The Thing of the Day

A Lyrical Evening

2008-10-13T05:53:00.006-04:00

"When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD-he is God! The LORD-he is God!" --1 Kings 18:39

Family Force 5 is a fun filled, crazy (in a good way) band that makes you want to turn up the volume when you hear their music. Not only that, these guys are Christians, in love with their God, and taking the fun that they have all over the nation, in the name of Christ. A song of theirs that I like a lot (I think I like all of them!) is called "Face Down." The tune is great, but the lyrics are even better...

"Face Down"
I shut my eyes in search for sleep
Tossed and turned in hope of dreams
Awakened by a voice that was so clear
It felt so near to me
I want Your love I need Your touch
I've been missing You so much
I reach out for Your hand
And now it feels like I am falling
Down, down, down,
Till I kiss the ground, ground, ground

[chorus]
Falling with my face down
Giving up me, myself, and I
A bitter sweet taste to swallow my pride now
Face down where I stay now
If You see me standing up again
Just knock me back down so I can live face down
Face down

I'm on my face again
It's where I should have been
Brings me back to where I found You
Where I first fell for You
No more depending on myself
It's You and me and no one else
You stretch out Your hand
And now it feels like I'm falling into
Love, love, love
Can't get enough of love

[chorus]
Falling with my face down
Giving up me, myself, and I
A bitter sweet taste to swallow my pride now
Face down where I stay now
If You see me standing up again
Just knock me back down so I can live face down
Face down

I just love those lyrics! A preacher friend of my dad's used to say that God had a 2x4 with His name on it. We live lives that are so full of pride, and many times, God needs to knock us down to catch our attention. God got the Israelite's attention as we read in today's scripture. Right after He rained fire down on a sacrifice, through the prophet Elijah, the people were reminded that He was God. As we go through our lives, and serve the many various idols that we put in front of God, I pray that we will fall down, face down, and remember that He is the one we are to worship once again.

---Posted by Ben ><>

Hello group...

2008-10-11T13:26:00.007-04:00

My name is Joe Correll and I am a habitual ......*gulp* neighbor avoider.

I can hear you all gasping in disbelief but it's painfully true. It's not that I don't like my neighbors, in fact I've been blessed with terrific people surrounding my home. The problem clearly is not them, it's all me. At times I wish the fence that ran along the left side of my backyard was 20 feet tall. And the drainage ditch that runs along the right side and back of my yard I have considered turning into a moat fully equipped with hungry gators.

Today there is a sub division party and it is so very conveniently located right in front of my house (we're at the end of the cul-de-sac). Where will I be? I'll be hiding out in my bunker, aka the basement. Now there is no bathroom down there so at some point since the party is from 4-8 I will have to enter civilization. When I come out and pass by the window I'll do a quick scan of the opposing army and survey the situation. I'll be looking for other allies, young couples whom I already know. Upon spotting a few familiar faces I'll gather up the troops (Laura and Carson) and enter into the battlefield.

Before I even get all the way out the door the hellos and waves will be whizzzzing at me like bullets. As I proceed to engage in hand to hand combat I'll try to keep things short and sweet.

"Hello ...Joe right?"

"Yep, hi..."

"Where have you been, we've about eat'n all the food? Beautiful day today isn't it?"

" haha, O' yes it's very nice"

"Say you still doing that eBay thing?"

"Yep" (why wouldn't I be it's my job)

"Well I've got a huge box of junk that didn't sell at our garage sale, why don't you come over and look at it and list it all for me."

"ah... hmmm well I uhh....Carson come here! Sorry I've gotta seize the boy."

I'll have that same conversation three times in fifteen minutes and trying desperately to retreat back to the base. But before I'm able to flee I no doubt will be hit with a bomb. Someone will attack me from an angle that I failed to secure. That someone .....you guessed right, Jesus.

He'll chip away at me until I'm left out there completely vulnerable and all the sudden I'll engage in a conversation and won't be thinking about how to get away. I'll spend the next fifteen minutes to a half hour really enjoying myself as I get to learn more about my neighbors. When I get back to the house I'll try hard not to let my wife see a look of enjoyment on my face but my smile will be too big to hide. Back in my bunker I'll replay the battle in my head to see how I could have let my wall be crumbled. I will then proceed to rebuild my wall until the next time Jesus decides to tear it down.

*sigh* Will I ever learn?

In today's scripture we should pay close attention to the conversation that Jesus has with the woman. Jesus was not looking for a way to get away and close the conversation before it even began. He was looking to genuinely establish a caring, friendly relationship with the woman. He didn't just say Hi and turn the other way He cared and wanted to help.

I'm going to assume I'm not the only.....*gulp* neighbor avoider, and ask this question.

If we flee from God's children are we not also fleeing from God?

The next time we ask someone how they are doing, maybe we should stick around to hear the answer.

