The Importance of Volunteering in the Navy

This particular topic is a sore subject for some because many feel it's wrong to toot your own horn. If you want to volunteer, then you should do it without needing to be recognized for it. Indeed, this is why I have never put myself in for a Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal (MOVSM). However, I need you, military brother and sister, to realize that it’s important to have some volunteer service on your eval inputs. If your bragsheet is lacking in community service, your eval will be lacking as well.

Yet the issues of time and the work-family relationship come into play. You work hard and you want to go home, relax a little, and spend some time with your family. And you don't want the volunteer service to be cheap either. It's not just a game, right? Or is it something you do just to throw it on your eval and hit a wicket? The short answer is "no." That's why you need to choose a volunteer service project that you can really get behind. Here's how:

1. Pick something you care about. A lot of Sailors are particularly well-positioned to help youth as they were recently the same age. I taught a small youth group in Virginia when I was in school, so I know that it's a bonus. My ability to mentor them was important to the church, and it was something I cared about. It doesn't matter what you do with the church, or any organization, just make it something you care about so it isn't canned and worthless to the Father.

2. Find something you and your family can do together. This is why working with a local church is a good idea. My wife and I volunteered together for a long time in the nursery as our kids were going through the newborn/toddler/preschool stages. It allowed my wife and I to be together while doing something good for the community.

I hope these ideas will help you make the most of your community service. It really is that important, and it's the right thing to do.

The Silence of Mentoring

With Military Prayer Day preps taking up a lot of my time, I haven't written about mentoring much. Sadly enough, I'm not the only one who has been silent lately on the topic of mentoring. A cursory look at Google's blog search will show that very few blogs are currently talking about mentoring. Most of the ones that do represent an organization dedicated to mentoring. Sadly still, most of those organizations are dedicated to mentoring youth.

Of course I don't think it's wrong to talk about mentoring youth. Some of my Sailors are so young that they might as well be youth. Some of them certainly still make decisions like youth. However, virtually no one is talking about mentoring as it relates to adults, and even more so the church.

Should the church be silent on this issue? NO!

Jesus mentoring 12 disciples. That alone should be all that is needed to spur believers to mentor. John the Baptist had disciples, Paul mentored Timothy, Titus, and others. Peter mentored John Mark. The list goes on and on. Yet we don't hear about mentoring now.

Several people I've talked to say they know what mentoring is about, but they don't actually use it. If they do know what it's about, they are failing those they should be leading. I don't want to believe that they are doing this. Still, the truth hurts sometimes.

Sailors, you should be mentoring. I don't want you to mentor because it's a Navy program and you're mandated to do so. I want you to do it because you have wisdom to pass on. And, if you're a believer in the military, then this is doubly true. We all need you to pass on your wisdom. Don't make our junior Sailors learn about it the hard way. Give them a leg-up on life and help them out!

End the silence on mentoring. Get to it!

To learn more about mentoring, look into my ebook called, Building a Mentoring Community. If you don't want to pay the $.99 or if you're out at sea, I will give it to you for free as a download. Let me know!

Is Blogging Dead? 5 Reasons Pastors should still Blog

No way around it…blogging is not as popular as it used to be. It's a little harder now to get people to read a 500 word blog post than a 140 character Twitter update. So does that mean that pastors should avoid blogging? I don't think so. In this post I'm going to give you 5 reasons to keep blogging.

1. Your goal is to reach your flock. A blog allows you to do that in much the same way that a weekly email or bulletin insert can do, but it remains more permanent. Emails get deleted, bulletin inserts usually get trashed, but blogs don't go away.

2. Blogging is a good way for your flock to see what products/resources you'd recommend. Reading a review from you about a new book will mean a great deal. Just saying it in the bulletin or mentioning it on Sunday morning will be easily forgotten, but reading a review on it will help keep that resource fresh on your congregation's minds.

3. Your schedule: Are you speaking at a conference? Can you post the audio or video from that conference on your blog? If so, then it could be a real boon to your congregation to be able to hear what you say. Let's imagine that you're speaking at a leadership conference. Don't you think your members would like to know what you say? Post about it and keep them updated! Furthermore, with the global reach of social media and blogging, don't you want them to invite their friends to your event?

