I just (Tuesday, November 1st of 2005) had a dream about the City of Colorado Springs, which my family just moved to. It was a very vivid dream, where I could still remember the interior and exterior layout of the house we were at. It was a "big big house" that had big rooms and it was located in the high mountains, forestry, "heavenly-like" location. The scene was at night, when I feel a lot peace and quietness.
Other Related Topics that might've had some connections to this dream from past experiences:
I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful state back in 2000. It was actually a time that I don't really want to remember, but I can talk or write about it now. I was doing this self-get rich quick business called "Equinox". I went on a road trip with two cars full of friends and business peers from our Bloomington office. I was so into the businness that I was completely blinded to basking the beautiful state. I remember when I first saw the ice-capped Rocky Mountains as we were entering the city of Denver. My eyes just got bigger as I stared at the beauty of the mountains. This is before my trip to Montana 2 years later, so this was the first time I actually see the beautiful mountains with my very own eyes.
-Attractions Garden Of The Gods Colorado Springs, from youtube.com "http://ColoradoBestVacations.com Here is a video of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. If you are thinking of taking a vacation here, you definitely need to visit Garden of The Gods.
Make sure that if you visit you also take a look at Pikes Peak and ride the Cog Railway to the top. "
Wikipedia "Denver City was founded in November of 1858 as a mining town during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush in western Kansas Territory.[9] That summer, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, arrived and established Montana City on the banks of the South Platte River. This was the first settlement in what was later to become the city of Denver. The site faded quickly, however, and was abandoned in favor of Auraria (named after the gold-mining town of Auraria, Georgia) and St. Charles City by the summer of 1859. The Montana City site is now Grant-Frontier Park and includes mining equipment and a log cabin replica."
-Attractions
Visit Denver
"A brief video invitation to enjoy Denver Colorado and explore www.visitdenver.com. Provided by the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau for the May 2007 issue of Group Tour Spotlight e-Magazine. www.grouptour.com/spotlight"
*decided to search this city after I heard about it during a homeschool play called "Hitch Your Wagon To A Star" Wikipedia "Pueblo is situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek 103 miles (166 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The area is considered to be semi-arid with approximately 14 inches (350 mm) of precipitation annually, however with its location in the "banana belt", Pueblo tends to get less snow than the other major cities in Colorado. Pueblo is the heart of the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area and an important part of the Front Range Urban Corridor.[6]. Many consider Pueblo to be the economic hub of southeastern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Because of this some people call Pueblo "Colorado's second city," despite the fact Pueblo is not the second largest city by population. Pueblo is one of the largest steel-producing cities in the United States, because of this Pueblo is referred to as the "steel city". It is now home to a number of electronics and aviation companies. The Historic Arkansas River Project (HARP) is a beautiful river walk that graces the historic Union Avenue district. It shows the history of the Pueblo Flood....
George Simpson, among other traders and trappers (like Mathew Kinkead), claimed to have helped construct the plaza that became known as El Pueblo or Fort Pueblo around 1842. George married Juana Maria Suaso and lived there for a year or two before moving; though, George had no legal title to the land. The adobe structures were built with the intention of settlement and trade close to the, then, U.S. and Mexican borders. Generally about a dozen families lived there, trading with Native American tribes for hides, skins, livestock, as well as (later) cultivated plants, and liquor. Evidence of this trade, as well as other utilitarian goods, such as Native American pottery shards were found at the recently excavated site. According to accounts of residents who traded at the plaza (including that of George Simpson), the fort was raided sometime between December 23 and December 25, 1854, by Native American Ute Tribe and Jacarilla Apache tribes. They allegedly killed between fifteen and nineteen men, one woman, and captured two children. The trading post was abandoned after the alleged raid. It became important again between 1858 and 1859 during the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859.[7]"
"
1861
Congress establishes Colorado Territory with boundaries of present state;
President Lincoln appoints William Gilpin as first Territorial governor.
July, Supreme Court is organized and Congressional delegates chosen.
September, first assembly meets, creates 17 counties, authorizes university, and selects Colorado City as Territorial capitol.
Manufacture of mining machinery begins.
The population of the Colorado Territory is 25,371. "
"The Territory of Colorado was a historic, organized territory of the United States that existed between 1861 and 1876. Its boundaries were identical to the current State of Colorado. The territory ceased to exist when Colorado was admitted to the Union as a state on August 1, 1876. The territory was organized in the wake of the 1859 Pike's Peak Gold Rush, which had brought the first large concentration of white settlement to the region. The organic act[1] creating the territory was passed by Congress and signed by President James Buchanan on February 28, 1861, during the secessions by Southern states that precipitated the American Civil War. The organization of the territory helped solidify Union control over a mineral rich area of the Rocky Mountains. Statehood was regarded as fairly imminent, but territorial ambitions for statehood were thwarted at the end of 1865 by a veto by President Andrew Johnson. Statehood for the territory was a recurring issue during the Ulysses Grant administration, with Grant advocating statehood against a less willing Congress during Reconstruction... mountain of the holy cross
, from ellensplace.net "
Hidden deep in the Colorado Rockies is the Mountain of the Holy Cross, standing at a majestic 14,004 feet.
Once only legend, it remained allusive to early travelers in an almost inaccessible range of mountains. Early map makers had misplaced it on their maps by as much as 30 miles.
Snow covered the cross from view for all but 2-3 months of the year, with only rumors of its existence.
The earliest recorded account of spotting the mountain was made by writer, Samual Bowles who reported seeing it from Grays Peak, 40 miles away.
Bowles wrote in his 1869 book, The Switzerland of America, about the Mountain of the Holy Cross...
"...Over one of the largest and finest, the snow fields lay in the form of an immense cross, and by this it is known in all the mountain views of the territory. It is as if God has set His sign, His seal, His promise there--a beacon upon the very center and height of the Continent to all its people and all its generations..."
The Stand: Stephen King "Stephen Kings miniseries about a plauge, its survivors and the battle between good and evil. I just love it! Song by Crowded House called "Don't Dream It's Over".
I claim no rights to the content of this video"
*"Fran
puts aside her personal feelings for Harold aside, and goes
with him to the place in her dreams, to Boulder,
Colorado...
She dreams of an old lady named Abigail,
in Colorado. This lady is kind and loving and promises to
protect them from the evil..-studyworld, Stephen King background
*see Jesus Freak-End Times "1I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, "-Revelations 15
"(born March 3, 1986) is a Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. http://www.stacieorrico.com/ Stacie Orrico was born in a barn Seattle, Washington to Italian-American parents. Orrico is one of five children: her siblings are Jesse, Rachel, Alicia and Joshua. http://www.myspace.com/stacieorrico Orrico got her start in 1998 at the age of 12 by attending a Christian music festival Praise in the Rockies, held in her then-home state of Colorado. Orrico inadvertently entered a high-stakes talent competition, and won. A ForeFront Records executive was on hand and approached her for a record deal (she eventually did sign with them).
Since then, she has released two albums. The first was Genuine (see 2000 in music), created at the young age of fourteen. It sold over 13,000 copies in the first week, the highest debut week sales ever for a female Christian artist. The album produced the hit single "Don't Look At Me" which topped Christian charts for ten consecutive weeks. The album had two #1 hits as well as three more Top Ten singles. Genuine eventually sold 500,000 copies, giving the album Gold certification on just word-of-mouth alone. She also recently has come out with a third album, Beautiful Awakening. A popular song on this album is "I'm Not Missing You.""
-Worship
New Life Worship: "Here In Your Presence" Worship and Praise Song (HQ)
"Uploaded by tamim0007 on Feb 24, 2010
"Here In Your Presence" worship and praise song is performed by New Life Worship which is a music ministry of New Life Church.
New Life Church is a non-denominational charismatic Evangelical Christian megachurch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. New Life Church has more than 10,000 members and is led by Brady Boyd, Pastor.
New Life Worship Ministry Philosophy is published as follows:
A.W. Tozer once wrote, "Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them." The Worship Ministry at New Life Church exists so that people can know that touch of God, awakening their hearts to pursue Him with their lives. We want to help people experience God and develop a life of worship.
It is our belief that worship is not merely what takes place on weekend services before the sermon; it can happen everyday in everything we are doing. As we offer to God the simple moments and activities of each day, we make our very life an offering of worship, allowing His presence to invade our lives. These are holy moments in which we encounter God and feel His heart for the world. As He fills us, it is our desire that the nations see His glory so that all people will bow their hearts and worship our glorious Savior.
More information on New Life Worship can be accessed online at http://www.newlifeworship.com/. Also, New Life Church can be reached online via the Internet at http://www.newlifechurch.org/.
"
"For Lorena and I, the main issue has been the smoke and how it has affected her. We have seriously considered leaving. Pray for wisdom as to what we should do.”
They added, “Pray for continued calm winds. Pray for significant rain without lightning. Pray also that God would bring revival to the people of this city as a result of these events.”
Journalist Allison J. Althoff, in a report about the situation, said that although the wildfire has more than doubled in size, most of Navigators’* buildings in the area are reportedly “untouched so far.”
...
She added that Navigators are currently running “essential operations” out of Focus on the Family’s offices.
“The body of Christ really sprang to life here,” she quoted Cantwell as saying. “When we evacuated Saturday night, we had several different churches open their doors right away. Dozens of our staff people have been displaced from their homes, and we’re currently operating from Focus on the Family’s headquarters. They’ve been fantastic.”
Althoff said that no official numbers have been released as to how many structures have burned, but Flying W Ranch, an off-site event destination for past Evangelical Press Association conventions, is reportedly “a total loss.”
“Things are surreal and somewhat chaotic here,” EPA president Dean Ridings stated in a press release on Wednesday afternoon. “My family is among some 32,000 who have evacuated.… We're trusting in the Lord, grateful that there have been no reported deaths or even injuries. There's a strong sense of unity that ‘we're all in this together.’”
Althoff concluded by saying that officials say the fire won’t likely be contained before mid-July, as it has consumed over 15,000 acres and high winds pose a significant challenge to workers on the ground. Smoke hangs densely over Colorado Springs, and homes that have not been directly affected by flame are likely to have incurred smoke damage.
“Our hope is not in buildings – the Navigators are not a bunch of buildings,” Cantwell said. “We’re people who care about people. That’s what our ministry’s all about.”