John 4:6-26

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!

2008-10-10T10:04:00.002-04:00

Beauty In The Beast

2008-10-10T08:01:00.007-04:00

She can't walk and her hands and arms refuse to cooperate with her mind. She spends her days hunched over in what must seem like a prison on wheels. Swallowing is difficult so a puddle of drool continuously slides off her face. Her teeth are rotting and only bits and pieces painfully remain. She tries to talk but her jaw doesn't move every sound she makes sounds like a painful groan. She doesn't look or sound human it's as if she has been plucked from the screen of a horror flick.

You may think my last sentence sounds cold and cruel but it's the truth. She makes people feel uncomfortable just by being in their presence. I watch people pass by, turning their heads from her so they appear not to be staring. I think to myself they may as well have just turned around and run screaming through the halls of the nursing home.
I watch as she is wheeled to the cafeteria for our morning worship service. The last one to arrive but acknowledged like she isn't alive. She starts to speak to me from across the room.

"wherodlkdudlkj Izz Yuuurr bodkjidkjjy?"

"Carson is at the babysitters, he didn't come with me today."

She smiles but I can tell she is disappointed. So I tell her about how I took a picture of him in the funny giraffe hat that she gave him. I tell her that I'm going to bring that picture to her the next time that I come to visit.
She smiles and I can tell she is anxious for "next time" to come. Carson just loves her and will start waving hello when he sees her being rolled down the hallway. Ahh the purity of children, nobody has told him he should be afraid.

"djkidkduultudkdjl odidjlijdnluoikjljkjz"

"You want me to turn the keyboard on?"

"yoeulds"

She smiles and nods her entire body to show approval. I flip the switch to ON, on her bright primary colored children's keyboard.
The pianist begins to play the hymn and she is not far behind. She slides her clumsy hands across the keys and the sound is.........

BEAUTIFUL

Is she some kind of savant? No.
Is she playing the right song? No.
She is just banging and dragging the side of her hand but to my ears it's as if Beethoven were sitting next to me gracefully tickling the ivory. I hear what Jesus must be hearing as she plays for Him.
The sound is beautiful and she is beautiful. She is a precious pearl that shines inside of a broken down oyster we call a body.
She is one hundred percent human, a child of God.
If you just pass by her and look the other way all you will hear is mumbles and groans.
If you just pass by her and look the other way all you will see is a monster.
But if you stop and acknowledge her you'll hear a loving voice.
If you stop and acknowledge her you'll see a beautiful soul.
If you never open the shell, you'll never see the pearl.

Matthew 17:24-27
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?"
"From others," Peter answered.
"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

How Dull Are We?

2008-10-09T05:52:00.003-04:00

"When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread."
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
--Matthew 16:5-12

Oh how the disciples crack me up. They are so seemingly dumb it seems sometimes! Jesus refers to them as "dull" in the NIV on a few different occurrences. When we see the simple mindedness the most in the disciple seems to be when Jesus uses parables to teach the people. The disciples can't figure them out, so Christ has to interpret them for them later on in private. To us, who have read the explanation, the parable seems clear. How can the disciples be so simply minded?

I wonder though that perhaps God chose these men to be Christ's followers simply because they were simply minded. They always needed extra explanations, and they had regular, average old jobs. Perhaps it should be encouraging to us to see who God chose. Perhaps God chose men who needed to be explained twice to because we are the same way. Perhaps we need to read the parables twice, with detailed explanations, in order for us to understand what Jesus is saying. After all, we are "dull enough" to continue being like dogs returning to our own vomit when we sin over and over again. (Proverbs 26:11)

Have you ever had one of those weeks that the same Bible verse kept coming back over and over again? Perhaps this is God's way of getting something through our thick skulls. Perhaps it's something we need to hear, and since one time isn't enough, we hear it five. I don't know. All I'm saying is that even though the disciples were pretty dull, we really might not be that far off. And you know, it's humorous to read, and it helps me understand the Bible better, so I'm thankful for a little slice of stupidity in my life. . .I just need to work on having less of it myself :)

---------------------------------------------------------------
...and here's some JACK!!!

"Mom used to warn me that I could lose an eye playing with BB guns. But she never warned me that I could also lose my BB gun, which I did."
--Jack Handey, www.jackhandey.com

Posted by Ben ><>

Under All Circumstances

2008-10-08T09:03:00.004-04:00

"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever." -Psalm 145:1-2

I had a real doozie of a customer yesterday. Okay. . .I guess she wasn't truly horrible, but she was, how should I put it, annoying. I thought maybe it was just me, but when my great aunt Mary said she was annoyed with her too, I realized that I wasn't the only one who saw that this woman was capable of causing even the nicest, happiest person on the planet to grit their teeth. Of course, it might just seem that way, because I've got room for improvement. . .I'll explain :)