4. Your writing. Many pastors and church leaders today write books or resources on the side. Even I have a few short ebooks that talk about issues near and dear to me. Pastors can extend their sphere of influence past Sunday morning by including writing, both through blogging itself and in promoting books.

5. Building community: The most important reason to keep blogging, or to start blogging if you aren't already, is to stay engaged during the week. Any given pastor is going to be pulled away in a number of directions throughout the week. However, a blog, with at least weekly updates, can give you and your members a way to keep in touch. Just make sure you reply to comments! Otherwise it might backfire and you look even more distant.

As you can see, plenty of reasons exist to keep blogging. Our congregations need to hear from us when it is appropriate to keep connected and keep expanding spiritually.

Are there reasons you blog as a pastor that I didn't mention? Please do so in the comments! 

Psalm 1 and a Challenge

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

4The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Challenge:
Well, do you? Who are your friends? Of course I’m not recommending that you have zero unbelieving friends. Still, I have to ask…are you walking in step with the wicked? Are you there, shoulder to shoulder, supporting them as they sin? Are you hanging out with those who make a mockery of your faith?

If so, then let this psalm be a call from God on your life to bring you out of the swamp. You may befriend unbelievers of course, and you should. However, your fellowship is for believers, and your mind is for God. Focus today!

A Good Wife

Dear Sailor,

If you have any sense in your head, you are looking for a good spouse. It is not an easy path. I spent a good portion of my first several years in the Navy foolishly in the hunt for an acceptable wife. I was horrible at it. I hurt some good women in that process, and I got hurt a lot too.

For a long time (it seems) I was busy chasing the idea of an acceptable wife when in reality God had hand-picked a good wife for me. I want you to understand the difference between "acceptable" and "good." Not merely acceptable. Alicia has proven over and over again to be a very good woman.

Alicia isn't someone who will tell you she's good at something. She's too humble herself for that. But I am her husband and I like bragging about her. Here's what she is best at: When I come home at the end of a day at work, she can almost instantly gauge my status and know what I need. On good days, she allows the kids to tackle me, and on bad days, she helps redirect them to other things so I can get my bearings. Furthermore, she is an excellent listener. We almost always spend the first 15-20 minutes after I get home just talking. She makes it a priority and that helps me a great deal as I process my day. And since I communicate in more pragmatic ways, she is also very good at helping me find the answer to problems at work. Sometimes, of course, that backfires, especially when she points out how I failed a particular situation. Such is life. I'll take the humility that comes with that in order to get the overwhelming good that comes from a good listener. Actually, even the humility is good. She points out my faults lovingly and with a goal to make me better. And it has worked!

I'd like to think that I'm doing pretty good as a husband as well, although I'm far from where I want to be (and where Alicia wants me to be I'm sure). Still, I have my strengths, and I know what they are.

Things weren't always this way. We went through some very ugly times as we adjusted to each other, and I spiraled out of control for awhile. I hurt Alicia for some time before I realized what God had given me. That was a very humbling moment. It is not every day that God breaks you in order to make you realize what he's given you. Yet I'm grateful for that time period in my life.

Before I digress further, let me bring it to a point. You need a good spouse for a good marriage. When you have that good spouse, you will have to realize that a good marriage is not easy. If it was, I wouldn't have had to write the previous paragraph. But it can come. Put in the work and enjoy the fruits of a good marriage.

Alicia, I am extremely grateful for you and our time together. We have a great relationship, great kids, and a great life. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I hope you can enjoy our anniversary day. I love you! 

Praying Faithfully for the Lost

A few days ago I had a post that pretty much changed how I feel about getting involved in political discussions. I don't really like them, despite the fact that it was a very popular post as far as pageloads and visits are concerned. Still, this blog is more for supporting believers in general, and military believers in particular. To that end we investigate the idea of praying faithfully for the lost.

Hudson Taylor said, “Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of ¬eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success.”

I sit here accused by this long-gone saint of being lazy in my prayers for people I am not involved with. The fact is that I have had a love for the Japanese people since 1998 when I was stationed in the country and I’m not praying faithfully for them. When I do pray, it is not for the sort of powerful spiritual awakening that would lead to an outpouring of God’s Grace on them.

