Fri.5.29.15...Prov.16:1-15...Great Plans

It took an incredible amount of planning and included many failed attempts. But on this day, May 29^th, 1953, all those plans paid off. Two men, Sir Edmond Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood where none had ever stood before- on the top of Mt.Everest (29,029 feet above sea level).

As M. Dunham wrote, "Sir Edmund Hilary was the first person to conquer Mt. Everest. The first time he tried, he failed. He was knighted by the Queen of England, and at the gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge picture of Mt. Everest. The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the climb. When they ceased applauding, Hilary turned his back to the audience, faced that picture and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can."

I love that story! It illustrates such determination and diligence. But to accomplish such, plans had to be made to grow bigger than the mountain. For as Sir Edmond Hilary declared, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” What do you need to conquer in your life? Where do you want to go in life? Sometimes for young people this can be a mountain sized question in and of itself. "Where do I want to go in life?" As a young person, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life? It was easier to plan my trip to climb mountains in the Rockies, which I did right after graduating from high school, than to make plans for my life. But the advice I would give to young people, and older adults as well, is to make plans to grow bigger spiritually. Work out spiritually. Why? No matter what job you land or marriage and family you have, you will need to grow spiritually, to develop spiritual strength. The training in God’s gym will be incredibly rewarding. “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” 1 Tim.4:7b-8. 

Have you noticed how men who are serious about getting in shape have a well shaped plan that they follow? They even keep written track of their progress. “How much did I bench press today versus last time?” “Am I following the plans my trainer gave me?” Tragically, most Christians don’t have any such plans to grow spiritually. Yet they are commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:18. But you do have a plan and you are growing. Everyday M-F you are in God’s gym, growing in God’s word and sharing it with others. Every day you are encouraging one another. (Strange how so many Christians don’t work out this muscle of encouragement, when our Trainer has commanded, “encourage one another daily.” Our Trainer knows what’s best for the Body.) And everyday you are diligently keeping track of your progress on the GREAT scoreboard "so that everyone may see your progress" 1 Tim.4:15. You have a work out plan and then you work out that plan. Way to grow!

So many men are living at the bottom of the mountain. They need a plan to get to the top and they need someone who knows how to get there to invite them and help them. Thanks for reaching out to men and inviting them to join you on a very manly climb. (If you're at Midway, see me Sunday at the front for M3 cards.) They will never make it to the top alone because God’s plan requires a team, not solo climbers. I know some very intellectual Christians who are solo acts. They think they are on track, but they are missing the mountain by a mile. The Lord calls us to build up each other as a body and to work together as a team to forcefully advance God's kingdom (Mt.11:12). We are to be like a football team forcefully advancing the ball down the field. We need to follow God's plans to grow and conquer the mountain. No one makes it to the top alone, not even Sir Edmond Hillary.

Read Proverbs 16:1-15 and you’ll note the issue of making plans is mentioned three different times. Good plans don’t demand perfection, but they help you make progress. I'd say most of you are making very good progress.

1.-Some of you have been in M3 since we started 6 months ago with a few joining a bit later. Several more of you joined about three months ago. So this is a good time to have a 3 to 6 month mountain climbing evaluation. No matter when you joined, has the M3 plan for spiritual growth been helping you do just that? If so, share one or two things that you like from your time in M3. (Then keep that in mind to share with other men when you talk with them.) If you wish, please share how M3 or you could be better? (Evaluation for improvement is the practice of champions.) 

2.-Share one verse or phrase that impressed you from our reading in Prov.16:1-15. Then be on the lookout to share it with others.

You are reaching out and it shows; we continue to grow bigger. But we need to make sure that we continue to cover each other and that no man is left behind. I’m thankful for how so many of you have been reaching out to others, and for our Fire Team Captains- Jack, Eddie, Robert, Sam and George. They have been encouraging a lot of people as the scoreboard shows. They will be focusing more of their encouragement on you who are in their fire teams. But of course it’s not all on them. Seek to pray for and often encourage your fellow fire team members. If one of them should go MIA, make sure you contact him. This is your band of brothers. You are your brother’s keeper (keeper: bodyguard, Gen.4:9). As we grow, we will need more Fire Team Captains, so we will be looking for men who are good examples and encouragers to become Captains in Training. This will be easy to see on the Scoreboard, so please keep working out in these GREAT areas for spiritual growth and impact. We need you to be strong. A team and a chain are only as strong as their weakest link. So be strong in the Lord! 

3.-“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love”  Rom.12:10. This is a vital part of God's plan for us. Will you be devoted to your band of brothers in your fire team, pray for and encourage them and contact any that may be MIA on the blog? 

Your fire team members are like your fellow mountain climbers. You only succeed by growing and climbing together.

Perhaps you've already created a "Fire Team" contacts list in your phone. That's a smart thing to do with your smart phone. Reviewing that list often is a good way to remember to pray for them too as you have down time. 

Announcements

I want to warmly welcome our newest team mate, William Dyckman (yes, big brother of Alex:). I got to know William over 10 years ago when he was helping his father teach a boys Sunday school class, so we go back a bit. William was also in NGLs with me last year. He got married just a few weeks ago to Nori who was also in the NGL group. What a great couple! Please warmly welcome William! And thank you Eddie for also reaching out to Will. Very good!

Hey, check out the updated look of our M3 Family Tree. Click the tab at the bottom of our Scoreboard. You'll see new info and color coding, similar to different degrees or colors of belts in Martial Arts. For each man you recruit, you move up to a darker colored belt. And remember, to graduate from Basic Training, you just need to recruit one person and earn your Unstoppable Award Pin.

Speaking of Award Pins, we will be having our next M3 meeting, Sunday June 14th at 11:30 in the break room again. (The accommodations are not quite as nice as Jack's, but there are vending machines:) I look forward to awarding several of you with Unstoppable pins that you've earned for being unstoppable with us on the blog for 4 weeks in a row. There are other honors and important info we will be covering as well, so please guard that hour. Thanks! 

You are a great group of faithful men! If Guillermo or Ed Lake is in your fire team, please give an encouraging word as we missed them on the blog yesterday. 

