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Some Valentine Fun

I just received this today from Dave Ramsey. I wanted to share this with you.

Worst Valentine's Dates
They are the kind of date stories that you’d think would only happen on a bad episode of The Bachelor . Inappropriate or embarrassing comments, bad dinner locations and weird social events—and that’s just for starters.

Jill in Pennsylvania, one of our members, decided to get the party started by asking other members about their worst dates ever. Check out the responses!

Show The Glove
I once went out with a guy who asked me out on a date—TO WATCH HIM SPAR AT THE GYM! —Elizabeth in Ohio

Hairy Situation
I went on a blind date to a diner with this guy. On the surface, he seemed pretty nice. After eating and while we were casually chatting, he looked at me and said a few things which pretty much told me I would never see him again.

One of which was, “Your hair is so long I could tie you up with it.” Bye bye now! —Nancy in Alabama

The Other Team
Some friends I had in college were very actively involved in introducing me to available women they knew.

On one date, I spent the evening doing my best to make a connection with this woman. I thought we hit it off fairly well and said so at the subsequent "review" with my friends that always followed these encounters. Then I found out that her reaction to me was something along the lines of, "He's nice enough, but I really prefer women." —Keith in Michigan

Prom Flop
I went to my prom with the son of my mom's friends. On the 35-mile trip there, the headlights on his car went out, and I spent the trip hanging out of the passenger window, shining a hand-held shop/floodlight on the road. This was after having been to the salon earlier that day.

I pretty much ditched him once we got to the dance and spent a while in the ladies’ room attempting repairs to my dress and hair.

Afterward, a bunch of my friends decided to go out for Chinese. There were a dozen or so of us crammed into a big booth. My date ate a ton, then proceeded to barf right onto the table. You can probably imagine the scene: shrieking girls, freaked-out guys, and my date admitting sheepishly, "I don't like Chinese food."

To put the final blessing on the evening, he then proceeded to get lost getting out of town to take me home. He actually called me the next week and invited me to his prom. I declined.
—Julie in Tennessee

Highs And Lows
I was 24 years old and I asked a friend about a specific guy. She said, "Oh yeah, he's very reliable." So we went out.

While at dinner, he told me he was working on his resume, and he did not know what to do with the four-year gap where he was selling drugs full time. He thought he should say he was in a coma. (When my friend said “very reliable,” she assumed I was inquiring about him as a drug dealer, not a date. I was horrified.)

I should've walked out at that time, but I was young and too polite.

The subject of parents came up, and I mentioned that my father died of lung cancer when I was 21. He laughed at that. I was speechless.

He tried to walk me home. I managed to get rid of him a few blocks from my apartment so he wouldn’t know where I lived. Upon parting, he said to me, "I would love to kiss you goodnight, but I have this crop of sores in my mouth, and until my doctor diagnoses them, I probably should be careful not to spread any germs. How about a makeout session next week?"

Traumatized! —Susan in Ontario

Share Your Victories

I listened (on the radio) with great delight as the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers (sorry Steelers fans). It was so great a victory that I felt I had a part in it. Let me explain.

When we share our victories with others it makes victory that much sweeter. When we overcome a difficult obstacle and share it with others it makes that victory a reality.

At the end of Jacob's life he shares with Joseph the story of how he defeated the Amorites. He tells Joseph in Genesis 48:22 that "I am giving you the one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites." In actuality he gave him what was given to him by the Lord. Tonight I told my son how God "called" me to serve Him in ministry. I believe that this inspired him to discover what God wants him to do as he grows older.

Let me ask you a question have you shared your victory stories with anyone lately? Your wife or husband, your kids, the neighbor?

Share the victory, you never know what this will inspire in the next generation

Good News

Football and Faith

Every year, in the midst of the hype surrounding the Super Bowl, churches and Christian organizations attempt to remind us that, while sports can be a great diversion, there are other things in life that have lifelong and even eternal impact.

