Another moment comes to mind for me, the day Nebraska played Penn St. in Football and how both teams came to the middle of the field in unity and prayer.  A great moment in sports, and a small starting block of healing for everyone involved.

Here are a few really good articles talking about this little situation college football, Big 12, and the teams in it are trying to figure out the best possible outcome.  My suggestion, let Texas be with Texas, every one in the Big 12 find somewhere else to go (I know you can) and don’t worry about what stunts they might try to pull.  I’m glad Nebraska is out, sorry to not have the games against the good teams (Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma St, Kansas St, and Mizzu), and wish Texas wasn’t so… arrogant and controlling might be some of a few words I could use for them.

It’s actually fun to watch the whole thing rumble and crumble along the way.  I would totally suggest Oklahoma and Texas A&M, and well everyone else to go look for another conference, it will be good for you and everyone else.

Celebrating Fatherhood: An important Missing Link

Pt. 1 – Fathers are necessary to the healthy development of children

Anthony has been raised by a loving mother and other family members for the past 11 years, but there is a huge hole in his heart… his missing father.

Research shows that a loving and nurturing father improves outcomes for children, families and communities, and fathers who live with their children are most likely to have a close, enduring relationship with their children.  Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors including drug use, truancy, and criminal activity. The growing absence of fathers in children’s lives has emerged as one of our nation’s greatest social problems, resulting in lost opportunities for children and a financial burden to society.

American children are in crisis and families are in need of assistance due to father absence.  Statistics consistently point out that children who grow up without their fathers are more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (0r adoptive) parents.

{ Research: About 75 percent of children raised in father-absent homes will experience poverty before they reach age 11, compared to only 20 percent of kids in two parent families.}

The truth is this: Children need committed fathers as much as they need their mothers. While it’s impossible to piece together a complete picture through statistics alone, the following indicate some correlation between absentee fathers and a variety of social problems:

• In a 1997 report to Congress, the U.S. Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) provides national demographic data on children enrolled in CMHS funded services. They found that “on the whole, children living in single-parent families are more likely to experience poverty than children living in two-parent homes.” Further, “of those children living in poverty, 73 percent were living in families maintained by mothers, as compared to 22 percent of those children living with both parents, and 5 percent living with their families.”
• In a 2004 study by the National Council on Family Relations, researchers noted that “most children (56%) live in two-biological-parent married families,” but that “the share of children residing with two biological married parents has been steadily declining.”  This decline was found to negatively affect child well-being in several ways, including that “adolescents living outside two-biological-parent married families tend to exhibit more behavioral and emotional problems” and are “significantly less engaged in school.”

• A study published in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Population Economics notes: “There is longstanding evidence that youth raised by single parents are more likely to perform poorly in school and partake in ‘deviant’ behaviors such as smoking, sex, substance use, and crime.  However, there is not widespread agreement as to whether the timing of the marital disruption differentially impacts youth outcomes.”  After undertaking their research, the authors concluded that an additional five years spent with the biological father significantly lowers a youth’s likelihood of engaging in the named behaviors and that in general, “the longer the father remains in the household, the ‘better off’ the youth is.

The evidence is clear. Fathers are extremely important figures in the lives of their children and their influence cannot be underestimated.

Family Spectrum Magazine, Open Forum pg 24, June 2010 omahapublication.com

So lets encourage our dad’s today, to be the men that lead country to be its best everyday, and that leads by example how to live a life not solely for themselves but for the betterment of others.  Let us also encourage those that gave up their right to be a father or those that want to become fathers, to start becoming a part of the kids lives that they brought into this world, or for those not yet with kids to incorporate a part of their lives with children.  Fathers are a big part of a kids life, just like mothers, to help bring them up to be responsible adults.

Thank you dad!

…another fatal accident because of texting…

Last Saturday two of my brothers, my brother-in-law, a family friend since grade school (basically another brother) and a buddy of theirs from work all went bike riding (motorcycle) in the Boston Mountains.

The buddy from work (Pat), lost control and hit something and totaled his bike. He was fine, not a scratch on him thank God. They all stopped of course, called a tow truck for the bike. the tow truck driver had just loaded the bike and they were getting ready to hit the road again when a car came up over the hill with three (3) teenage girls. It was still daylight and they all heard the car and when they looked back only seconds before it came upon them they noticed the driver (later learned 16 years old) was looking down (either texting or sending a text – details still unknown).

My 2 brothers, and 1 brother-in-law got out of the way within seconds of her car hitting the truck/trailer with the totaled bike (Pat was still sitting in the tow truck talking to the driver)… our old friend (mike) was in front of the truck on his bike and like everyone else was trying to get out of the way of the car but didn’t quite make it… the car flipped before finally rolling a total of three times.  Amazingly, all three girls climbed out of the car and though shook up didn’t appear to be hurt… that was when everyone noticed Mike had been hit just as the car flipped down the hill… he was conscious for a time but once the helicopter got there he no longer had a pulse and was declared dead at the scene…

As torn as so many who loved Mike are… just a real good guy, father of an 11 year old boy, he had a double wedding with of my sisters and her husband, we all fought with him over who got the best chair when we laid around the house watching movies and mom yelled at him to help with dishes no different than the rest of us after we at everything in the house……but you know who my heart goes out to maybe even more? That 16 year old girl because just as her life should be beginning, it may have ended… in the state of AR it’s against the law to text, even if Mike’s family doesn’t choose to prosecute the state will… and will there ever be a day go by that she doesn’t remember Mike and those he left behind.

NEVER BE DISTRACTED!