Th.5.28.15...Prov.15:15-33

Everyone wants this. They work for it. Shop for it. Save up for it. Vacation for it. Go out on the weekends for it. Marry for it. Divorce for it. What is it? Happiness! Most everyone seems to be on this pursuit of happiness. Even our Declaration of Independence declares, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

But the pursuit of happiness has a problem with it. We never seem to attain it. As the Royal Governor of Virginia noted in 1774, the Americans "for ever imagine the Lands further off are still better than those upon which they are already settled." He added that, "if they attained Paradise, they would move on if they heard of a better place farther west." So let's spare our youth and those we mentor a lot of grief by addressing this empty pursuit of happiness.

Remember when you got your first stereo or car? Pretty cool, huh! Yeah, for a few days. Then it was time to pursue something else for happiness. "The eye is never satisfied with seeing." We seem to be always looking for more. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells of pursuing all kinds of things to find happiness. "I denied nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure." How did that pursuit of happiness work out for you Solomon? "Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Eccles.1:10,11. 

Later, his pursuit of happiness ended in God. "To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness" Eccles.2:26. So happiness is an inward gift, not an outward pursuit. Happiness is also a byproduct. Pursue it and you will miss it, but pursue something (or someone) else and it will find you. So what should we pursue instead? God! Yes, but what does that look like? Here are time tested ways for inadvertently finding happiness in the PRESENT, rather than pursuing it into the future mist.

Praise God for who he is. Try going through the alphabet of His names and attributes.

Rejoice in who you are in Him. A saint, a son of the King, a mighty warrior, etc.

Enjoy the moment- come to your senses. Enjoy your God given senses more.

Smile and sing! Just try being depressed while doing such:)

Encourage others. Don't leave the blog without encouraging some of your brothers. 

Never dwell long on the negatives. They will come, but don't give them room and board.

Thank God and others often. Try using the top of each hour to thank God for something over the past hour. 

So give yourself the gift or PRESENT of happiness.

I don't need a half nickel more to be happy. Nor do I need a new car, house or wife. Nor do I need to eat out a lot. "The cheerful heart has a continual feast" Prov.15:15. To rejoice is a choice. "A happy heart makes the face cheerful" Prov.15:13. "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart" Prov.15:30. 

Now Read Prov.15:15-32 and be on the look-out for a verse you may need to heed.

1.-Imagine you are sharing with a youth group about when as a youth you or a friend pursued happiness in a thing. What was it and what happened?

2.-Share the verse you picked out from Prov.15:15-32 and write it out on your MP3 card. Then look for opportunities to enrich others with it. Pick one item from the PRESENT list above and copy it on your MP3 card as well. I copied the entire list on the back of my 3x5 card. I need to keep working on these things too.

Please give a word of encouragement to Armando and Horacio (773-983-1641) who were MIA yesterday. 

Wed.5.27.15...Prov.15:1-14...Correction

He who hates correction is stupid. Prov.12:1

Many serious car crashes occur because of blind spots. Many wrecks in relationships happen also because of blind spots. We all have blinds spots. Let me give you a physical example of a blind spot I have. When I look in a mirror (it's getting to be more and  more depressing:), I can't see the big bald spot on the back of my head. Thus, it's easy to forget it's there. However, others can see it from afar. 

It's bad enough that we have blind spots. What's worse is when we deny they are there. "What do you mean I'm stubborn and argumentative!!! I don't have a problem. You're the one with the problem!" Okay, to be fair, if someone says you're a jackass, ignore the jerk. If another person says such, they might be conspiring against you, right? But if three people call you such, you might need to buy a saddle. Perhaps God is trying to get through to you. "Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding" Ps.32:9. The fool is stubborn like a mule. 

Such mule-headed people won't cooperate. It's got to be his way, or no way. He refuses to be open to the possibility that he has faults. "He who hates correction is stupid" 12:1. But it gets worse. "Whoever ignores correction leads others astray" 10:17. On the other hand, Proverbs says that the man who is man enough to rightly respond to correction gains understanding, shows prudence and is honored (13:18; 15:5,32).

Because you and I have blind spots, we need others to "speak the truth in love" into our lives. We are to use God's word to "correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction" 2 Tim.4:2. Now don't dub yourself the duke of rebuke. But do build bridges of love strong enough to bear the weight of truth to bring into another person's life. Giving correction can be life changing. Failing to give it can be disastrous. David was a man after God's own heart, but he failed to correct his kids, resulting in much death and devastation (2 Sam.11-20).

So how can we overcome our blind spots since we can't see them? It's simple- receive feedback from others. I didn't say it was easy, and I'm not saying that you have to accept what is shared as gospel truth. But thank the person for the courage to share with you and prayerfully think it over. Maybe even run it by someone else. Older men, offering such correction with encouragement is a priceless ministry that you can have, especially with younger men. Speak wise words into their lives. This is what the father in Proverbs has been doing. "The corrections of discipline are the way of life" 6:23.

Are you open to correction? I hope so. "He who hates correction is stupid" Prov.12:1. Here are a couple responses that may reveal if a man may be stubborn like a mule to correction- "Who are you to tell me that?" "Okay, now it's my turn to tell you your faults, Mr. holier than thou!" Woe Nelly. Buy that boy a saddle!

Do you give me and others in M3 permission to lovingly note blind spots or areas you may need to work on? That's a good question to ask your kids as well. Yes, I invite you to speak the truth in love into my blind spots and areas of weakness also. I need you. Come to think of it, if a guy can't take correction or input in M3, he's in the wrong group. He needs to join a T-ball team. They will cheer for him no matter how bad he is at bat:) 

1.-Share a time from your past when someone had the guts to speak the truth into your life. How did you respond to it at the time?

2.-Read through Prov.15:1-15 and pick one verse or phrase that grabs you. It may even correct you. (You'll note verses on correction appear three times in today's passage.) Write it on your MP3 card and look for opportunities to share it with others. 

