The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
U.S. Supreme Court has Reconvened: Let's be praying WHENEVER the Court is in session as their decisions can have impact on GENERATIONS to come. The fact that they may have an opportunity this session to actually vote on same-sex "marriage" where it has the same impact on this country that Roe v. Wade did should be motivating enough!
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.
"A Life of Service and Thanksgiving - GIVING BACK" - By: Eric Metaxas|Breakpoint.org: Nov. 27, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26457?spMailingID=10029493&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=422283461&spReportId=NDIyMjgzNDYxS0
[As you continue to reflect on the subject of giving thanks], here’s a story that will warm your heart about a man who lives a life of gratitude.
Between 2005 and 2012, Jason Brown lived what many people would consider to be the American dream. He was a starting NFL offensive lineman, first with the Baltimore Ravens and then with the St. Louis Rams.In 2009, he signed a five-year deal with the Rams worth $37.5 million.
Then he did what many would regard as unthinkable: He walked away from another potentially big contract to become . . . a farmer. But not just any kind of farmer. Brown became the kind of farmer who embodies what it means to be thankful.After the Rams released him in 2012, other NFL teams contacted Brown about coming to play for them. He was only 29 years old and could have easily played another two or three years and made millions more.Instead, he told his agent that he was through with football and was ready to pursue his real dream: becoming a farmer. His agent said he was “making the biggest mistake of his life.” Brown’s reply was “No, I’m not.”
Making the story even more difficult to fathom was that Brown had not grown up on a farm—his father had been a landscaper who took his son with him on jobs. Brown planned on learning how to farm from—are you ready for this?—YouTube and the internet, plus whatever advice other farmers might be willing to give.If this story sounds a bit quixotic—a colleague of mine says that the 1960s sitcom “Green Acres” came to mind when reading about Brown—there was nothing starry-eyed or impractical about Brown’s motivations. As he told the Raleigh News-Observer, “I want to help people.”
When he looks out at his 1,000-acre farm, he sees “youngsters learning how to fish” in its ponds, and fields “dedicated to providing fresh produce to shelters and food pantries.” As any farmer can tell you, things don’t always go according to plan. Thus, “Many of the squash and cucumbers he had planned to give away were not harvested this summer because of heavy rains.” Similarly, “The apple, plum and pear trees need time to mature.”
But earlier this month, he harvested his first crop: five acres of sweet potatoes, fifty tons, which he promptly gave away. As Rebecca Page of the Society of St. Andrew, told a North Carolina television station, “"It's unusual for a grower to grow a crop just to give [it] away.”
You’ve probably guessed what motivates Jason Brown. If you haven’t, here’s a clue: his farm is named “First Fruits.” Brown’s former Rams teammate, All-Pro wide receiver Tory Holt, recalls Brown as “always being very strong in his faith.” According to Holt, Brown “was very encouraging to everyone.”
After his playing days were over, Brown decided that “it was time to start giving back . . . God has blessed us with this place, “ he said, “and I am to be a steward, to use all these good things to help other people.”
To those who wonder why he walked away from football, Brown replies that “when I think about a life of greatness, I think about a life of service."
The Browns are taking a break from farming today to celebrate Thanksgiving. As the News and Observer reports, “He is thankful for what he has been given and thankful for what he hopes to do.”
And we are thankful for his example, which should serve as an encouragement to us all.
On behalf of John Stonestreet and the staff of BreakPoint, I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving.
A Life of Service and Thanksgiving: Giving Back - Jason Brown's story serves as a reminder and an encouragement to live a life of service for which God receives all the honor. Think of ways that you can "give back" to your neighbors, community, or church family. For details on Jason's inspirational story, click on the links below.
RESOURCES
"Why a Star Football Player Traded NFL Career for Tractor" - Steve Hartman | CBS Evening News | November 14, 2014; http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-nfl-player-farms-for-good/
"Former UNC and NFL center Jason Brown shares his massive potato harvest" - Tim Stevens | Raleigh News and Observer | November 6, 2014;
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/06/4300809_former-nfl-center-jason-brown.html?rh=1
Black Friday? Cyber Monday? Nah. Giving Tuesday! - Consider making a donation to help deliver Christmas gifts and the gospel to the children of prisoners through Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program. Visit www.angeltree.org/givingtuesday.
PRAY FOR AMERICA: THANK GOD for His many blessings on America throughout it's history. May we then ask that AMERICA once again be a blessing TO GOD, by once again submitting to HIS will in our affairs - both personal and national - that He may truly "heal our land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
11/21 Special Petition Effort for Pastor Seed/ signatures needed in next few days....
President Obama is "desperate" to make a nuclear deal with Iran.