* The Navigators is an international, interdenominational Christian ministry established in 1933. Navigators are people who love Jesus Christ and desire to help others know and grow in Him as they “navigate” through life.
"The blaze, which has chased 36,000 people from their homes in the city, was estimated to be at 10% containment, incident commander Rich Harvey said.
..
With tens of thousands of state residents out of their homes, the Denver Broncos pledged $50,000 to relief efforts for the wildfires.
"At the time of this report Peg Mamalakis was almost certain flames had engulfed her home. Fire coverage maps indicate her two-bedroom patio home is in the parameter where some 200 homes have been destroyed by the raging Waldo Canyon wildfires.
Mamalakis has lived in Colorado Springs for some 20 years. She has worked the same number of years as an award-winning graphic artist at Focus on the Family designing children’s publication Clubhouse Magazine.
But Tuesday her world of bright hues and smiling, youthful faces, turned to grief and sorrow.
Mamalakis was one of 32,000 Colorado Springs residents who received a frantic mandatory evacuation notice in recent days. She quickly packed some of her personal belongings, a few photo albums, some clothing and rounded up her dog and cat praying she would return to her white-trimmed gray home within a few days.
“I was lying in bed and would periodically think of something that I didn’t get,” Mamalakis said as her voice cracked. “I’m sure I am going to have those inklings. I knew I couldn’t take everything, but I’ve tried to have a positive attitude that everything would be there.”
With the likelihood she lost her home heavy on her mind, Mamalakis stayed with a friend, but Thursday had to evacuate that home as well to flee the wildfires, called by Colorado Springs fire chief Richard Brown, a "firestorm of epic proportions."
“I feel blessed that there are people who care about me and have taken me in,” said Mamalakis. “I am still kind of numb. This is a very surreal experience to go through. I know God is taking care of me. You have to be at peace because you have no control - God is in control.”
Her cousin’s home near the famous Broadmoor Hotel is now safe harbor for Mamalakis and her pets.
Thousands Evacuate Homes and Churches
Seven wildfires presently rage through the state of Colorado. Reports show that only 5 percent of the Waldo Canyon fire is contained, making it one of the most devastating in history.
The massive wildfire that started around the popular hiking spot Waldo Canyon west of Colorado Springs forced the evacuation of neighborhoods and caused many churches to cancel worship services and other activities. The Flying W Ranch, a Christian, Western entertainment ranch and a frequent destination for Colorado believers, was burned to the ground. Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry, is within a mile of the evacuation area. Numerous Colorado Springs landmarks are threatened, including Garden of the Gods Park, Peterson Air Force Base, and Northgate Air Force Academy.
No casualties have been reported and no churches have been destroyed.
Ministries Both Help and Seek Assistance
While more than 1,000 firefighters are working to contain the 15,517-acre blaze, the Christian community has elevated its relief efforts in response to Colorado wildfires that had consumed 181,426 acres by Wednesday afternoon.
Colorado Springs is home to a number of international Christian ministries who have headquarters near the heart of the blaze. Staff at Navigatorsand its adjacent property, Glen Eyrie conference center, have safely evacuated their facilities and are working out of the nearby Focus on the Family offices, currently out of harms way.
Record heat and 65 mph winds pushed flames onto the Eagle Lake Camp grounds Monday, another Navigator’s property, which damaged one small structure. Navigator officials said firefighters are at the camp, using it as a staging area and working to protect camp buildings.
Reports also found fire on the Glen Eyrie property, known by many for its castle and spiritual retreat center. Firefighters are also on site battling blazes attempting to protect the facilities historic buildings.
EPA president Dean Ridings and online publishing editorial director of Focus on the Family, represents another family among thousands of evacuees who had limited time to pack up essentials and make their way east away from the flames.
“Our four children were home, including two who were serving up at the Navigators' Eagle Lake Camp,” said Ridings. “We also had three additional Eagle Lake campers with us. It was slow going but we finally got out of our community on the northwest side of the city (just south of the Air Force Academy) with our family and guests as well as two cars neighbors asked us to drive out for them.”
Ridings notes that Focus on the Family president Jim Daly led the ministry’s staff in a time of prayer lifting up the Colorado Springs community.
“In fact, we had offered to be a place where the community can come,” said Riding, “but they're actually looking for shelters more up the road in the Monument area to get people out of town and make more room for the firefighters to remain on the defensive.”
Tom Sullivan, general manager of KTLF and KTPO, a pair of Christian radio stations in Colorado Springs, said collection centers have been established across the city to help works and victims.
Care and Share Food Bank serves as the primary collection hub for non-perishable food donations for those affected by the Waldo Canyon Fire. Care and Share is partnering with all the participating local agencies to disperse food, as it is needed for both evacuees and firefighters.
Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG), who received a pre-evacuation notice Wednesday, is in Colorado Springs helping to connect people with available services.
“We are developing relationships with ministries who are doing their own thing,” said Michael Mastrodonato, chief operating officer of HISG. “Basically, there is a communication breakdown right now. There are lots of people willing to open up their homes and buildings, but those possibilities aren’t publically known.”
Scam Alert
While legitimate humanitarian aid organizations work to assist fire victims and workers, authorities are warning the public that some individuals are canvassing local neighborhoods, posing as representatives of Pikes Peak United Way.
These scammers seek donations to help those affected by the wildfires. Such individuals are not affiliated with Pikes Peak United Way in any manner and officials warn donations should not be given to them.
Call for Prayer
Most ministries are calling the nation to heartfelt prayer for firefighters and evacuees. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, the chaplain who was ousted from the U.S. Navy for praying in Jesus name, is asking people to pray for rain over the area west of Colorado Springs, but not so much to cause flash flooding.
Some believe it is important seek God’s discernment in regards to the wildfires.
“I just really think we need to humble ourselves before a holy God with repentant hearts and seek His face and wisdom during this difficult and confusing time,” said Mastrodonato.
And for Peg Mamalakis, she admits it is difficult to imagine her days in her grey house with white trim may be gone. But she also says she hangs on to hope and faith in God, which can’t be taken away.
“I feel numb. It is hard to concentrate, but I have to,” said Mamalakis. “It is good to be distracted from the other part of my life that is going on. But I am so thankful to be working in a place where I have support and where I can feel God’s presence during this… umm… strange time.”
Russ Jones is a 25-year award-winning journalist and correspondent. He is co-publisher of various Christian news sites, such as ChristianPress.com, and a media consultant to a number of political and cause-oriented campaigns. He is also a freelance correspondent for the American Family Radio Network, Crosswalk.com and various Christian TV networks. Jones holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and St. Paul School of Theology. Russ is married to Jackie and together they have four children. He may be reached at russ@russjones.me.
Publication Date: June 28, 2012
Houses on fire in Waldo Canyon Fire
"Published on Jun 26, 2012 by FOX21NewsColorado
The Waldo Canyon Fire moves into Colorado Springs and burns several homes in the city.
Be sure to follow the hashtag: #WaldoCanyonFire on Twitter for the latest news and information regarding the fire.
For photos and additional information regarding the fire and evacuations, be sure to follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FOX21NewsColorado
For breaking news coverage, be sure to visit our website: http://www.coloradoconnection.com/
And specific articles concerning the Waldo Canyon Fire include:
Thousands wait for word on torched homes
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=770249
Coloradans share stunning photos of Waldo Canyon Fire
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=770139#.T-tIlRdrM98
How to protect yourself from the smoke
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=770291#.T-tIthdrM98
Where to go for help, and how to help with the fire
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=770167#.T-tIyhdrM98
PHOTOS: Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=768878#.T-tI8RdrM98
Springs residents watch helplessly as houses burn
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=770119#.T-tJChdrM98
"
Pray for Colorado!
Posted by inspiredfaith
"Our brothers and sisters in Colorado desperately need our prayers. The wildfires that began last Saturday remain untamed and are swallowing up thousands of homes, beautiful landscapes and forcing forest creatures to abandon their homes. The devastation it is bringing to the people of Colorado is incomprehensible and it continues to burn on. PRAY FOR COLORADO!"
" ARVADA, Colo. - A gunman walked into a training center dormitory for young Christian missionaries early Sunday and opened fire, killing two of the center's staff members and wounding two others. No arrests had been made by late morning.
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The shooting happened at about 12:30 a.m. at the Youth With a Mission center, police spokeswoman Susan Medina said. About 45 people were evacuated from the dormitory in this Denver suburb and moved to an undisclosed location.
A man and a woman were killed and two men were wounded, Medina said.
All four victims were staff members, said Paul Filidis, a Colorado Springs-based spokesman with Youth With a Mission.
Brady White, who attends Faith Bible Chapel, where the center is located, said he spoke to some students there, who were unhurt but called the experience "terrifying."
"They're just wonderful people," White said of the center's students. "Their mission is to know God and to make him known."
Police identified the victims as Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 23. Youth With a Mission said Johnson was from Minnesota and Crouse was from Alaska. Their hometowns weren't immediately available.
Cheril Morrison, wife of chapel pastor George Morrison, said Crouse had just hung up Christmas lights at her home and Johnson was "an amazingly beautiful person."
One of the injured men was hospitalized in critical condition and the other was in stable condition, police said. Both are in their 20s.
Witnesses told police that the gunman was a 20-year-old white male, wearing a dark jacket and skull cap, who left on foot. He may have glasses or a beard.
"There's no blueprint for this, we're just going to be honest and pray for one another, cry with one another," center director Peter Warren told KUSA-TV. "Who knows what was going on in this young man's life."
Police with several dogs searched the area through the night, and residents of nearby homes were notified by reverse 911 to be on the lookout. Medina said residents were asked to look out their windows to see the snow had been disturbed during the night. About 4 inches of snow had fallen in the area in the past day.
Mimi Martin, who lives near the center, said she received the warning call at about 9 a.m. warning neighbors to keep their doors and windows locked.
"Why would anybody want to hurt those kids?" Martin said. "I just pray for their families."
People bundled up against freezing cold attended Sunday services at the sanctuary, about 300 yards from the dormitory on the campus of the Faith Bible Chapel. Police kept tight security on the chapel grounds.
"We never doubted that we would have a service," said Cheril Morrison. "We felt like our church faithful all needed to be together."