While there are a number of Christian players or coaches on both teams that will be competing on Sunday, there are some who stand out because of either their character and testimony or the causes they choose to support. For example:

Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been nicknamed "Leader of the Pack" by the media, told Baptist Press on Tuesday at Super Bowl XLV Media Day that he only wants to be a leader of God's pack as it relates to influencing others for Christ. "We all have a platform, we all have a message in our lives. I just try to follow Jesus' example, leading by example," said Rodgers.
Packers' kicker Mason Crosby understands that big games are often decided by a last-second touchdown or field goal. "I think He [Christ] helps me knowing that kicking is what I do, not who I am. It's not everything that I am. I can escape [the pressure] knowing that my relationship with Christ is what carries me," said Crosby.
Pittsburgh Steelers team chaplain, Kevin Jordon, who was formerly an assistant to coach Tony Dungy and is associated with Athletes in Action, says he greatly appreciates the support and access given to him by head coach Mike Tomlin. According to Baptist Press, Jordon says he plans to continue his regular schedule of players' and coaches' meetings, Bible study and team chapel while in Dallas.
Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin, the youngest coach ever to coach in and win the Super Bowl, spoke of being "blessed" and "humbled" by his success. When asked about his Christian faith he said, "It provides a confidence, not only for me but for everyone who is a believer. Football is what we do; it's not who we are. It is our job, it is our business. We all are very passionate about it, but [faith] keeps it in perspective."
Many churches, such as First Baptist Church in Dallas, plan to cancel their regular Sunday night services to host Super Bowl parties which will include a Christian-oriented halftime video. "We are not capitulating, but capitalizing on the Super Bowl," said Pastor Robert Jeffress. [Baptist Press, Christian Post]

Planted Firmly

Psalms chapter one extols the virtue of the man (or woman) that walks with God. The Bible says that the one who walks with God is "firmly planted." Let me explain what I mean.

I heard a story of a man that lived his life like he wanted, until he had cancer. From that day on he lived in pain and agony. His wealth couldn't buy him health or freedom from pain. In his last conversation with his brother, he told his brother that he will have to bury him under a shade tree because it was getting hot in the room. The temperature in the room was 70 degrees. He kept repeating that it was getting hot and that he really needed some relief. He died without that relief, as a matter of fact he was being ushered into Hell and began to feel the intense. This man would be planted in the ground and separated from God forever because he chose to deny the gift of eternal life.
Fast forward many years the brother now has contracted cancer and when he was diagnosed with cancer he immediately went to church to make  Jesus the leader of his life and the forgiver of his sins. This man died two years later. He was firmly planted in God's Word and is now in the presence of  Jesus Christ.


It's your choice. Will you be planted firmly in God's Word here on this earth and make Heaven your home? Or will your body be planted 6ft in the ground, and your soul in everlasting torment? Those that are planted firmly in God's Word will be in the presence of Jesus forever.

Some Super Bowl Facts

Super-Sized Super Bowl

It commands the biggest audience, the highest price for television ads, and the seven hours prior to it just for game analysis. Super Bowl time is almost upon us. And when you hear that it's the biggest TV event of the year, that's not a lie. To give you an idea of how huge it has become, here are some fun facts from last year's big game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. A Worldwide Audience The total audience for the game was 106 million people, making it the most watched television event ever. It was broadcast in 232 countries and territories and translated into 34 languages. Got The Munchies? The food numbers for the game were absurd. It would take 222,792 football fields worth of farmland to grow all the corn (eight million pounds of popcorn), potatoes (28 million pounds of potato chips) and avocados (53.5 million pounds) that were eaten during the game. There were also a billion chicken wings eaten and more than 325 million gallons of beer consumed. Also, if you laid all the potato chips eaten during the game end to end, they would circle the earth 11.72 times. Feel The Power About 187,800 Kilowatt/hours of energy were spent at the Super Bowl stadium. Televisions tuned into the game consumed about 10,004,600 Kilowatt/hours of power. For some perspective, that's more than the amount of solar power Kilowatt/hours generated by the United States. Show Me The Money Did you think we wouldn't talk about this? The city hosting the big game typically has about $400 million added to its local economy. But that is dwarfed by the $5.6 billion that consumers spend for Super-Bowl-related items. The cost of a 30-second commercial is well-documented ($2.8 million last year), and there are plenty of new HDTVs on which to watch said commercials (2.9 million units were sold in 2009). Oh, by the way ... it costs $12,500 for Tiffany & Co. to produce the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Hope the winners don't drop it when they hoist it. Source: Tree Hugger

Knowing the Future?

