Beards for Breath Year 2

Here is a link to my blog from last year when I first introduced Beards for Breath.

Beards for Breath 2010 Blog

Here is a link to the Facebook page to join the cause this year.

Beards for Breath Facebook page

And here is what Beards for Breath is all about:

For the 2nd straight year, through the power of beards and fasting we are uniting to pray for the sanctity of life.

Most of us are familiar with what has become known as "No Shave November" a great time for men everywhere to join uniting in hairy faces. Each year I am asked to join friends in this shaveless endeavor and each year I am hesitant to commit. There are a few reasons I am hesitant, 1. I have symmetrical bald spots o...n my face preventing the growth of a full and natural beard. And 2. What is the reason for not shaving, is there a cause or what?

So this November I again invite you to join a cause for “No Shave November” and that is “Beards for Breath”. Some of you know that October is/was pro-life month, but why should it end in October? So instead of just not shaving I invite you to FAST from shaving, thus an opportunity to offer something up in prayer for the protection and sanctity of life at all stages.

Last year several women told me of penances they offered up in conjunction with men growing beards. Several told me of not shaving their legs and some even went as far as not dying there hair for the entire month! Thank you ladies!

So every time you itch your face or are running your hands through your beard and think how much it is driving you crazy, offer it up and say a prayer for those little ones that have yet to take a breath, for those who were never given a chance to breathe, or for those whose life was unjustly ended.

Now I understand that some of you may be hesitant to commit to this due to a female influence; girlfriend, wife, mother, daughter, etc. Well invite them to join you. Not to stop shaving, but to offer up how bad you might look or how much they might hate your facial hair in prayer that the unborn might have the chance to breath.

So many men & women are contracepting or considering an abortion - most have never even considered the life they have created.

Have you thought of your beard as a weapon? Well this month it can be. Just think, each time someone asks you why you're growing out your facial hair you have a great opportunity to witness to the pro-life cause. And each day you look in the mirror know how angry the devil is at the choice you've made to stand up for life.

So men (and women) let us sharpen our razors one last time this Monday the 31st and then let us unite in prayer and hairy faces as we pray for an end to abortion and for all to have the right to life!

The Devil hates Beards

Monday morning, like any other morning I left my apartment, hopped in my truck, and drove to school. I arrived, got out of my truck and started to walk away when I noticed something strange on my bumper. I have 4 stickers on the back of my truck, 2 U of WI Eau Claire, 1 Green Bay Packers and one that reads "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." Jeremiah 1:5 ProlifeWisconsin.org. One of these stickers was partially torn this morning. Any guesses as to which one? It looks like an animal took a bite out of the corner of it, certainly something that was carefully done, not just by chance or nature.

As I walked to campus with a few coworkers I shared with them what had happened. After a short pause I told them, "the devil hates my beard." And there is no doubt that this month the devil hates beards being grown for "Beards for Breath," and if he hates it, that can only mean that Someone else loves it. Did you ever think that a beard or prayers for beards (thanks ladies!) would bring glory to God?

If Jesus has a plan for us before we are formed in the womb, wouldn't satan want that plan derailed before one was out of the womb? Satan loves to see souls ruined in the womb, or out, and Jesus loves to see souls, that He has created, come into the world moving closer to a relationship with Him and closer to bringing Him glory.

And this month with a lot of prayer, a little sacrifice and suffering our beards are bringing glory to God and saving souls and lives.

So persevere through the discomfort and itchiness because not only does satan hate it, but Jesus loves it.

Amen.

Spirtual Warfare

My previous post is a message to the Beards for Breath group and it talks about something that has been on my mind a lot lately, spiritual warfare and present the devil is everyday. Yes, he's as present as Jesus is everywhere we go and as Jesus wants us to be loving and glorify Him in the things we do, the devil wants the opposite, and he wants it bad.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of listening to Fr. John Corapi. A priest for about 20 years now and a man that has experienced the good and the bad and life more than the average person. Fr. John's presentation was in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Nets, Seton Hall Pirates, and the New Jersey Devils. Fr. John began his presentation by coming on stage wearing a Devils jersey and with a hockey stick, the brand/model of the hockey stick was "Warrior". I'm not sure how much of that was intentional but pretty ironic isn't it? I mean a Catholic priest wearing the "devil" with a hockey stick labeled warrior!! Fr. John said, "I've never seen a homeless person, alcoholic, or drug addict that doesn't believe in the devil." Adding that these people (like most) are often stuck between the devil & God. Fr. John at one point in his life was all of those things he mentioned, homeless, alcoholic and drug addict. Thankfully he turned out ok and is doing great things now.

Fr. pointed our direction to Ephesians 6:10-17, which I invite you read here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:10-17&version=NASB

This passage talks about putting on the armor of God and standing firm against the devil. Fr. John said, "St. Paul (the writer of Ephesians) tells us to put on the WHOLE armor of God, not the parts we want. If there's a hole in our armor, the devil is a good shot, he will wound you."

Being on a college campus and facing my own confrontations as a Christian with the devil everyday I can tell you that devil is very real. Everyday I am faced with decisions to make that will either bring glory to God or please the devil and I don't always make the right decision. The beauty is that as Christians we can repent, move on, and try to do it better the next time. The devil hates the beauty of Christ and the life offered to Christians through Christ's death. The devil wants us to make a mistake, feel bad about it, let it get us down, and for us to stay down, even to depression. Everything that is good, the devil hates.

So let's put on the armor of God and help those around us become better equipped to stand up to the devil and more importantly bring Glory to God in all that we do.