Darv Smith, director of a Youth With a Mission center in Boulder, said people ranging from their late teens to their 70s undergo a 12-week discipleship course that prepares them to be missionaries.
He said the center trains about 300 people a year.
Filidis said staffers are usually former missionaries themselves and that the "mercy ministries" performed by trainees include orphanage work. He said he didn't know where the group being trained in Arvada was going to be sent.
Youth With a Mission was started in 1960 and now has 1,100 locations with 16,000 full-time staff, Smith said. The Arvada center was founded in 1984." Eight or More Shot in Two Colorado Church Incidents,
By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service (Sunday, December 9, 2007 ) "DENVER, COLORADO. (ANS) -- At least four people were shot at a large Colorado evangelical church on Sunday -- the second shooting in a day linked to Christian organizations in the state.
Reuters News Service reported that local media said four or more people were shot outside or inside the New Life Church in Colorado Springs on Sunday afternoon. The condition of those shot was not immediately known, but police said they had a suspect in custody.
In an earlier incident, two people were killed and two were injured shortly after midnight when a gunman entered a missionary training center in the Denver suburb of Arvada, about 70 miles away from Colorado Springs, police said.
There is no link between the two shootings, www.thedenverchannel.com reported police said. However, CNN reported that the description of the shooter was similar in both cases -- a white male wearing a dark hat and dark jacket.
The New Life Church, which has more than 10,000 members, was founded by Pastor Ted Haggard, who resigned in 2006 after admitting to sexually immoral conduct.
Reuters reported that Colorado Springs TV station NewsChannel 13 said police scanner traffic indicated there were multiple victims at the New Life Church. It said many people were apparently hiding throughout the huge church building.
The web site for Fox 31, www.myfoxcolorado.com reported that Colorado Springs Police Department Lieutenant Fletcher Howard told the station that at least 50 people remained inside the church�s World Prayer Center, and the facility remains on lockdown. Several nearby businesses including Lockheed Martin were also placed in lockdown when an abandoned vehicle with bullet holes was found.
According to www.thedenverchannel.com, investigators also reported they found a pipe bomb in the parking lot of the church. A K-9 unit from the Air Force was called to the scene to assist investigators.
Colorado Springs Police Lt. Fletcher Howard told CNN that police had a suspect in custody, but that the motive for the shooting was not yet known. He said he could not confirm any fatalities from the shootings.
Rob Brendle, associate pastor at the New Life Church, told Reuters by telephone, �It's been a dramatic day and we are participating with the police investigation right now but we are not at liberty to make a comment right now ... a statement will be issued (later).�
Youth With a Mission Shooting
In the earlier incident, a lone gunman entered a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) training center in the Denver, Colorado suburb of Arvada early Sunday morning, opening fire and hitting four members of the staff. They were all were taken to area hospitals, where two later died of their injuries.
The two wounded are still in serious condition. The gunman has not yet been caught, and police are continuing to look for him.
Tiffany Johnson, Charlie Blanch, Philip Crouse, Dan Griebenow (Courtesy, YWAM)
A statement from YWAM said the deceased have been identified as Tiffany Johnson, 26, from Minnesota, and Philip Crouse, 24, from Alaska. Both served as staff members at the YWAM Arvada campus. The third victim, Dan Griebenow, 24, has a bullet in his neck and is listed in critical but stable condition. The fourth victim Charlie Blanch, 22, suffered gunshot wounds to his legs.
Peter Warren, the Director of Youth with a Mission Denver, said in the news release they had just finished a Christmas banquet when the suspect arrived and asked a 22-year-old woman from Minnesota if he could be housed for the evening. When she told him they could not house him, Warren said the suspect opened fired with an automatic handgun, hitting four people. Police said they do not know whether the shooting was random or if there was a motive.
Warren said in the news release, �The young man - I don't know who he is; I don't think [the victims] knew him - but he must be going through a lot personally in his own life to do something like this. Our belief is that only God is the judge and our place is to forgive and that's a difficult thing to do, but really, I think it's the right thing to do.�
There are about 80 people living on the Arvada campus and they have been transported to the group's mountain campus near Golden, Colorado where they will stay while the murder investigation continues. Warren said they are trying to deal with this situation as best as they can.
�There's no blueprint for this,� said Warren in the release. �You know, we're just going to be honest, we're going to pray with one another and cry with one another. These kids were like our kids, you know. It's just such a tragedy, but who knows what's going on in this young man's life?"
Peter Wooding, the senior news director of UCB UK, told ANS, �Having been a YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) leader myself in St. Helen�s, England, I'm deeply saddened to hear of this tragedy. From my own experience, a DTS can be such a life-changing experience and YWAM students can really bond very quickly as a community, so I can understand how devastating this will be for all those involved.�
YWAM International Chairman Lynn Green said in a statement, �We feel a deep sense of loss today, and we grieve with the families and those who were very close friends of the victims. Our surviving students and staff are being well cared for, and we have total confidence in those who are responsible for the training program in Arvada to care for those who have been subjected to this assault.�
He added, �It is a great tragedy that our culture seems to produce so many deeply troubled people who express their frustration in violence. We forgive the assailant, and we rededicate ourselves to serving young people in the hope that we might bring healing to other needy youth.�
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is an international and interdenominational Christian movement with operating locations in 171 nations.
Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and director of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org or http://www.christianity.com/joyjunction. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City: A Call to Service." Additional details about "Homeless" are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 877-6967 or (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com."
Baptized Mormon Goes On Shooting/Killing Rampage In Colorado
Colorado shooter was baptized into LDS faith
December 12th, 2007 @ 10:00pm
Sarah Dallof reporting
KSL News has learned the man who went on a shooting rampage at two Colorado church properties had been baptized into the LDS Church a year ago.
Matthew Murray killed four people and wounded several others Sunday, before he turned the gun on himself. He targeted people at two Christian churches, posting anti-religion messages online before the shootings. But a year ago, he welcomed religion in his life, according to one man who taught Murray about the Latter-day Saint faith.
A.J. Ormond was there the day Matthew Murray was baptized. He says he immediately noticed a change; Murray seemed happy, calm, at peace. It was a demeanor that changed dramatically in just a year.
"He seemed like a normal person, maybe a little sheltered." That's how A.J. Ormond remembers Matthew Murray, the man police say shot and killed two at a Youth with Mission Center in Arvada, then two sisters at a New Life Church in Colorado Springs 12 hours later.
Before the attacks, he posted hate-filled messages online like "You Christians brought this on yourselves," and "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you... as I can."
"I think everybody goes through 'Is there anything I could have done? Anything?'", Ormond said.
Ormond met Murray in November 2006 in Colorado. Murray wanted to learn more about the LDS church. Ormond and his wife worked with the missionaries in their ward.
"I think he was interested in learning about all religions, trying to figure out what fit him and his beliefs and finding somewhere where he could fit in," Ormond said.
Ormond describes Murray as polite and friendly, a young man who, despite his family's protests, was seriously contemplating devoting his life to the LDS Church. Murray's experience with the LDS Church culminated with his baptism. Soon after, he stopped going to church; and just a little over a year later, Murray was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to his head following a shootout with a security guard.
The photos of him splashed on TV were easily recognizable to Ormond; his motives, though, a mystery. Ormond said, "It was obvious that it wasn't the person we had known that had committed those shootings and those murders."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement saying, "We checked our records, and they confirm that Matthew Murray of Englewood, Colorado, was baptized about a year ago."
Beyond that, the church said it would have no comment. "
*see Religion: Mormonism....
-State (Minnesota)
YWAM Training Center shooting has two Minnesotans among the victims leaves 2 dead, 2 injured; 5 left dead at New Life Church
by Erin Roach � BP news "COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. � A gunman opened fire at Colorado�s Youth with a Mission center during the early morning hours on Sunday, December 9. Two YWAM staff members were left dead and two others were injured in the attack. Twelve hours later and 65 miles apart, two teenage sisters were killed and others were wounded by a gunman at New Life Church in Colorado. Police are investigating whether the shootings are connected.
Authorities say two of the victims in the YWAM shooting were from Minnesota. Tiffany Johnson was from Chisholm and Charles Blanch is from Burnsville.
Al Meredith, pastor of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, where a gunman walked into the church and killed seven people eight years ago, told Baptist Press his first thought upon hearing the news in Colorado was, "Here we go again."
"It just seems as though violence has become pandemic in our society. Last week it was a shopping mall in Omaha," Meredith said. "This week it's two churches in Colorado. Last spring it was an academic hall at Virginia Tech. Our society is becoming more and more dangerous for people in places that we used to think were relatively safe, and of course they're not."
Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16, were killed by a gunman Sunday morning, Dec. 9, at New Life. Their father, David Works, 51, suffered two gunshot wounds to the stomach and groin and is listed in fair condition, Brady Boyd, pastor of the church founded by Ted Haggard, said Dec. 10.
"You can imagine as parents losing two children while coming to church," Boyd said. "I'm asking Colorado Springs and the country, please pray for that family because they're going through a hard time."
At a Youth With a Mission dormitory in Arvada around 12:30 a.m., a man in his 20s had been inside for about 30 minutes, talking with youth who were training to be missionaries, and he asked to spend the night in the building.
When Johnson, 26, the facility's hospitality coordinator, told the man she could not allow an unauthorized person to sleep there, he pulled out a handgun and shot her and another staff member, 24-year-old Philip Crouse, killing them both, according to The Gazette newspaper in Colorado Springs.
YWAM's other victims were Dan Griebenow, 24, was shot and is in critical condition, and Blanch, 22, also was shot and is in stable condition.
About 30 minutes after the 11 a.m. service had let out at New Life and about 7,000 people were leaving, a gunman fired into the crowd with a rifle, starting with a van in the parking lot and then moving into the church's vestibule, The Gazette said. Church officials had increased security on campus once they heard of the YWAM shooting, and a plainclothes female security guard shot and killed the gunman.
"There was a courageous staff member who probably saved many lives here today," Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers said.
Police spent hours searching the campus as church members sought refuge in a basement according to a preset plan for violence that staff members had implemented. It was not known at the time whether there was an additional shooter.
Along with the Works family, Judy Purcell, 40, suffered a gunshot wound to the right shoulder at New Life and Larry Bourbannais, 59, was wounded on the left forearm. Both were treated at the hospital and released, The Gazette said.