In honor of our topic of correction and mom's that have to give so much of it, I hope you and the mom in your life will have a good laugh with the following video.

3.-(Optional: Juslemeknow if'n ya liked the video. Note: Such humorous videos are good to send to your unsaved friends. Humor breaks the ice, warms hearts, and strengthens relationships. Such videos also open receptivity to evangelistic videos you may want to send later.

Don't stay in the closet of close-mindedness. 
Open your mind to the palace of possibilities.

Announcements
Please give a word of encouragement to your fire team members- Gary, John and Nic who were MIA yesterday. This is John's second day. Thanks.

Tues.5.26.15...Prov.14:19-35...Four Letter Words

Four Letter Words

You've been invited to give  the commencement address at the high school you attended (well, most of the time you and I attended). You've worked hard on your speech and have selected a topic that you know is vitally important to help the students succeed in life. But you also know it's not a popular one. To catch their attention you plan your speech to begin with some ear catching quotes.

I would like to begin using two four letter words. I know they will not sound pleasant to some of your ears, but it is vital that you hear them and use them often if you are ever going to succeed in life.
Those two four letter words are "Hard Work!"

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, “The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.” 

Prolific inventor, Thomas Edison stated, “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” 

President Thomas Jefferson declared, “I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” 

And the great artist and sculpture, Michaelangelo said, “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”  

Success in life includes hard work, not necessarily hard physical work, but time consuming effort.

Here's one more quote on hard work. The great, wise man Solomon even used those two four letter words when he wrote in  the Bible, "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty" Prov.14:23.

1.-I agree, your speech writing is off to a great start, but now you need to flesh it out with a story. So write about a guy you've worked with that didn't have a good work ethic or about one that had a great, hard work ethic and what resulted.

A lot of success in life is about mind over mattress. The hardest work is often just getting up early day after day, year after year. Many of you men in M3 have been dong that for decades and I highly commend you for such. That is one of the building blocks for being a manly man, being unstoppable. Those of you who are applying that same hard work ethic in your spiritual life in M3 are already making a great impact. It shows on the GREAT scoreboard. Far better, it shows before our Father's throne. Let us live to hear him say, "Well done!" Those are two four letter words I long to hear.

2.-After reading through Prov.14:19-35, pick one verse or phrase and write it on your MP3 card. Then look for opportunities to enrich others with it. 

Announcements I want to give you a high 5 for scoring 5 or more points each day. Way to go! And thanks for posting your points on the board.  

Please remember  that when you put points on the board for Monday, it really is all that you did for the weekend.

Please give an encouraging word to Andre and John who were MIA yesterday. Thanks

Mon.5.25.15...Prov.14:1-18 Go for an Abundant Harvest

Happy Memorial Day!

It's graduation season. My son goes to the Agricultural School of Science. Imagine if a farmer gave the commencement address. Here's a rich, but head scratching piece of advice from his speech. "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest." Say what? That wisdom is within our passage today- Proverbs 14:1-18. But what does it mean? Why would experts on personal development say that it contains one of the greatest pieces of advice you could give to people? Let's break open that verse (14:4) a phrase at a time to discover its riches.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty.
If it wasn't for the fact that Jesus was laid in a manger, we might not even have a clue what a manger is. But we know it was a feeding trough for animals. So if there are no oxen there is no need to fill the manger with food. "Great, less work!" says the shortsighted, unambitious man. "Besides" he thinks, "I know if I feed that dumb ox, I'll just have to clean up after it." He would much rather plop down in front of the TV than clean up it's plop." I get that. But who's the dumb ox? Consider the rest of the verse-

but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest."
If the man would invest in feeding his ox, he could have an abundant harvest. Sadly, most people are shortsighted. They don't invest in feeding their minds, developing their skills and striving for an abundant harvest with their lives. They would rather take it easy. I don't like those parting words people say, "Take it easy." That is not the advice we should be giving each other. The farmer who said to himself, "Take life easy, eat drink and be merry," God called a fool! (Luke 12:19). We should be encouraging each other to advance the kingdom, not to take it easy. Next time a believer says to you, "Take  it easy" you might surprise him and say, "Take it by force!" Why? Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men take it by force" Mt.11:12. We are warriors striving to forcefully advance God's kingdom. An easy life is not what Christ has called us to. We are in a war. Fight! Attack! Press the battle. Our King and His kingdom are worthy of such.

So graduates and men of M3, seek an abundant harvest. You have the opportunity before you to sow and reap a great harvest, but you must sow. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" 2 Cor.9:6. That's known as the law of the harvest. So if you want an abundant harvest, sow bountifully. Don't settle for less. Strive for more, for God's glory and your honor. He is eager to bestow honors on His multiplying servants. The honors we bestow in M3 are just a pale reminder of that.

Start seeing the opportunities all around you. Jesus lovingly chided his disciples who had come back from a Samaritan village without seeing the harvest opportunities of souls all around them."I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." Men, we need to open our eyes. There are men all around you at church every Sunday, at Bible studies and on church softball teams that could be part of your abundant harvest. They are there at the altar every Sunday wanting to pray with someone to help them go to the next level spiritually. There's a harvest to reap! Please come to the front at the altar call. If you're new to praying with people there, just come up by me. I'm looking for M3 men to introduce these God seeking brothers to. Please don't first go to the lobby; go to the front. We are in a war. Go to the front. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Seek an abundant harvest, so seek to enrich and enlist many to become multiplying manly men. Swap phone numbers and email addresses with men you talk with. Then sow follow up seeds- email them within the next 24 hours the M3 stories video (bit.ly/m3-stories) or other enriching info. Then follow up with a phone call. Wouldn't you do that if you really wanted to buy someone's car or house? This is so much more important. This is changing people's lives and advancing God's kingdom and giving you an abundant harvest. I have a special category in my phone contacts for such priority men I meet. I go over that list often and send them texts, video links or give them calls from time to time. I also have a category for all of my M3 brothers. Please do the same. Thanks!