Furthermore, I have a very clear calling to pray for military believers and those I want to have become believers. One of the biggest reasons for this blog is to encourage churches to pray for military believers. If we'd all be on board with what Taylor said, I am convinced more would be accomplished.

Maybe you’re like me. When the ministry or outreach is something you can personally be involved with, it is important to you, but when it is thousands of miles away, it isn’t so important.

You, like me, pray hard when God is affecting something important to you, but random requests from missionaries and ministers far away get no more than a passing thought. And, not to lay a guilt-trip at your feet, but by default I'm asking you to pray for the military. You may not be involved in ministry to the military. As a human, I know it’s not possible to pray faithfully about everything, or at least I’ve never seen that in action. However, I must do a better job of praying for the lost souls of this world and those trying to reach them. In some ways, it’s the only thing that matters.I ask you, humbly, to join me in this endeavor.

Psalm 23 Part 4

As you know from the last four weeks, I've been working through the 23rd Psalm. Please enjoy the final part today:

Psalm 23 verse 5 and 6: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

In verses 1-4, we read of the comforting shepherd over his flock. Verses 5 and 6 go into a different setting. Verse 5 tells us about being an honored guest at God's table. We start with a table set in front of our enemies. David had seen numerous wars and threats on his own life. To say that God prepares a table in front of his enemies is to say that God’s care over his own is more powerful that the concern we have about our foes. To say it wasn’t easy for David to stand up for what he believed in is an understatement. In fact, he faced down a king for it. Who are your foes? Who attacks you or tries to destroy your name for your stand as a Christian?

If you aren’t a Christian, maybe this is a concern for you. Have you had trouble with the fact that people might very well make fun of you or reject you because of your faith? Both God the Father and his son Jesus Christ were clear that they will honor those who go through pain because of their faith.

Anointing our heads with oil is another thought along the same theme. This is to say that God treats us as honored guests. It was tradition in Biblical times to anoint a guest's head with sweet smelling oil. This is how much God cares for us! He anoints us and calls us his own.

Just as evil follows us in the valley, so does the good of the Father follow us. Verse 6 does not state that we will not go through tribulations, but it does say that when they come, we can rest assured that God is following along as well with his grace and peace that passes all understanding.

The last phrase of this passage states the inevitable end for all believers of God…to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. It is only fitting for the writer to end on this note. After all the burdens, all the trials. After being counted by the Lord's rod of grace, and being protected by his staff. After all this…we will dwell in his house forever.

Here I am, preaching this message in a hospital. What does Psalm 23 mean to you? What does it mean for any of us who have been in a hospital? What I want you to know more than anything is that God cares. He really, really cares. Not as a being so far removed from your life that you won’t be able to find him, but as the loving shepherd who counts his flock constantly to make sure all of his own are with him and healthy.

Even if you don’t feel pain at the moment; maybe you’re a staff member or you’re here today for routine reasons, I bet you know someone who is in pain. You might know someone who heard this passage at a funeral of a loved one and they might still be in pain over it. Would you share with them soon about our God who cares? Alcohol can delay pain for a time, depression can make a person wallow in pain, but only God moves through pain. Our God can move inside of Darkness. Our opening verses of Genesis speak to us of a God who created light out of utter darkness. Take that with you through your day.

Would you live your life so that others might see God? Would you accept his restoration so that others can see how you react to failure? Would you openly discuss your trials and how God is at work? God does work, and he can work in your unsaved friends and family as well. But to get this peace, to be led personally by our shepherd through the darkness, they must be his sheep. If that makes you want to serve, please pray that God will help you to do so. And if you already share your faith with others, I hope that this study has helped you understand that ridicule and pain are not punishments for you because of your testimony, but rather the continual promise of our God that he will never leave you or forsake you.

Psalm 23 Part 3

What follows is Part 3 of the four part study on Psalm 23:

Psalm 23:3-4: He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me.

Verse 3 gives us insight into what God's motivation is. The psalmist tells us WHY God restores his soul and lead him in paths of righteousness. God does everything for his own glory. This is pointed out numerous times in the Bible. A good location is: Philippians 2:11:

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Even when celebrating Christ's deity and his saving power, it is to God we give the glory. This will be important as we go through this part of the passage.

There may be some of you here today who are not born again, meaning that you haven’t accepted Christ as your savior. One of the reasons you might be holding off on that decision is because you think Christians are by and large hypocrites. We say one thing and then you catch us doing another.

