member of Texas’ team will trot into the end zone and bow their heads a few moments toward kickoff.
“It’s not something that gets talked about a lot,” receiver Jordan Shipley said, “but there are a lot of believers on this team. It’s awesome to be a part of. I really think it’s made a difference in how we’ve played this year.”
Religion in football is certainly nothing new. For years athletes have pointed toward the heavens following a touchdown, knelt in prayer at midfield after the final horn and offered praise during postgame interviews.
What makes the Longhorns unique is the quantity of players who are so open and passionate about their relationship with Christ.
Kicker Hunter Lawrence, for instance, looks forward to the handwritten Bible verse he receives from Shipley before each practice. Offensive lineman Tray Allen, punter John Gold and standout defenders Sam and Emmanuel Acho went on a mission trip to Nigeria last summer, and center Chris Hall is among the many Longhorns players who can quote scriptures as well as their playbook.
Hall – the son of a pastor – was basically holding court during a media session earlier this week as he recalled the summer night in his dorm room when he accepted Christ.
“I cried out to the Lord,” Hall said, “and I told him two things. I told him, ‘Lord, I hate my life. I hate living for myself.’ I felt like ‘self’ characterized everything I did. And then I told him, ‘Lord, I want you to love me, and I want to love you.’
“When I did that, something happened that night, brother, that I’ve never experienced before. It’s changed me for the rest of my life. I haven’t been the same since. The Lord Jesus came to live within my human spirit. Everything has been so much sweeter. The grass is just greener, brother. Knowing the Lord just makes everything so much more enjoyable.”
Hall paused.
“Including football,” he said.
No player is suggesting that the Longhorns have won games solely because of their faith. Instead it’s the positive outlook and attitude brought on by their religion that leads to more productive practices – and an inner peace during games.
“It’s unbelievable,” Texas head coach Mack Brown said. “When you’re in a state school you can’t push religion, but we have FCA [Fellowship of Christian Athletes]. We have chapels. We allow our team to choose whether or not they want to do those things. We don’t push it, but there’s a real strong [religious] influence on this team.
“I think it’s one of the reasons we’re here.”
Indeed, Texas wouldn’t even be playing in Thursday’s championship game against Alabama had Lawrence not booted a 46-yard field goal as time expired against Nebraska. Shortly before he lined up for the kick – which gave Texas a 13-12 victory – Lawrence listened as Shipley, his holder, recited Jeremiah 17:7.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him,” Shipley said.
Lawrence smiled when recalling the story a month later.
“After that moment,” he said, “I knew I was going to make it.”
Lawrence said he had a good relationship with Christ when he enrolled at Texas. But he said it has strengthened significantly because of players such as Shipley, Hall and quarterback Colt McCoy.
“Their faith is very strong,” Lawrence said. “They have a really positive influence on a lot of the guys on the team, especially the younger ones.”
Players said the general public has no idea how big of a part religion plays in many of the Longhorns’ daily routine.
“Some of it is more in a hidden way,” Hall said. “You’d almost have to have an all-access pass to see it. We pray together at a regular time each day. We’ll get together in hotel rooms and talk and get into the words [of the Bible]. Lots of things.”
Not all the Longhorns’ actions go unnoticed.
Attendance at Wednesday night FCA meetings can often be overwhelming, players said. And each Friday before home games, a group of Longhorns visit children at a local hospital.
Offensive lineman Adam Ulatoski spent time last summer building a house for a less fortunate family through Habitats for Humanity while McCoy went on a mission trip to Peru for the second straight year.
As often as he can, Shipley speaks to various high school groups and church youth groups in and around Austin. Shipley said his faith went to a new level during his first two years at Texas, when injuries kept him off the field.
“It was tough,” Shipley said, “but it allowed me to figure out who I was away from football. I did a lot of soul searching and developed my faith. Now that’s my motivation for every game. I try to use the pedestal I’ve been given to glorify God.
“With kids, it’s just showing them that you can represent Christ by being successful at what you do and by having an impact on people. I think there’s a reason we’re all here. That’s to Glorify Him. Everything I do, that’s my main purpose.”
The demand for Shipley is high, but Texas officials said no player is as sought after as McCoy, who sometimes receives as many as 10 speaking requests a day. Things got so out of hand a year ago that offensive coordinator Greg Davis called McCoy’s father, Brad.