Here is how waiting on her went. I'll try to display it in a dialogue, story type of format.
"May I help you?"
"WHERE are all your price tags????!!?!?"
Pointing to the huge whiteboard behind me with prices listed, I pointed and said, "All the prices are up there."
"Oh, is that because you're going to change them all the time?"
"No maam, that's because we used to have them hanging in the case, and they kept falling down. The old tags got pretty annoying."
"Okay then. Well, how am I supposed to know what each thing costs?"
"I can tell you, I know all the prices. Just ask and I'll tell you."
...that's how it began...Continuing on, I had to get some beef jerkey for her. You must understand that our beef jerkey is 5.75 for a quarter pound. If you buy just under a quarter pound, and I charge the price per pound rate, it's more expensive. It's better to get a quarter pound because there's a slight deal with that.
"Can I have a quarter pound of beef jerkey?" I grabbed what seemed like a quarter pound, but was probably just under. As I was grabbing it, she said, "That's plenty, I don't hardly want that much!" I weighed it and it was .24lbs. So, I added a piece, explaining that it would benefit her. It weighed out to .26lbs, and I gave it to her for the quarter pound price. "You get a deal that way." Then she mumbled something to her daughter sarcastically about a deal. I was sighing inside. (I probably should of just not added the piece, but I really thought I was helping her.)
...Next was the chicken salad. We put it in little plastic containers that are 1/2pound, pound, and 2 pound. She wanted one pound. I filled it up, and put it on the scales, weighing 1.01 pounds (I was having a good weighing day) and then she said bitterly, "Don't you take off for the container?" My bosses had never trained me to do that, and since people get to keep the containers, which are quite reuseable, I said, "Well, you are getting the container." She frowned, and I showed her that they only weigh 0.02lbs. Because she was frowning, and even though she annoyed me, I took off the 0.02lbs, just to make her happy. But still, she wasn't satisfied, and meanly requested some bags for dog bones. I gave them to her, and she got her bones, which I then took out of the bags to weigh, because I knew she wouldn't want to be charged for a brown bag. So, that's kinda how that transaction went. I know it doesn't sound horrible, but it was just annoying...Now, let me explain where I'm going with this.

I was quite annoyed at times while waiting on her. What did I do with this? I avoided all eye contact, made no chit chat, and just wanted to get her out of the butcher shop as quickly as possible. What I did there was NOT how Christ wants me to be. I knew this as I was waiting on her, and I challenged myself to smile, and be courteous with her even though I felt like she did not deserve it. What happened in return? She ended up finally smiling as well, and being nice back to me. So, I failed, but then I did better...But it's hard. If any of you regularly deal with the public, you know what I'm talking about. However, as today's passage from David says, we are supposed to praise God's name forever. Every day we are to exalt His name. Can we do this in bitter anger or annoyance with someone else? Can we worship our Jesus, and proclaim His death and resurrection very well if we're scowling all day? I don't think we can.

As you go about your life, remember the gift you've been given. Remember that in all circumstances of your daily walk, we shall be praising our Lord. As the Tree63 song says, "When the darkness closes in, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job reminds us all when he says after losing practically his whole family that the Lord gives and takes away. However, in verse 21 of the first chapter of Job, he still says, "May the name of the Lord be praised." My prayer is that all of us take this attitude and make it a part of our lives. . .Every day, and every way.

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Today, October 8th, 2008 is.....

National Bring your Teddy Bear to work Day!
also...International Top Spinning Day.
....So, live it up folks, live it up!

Posted by Ben ><>

Psalm 63:1

2008-10-07T20:50:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the late and brief Thing friends, I'll try hard to do better my next turn. It's been a super frustrating work week. No excuse but ....ughh.

(A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.)

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you;my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:1

Fun Fact:

The first product to have a barcode was Wrigley's Gum.

LIVE IN THE LIGHT

2008-10-06T20:11:00.002-04:00

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. JOHN 3:19-20

FUN FACTS:
Facebook was originally named TheFaceBook and it was developed by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg. The first use of the FaceBook was on the Harvard campus and it was limited only to Harvard students. Soon the FaceBook spread like wild fire around the other major U.S. Universities. Mark Zuckerberg dropped the Harvard and pursued his facebook dream to become one of the 4th most-trafficked websites in the world with more than 90 million active users. The FaceBook website is built on PHP-MySQL technology and it is probably the most popular PHP website ever built. Interesting fact is that the facebook.com domain was purchased for $200,000 and FaceBook has more than 24 million photos uploaded daily.

What is God's?

2008-10-04T09:17:00.002-04:00

"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.
"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 3:6-12

In yesterday's scripture passage, Jesus brought up some scripture that is rather intriguing. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 that says to not put the Lord God to test. This is interesting when we think about Gideon and the fleece test that he did with God. However, later in scripture, we see a place that God actually tells us we are supposed to test Him. And that is in His blessing on us because of our willingness to give back to Him what is His already.

