Thankfulness (Day 1 of 7)

Psalms 139:5-6 — "Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me' it is high, I cannot attain unto it."

Psalms 129:14 — "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

Pray: God, connect with me here, as I seek you in your Word. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you.

Read: the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of intriguing words and phrases and read them a second time.

Reflect: on what strikes you as you read. Think through what God is communicating to you at this point in your life.

Respond: to the passage. Speak to God directly about what's on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you've uncovered.

Showing Hospitality Day 4 -- To Whom Should We Show Hospitality

Hebrews 13:2 -- "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Talking To God
Thank God for His constant care. Ask Him to provide for the needs of those you love.

Diving In
Get ready to play a guessing game. One person will act as the dinner "host," and another person will act as the dinner "guest." Without telling the host, the guest must decide what kind of guest he will be -- hungry, excited, scared, shy, annoying, grateful or tired. The guest must then act out his part while the host interacts with him and tries to guess what type of person has come for dinner. The guest can talk; he just can't give the answer. The host is given three guesses. Make sure everyone gets a chance to act as both the host and the guest.

Going Deeper
It's easy to invite our friends and family for dinner. But it's not always easy to welcome people we don't know very well. It can be even harder to share with those who are different from us. But that awkwardness shouldn't keep us from opening our hearts and our homes to those in need. Luke 14:13-14 says, "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed." When we show hospitality to others, whether we know them well or we don't know them at all, we're joining God in caring for people in need. And we can be confident that He sees our generosity and is pleased.

Talking To Each Other
--How does being kind to those in need make you feel?
--In what creative ways can you and your family share with those in need?

Showing Hospitality Day 3 — Share Dare

2 Corinthians 9:11 — "Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God."

Talking To God
Ask God to make you more like himself as you learn to share with others.

Diving In
Fold a piece of paper in half, making two columns. On one side, list some things that you have a lot of — think of your toys, books and games. In the other column, list things that you only have one of — like a special toy or a favorite piece of clothing. When your lists are complete, discuss which things would be easiest to share and which would be more difficult to share.

Going Deeper
Sometimes it's easy to share — like when we have a lot of something. And sometimes it's really hard to share — like when we only have a little or when what we have seems precious. God set the best example of sharing when He sent His Son to us — His one and only Son. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). God gave us what was precious to Him — Jesus. As His children, we can show God's great love to others as we share generously.

Talking To Each Other
—Think of a time when you were asked to share with someone. Did you share? How did you feel about your choice?
—Name something special that someone once shared with you. How did that person's generosity make you feel?

Bengals Tecmo Super Bowl Season — Week 10

With the Ravens nipping at their heels in the standings, the Cincinnati Bengals traveled to Baltimore looking to increase their lead in the AFC North.

The Bengals came out of the gate in a hurry as Andy Dalton found A.J. Green deep on the very first play of the game.

But a Chris Canty sack would stall the Cincinnati drive as they were forced to settle for a field goal attempt.

The kick was easily placed between the uprights by Mike Nugent, giving the Bengals a quick 3-0 lead.

On the Ravens' opening drive, a couple of quick first down tosses by Joe Flacco got his offense to around midfield. That was when the QB found Torrey Smith deep for another completion, who then took it on in for the touchdown. This gave the lead to Baltimore, 7-3.

The Bengals were unable to return the favor on their next drive as a Josh Bynes sack forced Cincinnati to send out Kevin Huber to punt the ball away.

After the Ravens took over, they let their running game do the work on this possession. Running back Ray Rice found daylight and broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run, giving his team a 14-3 advantage over Cincinnati.

Andy Dalton again found his offense in a tight spot as the Bengals were staring at 4th down and 3, around midfield.

They would elect to run another play, but unfortunately the stingy Baltimore defense picked off an Andy Dalton pass. The Ravens would bring their offense back out on the field with an opportunity to build on their 11-point lead.

Not wasting any time, Joe Flacco aired it out deep to Jacoby Jones who made an unbelievable diving catch.

Jones made his way down to the Bengals 15-yard line before a Cincinnati defender was able to get a hand on him.

This would set up another touchdown pass to Torrey Smith who put the Ravens on top 21-3 late in the first half.

Mike Nugent would take a shot at a 67-yard field goal as the final seconds ticked away in the second quarter.

And to no one's surprise, the ball sailed wide right. The kick definitely had the distance though.

