Highlights - WPIAL Championship

Highlights from Single A through Quad A WPIAL Championships.

Hopewell Falls to West Allegheny in Championship

Last night, my Hopewell football team came up short against West Allegheny in the WPIAL Triple A Championship game. The final score was 36-28 in favor of West Allegheny. We were losing early and scored with no time left on the clock to go into halftime down 29-14. We made a reluctant comeback, but fell short on a 4th down play our final drive to tie the game up. Rushel Shell ended the game with 280 yards, which is a WPIAL championship record, but even that wasn't enough to overcome the deficit going into halftime. Here are some pictures from last nights game.

WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Today, my Hopewell football team and I will be playing West Allegheny for the 2009 AAA Wpial Championship. It should be a great game between two teams with great running backs, featuring West Allegheny's Mike Caputo and Hopewell's Rushel Shell. The game will be played at Heinz Field following the Single A and Double A championships. Here is a video previewing the matchups of all the games.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING. MAY THE LORD BE WITH YOU. PRAISE HIM AND GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING HE HAS GIVEN YOU.

Thanksgiving Week - Verse of Thanksgiving

Psalm 107:1

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; and his mercy endures forever."

Thanksgiving Week - Prayer of Thanksgiving

Heavenly Father,
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

--Mary Fairchild

Thanksgiving Week - Verse of Thanksgiving

Psalm 95:1-6

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving is this Thursday, the 26th. Thanksgiving is not only a time where we as Americans celebrate the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock, but it is a time where we as Christians give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ. We should thank God everyday for the things we have and are given, especially on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a day where we as Christians should reflect on everything we have and give thanks to the Lord for everything he has given us.

Hopewell vs. Hampton

My Hopewell Viking football team is off to Heinz Field with our 31-9 win over Hampton in the WPIAL semifinals. On offense, Rushel Shell had another huge rushing game. On defense, Ryan Costanza and Dayne Smith contributed with interceptions. Lastly, on special teams, Robbie Swann made one of the biggest plays of the game by recovering a fumble in the endzone on a bad snap by Hampton's punt team. Our team will be playing next week against rival West Allegheny for the WPIAL championship.

Underoath "Writing on the Walls" - Christian Band of the Week

Underoath "A Boy Brushed Red, Living in Black and White" - Christian Band of the Week

Underoath "Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear" - Christian Band of the Week

Underoath "Breathing in a New Mentality" - Christian Band of the Week

Christian Band of the Week - Underoath

I have been listening to underoath for quite some time now. They are a Christian rock band, but they play a much more heavy version of rock than other Christian rock bands. They have more of a metal style of playing, rather than alternative rock. Some people might not like their style because they scream and get wild, but the lyrics and the message they are sending matters the most. Throughout the week I will be posting their songs. Here are some pictures of the band.

Hopewell vs. Mars

VS.



Friday night, my football team had an impressive win over Mars 33-0 in the second round of the WPIAL playoffs. Rushel Shell had an impressive 200 yard performance and Hopewell's defense lead by Coach Commesso played impressive throughout. Matt Hundenski and Ryan Costanza both had interceptions and Toby Thuer lead the team in tackles. With this victory our team advances to the semi-finals, the winner will get to play in the championship game at Heinz Field.

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Prayer and Verse of the Day

Verse: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Prayer: Lamb of God, our Savior and Brother, cleanse us through Your sacrifice for sin through Your precious body and blood. Help us, in turn, to live lives of service to others. Amen.

Biblical Cartoon

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

FCA Meeting (Nov. 6) - Agenda and Discussion Questions

1. Last Time: Winning (success) is not measured in outcomes, but by the quality of your effort. Therefore, we are not defined by outcomes, but by our HEART.

2. Watch Miracle Video Clip


3. What is the best comeback or upset you have ever seen?
- New York Giants beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl

4. What is the best comeback or upset you have been a part of?
- My sophomore year of basketball, we were losing by 17 at halftime against Keystone Oaks in the second round of the playoffs. We came back and won, and we eventually made it to the WPIAL championship.

5. What role does HOPE play in a comeback or in an upset?
- If you don't have hope that you can come back in win or pull off an upset, then your not going to do it. But, if you hope you can and tell yourself you can then anything is possible.

6. What is the difference between hope and wishful thinking?
- I think hope is more of a belief that you can do something, and you "hope" that you will be able to acheive everything you want to acheive. Wishful thinking is usually when you don't really believe you can win something and you say to yourself "Well, I wish we could win, but we probably won't".

7. Hope is a constant belief in the ______ that's already been done, the planning in place, and the potential that lies ahead.

8. Pastor Jim Eaton

Hopewell vs. Derry

This week my football team won our first round playoff game over Derry 28-14. Due to an in school suspension Rushel Shell was unable to play. Our team knew we had to step it up, considering Rushel is a major contributor to our offense. Running back Malcolm Lay was chosen to fill in for him. He had a huge game with over 150 yards rushing to help our team advance to the second round of the WPIAL playoffs.

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ... With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
— Acts 2:21, 40-41

Song "*fin" by the Band "Anberlin"

Anberlin does not necessarily label themselves as a Christian Band, but they are Christians. Some of their songs speak of God and have a message. Other songs do not deal with God at all. I feel that this song is a good song about God and Devil and the battles with the Devil we must face in life.

HYMN OF THE DAY - "Holy, Holy, Holy"

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Acts 13:38-39

Sermon Summary for the Day - Pastor Gordon Strunk

Today is November 1, 2009. The day after Halloween or October 31. People think of Halloween just as "trick or treat" time, but Halloween comes from "All hallows' even", or "All holy one's evening". Halloween is the night before All Saints' Day on November 1. In my religion (Lutheran), October 31 is a very important day because it is the same day that Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to a church in Wittenberg, Germany in the year 1517. This paper began the Reformation, which also lead to John Calvin starting the Presbyterian Church. The reason Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses was because of the selling of indulgences in St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Supposedly these indulgences would buy salvation. The problem with that is that salvation cannot be bought. It is a gift from God that no one can take from you. You are saved if you have grace, faith, and trust in God as your personal Savior, not by buying indulgences.