tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130094872024-03-05T13:44:53.291-06:00Faith+Lifedesiring a life that is wholehearted, undivided, completely free, and in total awe. a life that is His…Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-63449786176726080122011-04-21T21:19:00.000-05:002011-04-21T21:19:46.955-05:00I'm Not a Serious ChristianI took Macy and Mallory to see the movie Soul Surfer last week. It's the story of Bethany Hamilton's remarkable recovery after being attacked by a shark. The movie shows how her faith in Christ helped her find life again. After the movie Macy said that Bethany Hamilton was a serious Christian! She also said that after watching the movie she knew that she was not a serious Christian and wondered when she would be.<br />
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I was curious as to what serious Christian meant to her so I asked her to explain. She said she wasn't exactly sure but she knew I was one and Mommy was one and Grandpa Mac was one. She went onto explain it's people who read their bible a lot and pray and stuff. She said she thinks about other stuff sometimes - she doesn't just always think about Jesus. I think what Macy meant by a serious Christian was someone whose faith in Jesus changed the way they live.<br />
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In that moment I wanted to encourage her because she seemed a little down by it, but I could sense the Holy Spirit prompting me to just wait. So I didn't say much.<br />
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Then tonight something happened at her basketball practice where Macy said something that caused one of her team mates to cry. Macy found out after practice that this girl was really upset by it. Macy was very troubled when she realized she hurt her friends feelings. She felt like she didn't mean what she had said in a bad way, but nonetheless it wounded her friend.<br />
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So Macy thought about it for a while. Then she decided to track down her friends phone number and she called her to apologize, but also to let her friend know how much she meant to her. I listened to the phone call and Macy was crying as she confronted her own mishap.<br />
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Macy did several things here that I personally think are pretty amazing. First of all, she admitted her own mistake. Then she actually did something to correct it. But she went beyond all of this and made sure to build her friend up. These are the kind of actions that strengthen friendships and build character.<br />
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After her call I asked her how it felt. She was still a little upset by everything until I told her this: "Macy - do you realize that you are a serious Christian? Anyone in the world can make a mistake... in fact everyone does make mistakes. But because you have Christ in your heart, you decided you couldn't live without making your mistake right. Now that is a serious Christian!"<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-65182152091620407792010-03-24T19:34:00.000-05:002010-03-24T19:35:48.121-05:00Sign of the TimesThis is a note from my brother Mike about his teenage son:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sign of the Times</span><br />Yesterday I received our mobile phone bill. Nickolas sent and received 13,963 texts last month. And spoke a grand total of 13 minutes on his cell the entire month.<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-30787500576209130062010-03-11T19:50:00.002-06:002010-03-11T20:00:58.116-06:00What is a Trader?A Trader is a new kind of missionary, not defined by geography, but defined by a resolve to …<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">• CHOOSE DAILY</span> to sacrifice our time and money to apply the parable of the Good Samaritan and to "go and do likewise."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">• HATE INJUSTICE</span> and find specific ways to bring the hope found in Jesus to desperate situations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">• WORK AS WORSHIP</span> because God is glorified when we use our God-given passions and skills with excellence.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">• ACT SWIFTLY</span> because the time is RightNow!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trading in the pursuit of the American Dream for a world that desperately needs Christ!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-15901843074512932222010-03-10T11:50:00.004-06:002010-06-04T19:01:18.035-05:00Back from Haiti<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447064211898149250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjkGOnGWeBdGBWYgYjj3gnDRbVGaJbxxU1ewlZ4C7WWzyo0tBqFNxP7dy5OJGgzklZ-nxY2VA0VAJhTi1cU1GE1v9s3hP5wEte3r2NZaAueCzmgGvfuBZ8ajAY23DqZHTMEgIOA/s400/haiti1.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left; width: 300px;" /></div><br />