So the score would remain 21-3 in favor of the Baltimore Ravens as the game entered halftime. Joe Flacco was clearly leading the quarterback duel as he had completed 75 percent of his passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Dalton only had 76 yards through the air with zero touchdowns and one pick.

During the break, the Ravens Cheerleaders came out to delight the fans. They danced to a parody of "What Does The Fox Say" called "What Does The Raven Say."

Receiving the ball in the second half, the Ravens had an opportunity to really put the game out of reach for Cincinnati. But James Harrison stopped another touchdown drive in its tracks with a monster sack of Flacco.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker did nail a field goal try, however, extending the Baltimore lead to 24-3.

Following a reception in Ravens territory by Jermaine Gresham, the tight end lost control of the ball but quickly recovered, giving the Bengals a great shot at getting their first TD.

Andy Dalton would waste no time finding A.J. Green in the back of the end zone for six points. After the PAT, the Bengals had narrowed the Ravens lead to 24-10.

On the next drive, the Bengals defense was finally able to keep Baltimore from scoring as Sam Koch was forced to punt the ball away to Cincinnati.

This would close out the third quarter of action, leaving the Bengals just five minutes to score two touchdowns.

Thanks to a leaping catch by Mohamed Sanu, the Bengal offense found itself quickly in the red zone with a chance to narrow the lead to seven.

Facing 4th down and 7, Dalton was unable to see the wide open A.J. Green in the end zone so he decided to tuck the ball and run. This did not get him anywhere as Cincinnati had to turn the ball over on downs with only a minute and a half left to play.

The Bengals would burn their last timeout on 2nd down and 1, but were unable to get any type of stop as the Ravens let Ray Rice run out the clock.

This would make the final score 24-10 as the Bengals got absolutely outplayed on both sides of the ball.

Joe Flacco finished the game with 223 yards and two touchdowns. Dalton tallied only 138 yards passing with one TD and one pick. He did get 37 yards on the ground though. BenJarvus Green-Ellis never really had a chance to do much damage as the Bengals got down by three scores early.

With the loss, the Bengals no longer have any breathing room in the division as the Ravens are now just one game behind. Cincinnati will try to get back on track next week as they host the 4-5 Cleveland Browns coming up in Week 11 action of the Tecmo Super Bowl Season.

Showing Hospitality Day 2 — God's Purpose for Things

2 Corinthians 9:6 — But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Talking To God
Thank God that He has a purpose for every thing He gives us.

Diving In
Think of some of the unique things God has given you. In a show-and-tell format, take turns sharing about some of the gifts you treasure. Show your favorite items and explain why they're valuable to you.

Going Deeper
It's exciting to explore the things God's given to us. It's even more exciting when we understand that everything — even our belongings — has a purpose in God's plan. In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a story about three servants, each one entrusted with a valuable talent of money. Two of the servants were faithful and put their money to work for their master, using it to accomplish his purposes. And they were rewarded for their efforts when their master said, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" It's the same for us. As we use the things God's given us to work toward His goals, like blessing others, we're sharing in God's happiness.

Talking To Each Other
—How has God met your needs with something He has given you?
—How can God meet the needs of those around you through some of the things He's entrusted to you?

Showing Hospitality Day 1: The Practice of Hospitality

1 Peter 4:9 — "Use hospitality one to another without grudging."

Talking To God
Thank God for the ways in which He cares for you.

Diving In
Describe the different rooms in a nice hotel. Don't forget kitchens and restaurants, suites, lounges, laundry rooms — even pools and gift shops. Discuss the many things that are continually happening at a hotel.

Going Deeper
Despite all the different things that go on at a fancy hotel, they're all a part of accomplishing one, central focus: caring for people. Similarly, our homes have a lot of different rooms and a lot of different activities going on. And yet there is one central purpose: providing a place to care for people. In Romans 12:13, the Bible teaches us to share with those in need and to practice hospitality. And when we open our homes to others — just like a nice hotel cares for guests — we're practicing hospitality.

Talking To Each Other
—What's something that would help you feel welcome or cared for if you stayed in a nice hotel?
—When people come to your house, what can you do to care for them?

Bengals Tecmo Super Bowl Season — Week 9

Following an outright dismantling of the New York Jets last week — both in Tecmo Super Bowl and in real life — the Bengals were looking to keep up the pace during Thursday Night Football action against the Dolphins in Miami.

The Bengals elected to receive the ball first following the coin toss as they were looking to get things rolling quick. But Andy Dalton was met quickly by Miami's Philip Wheeler forcing Cincinnati into a quick 3rd and long situation.

