Amazing Grace

Sharon and I attended Amazing Grace tonight. I can sum the movie up with one word, "Amazing." I left the theater amazed at God's grace; amazed at the persistence and vision of William Wilberforce who was elected to the British Parliament at the age of 21 and fought tirelessly for the abolition of slave trade; amazed at the difference one person who is committed to Christ can have on an entire nation. I left the theater inspired to live a more noble life in response to God's amazing grace. William Wilberforce was truly a man who was unafraid to stand against the prevailing winds of culture in order to transform it.

I was especially moved by the relationship between John Newton, the teacher and pastor, and Wilberforce, the student. It's interesting that the fight to end the slave trade in Britain was not won by the power of debate or superior ideas, but by a change of tactics! Wilberforce had the humility and wisdom to listen to the advice of others, learning how to win the battle through cooperation and education. It's said that by the time the Slave Trade Act finally passed, public opinion of an entire nation had been swayed toword abolition. Wilberforce came to understand that in order to influence the behavior and policy of a people, you must first capture their hearts and minds.

Favorite lines from the movie include:

“There now. Remember that smell. Remember the Madagascar. Remember God made men equal.” Wilberforce

William Pitt, a long-time friend of Wilberforce tried to convince him to stay in Parliament because he's such a gifted orator, as seen in several debates on the floor. Pitt asks,"Will you use your beautiful voice to praise the Lord or change the world?"

John Newton said, "Two things I know - I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior."

Wilberforce was tireless in his campaign against the slave trade. In April 1791, Wilberforce introduced the first Parliamentary Bill to abolish the slave trade, which was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88. Men of lesser faith or courage would have given up. It wasn't until March 25, 1807 that the bill was carried by 283 votes to 16 and the Slave Trade Act was finally approved. It is fitting that the movie opened in theaters 200 years later to the day!

And 200 years later we are still singing the wonders of God's Amazing Grace!

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
And Grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come.
'Tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

Generation Me

Surprise, surprise - a comprehensive new study released today finds college students more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors. Jean Twenge is one of the leaders of the study and author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before.

The report says that all the effort to boost children's self-esteem may have backfired and produced a generation of college students who are more narcissistic than their Gen X predecessors. And the Internet, with all its MySpace and YouTube braggadocio, is letting that self-regard blossom even more, said the analysis, titled "Egos Inflating Over Time."

Researchers warn that a rising ego rush could cause personal and social problems for the Millennial Generation, also called Gen Y. People with an inflated sense of self tend to have less interest in emotionally intimate bonds and can lash out when rejected or insulted. "That makes me very, very worried," said Jean Twenge, a San Diego State associate professor and lead author of the report. "I'm concerned we are heading to a society where people are going to treat each other badly, either on the street or in relationships."

It's suggested that some of the increase in narcissistic attitudes was probably caused by the self-esteem programs that many elementary schools adopted 20 years ago. It notes that nursery schools began to have children sing songs that proclaim: "I am special, I am special. Look at me."Those youngsters are now adolescents obsessed with websites, such as MySpace and YouTube, that "permit self-promotion far beyond that allowed by traditional media," the report says. Other trends in American culture, including permissive parenting, increased materialism and the fascination with celebrities and reality TV shows, may also heighten self-regard, said study coauthor W. Keith Campbell, psychology professor at the University of Georgia. "It's part of a whole cultural system," he said.

Now how do you like that. People who aren't obsessed with themselves are happier, have more fulfilling relationships, and contribute more to society. Maybe Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said:

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:24-26

It's time for the church to move to the front of the line - not in an obnoxious and pushy way, but to demonstrate what a life of sacrificial service looks like. Our culture is broken and in desperate need for role models worth emulating. Jesus is calling us to follow Him as His servant. To show a generation consumed with "Me" what life is all about.

Join the Journey

I'm still processing the information that I brought back from the Church Ministry in Focus Conference last week. By the way, I'm sure glad that Bob and I weren't trying to fly out of Cedar Rapids today!

I attended a break out session on Developing Mature Disciples led by Pastor Todd Wagner from Watermark Church. Among other things, Todd Wagner shared about the Join The Journey online Bible reading program that they have developed. The idea is to get as many people as possible reading the Bible together. The program involves reading one chapter a day, 5 or 6 days a week, depending on which journey your church is on. Each person on the journey receives a daily email with a Travelers Log written by someone from your church.