I have gotten into the habit lately of either: texting, looking at texts, looking up numbers to call, changing the radio station, finding a station that I had heard of before, or even looking at the things around me instead of what is happening on the street in front of me or on either sides of me.  I wouldn’t say I’m a bad driver, but I’ve heard to many of these kinds of things happening when it could have been avoided.  Motor vehicles are such powerful instruments that we have at our fingertips and we can take them for granted so often that bad things inevitably will happen to who ever is in those situations.  I hope for my sake and everyone else, that we will start to concentrate more on what we are doing and not so much on the what could be or what we want to be doing next.

“He is completely guilty your honor. In fact, he has even done worse than what he is accused of, and now makes full and complete confession before You.”

The gavel slams, and God asks, “what should his sentence be?”

Jesus answers, “His sentence shall be death; he deserves the full wrath of this righteous court.”

All along, our accuser, Satan, is having great fun at all this. We are guilty, We admit our guilt, We see our punishment. But then, Jesus asks to approach the bench. As he draws close to God, he simply says:

“Dad, this one belongs to Me. I paid his price. I took the wrath and punishment from this court that he deserves.”

The gavel sounds again, and the Judge cries out, “Guilty as charged! Penalty satisfied!”

Our accuser starts going crazy.  “Aren’t you even going to put him on probation?”

“No!” God shouts. “The penalty has been completely paid by My Son. There is nothing to put him on probation for.”

Then God turns to Jesus, and says,

“Son, you said this one belongs to You. I release him into Your care. Case closed!”

Take from: David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible

1 John: Chapter 2: (Verse 1b-2)

Before the throne of God above,

I have a strong, and perfect plea,

A great High Priest whose name is “Love,”

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

My name is written on His heart;

I know that while in heav’n He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,

My sinful soul is counted free;

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

To look on Him and pardon me.

Hallelujah                 Hallelujah

Praise the One, Risen Son of God

Behold Him there! the risen Lamb,

My perfect, spotless Righteousness,

The great unchangeable I AM,

The King of glory and of grace!

One with Himself I cannot die,

My soul is purchased by His blood;

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ, my Savior and my God.

With Christ, my Savior and my God.

Hallelujah                 Hallelujah

Praise the One,    Risen Son of God

Before the Throne by Shane and Shane

Mark 15:15 “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”

The Romans first stripped the victim and tied his hands to a post above his head. The whip (flagellum) was made of several pieces of leather with pieces of bone and lead embedded near the ends. Two men, one on each side of the victim, usually did the flogging. The Jews mercifully limited flogging to a maximum of forty stripes; the Romans had no such limitation. The following is a medical doctor�s description of the physical effects of flogging.

The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus� shoulders, back, and legs. At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper in the subcutaneous tissues, producing first and oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles� Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. (C. Truman Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus. The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View,” Arizona Medicine 22, no. 3 [March 1965]: 185)    It is not surprising that victims of Roman floggings seldom survived.

Mark 15:20 “And when they mocked him , they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on Him. And they led him out to crucify Him.”

At last tiring of their sadism, the soldiers tore the robe from Jesus� back. The fabric had probably stuck to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds. Thus when it was callously ripped off him, it caused excruciating pain, just as when a bandage is carelessly removed. Jesus� own clothes were now put back on him.

Mark 15:24 “And they crucified Him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.”

Mark simply says, “And they crucified him.” What incredible restraint! Especially when one considers that crucifixion was, as Cicero said, “the cruelest and most hideous punishment possible” (In Verrem 5.54.165). What took place physically is described by Davis (“Crucifixion of Jesus,” pp. 186-187).

Simon is ordered to place the patibulum on the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The cross is then lifted into place.

It is gruesome to read everything that Jesus went through from the time at Gethsemane to His death on the Cross.  The whole read on this link is really incredible, but to only focus on the pain would not be sufficient of what this day was all about.  Jesus went through the worst pain ever imaginable, pain that almost everyone will not ever experience, or at least in my lifetime.  He did all of this because of His and God’s love for us.  It was an incredible event and one that allows those that believe in Christ, as a way to God the Father, to live with Him in Heaven when we pass away from this earth.

In Him, we remember

Matthew 26:39 “‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’”

Mark 14:36 “‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”

Luke 22:44 “And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

And Jesus on the cross:

Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, Lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

There was a time when I was younger, (and I’m sure others’ have as well), I used to think that when Christ prayed and sweated blood in Gethsemane, he was not wanting to go through the torture that was going to happen on the cross. And when Christ was on the cross it came to a point where it was too much to bear.  That was my perception because Christ was human, God becoming man, and having to go through all of the suffering; I know I could not have handled it and I’m sure no one else really could.

I’ve grown to understand, and heard it again a few weeks back, that it was way more than just the physical pain.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have all been together, so when Jesus came to the point of the cross and His crucifixion, he knew what was going to happen that had never happened before.  Because of God’s love for us, He sent His Son down to die for our sins, being blameless and without sin, was able to take on all the sins of the world.  But because God hates sin soo much, He could not be able to bear to see His Son with the sins of the world on His shoulders.  God is perfect and he can not bear to be near to sin, so when Christ was put on the cross, God had to turn His back on His one and only Son.  Jesus loved us soo much that he gave up His connection with the Father to give us a chance to live with Him forever in Heaven.  He did a work that I couldn’t have done myself, and no one else could, because He loves me (and you) with everything.

Let us remember what He has done for our lives. Let us take the time to be still and wait on His love. Let us stop what we are doing and praise Him who took on what we could never have accomplished by ourselves. Let us remember HIM!

(the link is a sermon, about an hour in length, and the part on this starts around the 46th minute. I would recommend listening to all of it, if you have the time)

Here is a Christmas card that spells the gospel out in a beautiful way.