First off, why in the world is it robbing God if we're not giving to Him a tithe? The answer lies in Deuteronomy 6:16. This passage tells us that a tithe of everything belongs to God. So, we should look at a tithe (which is a tenth) of everything of ours as being God's. And we should give that back to Him. It's tough because sometimes we would rather keep all the money out of our paychecks. But, if we just look at ten percent of it never being ours, then that can help to make it easier.

However, then we see that God uses the language that we should test Him in this. Incredible when we consider verses of the past telling us to not do that. He says that we will be blessed incredibly, and in fact will not have room for the blessings that He pours on us when we give back to Him what is His. Why would we not want that? I remember hearing before of a couple who held back their tithe to God. They said that it seemed like whenever they did, God "got it out of them" in different ways, such as a truck breaking down, or car trouble, etc. I'm not saying that this will happen if we don't tithe, but more so, why would we not want the direct blessing from God?

The Bible says that a tenth of everything is God's. When we think about it though, it seems like God is being modest. After all, He did create the earth. Everything in the earth is made from elements of the earth. Every one of us was also created by Him. So, isn't everything His? And all God is asking for is ten percent. I urge us to give cheerfully and joyfully. Give to Him what is His. Challenge yourself to give 11 percent. Sit back, trust in God's perfect care, and watch the blessings flow.

Posted by Ben ><>

Got an ANSWER?

2008-10-03T20:37:00.002-04:00

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:" 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him."

So...This THING is real simple. The story of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the desert has always intrigued me. Why did He allow Satan to tempt Him? Was He actually ever really tempted? Why did Satan even try? Did he think Christ would give in? I just don't understand why Jesus even put up with it and didn't send him away with his pitch fork between his legs. It's interesting to me.

Perhaps Christ put up with it though so we could learn from it. For one thing, Satan is called the tempter. I think it's important for us to remember that God does not tempt us...He can't. (James 1:13) I like that Satan is called the tempter. Satan comes at Jesus though and attempts tempting Him. Of course, Christ isn't phased, but take note...how does He answer? He answers with scripture. Now, of course, He is God, but how cool is that? He doesn't give him a chide remark, he answers him with the word of God. I dig it.

What does it take to answer questions with scripture? For one thing, we need to know scripture. We need to have studied so that we know what the scripture is, and what it means. Also, we need to have scripture on our brains in order to be able to answer people's questions with it. Finally, I think that when we are tempted is one of the times that we need scripture on our brains the most, in order to combat the tempter.

Although Satan too answered Jesus with scripture, it was twisted and out of context. This is important for us to remember as there will be times that people will take scripture out of context. So, bottom line, and my point in this brief thing is that we should have scripture on our brains, and be able to give answers from the word, which is our bread of life. Yes. That's all :)

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...and here's some JACK!!!

To me, it's a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, 'Hey, can you give me a hand?' you can say, 'Sorry, got these sacks.'
--Jack Handey, www.jackhandey.com

Posted by Ben ><>

Spirit of Power

2008-10-02T19:37:00.004-04:00

In keeping with the baseball theme I thought today I'd share with you something I read from http://www.moodyministries.net/. Enjoy

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline

2 Timothy 1:7

Mickey Mantle, the late Hall-of-Famer for the New York Yankees, was a teenager when the Yankees sent him back to the minors in 1951. Convinced he couldn't make it as a ballplayer, Mantle called his father, who came to Kansas City and found a tearful Mickey ready to quit the game. 'OK, son, if that's all the guts you have, you might as well come home with me and work in the zinc mines,' the elder Mantle said. His dad's challenge stung Mantle back to reality, and he went on to greatness.
Paul's challenge to Timothy wasn't a stinging rebuke, but the apostle did urge his young spiritual son to 'get back in the game,' so to speak.
For some reason, Timothy's spiritual fervor had begun to lag, even though he was in his youthful years (see 1 Tim. 4:12). He needed to rekindle the flame of his spiritual gift (v. 6) and get back in the game.
Being called youthful doesn't mean Timothy was a kid. The word youth in the New Testament could refer to someone up to the age of forty. Timothy was evidently a tenderhearted, maybe even timid, kind of person. It has been suggested that the hardships of serving as pastor of the church in Ephesus had caused Timothy to draw back a little. Maybe opposition intimidated him.
But on the other hand, Timothy had a godly heritage, the energy of youth, Paul's example for encouragement and commission, his spiritual gifts and most of all, powerful divine resources. This was Timothy's season to put all of those resources to work and excel in his ministry.
Not many people would argue with the fact that our youthful, building years are an exciting time of life. We're establishing ourselves, starting families, and trying to make a difference in the world. These are also great years to make a lasting impact for Christ.

J.C. Diner: All you can eat!