Our staff will be talking about the possibility of New Covenant doing Join The Journey in 2008. Can you believe that we are thinking and talking about 2008 already! It would be exciting to get all of our youth and adults reading the same Scripture passage together each day. It would involve writing and editing our own devotionals to go with the reading passages and then writing a small bio about each writer.

Take a look at the Join the Journey web site and let me know what you think. Is this something that you and your small group or Adult Bible Fellowship would like to do together? I'd love to hear from you. Are you interested to Join the Journey?

Winter

A blast of winter weather, snow and freezing ice hit Cedar Rapids last night. Our electricity went out around 7:30 PM last evening right as we were gathering in the family room to watch The Prestige DVD. Bummer, we couldn't watch the movie. Then we got the idea of watching it on our laptop. Just one problem, the movie was in the DVD player and we couldn't get it out! Such are the hardships of an American power outage!

There's something exciting about a power outage, as long as it doesn't last too long. We lit the candles and moved to the kitchen table to play a game of Skipbo, certain that the electricity would soon be on. 9:30 PM came and went, still no power. I began to think about the freezer, refrig, sump pump and furnace. I can sleep in the cold but I sure don't want my water line to freeze up. That just happened to my neighbor and it wasn't a pretty sight!

I stayed up to 11:30 reading by flashlight. Still no power. In the mean time Pastor Bob, Gary and myself decided to cancel our Sunday services based on the wintry conditions and forecast. I woke up at 1:30 AM to find the light in our bed room on. I'm not sure what time the power finally returned.

In all, over 170,000 Alliant and MidAmerican customers lost power last night. According to the Gazette, many homes will not have power for at least three days and some may take over a week to have power restored. Yikes! That would not be good. It makes you appreciate all the small blessings that we take for granted on a daily basis.

This morning we enjoyed a leisurely and quite morning at home. It was a surprise, yet welcome gift of solitude and rest. What a wonderful change of pace. And all because of a power outage and storm. Maybe there's a lesson there for me. Perhaps in the midst of the storm, God longs to give me rest if I only slow down long enough to receive it.

Thank you God for the winter season and storms of life that draw us closer to you.

Passing the Baton

I went to the Isaac Newton Christian Academy breakfast with Dr. Jeff Myers yesterday morning. Dr. Myers teaches at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. I have heard Dr. Myers at Worldview Weekends at New Covenant and in Cedar Falls. He also teaches at the two week Summit Worldview Conference. Jon attended Summit this past summer and Dr. Myer was one of his favorite speakers.

Dr. Myers personal ministry is the Myers Institute. He has a vision to mobilize one million adults by the year 2015 to pass the baton of culture-shaping leadership to the next generation. Mentoring future leaders is his passion. His Passing the Baton initiative seeks to help followers of Christ to make a good "hand off" to the future generation.

Dr. Myers recounted how the 2004 U.S. Olympic women’s relay team was the fastest in the world. Commentators said that if they just showed up to the finals, they would walk away with the gold.

But in the final round, the unthinkable happened. Marion Jones failed to complete the pass to Lauren Williams. Because of a missed baton pass, the race was lost. Because the race was lost, the gold medal was lost—for these two athletes, perhaps forever.

As I get older, I reflect more on what I'm going to leave behind. My life will be measured not by how fast I ran, but what I pass on the those who follow me. That's because the race of life isn’t a 100 yard dash. It’s a relay. You only win when you pass the baton to the next generation—to our children and to the young people in our church, school, at work and in our neighborhood.

Each generation only gets one shot at making a good hand off. The great historian Will Durant said, “From barbarism to civilization requires a century. From civilization to barbarism needs but a day.” I want to leave my little part of the world a better place. I want to make sure that my baton pass is a good one.

Leaders Stick Together

We had a great Leadership Community meeting this month. I'm showing my photos off with a new, free photo viewer provided by slide.com. The photos advance on their own, you don't have to do anything. Let me know how you like it!

We are enjoying using the Red Green theme for the months of January thru March. Pastor Bob even showed off his new Red Green suspenders! Doug Forret won the Best Dressed award with his ductape vest!

Our Glory Lodge Leadership Community meeting kicked off with the Leaders Prayer:
I'm a leader
I can lead
Because I get to
By God's strength.