I am back from Jacmel, Haiti and had a great trip. It has been 10 years since I have been to Haiti and to be honest with you it doesn’t look very different than it did the last time I was there. The needs are overwhelming. The poverty is extreme. The people are jobless. The children are uneducated. But… the people are resilient. <br />
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We met some amazing folks who are doing great work establishing the church in Haiti. Consider Danny & Leann Pye…<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Danny is 29 years old and he is a Trader</span>. He and his wife moved to Haiti six years ago as missionaries and established an orphanage where they parent 21 Haitians from ages 7 to 21 (they have already had three kids grow up and start their lives as adults). They have a baby of their own who is three years old. The Pyes have also rejuvenated a once dying church that now has more than 700 people in attendance each week. They launched a school that educates and feeds hundreds of children each day. Of course, they don’t do it alone. They have three other families in their ministry and they are all serving with them.<br />
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Two days before the earthquake Leann had a miscarriage and their world was rocked. On the evening of the earthquake they began a refugee camp in their garden and started to house and care for an additional 120 people beyond their family. They had serious injuries to deal with and no hospital or medical care available. The next day and Danny had the foresight to go to the airport (less than 2 miles from their house) where he discovered total chaos. From what I can understand Danny took over the airport and was instrumental in getting aid to Jacmel. The airport had previously not allowed any international travel, but Danny was able to get planes coming in from the Dominican Republic with crates of beans, rice, water and tents for shelter. Danny contacted four organizations to distribute the goods. A warehouse was secured and the goods were being distributed right away. <a href="http://www.oprah.com/world/Filling-in-the-Gaps-on-the-Ground-in-Haiti-Barton-Brooks/1">You can read more about Danny and his amazing friends on Oprah.Com – where they have an article detailing their work in the days after the Quake</a><br />
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Meanwhile, Leann became very sick. She had to be evacuated to Florida and sent to intensive care. After days of testing, she was diagnosed with a rare virus. Danny was unable to accompany Leann to Florida, because the needs in Jacmel were so tremendous. Leann came back to Haiti after a week in the US. She is still sick – the meds will take 3 weeks to 3 months to kick in and heal her. <br />
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Danny told us that two thirds of all the missionaries in Haiti left immediately after the earthquake. He was told that more than half of them will never return. He said that the comfort and security of the US is very appealing in times like these, but his resolve is stronger than that desire. He and Leann will stay in Haiti.<br />
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Danny and Leann have not been able to deal with the loss of their own child, because they don’t have that luxury right now. Danny told us that they know that they will eventually need to mourn and grieve that loss, but that the current situation dictates that they be strong for others. <br />
1. Pray for Danny and Leann – for healing, for rest and the work they are doing. <br />
2. Pray for the continued resilience of the people of Haiti.<br />
3. Pray for the churches in Haiti to boldly proclaim the Gospel while meeting the tangible needs of the people. <br />
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The amazing thing is that Danny is not down or depressed. He is extremely hopeful. He hasn’t said “why me” – but instead embraces the unique role God has given him. Danny’s vision has actually increased in the last two months. He believes that God will use him in even greater ways. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Danny is 29 years old and he is a Trader.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-22676504504336318252010-03-08T08:38:00.000-06:002010-03-08T11:38:28.993-06:00Landed<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznlNtuIKuyI5LT7ihNULV5HrD4Nm-XDI3zy5L-tAJIRl6O5KraACDKQpUlp30O_REHbF6B8oMnEQ3abYE_zoTxPxhPh9MGHE5t4BPzyBtcoe9ebmAce93xVzHxL3N1UXJkA1rEw/s1600-h/photo-708994.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznlNtuIKuyI5LT7ihNULV5HrD4Nm-XDI3zy5L-tAJIRl6O5KraACDKQpUlp30O_REHbF6B8oMnEQ3abYE_zoTxPxhPh9MGHE5t4BPzyBtcoe9ebmAce93xVzHxL3N1UXJkA1rEw/s320/photo-708994.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446318791452841218" /></a></p>This is a picture of Haiti from 25,000 feet. We have just arrived in <br>Jacmel and are ready to get to work.<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-796890697015930432009-12-02T10:24:00.003-06:002009-12-02T13:43:28.523-06:00Great Day in HistoryOn December 2nd, 1995 she said I do! And I have lived a charmed life ever since! Robin is amazing - words could never express what she means to me. What we have is better than anything Hollywood could dream up. What we have is a gift from God. Thank you Jesus!