Props to the Vikes

Yeah - I REALLY enjoy the NFL - and of course, I love the Minnesota Vikings. They've been undefeated for quite a few months so far (in regular season play) - since January, I think. They even won their season opener against the much touted Washington Redskins - Monday night.

To sum up the game and my feelings - let me quote my little brother, Danny.

"It feels so good to finally be in the regular season and to be 1-0. Maybe my favorite thing about the game is that ---our defensive line didn't look super, our offensive line didn't look great, Williamson was dropping balls, penalties, bad special teams ---and we still won on the road at a tough stadium vs a tough team in front of a national audience. Childress is a stud for benching Dwight Smith. Nice."

What teams or sports do you just love?

SYATP Devotional

I pray you’re all thinking (and even praying) about See You At The Pole (SYATP). I’m giving a link to a devotional by Cadre Ministries on this great day. It’s worth your time (it’s in the format of the devil sending an email to his demons). I’m going to paste a bit of it in, but you’ll have to go to the work of checking it out yourself. http://www.cadreministries.com/sc/syatp.html

TO: The Demons of Hell who are assigned to Christian students

FROM: Ichabod Ebenezer Beelzebub, Demonic General of Sector 666

RE: We Hope We Don't "See You at the Pole"!

My demons of deception, another school year is upon us! In years past, we were often able to undo any work the Enemy did in Christian students over the summer simply by returning them to school—where we could, through certain teachers and students, slowly put out their Holy Spirit fire! Thus, we used to look forward to the start of another school year! Where else could you see a Christian student who left a camp determined to become a missionary or a youth pastor chicken out totally to the point where NO ONE IN THE ENTIRE SCHOOL knew he/she was a Christian! HA! The beginning of school used to mean that those students who made promises to God to leave the partying life got back into the same partying activities they promised to leave! I LOVE IT! The same Christian students who, over the summer promised to save sexual activity for marriage, were once again tempted—and often lured into the very same sins they renounced a month or two earlier! The Christian students who diligently read their Bibles and walked with God—would, once school started, get so busy with school that they would forget all about spending time with God! YES! That was what the beginning of school used to mean to us. However, that has all changed now!

New School Year = New Trouble… FOR US!
One reason I am dreading this school year—mostly for you—is because the Christian students you are in charge of intimidating, frustrating, discouraging, and deceiving are starting to march into our schools like soldiers of Jesus Christ (I hate to even say his name!). These students used to fear taking a public stand for their faith in… you know who. NOT NOW! They not only live the Christian life, they actually TELL other students we own about how they can become Christians too! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Even worse some of these radicals openly identify with our enemy on their school campuses by starting on-campus Bible studies, challenging our teachers of evolution, and carrying their Bibles!

The Problem: See You at the Pole, September 27, 2006!

Prayer

I once heard that there are 4 common symptoms of Out Of Balance prayer.

Too SHALLOW– “Thank you for this day, God bless all the missionaries, etc.” - no thought to it
Too CASUALL– “Yo big daddy upstairs - 'sup!”
Too FORMAL– “O Thou Great Jehovah, I beseech Thee, verily I draw nigh unto Thee.”
Too TIMID- “Hey - God...are you there? If so, if it's not too much trouble...”

What is the remedy? Not as easy a question as you might think. The answer comes later.

Here are some other questions.

What is the most important part of prayer?
What keeps people from having a daily prayer life? Whatever that answer is – is there maybe a deeper answer or reason behind that answer?
Are there any verses on prayer that you just love?
How does God view prayer? (What is God’s perspective on Prayer?)

I think the remedy to out of balancy prayer is NOT working harder on some aspect of prayer, but instead, focusing on deepening your relationship with God. A better prayer life will be the natural result of that.

What do you think?

Give me your best thought (caption)

I am hoping to put a picture up here pretty often (once a week, possibly). I want you to share an idea (or many) for a caption. I'll put the best caption up when I put the new picture on. Be funny. Be creative. Be clean. Don't use their real names. Obviously I'll delete stuff from the comment section if it is inappropriate.

Matt P Rocks!!!

I have often said that God has blessed me with the greatest group of amazing friends. I can't imagine anyone having a more amazing group of godly / studly friends. Matt P is one of them. He is a youth pastor in our District and is stinkin' amazing. He isn't perfect yet, but maybe he'll get there next year. He has a great blog that I failed to list in my list of links (and I've been too lazy to fix that). So let me say that he is a huge blessing to me. I got to know him through working together on our Rosebud trip. I love his wife too. What a blessing they are.

Let me mention too, that he is way smarter than me - he's on a different chart of intelligence.

Thanks God, for Matt.

What friends are you super-thankful for?