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Thursday, July 19, 2018

THE STORY OF THE GIPPER



It was halftime of the 1928 Army vs. Notre Dame Game that legendary head coach Knute Rockne gave his "win one for the Gipper" speech to his beleaguered players.

Notre Dame was having one of its worst seasons on record and Rockne was trying to salvage what he could of the season. He told his players about the tragic death of George Gipp, a great Notre Dame player.

Many historians doubt that Rockne's version of Gipp's last words was true. None the less, Notre Dame did win the game against Army that memorable day.

This speech became ingrained in popular culture after its recreation in the 1940 movie, Knute Rockne--All American, which starred a then known B actor, Ronald Reagan.

The phrase "Win one for the Gipper" became a permanent fixture in American society. Here is the transcript of the dialogue from the movie...

Well, boys ... I haven't a thing to say. Played a great game...all of you. Great game, I guess we just can't expect to win ‘em all. I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years -- None of you ever knew George Gipp. It was long before your time, but you know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame...And the last thing he said to me -- "Rock," he said, "sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper...I don't know where I'll be then, Rock", he said - "but I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."

(There was a hushed stillness as Rockne and the crowd of boys look at each other. and the midst of this tense silence, one of the boys loudly shouted!)

Well, what are we waiting for?

And with a single roar, the players throw off their blankets and rush through the doorway, went out and won the game!

That phrase the Gipper from the movie, followed a then, little known actor Ronald Reagan all of his life and went on to inspire a nation.

How parents religious habits affect children


Researchers from Switzerland examined whether parents’ religious habits were transmitted to their offspring.

They studied different variables, but one critical factor towered above the rest:

the practices of the father determine whether children grow up attending church or not.

And the results were somewhat shocking: the habits of the mother had almost no influence over their kids’ future devotion.

Consider these findings:

....When Mom goes to church regularly but Dad goes infrequently,

just 3 percent of their kids go on to become regular churchgoers.

....When Mom is regular but Dad never attends, just 2 percent become regular attendees.

Now, let’s flip the scenario, what if Dad is faithful?

When both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 33 percent of kids grow up to attend regularly.

When Dad is regular but Mom only goes once in a while, the figure jumps to 38 percent.

Here’s the real bombshell: when Dad is faithful but Mom never attends,

44 percent of the kids end up as regular church attendees!

Bottom line: in spiritual matters, kids take their cues from Dad.

If daddy doesn’t go to church, chances are very slim that his children will become regular worshippers.

If the kids see religion as "Mom’s thing" they are more likely to become disenchanted.

But if Dad leads by example, children are twenty-two times more likely to become lifelong churchgoers

Are there exceptions, everyone knows there are always exceptions to every rule.

I stand here today as an exception, one of the 2 Percent group. I also credit a praying mother, who stood on and received the promise of her household, from God! It didn't happen in her lifetime, but never the less happened, and God kept His Word!

It's no wonder why churches all over the globe are closing their doors, and are dropping in attendance.

Dads aren't going, so why should the children. Fathers are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of their households. If we're ever going to see revival in our church's, it's going to have to first start in our homes!

God has a plan for each one of our lives and He constantly gives us, every opportunity to walk in the plans that He has for us!

Pull Buddy Pull


Pull, Buddy, pull By Guy Glass

A guy drives into a ditch, but luckily, a farmer is there to help. He hitches his horse, Buddy, up to the car and yells, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy doesn’t move.

"Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy doesn’t budge.

"Pull, Coco, pull!" Nothing.

Then the farmer says, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse drags the car out of the ditch.

Curious, the motorist asks the farmer why he kept calling his horse by the wrong name. "Buddy’s blind," said the farmer. "And if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try."

I can remember my dad, pulling me out of a few ditches in my life. Some of them were literal ditches, and some of them had different names.

I can remember, my dad would call and the first thing he would say would be, "Dad here" at the time I would think of course you're there, and I'm here. But over the years, I came to realize that, when he said those words...it gave me comfort, knowing I could call anytime and he would come running to help me, no matter what the need was!

I could sense his presence was there, even though physically he wasn't.

So many fathers nowadays, aren't that way.

The Government Already Has!


The Government already has! By Scott Chambers

The Lord spoke to Noah and said, “Noah in six months I am going to make it rain until the whole world is covered with water and all the evil things are destroyed. But, I want to save a few good people and two of every living thing on the planet. So I want you to build an ark.”

Well, six months passed, the sky began to cloud up, and the rain began to fall in torrents. The Lord looked down and saw Noah sitting in his yard, weeping, and there was no ark.

"Noah!” shouted the Lord, “Where is My ark?” “Lord please forgive me!” begged Noah. “I did my best but there were some problems --- big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the ark’s construction, but Your plans did not meet their building code. So, I had to hire an engineer to redo the plans, only to get into a long argument with him about whether to include a fire-sprinkler system.”

Then "My neighbors started complaining and objected, claiming that I was violating zoning ordinances by building the ark in my front yard, because it was killing the dandelions and going to block their view --- so I had to get a variance from the city planning board.

Then I had a big problem getting enough wood for the ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists and the Fish and Game Commission that I needed the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn’t let me catch them, so NO OWLS.”

Next I started gathering up the animals but got sued by an animal rights group that objected to my taking along only two of each kind; they wanted me to save them all. Then the Corps of Engineers wanted a map of the proposed flood plain. So I sent them a globe! The IRS has seized all my assets claiming that I am trying to leave the country, and I just got notice from the state that I owe some kind of usage tax. Really, I don’t think I can finish the ark in less than five years.”

With that, the sky cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up and smiled. “You mean You are not going to destroy the world?” he asked hopefully. “No,” said the Lord, “I am too late, the government already has.”

In God We Trust...

God's Laws will not Change


When Astronaut, Allen Shepherd was preparing to make his first space flight, He was in a news conference and a reporter asked him

It was a legitimate question – the reporter asked,

Mr. Shepherd, what are you depending on in this flight?”

Now, I’m sure that the reporter didn’t mean the question the way Allen Shepherd answered it –

but it was asked never-the-less in a way that prompted Allen Shepherd to say, (and it’s a classic) he said,

I’m depending on the fact that God’s laws will not change.”

When you’re getting ready to go into space…

and when your survival and your return to earth…

depends upon all of these laws that God put into place… and staying in place while you’re up there…

It’s pretty important to trust in the fact,

To depend upon the fact – with your life – that God’s laws will not change

Lasting Ffruitfulness


Donald Grey Barnhouse cites an amazing example of lasting fruitfulness. In Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine under glass; it is about 1,000 years old and has but one root which is at least two feet thick.

Some of the branches are 200 feet long. Because of skillful cutting and pruning, the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Even though some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they bear much fruit because they are joined to the vine and allow the life of the vine to flow through them.

Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. And when we need pruning, the goal is always more fruit

Abraham Lincoln's prayer

A visitor to the White House when Lincoln was president was with Lincoln for three weeks as his guest. One night, soon after the Battle of Bull Run, this visitor could not sleep.

Suddenly he heard a low voice proceeding from the room where the president slept. He got up and walked toward the door, which was partly open. Then he saw the president kneeling before an open Bible.

The light was turned low, and the president's back was to the door; he did not know that he was being overheard. In piteous and solemn tones the president was praying: "Thou God that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed and cried for wisdom, hear me!

I cannot lead this people. I cannot guide the affairs of this nation without Thy help. I am poor and weak...O God, Thou didst hear Solomon when he cried for wisdom--hear me and save this nation." - Choice Illustrations, W.W. Clay pg 57-58