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-8211741293327157772009-12-01T08:43:00.004-06:002009-12-01T08:48:27.904-06:00Today I Drink... Water!Today I drink… water! I will drink something else at some point, but I am amazed at how much this tiny lifestyle change has affected me for the good. I really can’t point yet to any physical good that drinking water only has done for my body, but I’m confident its there. What has amazed me is the mental good that it has done. I just feel better. And as silly as it seems it is really refreshing to not have any beverage options anymore. I’ve often heard that simplifying your life brings more freedom than regret and I think that must be true. Drinking only water has given me a sense of freedom that is strange to me. <br /><br />Like I said before, I will drink something other than water, but I will probably stick to mostly water. And I am certainly willing to go on another water only streak if I can get some people to join me. So let me give you a little insight into what I did with drinking only water and why it even matters.<br /><br />When I measured how much I drank in November of 2008, I also measured how much I spent. Two things about this exercise were very alarming to me: how little water I actually drank and how much money I spent on beverages. I was spending an average of $28 a week on drinks alone! That seemed pretty high to me, but when you factor in the 7/11 coffee every morning, another stop or two at 7/11 during the day for a 44 ounce Diet drink, a Gatorade or two, a couple of cans of Diet Dew at night, and a trip to Starbucks each week – you get to $28 a week.<br /><br />So I decided to take that $28 each week and donate it to The Last Well where we are helping to eradicate the water crisis in Liberia. In fact, in less than 6 years Liberia will be the first African nation to have clean, safe drinking water for every single citizen! It costs $1 to provide the water needed for one Liberian for one year. So by $28 per week will help 28 people for an entire year… every single week! And it’s not even money that I’m donating as much as it is money that I’m redirecting. I was spending it on myself, and this tiny sacrifice allows me to spend it on Liberia.<br /><br />As I got through my first week last December and I knew that this was going to be easier than I initially thought I started to think about my friend Scott’s advice to get other people involved in it. I began asking friends one by one to do an <span style="font-weight:bold;">H2Only challenge</span> with me – where they would drink nothing but water for one week and take the money they saved on not buying beverages and donate it to The Last Well. I would typically ask people to agree to donate $20 for a week –that way they are helping 20 people have clean, safe drinking water for one year. One week of small sacrifice for 20 people to have one year of fresh water – what a deal!<br /><br />Since the first week is by far the hardest, I would typically ask my friends to consider doing it another week and to recruit someone to do it with them. Most people took the challenge and kept going! <br /><br />Let me know if you want to take the <span style="font-weight:bold;">H2Only Challenge</span>. I’ll do it with you… because you’ll probably need someone to kick you in the butt in those first few days when you will be tempted to raise money to build a Starbucks in Liberia instead of water wells. Yes – the first few days do stink – so load up on the Advil, but it does get better. Much better!<br /><br /><a href="http://collateral.bluefishtv.com/Trader_Land/Water.html">Here is the link to donate to the Last Well</a> – <span style="font-weight:bold;">be sure to type in the word RightNow under the climbers name</span> so we can measure how much money we raise!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Here is a recap of what I drank in November of 2008:</span><br />30% of what I drank was Diet Coke/Diet Dr Pepper - 976 ounces – good with any meal<br />19.5% of what I drank was Gatorade – 636 ounces – for that deep down body thirst<br />14% of what I drank was Diet Mountain Dew – 452 ounces - must have been a slow month<br />13% of what I drank was 7/11 Coffee – 432 ounces – used to begin each day at 7/11<br />6% of what I drank was Starbucks – 200 ounces – all types of drinks!<br />5.5% of what I drank was water – 188 ounces – it made the list!<br />5.5% of what I drank was fake beer – 180 ounces – someone had given me a 12 pack so I took it down<br />4.5% of what I drank was juice – 144 ounces – I think it was OJ when I was sick<br />1% of what I drank was milk – 36 ounces – I think I had dozen brownies with that <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here is a recap of what I drank over the last 12 months:</span><br />100% of what I drank was water – 39,228 ounces – mostly from the tap!