Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
President Obama's Speech on Immigration
My fellow Americans, tonight, I'd like to talk with you about immigration.
For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It's kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities — people not trapped by our past, but able to remake ourselves as we choose.
But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it.
Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their workers good wages and benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.
It's been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven't done much about it.
When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it's been in nearly two years. Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.
Meanwhile, I worked with Congress on a comprehensive fix, and last year, 68 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents came together to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It wasn't perfect. It was a compromise, but it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents, while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.
Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of a bill a simple yes-or-no vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.
For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It's kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities — people not trapped by our past, but able to remake ourselves as we choose.
But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it.
Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their workers good wages and benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.
It's been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven't done much about it.
When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it's been in nearly two years. Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.
Meanwhile, I worked with Congress on a comprehensive fix, and last year, 68 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents came together to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It wasn't perfect. It was a compromise, but it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents, while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.
Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of a bill a simple yes-or-no vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Prayers 4 Players Basketball Edition
Many of you know that we have a group
of people who have committed to praying for football players. Everyone
is assigned a small list, which allows each player to be prayed for each
week.
Recently, some people have asked about basketball players. If you are a part of the original group and would like basketball players added to your list, please email me or message me on twitter.
Many of you have already done so. If you have not participated before, but want to join, you can email me at christyg1119@gmail.com OR on twitter @tatershell
This prayer group isn't about the victories on the field or court. It is more for victory in their lives.
I teach high school and work with student athletes. I see some of the pressures and problem they face daily. It is my prayer and desire that the players might have a circle of protection placed around them. We also pray for each other when things come up.
If you are interested, please contact me!
Recently, some people have asked about basketball players. If you are a part of the original group and would like basketball players added to your list, please email me or message me on twitter.
Many of you have already done so. If you have not participated before, but want to join, you can email me at christyg1119@gmail.com OR on twitter @tatershell
This prayer group isn't about the victories on the field or court. It is more for victory in their lives.
I teach high school and work with student athletes. I see some of the pressures and problem they face daily. It is my prayer and desire that the players might have a circle of protection placed around them. We also pray for each other when things come up.
If you are interested, please contact me!
Monday, November 17, 2014
THE BEST SERMONS ARE LIVED...NOT PREACHED.
Real life stories that cause one to stop and think...
1.
Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I'm working
on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own
words, she said, "Success is when you look back at your life and the memories
make you smile."
2. Today, I asked my mentor - a very successful business man in his 70's- what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, "Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing."
2. Today, I asked my mentor - a very successful business man in his 70's- what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, "Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing."
3.
Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the
grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn't
recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere
smile and said, "On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center
."
4.
Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the
road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off
my face.
5.
Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went
into work. At 3PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I
went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled
over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I start
tomorrow.
6.
Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother's
hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She
simply said, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like
this more often."
7.
Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital
bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had
given him a kiss since I was a little boy.
8.
Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start
recycling. I chuckled and asked, "Why?" She replied, "So you can help me save
the planet." I chuckled again and asked, "And why do you want to save the
planet?" Because that's where I keep all my stuff," she said.
9.
Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing
hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter's antics, I suddenly realized that I
need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it
again.
10.
Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my
broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all
the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, "I hope you
feel better soon."
11.
Today, I was feeling down because the results of a biopsy came back malignant.
When I got home, I opened an e-mail that said, "Thinking of you today. If you
need me, I'm a phone call away." It was from a high school friend I hadn't
seen in10 years.
12.
Today, I was traveling in Kenya and met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he
hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely thin and unhealthy.
Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first
thing the man said was, "We can share it."
*The
best sermons are lived, not preached.** **Amen.*
Thursday, November 13, 2014
It's Freedom "of" Religion
Further evidence of our Government's eradication of our constitutional rights has reared it's ugly head in Maryland.
Muslim leadership has objected to allowing a "Christmas" break in the school calendar year, and wanted to add a Muslim holiday break as well. In this story by News 96.5 local leaders decided to do away with the name of the holiday break.
It's another in the long line of political moves to not
offend anyone. One more step away from our Christian heritage in this
country.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
I Want This Jesus! By Jim Cymbala
(Seeing People as God Sees Them)
It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people. As I was sitting there, I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, "Could I talk to you?"
We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, "What a way to end a Sunday. I've had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here's a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine."
He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I'd never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I'd talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn't inhale facing him.
I asked him, "What's your name?"