Meredith, Wedgwood's pastor, told BP he led his congregation in prayer for New Life and Youth With a Mission Sunday evening.
"We just prayed for them as people prayed for us, that God would give grace to the survivors to hang on, that God would bring healing to those who were wounded and grace to the doctors who were operating on people in critical condition, and that somehow the Lord's name would be honored in all of this," Meredith said.
Having been in a similar situation, Meredith had some advice for how people in the local community and around the nation might respond to the tragedies.
"Resist the urge to have words of wisdom to make sense out of it all. That's one thing, because platitudes do more harm than good," he said. "Just pray for them and encourage them and write a letter or note or an e-mail or something, some kind of response just to tell them you're praying for them.
"When the tragedy happened to us eight years ago, we got over 20,000 cards and letters and 13,000 e-mails. What we did for a month afterwards, we wallpapered our hallways with these cards and letters. When we walked in, we felt the presence and the prayers of the body of Christ around the world," Meredith said.
With a desire to prevent such calamity in the future, Wedgwood members have thought about what they would do in case of various emergencies.
"We've got evacuation plans and lockdown plans, especially for the children, so that if there's a threat of fire or tornado or a gunman, we lock off certain sections of the church," Meredith said. "But we don't have armed security guards in the area, though we ask our police officers to wear their uniforms when they come to church just as a visible presence to deter that kind of thing."
Jimell Badry, a church administrator and music minister at First Baptist Church in Black Forest, about eight miles from New Life Church, told Baptist Press he received news of the shootings around 1:30 Sunday afternoon and began making plans to protect his congregation during the evening service.
"We didn't have much information and not even that the perpetrator was caught or had been killed," Badry said. "There was a rumor of an accomplice, so I immediately called our chairman of deacons and had him call the deacons he could get ahold of to make sure they were going to be here last night."
The city of Colorado Springs had asked that all churches in the area having services Sunday evening observe a lockdown procedure, Badry said. First Baptist, with about 500 people attending each week, was expecting a large crowd that night for the church's Christmas program.
Badry said the church posted men in the parking lot and at least two men stood at each entrance, letting people in one by one or family by family. The church had sent an e-mail to church members earlier in the day, assuring them that every precaution would be taken to protect them that evening.
"Everybody seems to be on the alert, and churches are so vulnerable. We were on the alert in every way, but we figured that we cannot let people determine whether we're going to have church or not � within reason," Badry said. "It's the kind of world we live in. We just have to be more on the alert and at the same time not allow people of that mindset to control what we do as Christians."
First Baptist prayed for New Life after the Christmas program, and Badry said the church has made known to New Life that they're available to help in any way. Several members of First Baptist have close friends at New Life, Badry said.
Meredith said the shootings should remind believers of their primary duties.
"I'd like to encourage the body of Christ ... to take every opportunity to lift up Jesus because it's the only hope we've got," he said.
"
Published by Minnesota Christian Chronicle � December 2007
Colo. gunman came from Christian family
, Compiled by Erin Roach—BP news
Published by Minnesota Christian Chronicle — December 2007
"COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Matthew Murray, 24, has been identified as the gunman who killed two staff members and wounded two others at a Youth With a Mission facility in Denver before killing two and wounding three others Dec. 9 at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
The local coroner's office also said Dec. 11 that Murray died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside New Life Church, an update to previous reports that he had been killed by a security guard.
"The death of Matthew Murray has been ruled a suicide. It should be noted that he was struck multiple times by the security officer, which put him down. He then fired a single round killing himself," the coroner's office said in a statement.
The Associated Press reported that Murray had been enrolled in a program at Youth With a Mission in 2002 but that he had dropped out when staff members' concerns about his health kept him from going on an overseas mission trip.
In recent weeks, Murray posted messages on a website for people who have left evangelical religious groups, according to AP, and his most recent posting was left Sunday morning during the hours between the two shootings.
"You Christians brought this on yourselves," Murray wrote, according to a Denver television station. "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."
The language in the post is almost identical to the text of a manifesto written by Eric Harris, one of the teens who carried out the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, The Denver Post said.
Murray also had sent hate mail to the Youth With a Mission center in the Denver suburb of Arvada during the weeks prior to the shootings, AP reported. A neighbor of Murray's said the gunman and his brother were homeschooled, and he described the Murray family as "very, very religious." Murray's brother Christopher attends Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, AP said.
Phil Abeyta, Murray's uncle and pastor of His Love Fellowship church in Denver, read a statement from the family, asking for forgiveness.
"We cannot understand why this has happened," Abeyta said. "We ask for prayer for the victims and their families during this time of grief."
Meanwhile, the security guard credited with bravery in preventing a more gruesome scene at New Life Church said her faith enabled her to stay calm under pressure as the gunman sprayed bullets.
"It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God," Jeanne Assam, 42, said at a news conference. "I wasn't going to wait for him to do other damage. I knew what I had to do."
New Life is offering trauma counseling to those affected by the shooting, and they're planning a church-wide meeting Wednesday evening to worship, pray, mourn and begin the healing process, according to an e-mail sent to church members.
Brady Boyd, pastor of New Life, pointed to the passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes telling of a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, and he said the church is now mourning for the loss of "two very sweet and wonderful girls." Stephanie and Rachael Works, teenage sisters, were killed by the gunman at New Life after a Sunday morning service.
"I remain steadfast in my conviction that God is faithful," Boyd wrote to church members. "We know that He used the actions of one of our own brave members to save several hundred people from more violence and death. Our family of believers is strong! By the grace of God, we will rise again from this tragedy as we experience the healing power of Jesus over our New Life family. The world will see the light of life in us and know that our God reigns!""
-Global Church Stunned by Former Member�s Deadly Actions
By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service Tuesday, December 11, 2007 "...According to a report in the Denver Post, one of the pastors, Phil Abeyta, also had to minister to his family. He is the uncle of Murray, the man identified by police as the killer.
�Our family cannot express the magnitude of our grief for the victims and we ask for forgiveness,� the Denver Post reported Abeyta said in a statement.
Pastor Jim Wurst said the Murray family was an integral part of the church. The Denver Post reported he said Matthew Murray stopped attending a number of years ago, but continued to attend another church in Littleton.
His mother is in charge of Love Fellowship's women's ministry.
�....I wish I could tell what happened to him and why he would snap like this,� the Denver Post reported he said. �I saw him three weeks ago and he seemed fine and he was laughing with me.�
Jesse said the Murrays and his family had been close. He described Matthew as a loner who preferred to spend hours on his computer rather than socialize with others.
�He always seemed a little off because he was most likely home or at work,� the Post reported Jesse said. �I've never seen him with any friends.� A ministry grieves with believers in Colorado, considers impact "
USA (MNN) ― Authorities investigating Colorado's shootings say the gunman held a grudge against Christians.
Ironically, 24-year-old Matthew Murray had been training to go on a mission trip but was kicked out of the Youth With A Mission program.
According to other sources, Murray was training to go on a missionary trip with the YWAM center. However, the Director of the missionary center was quoted as saying that he was left off the 2002 trip to Bosnia for health reasons.
In the aftermath, Murray began venting his disappointment online. That, according to police, eventually grew into bitterness, and he began sending hate mail to the Arvada training center.
Murray's anger was expressed in the rampage that took the lives of sisters Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16, Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24. David Works, 51, remained hospitalized. Two others were wounded--Charlie Blanch, 22, and Dan Griebenow, 24.
While some called the four who died in Sunday's shootings "martyrs," Open Doors USA's President Dr. Carl Moeller clarified that a bit more. "I would say that those brothers and sisters who lost their lives this past weekend were killed in persecution against Christians, a vendetta by this man against Christians."
Open Doors supports the global persecuted church. Moeller says this incident shows the American church should be prepared for the rigors of evangelism. "As Christians in America, the more we stand up for righteousness in our society, the more we stand up for God's Word in public places, and the more we make Christianity the issue of life...we'll draw more and more fire. It's inevitable."
Above all, he urges prayer, not only for God's healing on the community but also for a boldness of faith for those most affected by the situation."
From Colorado -- Prayer & Hope after the Shootings
"Where was God in Colorado YWAM and New Life Church shootings? Watch this clip from live broadcast in Arvada Colorado and pray! This was aired live from the Christian TV station only blocks from the shooting. At the time this was recorded, the station was in lock down as it was not known that shooter had been killed in Co Springs."
SCHOOL
Columbine School Shootings Darrell Scott
"Two powerful examples of Christian character were born out of the Columbine High School shootings: Courage and Forgiveness. Rachel Scott, a student at the High School, was martyred as she courageously testified of her faith in Christ. In the aftermath, her father continues to model forgiveness and its healing efforts for the broken-hearted"
"LANGHORNE, PA (ANS) -- It's easy to become fearful, angry, or cynical when watching the news, especially following the shooting rampage at the “Batman” screening in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater Friday that killed 12 people and left 58 wounded -- 11 critically.
The incident, which took place about 12:30 a.m. at the Century 16 movie theater in the Denver suburb, occurred during the midnight screenings of the new Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Shortly after the killings, James Eagan Holmes, 24, originally from San Diego, California, was arrested in the theatre parking lot for allegedly for perpetrating the largest massacre in American history.
When we hear of horrendous incidents like this, it can make us want to retreat from the larger world or to stop watching the news altogether. But Craig von Buseck, Director of Ministry for www.CBN.com and one of the Keynoters at the August 1-4 Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, offers us another option: intercessory prayer.
This photo provided by the University of Colorado shows the accused killer, James Eagan Holmes
As he shows in his new book “Praying the News: Your Prayers are More Powerful Than You Know,” co-authored with Wendy Griffith of CBN News, prayer can change people, transform communities, and solve problems facing our world. By praying to impact headlines, we impact more than just the way the news is reported - we impact the actual events that make up those headlines.
I contacted Craig to ask him questions about his book and his Keynote Address, “Praying the News,” Thursday, August 2, at 7:30 pm in Chatlos Chapel on the campus of Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, PA. (The community is welcome to come free of charge.) Here are his answers.
Question: What do you mean by “praying the news”?