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-49075321842216041682009-11-30T17:43:00.002-06:002009-11-30T17:46:19.716-06:00Day 365<span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 365</span><br /><br />I seriously can’t believe it. I have had nothing but water to drink for 365 days! This crazy idea of mine started on November 1st of last year and here are a few actual journal entries that I made:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 1st, 2008</span><br />I was sitting down at lunch with my family and decided to order a water for lunch. Robin looked at me rather strangely because I never order water when out to eat. I'm Diet Coke or Diet Dr Pepper all the way. So she asked why I was drinking water and for some reason I said this: "I heard on the radio last week that Terrell Owens drinks only water." Now Terrell Owens is an NFL receiver who played for the Dallas Cowboys at the time - otherwise known as TO. Here's my favorite TO quote: “I love me some me." Needless to say - TO has quite a bit of an ego. But for him to drink only water… how perplexing? Robin and I discussed whether or not we believed him and I went on to say that he made some declaration that the number one piece of advice he would give to all athletes is to drink only water. Then Robin went off on how good water is for me, yada yada yada... And it clicked... why don't I drink nothing but water for an entire year! I could lose weight. Get healthy. Write a book. Make money and buy a pool! What an idea! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 1st, 2008</span><br />Later in the day I was talking to Robin about this again and I realized that I have never gone an entire day in my life where the only thing that I drank was water. How could I do 365?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 2nd, 2008</span><br />So I'm thinking about this water thing and I think I should go for it. I'm thinking about recording everything I drink for the next two months to have a record of the old me and then beginning my journey on January 1st. And while I seriously do want to make some money on this thing - I don't really know why someone would want to read a book on me drinking only water for a year? Maybe I could get a sponsor like Aquafina or someone? I don't know. But I do know that it would be hard for me to actually do this unless I was passionate about it. And for me to be passionate about it - then it will have to connect to my faith in some way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 3rd, 2008</span><br />I decided to google the year of drinking water because I remember hearing about a book called the year of living biblically and figured that would be my gimmick. The good news was that I don't think anyone else has ever done this. But as I was thinking about this -it became pretty clear to me. Why don't I go on my water crusade to raise awareness not only for the benefits of water - but the need for the needy and poor throughout the world to have clean, safe drinking water. yes - that's it. Goodbye pool though - now that I have connected it to my faith - I'm going to need to give the proceeds to Living Water International or some other group to help provide water in areas of the world that need it. Maybe I'll raise money for The Last Well movement which is going to give the entire nation of Liberia free access to clean, safe drinking water in the next 7 years. The entire nation! How cool is that! I also realized today that I may have had a day in Eqypt in 2006 where all I drank was water. No - that's not true - I had at least one Fanta everyday I was there. Oh goodie.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 3rd, 2008</span><br />Robin asked me tonight if I wanted to go pick up some Starbucks. My answer was immediate - no words… I just grabbed the car keys. No way can I go a year without Starbucks. I'm already doubting my decision and I really haven't begun yet. At Starbucks I weigh my options and land on a green tea latte - venti of course. I'm in line and wondering what will I do for a year of meetings at Starbucks? That's when I see Ethos Water in the check out line. I pick up a bottle and apparently this brand of water takes proceeds to third world areas that need clean water. Pretty cool - I just emailed myself the website to check out later: ethoswater.com<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 4th, 2008</span><br />So Francis Chan has this video clip from his book Crazy Love where he talks about cars in a used car lot. He goes through all these amazing cars in great detail and then arrives at a junkie one and exclaims that this is his car. He says something like: why would I spend $30,000 on a car when I can buy a cheap one and then spend that extra $30 grand on an orphanage. Then he says something shocking - that he does this for selfish reasons. He is more fulfilled knowing there are orphans taken care of then knowing he drives a really nice car. Yep. I can't take a dime from this thing. If any money is to be brought in, it will ALL go to help others. How ironic that I would want to make money on something like this to "waste" water in a pool that 4 people would enjoy and God would turn this into a quest for water for the multitudes to survive off of.