M3 is about helping you have an abundant harvest, a great legacy of many descendants in your spiritual family tree. But you have to make this your ambition, your pursuit. So go to church to fish for men with your fishing glasses on. (The following 1 minute video is about trust, but it well illustrates what I'm talking about. Just click the following link- See the fish!)

The congregation is full of fish! Are you seeing them and seeking to catch them for Christ and His kingdom purposes? Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" Mt.4:19. Someone once quipped, If you're not fishing, your not following." Let's go fishing! Make it your goal to talk to at least one other man each Sunday about his interest in growing further. Perhaps you could simply ask, "Have you gotten one of these?" Then give him an M3 card. See me Sunday at the altar for more of these cards that have our stories and website links on them.

So what was our wise farmer saying to the graduates and to us? "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest." Don't take it easy, seek an abundant harvest. Work the fields which are before you (the men around you) with the resources you have (oxen- for us such tools include cards, calls, care, videos, etc.) Don't play T ball when you could be playing in the big leagues. Don't settle for a few points on the scoreboard, when you could be crushing it. Strive for an abundant harvest. Multiply your life. Remember the parable in Luke 19:11-27 of the ten men entrusted each with a mina (about three month's wages)? One multiplied his mina (his life's impact) by ten, another by five. But one lazily did nothing with his. He was called a wicked servant! Our Master expects us to multiply our lives. I'm so glad you want to do so as well. Aim to abundantly do this.

There are men who may not be as smart as others (they might call themselves a dumb ox, as in our proverb), but they put to shame the scholars who aren't reaching anyone. As it's been said, "An ordinary man using an an effective strategy outperforms a genius without such. He may be a dumb ox, but he can plow. He is unstoppable week in and week out in talking to people. So don't leave church without talking to at least one man about M3 or at least getting his contact info. Be unstoppable in this area as well. You will be so glad you did. An abundant harvest awaits you!

1.-To help you attain an abundant harvest, will you join me in seeking to talk with one or more men each week over the summer about growing spiritually? Swap contact info. If you have cards on you, then you could simply start by saying, "Have you gotten one of these M3 cards?" If he says, "No" share a bit how it has helped you and swap phone numbers and follow up with him. If he says, "Yes" encourage him to join. Also share how its helped you. Teamwork makes the dream work. Let's use the R column on the GREAT scoreboard to also include the points for the people you sought to Recruit. And give yourself 2 points per person in that column. (I'm feeling generous:)

2.-Read through Prov.14:1-18 and pick out one verse or phrase that grabs your attention and share it with us as well and put it on your MP3 card.

Announcements
Men, please warmly welcome our newest member to the team, Horacio De La Torre. He has been saved and serving at New Life Midway for over 10 years and has taught 3rd-5th grade S.S. as well. (Special blessings heavenly blessings await you:) He beats my daily driving by a lot of miles, as he works out near Rockford! 

I commend you for committing yourself to seek to score 5 points or more each day. You are giving yourself to GREAT things! 

Speaking of the scoreboard, I want thank Sam for helping restore the Scoreboard yesterday. Someone's smart phone had accidentally erased all of lasts week's entries. (Yes, we know who you are:) So some of you who posted scores Friday may not see all your points on the board. I apologize for this. Thus, to be fair, I won't post scores for last week. But do expect to see your week's total points up next Monday. So strive for 5 points a day and faithfully post your points daily. Thanks!   

Please remember  that when you put points on the board for Monday, it really is all that you did for the weekend.

Congratulations! Here is the list of all of you who blogged every day last week- and almost all of you did- Alex, Andre, Antonio, Armando, Chuy, Dave D, Dave H, Ed L, Eddie M, Flo, Gary, George D, George R, Israel, Jack, James, Mike, Osiris, Ricardo, Robert, Roger, Sam and Vince. 

Fri. 5.22.15...Prov.13:13-25

What's the second best piece of advice you would give a young person?

I know you would first counsel him to nurture his relationship with the Lord. But what would be your second best piece of advice? In other words, what would be the most important thing you could suggest that would determine his future success or failure? I believe it's found within today's passage, so please carefully read through Proverbs 13:13-25. What do you think it is?

I'm not a prophet, but I think I could do a pretty good job of predicting a person's future. If I could be a fly on the wall (err, if I could bug the place where he hangs out), and could see what kind of friends he hangs out with, I think you and I both could predict the future of that person, if God didn't intervene. When I worked with inner city teens in Humboldt Park, I heard stories of guys getting shot and their mothers wailing. "He was a good boy! He wasn't no gang-banger." No mam, he wasn't in a gang. He just hung out with them, dressed like them, talked like them and represented like them. But he wan't a gang member." To quote Prov.13:20b-"a companion of fools suffers harm." 
So what's the second best piece of advice you could give a person, young or old, if he wants to grow and succeed in life? Here's mine. Devote yourself to friends who are ahead of you on the path of where you want to get to in life. Proverbs 13:20a puts it succinctly- "He who walks with the wise grows wise."

Charlie Tremendous Jones was an enthusiastic Christian leader who spoke and wrote on personal development. He also predicted people's futures. He said that five years from now you will be much the same unless you read life changing material and spend time with people better than yourself. Social researcher, David McClelland of Harvard University said, “The people with whom you choose to associate is more important in determining your success or failure than any other single factor.” Wow! You can't afford to spend time with losers or loafers, if you want to be a winner. Put another way, "If you want to soar with eagles, don't hang out with turkeys." 

"A righteous man is cautious in friendship" Prov.12:28. So some people you might need to disassociate from entirely. Others you'll need to limit your association with. You may have to work with some negative or carnal people, but don't spend your lunch breaks with them. Finally, others you ought to strive to expand your associations with. These are the people you admire and want to be more like. For example, if you want to succeed in business, ask a successful businessman out to lunch and come prepared with good questions to ask. Also ask how you could help him. You've heard it said, "It's not what you know, but who you know." But that's not really true. It's who you know and how much they like you. So be friendly and helpful. Those people will open doors for you. And by all means, if they give you good advice, put it into practice. Don't you dare go back for another mentoring meeting without acting on their input. They will quickly tire of you. It's also been stated that if you want to excel, join a team where the morale and the expectations are high (sounds like M3 to me:). That way you will be challenged and helped to climb higher than you ever could on your own. 