“It’s becoming too much,” Davis told him. “I need you to help me convince him to slow down a bit.”
McCoy may have scaled things back, but sometimes even the smallest things end up influencing both fans and strangers. Shipley and McCoy, for instance, hardly ever miss a Sunday service at Westover Hills Church of Christ.
A few years ago, Brad McCoy received a call from one of the church’s members. It was the morning after Texas had lost to Kansas State in Manhattan – a game in which McCoy had suffered a pinched nerve in his neck.
“This man called, and he was crying,” Brad McCoy said. “He told me, ‘Coach McCoy, I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never seen anything like your son. I was sitting in church this morning when Colt walked in. He was a little late, but here was there, all beat up.
“I know he couldn’t have gotten home from Kansas before 3 or 4 a.m., but he was there for that 9 a.m. service. My little boy saw that. I just want you to know that that was the biggest impression anyone will ever make on my 10-year-old.’”
Brad McCoy paused.
“You hear that about your son,” he said, “and you can’t help but be proud.”
Win or lose Thursday, a lot of other Longhorns parents should feel the same way.
Story and Photo Found at rivals.yahoo.com. (Original Story 01/06/2010)
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (New International Version)
This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
What Does God's Story Teach Us About Trusting In God?
"In times of trouble, those who trust in human beings will be impoverished and spiritually weak, so they will nave no strength to draw on. But those who trust in the Lord will have abundant strength, not only for their own needs, but even for the needs of others. Are you satisfied with being unfruitful, or do you, like a well-watered tree, have strength for times of crisis and even some to share as you bear fruit for the Lord?" (Life Application Study Bible Study Notes on Jeremiah 17:5-8)
Even in defeat, God was glorified by Texas' star quarterback, Colt McCoy. McCoy, who went down on the Longhorns' first possession with a shoulder injury, was a living example of God's word, as he said, "God's in control of my life and I know that no matter what happens, I'm standing on the Rock!" McCoy still bore the fruit a believer should bear!Connecting My Story to God's Story
- Let your trust in God be noticed in your daily life, not in an arrogant way, but with confidence.
- Thank God for being Trustworthy in your everyday life, no matter the circumstance.
- Don't let anything stand between you and worshipping God in church this weekend.
- When you experience times of defeat, be a living example of God's Word by bearing fruit like a "well-watered tree."
Connecting My Friend's Story to God's Story
- When talk turns to the outcome of last's night championship game, ask your friends if they heard McCoy's comments about God being in control.
- Ask your friends how they handle times of crisis and defeat? Share your story of how God helps you deal with those times.
- Do you know a believer who seems to be experiencing a season of weakness? Come alongside them by praying with and for them. Read God's Story with them. Encourage them in every way you can!
7 Jan, 2010
Let the little children... make me some money!
Oh, Just Answer the Question, Honey
LOS ANGELES — Children can exhibit a remarkable ability to obsess about the most detailed subjects: train timetables, species of dinosaurs, the names of 18 different dolls and their imaginary occupations. But should that ability be put to use on national television, with a whole lot of money riding on the memory of a preteen?
That, in short, is the question being raised by “Our Little Genius,” a game show scheduled to have its premiere next Wednesday on Fox. Developed by the producers of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,” the series gives children 6 to 12 a chance “to put their incredible knowledge to the test and win life-changing money for their families,” according to the Fox publicity materials.
The game show’s questions, on topics that the child chooses, like astronomy, the Civil War or Greek mythology, increase in difficulty over 10 levels, with each level worth an amount ranging from $1,000 to $500,000. At each level, it is the parents of the contestant who decide whether to advance to the next question or to stick with the money they have already won. Once they get above $10,000, they are guaranteed at least that much. But any additional winnings will disappear if their child attempts a new question and fails.
The issue of whether preteen prodigies might be under an unhealthy amount of pressure when up to $500,000 is riding on their ability to remember, for example, the location of several different landmarks in ancient Egypt, has bothered some clinical psychologists and behavioral experts.
Michelle Golland, a clinical psychologist who wrote about the series for the Web site momlogic.com, said in an interview that the show was a recipe for “a self-esteem nosedive.”