"David."
"How long have you been on the street?"
"Six years."
"How old are you?"
"Thirty-two." He looked fifty - hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed.
"Where did you sleep last night, David?"
"Abandoned truck."
I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I'll give him some money. I won't even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don't give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out.
David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, "I don't want your money. I want this Jesus...the One you were talking about, because I'm not going to make it. I'm going to die on the street."
I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is?
I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels. But oh, did that change!
David just stood there. He didn't know what was happening. I pleaded with God, "God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I'm so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!"
Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don't love this smell, I can't use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell.
Christ changed David's life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, "This is for you." It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford.
A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, "The man is a preacher." This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey.
And I was so close to saying, "Here, take this; I'm a busy preacher." We can get so full of ourselves.
“Where Angels Walk” by Joan Wester Anderson
There is a story told by a pediatric nurse serving in
Danzig in 1945, after Russian troops had overrun many German towns. Local
women were being abused, and nights were filled with terror. Nurses
gathered as many women and children as they could, and found temporary lodging
in a small makeshift school. The nurses often worked at night and, because
of the lack of electricity, used candle stubs. Since theirs was the only
lighted building, they too faced the danger of being invaded by the
Russians. Yet the people called this building the “island of peace”,
because despite the surroundings, nothing bad ever seemed to happen there.
Gradually the stream of those seeking shelter increased.
One day a woman brought her children and begged the nurses to take them. The children had had a completely secular upbringing and had never heard of prayer. That evening, as the community held a worship service, instead of folding his hands with the rest, the new boy stared into the distance with wide eyes. At the end, the community sang a familiar song, asking God to send angels to 'place golden weapons around our beds.'
"When we said Amen, the boy came up to me and drew me out of the building," the nurse reported. "He kept tapping his breastbone and saying, 'Up to here. It came up to here on them'."
The nurse asked him what he meant. Pointing up to the gutter on the roof of the building, he repeated his statement: "The gutter came up to here on them." "What are you talking about?" the nurse asked.
The boy told her that while everyone had been singing, he had seen a man ablaze with lights at every corner of the building. The men were so tall that they towered above the roof, their arms outstretched over everyone in the little structure.
"Now it was clear to me," the nurse noted. "We had not seen them, but they certainly were watching us. This house could be called 'the island of peace' because angels guarded it all."
…..Copyright 2011
One day a woman brought her children and begged the nurses to take them. The children had had a completely secular upbringing and had never heard of prayer. That evening, as the community held a worship service, instead of folding his hands with the rest, the new boy stared into the distance with wide eyes. At the end, the community sang a familiar song, asking God to send angels to 'place golden weapons around our beds.'
"When we said Amen, the boy came up to me and drew me out of the building," the nurse reported. "He kept tapping his breastbone and saying, 'Up to here. It came up to here on them'."
The nurse asked him what he meant. Pointing up to the gutter on the roof of the building, he repeated his statement: "The gutter came up to here on them." "What are you talking about?" the nurse asked.
The boy told her that while everyone had been singing, he had seen a man ablaze with lights at every corner of the building. The men were so tall that they towered above the roof, their arms outstretched over everyone in the little structure.
"Now it was clear to me," the nurse noted. "We had not seen them, but they certainly were watching us. This house could be called 'the island of peace' because angels guarded it all."
…..Copyright 2011
me n’ God
love ya!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
November Prayers4Players
Hi everyone~
Let's please make sure we all pray for Duke. I think he's going to need it!
I know we didn't win tonight, but it was great to see Jermaine back on the field. I am thankful to have a coach who is willing to suspend a player to teach a lesson and help him with life instead of making him think the world revolves around him.
All of our players are going to feel down; I feel we need to stand as a group more now than ever and pray for our fellas.
Let's pray for our seniors as they play the last few games of their college careers.
I believe in Auburn and love it!
Christy
James 5:13-16
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Hope and Change
 |
| Mia Love: The 1st ever black female Senator from Utah. photo courtesy of FoxNews.com |
This is not a post about tearing down a President, his policies, or even his political party. This is about the most gratifying election night I can remember since Ronald Reagan was re-elected.
Most of the past year I have heard how Republicans were racist, how they hated women, and the catch phrase was "War on Women."
Yes, there is racism in America. In very small pockets, and some are violent in their hatred. Racism knows no color, it knows not your party affiliation, and it certainly doesn't know true belief in God.
