God in the football locker room

Competition for the quarterback position on a high school football team can be pretty fierce. But when the two people vying for the position are devoted to God, the results can be great for the team.

The Rankin Ledger recently ran an article about Joe Barnes and Caleb Jett, the quarterbacks for the Brandon High School football team. The two rivals had not talked until after a Sunday school cookout in April:

'God showed up that day and people were being set free from bondages and sin, and I felt God was pulling at me. I finally broke down in tears and I knew it was time for me to follow God completely,' said Barnes.

'I wasn't supposed to be there that day but I got invited. We were praying for someone else and I kept getting these looks from Thomas, the leader. It was like God was looking at me through him. God spoke to me and it was like I let go of everything,' said Jett.

Following the prayer time, the two rivals were left alone to talk it out.

'We both knew that God put us together that day and we agreed to follow whatever God said. That was the day I met my best friend,' said Barnes.

Jett said the two began praying and ministering at church, at school and in the locker room.

The players have made a difference in the lives of many people by talking about God in the locker room and at school, and their attitude of putting the team first instead of themselves has benefited the team.

The Miracle Mansion -- revived

The impact of the credit crunch was seen in Morris, Minn., recently. The Rev. Carol Carroll was planning on renovating a large home now called the Miracle Mansion, but suffered disappointment when she lost a federal grant to help repair the mansion after the state historical society told her the building would have to be repaired to their specifications and the bank turned her down for a loan.

Carroll felt like giving up, but she had hope, according to the Morris Sun Tribune:

'When it crumbled down, I crumbled down,' Carroll admitted. She even considered selling the historic home.

God spoke to her heart and told her he didn’t send her to fail, she said. And a man named 'Ed' whom Carroll describes as a 'common sense man' stepped up to help advise her on how to renovate the house, she said.

'I feel like the Lord has taken me back under his wings,' she said. 'I feel very protected again.'

Carroll was able to complete the renovations thanks to many volunteers and donated labor. She plans to turn the Miracle Mansion into a bed and breakfast that will be in unity with churches in the community.

Christmas gifts for those less fortunate

Given the state of the economy, it's likely that many children will not receive the presents from Santa Claus that are on their wish list. That's where Student Santas, an organization started by Jennifer Icaza-Gast three years ago, comes in.

The story of how Icaza-Gast started Student Santas ran in the Southeast Missourian:

God spoke to my heart three years ago as I watched my children open their gifts on Christmas morning. Instead of being happy at the sight of my two little ones tearing into their gifts, I found myself overcome with sadness and heartache. I realized that somewhere, at that very moment, there was a child waking up excited at the thought of Santa bringing that special doll or truck only to find nothing. It hurts to imagine a small face so full of hope running into a living room and becoming so disappointed. I found myself wondering…..How do you explain to a child that Santa didn’t come to their house because Dad lost his job last month?

Student Santas collected 1,500 toys in its first year; the goal for 2008 is to give away 6,000 toys.

If you know of a child in need please send a letter with the child’s age, gender, and toy requests to:

Student Santas

PO Box 641

Cape Girardeau, MO 63702

Becoming a "forever family" through adoption

Many couples experience difficulty having kids. And there are many kids out there who need families. Why not consider adoption?

WLOX-TV recently ran a story on a couple who had foster children, and now have officially adopted the kids:

Jennifer and Jason Hinkel say when two-year-old Megan and her four-year-old brother Peyton came into their lives, the void that was in their hearts went away.

'We tried for a long time to have biological children and that just wasn't meant to be,' said Jennifer Hinkel. 'God spoke to us and told us this is where we needed to go. We really feel like this is what we were meant to do.'

The adoption process can take a long time, but I'm sure it is worth the wait.

Billy Graham turns 90

Billy Graham recently turned 90 years old. Think about all of the people whom he has touched through the years, and how God has spoken through him! Ron Carothers and his wife Margie told Charlotte's WCNC about Graham's message when Ron was diagnosed with cancer:

. . .Carothers and his wife, Margie, searched the Bible for a verse to help him heal. They found it.

'God will help us, strengthen us and uphold us,' Margie said.

That same day, they got in their car, headed home from seclusion and prayer and turned on the radio. It was Billy Graham preaching the same verse.

'We hadn't been in contact with anyone and Dr. Graham was preaching that very verse and it just was a confirmation from the Lord. God spoke through Dr. Graham that day,' Margie said.

Thousands of people have wished Billy Graham happy birthday this year, and you can too!

Hearing God

Last Sunday's service at South Metro Vineyard Church focused on, of all topics, hearing God! The pastor used the story of Paul in Acts 16:1-10 to provide context. Here are the points from the sermon on hearing God:

1. People hear from God when they are willing to listen to Him about current issues of obedience in their lives.
2. People hear from God when they take time to listen to God.
3. People hear from God when they begin to identify what God sounds like.
4. People hear from God when they have confidence that God is committed to speaking to them.
5. You can have confidence you've heard from God even in difficult times.

The pastor added that God is more committed to speaking to us than we are in listening to Him, and that you're not going to miss God's voice if you incline your heart to hear it. The message can be heard here.