2008-10-01T07:23:00.004-04:00

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

To hunger is to hurt, to have a pain in your stomach. Hunger often leads to unclear thinking and poor judgement. Food is a key element to our body functioning properly without it we may stumble and fall. We become weak and in our weakness may make poor choices like eating something unclean or even stealing to satisfy our desires.
Jesus says that He is the bread of life. He says that those who come to Him will never go hungry. It's easy for Christians to see that unbelievers are starving and they may not even realize the fragile life they are living. Whats not so easy for Christians to see is that many believers are starving and do not realize the fragile life they are living.
Jesus is your spiritual food, necessary for eternal life.
End your hunger now.

posted by Joe

GO CUBS! (come on, you didn't think I'd go without saying something did you? ;)

A great day!

2008-09-30T18:19:00.007-04:00

"See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day."
Zechariah 3:9

Man. . .We're a bunch of filthy rotten sinners. All we have to do is watch a little bit of the news to hear about some murders, rapes, robberies, arson actions, vandalizing cars, etc, etc. It's clear that there is a lot of sin in the world. It's incredible how it affects many of our lives in different ways. When someone you know is a victim of someone else's sin, the reality of it all becomes more real. For example, my aunt and uncle had their house broken into a little while back. When I heard about it, I got all nervous thinking about it. Then, there's the stories that you hear about people who are killed by drunk drivers. I'm thankful that I've never had to experience this, but when it does, a feeling of "Justice must be served" to the drunk driver that still has his or her life can come over us. Other people's sin has lots of affect on us.

I received a call tonight when I got home from work from a guy who goes to my church. He knows this girl whose brother was shot last night. . .in the face. He's okay, but he has a long road of recovery. Why did he get shot in the face? It was because of an altercation that one of his friends was having with another person over some money. Now I don't know the complete situation, but I'm guessing that if he wouldn't have been friends with this guy, he probablywouldn't have gotten shot in face. We need to be careful who we hang out with, because people can bring us down pretty quickly.

However, let's stop focusing on others' sins for a moment, and think about our own. Think back through the day. When is the last time you sinned today? Do you remember? Have you confessed to God about that sin? Is it hard to remember the last sin? Was it just moments ago? The fact of the matter is that just because there aren't news reports about the sin in our life, the sin is still just as bad, just as wrong, and just as punishable. God tells us in Romans 3:23 that we've all sinned and in Romans 6:23 that we all deserve death. The sins of this world are vast. It would be inconceivable (see bottom of 9.26.08 post) for us to comprehend the number of them in our own lives (perhaps even from today!) let alone attempting to calculate how many sins have happened this year. When we add up this year to all of the years that this world has existed, it becomes daunting to even attempt imagining the number of sins.

However, Zechariah prophesied about a day that all this sin would go away. . .His prophecy came true. Jesus' death on the cross wiped out every one's sin (who trusts in Him) in one day. He did it! What a day! It's exciting to me to think about this. While we still sin, and are sinners, Christ wiped it all out nearly 2000 years ago. Praise God for His power. Praise God for His mercy. Praise Him for sending His son. I'm a sinner, and I am glad!

------------------------------------------------------------------
...a riddle if you will

What occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment, yet never in a thousand years?

--Click HERE for the answer!

Posted by Ben ><>

Thing of the Day

2008-09-29T05:49:00.002-04:00

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory ."

"Where, O death, is your victory ?
Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

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...and now for some useless trivia!

Bored at work? Try this little trick...

A raisin dropped in a fresh glass of soda will bounce up and down continually from the bottom of the glass to the top.

Posted by Ben ><>

Fireproof

2008-09-27T22:37:00.004-04:00

I just got back from my dad's house and he was telling me about a good new movie he saw called Fireproof. Of course I already knew all about the movie as I've been waiting for it to come out for quite awhile. The movie is from the church that created Facing the Giants and Flywheel. For some reason I couldn't post the video on the Thing from Godtube so I've included a link to the trailer if you'd like to view it. Have a blessed Sunday Thingers.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6ad44eae69606ecc16a5

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Old School Thing with a Hint of Freshness

2008-09-26T15:20:00.003-04:00

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Useless Knowledge

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes Thingers. As always it's nice to hear from our friends who take the time to visit the site.
And again as Ben mentioned hopefully in the near future the Thing will be under construction. If you have any ideas for things you'd like to see change or stay the same, please let us know.

posted by Inigo Montoya
(bonus points to the people that work a funny quote from this movie into a comment today)
If you don't know what movie I'm talking about, shame on you!

ONE YEAR!

2008-09-25T05:42:00.003-04:00

Hey guys! Joe and I would really like to extend a huge THANK YOU to each of you for reading The Thing of the Day for this past year. We actually have officially been going for a whole year now, which is pretty exciting. Although we are very happy about The Thing, we hope to improve it more and more, so be ready for some awesome changes, one of these days :) But praise GOD for being able to exist for a year. . .and we hope that it ends up being much longer! And now, here's your Thing!