In our great country, there have been politicians that have made their fame and fortune playing the race card. Even embellishing the events of the American social fabric to uplift their existence, so that they themselves could appear to carry a torch and be the light of reason in our society. Last night, that torch got put out.
It wasn't a small step for America's black population, nor our women. It was a decidedly magnificent display of what our country can be, and what the future holds for all Americans. Embrace the true Hope and Change America. For we now have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can chose your profession, you can chose your politics, and yes, you can chose who to vote for.
Americans all over this great country, regardless of race, creed, or sex, chose to change the course of our country. The results are astounding, and uplifting at the same time. Last night, the greatest country on God's Earth put its collective foot down! Run on Biblical principals, or you will be replaced!
God bless America!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
DOES YOUR LIFE POINT OTHERS TO JESUS?
“In
the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may
see
your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16
A
story is told of a man who would stop every morning to pick up
the
early edition of the newspaper at a small grocery store. One
morning when he arrived at work, the man found that by
mistake
he
had taken two newspapers instead of one. He first thought of
paying the grocer the extra price the next morning. But
then after a
moment’s consideration, he got in his car, drove back to
the store,
and
returned the paper.
About a week later, the shop owner discovered that
someone had
stolen money from the grocery store. When police
pinpointed the
time
it occurred, the grocer remembered only two people being in
the
store at the time—and one was the man who had returned the
paper.
The
grocer immediately dismissed the man as a suspect, saying,
“That man is really honest. He came all the way back here
just to
return a newspaper he took by mistake.” The police then
focused
their investigation on the other man, who soon made a
full
confession. This man’s honesty made a big impression on
that non-
Christian storeowner.
As
Christians, our walk should always resemble our talk. This is
especially true in the eyes of a watching world, whose
impressions
and
opinions of Christianity are formed based upon their
interactions with Christians. So when it comes to
honesty, live far
above reproach, letting your good works shine in a dark
world and
bringing glory to God!
Prayer Challenge
Ask
God to help you live the kind of life that points others to Jesus
Christ.
What
are some areas of your life today where you can be a light to
people who don’t know Jesus Christ?
Monday, October 27, 2014
Update #4: Prayers4Players
Those of you who read our little blog might know about our group of prayer warriors called Prayers4Players. If not, let me help with that.
This started as an idea from a follower named Christy. The goal was to simply pray for a group of athletes, no matter which school you are a fan of. The prayer would not be for victory in a game, but victory over evil in their lives. Simply put, we are praying for their lives.
We hear so much of the bad in athletics, that we wanted to accentuate the good, and pray for the Grace that can only come from a relationship with God.
If you would like to join our efforts, please feel free to do so. You don't have to make it public if you do not wish to, or you could contact Christy on twitter at @taershell or email her at christyg1119@gmail.com
The more the merrier
God Bless
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Think Before You Donate
We received this as an email. Whether this is true or not, the point is to make sure where you spend your donations.
Your local Church should always be your first choice, but not your only way of showing "Love" toward your fellow man.
THINK BEFORE YOU
DONATE!
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU
MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS: As you
open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel
good, please keep the following facts in
mind:
|
The American
Red Cross
President and CEO Marsha J. Evans'
salary for
the year was $651,957 plus
expenses
|
MARCH OF
DIMES
It is called the March of Dimes because
only a dime for
every 1 dollar is given to the
needy.
|
The United
Way
President Brian Gallagher
receives a
$375,000 base salary along with numerous expense
benefits.
|
UNICEF
CEO Caryl M. Stern receives
$1,200,000
per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including
a ROLLS ROYCE.
Less than 5
cents of your donated dollar goes to the
cause.
|
GOODWILL
CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year. Goodwill is a very catchy name for his business.
You donate
to his business and then he sells the items for
PROFIT.
He pays nothing for his products and pays his workers minimum wage! Nice Guy. $0.00 goes to help anyone! Stop giving to this man. |
Instead, give it
to ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
GO "GREEN" AND PUT
YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD:
|
The
Salvation Army
Commissioner, Todd Bassett receives a small salary of only
$13,000 per
year(plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar
organization.
96
percent of donated dollars go to the
cause.
|
The American
Legion
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
The Veterans
of Foreign Wars
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your
donations go to help Veterans and their families and
youth!
|
The Disabled
American Veterans
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
The Military
Order of PurpleHearts
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
|
The Vietnam
Veterans Association
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your
donations go to help Veterans and their families and
youth!
|
Make a
Wish:For
children's last wishes.
