| Company Man?? |
Sep 22, 2007 12:53 pm
Mood: silly, 280 Views | There is a difference between the top man in the company, and the top company man.
The top company man thinks he can fool the top man in the company.
It is in fact the top man in the company who has the top company man fooled.
He who hath wisdom let him understand. | |
|
3 Comments | |
| Your Children Will Return |
Sep 8, 2007 4:14 pm
Mood: cheerful, 302 Views | This message was originally written by Pastor Frangipane's oldest daughter, Joy. Being mindful of the warfare ensnaring many of our children, this word is particularly timely.
Your Children Will Return
by Joy Frangipane Marion
No one can tell me that fathers and daughters can't have close relationships, or even become best friends. People are almost envious of the love my dad and I share. The only time we argue is about who loves who the most. But our relationship was not always this warm. There was a time when I felt I had lost my ability to love my father. I was a teenage Christian in a public high school. My Christian background made me different. I was new, craving acceptance. My father's rules seemed to be the source of my rejections.
Fueled by my insecurities, in my eyes my dad became the root of my problems. While I set an adequate standard and struggled to live by it, he was strict. I was angry because he refused to back down from the standard he knew was right. He refused to appeal to my ignorance in order to keep my acceptance.
Things were going from bad to worse during those years. We hit bottom the day I looked him square in the eyes and told him that I hated him. They were harsh words, but it was a hard time. I didn't really hate him. I hated me. I felt I wasn't bad enough to be accepted by my friends and not good enough to be accepted at home. When these feelings take over your life, you search for something--anything--to blame. I chose my father. He carried the blunt of my pain. He even became my enemy.
In my heart I knew I didn't hate him. I was angry and confused. I felt he wasn't concerned with how I felt. It seemed he had made no room for compromise with my situation. He risked losing my love to save my soul.
It was a hard time for us both. He suffered the pain of rejection as I did. He suffered the hurt and the loss, but from a different angle. His fear of the Lord withstood his fear of pain. He loved me, but he had a higher obligation than my favor and my approval. I'm sure at times he wondered if he was doing the right thing. There must of been times when he felt like his prayers were hitting the ceiling and bouncing back at his feet.
At times I'm sure he considered lowering his standards. It would have made things so much easier than wrestling with the power of an independent, strong-willed child. These considerations may have come, but he never gave in to them. He stood firm and prayed harder.
The prayers of a righteous man availeth much. Many times he cried out to the Lord in anguish and in frustration: "What have I done wrong?" My father has a wonderful ministry to God in prayer. I think I had something to do with the character God worked in him during those days. Before he ever prayed for cities and nations he was on his face praying for me.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” That verse was a promise that he would hold on to. "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy" was another promise he stood upon. He had given me to the Lord, set a godly standard and held God to His word.
At the same time, I was wrestling with my salvation. My desire to be accepted by my non-Christian friends at school warred against my desire to be with the Lord. James speaks of a double-minded person being unstable in all of their ways. I was completely unstable. I walked on a line between heaven and hell. I wanted the best of both worlds and was satisfied in neither.
Although I had been brought up in the church, the world had taken its toll on me. My eyes had been blinded to the sin in my own life, further separating me from God and parents. It was so hard for me to see my way out.
When a child is brought up in a Christian home, regardless of what may happen, there is a seed that has been planted in their heart that continues to grow. It's an amazing seed because it can grow in the dark without water; it can even bloom in adversity. The reason we can never outrun God is because He is that seed growing within us. Once you have tasted the presence of the Lord, nothing satisfies you like He can. Sometimes those who seem to be running the hardest from God are doing so because He is so close to them.
On the outside my witness was weak, and I was in bondage to my unsaved friends. But inside, my heart cried for oneness with the Lord. I hated my double-mindedness as much as my father did. My whole life I wanted strong Christian friends to save the world with me. I wanted the support, I just never had it. I did the best I could, but I lost my sensitivity to sin, and the more I was with non-Christian people the more deceived I became.
Paul warns, "Do not be deceived. What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousnes?" I didn't realize the impact my unsaved friends had on me. The more I was with them the more I conformed to them. When I look back, I know, unless my parents had been praying for me, I would have been on my way to hell.
