A Pact: Gifts We Will NOT Buy
Just in case you have a last minute gift to buy: Divine Miracle Light. Any other gifts we have to promise to one another we are absolutely NOT under any circumstances going to purchase?
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Favorite books I read in 2009 –
Fiction — Mary Ann Shafer’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Nonfiction — N. T. Wright’s Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision
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It’s been a wonderful year of transition, for which I’m profoundly thankful. To be able to join Landon in our “What Really Matters” project . . . and to still be at Highland (and teaching at ACU) . . . well, that’s a great blessing.
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Today, we will be part of the rapture. A high % of Abilene will be caught away to San Antonio for the 5A finals. For forty years, Abilene High didn’t make the playoffs. Then, my older son’s senior year we went for the first time, making it to the quarterfinals. AHS has gone every year since then (1999) under Coach Steve Warren. But today is our first time in the finals.
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Here are a couple samples from Phil Ware’s The Shadow of the Cross: 365 Devotionals from the Gospel of Mark
Day 2
Prepare the Way
Mark 1:1-3
The Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begins with what the prophet Isaiah said would happen. Isaiah wrote: “Listen! I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you. There is someone shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.’”
Key Thought
Where does the Gospel actually begin? Where does God’s good news originate? Matthew and Luke begin their accounts of Jesus’ life with the stories surrounding his birth. John begins with the creation of the world where the Son of God was not only present, but also did the creating. Mark, with his focus on good news, chooses to begin at a different place. If folks are going to be open to God’s good news, then someone is going to have to be a servant and prepare the way for Jesus to come and for his word to be heard. In many ways, the good news always begins in this place. The real question is whether we are willing to be used as servants like John the Baptizer—who is introduced in the next verse—and prepare the way for the good news about Jesus to be heard by our friends.
Today’s Prayer
Father in heaven, please use my life to prepare the way for Jesus to come with his good news into the lives of my friends, acquaintances, and family. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen.
Context: Mark 1:1-11
Related Passages: Mark 1:14-15; John 3:26-30; Mark 8:35
Day 23
Pressures of the Caring
Mark 1:35-37
The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. Later, Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. They found him and said, “Everyone is looking for you!”
Key Thought
The more ministry involves working with people, the more we need quiet time with God. In the previous verses in Mark 1, Jesus has been highly involved in people-intensive ministry as he teaches, preaches, heals, and casts out demons. This is exhausting work. Yet there is always more work with people than any one of us can complete. There will always be another need, broken heart, hurting soul, and desperate problem. For us to continue to minister, we desperately need to get alone with God to renew our relationship, to restore our souls, and to rekindle our passion in the presence of God.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I don’t have the pressure or crush of people that your Son faced in his ministry. However, I know I need to follow his example and get away to center myself in your will and be rekindled by time in your presence. Help me become more disciplined as I commit my life to serving others as my Lord did. In Jesus’ name and for his cause I pray. Amen.
Context: Mark 1:29-39
Related Passages: Mark 6:30-31; Psalm 23:1-3; Lamentations 3:22-26
How about this:
http://www.cafepress.com/ironydesigns/2296361
or maybe this:
http://www.cafepress.com/ironydesigns/1170856
Or I might go with the Jesus action figure:
http://www.accoutrements.com/products/10746.html
Mike,
Finally, a Katy-Abilene match up! Good luck to all of the Highland boys playing today. We have yet to have a great game offensively, however, our D has been awesome this year. Abilene definitely has some very talented players and they are hungry. Katy ….well Katy is Katy. Have a safe trip and I will look for you at the game (with my binoculars). I will be on the Katy side wearing red.
David
Katy Tiger Dad
Matt – 02 semifinalist
Michael – 07 state champions
The Abilene – Katy game made it to NPR!! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121612244
Loved the Guernsey Literaryand Potato Peel Pie Society!
Always love a good read recommendation from you Mike, thanks!
How to win a state championship:
Sims left, Sims right, Sims up the middle, Sims on the bench, Sims in the gun, Sims faking to Sims on the zone read, Sims hitting Sims on the 10-yard out…
qb
Yeah Eagles! (Sorry David – you’ve had your share
). qb – it wasn’t that easy my friend. Coach Warren and crew were up against a tough Katy defense. Really happy for all the Warbird faithful – it has been a lonnnngggg wait.
Kent, I watched it front to back. (Thank Pete for Fox Sports Southwest.)
BTW, I wasn’t referring to the EASE of beating Katy, only the SIMPLICITY of the game-plan contours. (Sims the quarterback having racked up ~100 yds. on the ground before the end of the first quarter argues for the former, but I meant the latter.) The Katy coach made some temporarily effective adjustments for Q2 and the first half of Q3, but it was pretty clear from the outset that the Sims cousins were men among boys.
(Which may, of course, have been quite literally true, judging from the camera shots of the Sims boys along the sidelines throughout the game. But qb won’t go there.)
Admiringly,
qb
Congratulations to the Abilene Eagles! Abilene had a complete package. After winning two state championships back to back, I don’t think this loss was as hard for the community (except the team, parents, coaches, band, drill team, etc.) as it was back in 1999 and 2005. It was definitely Abilene’s year. It was if we were playing our 2007 state championship team….speed! Maybe we will see you again next year. It will take us a year to figure out how to contain the Sims cousins!!
Love the tweet about the war on Christmas. Aside from the failure to mention Christmas (is that a problem at Harding? Does Bill O’Reilly know?), you have to ask: why are there Christmas ornaments with ten white, conservative males on there? There’s bound to be someone in upper administration who’s not white and/or male, right?
Do not really understand why you would use the term “war” to describe your link to Harding. Are you really that ticked with Harding? I might be totally missing your point, but when I saw the card I thought “corny” not “war.”
The Prayer Cross… no thank you.
https://www.prayercross.com/ver61/
lc – It was obviously tongue-in-Cheek. Bill O’Reilly has led a charge on “the war on Christmas” — just because people sometimes use “holidays” rather than “Christmas.” I hardly think that Harding meant to attack Christmas. What is ridiculous is O’Reilly’s claim — not Harding’s ecard.
I knew I was missing something. Sometimes I am a bit slow. If you don’t believe me just ask my wife. Merry Christmas and thanks for making the light go off.
Hello from Lenexa, KS. Snowing more today!
I listened again this week to Landon’s message from the ACU 2007 Lectures, Night Without Vision. Tell him thanks again for that.
I am in the middle of reading “Simply Christian” by Dr. Wright. I look forward to reading the Justification book soon.
Happy New Year!
Loved the Potato Peel Pie Society book! Another book that shines a bright light on the need for community.