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 5th, 2008</span><br />Water stats: One dollar a day provides clean, safe drinking water for one person for one year. My $50,000 pool would provide water for 50,000 people for an entire year! Yikes! Shnikies!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 5th, 2008</span><br />I shared the idea with Bill and then with Scott and got really positive feedback. They both agreed it would be next to impossible for me to do. Scott thinks I should try and get others to do it with me. I like the idea. I don't know if I start it and get going and then tell others. Or if I make a big splash before I do it and get a team to do it, etc... Then that puts a lot of pressure on me though!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 6th, 2008</span><br />We are doing a dollar challenge at our RightNow Conference next weekend where we are going to give people one dollar bills and ask them to invest them in some way into the kingdom to see what God would do with those tine dollar bills. I have decided that I will use my dollar to buy my first bottle of water!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 7th, 2008</span><br />I feel a strong sense to pray through this decision and check my motives. The original motive was honestly about money - and I could justify it by saying that I would get healthier and perhaps help others to get healthier. But I knew that wouldn’t flame a passion in me to actually go through with it. My motivation has to be spiritual. So now I feel this strong sense to pray through this idea and make sure that it would glorify God and not me. And this my friends is the story of my life! I face a daily struggle to either live for myself or live for Christ. There are two kingdoms in my life: the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of heaven. I often live for the kingdom of this world by making decisions that will pad my comfort or make me feel better. And make no mistake! I cannot live in both kingdoms at the same time. My hearts desire is to live in the kingdom of heaven. I can still enjoy this world, and I believe that God wants me to enjoy this world. But it’s all based on my worldview. My mindset. My grid in which I run my own thoughts and motives. So I am praying for God to reveal my motives. If they are pure - meaning they are about bringing Him glory and stamping out injustice (now that's kingdom of heaven talk!) then they will prevail!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 8th, 2008</span><br />I flew to Baton Rouge today for the LSU and Alabama game. I had lots of fun and thought about coming next year and only drinking water. I drank a ton of water at the game. I think I could do this.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 17th, 2008</span><br />I learned a ton at our RightNow Conference One of the lines that kept ringing in my ear was during Donald Millers talk on Friday night entitled, "Let Story Guide You." He was describing the formula of all good stories and he defined a character as "one who wants something and is willing to overcome conflict to get it." His over arching message was that God was calling each of us to live the best story we could live. And one measuring stick is to ask what would happen if we were no longer here? Who would miss us? What ministry would suffer? What people would suffer? He explained that all good stories have conflict and it made me think about this idea. And how I will encounter some extreme conflict. But... if I have enough passion (from Christ) to follow through - then it will make a great story!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 30th, 2008</span><br />What the heck… I’m starting tomorrow. I won’t tell anyone I’m starting… That way if I can do it, then I’ll have a few weeks under my belt. If I can’t do it, I just won’t start up in January. I have been measuring every ounce of beverage intake for the last month to see what I’m up against. It doesn’t look pretty:<br /><br />30% of what I drank was Diet Coke/Diet Dr Pepper - 976 ounces – good with any meal<br />19.5% of what I drank was Gatorade – 636 ounces – for that deep down body thirst<br />14% of what I drank was Diet Mountain Dew – 452 ounces - must have been a slow month<br />13% of what I drank was 7/11 Coffee – 432 ounces – used to begin each day at 7/11<br />6% of what I drank was Starbucks – 200 ounces – all types of drinks!<br />5.5% of what I drank was water – 188 ounces – it made the list!<br />5.5% of what I drank was fake beer – 180 ounces – someone had given me a 12 pack so I took it down<br />4.5% of what I drank was juice – 144 ounces – I think it was OJ when I was sick<br />1% of what I drank was milk – 36 ounces – I think I had dozen brownies with that<br /><br />I don’t know how I’m going to do this… but I’m starting tomorrow… After I go to Starbucks one more time!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Today</span><br />Fast forward one year and… I did it. The first three days sucked big time. I had huge headaches and was totally wanting some Starbucks. But I was absolutely amazed at how quickly those cravings went away and how easy the next 362 days were. Seriously – it was so easy to do! People never believe me when I tell them that… but it’s true!