Super Bowl-   by Mark

On Sunday, February 3, the New York Giants and the New England Patriots will vie for the championship of the National Football League (NFL) in Super Bowl XLII. New England, in its sixth Super Bowl appearance, will attempt to win their fourth championship in just seven years. If they accomplish this feat, they will go down in NFL history as the only team to complete a 19-0 undefeated season. The Miami Dolphins were 17-0 during the 1972/73 season, when the schedule was two games shorter than it is now. The New York Giants will be underdogs in this match, having won three straight playoff games on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. This impressive feat was topped by a victory on the “frozen tundra” of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin – one of the three coldest games played in NFL history. The climate for the 42nd Super Bowl will be friendlier in Glendale, Arizona. This will be the Giants fourth Super Bowl appearance, having won in 1987 and 1991.

Although the NFL is purely an American league, it draws international interest, especially for its championship game (estimated at over 100 million viewers, worldwide).

Why do sporting events such as football stimulate such interest? By nature, we (especially men) are intrigued by competition, particularly when athletic strength and skill are involved. As a boy, I became a “fan” of the Dallas Cowboys. Why? In the early 1970s, clad in their sharp, lone-starred uniforms, they developed a knack for exciting comeback victories in the waning moments of games. These victories were directed by their quarterback, Roger Staubach, under the innovative coaching of “the man in the hat”, Tom Landry.

Having been raised in a Christian home, there was something else that interested me in Roger Staubach and Tom Landry – they publicly acknowledged their faith in Jesus Christ and sought to play the game of football in a way that was pleasing to God.

Fundamentally, football is a battle between two opposing sides – it’s a tactical game of strategy between offence and defence. For the Christian, life is a bit like the game of football. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the assurance of victory over sin and death, but find ourselves engaged in a spiritual battle. This struggle between good and evil is described in Ephesians 6:10-18. This battle is not a merely human – it’s supernatural – a tactical war of offence and defence between spiritual opponents.

As Christians, we are told to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (v10). We are to put on God’s armour so that we can defend against evil attacks (vv 11-13). When we abide in the truth of Christ, it girds us for battle (v14). The righteousness of Christ, acquired solely by trusting in Him for the forgiveness of our sins, is like a breastplate that guards our vitality (v14). Similarly, the salvation we have in Christ guards our head against what would otherwise be a spiritually fatal blow from our formidable opponent (v17). Knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ prepares our feet for the struggle – enabling us to stand, grounded in the Saviour’s love (v15). Faith completes our defence – we are saved by it and are also called to live by it – it’s a shield that quenches the fiery darts fired by Satan and his team (v16). A winning team not only has a good defence, but a great offence. We are not only equipped to thwart the attacks of the evil one with the various defensive strategies, but are equipped for an offensive counter-attack (v17) – the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit – we do well to meditate on it regularly if we are going to overcome the devil.

Left to our own devices, Satan will easily sack us, but the Spirit of Christ who indwells each believer is greater than he (1 John 4:4). To win this spiritual Super Bowl, we must abide in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:4,5).

Enjoy this Sunday’s football game, but more importantly, enjoy Jesus Christ – He is always the Victor and gives victory to all who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Amazing Grey Tree Frog-   by Chris

Have you ever wondered about what happens to the frogs in our cold Canadian winters? As soon as the snow has melted in April, and sometimes not completely, we hear all kinds of amphibians sing in ponds or ditches, ready to reproduce and start a new generation of their own species. One that has surprised me a few times is the Grey Tree Frog. It is pale grey with light markings to hide it from its predators. Its skin is known to change colour slightly, a bit like a chameleon, from grey to pale green, depending on its environment, for extra camouflage.

To be able to cling to tree bark and vertical rock faces, the Grey Tree Frog uses little suction cups at its finger and toe tips. Its skin is always moist, to help it absorb oxygen, because its poorly developed lungs don’t take in enough. Its wet fingers give it extra adherence on slippery surfaces, even glass. I have often been delighted to see them sticking to the outside of window panes at night in the summer, waiting for unsuspecting insects (attracted by the inside lights) to pass by, and become their supper. With a lightning-quick flick of their tongue, their prey is glued and swallowed.

One night in February, I was working in my office; the house was quiet. Behind me, I heard leaves moving; something was shuffling in the geraniums that had been outside in the summer. I thought it might be a mouse. But after a quick inspection, I saw a Grey Tree Frog slowly emerge from a cavity just under the soil surface. A frog in the middle of the winter? It got in when I brought my plants inside as nights were freezing in October. The Grey Tree Frog must have dug this little hole, and waited for better weather.

This one had survived so far this winter, but how were its peers surviving outside? When the outside temperature gets very close to freezing at 0°C, their cells and blood change to avoid damage by frost. Their blood is saturated with glucose, which prevents the formation of ice crystals, which would destroy cells. Glucose is the sugar that is the principal ingredient of honey. But in the case of the amazing Grey Tree Frog, the glucose level in their blood becomes much more concentrated than we humans can tolerate; it would be an awful diabetic shock that would kill us. In their case, the glucose dehydrates them partly, so there is less ice in the cells, but ice can form outside of cells. As they freeze up, their skin becomes dark blue, but their cells don’t burst like ours would. When spring comes, they thaw without any freezer burn or brain damage, resuming their life after their heart starts to pump again, by itself.

