Here We Go Steelers!

My wife sent this to me. The words are underneath.



"Steeler Ladies" is a parody of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies"
conceptualized and written by Christine Nangle, co-written and performed by Addi Twigg,
recorded and produced by Sean G. Donaldson.

As heard on B94, Kiss FM and WTAE

The lyrics:

All the steeler ladies (7x) Now put your hands up

I wear black and gold - don't fit your mold - of what a lady should be
I live football, I yell at bad calls, wear Dad's Bradshaw jersey
I was raised this way, know every play, don't get me on the offensive
Look at me now, got my terrible towel, don't care if it's 3 degrees

Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
In the superbowl, the Steelers will be bringin' it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it

Here we go, oh oh ohhh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh (2x)

Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
In the superbowl, the Steelers will be bringin' it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it

Yes we can, we got Big Ben, Farrior, Miller and Reed
Holmes & Hampton, you know Tomlin came prepared to lead
Hines Ward grinnin', Willie spinnin', Lebeau is on a mission
Polamalu is gonna come through with another Super Bowl trophy

Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
In the superbowl, the Steelers will be bringin' it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it

Here we go, oh oh ohhh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh (2x)

Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
In the superbowl, the Steelers will be bringin' it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it

Here we go, oh oh ohhh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh (2x)

Don't you know we are champions of the world- see history unfurl
what we are plus what we were, makes us Pittsburgh
We're the team that takes the lead and makes you believe
in the destiny and the legacy of the Steel City and beyond!
It gets into your heart, it's a feeling all our own
We're back on the throne, with one for the other thumb

All the Steeler ladies (7x), Now put your hands up

Here we go, oh oh ohhh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh (2x)

Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
In the superbowl, the Steelers will be bringin' it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it

Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it
In the superbowl, the Steelers will be bringin' it
Gonna win it and they're gonna put a ring on it

HERE WE GO!

Kingdom Investments

I read this on Mark Batterson's blog today and will probably share it this Sunday as well. Here is his post:

I like to think of giving as buying stock in the kingdom. And the truth is that those kingdom shares will earn compound interest for eternity. Talk about a Return on Investment (ROI). Eternal dividends!

I did a little research to put it in perspective. If you purchased one share of Coca-Cola stock in 1919, and simply held that one share, by the year 2000 it would have split into 4608 shares. And that original $40 investment, if you kept reinvesting the dividends, would have been worth $7 million. Dang! To further your pain, if your great-great grandparents had purchased one of Asa Candler's original shares in 1892, that $100 investment would be worth $7.34 billion. Dang! Dang!

Here's the bottom line: we'll never regret one ounce of energy, one second of time, or one penny of money invested in the kingdom of God.

I often think of the band of sisters in Luke 8 who supported Jesus. They got in on the Initial Public Offering (IPO). They were the original shareholders. What a return on investment!

May we strive to be good stewards of God's blessings in our lives. There are tremendous blessings when we invest in the kingdom both in this life and the one to come. One of the ways to measure how you are doing is to look at your year end giving statements. Compare that to your gross pay and ask God if that is the best you can do. I have always practiced and taught that the local church you attend (the storehouse) gets the first 10% or the tithe. It shouldn't stop there-we should give above and beyond the tithe to special projects, missions, the poor, and however the Lord leads. Put God to the test. I double dog dare you and so does He!

Looking forward to some major snow!

Great Quote and Sunday Recap

Sue Sampson gave me a quote this Sunday and said that it would have fit perfectly in our Wild Goose series especially the message on routine. Here is the quote:

"In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia." -Anonymous

Sunday Recap:

We looked at the account of Peter denying Jesus three times ... then the rooster crowed. (Luke 22:31-61).

If the enemy can convince you that:
• You are still guilty
• That you are disqualified because of your sin
• That you are second class Christian
• Because of your sin, you are not worth anything

If we are convinced of any of these things we are living a defeated life and we are imprisoned by the cage of guilt. If the enemy can make us focus on our past or if can overwhelm us with guilt we won’t dream kingdom dreams or pursue kingdom purposes.