100% goes
to funding trips or special wishes for a dying
child.
|
St. Jude
Research Hospital
100% goes
towards funding and helping Children with Cancer who
have no insurance and cannot afford to
pay.
|
Ronald
McDonald Houses
All
monies go to running the houses for parents who have
critically ill Children in the
hospital.
100% goes
to housing, and feeding the
families.
|
Lions Club
International
100% OF
DONATIONS GO TO HELP THE BLIND, BUY HEARING AIDES,
SUPPORT MEDICAL MISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD. THEIR LATEST
UNDERTAKING
IS
MEASLES VACCINATIONS (ONLY $1.00 PER
SHOT).
|
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
MercyMe-Crazy Enough [Full Song+Lyrics]
This special and unique step out of the ordinary for Mercy Me has a certain New Orleans style beat that really carries a positive message. Enjoy.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
High School Football Player Dies from Aneurysm
Here is an excerpt from the Troy Messenger (http://www.troymessenger.com/2014/09/28/chhs-football-player-dies-after-collapsing-on-field/)
"Harris, who was a senior cornerback, collapsed on the
field and was taken to Troy Regional Medical Center
before being transported to Southeast Alabama Medical
Center in Dothan, where he was pronounced dead on
Sunday, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Demario Harris, the CHHS football player who
collapsed during a game on Friday, has died. He was 17.
Harris, known as “Squirrel” to his classmates and
friends, played with Charles Henderson’s state
runner-up football team in 2013 and had
eight interceptions during his junior year and broke up
10 passes, forced three fumbles and made 75 tackles. He
has received scholarship offers to play football from
both Jacksonville State and Murray State. Dr. Lee Hicks,
superintendent of the Troy City Schools, has described
Harris as “a perfect gentleman,” adding that he was an
outstanding athlete and student. “We appreciate the
prayers and support for the family and for the whole
CHHS and Troy City Schools family. The community has
been very supportive, and we appreciate that.”
Homecoming activities planned for this week have been
postponed.
Funeral arrangements have not been released."
field and was taken to Troy Regional Medical Center
before being transported to Southeast Alabama Medical
Center in Dothan, where he was pronounced dead on
Sunday, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Demario Harris, the CHHS football player who
collapsed during a game on Friday, has died. He was 17.
Harris, known as “Squirrel” to his classmates and
friends, played with Charles Henderson’s state
runner-up football team in 2013 and had
eight interceptions during his junior year and broke up
10 passes, forced three fumbles and made 75 tackles. He
has received scholarship offers to play football from
both Jacksonville State and Murray State. Dr. Lee Hicks,
superintendent of the Troy City Schools, has described
Harris as “a perfect gentleman,” adding that he was an
outstanding athlete and student. “We appreciate the
prayers and support for the family and for the whole
CHHS and Troy City Schools family. The community has
been very supportive, and we appreciate that.”
Homecoming activities planned for this week have been
postponed.
Funeral arrangements have not been released."
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Toomer's Corner - Gameday Prayer
 |
| The heart of the Auburn Family - Toomer's Corner |
Every gameday (home games) this group will meet to cover Auburn's campus in prayer. We will meet at Toomer's Corner at 6 a.m., have a small devotional and prayer time and then walk Auburn's campus. Individual or group routes can be utilized.
For those that might be interested, the Auburn Campus of Church of the Highlands has a Toomer's Corner Prayer Group that meets every Saturday before each home game. Here is the information, if you would like to participate:
For those that might be interested, the Auburn Campus of Church of the Highlands has a Toomer's Corner Prayer Group that meets every Saturday before each home game. Here is the information, if you would like to participate:
Leader(s): Zachary and Ashley Johnston (678-378-2643)
Where: Toomer's Corner, Auburn, AL 36830
When: Saturday
6:00 AM
6:00 AM
Who: All Ages
Category: Prayer
Childcare: No
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Game Week for Prayers 4 Players
OK Prayers 4 Players folks!
We are at game week! Be
sure to pray for your players! I have noticed many people letting their
pray-ees know they are being prayed for! I know it helps me when I know
someone is praying for me. Keep praying for all of your players this
week! I have been trying to learn more about my players. Let's lift them
up as well as their families and our coaches!