“These are kids who can already have some issues relating socially,” Dr. Golland said. “They are already being characterized as a genius. The pressure is on the child to answer the question. If they lose out early, what do you think that means to them?” Even if the parents stop before reaching the biggest prize, she said, that might signal to children their lack of faith in them — especially if it turns out that the contestant actually knew the answer.
Story & photo courtesy of — The New York Times.
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
If you've read the gospels you've no doubt noticed that Jesus had a heart for the poor, the downtrodden, the widow, the outcast, the leper, the orphan, the blind - basically the most vulnerable and weak individuals in society. In any time and in any culture children often represent a significant portion of these individuals. In our modern American culture, where wealth, success, and achievement are worshiped as the evidence of a virtuous life, children are often victims of their parents' misguided hopes and dreams for their attainment of these virtues at any cost. If we listen to Jesus, the only direction we ought to be pointing our children is towards him. Jesus even goes so far as to say we should do nothing to hinder children as they seek out the virtues that matter most.
Nothing could be a more disturbing picture of parents pointing their children in the wrong direction than "Our Little Genius". While I'm sure the parents who have entered their children into the game show have done so with no malicious intent, the reality is that they are seeking to profit from the mind of a child, a mind that is fragile, developing, and still in the process of searching for what life is really all about.
I can think of no greater misdirection of a child's search for truth than to risk their self esteem and emotional well being for quick profit and entertainment. Certainly pointing them in this direction is not pointing them in the direction of Jesus. And when we get down to it, only Jesus has the answers to the questions that really matter - thankfully the answers are free.
- Think about if/how you are being "misguided" by wealth, success, and achievement.
- Volunteer in some way with children and invest the heavenly virtues of love, grace, and peace in their lives.
Ask a friend what they think about today's story.
6 Jan, 2010
Why did the Chicken...?
Woman arrested after McNugget rage
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Police say an Ohio woman punched through a McDonald's drive-through window because Chicken McNuggets weren't available.
Police were called Friday to the restaurant in Toledo.
Police say the 24-year-old was treated for injuries, then jailed. She pleaded not guilty to a vandalism charge.
She was released on a recognizance bond and ordered not to have contact with the restaurant.
A manager at the McDonald's declined Monday to discuss the incident.
Story provided by: 2news.tv.
James 1:19-20 (New International Version)
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about controling our anger?
James is writing his letter to first century Jewish Christians, and he hits two things really quickly in his letter. First, we are going to face trials of all kinds. Second, keep your anger in check. The order and the fact they are both up front in his letter fascinate me. James obviously understands human nature. When things go wrong, or in a way other than how we planned, you can see the anger flush our faces.
James makes it very clear, though, that anger like this is not God-honoring and doesn't draw us closer to God.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
There are few places that bring out rage like sporting events do. Before I started writing I was at a middle school basketball game. I was amazed at the harshness of the crowd toward the referees. What really got me is they were screaming hate during a 7th grade basketball game. I understand the need for fair play, but the reality is no one in the room was getting paid for playing. None of the players were going to be receiving scholarships based on their performance during that game. Yet I found myself surrounded by fits of rage.
How short is your fuse? Do you get angry at the drop of a hat? How does your anger distract you and others from God?
How can we connect today's story, God's Storyscripture, and our story to others?
Like I mentioned before we live in a world that gets angry at stuff that really doesn't matter too much. Maybe the greatest gift we can offer a lost, hurting world is to keep our cool.
Talk to the people who work the counter at any fast food restaurant, and they'll tell you it is refreshing when they have somebody treat them kindly without anger. When we respond to trials in a way that honors God, people notice.
I've had people ask me why and how I don't lose my temper when things go wrong. At that moment, they open the door to tell them, "I'm patient, because Jesus has been patient with me."
Try this: the next time a restaurant gets your order wrong, just let them know and ask kindly if you can get it fixed. The person at the counter will notice and so will the people with you.
5 Jan, 2010
Who will show up for the reunion?
BREMERTON — Richard Lewis invites his former Armin Jahr Elementary students to meet at the school's flagpole on Jan. 1, 2010.
In 1990, children in a Bremerton elementary school class made a date. In 20 years, they promised, they'd return to the school on Jan. 1, for a reunion. On Friday, the teacher and close to half his class did just that.
Though he hasn't taught there in 15 years, and those grade-schoolers today are pushing 30, he and 11 of them trickled back to the East Bremerton campus Friday just as they'd promised each other two decades ago. Nine were from one class of 20 gifted kids Lewis taught as third- and fifth-graders in 1990 and 1992.