“It is much easier to act like a Christian than to react like one.” Most of are good actors-we can play the part. But our reactions reveal who we really are.”-Mark Batterson

I think there are moments in our lives when we fail so badly that we feel absolutely unworthy to receive the grace of God, and it’s those moments that make us or break us spiritually. Either we lock ourselves into this cage of guilt or we experience new dimensions of God’s grace. And it changes our lives.

Peter failed three times, Jesus reconditioned him three times. I love when this story took place. Verse 4 in Chapter 21, early in the morning. Jesus reconditioned Peter early in the morning which is when roosters crow. I wonder if from that moment, the rooster’s crow was no longer a reminder of failure for his feelings of guilt but it was a reminder of God’s grace that produced feelings of gratitude.

The grace of God is the difference between drowning in guilt and swimming in gratitude. And when your spiritual reflexes have been reconditioned by the grace of God, it frees you to come out of that cage and chase the Wild Goose and live a life of faith.

Very Cool Site

Check out this I Am Second-people from all walks of life share how Christ has changed their lives. Check out Josh Hamilton!

Inauguration Day!

I had to come home for lunch to catch the inauguration. I do not blog about politics, and I won't today, but I will give you my thoughts on this day:

I am incredibly proud to be an American!

What an eloquent and heart felt prayer by Pastor Rick Warren.

What an inspiring sight to see the hundreds of thousands of people in attendance waving their American flags!

What an amazing day in US history where we can elect a black president. Martin Luther King Jr., your dream has come true today! We are moving forward as a country!

Inaugurations are about our country and not partisanship, about the democratic process, and the peaceful transition of power.

Let's be faithful to lift up our 44th president, Barak Obama, in prayer. He has a huge task before him.

I hope and pray that President Obama can be a catalyst for much needed change in our country and in our world.

I am hopeful.

I wonder what President Bush's personal, private note to President Obama says.

I echo the words of the benediction, "Lord, lead and bless our president."

MLK Quote

"One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying."

Amen! May we (as followers of Christ) be doers of the Word!

Sunday Recap

Still in our Chasing the Goose series. Here are some highlights from Sunday:

When we come to God, we need to come to Him without assumptions because God exists outside of our space-time dimensions. He is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere).

God stepped in and challenged Abrams assumption-his assumption was that he would die childless. Faith is not logical. It is theo-logical. It doesn’t ignore reality. It simply adds God to the equation.

At the end of the day faith is trusting God more than our own assumptions.

The religious community was threatened because Jesus challenged every assumption in the book! I think spiritually, we have to be careful that we don’t just live in this cage of assumption but we find ways to break out of that.

Don’t assume when it comes to God. Don’t disqualify yourself because of false assumptions.

• I’m too old, I’m too young
• I don’t have enough experience, I’ve never done it before
• I am not educated enough
• I am not spiritual enough
• It’s never been done that way before

Read Hebrews 11 today.

• What assumptions are caging you?
• What assumptions do you have that are causing you not to trust God?
• Have you reduced God to the size of your problem?

Don't Ever Give Up

I regularly read Mark Batterson's blog and here is a great post.

The theme of the Nebraska Pastor's Retreat was building a ministry that endures. Talked about Luke 11. One phrase from the New Living Translation really got in my spirit: if you knock long enough.

I think most of us never see our dreams become reality simply because we give up too soon. What if the Israelites had stopped marching around Jericho on the sixth day? What if Naaman had only dipped in the Jordan river six times? What if Elijah had stopped praying for rain on the sixth attempt? They would have forfeited the miracle. I love the underlying message of those stories: the miracle is only one lap, one dip, or one prayer away. We need to live with that kind of holy anticipation.

As I look back on my own life, the blessings of God are really the byproduct of asking, seeking, and knocking. If you knock long enough...

NCC broke all the church planting rules. We weren't 100 by the end of our first year. We weren't 200 by the end of our second year. According to the experts, we should have never broken those barriers. But if you knock long enough...

It took eight years to purchase 201 F Street, rezone the property, and construct the coffeehouse. Felt like forever. But if you knock long enough...

I tried to write a book for ten years. I have half a dozen half-finished manuscripts on my computer. I was frustrated beyond words. But if you knock long enough...