Thanks for praying for Harrison. He is feeling much
better. According to his dad, he had a great weekend. Please keep
praying for him. He is emotionally getting tired of fighting cancer and
treatments. Like I mentioned before, he has until April 2015 under his
plan as long as there is no recurrence, but for a kid his age, that is
an eternity.
As far as Walker Wilbanks, goes, I looked online and
found a new article from the Clarion-Ledger, but it didn't get much new
info, except they would have class tomorrow.
Now, a friend of mine in Jackson said she'd heard he was moving his
arms and legs in response to stimulation but is still considered
comatose. Please pray for him, his family and his teammates. I know his
teammates must be terribly traumatized. Throw in a prayer for his
teachers, too. As a high school teacher, I've seen too many terrible
accidents with students. It never gets easier.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Christy
Monday, August 18, 2014
Prayer Ideas for Players
Yesterday, I sent an email to the people participating in the Pray 4 Players project. I sent an email with some of the things I had been praying for with the guys. Many of the team responded with ideas of their own. I thought I would share them with everyone so that we might pray for specifically and helpfully for our fellas.
Suggestions include: (in no particular order)
-For protection while they are practicing and playing. Also protection off the field.
-If they don't know Christ, that they might come to know Him
- For the ones that do know Him- to be strong in their faith and be a light to the others, and to have a lasting ' Kingdom Impact'
- To resist temptations and be a strong example for others
-For grades and school work
-For their families
-For healing for sick, injured, and those with other ailments (infections, etc)
-For the players to listen to the good influences in their lives
- For the players TO BE the good influence
-I would like others to have a special prayer for Shon Coleman, even if he isn't on your list. Pray that the cancer stays away and that he can be a shining example for others who have the dreaded disease and the opportunity he has to inspire others.
-For any sadness or isolation the players might feel
Just pray how you feel led. I know that God takes our efforts and can make them into something far beyond what we can do ourselves.
Scott asked for a special prayer for his wife. She has MS.
If you know a player on another team that has a specific prayer need, please let us know.
Various are looking for the following on twitter so, if you happen to know their twitter handle, let me know.
-Myron Burton
-Brent Thomas
-Johnny Brewer
If you did not send me your twitter handle, please send it when you can. I am trying to make us a twitter list so we can contact each other!
**If you are reading this and have not signed up, it is never too late. We will always listen to someone who wants to pray for our guys.
Hope all of you are having a great week.
War Eagle!
Christy
Proverbs 3:5-5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Prayers4Players Group
*** This is a reprint of our story about a football prayer group. We ask that you use #Prayers4Players when tweeting.
Back in 2012, as many of you know, things turned quite sour for our beloved football players. There were so many things that just kept coming at them- Jay's mom died, Coach Chizik's mom died, the fella who was one of the managers died, they had already lost friends earlier that summer- it just seemed the boys had a lot of things going on. I felt led to pray for the players individually, but there was no way I could do it by myself.
I was curious if anyone was interested in doing it for this year. If you don't know anything about me, I am a high school special education teacher. I work with tutoring for a lot of our athletes. I get quite protective of my fellas (high school) and I can't think of a better way than to have a prayer group for them. I have personally witnessed how the loss of a teammate (for the high school where I teach) shredded a team and kids to little bits.
I know that not all of these players knew Lutz well, but they are all going to need support with prayers. I think that he had an influence on so many that his loss will be felt throughout the team. I got a chance to meet Jay Prosch and a few others this year at the Senior Bowl. I told him that there was a group of us that prayed for them on an individual basis- and he got up and hugged me.
Each week, we would assign a pray- er to jersey #s, such as 1-20 or 21-40, or coaches, etc. We rotated so that we got a chance to pray for different players. If something great happened, we tried to share about it. For instance, Sammie Coates had posted on his twitter that he was baptized, so we shared that with the prayer group. If we knew about anything specifically that was going on with a player, we tried to let that player's pray-we know. Let me tell you, its much harder to be upset with a player if you have been praying for him that week! It is a personal challenge, but I think its something that is worth it. If anyone has a better idea on how to rotate the players, I am open to doing it differently.