We enjoyed Lightening Round presentations by Dianna Burnett for SinglesTogether, Erin Bird for the Campus Staff, and Gina Green for the Women's Retreat.

Pastor Bob gave us several important Community Neighborhood News (CNN) updates:

• We are now in the Throne Zone with our master plan. We hope to wrap up the master planning phase by the end of February. The issues is how much can we trust God for in the first phase. We hope to bring the master plan to the congregation late spring, early summer and then vote on the project a month later.
• Faithful Endeavor ~ Our Relocation Journey is the name of our relocation project. This process is all about people - reaching more people with the gospel and then helping them grow.
• On February 25 we will begin a new financial series called Real Life. On March 11 we will launch small groups that will study the Good $ense material.
• We are planning to launch a second site this fall in order to open up more seats at our 1800 46th Street site. The sermon will be captured on DVD and then shown at our multi-site campus. We are going to ask 100-150 people from our 46th Street campus to help us launch this new site.

Pastor Bob gave us a great leadership lesson using this Red Green video. Red Green attempts to to concoct an ingenious system of head projection, all to no avail of course. Pastor Bob encouraged us as leaders to be prepared for attacks from Satan. Our enemy is seeking someone to devour. Ephesians 6 encourages us to put on our armour in order to stand against our enemy. Our protection comes from community, spiritual disciplines and mission.

You can listen to the entire Leadership Community meeting by going to our web site. It's great getting together with other leaders. Remember to "keep the main thing the main thing." Real servant leaders stick together!

Seperated At Birth

One my favorite parts of the conference was the tour and time of interaction at Fellowship Dallas. They purchased and renovated a mall and theater complex, converting it into a church. They did an incredible job, making the space warm and inviting.

Soon after entering the door I realized that this church is very much like what we are in the process of designing. It was as though we had walked into our architectural floor plans and were able to experience the space firsthand.

Their main lobby is very similar to our main street. All of their ministry areas, or neighborhoods as we call them, are located around the main first and second floor lobby. This makes it very easy to visually locate and navigate your way around the building. Their facility is 125,000 square feet which is the size we would like to build. Their worship center seats 1100 giving us a good idea of what a space this size would feel look and feel like.

I especially enjoyed the way they used color, materials and lighting to create a warm environment. I also like the way they have small seating areas scattered throughout the building. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the facility.

As we took the tour, met their staff and then listened to the presentation of their ministry, I realized that our two churches have much in common. We both value teamship and relationships among our staff teams. We both utilize small groups and mid-sized groups for helping people grow and develop community. And we both approach ministry in very similar ways.

Fellowship Dallas has creatively designed and built a facility to support their ministry. And incredibly it looks very much like what we too envision. It's as though our two churches were separated at birth.

The Staff Who Plays Together, Prays Together

It's a dangerous thing to be gone for several days. Bob and I attended the Focus of the Church conference sponsored by the Center for Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary on Monday and Tuesday of this week. It was a great conference and I'm really thankful that I was able to attend.

We asked Mark Forstrom to lead the Tuesday staff meeting in our absence. Mark always makes life interesting and he once again lived up to his reputation! Mark asked each staff member to wear a "crazy hat" to staff meeting. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show featuring the wacky hats. Thank you to Gina Green for taking the photos so that Bob and I could see what goes on in our absence!

However it wasn't all fun and games. Mark had each staff member write out prayer requests on a mailing label and then place it on their back. People then moved throughout the room, pausing to pray silently for one another. It was a very creative and powerful prayer time! Mark once again proved that the"staff who plays together, prays together!"

Halftime

We had our Halftime Summit this morning with about 25 in attendance. Wayne Smith and John Leffin from the Halftime organization were with us on Friday for a Collaborative Day and then the Summit on Saturday. Halftime is the season of life that offers the opportunity to look back on what you’ve accomplished, understand who you are and then redirect your time and talent for an even more purposeful second half.

The concept of halftime is a big issue. More than 12,000 people turn 50 every day in the US. These halftimers are looking for ways to live the second half of their lives with meaning and purpose. It's exiting to think how the ministry of New Covenant will be shaped in the years to come by halftimers who want more out of life than traditional "retirement" has to offer.

Today we worked on identifying our talents, passion and mission statement. I've worked on my mission statement before so I used the time for examination and refinement. I have concluded that the thing that I'm the most passionate about is servant leadership and leading with integrity. So here is what I came up with today. To mobilize and mentor teams of servant leaders who create healthy environments for growth.