"In some ways, they were different," Lewis recalled. "They knew how to work together and liked each other. They had a good spirit about them."
Back in 1990, when they were 8 years old, they couldn't fathom that they'd one day have children of their own, that they'd variously become a computer expert, a marketing director, a nuclear pipe fitter, a server, a land-use planner, a journalist for a sports website, an actor or a movie-theater manager.
For Lewis, the reunion was like scoring a touchdown. "It's a very wonderful feeling," he said. "This is my spiking of the ball. This is an affirmation that what I was doing was a good thing," he said of the successful reunion. "It verifies what I did for these kids and the way I did it was right."
The invitation remains open for another reunion on Jan. 1, 2020.
To view the full article by Ed Friedrich from the Seattle Times 1/2/2010 go to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com.
I Thessalonians 4:16-18 [The Message]
The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they'll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.
Mark 13:32-33 [NIV]
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come."
What does God's Story teach us about THE reunion of all reunions?
Wow, 20 years after a third grade teacher tells his students to meet at their school flagpole in 2010, they actually do it! Jesus told us about a reunion that will be happening at an undisclosed time...and here are some of the things that He taught us about it:
- First of all...God's Word teaches us that Jesus IS coming back. It's for sure. It's going to happen. Every single one of Jesus' promises has or will come true and this one is no exception! What an incredible day that will be!
- There are signs and indications that will happen before He comes back. You can read further about those hints and clues in Matthew 24. One bit of "insider information" that Jesus gave us was that some will try to trick us by claiming to be Jesus before He actually returns. Another guarantee is that others will persecute us for standing firm in our faith so plan to stand strong!
- Other important details that Jesus gave us include the fact that no one knows exactly when He will return (except God the Father) and that we should always be alert and ready for this great reunion at any time! Who knows...it could happen in 2010!
Connecting today's story and God's Story with my story
- Are you ready? If so, praise God! If not, talk to a local pastor or YFC staff today about how to be SURE you are ready. You don't want to miss this reunion!
- If you knew the reunion would be tomorrow, what would you do differently today? Who would you talk to about Jesus? Who would you need to seek forgiveness from? What important words would you want to say to those closest to you? Is there a reason you shouldn't do all of those things today anyways?
- When life gets hard...be encouraged that this day is coming. That is why today's scripture told us to reassure one another with these words.
Connecting today's story, God's Story and my story with my friend's story
Last fall I had a class reunion back at my high school. As that date approached, I was sure to get on Facebook and tell as many of my friends as possible about the big event... why?... because I care about them and I didn't want them to miss it.
The same is true about eternity with God. I don't want any of my family members or friends to miss it. God has left you and me with that responsibility...to tell them about Him. It is not our responsibility to save them...that is HIS job. We are just to be faithful in sharing the Good News of the Great Reunion.
Hope to see you there!
4 Jan, 2010
Afghanistan's First Skatepark Mixes Rich and Poor
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's first skateboarding park and school opened in Kabul on Tuesday with a boarding showdown between dozens of youngsters -- ranging from ministers' children to streetkids -- that it aims to bring together.
"Skateistan" started two years ago in a dried-up fountain in the heart of the Afghan capital, when two Australians with three skateboards started teaching a small group of fascinated kids.
Now dozens of boys and girls from across all social classes can mix in a giant indoor park that looks like a cross between a military hangar and an urban hangout, festooned with the names of fashionable skating brands that have sponsored the park.
Classes are free, and at the back of the skating section are neat changing areas and classrooms where children can study everything from basic literacy to advanced computing when they put down their boards and take off their helmets.
"A year ago this was empty land, there were just dogs here," said Fraidoon Ilham, who helps write speeches for
President Hamid Karzai as his day job but also helps Skateistan sort through the legal and government pitfalls of operating in Afghanistan.
One of the world's poorest and most conservative countries seems a strange place to set up a skateboarding school, but the founders say it has proved a remarkably successful way to reach out to marginalized children, particularly girls.
Sports such as football are seen as men's activities, but skateboarding is novel enough to be open to women.
"I want to be a professional skateboarder in future like my teacher, and help other children learn how to skate," said 10-year-old Mahro, a star student who seems undaunted by either traditional ideas about women or the steepest ramps in the park.