These special physiological adaptations of variable camouflage, avoidance of frost damage, and survival despite a frozen heart, are so amazing that, to me, they point to a Creator. There are just too many superbly controlled biochemical processes, with the proper concentration of the right chemicals, to have these frogs owe their existence to chance alone.

A Prodigious Life; The Fruits of Newton's Friendships -  by Chuck Colson, January 10, 2008

While John Newton is best-known as the author of the famous hymn, "Amazing Grace," his life teemed with spiritual fruit. A new biography on his life by Jonathan Aitken gives us a peek into a prodigious legacy of the man who described himself with one simple sentence: "I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior."

While Newton is certainly remembered today for "Amazing Grace," in his own day he was known for his bestselling autobiography called An Authentic Narrative. A notorious blasphemer, a rebellious shipman, a trafficker in slaves, Newton showed the people of his time how Christ can save the most wretched among us.

Though Newton was a prolific author, preacher, and hymn-writer, perhaps his most profound legacy is the fruit of his friendships. In his lifetime, many referred to Newton as the friend of William Cowper. Cowper became one of the most beloved poets in the English language. He also gave us some of the most beautiful and theologically astute hymns to enter our hymnals. But had it not been for the friendship of John Newton, it is doubtful that Cowper would have had such a body of work.

Cowper, you see, suffered throughout his life from terrible depression. But the window of his most productive years opened when his friendship with Newton began. It was then Cowper collaborated with Newton on the Olney Hymnal, producing such works as, "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood," "God Moves in Mysterious Ways," and "Jesus, Where'er Thy People Meet." As one biographer noted, "Cowper, throughout [his] life, lacked personal initiative." The encouragement from Newton, however, was enough to spur Cowper to produce some 60 hymns. And when Cowper later sunk into such a depression that he nearly took his own life, it was his friendship with Newton that stayed his hand.

Newton also played a vital role as friend and mentor in the life of William Wilberforce. You know, of course, that Wilberforce led the charge to abolish the British slave trade and ultimately slavery itself in England. When Wilberforce came to faith, he turned to Newton for advice. It was Newton who encouraged him not to abandon politics for the clergy, but to use his political skills for good. It was Newton who encouraged him to take up that Great Object of abolishing the slave-trade. And it was Newton who encouraged him to persevere when Wilberforce considered giving up the fight in 1796, a story beautifully recreated in the marvelous DVD movie Amazing Grace.

Well into his later years, Newton continued to bear fruit in his friendships. He established the Eclectic society, a gathering of pastors and lay leaders that became the inspiration for the Church Missionary Society. He helped bring a young writer by the name of Hannah More to faith. She went on to start the modern Sunday School movement. And he met for breakfast frequently with a young man by the name of William Carey, who would become a missionary to India and a catalyst for the modern mission's movement.

Newton would not have considered himself a great saint, but a great sinner used by God. His life reminds us all of the profound impact that deep spiritual friendships can have. And it encourages us, as Hebrews, teaches "to spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Who knows what may come of it? The abolition of slavery, great literature, and hymns, for one.

Tarzan the Turtle (Living Inside-Out) -   by Rolph Englebrecht from the Hernia

When I first went to the mission field, I was leaving a high-tech job in Silicon Valley, where I spent most of my waking hours inside very modern and sophisticated facilities. I figured that, by comparison, I was going to become a real "Tarzan" when I moved into the jungle. Ministry and survival functions would demand much time out of doors--time with the villagers, time fixing things and fighting back the jungle, time hiking to outlying hamlets, etc.

Well, that's pretty much what happened. The only thing is that from the cultural perspective of my hosts, the Nalu, I was still spending an unprecedented amount of time indoors. To them, I was not like a Tarzan at all, but more like a turtle overly fond of his shell!

You see, in Nalu culture there are typically only two reasons for being inside the house for any length of time: to sleep, or to die [1]. Most of what we would consider indoor activities are exclusively outdoor activities for the Nalu, including cooking, eating, reading, arguing, singing, sewing, bathing, doing the laundry, fixing things, entertaining guests, getting married, town meetings, elections and religious ceremonies.

And that's not all! As in most cultures, the Nalu have a euphemism for the process of eliminating bodily waste [2]. In English we might say "I need to go to the bathroom." In Nalu they would say "I need to go outside," meaning to go outside of the village to a convenient spot in the woods.

So, rather than seeing me as a macho "Tarzan," the villagers would sometimes kid me about being inside-out (or outside-in in this case):

“Look at you, Tongo--you even go inside to 'go outside'! Yuk!!"

Crepes-  by Natalie

Crepe Dough:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1 1/2-2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds.

Coat large bottomed, non-stick frypan with butter or Pam spray. Pour a couple tablespoons (amount depends on the size of your pan) of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook until firm enough to peel off pan and flip (but not crunchy). For main course crepes, place fillings on top and fold in half. Cook on low heat until crepe filling is warmed. For dessert crepes, take crepe off heat and fill.

Main Course Crepe Filling Ideas:
cooked asparagus
ham slices
cheese
eggs (crack a raw egg on the partially cooked crepe and fold over, heat until egg is cooked)
cooked green peppers, mushrooms, and onions
bacon



Dessert Crepe Filling Ideas:
strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or bananas
crepe cream sauce (Whip 1/3 cup of whipping cream. Add 1/3 cup of plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.)
ice cream
chocolate and caramel sauce