I'm now 55 years old. Yikes, how did that happen! Age motives me to live with more intentionality. Every day is a gift and there are no promises for tomorrow. Pastor Ray was only 62 when he went home to be with the Lord. So I want to live each day with purpose and invest my life into what is eternal. And increasingly, for me this means that I want to be involved in mobilizing and mentoring servant leaders who lead with integrity.

Our Valentine!

We celebrated Valentine's Day with our favorite valentine! We fixed dinner and made our own card. Here are just a few of the things that make Sharon a Very Important Person:

V ery beautiful
A lways caring
L oving
E xceptional mom
N early perfect
T akes time for people
I nterested in others
N otices detail
E xtraordinary friend

Proverbs 31:28-29 is a passage that describes Sharon.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Sharon, you are a wonderful wife, mother and friend. Thank you for being our Valentine!

What Can I Do To Make It Right For You?

Sharon and I did something tonight that we have never done before - we ordered "take-out" at Chili's. All three boys are at the Senior High Retreat and we were home alone. We didn't want to wait to be seated at a restaurant so we decided to place a "take-out" order at Chili's. We love their salads and thought it would be nice to enjoy our meal in our warm home.

Sharon placed the order and was told the food would be ready in 15-20 minutes. So far, so good. I arrived at the "take-out" door and asked if the order for Kim Pagel was ready yet. The server went back to the kitchen and brought back a carry-out sack with two meals. I paid for the food and drove back home. I couldn't wait to dive into my Buffalo Chicken Salad.

The phone rang shortly after I came in the door and it was the manager at Chili's. It seems as there had been a mix up. I had been given the wrong order. Another Kim arrived right after I left and she received my food. I looked in the bag and sure enough, I had the other Kim's food. What are the chances! Bummer, I would have to make another trip out in the cold.

But here's where the story becomes impressive. First of all the manager himself called me. He didn't wait for me to call and he didn't have the server call me. He apologized for the mix up and then said, "What can I do to make it right for you?" Wow! I was impressed. All I wanted was the food I ordered, so he told me to keep the wrong order and to return and he would have my order ready for me.

When I returned to the pick-up door and asked for my order, the server went and got the manager. He apologized twice for the inconvenience that their mistake had caused me. Once again, he did it personally. And he didn't make excuses or blame the server who made the mistake. And to top it all off, he handed my an Chili's envelope and told me that he wanted me to have some gift certificates that I could use the next time I came to Chili's. I opened the envelope when I got home to find four $5 gift certificates! Needless to say, I was impressed!

When it was all said and done, we received four meals (we only ate two of them!) and had a net $5 left over. Not a bad nights work. I told Sharon that we need to do "take-out" more often!

But more importantly, I experienced over-the-top customer service. The manager turned the mistake and inconvenience into an opportunity to demonstrate humility and integrity. I returned home feeling valued rather than inconvenienced. All because a manager took responsibility and asked,"What can I do to make it right for you?"

The Joy of Life

The evidence continues to mount that we are made for community. This is part of what it means to be made in the image of God. We are made for relationship.

Lonely individuals may be twice as likely to develop the type of dementia linked to Alzheimer’s disease in late life as those who are not lonely, according to a study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.

Researchers focused on the effects of emotional isolation, or loneliness, in which people perceive themselves as feeling socially isolated and disconnected from others - sometimes even if they're surrounded by family and friends. "It turns out people who have this feeling of being socially isolated are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's," says David A. Bennett, MD, co-author of the study and director of the Rush University Medical Center Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago.

Though a small social network of friends and family has been linked in previous research to a higher risk of Alzheimer's, Bennett's group focused on a person's perception of being alone, regardless of their social network size. "We are talking about a tendency to feel isolated and alone in the world," he says. "You can have a small network and not feel isolated; or you can have a large network but don't know how to connect, and feel isolated."

Several previous studies have found a link between social isolation, mental decline, and a higher risk of dementia, Bennett notes. Social isolation is often brought on, he says, by being single, participating in few activities with others, or having few people in your social network.

If you have seven people in your social network (defined as people other than your spouse whom you feel close to and can confide in), you are about average, Bennett says. "People with 2, 3, or 4 are at greater risk [of dementia] compared to people with 12 or 13," he says, citing other research.