Sin has a way of moving in and taking control. But love is as strong as death and many waters cannot quench love; love never fails. And prayer is the highest power through which love is released. I had to relearn how to love. My love had become completely self-centered and conditional. I had failed to realize that my father and my Lord loved me unconditionally. I had only to try. I had only to bridge the communication gap to understand that God had loved me before I was even aware of His standards. And my dad loved me for me alone, not for something I had to become.
My relationship with my father is wonderful, and that's the truth. God has proven faithful in the working of both our lives. The Lord has bridged the gap and filled it with love. It took me leaving my environment and being planted with Christian people who faithfully loved me. It also took my will to change, but it did happen.
Listen, please don't give up on your teenagers. Don't sacrifice God's standards of righteousness to appeal to their carnal nature. They can't respect you for it and God won't honor it. Your children were not consecrated to Satan; they were dedicated to the Lord. He has had His hand on them and He will not forget them. He has heard your prayers and He is faithful to your cries. He is God.
Prayer works. I'm living proof of it. I look back now and see how many times nothing but the miraculous dedication of loving parents took me out of hopeless situations. The Lord will not forsake His children. He will not turn His back on them. We are never too far from His reach. Believe the promises of the Lord. He is not a liar. He honors a steadfast heart. Hold on. Your children will come back to the Lord. | |
|
3 Comments | |
| Same Gender Marriage Now legal in Iowa |
Aug 31, 2007 9:59 pm
Mood: surprised and angry, 395 Views | This is no joke, please pray for Iowa.
Thursday (Aug 30th) a lower court judge in Des Moines over ruled our state law that specified a married couple must consist of a man and a woman.
This is on the heels of another recent ruling in Iowa granting a divorce to a homosexual couple from another state.
These two rulings now set a precedent making same gender marriage legal in Iowa. As of right now, it looks like something that can not be legally appealed, or changed, but our God is bigger then that. | |
|
4 Comments | |
| A Word To The Women Of God |
Aug 23, 2007 11:50 am
Mood: Blessed, 421 Views | A Word To The Women Of God
by Francis Frangipane
Before I begin this message, let me provide a short disclaimer: although I do encourage women to move freely within the order provided by God in their local churches, my goal is to exalt and release a primary grace that God has placed specifically within women, which the Lord Himself has used in past times to release revival.
The Genesis Distinctions
When the Lord created humankind, He placed unique graces in man and separate, but unique, graces in woman. He told Adam to name the species of life upon earth "and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name" (Gen. 2:19). This "naming" was much more than calling the dog, "Spot." Adam was created with an organizational, administrative capacity which enabled him to identify and define the world around him. By naming the living things, Adam not only brought them into his consciousness, but he introduced order and structure to the human experience. In effect, he defined reality.
Within the genetics of this original man, there also existed the powerful, but dormant, qualities of the woman. While Adam slept the Spirit took from the man a rib. Fashioning it into a woman, the Lord created for Adam a companion who was not only suitable for him, but one who powerfully expanded man's creative capacities. Indeed, the woman brought many new graces into Adam's world that did not formerly exist: the foremost of which was the power to conceive and give birth.
It is important to remember: God created male and female in His image, according to His likeness (Gen 1:26). Of course, in certain ways, both Adam and Eve as individuals possessed reflections of the divine nature. They each could think, speak, dream and create. However, it was in the union of Adam and Eve, in their mutual respect of one another's strengths and graces, that mankind would possess a more perfect expression of the fuller nature of God.
As Adam beheld this first female, he said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man" (Gen 2:23). The term "woman" was a delineation used by Adam, identifying her as a unique variation in the species of man. My wife says, "Think of her as the upgrade." In some ways, she is right, for the nature of the woman was twice refined. Adam was created of earth; the woman, emerged not from the earth, but from the man. She is both more complex and emotionally sophisticated.
Soon Adam began to understand the greatest power of his counterpart, her ability to conceive and bring life into the world. Recognizing this quality, Adam named her "Eve," which meant "life." Eve would play an integral part in the unfolding of life's new beginnings. "She was the mother of all the living" (Gen. 3:20).