Cross-Eyed Vision

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:2-3

After writing about Hebrews 12:1 yesterday, I felt like I couldn't not talk about the following two verses. I have a feeling we've done a thing about this before, but it can't hurt to be reminded once again about where our gaze should be as we run the race of life.

Of course, as we see from today's passage, we should fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith. He endured the cross, by His own choosing, taking our sins and our punishment. When we think about Jesus, and what He has done, it helps us to not grow weary and or lose heart. It's easy to be discouraged sometimes. However, none of us have gone through the severe beating and whipping that Jesus took on the cross. When we think of what He did for us, and how horrible it must have been, we can remember that maybe whatever we're going through isn't so bad.

What is your goal in life? Sometimes I think we fall into the "American dream" too easily, thinking about having the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect spouse, and perfect number of kids. Sometimes I think our earthly goals get in the way of where our eye gaze should be. As we run this race of life, my challenge for all of us is to remember where our eyes should be; who we should be focusing on. A lot more Jesus, and a lot less of us. It's not always easy, but the results are spectacular. Have a nice day :)...and thanks for reading for ONE YEAR!!

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...and here's some JACK!!!

"The memories of my family outings are still a source of strength to me. I remember we'd all pile into the car - I forget what kind it was - and drive and drive. I'm not sure where we'd go, but I think there were some trees there. The smell of something was strong in the air as we played whatever sport we played. I remember a bigger, older guy we called "Dad." We'd eat some stuff, or not, and then I think we went home. I guess some things never leave you." --Jack Handey, www.jackhandey.com

Posted by Ben ><>

Running Shoes

2008-09-24T08:45:00.004-04:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
-Hebrews 12:1

Ah yes...running. Something that I do every now and then, but not something that's a true enjoyment for me. When I run, my favorite part is usually the last 100 feet or so when I know that indeed soon my misery will be over. Perhaps the reason I'm not fond of running is because of how minimally I do it. Not being in shape makes running not fun at all as I feel like creeping death moving along at half a mile per hour. What keeps me running however? Frankly, the idea that I just did something good for my body...I'm more "in shape" than I was before the run. PLUS, then I can have four pieces of pizza instead of three. . .only kidding :)

Naturally, there are certain preparations we take when we run. We might wear a certain type of shorts or pants. Some people wear headbands, and others wear step counters or heart rate monitors. Everyone has a type of clothes that is most comfortable for them to run in. Today, we're going to think about our feet though. One thing I can't stand if I play any sport (for fun or for 'real') is if I don't have the right shoe for my foot. I'd hate to be wearing my nice church shoes to run a mile. I wouldn't want to be wearing slippers to shoot some hoops with my friends. I would never want to wear high heels ever (for real, haha), but thinking about wearing them for a running race sounds like a real ankle twister to me! In any kind of serious race, where people are competing (i.e. Olympics, school sports, etc.) high heels would not be considered an option for running. There are shoes out there that are specifically designed for running, and those are running shoes...And it's what most of us wear when we run.

As Christians, we are called to run the race that is marked out for us. This race is essentially living for God. It's following His commandments, growing to be more like Him, and sharing the good news about Jesus. This race lasts longer for some than others, and the final destination is being in Heaven with our Lord. My question for us all today is, are we wearing running shoes? Are we trying to run well, or are we constantly stopping, becoming distracted, and not feeling like finishing? A big part of how we run I believe is what condition are feet are in. Therefore, we must have them ready to run. Ephesians 6:15 talks about our feet being fitted with readiness...As Christ followers, there will be times that we need to be prepared for whatever will come our way. Peter reminds us that we should always have an answer for the hope that we have. I think that's having ready feet; prepared feet.

So, prepare for your race. Wear good shoes. Study the Bible, fellowship with other believers, and pray to God. Get to know Him more and more, and you'll also love Him more and more. Suit up friends; we've got a race to run.

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...and now for some useless, kinda, trivia!

* After years of people's fantasizing and laughter at the thought of high heel sneakers, they became a reality in the mid 1990's. Unfortunately for the manufacturers, they never became popular.

Posted by Ben ><>

Hunting For Lost O's

2008-09-23T07:31:00.006-04:00

Alright the video doesn't really fit with the Thing but I thought it was too funny not to share.
What do you think? If a baby owns a hundred Cheerios, and one of them rolls away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the couch and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one Cheerio than about the ninety-nine that did not roll off.
I've come to notice something about the eating habits of my 15 month old son Carson. Be it french fry or a Cheerio nothing is too old to eat. I don't think things get old in his world, nothing becomes stale. Everything is fresh and new, there is nothing that can't be put in a mouth and tasted. Yesterday for example we were driving down the road and looked in the back seat at our little man, who happened to be chewing on a french fry. Now that wouldn't have been so bad except for the fact that we last ordered fries about a week ago. Ahh the wonders that lie lost in the cracks of a carseat or underneath a couch cushion. I've also noticed that should he be holding a handful of Cheerios and one rolls off under the couch, he'll not give up searching until he finds what was already his. And when he does find that Cheerio he picks it up in celebration showing mom and dad the treasure that is once again his... and then he eats it.

