Certainly you enjoy compliments and sincere pleasantries. So does everyone else. As your lips smile, reveal your heart with your kind words. Be cheerful, courteous, and graceful in your speech, attracting others to you so that you might make a new friend. Say something nice!

“Finally, all of you should be in agreement, understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and humble. Do not do wrong to repay a wrong, and do not insult to repay an insult. But repay with a blessing, because you yourselves were called to do this so that you might receive a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9.

Out in the bush, early this morning, there was a lot of activity. Same for this afternoon. Probably tonight there will more of the same. Tomorrow it will start all over again. And day after day it is very consistent.

It’s the game of survival. The lion wakes up and his first thought is, “I’ve got to go find some food or I’m going to die!”

The gazelle wakes up and his first thought is, “I’ve got to get outta here or I’m going to die!”.

They are both working AS HARD AS THEY CAN.

So … Which one are you today? Are you in a position of chasing life, out of desire and expectation, or are you being chased, driven by fear?

Either way, there is a God who knows exactly what you are going through and what you need today.

It’s up to you to take what He’s blessed you with and work hard with it.

And don’t forget, He has put his spirit inside of you, 1) to give you the strength to do it, and 2) to remind you to hold on to your faith in Him because the reward is worth it and there is a better place up ahead!!

Go get ’em today! And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next …

Louie Giglio: Life is simplified by simply running YOUR race well.

Louie Giglio: The weight of our worship as the Church gathered will be measured by the love/life we carry today as the Church scattered.

WHEN I SAY, “I AM A CHRISTIAN”
By Carol Wimmer

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not shouting “I am saved.”
I’m whispering “I was lost”;
That is why I chose this way.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble,
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak,
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed,
And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible,
But God believes I’m worth it.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
Which is why I speak His name.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I’m loved.

Copyright 1989 Carol S. Wimmer. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

From S.I.: According to the new NFL CBA, the players are now getting a hefty 55% of all network TV money – which could reach $8 billion in 2014. Imagine that: The players’ share of the TV revenue that year will likely be more than the TOTAL league revenue of $4 billion only 15 years earlier.

The nation is recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression. This new deal proves that the NFL is immune to it.

In honor of the return of our most celebrated sport, I thought I would pay homage to those word-smiths who have edged their way into our conscience over the past several decades. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!