So evaluate your current associations. Who do you need to cut yourself free from? They would pull you down if they were to climb with you. I'm glad you've sought to be light to those in darkness, but if you can't change your friends, change your friends. 

Who would you like to get to know better who knows the ropes? I  know some GREAT men of God in M3, who I'm sure, would be honored if you would ask to spend time with them and discuss things on your mind. Offer to buy them "coffee" or to take a walk together. "He who walks with the wise grows wise." 

1.-Share now, as if you were talking with a young person, about the person or group that has had the biggest influence for good in your life and how so?

2.-He who walks with the wise grows wise. I believe you are such, and in such a wise group. He who wins souls to this GREAT way is also wise. So who will you be seeking to "win" or recruit to M3? By activating them, they will become your lasting legacy. You will also help them to climb so much higher than they ever dreamed they could. Those who walk with the wise become wise.

3.-Write on your MP3 card a verse or phrase that grabbed your attention from our reading today in Prov.13:13-25. Then seek to share it with others. According to Jesus,  those who practice and share God's word are great in God's kingdom. You are doing GREAT things, especially as you multiply your life into others you recruit. 

Announcements
Congratulations to Vince and his wife on the birth of their healthy, 7lb. boy, Caleb at 4AM yesterday morning! Caleb has got a great dad to raise him in the ways of the Lord.

You won't want to miss Monday's blog! Glad most of you will have some free time being Memorial Day. My family and I will be in Michigan, but I look forward to still being with you on the blog that day. 

Wow! Your stories yesterday of diligence in life were great! Thanks also for your commitment to be diligent in scoring 5 points or more each day. That's training yourself to be godly. Way to grow! As you know, an easy way of scoring is to simply encourage a few brothers. Please do this for Marcos Rico. He's been MIA for a second day. "Let us encourage one another daily as long as it is called today, lest any one be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" Heb.3:13.  We've not able to get through to him by phone. Perhaps he is getting texts though at 708-307-0023. You could certainly shoot him an email- mr_rico5@att.net Thanks! No man left behind.

Th.5.21.15...Prov.13:1-12...Diligence

Diligence

"The precious possession of a man is diligence." Prov.12:27 NAS

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made over 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at perfecting the light bulb (some claim it was 10,000). As the story goes, a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." That's diligence!

Diligence comes from a Hebrew word, meaning "to be sharp." As Edison did, the diligent man sharpens his mind and skills. He gets a bright idea and keeps learning and working to achieve it. He is far from lazy. Proverbs 13:4 says, "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." The diligent seek to sharpen themselves through learning from others and from their own successes and failures. They don't look at failure as fatal or as a sign that God is against them. They actually look at failure as a teacher to sharpen them for success. Here's my acronym for FAILURE- Friendly Angel Imparting Lessons Until Results Emerge. Sadly, most people see failure as an enemy to whom they quickly surrender. They don't learn from failure. Do you? 

It's been asked before, "If you could pursue a goal in which you knew you could not fail, what would you pursue?" That may help you think creatively, without being paralyzed by fear of failure. But perhaps a better question is this, "What would it take to stop you toward that goal?" Obstacles are sure to come. But if you have become unstoppable it doesn't matter. Remember, you are not from the nation of resignation or procrastination, but determination. Determine to be a life-long learner, to keep sharpening yourself. I'm thankful that you are devoted to this "iron sharpening iron" group. Never stop learning and sharpening yourself. That's good advice to pass on to those just graduating from school. Their higher education is just starting. To get hired and keep going higher, keep learning diligently.

Read Prov.13:1-12. You'll notice "diligence" is mentioned in v.4. It's been said that if you want to succeed, greatly increase your failure rate. Try until you triumph as Edison did. Have you invited men to join M3 or to the Savior, but you slacked off because they weren't interested or you feared rejection? Be diligent. Don't let fear freeze you. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. We are told 365 times in Scripture not to fear- one reminder for every day of the year. So do not fear failure. Learn from it and persevere. Remember, we commend you for your efforts. You even get to give yourself points on the board when you encourage others to join M3 and when you tell others of transformation. You also get to give yourself points for diligently sowing good seeds into your own life via reading and attacking in prayer. You are carrying out the injunction to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Pet.3:18. Way to grow!

Be diligent. Sharpen yourself to improve in GREAT areas of eternal impact. Notice what Heb.6:10-12 says about this- "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Ever notice how men will spend lots time and money at the health club? They may even hire a personal trainer to help them improve. That's smart. But many are lazy (the antithesis of being diligent) regarding their spiritual fitness. That's dumb. "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" 1 Tim.4:8. We are here to help train men to multiply manly men. Can you think of more valuable training to get and to invite other men to get? 

Many successful people have given this timely piece of advice- Invest your time and money in lifetime learning. Be diligent. Stay sharp. Don't get dull. Keep learning. The apostle Paul put it this way- "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 2 Tim.2:15 NAS. 

Darren Hardy knows a little bit about diligence to improve and succeed. He is the CEO of Success magazine and has interviewed hundreds of successful people. He states, "If you’re looking to improve, just reading a bunch of books about improvement isn’t enough. It takes time, persistence, and deliberate practice in a narrow range of activity to truly improve. You don’t succeed just by learning. You have to study, then do." Our M3 blog motivates our studying and our GREAT scoreboard motivates our doing. You're on the right team to grow. Just be diligent. "Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress" 1 Tim.4:15. That's the theme verse of our GREAT scoreboard. It's a great thing to see the progress of so many of you.

1.-Will you be diligent and set a goal to score 5 or more points a day in GREAT areas on the scoreboard? If not, why? (Don't become lazy, but imitate those who are doing such and even double that. You will be eternally glad you did!)

2.-Share a time when you diligently sharpened yourself through study or training to achieve a goal or a new job. Or perhaps share a time when your lack of diligence hurt you. 

3.-Write on your MP3 card any verse or phrase that impressed you from Prov.13:1-12 and then be on the look-out to share it with others.