Now God doesn't eat us but he does rejoice when one of his lost children is again found. If you or I lose a crumb of food we consider it gone and instead enjoy what we already have. But a child will cry and mourn over the lost crumb, unable to fully enjoy what he has until his lost treasure is back in his clinched fist. Often children need our help to reach down,up, over or out to get that lost treat, so they cry out our name. It's that kind of child-like faith that the Lord says we are to have. Knee dropping, belly laying, arm stretching faith. We may see treasures on this earth that we know are rolling around lost. Rather than just giving up, which seems to be the adult way lets look to the children as our examples. Cry out to Jesus our Father then climb,stretch, crawl, jump, do whatever it takes to reach out and grab that lost soul.
There are on average 4,800 individual Cheerios in a full box, a child will love and treasure each one. (I know they all don't end up going in a mouth many get thrown to the floor. But that's beside the point and ruins my Thing so work with me here.)
The estimate for living people on the earth as of Sept. 2008 is 6.943 billion, God loves and treasures each one.

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
Matthew 18:12-13

posted by Joe C.

Bonus fact: Out of the 4,800 Cheerios in an average box, about 40 are broken.

YIKES!

2008-09-22T23:17:00.003-04:00

Sorry gang...shame on me I totally forgot to post a Thing. See thats why I've been trying to get myself to write them in the morning after I do my devotions.
Anyway here is a link to a site that is always faithful in daily post.

http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

posted by Joe

Sword in Hand

2008-09-20T09:10:00.003-04:00

"Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:17 NLT

It's funny how you get pulled into doing something that you have no idea what it's all about. Has this happened to you? Perhaps it's struggling with the power of saying 'no' when people ask you to do something. Perhaps it's a strong desire to help out people no matter how busy you are. For me though, what I'm about to tell you about seemed like an unique opportunity, and I was all about it. A lady at my church asked me if I wanted to help perform this play, written by a New York City woman (originally from York) all about slavery, and how slaves sang songs to help guide the ones who were using the underground railroad. Certain songs meant "all is well" and others meant that it was time to keep watch. Anyway, I said yes, even though I didn't know for sure what I was getting involved in.

Turns out, there are three women, myself, and another gentleman who are performing this thing, which is a fundraiser event. Tickets are 30 bucks (we're not the only group performing). Also, the woman from New York City has an incredible voice, and the play she wrote is pretty powerful. The whole play is called "Singin' Wid a Sword in Ma Hand." The play starts out with that song being sung, and we say, "Singin wid a sword in ma hand Lord. . .Prayin' wid a sword in ma hand." I think about the incredible faith that those slaves had, trusting God to protect them as they ran to freedom. I think about how horrible slaves were treated, and how many times, all they had was God to pray to when the rest of their surroundings were harsh. I love though how much (at least in this play) the slaves were clinging to God for their help and protection.

Today's verse from Ephesians reminds us to take our helmet of salvation wherever we go, which is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. Awesome! Do we take the word of God wherever we go? Do we rely on Him in the different places that we go in life? The word of God is incredible. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." (Hebrews 4:12 NLT) I hope that as we walk about life, that we remember the word of God is not dead. As you go, take it with you.

Posted by Ben ><>

Old School Thing

2008-09-19T05:21:00.002-04:00

Takin' it back to like 2002. . .Here's how Things used to roll...Have a great Friday! :)

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
--Matthew 11:28

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...and here's some JACK!!

"The wise man can pick up a grain of sand and envision a whole universe. But the stupid man will just lie down on some seaweed and roll around until he's completely draped in it. Then he'll stand up and go, 'Hey, I'm Vine Man.'"
--Jack Handey, www.jackhandey.com

Posted by Ben ><>

Lifehouse:Breathing

2008-09-18T13:40:00.002-04:00

Well I'm trying to comfort a sick little boy today so it's a Video Thing Day. No apologies though because this is a great song by a great band. Eat it up Thingers!

I'm finding my way back to sanity, again Though I don't really know what I am gonna do when I get there Take a breath and hold on tight Spin around one more time And gracefully fall back in the arms of grace I am hanging on every word you say And even if you don't want to speak tonight That's alright, alright with me 'Cause I want nothing more than to sit Outside Heaven's door and listen to you breathing Is where I want to be I am looking past the shadows Of my mind into the truth and I'm trying to identify The voices in my head God, which one's you? Let me feel one more time What it feels like to feel And break these calluses off me One more time 'Cause I am hanging on every word you say And even if you don't want to speak tonight That's alright, alright with me 'Cause I want nothing more than to sit Outside your door and listen to you breathing Is where I want to be I don't want a thing from you Bet you're tired of me waiting For the scraps to fall Off your table to the ground I just want o be here now

Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

To Be Blessed Is To Be Content

2008-09-17T11:09:00.004-04:00

Good morning, afternoon or evening Thingers!