Don't let my failure be a hindrance for you. What you can't see is that in my apparent hypocrisy, I am being restored to God after I fail. Once you become a believer, you'll learn that you also need this restoration. You'll find yourself wishing you hadn't said something or done something, and you’ll go to God and the relationship that had been fine, and damaged, becomes good again. Your soul will, in effect, be restored.

Now, you may be a Christian, and instead of being the person who doubts God because of hypocrisy, you might know someone who does. And you might find yourself unable to reach them because you can’t figure it out yourself. Notice it states why he leads…for his name's sake. As I mentioned earlier, it all comes full circle back to the Glory of God. I think the logical reason for God to lead us for his name's sake is so that, through our example others might see him. So you see that we can all, no matter how much we know, or how long we've been saved, make a difference for others. Please keep in mind that your example might be the only difference they see. And it's ok that you need the restoration. It's ok to be less than perfect. Your struggles are probably their struggles. Seeing how you react and live is going to be a huge testimony to your fellow-humans. If you find yourself dealing with the accusation that you are a hypocrite, try not to get into an argument over it. Simply allow them to see God restore you. And don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s still their decision to follow Christ, not yours.

The darkest valley is a play on Hebrew that the King James version of this verse calls, the valley of the shadow of death. It is a Hebrew idiom representing the blackest darkness imaginable. Immediately, we conjure up images of death when we read this passage. That's probably what makes this Psalm one of the most common funeral passages in history, according to Wikipedia. It offers comfort where comfort cannot often be found, and therefore makes a good lesson in God's grace at a time of deep sorrow.

I've been through this darkness. Sometimes I still go through this darkness. You can ask me and we'll talk about this darkness together, but suffice to say, I have seen it first hand. Many of you have lost a loved one and so you have seen this darkness. Some of you, because of health concerns or other reasons, have felt yourself going through this darkness on your own behalf. Even when I walk through this valley of the blackest darkness imaginable, I can know that God is still in charge. It's just fact, and me not believing it doesn't make it less fact.

We so often wonder Why God has allowed something to happen, and my response is that I just don't know.  As a minister I shouldn't be admitting that, but if other ministers are wise and honest, they will too. But what I want you to ask God, especially if you're not a believer, is “God, do you care?” Because you're about to find out what God really thinks about pain. In Matthew 10: 29-31, Christ is talking about his disciples who are teetering on the fear of death. He says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Those verses got me through my sister's death several years ago. No matter what you think about God, I can tell you the answer to the question, “Do you care” is a resounding yes!

“Your rod…” Again, look at the historical context. When a shepherd counts his sheep, as David undoubtedly did many times, he would count them as they passed under his rod. There is further evidence of this mentioned in Leviticus 27:32.

The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod—will be holy to the LORD.

God counts us as his own by using the rod of his Son's blood. In other words, those of us today who are believers are counted by God as individuals and as a group of believers. We, being his, are carefully counted and taken care of. If we can't be found, and have strayed from our shepherd, he will go after the lost sheep as we are told in Matt. 18:11-14, again describing his intense desire to restore humanity to himself. To be under the care of God once again is not to be subjected to a dictatorship, but rather to be counted worthy to pass under the loving rod of our Lord.

Check back soon for the final part of the series!

Why I Want you to Pray for the Military

I'm a mere 48 hours away from launching the fourth annual Military Prayer Event. This is something that has been important to me for years and the reason this blog really exists. I want to help you learn how to pray effectively for military people.

My hope is that you already include the military in your prayers daily. With a great deal of humility, I want to encourage you to stop praying for certain things, and to start praying specific ideas. This will help make your prayers for targeted and effective. So, please read this post with an open mind. Seek only to arrive at the conclusion that we want good, solid prayer for the military. As a US Navy Sailor, I cherish your words to God on my behalf. That's why I'm writing this post!

Ways to Pray for the Military:

1. A lot of people say they want the military folks home soon. The truth is that God doesn't usually bring military folks home soon. We have fairly scheduled deployments. If we leave on a certain date, depending on which service we're in, we're not coming home until a certain date 6 months, 10 months, 12 months, or 15 months later. Praying I come home soon is counter-productive. Instead, pray for productive deployments, safe families, etc. Anything really except that they will come home soon. Coming home early usually means something went wrong.