However, Dalton was able to find tight end Jermaine Gresham deep, giving the Bengals a new set of downs deep in Dolphin territory.

After that, BenJarvus Green-Ellis took the ball the rest of the way on a sweep for the touchdown score. This gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

The Dolphins offense would take the field next trying to answer with a scoring drive of their own. But
Cincinnati's Terence Newman had other plans as he laid out Ryan Tannehill on 3rd down forcing Miami into a quick three-and-out.

Thanks to Green-Ellis, it didn't take long for the Bengals to capitalize on the Miami turnover on downs. From the Bengals' 30-yard line, he found daylight and took it all the way to the house for six points. Dolphin defenders said he moved so fast they didn't even see him pass by. And judging by this live action shot below, you can see what they mean.

This would give the Bengals a nice 14-0 lead as the first quarter came to a close.

After a botched kickoff by Mike Nugent, the Dolphins were given decent field position to work with. They got into Bengal territory quickly but all they could muster was a field goal attempt.

Trying to cut the Bengal deficit a little, Miami's Caleb Sturgis came out for the kick but luckily for Cincinnati, it was wide left. The score would remain 14-0 in favor of Team Who Dey.

On the next possession, Andy Dalton lost control of the ball resulting in a fumble. But Cincinnati's Clint Boling was there to secure the ball, keeping the drive alive.

Dalton quickly made up for the scare as he connected with Mohamed Sanu for a huge 68-yard reception.

This would again set up "The Law Firm" for his third rushing touchdown of the day as he got loose on the outside and sneaked his way into the end zone. With the Bengals now holding a commanding 21-0 lead in the first half, it looked as if we were going to have our second blowout in as many weeks.

However, Tannehill was able to pick apart the defense on the next drive getting his team into the red zone. Instead of a field goal attempt, this time Lamar Miller did his best Green-Ellis impression as he also used a sweep play to find paydirt.

This would make the score 21-7, and that's what it would remain as the game headed into halftime. After two quarters of play, BenJarvus Green-Ellis was on his way to another monster game, tallying 107 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries. Dalton chimed in with 117 yards through the air, and a pick he threw as time expired in the second quarter.

For the halftime show, the Dolphins Cheerleaders took the field and danced to "Welcome to the Jungle" as they tried to antagonize Bengal players and fans.

The Dolphins would have possession of the ball as the second half got underway. Again, Tannehill marched his team into Bengals territory but only got away with a field goal attempt. This time, though, Sturgis put it through the uprights trimming the Bengal lead to 21-10.

The Bengals struggled out of the gate on their first possession of the half as Dalton again fumbled the ball. This time, unfortunately, it ended up in the hands of Philip Wheeler who nearly ran it back for a touchdown.

Yet again, the Bengals D held strong in the red zone as the Dolphins were limited to another field goal try. Sturgis' kick was good making it a one-possession game after the Bengals were up by 21 earlier.

The Bengals' second-half offensive woes continued as a Cameron Wake sack would force Cincinnati to punt the ball away.

This would wrap up the third quarter as Cincinnati was holding on to a 21-13 lead.

A monstrous Lamar Miller run would quickly get Miami yet again into the red zone. And yet again, the Bengals defense forced them to settle for their fourth field goal attempt of the day.

Just like the first field goal try, Sturgis kick would sail wide left,  keeping the Bengal lead at eight points.

Another Bengal three-and-out gave Miami one more shot at sending the game into overtime. With 38 seconds to play, they were facing 4th and very long.

That's when Geno Atkins stepped up. The defensive tackle had been mostly quiet all day but he recorded his only sack when it mattered the most. This forced the Dolphins to turn the ball over on downs, essentially sealing the victory for Cincinnati.

But with the great field position, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden did not want to settle for just an eight-point victory. He drew up a nice pass play for Dalton that found backup tight end Orson Charles wide open for the touchdown.

This would make the final score of 28-13 in favor of Cincinnati as the Bengals survived a scare in South Beach.

After totaling 107 yards in the first half, Green-Ellis only came away with seven yards in the second half. But he still finished the day with a solid performance on the stat sheet. Dalton struggled to connect with his receivers throughout the day. And A.J. Green was never even targeted. But luckily it didn't matter too much as the Cincinnati offense was solid in the red zone all game long.

The win moves Cincinnati to 6-3 on the Tecmo Super Bowl season. But nipping at their tails are the always-pesky Baltimore Ravens, who will host Cincinnati next week on Sunday afternoon.