<br /><br />I have much more to share about all the good that has come about. I did end up raising a bunch of money for The Last Well, but I’m not done yet. There is more to come… stay tuned!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One thing I need from you though… what should my first non-water drink in one year be? </span>Comment, Tweet me, text me, email me, facebook me… Let me know!<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-32332870481247365222009-10-29T19:38:00.002-05:002009-10-29T19:56:57.212-05:0097 DaysAt our <a href="http://www.rightnow.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=1019">RightNow Conference</a> last year there was a huge theme to dig deep into the word of God and apply what we read. Matt Chandler even said that if he stuck you with a needle he would want you to bleed Bible! I remember going away with a renewed passion to read my Bible more. That passion stuck as the months went by and about 100 days ago I decided I would read the entire Bible before this year's conference. I figured out that if I read for 30 minutes a day I could get it done. And to add some accountability I decided to take on a Nazarite vow and not cut my hair. I hate long hair - so this was some serious incentive to get in the word!<br /><br />Ninety-seven days later I finished! Reading the Bible for 30 minutes each day was a wonderful experience. Here are a few of my big takeaways:<br /><br /><ul><li>The Old Testament is all about our faith in God expressed through obedience and marked by being set apart for God. Almighty God asked Israel to do things that demonstrated their faith and obedience in Him.</li><li>The New Testament is all about our faith in God expressed by loving one another. Jesus came and changed everything by establishing a kingdom built on love.</li><li>The whole Bible is an amazing story where God chooses His people and His people have the wonderful opportunity to glorify Him through faith and obedience expressed in love.</li><li>Jesus Christ is the savior of the world! And I love Him deeply - more than words can express!<br /></li><li>And... I'm convinced that all good mafia movies were inspired by the Old Testament - those are some seriously epic stories - and even though I knew the outcome there were nights where I simply couldn't put it down. Cain & Abel, Abraham, Jacob & Esau, Joseph (love me some Joseph), David and the list goes on...</li></ul>What a great 97 days!<br />And Robin is very happy that I got my hair cut on day 98!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-40054674944367426452009-06-24T22:11:00.003-05:002009-06-24T22:18:25.627-05:00The ChampsLSU won the National Championship in baseball tonight defeating the Texas Longhorns. This was the Tigers 6th National Championship in the last 19 years - they are clearly the most dominant baseball team in my lifetime! I was actually at their first championship in 1991. My high school team won the state championship two weeks earlier and was invited to play in the College World Series High School Tournament. We finished third in the tourney and got to go the the National Championship game with LSU beating Wichita State.<br /><br />I was able to go to one LSU game this season at their new stadium and it was a blast! LSU baseball is known for their amazing fans and their unique style of play coined Geaux-rilla Ball because they absolutely smash the ball aruond the ball park. Tonight was no different as football player Jared Mitchell began the rout in the first inning with a 3 run homer. Way to Geaux Tigers!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrF9Qyak4fslzU-n8iKRcwrL-CJDa_DqWSssfvd5ia1_PJ6VMX6LNu_XZ3Te5zmsnPafjPM02_cvl_g8g1UXQj8tQ2uHdPqc0IklNX69tWXieUmO17flb6kbGFNgYqOnoEgqmig/s1600-h/ncaa_u_mitchell1_576.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrF9Qyak4fslzU-n8iKRcwrL-CJDa_DqWSssfvd5ia1_PJ6VMX6LNu_XZ3Te5zmsnPafjPM02_cvl_g8g1UXQj8tQ2uHdPqc0IklNX69tWXieUmO17flb6kbGFNgYqOnoEgqmig/s400/ncaa_u_mitchell1_576.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351098928990816098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Mitchell celebrating his first inning HR</span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-79918432885980958132009-06-08T12:06:00.002-05:002009-06-08T12:09:00.278-05:00Stop the MadnessI was walking by Lonnie's office today and it looks like he has taken his affection for Matt Chandler to an uncomfortable level...<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/marc/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLKC2/photo.jpg" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKuqAovsZnFR-_bAfWCAdHUmf00A02A-kzsYob7PrN6_5sFbHmQK_uLmvfovu4nIEDLwKJFzfmNSNEHgCo6kAOT1qowCIIJzIJt5SykHunj8tVgm55uTq_xehaT-SEuDBhZ-0gg/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKuqAovsZnFR-_bAfWCAdHUmf00A02A-kzsYob7PrN6_5sFbHmQK_uLmvfovu4nIEDLwKJFzfmNSNEHgCo6kAOT1qowCIIJzIJt5SykHunj8tVgm55uTq_xehaT-SEuDBhZ-0gg/s400/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345004793383077906" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-35903245766322519602009-06-02T09:39:00.006-05:002009-06-02T09:51:25.067-05:00Marraige AdviceA group of guys at church have been working at being more intentional with our marriages. One of the lessons we have learned early on is that the point of being intentional in our marriages isn't to change our spouses hearts – it’s to change our hearts.