We Need Revival
The Lord gave Adam a primary ability to name and establish reality; He gave to woman the unique capacity to conceive and then birth reality. The primary strength of each gender is that man establishes, woman births. Remember, these qualities were not merely "human": they were reflections of the divine. Man's ability to bring order to one's world, to take what was random and give it definition and structure is a divine facility; woman's ability to conceive and incubate life, and then deliver life through birth is also an aspect of the divine nature.
Note also that Adam named the woman "Eve" (or "Life") before they had children. God gave the woman an ability not just to have babies, but to release life in a variety of its expressions. In fact, one translation says that Eve means to "enliven." Alone, Adam had been downcast; it was not good that Adam was alone. Eve enlivened Adam in ways no other creature on earth could. Adam could build a house; Eve made it a home. When Adam named Eve "Life," he was not only speaking prophetically of the first mother, but he spoke out of his own experience: Eve brought life into the structure of Adam's world.
While we are speaking in generalities, when we come into the spiritual realm, we see this same divine encoding re | |
|
3 Comments | |
| What was I doing on National T.V.? |
Aug 14, 2007 10:40 pm
Mood: amused, 380 Views |  | Yes, I was in a couple shots on national television Sunday night news.
I was part of two busloads of believers from my church that attended the Straw Poll in Ames. We were voting for and supporting Sen. Sam Brownback of Kanas. Several reknown Christian leaders believe that Sen. Brownback is the best Presidental candidate representing godly values.
Although you can't see me specificly in the pic I have posted, I was under one of those signs, toward the lower left side.
The first one to tell me was my big sister Speeritwoman. She called me Sunday night right after she saw me.
Then at work Monday, several people told me they saw me. Most of which was interested in knowing who was the attractive brunette next to me that I was holding up a sign with. My girlfriend?
Well. Not my girlfriend, but a fellow member of my church.
She was the attractive brunette next to me that I was holding up a sign with. |
| |
|
7 Comments | |
| Finding a Date in Church (for the men) |
Aug 5, 2007 1:17 am
Mood: resolved, 434 Views | In church is the absolute best place to find a romantic interest, but it is also the very hardest place to get one started. This time I am addressing the men.
First a disclaimer.
If you are looking for a born again look alike of Paris Hilton, or for a woman with whom you can commit acts of lust, you won't find any advice here. This is the wrong blog for you. This is for spiritually mature men of God.
The first and most imperative things are to have your priorities straight, earnestly prayed, and your thoughts in check.
Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Psalms 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
So it goes with these two passages that you MUST have God first in your life. If you don't, then you have no business looking for romance until you do. Now that's not saying that you have to have it perfectly together with God. Only after you have God in his proper place should you begin to consider meeting a woman with whom to have a romance.
Now the next thing is to pray, and pray a lot, then have and keep your thinking holy regarding this venture.
2 Corinthians 10:5 - Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Contrary to everything everyone teaches you, never start a relationship as a romance. Never.
Yes that is what she wants, and it is what you are ultimately looking for, but it is also too easy to try to make it all happen yourself. Let God be God.
Your starting point is friendship. That is what you are trying for, and that is what you need to tell her. If she wants to bypass friendship and go right into romance, then you got the wrong girl.
She has to be your best friend before she can become your wife.
Put on some clean and nice clothes, matching socks, and at least try to coordinate colors.
Did you remember to pray?
While you are praying, ask the Lord to keep reminding you why you are in church.
You are NOT in church to find a woman. You are in church to worship, and learn about God. However he won't mind if you multitask a little bit and look around.
Now much like purchasing property, it's all location, location.
The back rows are for the backsliders who want to make a fast getaway when the message from the pulpit becomes too convicting.
But it's also where the intercessors are placed in order to see everyone they are praying for.
You will find the most serious believers down in the front. Remember, you're putting God first now, so that's where you belong anyway.
The best position for you will be the center of the row you are in. A woman who is interested in you will likely pick to sit in the same row as you, but as far as possible to not look too obvious. So you've already cut in half the distance the interested woman will be from you. You are no more then half a row from her. In some churches that is easy speaking distance.