How beautiful to see so many of you being unstoppable, keeping your word of "No Scripture, no sleep." Keeping commitments is the test of our manhood. You are whatever it takes men! You are diligent!


Please give a word of encouragement to the following people were all MIA yesterday- Guillermo, Ismael, Marcos, Nic and Phil. Please give them a call, especially if they are in your fire team. 

Wed.5.20.15...Prov.12:15-28...Lying & Ignoring Repair Attempts

Read through Prov.12:15-28 and you’ll see there is much to choose to write on. Did you notice that four times the issue of lying, deceit and a false witness are mentioned? 

One of my problems in high school was that I was a liar and didn’t even realize it. It was second nature to me. I guess I could have blamed my father. Jesus said, “You belong to your  father, the devil and you want to carry out your father’s desire…When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” John 8:44. But now that we have a new nature in Christ, lying is to be put off like an ugly, infested garment. “Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another” Eph.4:25. One little boy was asked by his Sunday school teacher what he thought of lying. He put a couple thoughts together including a verse from Ps.46:1, which he wrongly remembered and declared, “Lying is an abomination unto God and an ever present help in trouble.” It’s when we are in trouble that we are yet tempted to twist the truth, distort the facts and cloud over our commitments. Yet the very core of our spiritual development is “speaking the truth in love” Eph.4:15. Lord, help us to be like you. No deceit was found in your mouth. You are the truth incarnate. Help us to be honest when a brother asks us a heart searching question. And help us to have the courage to ask the tough questions and to speak the truth with love into others lives. Our children and young people need that and so do we.

Here’s another people skills verse that struck me- “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” Prov.12:18. Let’s apply that to marriage disputes. Studies have proven what you may already know from experience- women are more apt to blow a situation out of proportion. They tend to overreact and may quickly say critical things in an argument such as- “You always” or “You never.”  “You always forget what I ask you to do. You’re never going to change. You’re so selfish.” That’s just not true and that’s enough to derail the original issue. It also may start to make your blood boil. Well, not exactly boil, but your blood-pressure and heart rate accelerate. Men’s go up quicker than women’s do in an argument. At a certain level, it’s impossible to talk rationally. A man's body is revved up for a fight. He needs to take that 30 minute time out. Without it, if his wife starts to make a repair attempt* it will be nearly impossible for him to receive it.  Sadly, the beast in him has been aroused and he would rather seek revenge than reconciliation at that point. This is when you don’t want to be a police officer called to a domestic dispute. By the time you get there, rage rules. Handcuffs and a paddy wagon ride are the only way a time out may happen.  

*A repair attempt is when a person seeks to repair the ruptured relationship. Your wife might say, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I don’t want to fight with you.” (Women are more often the one’s to first seek to cool down a situation.) Or she might seek to validate you or your point, crack a smile, or kindly touch you. If you’re too upset to receive her olive branch for peace at that point, just nod and take a time out. Do not use that as an opportunity to attack while she has dropped her defenses. Round two will definitely be far worse than round one. “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” So here's my guarantee- If you will take that 30 minute time out when things start to heat up, you will never have an ugly fight again. Try it, you'll like it. Make sure to explain this practice to your wife ahead of time. Also both of you agree to honor it whoever calls the time out.  

1.-Now it’s your turn. Read through Prov.12:15-28 and share a verse that grabs your attention. Then share it as if you were mentoring a young man. If you’ve got a story, good or bad, from your past that illustrates it, all the better. (Again, feel free to use verses from today, if that’s what strikes you as well.)

2.-Write down on your MP3 the verse or phrase you picked. Be on the look-out for people to share it with, and perhaps your good story from above.

Announcements
Hope you like the new modifications to the GREAT scoreboard. As always, feel free to make suggestions for improvement to it and anything. And as in marriage, if there is ever anything that is frustrating you, don't bottle it up. Let's talk about it. Udabest!

Please give John a call; it's his second day now not on the blog. Also Guillermo and Oscar were MIA yesterday. Let's reach out to them, especially if they are in your fire team. No man left behind.

   

Tues.5.19.15...Advice for Men Wanting to get Married (Prov.12:1-14)

Advice for Men Wanting to Get Married. 

Choose wisely!

Next to choosing Christ to be your Lord and Savior, choosing a woman to be your wife is the greatest decision you will ever make. So choose wisely. Thankfully, our Father gives great mentoring wisdom in making that monumental marriage choice. So let’s look at what He says. (For you men who are already married, be thinking of what advice you would also give to single men.)

Let’s admit it, the first thing that most men think about when selecting a spouse is the appearance factor. The writers of scripture were not blind to the fact that some women were beautiful. But beauty is only skin deep. Prov.11:22 puts it this way- “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.” 11:22. Pig’s have no discretion or taste to discern good from bad. So don’t throw your pearls before swine. What you prize as valuable, they do not. The dream of marrying a beautiful woman will be a living nightmare, if she has no discretion. Such a woman can’t tell the difference between treasure and trash. She is happy to feed her soul on the garbage piggish people devour. She doesn’t hate evil and cling to what is good (Rom.12:9).That’s why Scripture says we should not be unequally yoked, even if the person claims to be a Christian (2 Cor.6:14-18).  So don’t marry a woman unless she also treasures what you treasure- a life of love for Christ and others. “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” Prov.31:30.

God understands your longing to get married. He is the one who said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”  I also understand your longing to get married. I wanted to get married since I was in college, but I was 33 before that day came. But don’t let the calendar rush you past carefully considering the woman’s character. Why? “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay to his bones” Prov.12:4. So there is something worse than being unmarried; it’s being miserably married. I talked to a Christian friend recently who is. Ugh! She is pretty, but pretty ugly to live with. She is like decay to his bones. Bone cancer is terribly painful. My mother died of it. Single men, I plead with you for your own sake, marry a gracious, not a disgraceful woman.  