This isn't so much about praying for a win or a great game, although I am sure most of us have done that at some time. These guys go through a lot on a daily basis. They need prayers for safety, for schoolwork, or any other issues that might be going on with them. Many of us follow them on twitter and some of them share things on there. It's not like we have inside information on any player, but you don't have to have that to pray for them. We can rotate players again or keep the same ones. Last time we sort of did it through twitter or on another blog. If you are interested, let me know. You can send me a twitter message @tatershell or you can send an email to christyg1119@gmail.com
It can get a bit tedious but it is worth it. We only had a small group, so it was a lot to pray for 25 players each week. I hope we can so it so that every player is getting an individual prayer each week. If something especially difficult is going on with a player or coach, that can be shared and more of us can pray for that guy. If you are interested, let me know and we will figure it out how we are going to set it up.
Back in 2012, as many of you know, things turned quite sour for our beloved football players. There were so many things that just kept coming at them- Jay's mom died, Coach Chizik's mom died, the fella who was one of the managers died, they had already lost friends earlier that summer- it just seemed the boys had a lot of things going on. I felt led to pray for the players individually, but there was no way I could do it by myself.
I was curious if anyone was interested in doing it for this year. If you don't know anything about me, I am a high school special education teacher. I work with tutoring for a lot of our athletes. I get quite protective of my fellas (high school) and I can't think of a better way than to have a prayer group for them. I have personally witnessed how the loss of a teammate (for the high school where I teach) shredded a team and kids to little bits.
I know that not all of these players knew Lutz well, but they are all going to need support with prayers. I think that he had an influence on so many that his loss will be felt throughout the team. I got a chance to meet Jay Prosch and a few others this year at the Senior Bowl. I told him that there was a group of us that prayed for them on an individual basis- and he got up and hugged me.
Each week, we would assign a pray- er to jersey #s, such as 1-20 or 21-40, or coaches, etc. We rotated so that we got a chance to pray for different players. If something great happened, we tried to share about it. For instance, Sammie Coates had posted on his twitter that he was baptized, so we shared that with the prayer group. If we knew about anything specifically that was going on with a player, we tried to let that player's pray-we know. Let me tell you, its much harder to be upset with a player if you have been praying for him that week! It is a personal challenge, but I think its something that is worth it. If anyone has a better idea on how to rotate the players, I am open to doing it differently.
This isn't so much about praying for a win or a great game, although I am sure most of us have done that at some time. These guys go through a lot on a daily basis. They need prayers for safety, for schoolwork, or any other issues that might be going on with them. Many of us follow them on twitter and some of them share things on there. It's not like we have inside information on any player, but you don't have to have that to pray for them. We can rotate players again or keep the same ones. Last time we sort of did it through twitter or on another blog. If you are interested, let me know. You can send me a twitter message @tatershell or you can send an email to christyg1119@gmail.com
It can get a bit tedious but it is worth it. We only had a small group, so it was a lot to pray for 25 players each week. I hope we can so it so that every player is getting an individual prayer each week. If something especially difficult is going on with a player or coach, that can be shared and more of us can pray for that guy. If you are interested, let me know and we will figure it out how we are going to set it up.
Monday, August 11, 2014
UPDATE: Prayers4Players
A couple weeks ago, we posted an idea that one of our contributors came up with concerning prayers for our football players. These prayers are not limited to any certain team, nor any particular level of football.
The player can play for your local Pee-Wee football team or be an NFL player.
If you would like to add any players as the season goes along, by all means let us know right here on this page. Bookmark this, add it to your favorites, whatever helps you get back to this page. You can also tweet us @tatershell on twitter, or email us at +tatershell@aol.com
We have a Facebook page named Prayers4Players as well.
If you would like to join us in praying for football players and or their families, please let us know, we can add you to our growing list of Prayer Warriors.
God Bless.
The player can play for your local Pee-Wee football team or be an NFL player.
If you would like to add any players as the season goes along, by all means let us know right here on this page. Bookmark this, add it to your favorites, whatever helps you get back to this page. You can also tweet us @tatershell on twitter, or email us at +tatershell@aol.com
We have a Facebook page named Prayers4Players as well.
If you would like to join us in praying for football players and or their families, please let us know, we can add you to our growing list of Prayer Warriors.