We live at a time in history when it is critical for the Church to learn to be led by the Spirit in prayer. God wants to raise up a company of intercessors to pray the news - which is to watch, read, or listen to the news, then to intercede for God's will to be done in the issues we face today. God desires for His people to be so in tune with His Spirit that we are actually praying His will in advance of world events. By cooperating with God in prayer, we are actually helping to shape those events in the spirit realm. God is seeking prayer warriors who will agree with Him in faith to make an impact on the course of history through their intercession by walking in the Spirit. The apostle Paul wrote of the privilege and importance of the believer to live in the Spirit in Romans 8: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NASB)
Far too often, the Church has been reactionary in our prayers. A tragedy or a disaster happens and believers react with 'catch-up prayers.' But we serve the God who sees the end from the beginning. He desires for us to become so in-tune with His Spirit that we are praying His perfect will in a circumstance before it ever occurs in the natural. But this sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit only comes by maintaining a daily, intimate relationship with our Father and our Lord.
Question: I'm just one person. Can my prayers really make that much of a difference in political decisions, crime levels, and major weather events?
Craig von Buseck
Yes, they can! As we say in the subtitle of the book, “your prayers are more powerful than you know.” Scripture says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16, NLT.) Throughout the book we give numerous examples, both from Scripture and from modern times, where individuals prayed fervently in faith and they saw the headlines change as a result.
Question: If I pray for one kind of result and my neighbor across the street prays for a different result, aren't our prayers just canceling each other out?
All prayer comes under the sovereignty of God. We don't dictate to God. Instead, we pray as Jesus taught us: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” When we take an issue to God in prayer we leave it in His hands and He decides to answer that prayer in His way and in His timing.
Question: What are some important components of intercessory prayer? Does your book suggest concrete ways to do this?
As we put the First Commandment first; to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength - He then empowers us by His Spirit to fulfill the Second Commandment; to love our neighbor (and our city, our nation, and this world) by being led by the Spirit in intercession.
Judson Cornwall writes of the importance of Spirit-led intercession that flows from us as a result of abiding in God. “There are times when we desperately need to know more than what God is doing and saying. We need to know God, for He works according to His nature and will, and only an understanding of that nature and will enables us to be involved with Him before His actions are demonstrated. We do not need to have great knowledge of God to know what God is saying if He is saying it publicly, but if God chooses to withhold communicated knowledge and yet we know the heart of God, there will be an intuitive or spiritual understanding that gives us knowledge out of relationship with God, not too unlike the understanding that develops between a husband and wife who have lived in a loving relationship for many years.”
It is this kind of heart that God is seeking in His people today - a heart that cries, “I want to know You, God. And I want to serve You, my Lord.” By walking in this type of love relationship with God, we position ourselves to be used by God on the earth. This is especially true in the realm of intercessory prayer.
Question: If I'm not a pastor or a prophet, what authority or right do I have to pray these intercessory prayers and expect results?
Book cover
God has chosen to use every individual in the Church as His tool to communicate His love to the world. The apostle Paul speaks of our role as individual ministers of reconciliation and God's ambassadors: “...who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, NASB).
That is why we pray, “Thy kingdom come.” By doing so, we are placing ourselves in agreement with God's plan for the earth. By praying the news, we stand up in the Spirit and declare, “thy will be done” in every issue that we face. C. S. Lewis referred to this kind of intercessory prayer as being “God's fellow-worker” in the world. When we enter into the ministry of praying the news, we become “God's fellow-worker” in this ministry of reconciliation. Lewis explains that to enter into intercession is to go from being a suitor - one who prays on his own behalf - to being a true servant of the Lord. “...the vast majority of the time, Jesus, who is our example, plays the part of the servant, interceding for others.”
This intercession is part of the Priesthood ministry of Jesus that continues to this day: “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25, NKJV). God invites us to join with him in this ministry of reconciliation. And we too have a role to play as priests before God - standing as representatives of fallen man, crying out to heaven for mercy.
Question: Can I “Pray the News” from the privacy of my own home? Or does it sometimes require something more?
Scripture directs us to “...pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, NASB). Does this mean that we have to stop all human activity and just pray all the time? No, the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to always be ready to pray when the Holy Spirit moves on our heart to do so. The Bible says, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left” (Isaiah 30:21, NASB). That is how the Holy Spirit leads us in prayer. So it doesn't matter where you pray - just be obedient to intercede as the Holy Spirit directs you, and you will see God move as a result.
Question: In your recent book, “Netcasters: Using the Internet to Make Fishers of Men,” you talk about ways to reach others for Christ through the internet. Can some of these same methods be used to find fellow prayer warriors to join together in prayer?
Absolutely. The Internet has become a 21st century Roman road. But it is also a worldwide marketplace, a theater, front porch and backyard fence, and an office water cooler. The World Wide Web can be like an electronic train terminal connecting you to intercessors around the world and providing the crucial means for people to agree together in prayer.
One of the most powerful aspects of praying the news is the power of agreement in intercession. Jesus declared, “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matt. 18:19, NLT). As people watch or read the same news story around the world, then pray for God's will to be done in that situation, tremendous spiritual power is released. The Internet can aid in this process, first by bringing awareness to news stories, both through traditional news outlets and through person-to-person contact, then as a communication platform allowing people to agree in prayer.
Question: Of course we all know stories of how prayer impacted events in Biblical times, but what are some examples of ways prayer has made a difference in newsworthy events in recent years?
During one of the darkest moments during World War Two, in May of 1940, the Nazis had trapped 400,000 British and French troops between the cliffs and the sea at Dunkirk on France's north coast. If those troops had been killed or captured, Britain would have fallen to the Germans. All of Europe would have been under the iron rule of the Nazis before the United States even entered into World War Two. At this critical time, God raised up a man named Rees Howells of the Bible College of Wales to lead intercession in Britain. Howells took the initiative to organize nightly intercessory prayer meetings with his students. He instructed them: “God will not do a bit more through you than you have faith for. ... You are more responsible for this victory today than those men on the battlefield.” He added, “I feel tonight that whatever the Nazis do, they cannot escape the Holy Spirit.” Soon prayer meetings were being held across Great Britain in response to Howells' leadership.
Howell's group poured their hearts out to God for hours every day, and soon much of the nation joined in. Parliament recognized the need for God's intervention and called for a national day of prayer. Suddenly there was a change in the course of the war. Instead of wiping out the troops as he could have, Hitler held his army back, content to bomb Dunkirk instead. During that time, ships, yachts, and even rowboats evacuated 338,000 troops across the English Channel - as the water remained miraculously calm. Hitler's behavior made no military sense. It was clear that God intervened in response to the prayers of believers.
We also share a more recent story in the book of how God changed the town of Manchester, Kentucky, as a result of united prayer. Community leaders had enough of their city being overrun by drug dealers, so they called for the people of the community to come together to march through town to intercede. On that day, several thousand citizens marched in prayer, singing hymns and praise songs. In what many believe was the key to the success of that march, pastors from every denomination stopped in the city's park and repented. They asked God to forgive them for being more concerned about their buildings and programs than the Kingdom of God and the people. “Lord,” one minister prayed, “as pastors, as churches, as Christians and citizens, we have too long hid our heads in the sand and not stood up to the evil and the poison of drugs in this county and this community.”
The moment the pastors and people repented, something in the Spirit broke in Manchester, Kentucky that changed that community forever. Drug arrests went up by 300 percent in the first year. Drug dealers started getting saved and coming to church. Corrupt politicians were arrested or voted out of office. The story of Manchester aired on The 700 Club, inspiring other towns with the same problems to hold their own marches. Thousands of people e-mailed, called, or literally showed up at Community Church in Manchester saying, “This is where I heard I can find hope.” Suddenly, the town that had been hopeless was giving hope.
We share many more stories of people who prayed the news like this and literally saw the headlines change.
Note: Craig will also be teaching a two-part workshop on Narrative Nonfiction on Thursday and Friday, August 2-3, at 1:00 pm. This exciting new genre lets your true story read like a novel. This is the style Craig used when writing his upcoming narrative biography on Holocaust survivor, Nina Morecki.
For more information on the August 1-4 conference and to register for the workshops (the keynotes are free of charge), please visit www.writehisanswer.com. Mention this blog when you register online or at the door and take $10 off the price that increases July 22. And please consider coming to the Thursday Special, “A Culture in Peril,” from 10:00 am to noon, August 2. Rather than a traditional lecture, this is a forum where we will grieve for our nation's ills and encourage each other as God's warriors to defend biblical principles. It will be led by Rick Marschall who writes regularly for the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net ). "
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Prayer: Intercession, Spiritual Warfare, etc...
"AURORA, CO (ANS) -- Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains are already on-site in Aurora, CO, where a gunman opened fire on a theater full of moviegoers in the early hours of the morning.
Century Theater Complex where shootings occurred in Aurora, Colorado
(Courtesy BGEA website).
Chaplains were already in Colorado responding to wildfires in and around Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. This allowed them to respond immediately to the shooting in Aurora, according to an online report on the BGEA website.
News reports indicate that 71 people were shot, at least 12 victims have died, and 59 were injured as a result of the shooting.
“Words can’t begin to describe the pain of this situation,” said Jack Munday, director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. “We are grieving alongside the families of those killed and wounded in this senseless and horrific tragedy.
“Please pray for all of those who have been affected,” added Munday. “We will be there to offer emotional and spiritual care, and the hope and compassion of Jesus Christ, in the aftermath.”
Previously, Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains have deployed following shootings in Tucson, AZ. (2011); Cumbria, U.K. (2010); Maryville, IL., Carthage, N.C., Oakland, CA, and Binghamton, N.Y. (2009); Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. (2008); Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA, Crandon, WI., and Arvada, CO. (2007); and the Red Lake Indian Reservation in MN (2005).
"
MINNESOTA: Stillwater family talks about Minnesota tie to Colorado shooting
5:21 PM, Jul 20, 2012 kare11.com
"..He begged her 20 times to go to the movie and she just kept turning him down, and this morning he said to her, 'Thank God you weren't with me. I don't know what I would have done.'" ..
*see PRAYER
Colo. shooting survivor with Minn. tie forgives alleged
10:01 PM, Jul 25, 2012 kare11.com "...O'Farrill tells The Denver Post that when he saw images of Holmes at his first court appearance Monday, he felt sorrow for Holmes.
O'Farrill says he wants to tell Holmes he forgives him and ask if he can pray for him.