<br /><br />God wants to get you to a place where He can use you. So let me ask you a few questions about your relationship with God before we get into your relationship with your spouse.<br /><ul><li> What kind of encouragement do you have from being united with Christ?</li><li>In what ways do you experience comfort from his love?</li><li>What does it mean to you to have fellowship with the Spirit?</li><li>Do you ever feel compassion? How?<br /></li></ul>Our marriages depend on our relationship to God. If we truly believe that our relationship to God is a good thing in our lives, then we will strive to:<br /><ul><li> be like-minded</li><li>have the same love</li><li>be one in spirit and purpose</li><li>do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit</li><li>in humility consider others better than yourselves</li><li>look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others<br /></li></ul>Think about Christ Jesus himself. He was God, but He didn’t use that to His advantage! He made himself worth nothing – He even acted as a servant. He was a mere man and obeyed Father God even to the point of death. And what did the Father God do to Christ Jesus?<br /><br />He exalted Him above all else! And one day every single person on this planet will bow their knees and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!<br /><br />So imagine what Father God will do for your marriage when you stop trying to change your spouse, but instead – by faith – start to love your spouse. What would God do with someone who did nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit? How would God use the man or women who decided to consider others better than themselves?<br /><br />Stop trying to change your spouse… change yourself. Stop talking bad about your spouse, build him or her up. Love God… and watch Him work!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”</span><br />Phil 2:1-11<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-12385314519997920722009-06-01T08:47:00.001-05:002009-06-01T08:47:32.772-05:00This Day in History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYYJ-yLFx0NgrZBDNgFcqkg2QfjeRoePc1mVrZUA1FjM6Q9qLwrYpHmLlqENUGRcAUTvc-fr5t52SBvtE0-1IH4zKOcBosSHa6VcFzWSCwfIF38qF8vBG09JmHZlT7UqiL0hBxg/s1600-h/state+champs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYYJ-yLFx0NgrZBDNgFcqkg2QfjeRoePc1mVrZUA1FjM6Q9qLwrYpHmLlqENUGRcAUTvc-fr5t52SBvtE0-1IH4zKOcBosSHa6VcFzWSCwfIF38qF8vBG09JmHZlT7UqiL0hBxg/s400/state+champs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071310798552896578" border="0" /></a><br />On this day in history my high school won a state championship in baseball, defeating our league rival Smoky Hill 8-0.<br /><br />Can you guess what year this was?<br /><br />Can you find me in the pic?<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-62235087779070831082009-05-15T17:01:00.002-05:002009-05-15T17:07:35.405-05:00Fast of SelfA friend of mine told me about a fast that he was doing with a bunch of people. He said that when you think about it we all give ourselves to one of three things each day: Ourselves, Others or God. So he decided to go on a 21 day fast of himself! He said for 21 days he is going to make decisions based on what God wants and what others need. <br /><br />I met him for lunch on day 4 and he was totally psyched up about it, plus - he bought my lunch! So the moral of the story is... find people who are fasting from themselves and go to lunch with them. Kidding. The truth is that I am challenged by this big time. I know that fasting of myself would be great for me and everyone around me. <br /><br />I'm praying for the courage to start this fast.<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-91544913221114095522009-05-06T09:37:00.002-05:002009-05-06T09:51:25.767-05:00VictoryA great friend of mine just came into my office with his college diploma in hand. This is a big deal because he has been working on his degree for several years. The reason why it took him so long to get his diploma has nothing to do with his work ethic or intelligence. <br /><br />My friend <span style="font-weight: bold;">had</span> a problem with credit card debt. In his words, "while most men struggle with porn addictions, my addiction has been credit card debt." Several years ago he discovered that his vice was actually an addiction and he began the road to recovery and freedom from the bondage of credit card debt. <br /><br />His diploma is more than monumental. It's true that it took a ton of discipline for him to pay for school while raising a family, working a job, and living in a culture that always tells you to buy the next new thing. But this is victory - because his testimony is that the grace of Christ gave him the strength to say no to his fleshly desires and yes to what he knew was right. Victory!