If during the service you leave your seat, you have a reason now to go past her.
If she gets up to leave, you will be hard pressed to not see that and it puts you in a position to follow her out to the lobby area. (Unless she is going to the powder room. Don't ever follow then.)
If the woman who caught your attention arrives at service before you, mostly likely she will sit near an aisle anyway. (Many people instinctually do) Again, choosing a seat in the middle of the row, you have to pass her.
Even if you have no current object of interest, you are placed in a good position to observe. So watch and be vigilant.
Again the general idea is worship and hear the Word, but looking around is not a sin.
Generally you want to find someone who is near your level of spiritual commitment. Their own level of growth, and maturity is a minor detail.
Forget about the equally yoked bit which you often hear about. Being equally yoked specificly and only means that both of you are Christians, and nothing more. The real truth is that any two believers who are walking the Word can make a marriage work, without regard to where either of them are in growth. So maturity is not much of a deal, but having similar levels of commitment is the real golden egg.
Look for some common things you are involved in, but some diversity is good too.
If she is a church greeter, and you are with the worship band, but you are both in the same Sunday school class, you may be a very good match.
You do want to make certain she is putting God first just like you. Finding her next to you at an alter call is a very good sign.
Watch, listen, and ask around.
Non-tither’s are bad news financially, while gossips are usually also bitter women. Same goes for those who seem to argue with people a lot.
If she seems to be well respected, she may well be a prize worth chasing.
Don't be shy about letting others know if you find someone interesting, but be very clear that you are NOT in love with her. (yet) Under the best scenario, someone you hang with will know her too. If so, never under rate the impact of a third party introduction. Those work better then everything else.
Finally keep in mind that in the Christian environment, it is your job to pursue her, and a proper woman wants to be pursued. | |
|
9 Comments | |
| Moving story at our Conference |
Jul 20, 2007 11:35 pm
Mood: jubilant, 303 Views |  | I just completed the second, of a three day international conference my church hosts each year in July. We have over 800 people attending, from nearly every state in the country, and 7 or 8 other countries as well. In all I think there is something like 140 different churches represented at our conference.
This afternoon a local couple gave a very moving testimony about how they have adopted 5 children from Nigeria. (Which with the 5 they already had is a family with 10 children).
The pic I have posted is of this very family, just before they adopted the 5th child.
Conditions in Nigeria are so bad that 8 out of every 10 babies born, die before they reach their first birthday. On the average, most children only eat the amount of food from 4 ounces of rice, in a given week. If they get seasoning, or gravy with it, they consider that almost a feast.
This family originally adopted like 6 or 7 children, 5 of which made it out of Africa alive, and two of them nearly died before the little tykes got to a U.S. hospital where the doctors quickly determined they had typhoid. This was a couple years ago.
God performed a miracle cure for those two, and all 5 children are fine now.
But that wasn't the only miracle God did for this wonderful family.
They had to find a larger home in which to live, and had problems selling their old home, but God came through for them in a big way
At one time our church was taking up an offering for the family. The wife had asked God for a specific amount to be raised and our church only managed half of that.
But then someone mysteriously showed up and matched what the church raised which came right to the very dollar amount the wife had prayed for.
Since then, out of the blue, people hearing about this family donated money, food, appliances, furniture, and services to help this courageous family.
Also other local families from other local churches have been inspired, many of which saw similar miricles from God and now there are 47 children in my community known to be adopted from Nigeria. That's just from Nigeria. Other families yet have adopted from other countries, and I couldn't tell you how many, or from where.
But I can tell you that by the time the couple finished telling their story, there wasn't a dry eye in the whole place.
We have such a wonderful God who honors his people's obedience to him with untold acts of inspiration.
James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. |
| |
|
3 Comments | |
| Meeting Speeritwoman (Finally) part 2 |
Jul 13, 2007 1:56 am
Mood: sleepy, 423 Views | There was always something going on at the stage, which changed frequently enough to keep people from getting bored.
Different issues were covered throughout the day.
We had missed earlier in the day when the Francis Frangipane, the senior pastor of my church, River of Life, had spoke and gave away 30,000 copies of his book 'The Jezebel Spirit.'