Do we really want to know the future? We say we do, but what we mean is that we want to know the winning lottery number, or who we will marry. We want to know when we will get a better paying job. Truth is we don't want to know the future, just the good part of the future.

We are really not that different from the baker found in Genesis 40:16. He had just heard Joseph give the interpretation for the butler's dream, and he told Joseph his dream. The baker was expecting good news, but instead he got the truth.

As Christians we should not desire to know the future, but rather know the one who holds the future. It is better to have someone walk with us through the next tough time, rather than fearing the inevitable. The Lord wants us to trust Him, no matter what happens. God will be with us, and never leave us alone.

Today I challenge you to give Jesus all of your tomorrows. He has big enough shoulders, and He knows the future.

Randy Johnson GEICO Commercial - Snowball

How Big is the Universe?

When you stop and think about the Sun, the Moon and the stars, do you ever wonder we are not seeing? Here is a quote from Lloyd John Ogilvie on the subject.

“The immensity of the heavens held the psalmist in a spell of wonderment. With his naked eye on a clear night, he could see about five thousand stars. Today with a four inch telescope we can see more than two million, and with the Mount Palomar two hundred inch mirror, we are able to see more than a billion. The latest means of observation reveal even greater numbers. The expanse is beyond our comprehension. If we set out and traveled at space rocket speed of 19,000 miles per hour, it would take 144,000 years to reach the nearest star. We measure the universe in light years rather than miles. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, so that in a year of seconds, light travels six trillion miles. This distance is called a light year. Calculation shows that it is equal to 60,000 times the distance of the sun from the earth. The universe is so vast that to cross it at the speed of light, you would travel forty billion light years.” (Ogilvie, L.J. 1984 Falling into greatness, p. 32 Thomas Nelson, Nashville)

Vapor and an Illusion

I read an interesting scripture found in Psalms the other day. It is found in Psalms 62:9, it says "men are only a vapor; exalted men, an illusion..." What does that mean?

I am reminded of James where he stated in chapter 4 verse 14 that our lives are a like a vapor that evaporates so quickly. Here is my take on this scripture.

Men and their power on this earth is short lived.
Men in positions of great power are nothing when compared to the King of Kings.
I have the tendency to fret when I think about who is deciding what on my behalf, then I remember it doesn't matter who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it matters who sits on the circle of the earth. His name is Jesus.

Falsely Accused!

Have you ever been accused of something that you did not do? Then you know the feeling when you are doing the right thing and all of sudden you find yourself in the midst of a difficult situation. Maybe you are reeling from wondering how you got there. Take heart God is in the midst of this mess.

Joseph was a young man who was holy and loved God with all of his heart. However Potiphar's wife was rebuffed by Joseph as she attempted to seduce him. Joseph resisted her enticements, and left his garment with her as he was fleeing. Some commentators believe that she seized his garment in order to accuse him of wrongdoing. Potiphar's wife may have seized his garment but she could not seize his destiny. If you are interested in reading the full account you can read Genesis chapter 39. Because Joseph was falsely accused he was taken to prison, but God is not limited by prisons or perplexing situations. If you have been falsely accused, understand that God will vindicate you in due time (I Peter 5:6).

The Guard of Righteousness

What protects the righteous? According to Proverbs 13:6 it is "righteousness that guards people of integrity." The people that live a whole can expect a complete life. On the other hand those that don't follow Jesus are undermined by wickedness. The sin that people enjoy now is more than they can handle. There is an old saying that goes like this:

Sin will take you further than you want to go.
It will keep you longer than you want to stay,
and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

Today, allow Jesus to be your guard. Remember you can't handle sin without being burned.

Today

According to the book of Hebrews 3:13, the antidote for spiritual deception is encouragement. Maybe you are wondering how that works.

1. Encouragement from other Christians propels us to trust the Lord and to obey His word
2. Encouragement to live a godly life, reveals sin's pleasures as fleeting and not worth the trouble
3. Encouragement from God's Word gives perspective about what really matters.

So let's encourage one another, while it is still called today. Here are some lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Still Called Today."