What’s a way that you could know the caliber of a woman before you take her to be your lawfully wedded wife?” One tell is how she treats her parents. The 10 commandments declare, “Honor your father and mother.” Does she do that fairly well? How she treats especially her father is a good sign of how she will treat you. Is she is quarrelsome? There are bound to be lover’s quarrels, but does she tend to quarrel? Is she easily agitated and argumentative? Proverbs gives ample warning about marrying such a woman- “A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping” Prov.19:13. “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome, ill-tempered wife” 21:19. “Better to live on the corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife” 21:9. Those exact words are even repeated for emphasis in 25:24. So if it seems that she is ill tempered and would rather quarrel with you than honor/respect you, then save yourself tremendous pain and keep looking.

Much more could be written and has been written on this vital subject of picking a good life partner. You single men are about to get some great advice below.

1.a-Married men, imagine you are meeting with a single man who is asking you for advice regarding picking a wife. What counsel would you give him? If you want to include a personal story, all the more powerful.

1.b-Single men, apart from looks, what criterion have you come up with as guidelines for helping you make a wise mate selection?  

2.- Read Prov.12:1-14 and pick one verse or phrase from today’s reading and write it here and on your MP3 card. Then look for people you could pass it on to.

Congrats! All of you but John were on the blog yesterday. Please give him a word of encouragement if he is in your fire team.

Mon.5.18.15...Prov.11:16-31...These are the Things You Don't Say to Your Wife /TREAT Your Wife with Love

A Kind Man Benefits Himself

Today's passage from Proverbs 11:16-31 reveals an upbeat theme of kindness. This is such an important people skill. By the way, when we are talking about people skills, we are talking about relationship skills or love. Those who get low marks in people skills rank low in love and it shows in their relationships. It's hard for them to make and keep good friends. They tend to be too self centered, not others oriented. And being others oriented is just another way of saying, "love." And think about it; the way God made us is to be others oriented. For example, in the physical realm, our eyes are designed to look outwardly upon others. It takes a mirror for me to focus on myself. Yet because of the fall, in the psychological realm, we are prone to be critical, envious or lustful of those we look upon. We also tend to focus inordinately upon ourselves. This is the opposite of love. In love, Jesus came to serve and rescue us. Listen to his own words, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" Mark 10:45. Thank You Lord Jesus for loving us. Help us to do the same. 

Yes, if we are truly grateful for Christ's rescuing and serving love, we will want to do the same. But what does love look like? How could we break it down into crucial qualities? The great love chapter, 1 Cor.13, does that. Look at just the first two Christlike qualities- "Love is patient; love is kind." Love is patient; it puts up with the faults and foibles of others. Love is kind. It's been said, "If you're not the kind, kind, you're the wrong kind." Kindness is a great people skill and we see it emphasized in our portion of Proverbs today- 
A kindhearted woman gains respect. 11:16
A kind man benefits himself. 11:17

A kind man benefits himself. Really? Yes, really. As if some men might need more convincing, v.25 says, "he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Could this be true even in our marriages? Yes, indeed! Paul wrote, "he who loves his wife, loves himself." Eph.5:28. That might surprise many people that the Bible at times seeks to motivate us to lovingly obey for our own good. Yet repeatedly the Bible exhorts obedience "that it may go well with you." This may sound so self-centered. But our Father does want things to go well for us. That's what Proverbs is largely about, trying to spare us from a lot of self-inflicted pain and to then enjoy a blessed life by blessing others. Yes, a kind man benefits himself. Thus, as it's been surprisingly said, "If you really want to be selfish, be selfless." The selfless, others oriented life, brings the most blessings. 

So how might this work out in marriage? Let's give a negative example first. The wife says to her husband, "Would you do such and such for me?" To which the husband stupidly says, "Why don't you do it yourself?" Bad response. Result? Bad mood wife. Here's another example of such sowing and reaping...if want to live a long and happy life, these are the things you don't say to your wife. Watch the video and laugh!

I'm sure we could all come up with stories about how we said stupid things that hurt our wives or loved ones. But let's focus on the flip side. What are some acts of kindness that you could show to bless your wife or loved one and thus benefit yourself. "A kind man benefits himself." The foolish man says, "Ah, she doesn't deserve to be treated kindly for the way she acts." Maybe so. But God lovingly treats you with kindness and you certainly don't deserve it. So if you're married, be thinking of three things that would bless your bride this week. 

Many of us need help in figuring out what spells love to our spouse. I've taken Dr. Gary Chapman's, the 5 Love Languages, and created a memorable acronym regarding how to TREAT your wife according to her love language. So what spells love to your wife?
Time together 
Rightly suited gifts (Probably a drill or tread-mill wouldn't spell love to her.)
Encouraging words (Many of you daily share such with team mates. What about emailing your wife such?)
Acts of service (This one is my wife's. Thus, I do dishes often. A fair exchange for being fed:)
Touch (My son is a big hugger and wrestler. But your wife might not like the arm wrestling part.) 

1.a-So if you're married, how can you TREAT your wife in such a way that it spells love in her language? List 2 ideas and seek to fulfill them this week. By sharing them, you'll probably give your brothers some good ideas. We will be stimulating one another to love and good deeds. What's in it for you? Happy wife, happy life. "A kind man benefits himself."

1.b-If you're single, list what you think your top two love languages are.
(Notice that this is probably how you like to treat other people. Just be aware that if that is not also their love language, they may not be feeling loved as much as you think.)

2.-Read Prov.11:16-31 and write on your MP3 card any verse or phrase that helps you with your people skills.

(3.-Optional: "A cheerful heart is good medicine" Prov.17:22. Did you get a laugh out of the Tim Hawkins video? Juslemeknow.)

We who wins souls to this way of wisdom in Proverbs is wise (note Prov.11:30). The father figure in the book is certainly wise as he seeks to win and mentor others in the way of wisdom. So glad you're also committed to winning, mentoring and multiplying such manly or wise men. In the New Testament, he who wins souls to the way, the truth and the life is very wise! I'm so happy to see those of you who are telling others of transformation. At our next meeting, I will be giving you outreach cards to a new site that's outta sight! O Lord, help us to multiply many, manly men! 