We had arrived at the beginning of one of the many worship periods. A band played several songs I recognized from my local contemporary Gospel station, as Barb and I raised our hands joining the tens of thousands of others who were singing and worshipping. This went on for some 20 minutes or so.
Then Lou Engle stepped up to speak. This was the first time I saw and heard this man, so again I didn't know what he would be like.
His mannerisms and ways of speech reminded me of a professional wrestler from one of those big fake wrestling programs with the glitter and beautiful women. Except what he had to say was edifying and obviously someone who is born again and walking in the Holy Spirit.
His voice was deep and gruff, and he frequently lulled, or trailed off a sentence.
He seemed very hyper, always bobbing back and forth from the waist up, and he was very good at working a crowd.
With each issue after he and others spoke, he would call for us in the stands to gather in small groups to pray about the subject being addressed. Barb and I usually joined with a pair of young couples in the row behind us.
After which there would be music and worship for a while until the next issue was addressed.
Pastor Lou often quoted Dr. Seusse books to illustrate his points. Especially those involving a character known as Horton the elephant.
He spoke of abortion and adoption, and unlike many preachers who only magnify how bad abortion is, he presented adoption as very realistic.
He made a point in publicly recognizing everyone in the stands who had either adopted or been adopted, which hit home with both Barb and I, because Barb was adopted as a child, and I had adopted my ex-wife's children from her prior marriage.
A young man and his wife spoke. He was holding a small girl as he gave an emotional testimony of how he and his wife came to adopt the little girl he was holding and that she was a 'crack baby.'
A pair of pretty young women who were twins also spoke of how they had been adopted as children.
Lou came back and asked for a 10 minute silent observance where we all stood with big red stickers that said 'LIFE' over our mouths for those who can't cry out.
Then he had us form small groups to pray. After which the twins sang some songs.
At that point I was getting very thirsty since it was about 95 degrees on a humid sunny day, so I went to get us some ice water to drink.
Since I didn't keep much cash on me I had to find an ATM which was about a quarter of the way around the stadium.
At the end of the field, I passed several large tents where hundreds of people were lined up at.
There were healing prayer tents, intercession prayer tents, prophetic prayer tents, and I don't know what all else. I thought about telling Barb about them and maybe bringing her to a healing tent later on as I got my money and made my way to a concession stand near where we were seated.
I got us each one of those huge two liter cups with ice and water. I was just paying for it when one of the attendants approached and asked for some ice water for a heat victim in the women's restroom. The cashier gave her a couple dinky paper cups with ice and water and the attendant left. So I laid a $5 on the counter and told the cashier that if that attendant came back for more ice water, give her a big one like I had.
I returned right at the end of a prayer session, and had no idea what the subject was because I had been gone for so long. I was a little surprised Barb didn't call my cell to see what was up.
I settled back in, and Pastor Lou began talking about our youth, and the generation gaps, and how us older folks need to impart ourselves to the younger. All of which I totally agree with, and found very timely since I am currently reading a book called, 'Passing the Baton,' by John McElroy.
Pastor Lou asked for everyone under age 20 to stand and be recognized. Then he asked for us to gather around the standing young people and pray over them. There was a teenage boy a few seats over from me that I went to, and Barb stayed where she was and extended her hand toward us.
From there Lou spoke of the sons of thunder, and the fathers of thunder, and several more men both older and younger spoke regarding generatonal relationships.
After some more music Lou spoke of Gidden and his 300 in battle. Then he called for the Gidden 300 to come forth, and 300 people all with worship horns proceeded from the far side of the stadium to the front with several drums beating as they proceeded. While they were approaching, Lou asked everyone who had car keys to take them out and hold them. At his cue we were to jingle them.
When they were all behind him he told us we were to shout to the Lord, jingle our keys, as the 300 blew their horns. He mentioned a special type of laser we were going to use that would convert all that sound into light and send it 24,000 miles out into space.
It was very loud, and I could almost imagine the brilliant light flash we were producing way out in space.
Suddenly I felt very light headed and weak, was sweating profusely, yet felt freezing cold. At first I thought is was the heat, so I sat down and closed my eyes.