To leave American Pastor Saeed to rot in an Iranian jail for his Christian faith would be an absolute travesty. We have just a few days to demand President Obama act before the nuclear deadline.We can't trust Iran as it torments Pastor Saeed. His life - his freedom - is at stake.
We must send a powerful message to President Obama - a sense of urgency to bring Pastor Saeed home.We've mobilized our international resources. We're aggressively working with Members of Congress to make it crystal clear: no deal without Pastor Saeed. We're fully committed in the fight to bring Pastor Saeed home, but now we need to hear from you. Already, nearly 100,000 have made their voices heard. Join them. Be heard today. Save Saeed. Sign Our Petition: No Deals without Pastor Saeed. http://beheardproject.com/saeed#sign
"American Christian Couple [in Qatar]Faces Death Sentence after Daughter Dies" - By Charlene Aaron, CBN News, November 21, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/November/Christian-Couple-Faces-Death-Sentence-after-Daughter-Dies/
NOW THAT THE ELECTION IS OVER:1) Let's be praying that God showed us grace in giving us representatives who will sincerely work to DO NO HARM to us and future generations. Let's also be praying that should He have chosen to give us those who WILL do us harm, that He extends mercy to us now and for the years ahead. His will is now done as far as the results we have. Now it's up to us to be diligent to hold those elected accountable!, and 2) Let's be praying that the present lame-duck session in Congress will not be allowed to pass legislation that will do harm to our country as they can easily do. (See post #1051 - 'Return of the Zombie).
11/21 Special Petition Effort for Pastor Seed/ signatures needed in next few days....
President Obama is "desperate" to make a nuclear deal with Iran.
To leave American Pastor Saeed to rot in an Iranian jail for his Christian faith would be an absolute travesty. We have just a few days to demand President Obama act before the nuclear deadline.We can't trust Iran as it torments Pastor Saeed. His life - his freedom - is at stake.
We must send a powerful message to President Obama - a sense of urgency to bring Pastor Saeed home.We've mobilized our international resources. We're aggressively working with Members of Congress to make it crystal clear: no deal without Pastor Saeed. We're fully committed in the fight to bring Pastor Saeed home, but now we need to hear from you. Already, nearly 100,000 have made their voices heard. Join them. Be heard today. Save Saeed. Sign Our Petition: No Deals without Pastor Saeed. http://beheardproject.com/saeed#sign
"American Christian Couple [in Qatar]Faces Death Sentence after Daughter Dies" - By Charlene Aaron, CBN News, November 21, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/November/Christian-Couple-Faces-Death-Sentence-after-Daughter-Dies/
NOW THAT THE ELECTION IS OVER:1) Let's be praying that God showed us grace in giving us representatives who will sincerely work to DO NO HARM to us and future generations. Let's also be praying that should He have chosen to give us those who WILL do us harm, that He extends mercy to us now and for the years ahead. His will is now done as far as the results we have. Now it's up to us to be diligent to hold those elected accountable!, and 2) Let's be praying that the present lame-duck session in Congress will not be allowed to pass legislation that will do harm to our country as they can easily do. (See post #1051 - 'Return of the Zombie).
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Save Christian Mom Asia Bibi from Execution - A Christian mom has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for her faith. Asia Bibi was falsely accused of “blasphemy” – speaking against the prophet Muhammad. Now this wife and mother of five will hang for her Christian faith.She would be the first woman executed under Pakistan’s Shariah blasphemy law.This is the ultimate human rights violation. We’re mobilizing our international affiliate – the European Centre for Law and Justice – and its partner in Pakistan to stop this atrocity. Add your name to our letter to the government of Pakistan demanding Asia Bibi’s freedom.Go to http://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-mom-asia-bibi-from-execution; please add your signature to mine and over 35,000 others AND pray for Asia Bibi.
U.S. Supreme Court has Reconvened: Let's be praying WHENEVER the Court is in session as their decisions can have impact on GENERATIONS to come. The fact that they may have an opportunity this session to actually vote on same-sex "marriage" where it has the same impact on this country that Roe v. Wade did should be motivating enough!
WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
Friday, Sept. 26th - Two Year Anniversary of Pastor Saeed Abedini's Imprisonment in Iran! - [NOTE TODAY'S POST!]
We need to continue to pray for Pastor Saeed - that his health will improve and that he will be re-united with his wife and two young children who live in the United States. [If you have not yet, please sign the petition for his clemency- http://beheardproject.com/saeed#sign] For comfort and .\
"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/ "..An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
SIGN A PETITION TO THE UN FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHRISTIANS :" The church in Syria has shone brightly for 2,000 years. But today violence and persecution threatens its survival. Thanks to an incredible response, Open Doors is helping 8,000 families in Syria survive each month. We believe the signatures and prayers of 500,000 people will encourage the UN to act and protect the rights and lives of all Syrians, especially the vulnerable Christian community." Go to: http://lp.opendoorsusa.org/emails/nov-13-action/save-syria.html?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button&utm_campaign=november
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.
PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)
/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: As the Lord leads, please pray:
*For God to suppress President Putin’s ambitions to "restore" the Soviet empire.
*For the people of Ukrainen [esp. for the church 'to be THE church'] as they wait to see if the Russian troops will advance.
*About President Obama and to use wisdom in crafting our foreign policy, and wisdom for his advisers.
Continue to Pray for EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
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"A Life of Service and Thanksgiving - GIVING BACK" - By: Eric Metaxas|Breakpoint.org: Nov. 27, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26457?spMailingID=10029493&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=422283461&spReportId=NDIyMjgzNDYxS0
[As you continue to reflect on the subject of giving thanks], here’s a story that will warm your heart about a man who lives a life of gratitude.
Between 2005 and 2012, Jason Brown lived what many people would consider to be the American dream. He was a starting NFL offensive lineman, first with the Baltimore Ravens and then with the St. Louis Rams.In 2009, he signed a five-year deal with the Rams worth $37.5 million.
Then he did what many would regard as unthinkable: He walked away from another potentially big contract to become . . . a farmer. But not just any kind of farmer. Brown became the kind of farmer who embodies what it means to be thankful.After the Rams released him in 2012, other NFL teams contacted Brown about coming to play for them. He was only 29 years old and could have easily played another two or three years and made millions more.Instead, he told his agent that he was through with football and was ready to pursue his real dream: becoming a farmer. His agent said he was “making the biggest mistake of his life.” Brown’s reply was “No, I’m not.”
Making the story even more difficult to fathom was that Brown had not grown up on a farm—his father had been a landscaper who took his son with him on jobs. Brown planned on learning how to farm from—are you ready for this?—YouTube and the internet, plus whatever advice other farmers might be willing to give.If this story sounds a bit quixotic—a colleague of mine says that the 1960s sitcom “Green Acres” came to mind when reading about Brown—there was nothing starry-eyed or impractical about Brown’s motivations. As he told the Raleigh News-Observer, “I want to help people.”
When he looks out at his 1,000-acre farm, he sees “youngsters learning how to fish” in its ponds, and fields “dedicated to providing fresh produce to shelters and food pantries.” As any farmer can tell you, things don’t always go according to plan. Thus, “Many of the squash and cucumbers he had planned to give away were not harvested this summer because of heavy rains.” Similarly, “The apple, plum and pear trees need time to mature.”
But earlier this month, he harvested his first crop: five acres of sweet potatoes, fifty tons, which he promptly gave away. As Rebecca Page of the Society of St. Andrew, told a North Carolina television station, “"It's unusual for a grower to grow a crop just to give [it] away.”
You’ve probably guessed what motivates Jason Brown. If you haven’t, here’s a clue: his farm is named “First Fruits.” Brown’s former Rams teammate, All-Pro wide receiver Tory Holt, recalls Brown as “always being very strong in his faith.” According to Holt, Brown “was very encouraging to everyone.”
After his playing days were over, Brown decided that “it was time to start giving back . . . God has blessed us with this place, “ he said, “and I am to be a steward, to use all these good things to help other people.”
To those who wonder why he walked away from football, Brown replies that “when I think about a life of greatness, I think about a life of service."
The Browns are taking a break from farming today to celebrate Thanksgiving. As the News and Observer reports, “He is thankful for what he has been given and thankful for what he hopes to do.”
And we are thankful for his example, which should serve as an encouragement to us all.
On behalf of John Stonestreet and the staff of BreakPoint, I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving.
A Life of Service and Thanksgiving: Giving Back - Jason Brown's story serves as a reminder and an encouragement to live a life of service for which God receives all the honor. Think of ways that you can "give back" to your neighbors, community, or church family. For details on Jason's inspirational story, click on the links below.
RESOURCES
"Why a Star Football Player Traded NFL Career for Tractor" - Steve Hartman | CBS Evening News | November 14, 2014; http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-nfl-player-farms-for-good/
"Former UNC and NFL center Jason Brown shares his massive potato harvest" - Tim Stevens | Raleigh News and Observer | November 6, 2014;
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/06/4300809_former-nfl-center-jason-brown.html?rh=1
Black Friday? Cyber Monday? Nah. Giving Tuesday! - Consider making a donation to help deliver Christmas gifts and the gospel to the children of prisoners through Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program. Visit www.angeltree.org/givingtuesday.
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