Christmas [a challenge]

Frrreeeeeeeeeeeeedom!
Man, does it feel good to be done with tests!

Hey everyone,

I'm just writtin' to wish y'all a merry Christmas and to give you a challenge for over the break. Actually, the challenge is for me as well. (Some of you heard this Sunday morning.) Over the break I want to try to bring spiritual topics up with my family more. And I challenge you to do the same. I wanna ask my brother why he's studying to be a doctor. For the money? To help people? To reach people? For God? Some of all of the above? I wanna know why my sister-in-law is in law school. I just wanna know why each of my family members are doing what they're doing. And I wanna ask myself the same questions as well. Why am I studying to be a graphic designer? How can I use it for God? Is that enough? Will it help further the Kingdom? I want what I, and what my family does, and what you do to please God and to spread his love to others.

Before we leave for every Thanksgiving, Karnes challenges us to be a light to our families during the short time we're home. He always says to get out our Bibles and start reading them in front of our families. I think that's a good idea. If you're from a Christian family, I think it'll be an encouragement for your parents to see that they raised you right. If you're not from a Christian family, maybe it'll make them start wondering why you do what you do.

So, that's my challenge...to be a light to your fams over the break...to challenge yourself and your families to do everything for God.

Well, have a merry Christmas everyone!!!! It won't be long now before it'll be time for ski trip!

In Him,
Mitch

Howdy [talking to God]

Howdy pardners,

Well, it's the second to last Thursday before the semester ends, a few weeks til the millennium ends (that's right, it hasn't ended yet...think about it...A.D. is an abbreviation for a Latin saying meaning "the year of our Lord," that is the year our Lord was born. The year in which Jesus was born was the FIRST year of our Lord not the ZERO year of our Lord. Plus, historians now think that a mistake was made way back when and that Christ was actually born in 4BC or maybe 6 I can't remember. So, the real millennium actually passed several years ago), and one of the last chances for all of us to get together before the break. What does all this mean? You need to come to the Union for supper around 5:45 tonight.

Don't forget about Bible studies and prayer groups. There's an intramural bball game tonight at 7:30 if you can come. Friday night we'll have our Christmas party at 7 at the Pope's. I guess there will be maps at the student center.

It's a hectic time in the semester with a lot of deadlines and tests...just remember that even if you don't do as well on a test as you'd like, God still loves ya and you're still goin' ta heaven.

Tonight in class we talked about what stuck out to us as we studied the life of David this semester. One thing that stuck out to me is how close a relationship David must have had with God. Some of y'all mentioned how he trusted God in good and bad times, how he expressed happiness, sadness, and anger in his psalms, how he questioned God, how he at times yelled at God. In his psalms, he TALKED TO GOD. He didn't pray like I too often pray: like someone praying to thin air, like someone merely rattling off lists of things he wants and things he's thankful for, like someone whose intellect is in it but whose heart is far away (sometimes the intellect isn't even there!) He prayed like someone who truly felt the presence of God, he talked like he was talking to a person sitting right beside him. He didn't follow any set format, he said what was on his mind. To pray the way he prayed, to say the things he said, and to say them the way he said them, he must have felt extremely close to God. I want that closeness.

All right, I wanna leave ya with some verses and then I'll let ya go.

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”
Psalm 63:1-8

“Now faith is being certain of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1

Let's shift gears to another topic from tonight. Shift geeeears!

“...Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive you brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:33-35

“For God does not show favoritism.”
Romans 2:11

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22

“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James 2:1,9-13

Have a great day!!!

In Christ,
Mitch