I don't know how long I sat like that before Barb noticed, and asked if I was all right. I lacked even the strength to speak so I shook my head.
Immediately, Barb and the folks behind me began to pray for me, claiming healing, and to lift whatever was oppressing me.
I remembered my experience at Sharyl's (Fullofjoyeternal) church in Madison last New Years when I got a big breaking in the area of prayer, and this seemed quite similar.
I didn't know what was breaking this time, but I knew beyond doubt it was something spiritual. Some stronghold, or curse I wasn't aware of.
When Barb and the guys finished praying, the feeling of cold, weakness, and lightheadedness was gone. I told Barb that something spiritual had just happened, and sat there for a minute.
On stage a song began. I stood up, raised my hands, and was fine, belting out the words of the song like nothing had happened to me.
I kept reminding myself that all these folks and many more are going to be at rapture, the millennial kingdom, and all eternity with me, and felt very at peace.
When the event was over we went to Barb's car and just sat there talking as we waited for the traffic to thin out.
A middle aged black man offered us some cookies and bottled water he had in a cooler explaining that today was his birthday and that he couldn't think of a better way to celebrate then with a hundred thousand other believers.
Once we finally got out we were both hungry from having not eaten since very early afternoon.
Barb took us to a truck stop called 'The Tennessean,' where I had grits for the first time ever, and something called a 'Hillbilly Breakfast' which consisted of biscuits and gravy over fried eggs and hash browns.
I remarked that she didn't seem at all sick any more, and she confirmed that any time she felt it beginning to come on she would rebuke it and begin to just praise God, and that kept it at bay.
It was almost 3:00 AM when Barb dropped me off at my hotel, and went home herself. We were to go to her church in the morning, but we both overslept and totally missed it.
So we met for a Chinese brunch before I left for home.
At Nashville I stopped at the stadium because there was an after 'The Call' worship from 2 PM to 10 PM.
I hung out for a couple hours, taking in the music and worship, watching a group of young prayer warriors get commissioned, and checked out a tent that had a bunch of stuff from Morningstar Ministries. (That would be Rick Joyner)
I was so joyful, that I sang praises nearly all the way home, even though I got lost at least 3 times, detoured over 50 miles out of my way, nearly ran out of gas, and decided that in Kentucky, radio stations that don't play Country music must be illegal since I couldn't find anything but Country when I was in Kentucky.
I am very glad I finally got to meet Barb. She proved herself a sweet and gracious hostess, and even though she was sick too. | |
|
3 Comments | |
| Meeting Speeritwoman (Finally) part 1 |
Jul 13, 2007 1:46 am
Mood: impressed, 367 Views | For more then a year now, I have been corresponding with Speeritwoman, (Rev. Barb) via E-mail, telephone, and I.M, and have long ago adopted her as my 2nd of 3 big sisters, and finally met her in person on July 6th. The main backdrop for our meeting was a large national prayer event known as 'The Call.' Put on by Pastor Lou Engle a well respected and radical Charismatic prayer warrior who is frequently featured on 'The Elijah List.'
Pastor Engle's objective was to have 100,000 Christians at the Titan Stadium in Nashville on 07-07-07 to pray and fast for revival, especially for our youth. It was also significant that it was exactly 40 years ago that the Flower child rebellion against God movement began in San Fransisco, one of the major events beginning our current accepting culture of drugs, immoral $ex, abortions, rebellion, and violence.
So 'The Call' was a significant event for believers.
Pastor Engle has hosted several such events before and has more yet planned. This one was about an hour away from where Barb lives, and a very good occasion to meet her, and especially since I had planned to attend this event since February of this year.
Despite the fact that she had been sick all week, she still saw through with us getting together, and I was not disappointed in meeting Barb, and found her to be exactly as she has presented herself in the coarse of the past year.
I let her drive my Saturn since she knows the area, and we had supper at a redneck sort of steak house called Santa Fe Cattle Co. One of those steak houses where you have a bucket of peanuts at the table, and get to drop the shells on the floor.
I asked for an iced tea and the waitress looked at me like I was from another planet. Barb came to my rescue and told the waitress "sweet tea" was what I meant. Just as long as it had ice which it does if you are nice to the waitress.
