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That strange intersection of Megadeth and Christmas... Thrashing through the snow indeed. Below is the worst rendition of a Christmas classic I've ever heard. At about 1 minute and 13 seconds, this musical train wreck really starts to go south. It's sick and twisted... and I love it! If you have any sense of taste for good music, I beg you NOT to listen to this. You have been warned. (If video doesn't appear, go here .) If you watched the videos above, you deserve this guitar-heaven rendition by a real blues player. You earned it! (If video doesn't appear, go here .) Merry Christmas from Bill Allison and Cadre Missionaries . Track with us on social media!    Instagram          Facebook         Twitter       Subscribe HERE and let the fun begin!

The best way to view this is to  go here . You can also click any image below to enlarge for viewing and reading. Thanks for celebrating what God is doing! We need you. We couldn't take any of part of this Jesus-like disciplemaking adventure without people like you who love us, pray for us, and give to Cadre.  We need you.  You make our ministry powerful and possible. Every expression of partnership breathes life into our souls… and enables us to do the same for many others! For more information about how you can partner with God, the Allisons, and Cadre Ministries,  go here . To make a secure online tax-deductible donation,  go here .   Cadre Ministries  is a recognized 501(c)3 ministry.

(Up for a little more fun?  Go here .) Track with us on social media!    Instagram          Facebook         Twitter       Subscribe HERE and let the fun begin!

An ancient prayer of thanksgiving that is to be said after using the bathroom... "Blessed is he [God] who formed man in wisdom and created in him many orifices and cavities. It is obvious and known before your throne of glory that if one of them were to be ruptured or one of them blocked, it would be impossible for man to survive and stand before you."  — Babylonian Talmud,  Berakhot  60b, circa 400 AD Yeah. I know. It's funny—in a junior high sort of way. But I also think this prayer is instructive on many levels if you'll pause just a moment to think about it. Evidently, ancient Jewish life was saturated in prayer... about everything . Now consider this: The Bible commands us to "Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." —1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 In light of the New Testament passage above, thanking God for orifices doesn't seem so strange, does it? What could God do in yo...

When I say, "Happy Thanksgiving," I'm not just generically thankful. I'm thankful to God.   And I don't mean just any "god," I mean the Lord Jesus Christ. "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks . And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools."  —Romans 1:21-22 (underline mine) Here's why I'm so thankful . Get blog posts from Cup O' Joe in your email inbox!  Click the link below. Submit your email. Then check your email and confirm your subscription. You can unsubscribe at anytime. Subscribe to Cup O' Joe with Bill by Email .

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later, Mbemb was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the cr...

One is never closer to failure than when succeeding. Ironic, ain't it? Success seduces us slowly and subtly. Little by little success lulls us into a comfortable complacency. And that's when we make the always painful and sometimes fatal mistake of dropping our guard. That's what happened to David. In 2 Samuel 8—after years and years of struggling, hard work, and trusting God—David seems to finally "emerge" as a leader and king. He began to experience success in depth and breadth. For "the man after God's own heart," the wind was finally at his back and in his sails: * "The Lord gave David victory wherever he went" (8:6) * "David became famous after he returned" from a military conquest (8:11) * "The Lord gave David victory wherever he went" (8:14) * "David reigned over all of Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people" (8:15) And the personal and corporate successes of David...

I love America and being an American.  I've voted in every election since I was 18-years-old. I plan to vote every opportunity I get until I die. But... No matter who wins or loses elections, I will get up every day and invest my life in making disciples of Jesus... who make more disciples . It's why I have hope regardless of who wins and loses . "Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God." —Psalms 146:3-5

In the midst of a spirited disagreement, my wife and I came to the point of impasse. Then this exchange took place: My wife: "Do you want to win or be happy? Me: "I want both." My wife: "That's every man's dream." She's a fun and funny woman. Here's WHY I think I'll keep her . Let me encourage you most Mondays ! Track with me on social media!      Instagram            Facebook            Twitter       

Is it possible to be too missional? Is it possible to be so missional that we end up becoming destructive to ourselves and others? What's the difference between being missional and the disease of missionalism? Read this short, thought-provoking article,  Dangers of Missionalism , by Gordon MacDonald.