Our date night got canceled (bummer). Mollie was set to go out with a friend Friday night. It was payday for Mindee (and we rarely get alone time) so we made plans to eat out and then cuddle at home. Well...Mollie's friend got sick and so date night was date night with Mollie. We still had fun. We went to Rockne's. They have my favorite burger: the Max the knife. It's no slouch when it comes to burgers.

I've discovered something about myself. I laugh (more like giggle) at great food. Its smell, appearance, taste, makes me chuckle like St. Nick on Christmas eve. My first realization of this personal quirk happened while at the cafe. Ron (a.k.a. The Hot Dog man) served me his famous Coney dog. Oh man...it was dee-lish and I laughed with every fork-full.

The Max the Knife arrived at our table and I started laughing. It was SOOO amazing! HA HA!

The three of us bowed our heads and I prayed, "Thank you Father for this food and this moment to be together as a family. We thank you for your great provision and love for us. We pray for Mollie's friend and ask that you would act so that she would begin to feel better and recover quickly. We praise you for all you're doing in our lives and give you thanks for our faith in Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen."

I grab my burger and Mindee says, "How are you going to eat that thing?"

Mollie laughs as I say, "With my mouth."

And I chomped away laughing. Max the Knife oozed down my beard. It rocked!

Moments later, a woman in the booth behind us stood and walked over to us. We didn't know her and she didn't know us. She placed a small folded piece of paper on our table and looked at us asking, "I couldn't help but hear you praying. Would you pray for my family?"

"I would be honored to." I replied. And she left.

We looked at each other in amazement, and I reached for the note and unfolded it. It was a request for her adult children who are in a great spiritual struggle. The handwritten note read, "Pray for God's will, stop the devil from all the attacks. Please pray for us. Thank you."

So I prayed...after eating my burger of course. But I still prayed. I took her request before my King and asked Him to act.

I'm noticing something else as I reflect on my day-to-day life. People are asking me to pray for them...more and more. People I know and perfect strangers. They'll just walk up to me and ask me to pray. Does this happen to you? It's strange. It's a good strange. It's truly an honor to pray.

I have a request. Here is my folded, handwritten note placed on the table of your heart. Ask God to pour out spiritual and emotional blessings on me and Mindee as we grow together in our faith. Ask God to give our family wisdom so we can faithfully guide and lead people to Jesus Christ through the cafe ministry He has placed in our care.

P.S. This e-News Article is also published on the new CUPS / CAFE website. We encourage you to visit it and nose around. Click>> www.cupscafe.org

A twenty-something cafe guest was arrested for theft and sent to prison. This is an unchurched person who struggled in the past to trust in God. Our volunteers have prayed with, and for, this person and helped out in so many ways. One Christian even spent time in Bible study with our now incarcerated friend.

We knew this sentence was coming; We weren't caught off guard. And so we worked to encourage this guest and be a supportive friend in the face of this difficult situation. Yesterday, a letter arrived in the cafe mailbox. It was from our friend. Part of the letter reads:

Dear Tim,

I was sentenced to six months in prison. I sure have learned a lot so far. I have gotten in touch with God so much more in the short time I have been here. Even though I may have been suffering the first couple weeks in here, it has made my spirit in God grow so much. So I think that this is a time that He may be using as a time of growth. He is also showing me that I should grow in Him everyday, no matter how, I have to make time for it.

My process of being born again is continuing. I have also learned that we should praise God for filling us with the Holy Spirit. So I hope you have been doing well and have been successful in your path with God. Write me whenever you can and just give me some idea of anything you think may help me get through these six months. Because I am trying to find more moral support. But I am using God our Lord, our Savior, to help me and will continue worshiping and praising Him.

Hope to see you soon.

The work of Cafe 41:11 continues and, by God's grace, we are seeing the young people of Medina touched by His love and mercy. Please be faithful in giving and spreading the word to your friends and family about all God is doing through the team at Cafe 41:11. Your support puts real arms and legs behind His transforming power. And we sincerely thank you.