This was my first real taste of Dixie, and again I wasn't disappointed.
Southerners are very friendly people and it usually takes a lot to get them riled up. I have always been intrigued with people who speak in the southern accent, especially women. Barb does not use that accent unless she feels like it, and then she is just as good at it as the natives.
We had a very nice time and stayed past closing which we hadn't planned because we wanted to get up early to attend 'The Call' which would go from 10 AM to 10 PM.
But as it turns out being fashionably late more often then not is one of the many ways which Barb and I are alike.
We cruised around town and she showed me around. We stopped at Sonics for ice cream, where her youngest son is a manager and I got to meet him.
We didn't exactly make it to 'The Call' by 10 AM either, a matter I didn't exactly help because I wasn't about to go to a 12 hour fast already hungry from having last ate the night before. Call me anti-religious, a rebel or whatever, but I determined I was going to fast only at the event.
Besides, more of that good southern cooking was calling to me. This time at a Shooney's I had Pok chops with a baked potato drenched in sour cream and butter. Barb ate very light because she had been sick, and still wasn't feeling her best. I told her she didn't have to go to this with me, but she insisted, and turned out doing better then me.
I had never been to a large Christian event before and had no idea what to expect, and had been informed that Lou Engle is known for being radical, so on the drive up, I told Barb if we encountered anything weird such as 'chanting' or 'snake handlers', or masses of people slain in the spirit, we would be out of there.
At our first glimpse of the stadium I was mildly disappointed in that it looked to be half to 3/4 full, and we thought maybe the turnout wasn't nearly as good as was planned. But that turned out to be deceiving because of how huge it was.
Upon arrival I could see why it was called 'Titan Stadium.' The place was as tall as a 10 story building. The 'nose bleed section' was almost in the troposphere. The stadium was a good 6 blocks long and 4 blocks wide, which would nearly displace all of down town of Cedar Rapids.
There were huge parking lots on either side, and multiple level parkades at each end.
Near where we parked were a couple 'hippie looking' tie dye vans, and a few long hair types milling around. A cold chill hit my spine as I wondered it these folks would be like the 'Jesus Freaks' of the late 1970s, and for a few seconds I wondered what I got myself into this time.
But as we approached our entrance I saw the vast majority of people looked like normal folks.
Some people were napping, some visiting, and some even eating. Here I thought this was a fast, but not for everyone.
I could hear the people who were speaking on the main stage, and it was very loud, but then it has to be to address 100,000 people.
I got out my cell phone and started trying to call a couple of the many people I knew came down from Cedar Rapids. I knew of at least three bus loads of people from one of our local mega-churches, and another bus that was taking smaller groups from about a half dozen other churches. My church also sent a full bus load, but a lot of us drove down ourselves as well, so I was figuring on at least 500 people from my city to be there, so chances were good I'd find someone I knew.
I couldn't get any answers, and figured probably it would have been nearly impossible to hear a cell phone anyway, so I set mine on vibrate, and we went inside.
Barb had very obviously been to many events like this, as she took the lead in finding us a couple seats.
She found us a shady side spot in the second tier going up in section 135. We had a good vantage point of the main stage, for it was hard to see them out right for the distance. Which was again planned for, as at each end were mammoth scoreboards with super big screens making it easy to see whatever the cameras were taping. | |
|
1 comment | |
| Who's attending 'The Call?' |
Jul 4, 2007 1:15 am
Mood: groggy, 284 Views | Anyone from B.C. going to 'The Call' in Nashville TN. this Saturday?
Lou Engle has the goal of getting 100,000 believers packed into Titan Stadium This Saturday July 7th, for 12 hours of prayer and fasting.
It was exactly 40 years ago this coming Saturday that the 'Flower Child' rebellion against God movement began in San Franscisc Calf.
I'm going myself, and plan to finally meet Speeritwoman, who lives in the same state.
I was just wondering if anyone else is going. It is free by the way, and since it's a fast, there is no food to pay for either.  | |
|
3 Comments | |
| To link to this blog (Hisglory77) use [blog Hisglory77] in your messages. |
|
|
|
|
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
| |
|
1
|
21
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