2.  Praying in a general tone is not effective. It's nice to do and if you don't know anyone in particular, I am sure that it's better than not praying at all. However, resourceful Christians don't need to pray like that. You need not look any further than your local church. I would be willing to bet that someone in you church knows someone who is in the military. Find out who they are and then pray specifically for that person!

3.  Pray specific issues. If you struggle with lust, then pray that your military person will remain strong against lust. Do you have a hard time with food addiction? Pray that your military person will be strong against food problems so that he/she will be able to pass the semi-annual physical test. It doesn't matter what you pray for really, the point is to pray specifically!

4.  Pray scripture. The whole point is to pray specifically, right? So pray the things that are in the Bible! The Bible talks about the harvest, so pray for the harvest! The Bible talks about lust, so pray against lust! You get the point. Praying the things that are in scripture allows you to easily pray specifically about the situation.

Look, the bottom line is that I really, desperately, want you to pray for the military. Pray specifically about the people you know, or someone a friend knows. If they are not believers, pray for them to believe. If they are believers, pray they will be bold in their faith. It's really that easy. And, if all else fails, pray for me and my family. Lord knows we could use it!

Psalm 23 Part 2

This is Part II of a 4 Part series on the 23rd Psalm. Parts 3 and 4 will post soon!

To review Part 1, click here. Without further delay, here is Part 2:

Verse Two Reads: He lets me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside quiet waters.

It is important to notice the historical references here in this verse. In the dry, rocky, hot climate that is so prevalent in Palestine, it is easy to see how the writer looks at the still waters and green pastures as a blessing. Who wouldn't rather be on a gentle hillside near a smoothly flowing brook as opposed to being in such a busy place as the Chicago area? Often my soul desires to get away and to rest. The Lord does this for us.

I want you to picture, just for a moment, a flock of sheep being led by their shepherd for the first time to a new grazing area. For weeks or even months the flock has been in one area and therefore chewed it down considerably. Now the shepherd leads them to a new pasture and a new water supply. I’m not saying lambs can leap for joy at the peaceful setting of fresh food and water, but wouldn’t you be? Now picture yourself walking with a guide. You walk out of the desert where we find in our lives so often and then he sweeps his hand across the horizon, showing you the peace and joy that he’s prepared for you.

We are all busy. This doesn’t change the fact that there is a certain peace to be found in God. Even if it’s a few minutes of listening prayer or just sitting on your lawn chair in the back yard with no disruptions or noise, there is peace to be found. God sweeps his hand across the horizon to show his people the pasture land and the flowing waters of rest. Even Jesus had to get away from the busyness of life every now and again. He didn’t retreat to his house, or the synagogue, but to nature.

This contrasts heavily with the Christian idea that rest is a far-off reward. We think of rest as the final “going to sleep” when we pass from this life and enter a new one in heaven. Yes, that is peace, and to the believer, that is the ultimate rest. However, God doesn’t just reserve his peace for those who are asleep. This passage clearly offers it for us as well.

How many people do you come in contact with at work, in your home, or at social functions that could really use the stillness that God provides? In many cases, there is only one way they will ever get it, and that’s by you telling them. When you encounter the next stressful event at work let yourself see the needs of your coworkers. And maybe you’re the one who needs the peace. Whether you believe in Christ as your savior and lord or if you have not accepted him into your heart yet, you probably still crave the peace that only He can give in your workplace. There is ample opportunity to open the dialogue with God that will allow peace to come.

Melancholy Voting

I think I was so busy wanting change four years ago that I was relieved when the Democrats won. I didn’t necessarily want Obama. I feel like I had seen through some things about him that others missed. Still, I felt he was going to win from the start simply because America was tired of Republicans. Like it or not, it was the truth. President Obama was charismatic and brought a lot of hope. People flocked to him. It was bound to happen.

Tonight, however, I’m just dismayed. I don’t really like Romney. I don’t like the idea that the evangelicals in America have bought his campaign even though he doesn’t believe in Christ. Yet I don’t like the rampant liberalism that the President represents.