• Please pray for this young person.
• Pray also for the volunteers and for Janis and me.
• Ask God to give us all "some idea of anything that may help" these young people place their hope in Jesus Christ.

My daily complaining and whining regarding decisions about what to eat, what to wear, where to go, what to watch on TV, enhancing my credit score or purchasing power, putting someone else's needs above my own, or whether my cell phone, car, and computer are working properly seems even more insignificant after receiving a letter like this one. I'm not suggesting that you and I not care about these decisions, but we surely shouldn't worry about them or allow them to distract us from the most important "thing" we should be seeking (Luke 12:22-34).

Then why do we?

The writer of Hebrews reminds us, "Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (NIV, Hebrews 13:3).

Man...oh man...how guilty most of us are of not loving each other as brothers, or entertaining strangers, or remembering those in prison as if we were their cell mates.

God have mercy.

The cafe ran out of Kool-Aid Wednesday. Our need for more of this sugary drink has been on our needs list for months, but no one has brought any to the cafe for awhile.

A couple nights ago, I was talking with my sister-in-law Tina in Alaska about George Muller. He was an evangelist and coordinator of orphanages in England. George was a man of great prayer and faith. He would only ask God to supply his needs. He didn't express his ministry needs to people or seek out individuals to give, and God always provided the needs of the ministry. The orphans never went hungry.

So when the cafe ran out of Kool-Aid, I decided to try the "George Muller" method. I stopped everything and only asked God to provide. I didn't ask friends or family. I didn't cry out for the Kool-Aid man to break through the cafe walls to save the day. And I didn't use my own money to buy more. I simply asked, "Father...Dad, we need Kool-Aid and crackers. We're all out. Please provide."

Four o'clock came...and no Kool-Aid.

Four thirty and five o'clock passed...and still nothing.

I closed the cafe at six still believing God to provide. I thought: Shoot...if He can pay for sin by dying on a cross and defeat death by rising from the grave, I know He can pay for a few packs of kool-aid and defeat our needs. If He can form heaven and earth by simply speaking, He can speak to someone on this big rock to drop off a box of crackers.

I basically believed Him.

It was now about 8 o'clock. I was resting comfortably at home checking e-mail when someone knocked on my front door. It was my sister Brenda and brother-in-law Ty.

Brenda stood at the door holding a bag full of kool-aid. God heard me, answered me, and placed it on my sister's heart to take care of the need!

I shared with them what happened that day, and how God used them, and they didn't even know it. I thanked them, then hugged my sister and knuckle-punched Ty.

Ty said, "That's awesome! And we weren't even going to stop by tonight. I was going to put everything in my car and drop it off another day, but we decided at the last minute just to bring it over."

Our Heavenly Father has this quirky way of often providing for our needs right when the need arises. We went a month without a Kool-Aid donation, because we didn't need more. The moment we ran out, Dad provided.

The crackers haven't arrived UPS from Heaven yet, but there's still a few crackers in the tray. The supply is not totally exhausted. I'm confident God will ship more to us in time. He cares about the little things in our life. He really does! And He simply asks us to ask Him and then follow our asking with belief. Jesus said to His disciples, "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete" (NIV, John 16:24).

And later in the chapter, Jesus said something often overlooked. He reminds His disciples (and us), "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God" (NIV, John 16:26-27).

Did you see that?

We will ask in His name, but Jesus will not take our requests to God (Dad). We have direct access to Dad when we love Jesus and believe that Dad sent Jesus. Because of this, Dad loves us and loves hearing us ask.

I pray that you will keep asking Dad to provide for your needs. You have His attention. He's listening. Our Dad is bigger and stronger than the Kool-Aid man. He can break through your economic circumstances, relational hiccups, and employment disruptions.

Do you believe Him?

This truth comes with a warning. If you love and believe in Jesus, then Jesus' Dad loves you. So be careful what you ask for! But don't be afraid to ask.