http://500px.com/photo/200438

Well it’s that time of the year. No, not to go back to mind-numbing universities, long sleeve shirts, or THROWBALL. Yeah I know you didn’t like that last one.

This is the time of year to focus on the real football. The football played not with the hands but with the feet. The football that puts an entire city on the edge of their seat and makes grown men throw themselves around like little girls. The football that can excite a town, a nation, a world. My friends, FOOTBALL IS BACK!

Now you may say, “Soccer is so boring” in your typical, whiny, American accent. But as usual, YOU ARE WRONG!

You see, all your life some crackpot “friend” or “relative” told you that you should watch the MLS and the World Cup. Now don’t get me wrong, the MLS is improving and the World Cup has national pride. But that literally is the equivalent of watching Double A baseball and no-hitters all the time. Yeah, not very exciting.

The footy you should be watching resides in the heart of England. The Barclays Premier League – oh what a majestic name – is the most exciting, entertaining, enthralling league on the planet. Many a friend who had erroneously hated soccer now watch more Premier League footy than I do. I’m telling you, it’s contagious.

So on Saturday mornings, don’t sleep in or get your car washed. Turn your television to ESPN2 or Fox Soccer if you have it and watch the world’s most popular domestic league. Also there are many websites on line where you can stream the games for free. If interested, we can discuss in greater detail at an undisclosed location in the future (Twitter).

Let us not kid ourselves as Americans. If the ENTIRE world loves one game, maybe they are on to something. Eh?

So now me and my fellow I Hate Church writers will try to predict the future before your very eyes. Enjoy.

@AdelekeCreates (your humble correspondent)

Top 4: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Liverpool

Favorite Team: Chelsea FC

Surprise Team: Stoke City

Player of the Year: Sergio “Kun” Aguero

Top Goal Scorer: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez

Breakout Player: Romelu Lukaku

Bottom 3: QPR, Blackburn, Norwich City

@JPTroglio (the Italian Stallion)

Top 4: Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Manchester City, Liverpool

Favorite Team: Chelsea FC

Surprise Team: Tottenham Hotspur

Player of the Year: N/A

Top Goal Scorer: Wayne Rooney

Breakout Player: N/A

Bottom 3: Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City

@PagingDrVictor (supporter of THE DEVIL I mean uh Red Devils)

Top 4: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Liverpool

Favorite Team: Manchester United

Surprise Team: Wigan

Player of the Year: Wayne Rooney

Top Goal Scorer: Sergio Aguero

Breakout Player: Daniel Strurridge

Bottom 3: Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City, Wolves

For football musings, in-game commentary, anecdotal fallacies, and football news on the hour follow @SirBadgeKisser. Really swell lad.

by hern42 :: flickr.com

[This is a continuation of my previous post concerning the documentary produced by Levi's titled "Go Forth"]

Inasmuch as we strive to do something special with each breathe we take, this desire seemingly vaporizes before we know what happened.  The desires buried in our cold, confused hearts sneak up periodically, in an attempt to taste this enigma called, reality.  As it crawls out of its hole inch by inch, it is again mercilessly bashed by this world it craves.  The life and oxygen it must have is –  ironically – beating the living (expletive) out of it.  Your life sucks or is not what it’s cracked up to be… now what? 

When our hiccup [dream] attempts to climb out of its foxhole, what are we doing to aid its lifespan? Do we suppress, ignore and deny its existence?  Do we protect its surroundings, set up a perimeter and exponentially expand its growth?  What people do we build around its existence, and how much time are we investing?  What is our strategy to extends its lifespan?  Who do we communicate these complexities to?  How do we educate ourselves and command decisiveness to “go forth?”

Snap your fingers… because that is how fast it takes to miss an opportunity.  This same rate also moves you from “going” to “nothing”… snap ‘em again and again and again and again.  How many more times will you continue this trend?

Matt 22:37

ADD FAITH and find []

It wasn’t long before my head was buried in Colossians, 1 Timothy and some Proverbs. I of course glancing over to see what this young man was reading how had stolen that window seat which would have allowed a selfish American to SPREAD OUT. I noticed he was entrenched in a business communication book, nothing really eye catching, just appeared like any other young bloke trying to get an edge on life.

When BAM! he leans over to ask, are you guys Christians? To his response, I picked up my holy head up from my Bible and said “ya bro, are you?” He had an accent so I was trying to figure out where this convo was going but it soon was all understood when he let us know he planted churches around the world. My thought was wow!… 31 years old, seemed very excited, hailed from Portugal which sounded cool…. and someone sitting next to me I could be inquisitive with.

The barrage of questions was instantaneous…
What is church planting like?
How many churches have you planted?
Obstacles?
Victories?
What men are mentors in your life?
Why you in America… and on and on and on……

It was refreshing to talk to with international flavor discussing the Bible. It reminds me of how important it is to ask questions of others around you because you do not know where wisdom will come from. Ricardo Tadeu spoke for about an hour and it was better than going to the movies or watching American Idol….. it would be a tough call to put it up against the Chicago Bears…. but the moment and communication was divine and inspiring.

Are you wondering what he said he took away from the business book he was reading? Well, here it is…. :::PASSION::: Whatever you are communicating if it is not infused with passion, people most certainly will not take interest. You say, but I am a really good communicator…. The world these days are filled with so many great communicators it is your duty to become better…. if you do not, someone already has.

church planting is communication and without the Passion for changing lives through Jesus… your words will fall on deaf ears. You are doing Jesus a disservice when you remove passion. His passion for us is eternal life with him….. Damn thats hot! like whooooooaaaa! Turn your sofa over, throw some clothes out of your closet and live with PASSION.

i Hate church says: “embrace passion, explode the word of God internally”

Do you have :::PassIon:::

Hillsong United from chesman creative on Vimeo.