She
3 Jan, 2010
Afghanistan's First Skatepark Mixes Rich and Poor
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's first skateboarding park and school opened in Kabul on Tuesday with a boarding showdown between dozens of youngsters -- ranging from ministers' children to streetkids -- that it aims to bring together.
"Skateistan" started two years ago in a dried-up fountain in the heart of the Afghan capital, when two Australians with three skateboards started teaching a small group of fascinated kids.
Now dozens of boys and girls from across all social classes can mix in a giant indoor park that looks like a cross between a military hangar and an urban hangout, festooned with the names of fashionable skating brands that have sponsored the park.
Classes are free, and at the back of the skating section are neat changing areas and classrooms where children can study everything from basic literacy to advanced computing when they put down their boards and take off their helmets.
"A year ago this was empty land, there were just dogs here," said Fraidoon Ilham, who helps write speeches for
President Hamid Karzai as his day job but also helps Skateistan sort through the legal and government pitfalls of operating in Afghanistan.
One of the world's poorest and most conservative countries seems a strange place to set up a skateboarding school, but the founders say it has proved a remarkably successful way to reach out to marginalized children, particularly girls.
Sports such as football are seen as men's activities, but skateboarding is novel enough to be open to women.
"I want to be a professional skateboarder in future like my teacher, and help other children learn how to skate," said 10-year-old Mahro, a star student who seems undaunted by either traditional ideas about women or the steepest ramps in the park.
She
1 Jan, 2010
The Climb
Early in December we were challenged to look back on our year. So did you you? Did you answer the questions? Here they are again ...
- What was the biggest blessing you saw in 2009?
- What was a lesson that God taught you through the journey of this past year?
- What was the hardest part?...the best part?
- What prayer did God answer?
- What did He do that builds your faith for what is yet ahead?
Today I will share with you an experience from my year that almost answers every one of these questions ...
In June, our family traveled to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee for a family reunion with my wife's side of the family. While there, the men of the family decided to hike one of the tallest mountains in the park, Mt. LeConte. There were several paths to take to the summit, which stands at 6,593 ft. We chose a 7 mile trek (14 round trip) that took us under one the many waterfalls in the park. The hiking party included my 13 year old son, Josh 
(seen in the photo enjoying the view), his grandfather, his uncle, and me.
The first third of the hike wasn't too bad. We are all feeling pretty good and enjoying the day. As we neared the top, however, our bodies were rebelling. We felt pain we didn't know we could feel. But the views were breath-taking! After a short break at the hiker's lodge at the top, we headed back down the mountain, with memories for a lifetime.
Matthew 21:21-22 (The Message)
21-22But Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."
What does God's Story teach us about mountains?
Mountains are mentioned many times in God's Story.
Moses met God face to face on a mountain.
Jesus was tempted by the devil on a mountain.
Jesus was transfigured on a mountain.
Mountains are seen as majestic when we think about God's creation.
We talk about "mountain top experiences" in terms of times when we feel close to God.
We call major obstacles in our lives "mountains" because they are so in the way.
Regardless of how you may be looking at "mountains" in your life right now, God wants you to know that He is ready to meet you right where you are in your life.
As for how our experience answered those questions ... Our climb was one of the biggest blessings because my son and I experienced it together. It taught us that we needed to keep pressing on, through the hardest part of the climb in order to experience the view from the top, the best part. Just like many parts of our journey through this life.
What are your "mountains?"
- As you took the time to look back on your year, what did you see? Has it been full of ups and downs in life? Have you experienced blessings and struggles on your journey? Thank God for both the ups and downs.
- Are you experiencing a mountain size obstacle in your life right now? Ask God for the faith to trust Him to move it.
- Do a search through God's Story about mountains. Write down what God teaches you in His word.
- As you look forward into 2010, commit to consistently asking God to work in your life in this next leg of your journey?
What are your friends' "mountains?"
- Ask your friends what their year was like. Talk about your year with them and share the ways you know that God was working in your life throughout the year.
- Do you have a friend experiencing a mountain in their life? Ask them if you can pray with them during this season of their life.
- Ask a friend to work with you as you read about mountains in God's Story. Discuss the many ways that mountains are mentioned in scripture.
- Ask your friends what their expectations for 2010 are. Share with them how you are praying that God will work in your life in 2010.