Announcements
Speaking of our next meeting, it will be Sunday, June 14th at 11:30 in the same room we met in last time- the break room near the men's restroom.

I want to congratulate each and every one of you by name who were unstoppable last week in reading and sharing on the blog- 
Alex, Andre, Antonio, Armando, Chuy, Daniel, Dave D, Dave H, Eddie, Gary, George D, George R, Ismael, Jack, James, Mike, Nic, Osiris, Phil, Robert, Roger, Sam and Vince. Fantastic!  
I also want to recognize the men who scored 25-49 points last week furthering our GREAT mission-  Roger-25; Antonio-29; Phil-31; Ismael-34

Now, I want to honor the men who scored 50 points or more last week furthering our GREAT mission- Eddie-50; Jack-60; Sam-66; and Robert 91!
Thank you men for being devoted to building others up. 

"Acknowledge those who work hard among you" 1 Th.5:12

Next week, I'll put the weekly scores up of all, so please remember to put your scores on the board each day. Also please strive to score at least an average of 5 points a day. It's not hard- 1 point just for commenting on the blog, 1 point for each person you share something with from your MP3; 1 for attacking in prayer; and then 2 points for briefly encouraging a couple others on the blog (or via a text, email or call). So as soon as you're done commenting, briefly encourage a couple other brothers on the blog. Then post your scores on the GREAT scoreboard for what you did yesterday.    

Last but not least, I want to welcome a new brother to the team, who is not new to me. He is one of the first guys I got to meet and minister to when I started as the young adults pastor at the church in 1988. He introduced me to several of his lost friends, and he has brought many people to church over the years. Welcome Flo Juarez!

Fri.5.15.15...Prov.11:1-15...Counsel from the Devil...Put Her in Her Place

People Skills

Today's reading: Please read Prov.11:1-15 and note a verse that really grabs your attention.

Here's the verse that got me thinking. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Prov.11:2

Pride. It's been called the religion of those who go to hell. Pride. It's why Lucifer was expelled from God's presence. Pride. It's the ruin of relationships. Pride. It's the opposite of the character of Christ. "Take my yoke upon you for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls." Mt.11:29. Pride. It's totally contrary to the heart of our Savior and the heart or character he wants to form within us. Pride. It's what filled Nebuchadnezzar's heart before God put him out to pasture for 7 years. What disgrace! "When pride comes, then comes disgrace." And it is pride that brings disgrace and misery to so many marriages. Satan is out to destroy marriages and one of his favorite tools he uses to do so is pride. As a matter of fact (or fiction), here is a recently discovered part of a marriage manual written by one of his demons. Note how pride oozes throughout his counsel-

Let me counsel you married men- don't put up with any hint of lack of devotion from your wife. You deserve the best. And how dare she ever say anything negative about you. So assassinate her character if she starts to shoot at you. Be a faultfinder, not a good finder to get her to improve. Don't focus on fixing the problem; fix the blame on your spouse. Get historical and prophetic. What I mean by this is- say things like, "You've always been this way and you're never going to change!" By the way, make sure when you argue to always use, "You always" and "You never" (Demon's note: It's sure to escalate their arguments and sidetrack them from ever solving the real problem.) You deserve better than this. Just think (often) how much better you would be with someone else. (Demon's note: Seek to get them to spend their mental energy dreaming of escaping or avoiding their spouse, rather than improving their marriage.) Use any insecurities, fears, physical imperfections or struggles your spouse has confided in you as future weapons to get even. Blast from the past. Keep plenty of ammo in mind to fire at her the next time your spouse dares to disrespect you.

Should your spouse show any form of resistance, retaliate with sarcasm or other forms of contempt- roll your eyes, mock her words or gestures, make little sounds of disgust, give demeaning facial gestures. Drop the "divorce" word bomb whenever resistance mounts. Or say other similar things such as, "I never should have married you!" or "I don't know why I stay with you!" She has failed to measure up, so intimidate, don't validate your spouse. Then show your subtle contempt for her by devoting your time and attention to other things. (Demon's note: This will slowly but surely starve their marriage and multiply their misery.) Whatever you do, don't make sacrifices for your spouse, because they don't deserve it. (Demon's note: Don't let them discover that the less dedication, the less satisfaction and happiness they will have in marriage. Keep them focused on how much more they have done than their spouse. Love is others oriented, not self centered, but you must never let them focus on love and the love they are to reflect of our enemy, their Savior.)

Next, make sure to defend yourself. It's such a subtle, but great way of putting the blame back on your spouse. Never really pause and listen to her feelings and frustrations. Never seek to reconcile. Always seek to prove you're right. Rehearse and nurse defensive thoughts, such as "I don't deserve this." (Demon's note: Defensiveness will help them sink their own marriage, but they will feel justified that is was their wife's fault. They will never see that their own defensiveness torpedoed their marriage. Pride is such a great weapon!)

1.-If you're married, please share as if you were seeking to help an engaged man regarding conflict in marriage. It's going to come. But what have you found that has helped or hurt when you and your wife have had conflict? (If you're single, what have you found that has helped or hurt when you had conflict with a friend or family member?)

2.-Copy down on your MP3 card, When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Prov.11:2

Announcements

I'm happy to introduce our newest M3 member, Marcos Rico! Marcos has been attending New Life for about 4 years now and actively involved. We welcome you Marcos and look forward to your great future of growth and multiply manly men. I also want to commend Gary who first began talking to Marcos a few months ago. And George also encouraged Marcos to join. Way to go men!

Several of you have shared some powerful stories from your life and given great advice to others. Would you like to help write a blog based on a portion in Proverbs? If so, just contact me for more info. Thanks!

Let's give Guillermo encouragement. It's the second day that he wasn't with us on the blog. I know the enemy hates your loyalty to the Lord, His word, His people and the mission we are on- to multiply manly men. Yet you are persevering. I see the late nights and early mornings that several of you pull to be faithful. Yesterday Gary was on the blog at 2:46AM and then on today at 4;26AM. If I was Gary and still drinking Mt.Dew or caffeinated drinks, I'd be guzzling such!:)