Try harder. Try longer.

Don't give up. Don't give in.

If you knock long enough...

Great word from Mark. No matter what life throws at you ... don't ever give up. Run the race with endurance, and keep your eyes on the prize.

Sunday Recap

We had a great Sunday as we continue our current series, Chasing the Goose. Had a blast seeing all of the black and gold in the congregation. We will be having a black and gold Sunday once again this Sunday as the Steelers take on the Ravens-should be a great game! Here are some highlights from Sunday:

God takes care of the past to invite us into the future so that we can truly live the spiritual adventure so that we can realize the God-given potential that He has given to us.

Is your guardian angel bored?

When we get into a slump we stop creating the future and start repeating the past and our lives becomes a routine, sometimes even boring. Usually something sacred has become routine. All the while God is like, "I’m over here!" Often we are blind to Him because of our routine.

We have a natural tendency to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember.

When God told Moses to take off his sandals ... I think God is reminding Moses that it is right here, right now. Take off your sandals. Celebrate who God is, what God is doing. Today is holy, tomorrow is holy. Don’t miss the sacredness because of the routine.

When we serve God through only our past experiences, the Wild Goose is nowhere in sight.

We need to reclaim the word repent. It has been hijacked by protesters and and street preachers with a message of hate. When Jesus said to repent, he meant change of mind, change of heart, change of direction (What a beautiful picture).

The Thing About Goals by Seth Godin

A friend of mine sent me this post by Seth Godin ... good stuff. It is not too late to set some goals for 09! Seth says:

Having goals is a pain in the neck.

If you don't have a goal (a corporate goal, a market share goal, a personal career goal, an athletic goal...) then you can just do your best. You can take what comes. You can reprioritize on a regular basis. If you don't have a goal, you never have to worry about missing it. If you don't have a goal you don't need nearly as many excuses, either.

Not having a goal lets you make a ruckus, or have more fun, or spend time doing what matters right now, which is, after all, the moment in which you are living.

The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run.

It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact... those people have goals. Check out Seth's blog.

I love this statement by Godin:"If you don't have a goal, you never have to worry about missing it." Have you written your goals out (Short Term-2009 and Life Goals)?

The 411 on Fasting

This Sunday we are starting a 7 day fast to kick off the new year. My good friend, Sam Masteller is doing a fast at his church as well, and this helpful info on fasting is from his blog:

SIMPLY STATED, BIBLICAL FASTING IS REFRAINING FROM FOOD FOR A SPIRITUAL PURPOSE.
The fast, as explained in the weekend service, is a spiritual discipline designed to better connect us with God. As a church, we are fasting in order to deepen our relationship with God and to walk in step with His plan and purpose. The best way to do this is to redirect our food source or something else of importance to us. This is accomplished through substituting our regular food intake with Bible reading, praying and journaling. The overall goal is to experience a genuine hunger for spending time with God. According to the Bible, there are three duties of every Christian: give, pray, and fast. Fasting takes a lot of discipline and strength – strength which you can only receive from God. Your private discipline will bring you rewards in Heaven, as stated in Matthew 6. When you give God your first through fasting, prayer, and giving at the beginning of the year, you set the course for the entire year.

Why should I fast?

1. Are you in need of healing or a miracle?
2. Do you need the tender touch of God in your life?
3. Is there a dream inside you that only He can make possible?
4. Are you in need of a fresh encounter?
5. Do you desire a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord?
6. Are you ready to have heightened sensitivity to the desires of God?
7. Do you need to break away from bondages that have been holding you hostage?
8. Is there a friend or loved one that needs Salvation?
9. Do you desire to know God's will for your life?

Here are some fasting options:

Full Fast- Drink only liquids (you establish the number of days).
The Daniel Fast- Eat no meat, no sweets, and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetables.
3-Day Fast- This fast can be a Full Fast, a Daniel Fast, or a fast giving up at least one item of food.
Partial Fast- A partial fast is from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm or from sun up to sundown. This fast can be a Full Fast, a Daniel Fast, or a fast giving up at least one item of food.
Media fast- Turn off the computer and TV and focus your thoughts & energies on God's voice & His Word.