Be it clearly stated that I will serve whoever wins tonight. I just wish there was a different option…or at least a third option. We need to redesign the program so that there is a different option. A real candidate that evangelicals could get behind. A candidate that the military can get behind (I’ll stir up some scary thoughts with that one!). Shoot, get a candidate that the liberals can actually get behind. I just wish there was more for us.

So, with much melancholy in my spirit, I wait for the results. As I write this, Romney is winning. I don’t know how long it will last though.

The Problem with Politics

This post is a follow-up to my rant about Voting Biblical Values.

Here's the real problem: I think that politics, at least in America, is damaging to the Gospel. By the time the church as a whole is done attacking everyone around them, it makes it difficult to tell them you love them later. It certainly makes it difficult to tell them to follow you to Jesus.

See what I did there? I attacked you. I realized that a few days ago while reading a blog called A Heart for God. The author of that blog, who has a major Twitter following I might add, wrote something that I was not happy about. It had to do with politics. He wrote it right after I wrote my Voting Biblical Values post. I tore into him pretty well (as well as you can in 140 characters). He defended himself well. We ended fairly ok I suppose, but then I read his blog entry and realized that I had committed a horrible act. By arguing so vehemently, I had detracted from what I wanted to accomplish, which was turn believers to the need for the Gospel. Actually, my goal is for believers to understand that the Gospel should direct our actions. I believe politics gets in the way, but attacking believers is no way to accomplish my goal and get the word out. It doesn't make us look good to unbelievers either.

Tomorrow is election day, and I hope you do whatever it is you need to do in order to be ready for November 7th, the day we must get back to the work of the Gospel. I need to, you need to, we all need to get back to doing what God ordered us to do in Matthew 24. My part will be to stop bickering about politics (I hope I can maintain that).

Truthfully speaking, arguing about politics is fun for me, but it is a detractor, so I shall attempt to stop being so contentious and cantankerous. Let us all get to work!

New Hashtag for Military Prayer Day!

I'm very excited for the 4th Annual Military Prayer Event. While I’ve made the choice to condense it to a single day instead of a full week this year, I think it has the potential to be even bigger, more focused, and more powerful than ever before.

One key reason for this is Twitter. In previous years, I've used Facebook and Navy Christian to raise awareness for the event. I will continue to do so. In fact, I've expanded this offering as well by creating the even through the Navy Christian Facebook page and looking into guest posts. But that is not enough. Starting now, any time you want to pray for the military, and want the rest of the world to know it, please use the Twitter hashtag: #prayforthemilitary.

My hope is that it can trend on that day to spread awareness for the reasons we need to pray for the military. Speaking of which, please use the labels Military Ministry and Praying for the Military on the right to learn more about the work we do in serving the military's spiritual needs!

Please help me spread the word on the 11th of November. I want the entire country praying for a revival in the military. Thanks!

#prayforthemilitary

Military Prayer Day 2012

Over the last three years, I've hosted a Military Prayer Week on Navy Christian. I've been joined by a virtual group of up to 50 or so, and we've had some good prayer for those who serve the United States. This year, because Veterans Day falls on a Sunday, I'm condensing the MPW into a Military Prayer Day. I want to encourage you to help me make it the largest outpouring of prayer for the military that we've ever had!

I would like you to mark your calendar for Veteran's Day (11 November) this year to join me in a Military Prayer Day. As I have said on occasion on this blog, the military needs your prayer support. It doesn't matter whether you pray for a loved one, friend, or the military in general. It doesn't matter if you pick the US Navy, US Army, US Marines, US Air Force, or US Coast Guard, or for that matter a foreign military unit. We all need your prayers and we can all benefit the Kingdom.

I'm not asking you to give up football for this. In fact, I don't plan to give up football for this. What I am asking you to do is to pause periodically for the chance to pray for those who serve. Simply say a prayer or two as you get into the car to drive to church in the morning (and maybe lead your Sunday School class in praying for the military), pray before the game starts, pray for the military as your team loses (or wins) and pray in a host of other scenarios. Just pray!

So please consider marking your calendars on for the 11th of November to join me in praying several times that day for the military. I will be posting prayer items throughout the day on the blog and on Twitter/Facebook.

Along with joining me in the prayer day itself, I would love it if you would pass the information on to your friends, families, and pastors. The more people we have involved, the better!

Ok, see you then!