It’s the grand-daddy of them all. (The Rose Bowl, of course, and Keith Jackson’s lasting contribution to the world of sports cliches)
The road to the Super Bowl goes through Miami.
There’s a quarterback controversy on this team.
They have to play ball-control offense.
They have to establish their running game.
They have to stop the big play.
They need to dominate the line of scrimmage.
They have to pound it out on the ground.
They need to air it out more.
They have to open up the passing lanes.
They have to take care of the football.
They should just go out and execute.
They have to make plays on both sides of the ball.
They should go out there and play smash-mouth football.
The Irish should just play Notre Dame football.
They have to stick to their game plan.
They should throw their game plan out the window.
Their secondary looks porous.
They have dangerous deep threats.
It’s a low, line-drive kick.
The ball went off the side of his foot.
The ball takes a Denver bounce.
They’re going to call a timeout to ice the kicker.
This should be a chip shot for him.
That kick splits the uprights.
They’re looking at third down and forever.
They’re in four down territory.
It’s decision time for the Broncos.
They’re in the hurry-up offense.
They’re trying to milk the clock.
They’re in no hurry at all.
The defense is showing blitz.
That keeps the drive alive.
It all depends on where they spot the ball.
They’re marking it just shy of the 40 yard-line.
They’re marching down the field.
This is their deepest penetration.
They’re knocking on the door.
They’ve got to punch it in here.
They’ve got to take it to the big house.
They’ll have to settle for three.
You really want to come away with some points when you’re this close.
They’re playing with a short field.
They’re playing in the shadow of their own goalposts.
Let’s see if he can orchestrate a comeback.
Now they’ve got some room to operate.
The defense must make a stand.
They can’t cough it up here.
Great blocking at the point of attack.
They’re running it right up the gut.
He bulls his way for extra yardage.
He’s a bruising running back.
He’s overdue to break one.
He rumbled down the sideline for 30 yards.
He had to cut back against the grain.
He couldn’t turn the corner.
He shook off several would-be tacklers.
Nobody laid a glove on him.
You could have driven a truck through that hole.
He’ll be buying dinner for the whole offensive line after this game.
Elway is audibilizing.
Elway called his own number.
Elway has great pocket presence.
Elway is a real gun-slinger.
Elway has all day back there.
Elway has all kinds of time.
Elway has an eternity.
Elway has all the time in the world.
Elway is directing traffic.
Great read by Elway.
Elway is spreading the wealth.
Elway had a man wide open downfield.
Elway had to check off his receivers.
He got a step on the defender.
That was a circus catch.
That was a timing pattern.
Great touch on that pass.
That was a pinpoint pass.
Elway hit him right on the numbers.
Elway threw a strike.
That pass was right on the money.
He led him beautifully with that pass.
He heard footsteps.
That pass was very catchable.
They pay him to make those catches.
He’s usually a sure-handed receiver.
That looked like a simple miscommunication.
That looked like a missed assignment.
That looked like a blown coverage.
He ran out of real estate.
They flushed Elway from the pocket.
You wonder how much punishment Elway can absorb.
That pass looked like a wounded duck.
That was an ill-advised pass.
He’d like to have that one back.
He threw up a prayer.
He threw into double-coverage.
Elway threw that one up for grabs.
Elway is trying to force the ball.
Elway telegraphed that pass.
Elway has happy feet.
He had him covered like a blanket.
We’ve got a late flag.
A flag there usually means holding.
This one will be coming back.
The officials could call holding on every play.
That’s a costly turnover.
He’ll try to tack on the extra point.
That missed extra point could come back to haunt them.
Great second effort!
That was a game saving tackle.
That was a shoestring tackle.
The defense had that play sniffed out.
The defensive line is quick off the ball.
Their defense is starting to assert itself.
Their defense is tough in the red zone.
This game is being won in the trenches.
These guys are going mano a mano. (In Spanish, this is “hand-to-hand” not “man-to-man” as some announcers assume)
That front line is 1000 pounds of beef.
It’s a game of field position.
You can see the frustration starting to set in.
Looks like we’ve got some extra-curricular activity on the field. (i.e. a fight)
We hope that cooler heads prevail.
They have a few choice words for each other.
They’re just exchanging pleasantries.
They’re going to tee-off on him.
He was blind-sided.
That hit really cleaned his clock.
He really got his bell rung there.
He put the lumber on him.
Welcome to the NFL. (Said after a rookie quarterback is sacked during his first game)
They really laid him out on that hit.
He was really clothes-lined there.
He ran into a brick wall.
He was literally run over by a freight train. (To the best of our knowledge, no locomotive has ever entered a football stadium and struck a player; the announcer probably means the player was FIGURATIVELY run over by a freight train.)
He’s slow getting up.
He’s walking rather gingerly.
Looks like we’ve got a player shaken up.
We don’t know the extent of his injuries.
We hate to speculate on the injury…(but we will anyway).
They can ill-afford to lose him.
Their locker room must look like a MASH unit.
He left the field under his own power.
He’s gonna feel that one on Monday.
They can’t stop the clock so he’ll just take a knee.
We put ourselves in a position to win.
Their defense bent but didn’t break.
He’s about a biscuit shy of 350.
He’s got a linebacker’s mentality.
He really airred that one out.
We just gotta play em one game at a time.
Gotta play a full 60 minutes.
That’s poor clock management.

“The people who hear God’s voice the best are the people who know God’s Word the most. It’s that simple. One of the cornerstones of wisdom, THE cornerstone of wisdom is to devour the Word of God.” ~ Louie Giglio ~ Simpler Steps to Smarter Choices ~ Lost in Translation

We are no bigger as a person than the size of those things that annoy us.

So… Am I bigger than the Redskins? …

Measured against eternity, our time on earth is just a blink of an eye, but the consequences of our actions will last forever. #RickWarren
SocialOomph • 7/28/11 6:43 PM