Who Cares What You Are Not?

Craig Groeschel doesn't know it, but he mentors me from a distance. Check out his blog. I love what Craig says:

While traveling, I listened to podcasts from three of the most well respected pastors in the U.S. All three started by explaining what their church was not. I’ll paraphrase what they said.

Pastor One: “We never water down our message. We don’t preach a seeker sensitive message.”

Pastor Two: “How many of you have been to boring, dead, traditional churches? Churches like that shouldn’t even exist! I’ve got some news for you! We’re not your grandma’s church!”

Pastor Three: “We don’t preach topical-feel-good, entertainment sermons at this church. Most churches are into tickling ears and making people feel good about themselves, but that’s not us!”

My Rant: I’m thrilled you are passionate about your style of teaching and church! It is very likely a true reflection of your gifts and calling. I pray God blesses your church in every way.

But don’t build your church on what you’re not!
If you do, you’re training the people at your church to believe your way is best and everyone else’s is inferior. Who cares what you’re not?! Be who you are without making others look like they are less.

Chasing the Goose

We kicked off the year with a new series called Chasing the Goose based on Mark's Batterson's book, the Wild Goose Chase. Here are some key thoughts from Sunday's message:

The Celtic Christians had the fascinating name for the Holy Spirit, they called Him An Geadh-Glas or the Wild Goose which is where Mark got the name for the book.

Most people die long before the date on their death certificate.

For many of us, our day to day responsibilities numb us to the possibilities around us and the passions within in us.

If I am not careful, if I am not proactive, I can allow these things to control my life-to rob me of passion, a sense of adventure. If I am not careful the wild goose will not even be on my radar.

If God asked you today, "What do you want?" would you know the answer?

God often uses us in our greatest point of incompetence. That way he gets all of the credit.

God ordained passions are far more important than any human qualification we can bring to the table.

Next week we look at the cage of Routine.

Pat Robertson's Predictions?

Worldnet Daily reports:

Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, announced at his staff's annual prayer retreat that God told him Americans would embrace socialism in 2009 "in order to relieve their pain" and that the economy would rebound under an Obama administration.

"The Lord said the economy of your nation will recover," Robertson told a group assembled at Founders Inn on the campus of Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., a university Robertson founded.

Robertson said God also declared, "The steps taken will lead to a dramatic increase in the power of government. The people will welcome socialism in order to relieve their pain. Nothing will stand in the way of a plan by Obama to restructure the economy in the same fashion as the New Deal in the '30s."

In a follow-up interview he granted to Terry Meeuwsen, his co-host on CBN's The 700 Club, Robertson added, "It will be the largest transfer of power to Washington since the '30s. But people are willing to accept it because the pain has been so bad."

In a CBN-produced video clip containing both the predictions and the interview, Meeuwsen points out that Robertson has been right on his predictions before. At the beginning of 2008, for example, Robertson correctly predicted the year would include a world-wide recession, a stock market crash, oil hitting $150 (it hit $147) per barrel, and gold topping $1000 an ounce, which it did in March 2008.

You can view the video detailing Robertson's 2009 predictions below:



Here are Pat's past predictions:

n 1980, he predicted that the Soviet Union would invade the Middle East.

In 1981, he predicted a global economic collapse.

In 2004, he predicted that George W. Bush would win re-election in a “blowout.”

In 2005, he predicted that Bush was “now positioned to have victory after victory and that his second term is going to be one of triumph.”

In 2006, he predicted that the “the coasts of America will be lashed by storms. ... There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest.”

In 2007, he predicted a terrorist attack on the United States with massive casualties. “I’m not necessarily saying it’s going to be nuclear. The Lord didn’t say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that.”

What do you think of Pat’s premonitions from the Lord? Who is confused, God or Pat? And after he’s missed so many of these predictions, why does he keep making them year after year? Because of Pat's influence (CBN), should Pat be held accountable when he is clearly wrong?

To see what others are saying, check out the comments at Monday Morning Insight.

Annual Wise Tradition

We did it a little late this year, but we still did it. Check out the Wise Christmas cookie making.