Still Called Today Lyrics:
There a hole the size of a cruel word
In a wounded heart

somewhere that's learning to hide the pain
There's a thorn stuck in the conscience of
Someone who spoke a word in anger
And they can't wash away the stain,
sorry's such a hard word to say
CHORUS
But while it's still called today, won't somebody make it right
Before the day slips into night and the moments waste away
While it is still called today, we've got to say the words
That are longing to be heard 'cause tomorrow may be too late
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/LXnU ]
Go on and say what you need to say
while it is still called today
There's a girl who's waiting day after day
To hear her daddy say "I love you," now
the days have turned to years
There's a wall that silence has turned to stone
Between a man and woman, she's holding back the tears
And he's holding on to his fears
(Chorus)
BRIDGE
'Cause there's a time when the sun goes down
And the flowers are laid on the grave
Will the tears that fall to the ground
Be the tears of regret for the words someone didn't say
(Chorus)
Lyrics: Still Called Today, Steven Curtis Chapman

Allstate TV Ad: Pink SUV Mayhem

Woodchucks - GEICO Commercial

One Who Understands

Jesus understands what you are going through. He knows the experience of the earthly condition. The Bible tells us that "He was tested and suffered, and that He is able to help those that are tested." (Hebrews 2: 18). What does this mean for us today?

1. You are not alone as you face your struggles as a Christian

2. You are not meant to endure suffering without asking for the help of the Lord

3. You can be sure that when you are tested, God knows you are going to pass the test!


There is one who understands, His name is Jesus. Do you know Him?

Don't Fall Asleep!

Lately there has been a lot of conversation about the coming of Christ, or what I would refer to as the Rapture of the church. There is one dear brother who believes that Jesus is to come back this year, May to be exact. Oh, wouldn't that be great to see Jesus and be with Him! There are a few problems with this:

1. If we understand scripture, we should believe that Jesus could come back at any time. However, date setting is not scriptural (Mark 13:32)

2. The Coming of Christ should propel us to work more diligently, not distract us from the work at hand. Date setting occupies the minds of people who have stopped laboring.

3. Finally, date setting is a way to overemphasize a truth that will happen someday soon. We should be alert and not misled.

When Jesus comes I want Him to find me working, not sleeping! (Mark 13:35-37)

Alternate Ending?

When I was reading Genesis 35:28-29 I wondered how things might have been different for Jacob and Esau. The Bible says that Isaac was 180 years old and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. If you remember in Genesis 27 Isaac called Esau and told him that he was soon to die and he wanted to bless him. Isaac was 80 at the time. You know the story Jacob tricks Isaac and steals the blessing that belonged to Esau.

Esau of course finds out and Jacob has a convenient escape to Uncle Laban's. Time passes by and word comes to Jacob that Esau is coming to meet him as recorded in Genesis 32. No doubt Jacob is thinking that his life is about to end, but then he did something that changed his life. He wrestled with an angel (a pre-incarnate form of Christ).

After he wrestled the angel, the angel blessed him and told him that his name would be Israel a prince with God. Now fast-forward many years and we see brothers reunited.

"Isaac lived 180 years. He took his last breath and died,... his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." (Genesis 35:28-29). God is in the business of putting families back together, what about your family?

God Delights to Rescue

When we think about God rescuing people we see those that are rescued as those who deserved to be rescued. But is that accurate? No.

The Bible says that "He brought me out to a wide open place, He rescued me because He delighted in me." (Psalms 18:19 HCSB).

The truth is God will rescue those who call upon Him. The question is have you called on Him?

Deal or Intimacy?

This morning I was reading the account of Jacob at Bethel (first time). This was when he was on his way to Uncle Laban's house. He stopped at Luz and saw the angels of the Lord descending and ascending in that place. He said surely this is the house of the Lord, and that is why he named it Bethel. God confirmed to Jacob the covenant that He had established with Abraham and Isaac. Jacob has this experience and then he builds an altar. Then he does the craziest thing, he makes a deal with God! In verses 20 and 21 of Genesis he made conditions for the deal with God. Here they are:
1. If God will be with me and protect me on this journey
2. If He will provide me with food and clothing
3. If I return safely to my father's house

Then the Lord will certainly be my God. Funny thing is that if you have a relationship with the true and living God, He promises to take care of these things. Jacob settled for a deal and not a relationship (that would come in Gen 35). Seek to know God in a deep way and He will take care of you.