Formal criminal charges haven't been filed against Holmes yet.
O'Farrill attended the movie with his friend Carey Rottman, who was shot in the leg.
...
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Life- Forgiveness, Repentance, Sorry?, etc...
" AURORA, CO (ANS) -- As Colorado continues to grapple with the July 20 theater shooing in Aurora, Mark Edlund, Executive Director of the Colorado Baptist General Conventions (CBGC) is calling churches to prayer and forgiveness.
At least two Aurora CBGC churches were affected by the shootings, according to Windsor, CO, freelance writer Claudean Boatman.
In an e-mail report to ASSIST News, to which Amber Cassady, a journalism intern with the Colorado Baptist General Convention contributed, Boatman says the pastor of Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church confirmed that four of his church's members were in the theater next to the infamous theater 9. All escaped injury.
The Edge Church, pastored by Ryan Heller, faces a different situation, Boatman stated.
Pierce O'Farrill is an active volunteer at the church and Vehicle Donation Coordinator for the Denver Rescue Mission. O'Farrill is also a Batman fan.
Pierce O'Farrill, left, was injured in the July 20 theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. His pastor Ryan Heller (at right) of The Edge Church and other church members are committed to helping him through his healing.
(Photo courtesy of Ryan Heller).
O’Farrill attended the midnight release and was in theater 9 when the shootings took place. His injuries include shrapnel in his chest, and gunshot wounds to his right humerus bone and his left foot. Each injury was caused by a different weapon.
Edlund said the answer to "Why did God let this happen?" is "always a question when tragedy happens, either natural or man-caused.”
“Friday was literally a 'dark night'. For Colorado it's even more poignant because it reverberates with the Columbine High School tragedy," Edlund said, adding: "And, of course, there is no easy answer; nor will there be clear answers in this life."
Edlund affirms God's sovereignty even during times of tragedy. "He (God) is not hitting his forehead saying, 'I didn't see that one coming.' And because He is sovereign, we can rest in the fact that He is in control. He allows evil to exist. That root goes back to Eden, the fall, and original sin."
Edlund said that God also, "allowed His only Son to be crucified, and from that horrific event comes our salvation. So we don't question His sovereignty. We also know that in the end He will be glorified."
Boatman writes that fact hasn't escaped O'Farrill, according to close friend John Fruend.
“Pierce believes God had him in the theater for a reason -- to tell God’s message and use this as a forum. For him to say that [he forgives the shooter] with all his wounds and pain is amazing. It moves me every time I think about it,” said Freund.
O'Farrill has stated publicly his forgiveness of the shooter, Boatman writes.
In an interview with CBS' Erin Moriarty O’Farrill said, “This is going to be hard for people to understand, but I feel sorry for him. When I think what that soul must be like to have that much hatred and that much anger in his heart -- what every day must be like. I can’t imagine getting out of bed every morning and having that much anger and hatred for people that he undoubtedly has. I’m not angry at him. I’ll pray for him.”
Forgiveness is a difficult concept for people to grasp during times of man-caused tragedies, Boatman says. She says O’Farrill’s pastor said, "Pierce has stirred a national debate on forgiveness. Some of the other survivors have said that they can’t or won’t forgive [the shooter]. Reporters are contrasting him against other survivors so it is important to understand what Jesus says about forgiving.”
The Sunday following the shootings, Pastor Heller spoke at The Edge Church about forgiveness.
“Pierce has already forgiven him. I think that is exactly what we need to talk about this morning is forgiveness,” Heller said.
Edlund comments that forgiveness, though not easy, is rooted in scripture,
"How does one forgive such an act?” he asks. “It's modeled by both Christ when He was crucified (Luke 23:34), and by Stephen when he was martyred (Acts 7:60)."
As the days of recovery pass, Edlund is calling Christians to pray for the victims' families.
"We pray that through this horrific even people will be drawn to the saving Gospel of Christ," he said.
Edlund also encourages those impacted by the shootings to go to Christ and the Bible.
"We rest in the assurance of Romans 8:38-39," he said quoting the passage.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
"In Colorado, there stands a holy shrine called Coors Field. On this site, named for the holiest of beers, a team plays that has been chosen by Jesus Christ himself to play .500 baseball in the National League West. And if you don't believe me, just ask the manager, the general manager and the team's owner.
In a remarkable article from Wednesday's USA Today, the Colorado Rockies went public with the news that the organization has been explicitly looking for players with "character." And according to the Tribe of Coors, "character" means accepting Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior. "We're nervous, to be honest with you," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "It's the first time we ever talked about these issues publicly. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone because of our beliefs." When people are nervous that they will offend you with their beliefs, it's usually because their beliefs are offensive.
As Rockies chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort said, "We had to go to hell and back to know where the Holy Grail is. We went through a tough time and took a lot of arrows."
CONTINUED BELOW... Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another
By BEN SHPIGEL
Published: October 23, 2007 (NY Times) "DENVER, Oct. 22 — As a Jewish player who attended a Catholic high school and a Lutheran university, Jason Hirsh knows what being a religious minority feels like. So last December, when he was traded to the Colorado Rockies, Hirsh wondered if what he had heard about his new organization was true.
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Jack Dempsey/Associated Press
Rockies General Manager Dan O’Dowd says his Christian faith leads him to seek out players with strong moral values.
Now, Hirsh said not once during the season had he felt uncomfortable with the place Christianity occupies within the organization.
“There are guys who are religious, sure, but they don’t impress it upon anybody,” Hirsh said. “It’s not like they hung a cross in my locker or anything. They’ve accepted me for who I am and what I believe in.”
The role of religion within the Rockies’ organization first entered the public sphere in May 2006, when an article published in USA Today described the organization as adhering to a “Christian-based code of conduct” and the clubhouse as a place where Bibles were read and men’s magazines, like Maxim or Playboy, were banned.
The article included interviews with several players and front office members, but team players and officials interviewed this week said it unfairly implied that the Rockies were intent on constructing a roster consisting in large part of players with a strong Christian faith. Asked how his own Christian faith affected his decision-making, General Manager Dan O’Dowd acknowledged it came into play, but not in a religious way. He said it guided him to find players with integrity and strong moral values, regardless of their religious preference.
“Do we like players with character? There is absolutely no doubt about that,” O’Dowd said during a recent interview in his Coors Field office. “If people want to interpret character as a religious-based issue because it appears many times in the Bible, that’s their decision. I believe that character is an innate part of developing an organization, and to me, it is nothing more than doing the right thing at the right time when nobody’s looking. Nothing more complicated than that.
“You don’t have to be a Christian to make that decision.”
Even if the Rockies are not consciously doing it, reliever Matt Herges, playing for his seventh organization, said the team had the highest concentration of devout Christians he had seen during his nine major league seasons.
Every Sunday, about 10 people gather for chapel, according to reliever Jeremy Affeldt, and Tuesday afternoon Bible study sessions usually attract seven or eight players. Affeldt said players discussed life and their families as well as scripture.
“Certain guys attend chapel, certain guys don’t,” outfielder Cory Sullivan said. “I don’t think that’s any different from how it is in any other major league clubhouse. Nothing’s shoved down your throats.”
On the whole, players were relaxed in speaking about their religious convictions but said that faith was not a requirement for peer approval. The Rockies, who will face the Red Sox in the World Series beginning Wednesday, care more about whether a teammate plays hard, is unselfish and treats everyone with respect.
“I think that if they were Catholic or Baptist or didn’t believe in God but were quality players and good people and good teammates, there would be a place for them here,” Herges said. “But I do see a lot of quality people in this clubhouse. This is the tightest-knit group I’ve ever been around.”
Pitcher Mark Redman, playing for his eighth team in nine seasons, has been with the Rockies for only two months, but he, too, said he sensed a different chemistry. “I’ve been on teams with guys who you can’t wait to leave when the season’s over,” Redman said. “You don’t find a bad guy in here. I’m more than comfortable bringing my son in here. I haven’t been able to say that in the past.”
Like many sports franchises, the Rockies look for more than just talent and potential, and finding the right combination of ability and character took several years. Based on the franchise’s win-loss record early in his tenure, O’Dowd acknowledged that if he worked for another organization, “in 99 percent of other cases, I would not be here.”
In steering the Rockies toward contention, O’Dowd, who became general manager in 1999, credits ownership for supporting his plan of allotting additional resources to player development and for giving the organization’s top prospects a chance to play. He also points to his own faith for giving him the strength and patience to handle the lean years.... "
(Page 2 of 2)
Only once before this season — at 82-80 in 2000 — had the Rockies finished with a winning record since O’Dowd became general manager. But one of the most embarrassing moments for the franchise came early on a December morning in 2004 when Denny Neagle, a pitcher with a $51.5 million long-term contract, was arrested here for soliciting a prostitute. It was his second scrape with the law in 14 months and it cost him his job. The Rockies terminated his contract three days later, eventually choosing to pay him $16 million to never again pitch in a Colorado uniform.
Worried that the incident would jeopardize the public trust, the Rockies redoubled their effort to emphasize responsibility and accountability. The team’s chairman and chief executive, Charlie Monfort, has said he rediscovered religion after serving 18 months’ probation for driving while impaired. The manager, Clint Hurdle, said he strengthened his faith several years ago after he quit drinking.
The team brought in free agents for face-to-face meetings and made sure their scouts were not seduced by talent without character. Along the way, the Rockies have decided not to pursue certain players, O’Dowd said. But he said no one was ever questioned about their religious affiliation.
“You can get to a point where that player’s talent is intoxicating to the point where you can make a choice to compromise,” O’Dowd said. “You begin to make yourself believe that those other things are there when they’re not. When you make character an important part of the criteria of making that decision, you have to slow yourself down because it takes time to find that out. I have a heck of a lot of an easier time accepting that than trying to win without that philosophy.”
To be sure, this is not a bunch of teetotalers, as demonstrated by the Champagne- and beer-soaked celebrations that followed their series-clinching victories. They do not censor the clubhouse stereo, either. Everything from hip-hop to alternative music, like the Amy Winehouse song “Rehab,” played on a loop Saturday morning.
“This is still a baseball clubhouse,” Herges said.
