Breeze: Friday Top Five

In my defense, I may be a day late, but I’m not a dollar short on this Friday feature…well, maybe sort of…in today’s bail-me-out psyche.

Through Peter P’s “Rediscovering the Church” blog I found Kevin Martineau’s “Friday Top Five – What where your favorite posts from last week?” This “Shooting the Breeze” feature is a must read…and if so inclined, a very fruitful promising participation.

Here’s my quick recount of last week, in no particular order:

1. No better time than now to know where that Light can be found. Thanks, Yvette, for Light that Candle in a Dark Place found in your Fresh Wind Ministries blog.

2. A greater and deeper look at baptism. Should we always look at it from a “water” perspective? Two thumbs up for Brother Mark’s Baptised Into The Body of Christ!

3. Uplifting and thought provoking poetry can always be found at Versical’s Blog. Mike’s post Happiness is one I chose for this week…how true, how true!

4. There aren’t fitting words to describe my reaction to this video of an abortion survivor’s talk and message. “Wow!” is one of the responses I had and from many others who sent me a response back from my forward. The Life of Thomas is truly an excellent blog…and this particular post, Inspirational Video has already touched many hearts.

5. Oh, what the heck…here’s one of mine…after all, it IS Super Bowl weekend! Super Bowl Faithful Unashamed.

Have a blessed day…and please consider joining us on this Friday Top Five journey!

Super Bowl Faithful Unashamed

From the Cardinals’ Warner to the Steelers’ Polamalu, players on both sides readily invoke name of God

By ALEXANDER

Had I gone from grocery store bagger to Super Bowl MVP I might have boasted a little about myself. But, not Arizona Cardinal QB, Kurt Warner.

As he enters this Sunday’s Super Bowl contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Warner could also say he’s “been there, done that.”

But instead, his words and actions reflect this Bible verse from Galatians 6:14:

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Even talk of retirement, includes who he will unashamedly consult first.

TAMPA, Fla.– (USA TODAY) At 37, another season is not guaranteed for Kurt Warner.

The Cardinals QB acknowledged that a second Super Bowl win on Sunday could provide a capstone to his career, but said he does not know what will happen.

In your mind, you say ‘Well how could it get any better? How could you finish off any better?’ ” Warner said of exiting after a Super Bowl win. “But I don’t think that’s going to make the decision for me. I don’t think it’s going to be based off of ‘Well is this the perfect script?’

“Ultimately, I think God is going to make that decision for me.” … more

Here’s another sports writer trying to get a handle on why so many of this weekend’s warriors are men of faith.

Faith mixes with football for Super Bowl

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Arizona running back Tim Hightower had just finished a thoughtful explanation of his religious beliefs when one of the media types who found their way into the Super Bowl stadium Tuesday decided he needed more proof.

“Can you pray right now?” he asked.

“I can pray that whatever is going on in your life right now that you find God,” Hightower said.

Hightower handled the question with the same ease he handled would-be tacklers to score the winning touchdown that got his team into the Super Bowl, which by itself was somewhat surprising since he is a rookie on the biggest stage of his young life.

Even more surprising at this Super Bowl, though, is how so many players on both teams aren’t hesitating to invoke the name of God as they prepare to play a violent game where there will be no mercy shown on either side.

Usually that has writers setting down their pens and cameramen hitting the pause button until talk returns to the game itself.

But the depth of convictions from evangelical Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner to the Steelers who will do their best to plant him face-first into the ground on Sunday… more

Something the writer doesn’t say is that several years ago, pro football players were on the mission field of Athletes in Action (Christian ministry group) and many athletes accepted Jesus as a result. Others became great Christian leaders, like Reggie White, who led others to Christ. So, it wasn’t necessarily the “violence” that brought players to their knees….God’s grace and Christians fulfilling the great commission.

Some may claim burnout on the whole pointing to God thing in sports. As for me, I will never get tired of it. It’s not about God “rooting for the Cardinals…or the Steelers.” I believe God is rooting for you and I to follow His son, Jesus, and if we happen to give glory to Him when we score our “touchdowns” of life, I’m sure it brings a smile!
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The Scrooge Report Tracking…
Super Bowl TV Ad: To run or not to run?
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RELATED: Kurt Warner a persistent witness despite censors

DIGG Story!

Bible Banned on Religious Freedom Day

The Bible is essentially treated like contraband… — Liberty Counsel

A Florida school district has banned distribution of the Bible on Religious Freedom Day.

CHURCH AND STATE

COLLIER COUNTY, Florida (OneNewsNow) — Earlier this month, World Changers of Florida was denied the right to distribute the Bible in the Collier County School District during non-instructional time. Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, is handling the case.

“The school district said that the Bible cannot be distributed on Religious Freedom Day,” he explains. “It had been distributed on Religious Freedom Day for the past several years, but this time they changed their decision and said it would be unconstitutional to distribute the Bible in a public school to willing recipients who want to receive the Bible.”

Staver notes that other items are distributed at the schools for secular events. In a Liberty Counsel press release, he stated that “limiting access to the forum based on religious viewpoint violates the First Amendment.”

“This particular school says that everything goes but the Bible is banned,” he adds. “The Bible is essentially treated like contraband, where it was once the central part of our educational system.”

Liberty Counsel has written to the school district outlining the Constitution and court decisions that demonstrate the error in their decision.

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Religious Freedom Day

Each year, the President declares January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day, and calls upon Americans to “observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship.” The day is the anniversary of the passage, in 1786, of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.

The goal of ReligiousFreedomDay.com is to promote and protect students’ religious expression rights by informing educators, parents, and students about these liberties.

DIGG Story!

What About Rick?

After all the intense coverage of President Obama’s inaugural invocation address pick, Rick Warren, …weeks on end of Warren-bashing by gay advocates slamming the Orange County, Calif. pastor for his traditional view of marriage …this is all we get?

After viewing many hours of CNN inauguration coverage and rehash, I must have missed the Warren highlight while going to the bathroom.

Or did I?

From a quick poll of friends, no one saw or heard any mention, highlight, analysis, or replay of Warren’s beautiful and fitting prayer for our president in any of their TV viewing.

But there was plenty of the “Queen of Soul!” EVERY highlight reel included Aretha Franklin singing “Let Freedom Ring.” Sure, Aretha rocked, but the real call to our souls was Warren’s prayer.

What about Rick? Was it hardened hearts or blindness? I guess the real “Agent of Change” needs no CNN or ABC…Jesus is simply available to those with open hearts and choosing to really listen…even if the inaugural invocation was put to sleep early, only available live, the first time around!

– Alexander
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Text of the invocation by Rev. Rick Warren for President Barack Obama’s inauguration:

Let us pray.

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story.

The Scripture tells us Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.

And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.
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Chuck Norris Relates: The Most Underrated Part of the Inauguration

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DIGG Story!

Gays’ Villian Du Jour

Nevermind Obama’s inauguration just hours away, for gay activists it’s all about keeping Rick Warren in the crosshairs.

From Mormons to “fundamentalist wackos,” restaurant owners to outed Hollywood conservatives, gay activists continue to demonize supporters of traditional marriage…and misrepresenting the issue as an “attack on gay rights.”

Photo: About 100 activists protest outside Sunday services at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. (Los Angeles Times)