God Bless.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Friday, July 25, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Football Prayer Group
Back
in 2012, as many of you know, things turned quite sour for our beloved
football players. There were so many things that just kept coming at
them- Jay's mom died, Coach Chizik's mom died, the fella who was one of
the managers died, they had already lost friends earlier that summer- it
just seemed the boys had a lot of things going on. I felt led to pray
for the players individually, but there was no way I could do it by
myself. There were several others who joined in with me including Klell,
Jonathan, Mike, Christian, and I think there might have been one or two
others. I was curious if anyone was interested in doing it for this
year. If you don't know anything about me, I am a high school special
education teacher. I work with tutoring for a lot of our athletes. I get
quite protective of my fellas (high school) and I can't think of a
better way than to have a prayer group for them. I have personally
witnessed how the loss of a teammate (for the high school where I teach)
shredded a team and kids to little bits. I know that not all of these
players knew Lutz well, but they are all going to need support with
prayers. I think that he had an influence on so many that his loss will
be felt throughout the team. I got a chance to meet Jay Prosch and a few
others this year at the Senior Bowl. I told him that there was a group
of us that prayed for them on an individual basis- and he got up and
hugged me.
Each week, we would assign a pray- er to jersey #s, such as 1-20 or 21-40, or coaches, etc. We rotated so that we got a chance to pray for different players. If something great happened, we tried to share about it. For instance, Sammie Coates had posted on his twitter that he was baptized, so we shared that with the prayer group. If we knew about anything specifically that was going on with a player, we tried to let that player's pray-we know. Let me tell you, its much harder to be upset with a player if you have been praying for him that week! It is a personal challenge, but I think its something that is worth it. If anyone has a better idea on how to rotate the players, I am open to doing it differently.
This isn't so much about praying for a win or a great game, although I am sure most of us have done that at some time. These guys go through a lot on a daily basis. They need prayers for safety, for schoolwork, or any other issues that might be going on with them. Many of us follow them on twitter and some of them share things on there. It's not like we have inside information on any player, but you don't have to have that to pray for them. We can rotate players again or keep the same ones. Last time we sort of did it through twitter or on another blog. If you are interested, let me know. You can send me a twitter message @tatershell or you can send an email to christyg1119@gmail.com
It can get a bit tedious but it is worth it. We only had a small group, so it was a lot to pray for 25 players each week. I hope we can so it so that every player is getting an individual prayer each week. If something especially difficult is going on with a player or coach, that can be shared and more of us can pray for that guy. If you are interested, let me know and we will figure it out how we are going to set it up.
Each week, we would assign a pray- er to jersey #s, such as 1-20 or 21-40, or coaches, etc. We rotated so that we got a chance to pray for different players. If something great happened, we tried to share about it. For instance, Sammie Coates had posted on his twitter that he was baptized, so we shared that with the prayer group. If we knew about anything specifically that was going on with a player, we tried to let that player's pray-we know. Let me tell you, its much harder to be upset with a player if you have been praying for him that week! It is a personal challenge, but I think its something that is worth it. If anyone has a better idea on how to rotate the players, I am open to doing it differently.
This isn't so much about praying for a win or a great game, although I am sure most of us have done that at some time. These guys go through a lot on a daily basis. They need prayers for safety, for schoolwork, or any other issues that might be going on with them. Many of us follow them on twitter and some of them share things on there. It's not like we have inside information on any player, but you don't have to have that to pray for them. We can rotate players again or keep the same ones. Last time we sort of did it through twitter or on another blog. If you are interested, let me know. You can send me a twitter message @tatershell or you can send an email to christyg1119@gmail.com
It can get a bit tedious but it is worth it. We only had a small group, so it was a lot to pray for 25 players each week. I hope we can so it so that every player is getting an individual prayer each week. If something especially difficult is going on with a player or coach, that can be shared and more of us can pray for that guy. If you are interested, let me know and we will figure it out how we are going to set it up.
Friday, July 11, 2014
IS YOUR ENVIRONMENT HOLDING YOU BACK?
BY JOHN C. MAXWELL
JULY 10, 2014
When I was much younger, I
found myself in a job situation where the environment wasn’t conducive to
growth. This frustrated and discouraged me. I had always been focused on growth
and improvement. From basketball as a kid to speaking professionally, I was
always looking for ways to get better at what I was doing. I might not have
always had an official plan for growth, but I was continually pursuing growth.
Now I found myself in a place where growth was not just ignored; the
environment discouraged it.