It is also one where the players, bonded by shared experiences in the minor leagues, have a chemistry that Sullivan said reminded him of his college days at Wake Forest. No fewer than 14 slots on the Rockies’ expected 25-man World Series roster will go to those who came up through the system, but even those, like Affeldt, who came from a different organization, said he fit in immediately. Affeldt called the team “a band of brothers.”
“When you have as many people who believe in God as we do, it creates a humbleness about what we do,” Affeldt said. “I don’t see arrogance here, I see confidence. We’re all very humbled about where this franchise has been and where it is now, and we know that what’s happening now is a very special thing.”
The Amazing Flying Tarp - Coors Field, from youtube.com "It was a little windy. For fun, count the number of times I say "Oh my gosh." I think it's 56, at least." Flyover at Coors Field, Game 3 of the 2007 World Series, from youtube.com "It was a little delayed, but they DID fly over. Carrie Underwood sang the National Anthem... the Red Sox won the game. Three down, one to go"
"Tebow CURE Hospital
Starting January 2012, CURE’s 12th surgical teaching hospital will be built in the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. The hospital will provide life-changing surgery to hundreds of children with curable disabilities each year. The Tebow CURE Hospital will also contain the first international Timmy’s Playroom and a spiritual ministry center." Tebow lifts Broncos to win vs. Jets, CBSSports.com wire reports
Nov. 17, 2011 cbssports.com "..DENVER -- There's a new Comeback Kid in Denver, and John Elway's proudly looking on as this plucky quarterback wins with his legs, not his arm.
Tim Tebow's 20-yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left capped a 95-yard drive and sent the Broncos to a 17-13 victory over the stunned New York Jets on Thursday night.
"I like winning," Tebow said after his third comeback in a month, "but I wish it wasn't this stressful." ....
The Jets (5-5) lost for the second time in four nights.
The Broncos (5-5) are 4-1 since Tebow replaced Kyle Orton, and at .500, they're a-half game behind Oakland in the AFC West race.
"He's a competitive dude," Broncos coach John Fox said. "He's super competitive. He never lays his sword down. He'll fight you to the death. That's just his nature. He's a great young man."
Mark Sanchez's desperation pass toward the end zone was batted down as time expired and the Jets trudged off the field with their playoff hopes dimmed just a week after they were brimming with optimism. .... Tebow-s-game-winning-drive vs Jets NFL
"DENVER, COLORADO (ANS) -- With less than a minute to go, Denver quarterback Tim Tebow stunned N.Y. Jets fans with a 20-yard touchdown run Thursday night, after he led his team on a 95-yard drive for a 17-13 come-from-behind win. After the game he dropped to his knees in prayer, then quickly praised God in post-game interviews.
“First and foremost I have to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thank my teammates, because these guys believed in me and stuck with me for all 60 minutes,” he said.
Tebow has evoked strong emotions from critics and fans -- ranging from adulation to disdain – but it doesn’t seem to faze him. Some criticize his throwing motion, some his reliance on an unorthodox option offense. Some of the attacks may be a thinly-veiled response to his bold proclamations of faith.
"I'[m not sure why (they criticize), but I am extremely blessed,” he said after the Jets game. “God has blessed me with so many people that support me, my family, and a great coaching staff that supports me.”
His performance is slowly silencing the naysayers, because the Broncos (5-5) are 4-1 since Tebow replaced Kyle Orton as quarterback.
At 240 pounds of bone, muscle and grit, some say he has a fullback’s mind and instincts inside a quarterback’s body. He often chooses to run the ball himself, plowing over defenders, rather than throw to open receivers. This also provokes his critics, who say he should throw the ball more.
"We're blessed to have a lot of great receivers who are very unselfish,” he notes. “They put the team first and their number one priority is to win.”
Before the Broncos started their final drive, Tebow gathered his men in the huddle and gave them a word inspired by his faith. ...
"DENVER, COLORADO (ANS) -- After a lackluster performance in the first three quarters of play, Quarterback Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to a come-from-behind win in overtime to beat Chicago 13-10.
Tim Tebow praying
After the game, Tebow – the son of missionaries in the Philippines -- did
not hesitate to place credit where credit is due. “First and foremost I have to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and thank my teammates,” he told Fox sports. “It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Tebow has attracted his share of detractors who fault his skills as a quarterback and the boldness of his witness for Jesus Christ. But even the naysayers are beginning to believe in the miracle worker who has now won six straight. The Broncos are 7-1 since the team promoted Tebow to starting quarterback in October.
“You have something special when nothing is going right but you continue to believe and continue to get together and you encourage one another,” he said. With two minutes remaining in the game, Denver was down by 10 points. In the first three quarters, Tebow had completed only three of 16 passes, an uninspiring display.
Yet in the clutch, as the clock ticked down to the final minutes, the heart of a champion and his abundant faith buoyed the team.
MORE
Mark Ellis is a senior correspondent for ASSIST News Service and the founder of www.Godreports.com. He is available to speak to groups about the plight of the church in restricted countries, to share stories and testimonies from the mission field, and to preach the gospel.
mark@Godreports.com
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
Send this story to a friend. Share Web-Stat hit counters ... Tim Tebow responds to Brian Urlacher, youtube.com
"Either Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher forgot Tim Tebow was a quarterback, or a little sarcasm crept into the visiting locker room on Sunday after the Denver Broncos captured a 13-10 overtime victory.
"He's a good running back ... He does a good job for them," Urlacher told reporters when asked about Tebow.
When asked what he thought of the passing of Tebow, who was 21-of-40 for 236 yards with a touchdown and an interception, Urlacher praised Tebow's scrambling ability.
Tebow was told about Urlacher calling him a running back and did not take offense.
"Coming from a really good player, that means a lot," Tebow said.
The Bears were not in a great mood after surrendering a 10-0 fourth-quarter lead, and considering Tebow's passer rating was 68.3, they decided to spread around their respect for the Broncos instead of singling out the quarterback.
"We missed some opportunities in the game," Bears defensive end Julius Peppers said. "We got to finish better. That's pretty much it. It wasn't anything special he did."
Bears linebacker Lance Briggs praised the competitiveness of Tebow, who is 7-1 as a starter, including wins in his last six.
Can't get enough Bears information? ESPNChicago.com has all the latest on the Monsters of the Midway. Blog
"Played hard," Briggs said. "I respect a guy who plays hard. Him and all the other 10 guys on the field for the Broncos."
Bears coach Lovie Smith also spread the praise around.
"He was able to scramble around and keep plays alive that allowed receivers chances to get open," Smith said. "He's a good football player, but they have other good football players. They're a good football team. ... Tebow is a leader of their team, normally the quarterback dictates a lot as to who wins the game, and he definitely had a big part in that today. " "
"ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – On a winter day in 2010, Tim Tebow sat alone in a hotel meeting room with Ken Herock, a former NFL general manager who tutors players on how to approach important team meetings at the NFL scouting combine. The topic was a perception among NFL teams that Tebow was successful in college only because of the University of Florida’s offensive system, a notion upheld by the failure of Alex Smith to thrive in the NFL after having played for Tebow’s coach, Urban Meyer, when Meyer was at Utah.
“A lot of people are comparing you to Alex Smith because you run the same offense … ” Herock started when Tebow suddenly cut him off.
“Now hold on there, Mr. Herock,” Tebow said. “That’s where the comparisons end. I won the Heisman Trophy. I won a national championship two times.”
He said it not with arrogance, although the words could have been parsed that way, but rather with an assuredness Tebow rarely reveals in his public interviews. It is the kind of thing the Denver Broncos see all the time, the reason many of the team’s assistant coaches have come to love his determination and players faithfully follow him into games they now believe they can win. It’s perhaps why the Broncos are 7-1 since Tebow became the starting quarterback.
“He has a passion about himself, he’s very confident,” Broncos general manager Brian Xanders said.
The temptation is to look at Tebow’s serene smiles in news conferences, watch him shrug shyly at questions about his abilities, listen to him talk about Jesus and think he is a man who plays football simply to spread the word of the Bible. The image is of a marginally skilled player who believes the Lord will slice holes in the defense or find a way to get a receiver open downfield.
And yet inside the Broncos’ complex, conversations about Tebow go on for half an hour without a mention of God or religion or their most famous player’s spirituality. The talk is instead about a man who is driven, who arrives early in the morning and leaves long after most of his teammates have departed. In college Tebow was famous for declarations of hard work but that seemed more about lifting weights and running sprints. Now that he is in the NFL, his diligence is in improving his throwing and studying opponents. The phrase most often attributed to him is not about God but rather, “Tell me how I can get better.”
Want a reason the Broncos are in first place in the AFC West with what amounts to a two-game lead over the Oakland Raiders? It is Tebow’s obsessive preparation.
The hour doesn’t matter. It could be 9 p.m., maybe 10, but at some point every night the phone of Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase will ring and Tim Tebow will be on the line.
“I’ve been watching film,” Tebow will say. Then a string of questions: What happens if a defensive player moves a certain way? How should he go? And what about the receivers? Are there other options?
Quietly, Tebow has dazzled the Broncos coaches with his deep understanding of complex offenses. When he showed up to the team’s suite for his interview with the staff at last year’s combine, he immediately rattled off the principles of his offense at Florida. But then he launched into Norv Turner’s digit system as well as the Patriots’ offense, which the Broncos were also using. The coaches were stunned. How had he learned all this?
He watched lots of video at Florida, he told them. While other players went out at night, he loaded films of various offenses in his computer and studied and studied and studied until they were locked in his memory.
“That part of it was very unique to me,” said Gase, who has been with two other NFL teams as an assistant. “I never heard of a college guy who would know so much about offenses outside of college.”
Yes, Herock said, when told about this. He knew.
“I’ll tell you what probably happened,” Herock said. “His agent, Jimmy Sexton, probably told him which teams would want to talk to him at the combine. And he probably said, ‘What kind of questions are they going to ask me?’ Then he went and studied all of their offenses so he knew them really well.”
For instance, when Tebow first appeared at the Senior Bowl amid much criticism over his throwing motion, he shocked the Miami Dolphins coaching staff that had been assigned to coach his team that week by regurgitating their entire offense for them.
“I guarantee you that offense they are running there in Denver now, he put a lot of it in,” Herock said. “I bet he has a lot of input on what they are running up there.”