Other studies have showed that people who tend to be depressed and who tend to feel overwhelmed with stress are also at greater risk for Alzheimer's, he says. For now, Bennett says, "People should be aware that negative emotions in the form of depression, loneliness, and being overwhelmed are bad for the brain."

I would add that depression, loneliness, and being overwhelmed are not only bad for the brain but also for your spiritual health. We are created for community. Make an intentional effort this year to join a small group, make several new friends, or volunteer in your church or community. You will feel better and enjoy life more!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

In case you haven't noticed, it's been snowing in upstate New York. New York's governor Eliot Spitzer declared Oswego County a disaster emergency, where five straight days of lake-effect squalls have dumped nearly 100 inches of snow, and even more snow is forecast through the weekend! Parts of the county were getting as much as 3 inches of snow an hour said Dave Sage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

I always laugh when people in Iowa complain about the snow. Sharon and I lived in Syracuse, New York from 1977-1991 and we experienced real snowfall. Let me tell you, upstate New York knows snow. Consider these facts:

• Syracuse is the nation's snowiest metropolitan region, averaging 114.6 inches every winter!
• The biggest snow plow in the world is the 32-foot, 3-inch blade attached to a payloader at Hancock Airport in Syracuse. The 48-inch tall piece of steel can clear 8,500 cubic yards of snow in an hour.
• The Tug Hill Plateau just north of Syracuse is the snowiest place east of the Rocky Mountains. Some winters, more than 400 inches fall.
• The winter of 1977, the first year we were married, Syracuse recorded 161.2 inches of snowfall!

The heavy snow is due to the proximity to Lake Ontario. It is a light, fluffy, lake-effect type of snow. It's easier to shovel, but once you get over 100 inches, you are trying to throw it up and over banks that are over your head!

So Iowan's, don't you dare complain about the snow. Cedar Rapids averages only 34.4 inches of snow a year. And I can't even remember the last time we had a "white Christmas." Bring it on! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Watching You

I'm speaking this Sunday on Ephesians 6:4 and the parenting process. And of course you can't talk about being a parent without talking about being a role model. Our children are watching us and model what they see. We try to take short-cuts and mistake telling for training. Training takes more time and involves showing, explaining, correcting and encouraging.

Many of you may be familiar with Rodney Atkins "Watching You" music video. Watching You is Billboards number one country song right now. It's about the relationship between a dad and his son and the power of modeling. Dad's, watch the video and then go hug your son. Someone is watching you!

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy
Till his nuggets were gone
Green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my breaks and mumbled under my breath
As fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with "s" and I was concerned
So I said son now where did you learn to talk like that

[Chorus one]
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son's scooby doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to god like he was talking to a friend
And I said son where'd you learn to pray like that

[Chorus two]
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama's hand
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

[Bridge]
With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug
Said my little bear is growing up
He said but when I'm big I'll still know what to do

[Chorus three]
Cause I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
Then I'll be as strong as you and superman
We'll be just alike, hey won't we dad
When I can do everything you do
Cause I've been watching you

My Favorite Store

I made a trip to my favorite store today. Half Price Books is an awesome place to shop, and the price is right! You never know what "bargain" you are going to find there. For a person who has a learning talent and likes to read, there is nothing better than a trip to Half Price Books.

Today I was on the lookout for a book by Andy Stanley and one by Seth Godin. I had no luck finding either of these books but found several other "keepers." I landed Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church by Roberts and Marshall; Leading Without Power by De Pree; and Small, Strong Congregations by Callahan. $55 worth of books for $20! All looked like they had never been read and were in like-new condition.

Let me know what you're reading and what you find at Half Price. I've gotta go. My book and cup of coffee are calling out my name!

Character Not Color

By this time you have probably heard that Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are poised to be the first African-American coaches to reach the Super Bowl. One of them will walk away with the distinction of being the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. What makes this story more interesting is that both men are friends, both men coached together in Tampa Bay and both men have solid Christian testimonies.

And don't think that the quality of their character has gone unnoticed. Here is what Michael Smith from ESPN.com has to say about them.

"Dungy and Smith are role models, not just for coaches who look like them or men who look like them, but for all coaches and all men. They live their lives the right way, and as a result they do their jobs the same way. Their priorities are, in order: faith, their families and football. The outcome of the Super Bowl or any game does not define them. They personify words such as class, grace, dignity, honor and integrity. We all can draw inspiration from men such as these."