The other day I heard a woman barking out commands... "SIT! good boy....STAY!...good boy, here's a cookie."

Now in the park this may not have even caught my attention but in the middle of a grocery store it really tugged on my ears. I know what your thinking, this must have been a blind lady aided by a guide dog. Ummm..nope, she was barking out commands to her infant child.

While I found the commands and the tone they were delivered in to be quite disturbing, that is not what today's Thing is about.

What I do want to mention is the fact that she rewarded the boy immediately with a cookie for good behavior.

This little infant child is already learning that the only way to know if you are good is to look at what you are getting, what you have.

This is a process that won't be confined to within the walls of a home. As soon as this child begins going to school he'll become a star collector. There he will learn that if he is good then he gets a sticker. This teaches him that his worth is dependent on the number of stars on his chart. As this boy gets a little older he'll be taught that he is either an A, B, C, D or F student. He'll also be tagged with a G.P.A serial number so that universities will easily be able to judge his worth.

When the boy graduates and enters into the "real world" he's taught again that he is nothing without clothes, cash and cars. So he begins his quest for a job only honor, contentment, helping others, none of those things mean anything...it's all about the Benjamin's baby! After all how good you are is dependent on how high your stack of dead presidents towers.

I'm not sure how the progression will continue as the boy ages but the end result appears obvious. Society will judge his worth by what he leaves behind when he dies.

Immediate gratification that is what we're all about. If we're good we've been trained to expect a reward. So eventually we only work or do good for those rewards. That isn't how God wants us to live. That isn't how God wants us to serve. His wish is not that we serve him and do His work trying only to get the reward of Heaven. He wants us to serve, honor and obey Him because we are grateful for all he's already done, for everything He's already given.

Ask not what God can do for you, but what you can do for God.

Matthew 19:16-21

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and 'love your neighbor as yourself."
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

POSTED BY Mr. Hoften Sik

The Eagles (not the Philly kind)

2008-09-16T09:33:00.003-04:00

". . . those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles ; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31

I know that lots of you may not be football fans, but what a Monday night football game last night! Of course, being an Eagles fan, I was disappointed in the final outcome, but being a football fan, I still enjoyed the game. Let me say, that although I don't believe in praying to God for a team to win (for different reasons) I do hope that the Philadelphia Eagles soar this football season...and it looks like there's potential for that :)

That's not what today's thing is about though. It's about singing again. It's about a song we sang Sunday in church that again reminded me of some important parts of my life. . .or rather parts of my life that need to be kept important. We sang the song "Power of Your love." Here are a couple of the lyrics.

"...as I wait
I’ll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
In the power of Your love."

I love the idea of rising up like an Eagle. Being lifted toward God, in Spirit and soul, is another beautiful thought. As we think about rising up like an Eagle, the idea of soaring with God is mentioned. Even more beautiful! I love the companion nature our faith in Christ implies. Our faith in Jesus is a relationship. There's relationship involved and companionship...and thinking about soaring with our God is quite precious to me. Perhaps the reason is because of how low we can feel sometimes. Soaring is very different from being low, and letting Him lead us on in life will help us to rise up out of our pits of sorrow and mourning. And it's all in the power of His love!

When an eagle is soaring, it doesn't have to do much work. I don't know all the physics involved, the the air carries it, and not much flapping is involved. It effortlessly kind of floats through the air. In the same sense, when we're relying on our Heavenly companion, and when we're taking all of life's burdens and trials to Him, He will carry us. . .We will effortlessly make it through as we enter into soaring with Him. This is what happens when our hope is in Jesus' death on the cross for our sins. No more tiredness. Just soaring. Sound good? Then latch on to His love, and put your hope in Him alone :)

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...and now for a Letterman TOP TEN list!

Top ten signs your airline is cutting costs...

10. During flight they hit you with additional $200 "landing charge"
9. It's day 4 of your honeymoon and you're still on the tarmac
8. Plane has a "Hyundai" hood ornament
7. When you arrive, Hawaii looks suspiciously like Detroit
6. Inflatable vest replaced with smaller inflatable bow ties
5. Plane can't take off until you lose 20 pounds
4. In-flight entertainment: watching two big dudes fight for an armrest
3. Flight attendants wearing clothes you packed
2. The pilot -- Andy Dick.
1. During the captain's pre-flight checklist, you hear him say, "close enough"

Posted by Ben ><>