Because head coach John Fox retained most of the offensive coaches from Josh McDaniels’ staff last year, the Broncos kept the same offense. Inserted in that was the “Tebow Package,” which mostly consisted of option and Wildcat plays best suited to take advantage of Tebow’s running ability. When Fox made Tebow the starting quarterback in October, the offensive coaches took the Tebow Package and made it central to their attack, adding new wrinkles every week. The ease with which they made such an extreme transition from a passing to running team, they said, was because Tebow worked so hard to learn new plays, asking endless questions and suggesting what to add.
“He prepares extremely hard as far as his film study and the time he spends with [offensive coordinator] Mike McCoy,” Gase said. “He’s working every angle that he can. Asking everything. ‘What about my footwork? What about when I am under center? What do I do here?’ ”
Nothing is more important than footwork. This is where the Broncos coaches believe Tebow will thrive next. Last year they left a six-hour, pre-draft visit with the quarterback in Gainesville, Fla., amazed at how he had blown away all other quarterbacks’ scores on a list of qualities they deemed essential. These included: loving the game, competitiveness, leadership, arm strength, understanding offenses, an ability to avoid pass rushes, resilience and composure. They were convinced if they could work on his accuracy and footwork he would come to be seen as a great draft pick.
And so this year it is Gase, who coached receivers last season, spending hours with Tebow on the practice field working on how he steps back from center – something he rarely did at Florida – and throws the ball. For 30 minutes before every practice and 30 minutes afterward, they work on gliding back and stepping forward.
“Everything has to do with his feet,” Gase said. “Before, his body was going in one direction and his arm was going in another direction. As we get him more balanced, his throws become smoother and more accurate.”
What they couldn’t have understood before they drafted him was how much he would practice this. “He’s taken thousands of [extra] reps,” Gase said. When practice turns to defensive drills and the other offensive players rest, Tebow grabs a ball and begins working on his backpedaling, repeating each new technique until it starts to feel natural.
“He’s improved a lot the last few weeks,” Gase said, pointing to throws Tebow made in the Broncos’ last two wins he probably couldn’t have made only a few weeks earlier when the Broncos were merely running an option attack with few passes.
“He’s becoming a much better NFL quarterback,” Fox said. “I think that little variance was to get us to this point. You can’t be one-dimensional in this league. Everybody catches up with that. People are doing different things to stop our running game but they are opening up things in our passing.”
When you talk to Tebow alone, in a back hallway of the Broncos’ practice facility, away from the stampede of cameras that often surround him, you find him to be goofy. It’s not an awkward goofiness, but more of a silliness. He laughs a lot, even when discussing serious things. Third-string quarterback Adam Weber, the man who has a locker next to Tebow’s both at the practice facility and at the stadium, said Tebow is effusive before games, bouncing around the locker room, calling encouragement to teammates in a buildup of energy that seems almost ready to explode onto the field.
“Then he flips a switch,” Gase said.
And Tebow is suddenly calm. Around the Broncos they find this unique, even in a sport where players are required to channel different intensity on and off the field. This, they say, is how he manages to pull the offense together, making some of his best runs and throws late in games.
On Sunday, when the Broncos emerged from their deepest abyss yet in pulling out an overtime victory over the Chicago Bears, Case walked up to Tebow on the sideline and said with a coach’s anxiety, “Why do we have to do it this way every time?”
Tebow smiled tranquilly and said, “We have time.”
“That’s the beauty of him,” Gase said. “There’s a calmness and a composure when the game is tight. He’s smart with the football.”
“I definitely think you have to have an edge,” Tebow said this week as he stood outside the Broncos’ locker room. One of his favorite things to read is a book of quotations put together by a strength and conditioning coach he worked with that contains the words “The Edge” in the title. The coach loaned it to Tebow years ago and the quarterback refuses to return it despite pleas that he does.
“Technically, I stole it,” Tebow said.
It is in this pilfered manuscript where Tebow finds some of his inspiration.
"I think the way that you train should have an edge,” Tebow said. “And the way you work out should have an edge.”
He was asked about the perception that because he speaks so much about his faith and seems so serene on the field that he might not have to prepare diligently. He laughed.
[ Fantasy football video: Is Tim Tebow really a clear start for playoffs? ]
"It’s unfortunate, but a lot of people do think Christians have to be soft,” he said. “But the man we are following is the toughest of all time in Jesus Christ. You have to go through obstacles and adversity. That’s what provides endurance for the future.” Then Tebow paused for a moment.
“God has everything in his hands but he also says, ‘Do unto the Lord with all your heart,’ ” he continued. “Just because you are a Christian, God doesn’t want you … not be the hardest worker. It’s just the opposite. He wants you to work harder.”
And so he does. And so he arrives early in the morning and goes home in the evening with tapes of not just the Broncos’ offense and their opponent’s defense but of players he would like to emulate (“I’ve seen thousands of cuts of Tom Brady,” he said this week). All of it in a diligent preparation to become the quarterback he believes he is. All of it to justify those words spoken on that winter day when asked what he thought of the player who ran the same college offense but had until then been considered a major risk …
“Now hold on there … that’s where the comparisons end … “
"DENVER, COLORADO (ANS) -- As Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Bebow led his team to another improbable come-from-behind win against Chicago, not many realized he wore a microphone throughout the game that recorded a rare glimpse of his unusual faith.
Before the start of the game, he knelt on the sidelines in his trademark pose and uttered this prayer: “Lord, put a wall of protection around me and my teammates today. When we go out there let us honor you with everything we do and say. I love you. In Jesus name, amen."
As he warmed up on the sidelines, Tebow sang: “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom…”
Throughout the game, Tebow was heard encouraging his teammates to “keep believing” even as they fell behind for the first three quarters with less than stellar play. Tebow was even heard encouraging players on the opposing team. He told Chicago outside linebacker Lance Briggs, “I’ve been looking forward to playing you for a long time…I love watching you brother.”
In the fourth quarter, as the Broncos set their sights on a comeback, receiver Demaryius Thomas dropped a long pass that could have turned the game around. The ball sailed right through his hands, and after the play, he parked himself on the bench, dejected.
Tebow sat down next to Thomas and said, “Guess what, you’re about to catch the game winner here. It’s no big deal (you dropped the ball). It just makes it closer for a little bit longer. You’re about to catch the game winner and then you’ll be the winner of the game.”
MORE Tebow Saturday Night Live
Video "Tim Tebow did the unbelievable again.
The Denver Broncos quarterback threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime to lead his team to a stunning 29-23 wild-card upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow finished the day with 316 yards passing, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.
The victory was a slight departure for the second-year quarterback, who became known this season for his fourth-quarter comebacks. In his first NFL playoff game, he started his heroics a little earlier. Tebow led Denver to a 20-point second quarter, forcing a depleted Pittsburgh team to stage a second-half rally. Ben Roethlisberger did just that, as he brought his team back from a 14-point deficit to force the game to overtime.
It was to be the first NFL playoff game in history not to be decided by sudden death. A 2010 rule change dictated that both teams would have a chance to possess the ball in overtime. Unlike in the regular season, a field goal on the first possession wouldn't win the game for the team that received the kick. The only way to end the game on the opening possession was to score a touchdown.
Tebow and Thomas got that out of the way quickly. They connected on a 15-yard slant on the first offensive play of overtime and Thomas took it the end zone, applying a stiff arm to cornerback Ike Taylor at midfield and outrunning Ryan Mundy to the goal line.
[ Related: More Mile-high magic from Tebow, Broncos ]
The 11-second overtime was the shortest in NFL history.
After beginning his 2011 season with seven wins in his first eight games, Tebow limped to the finish line. The Broncos lost three straight games to close the year and backed in to the playoffs thanks to losses from AFC West rivals. Teams had apparently figured out the answer to Tebow -- stack the line with defenders and make him beat corners in tight coverage with his arm. Dick LeBeau's tenacious Pittsburgh defense figured to utilize that blueprint with ease, sending Tebow and the Broncos to an early playoff exit.
But Tebow's receivers got behind Pittsburgh coverages, Denver's offensive line protected him well and the quarterback was able to set a career high in passing yardage. That final pass play was the longest Pittsburgh gave up all season. The absence of the Steelers' leading tackler, Ryan Clark, undoubtedly hurt the secondary, yet even without him, the breakdown was unexpected.
Denver will face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots next Saturday night in an AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium. The two teams played in Week 15, with New England winning 41-23." Broncos vs. Steelers: Tebow, denverbroncos.com
Quarterback Tim Tebow talks to the press after throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, in Denver's 29-23 AFC Wild Card win over Pittsburgh.
"
This video is of random mountain scenery in Colorado. Including of Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, near Colorado Springs. Red Rocks Park near Denver. Lake Dillon Reservoir near Dillon. The Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon, and some mountains and lakes along the Gunnison River on the Western Slope."
Paul & Stacey visit Aspen. Colorado., youtube.com "Photographs Paul took on their visit to Aspen from New Zealand, and to John Denver's memorial."
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DianeDike@aol.com
To schedule Gracie & Diane -- put "Speak to our Group!" in the subject line
Bio: Dr. Diane Dike is an award-winning author, speaker, singer and licensed reverend who is known for being inspirational, humorous, dynamic, and joyful. She is a radio show host, regularly writes for a wide variety of magazines and appears on nationally syndicated radio and television broadcasts. She has been front page news in newspapers, on the world-wide web and in magazines across America. Diane is the Founder/President of Second Chance with Saving Grace. SCwSG is a non-profit 501c(3) organization that reaches out to the "least of these," including hurting people and animals wherever they may be found. SCwSG impacts the world by focusing on serving, equipping, empowering and encouraging everyone to be all God created them to be. They visit schools, churches, children's hospitals, prisoners, civic organizations, wherever there is a need, delivering an inspiring message of Hope with Love Kits of Encouragement!
All age groups connect with Diane who knows what it is to be broken, homele ss and hopeless. She was an elite athlete, professor, special education teacher and coach but in her twenties, Diane was diagnosed with a debilitating and incurable blood disease called cryoglobulinemia vasculitis. Pain became her constant companion. She was devastated and lost all that was important to her. Thinking she was better off dead than disabled she contemplated suicide. However, in the midst of her despair, Diane received the transforming love of Jesus. Through this experience she learned the secret to happiness and that God still has a purpose and plan for her life even if her body is broken. She is an expert in perseverance and overcoming seeming"
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