Maybe you’ve found yourself in
a similar situation. Back then, I could see clearly all around me what a growth
environment didn’t look like. But one day, I realized that I had never really
thought about what a growth environment did look like. What were the
characteristics of that environment? I was eager to figure it out, so I could
go in search of one. So I created a list of characteristics to look for in any
environment, so that I could be sure it was a place where I could grow. This is
what I wrote:
In a growth environment,
1. Others are ahead of you.
Is it possible to grow in
isolation? Sure, but not as fast as you can grow with others. And growth
happens even more when at least some of the people are ahead of you on the
journey. In a growth environment, the accomplishments of those ahead of you
encourage and challenge you to do more than you thought you could.
2. You are continually challenged.
It’s one thing to be
challenged by the growth of others. That will certainly help you grow. But it’s
even better when the job or task itself is challenging. When’s the last time a
boring job made you want to grow?
3. Your focus is forward.
“Yesterday ended last night.”
This is what leaders of growth environments believe. They’re more interested in
conquering the next challenge than worrying about the past.
4. The atmosphere is affirming.
My parents used to say, “You
catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” In other words, in a
growth environment, the leader understands that being positive yields better
results than negativity. Being affirmed feels good, and it gives you the
courage to stretch and grow more.
5. You are often out of your comfort zone.
I’ve often said that you
should stay in your strength zone, but get out of your comfort zone. The skills
that you focus on growing should be areas where you have some natural ability,
as opposed to trying to shore up weaknesses. But that doesn’t mean you should
be comfortable. Getting out of your comfort zone happens when you’ve taken on a
challenge that’s bigger than you. And that bigger challenge yields bigger
rewards.
6. You wake up excited.
No, not every day. Everyone
has a bad day sometimes. But overall, in a growth environment, you feel so
positively challenged and affirmed that you are eager to get up every day
because you expect to keep growing and learning.
7. Failure is not your enemy.
By focusing on solutions
rather than blame, a growth environment gives you permission to make mistakes,
admit them, and learn from them. Failure is such a big part of growth, that
people don’t fear it.
8. Others are growing.
In addition to those who are
ahead of you, are the people around you growing? Moving together toward a
common goal can be exhilarating, like being on a winning team. In a growth
environment, people almost can’t help growing because it’s emphasized and
affirmed.
9. People desire change.
Growth equals change. If the
people around you don’t desire it, or worse, if they resist it, then your
environment is not one of growth. In a growth environment, change is encouraged
and celebrated.
10. Growth is modeled and expected.
In a growth environment, the
willingness to grow is demonstrated at all levels. Leaders expect it of
themselves as well as their people. They hold themselves and others accountable
when it’s not occurring. And they celebrate growth when it happens.
Writing my list had a great
effect on me. It gave me clarity on my then-current situation, as I became more
aware of how it was slowing down my personal growth. It also showed me what
kind of situation I needed to look for in the future. Soon afterward, I made a
difficult change, getting out of my comfort zone and stepping into a new
environment where I could thrive and grow again.
What kind of environment are
you in? Is it helping you grow or holding you back?
Are you a leader? If so, you
can make your organization into a growth environment. Use this list to check
your progress.
Are you a team member? If so,
you may not have much input into your environment. Use this list to see what
kind of environment you might want to be in. If you’re in a bad environment, it
may be time to move. If you are not able to move as easily as I did, here’s
some good news: you can grow in a non-growth environment. It’s just harder.
Are you a parent? It wasn’t
until after I wrote my list that I realized that I had basically described my
home environment growing up. My parents did a phenomenal job of nurturing and
encouraging our personal growth and learning. Use this list to create a growth
environment in your home. You’ll give your children a gift that they’ll use the
rest of their lives, as I have.
Personal growth is
challenging. It involves mistakes and failure. A good environment certainly
makes it easier to grow. But whether you’re in a good environment or not, you
can learn and improve where you are. I wrote my book, Sometimes You Win,
Sometimes You Learn, to help people like you to turn mistakes and losses into
opportunities. Even the most challenging situation can lead to incredible
growth. Continue to keep your eyes on that prize.
http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/is-your-environment-holding-you-back
http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/is-your-environment-holding-you-back
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Go Rest High
For all of those grieving for a lost one today. May they rest in peace, while being held in God's arms.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Having to Say Goodbye
 |
| photo by Brandon Marcello |
I did not know any of the young people in the vehicle Sunday morning as it crashed out of control. Not personally. I knew one of them from a fans perspective.
I have lost loved ones. I have buried both of my parents, and three siblings. Comparing this loss it is inconceivable that I would be hurting. Yet, I am.
Here is Rick Burgess talking about his loss. God speed Phillip Lutzenkirchen.
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