"Dungy and Smith are Christian men who serve the Lord first and spend nearly as much time serving their communities. Doesn't prevent them from winning. And often. In just three seasons Smith, last season's Coach of the Year, has helped build the Bears into a league power. Dungy has won more regular season games than any coach since 1999. Where does color factor into that?"

"After they won their conference championships, you heard Smith talk about his "being blessed" and Dungy give thanks to God. That isn't just lip service with these guys. As Christians they believe it is their responsibility to let their light shine whenever they're in the spotlight. Just as they have a game plan for each other come Super Bowl Sunday, both plan to use the global platform that the Super Bowl provides to speak words that could make an impact beyond football. At his oldest son James' funeral last year, Dungy used the eulogy as an opportunity to teach lessons about manhood and fatherhood."

Dungy and Smith remind us that a person is to evaluated not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. The Super Bowl will be decided on Sunday evening. One team will be crowned the victor, one relegated to defeat. But the verdict is already in on Dungy and Smith. Both men are winner, on and off the field.

Church Super Bowl Parties Sacked

It appears that the National Football League is more concerned about Nielsen ratings and advertising dollars than making its premiere event family friendly. But I guess we should have figured that out already after the sleazy halftime show and "wardrobe malfunction" several years ago. Not content with ad rates of 2.7 million dollars for a 30 second spot, the NFL wants more.

The NFL is telling Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis that the church's plans to use a wall projector to show the game at a party for church members and guests would violate copyright laws. NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek's "Super Bowl Bash" on the church Web site last week and sent pastor John D. Newland a letter via FedEx overnight demanding the party be canceled.

The NFL says that the law limits the church to one TV no bigger than 55 inches. The league even took exception to the church's plan to influence nonmembers with a video highlighting the Christian testimonies of Colts coach Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. "While this may be a noble message," NFL assistant counsel Rachel L. Margolies wrote in a follow-up e-mail, "we are consistent in refusing the use of our game broadcasts in connection with events that promote a message, no matter the content."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's longstanding policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl. A major exception to the rule is made, however, for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of their everyday operations. "We have contracts with our TV networks to provide free over-the-air television for people at home," Aiello said. "The network economics are based on television ratings and at-home viewing. Out-of-home viewing is not measured by Nielsen."

So here's the solution. A church can get a liquor license, sell alcoholic drinks and show the Super Bowl on their large screen. But don't you dare allow children and families to come for free to enjoy the game in a family-friendly environment. You may just receive a FedEx cease and desist order with threats of legal action and fines. The NFL proves again that greed knows no limit.

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15

Coffee Has Its Perks

OK, so I really enjoy a good cup of coffee. As I write this blog, I'm perking a pot of Starbucks Caffe' Verona Decaf. I love the smell of fresh ground coffee beans. I love the aroma of a pot of coffee being brewed. And I love a cup of fresh perked coffee in the morning. It's one of lifes simple pleasures.

And now, new research is coming out that demonstrates coffee's health benefits. Researches have found that coffee is quite high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are generally helpful substances, found in foods, which scavenge unstable molecules (free radicals) in your body. Free radicals contribute to oxidative stress, which, over time, can cause inflammation and other unhealthy changes in your cells.

The February issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource highlights news about these health benefits of coffee:

• Reduced risk of inflammation and cardiovascular disease. A study of more than 27,000 postmenopausal women concluded that coffee’s antioxidant properties may inhibit inflammation and, consequently, development of cardiovascular disease.
  
• Reduced risk of diabetes: It appears that routine coffee consumption, particularly decaffeinated coffee, substantially lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes.
  
• Brain protection: Among a group of 890 older women, a history of consuming caffeinated coffee throughout their life appears to help preserve cognitive skills -- thinking, memory and comprehension -- possibly because of long-term caffeine exposure.
  
• Reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease: A large trial called the Nurses’ Health Study found that low levels of caffeine intake reduced the risk of Parkinson’s disease in women who used postmenopausal hormone therapy. In women who didn’t use hormones, caffeine intake at moderate to high levels decreased the risk of Parkinson’s.

So there you have it. I knew there was a good reason why I so enjoy a good cup of coffee. Great taste, wonderful aroma, along with significant health benefits. Coffee has its perks! I gotta go. My coffee's ready!