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-7464826020050725852009-05-04T20:34:00.009-05:002009-05-05T14:51:07.057-05:00Robyn Mac on the News!<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Robyn, Macy & Mallory's school was featured on our Dallas news station as "Hometown Heroes." Robyn is in charge of Rachel's Challenge at her school where the students are carrying on the legacy of Rachel Scott - the first student killed at Columbine High School during the shootings. Rachel was a Christian who believed that she could personally start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion to spread the love of Christ. Robyn and her students have had more than 100,000 documented actions of kindness and compassion this year and will hold a rally with more than 10,000 people on Thursday.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/fox_4_features/hometown_heroes/Hometown_Heroes_Rockwall_ISD">You can watch the story here.</a></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />I am very proud of Robyn for being such an awesome example of someone on mission for Christ and using their faith with whatever platform God gives them!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-20004606378421948442009-05-04T10:05:00.002-05:002009-05-04T10:08:24.252-05:00Mother's Day E CardsMother's Day E Cards from DaySpring starring Robyn Mac & Mallory Mac!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/allcat.asp?category=44">Follow this link</a> and then click on the video entitled: Mom's Little Helper<br /><a href="http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/allcat.asp?category=44"><br /></a><a href="http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/allcat.asp?category=44"><br /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-82507596278670375532009-05-01T16:13:00.000-05:002009-05-01T16:14:30.351-05:00Learning About Love<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmarc%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.verse1john48 {mso-style-name:"verse 1john_4_8";} span.verse1john49 {mso-style-name:"verse 1john_4_9";} span.verse1john410 {mso-style-name:"verse 1john_4_10";} span.verse1john411 {mso-style-name:"verse 1john_4_11";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span class="verse1john48">Let me make a bold statement: God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span><span class="verse1john48">
<br />
<br />Do you believe that God is love?<span style=""> </span>How do you know?<span style=""> </span>Do you think that anyone who doesn’t love others has never known God? … Ouch!<span style=""> </span>What does it mean to love others?<o:p></o:p></span><span class="verse1john48">
<br />
<br />What if I were to tell you that God showed you his love went he sent his only Son into the world to give you life?<span style=""> </span>Would that answer your question about God being love?<span style=""> </span>He exchanged his son for you.<span style=""> </span>Sounds like he loves you, but maybe not his Son?<span style=""> </span>I think our problem is that we don’t understand what real love is.<span style=""> </span>We think that we can get love apart from God.<span style=""> </span></span><span class="verse1john410">Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.<o:p></o:p></span><span class="verse1john410">
<br />
<br />I think the point here is that </span><span class="verse1john411">God loved us this much - so we must love each other.<span style=""> </span>And if we do love each other, then we will actually be demonstrating real love – the kind that our world is longing to see.<span style=""> </span>But don’t take my word for it…</span><span class="verse1john410"><o:p></o:p></span><span class="verse1john48">
<br />
<br />“God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him. </span><span class="verse1john49">God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. </span><span class="verse1john410">Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. </span><span class="verse1john411">Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.” <o:p></o:p></span><span class="verse1john411">
<br />
<br />1 John 4:8-11</span> <div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-70682243162343592882009-04-27T17:40:00.005-05:002009-04-27T17:46:04.350-05:00It is because of your faith that you are healed – Jesus<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmarc%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><title>Note:</title><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:author>Rob Johnston</o:Author> <o:version>11.5606</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Trebuchet MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">It is because of your faith that you are healed – Jesus</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">That’s the subject of an email I received from a great friend yesterday morning.<span style=""> </span>His brother-in-law, Bubba, had a freak accident on Thursday night where his Father accidentally hit him with his truck while they were working on installing a basketball goal at their house.<span style=""> </span>Thank God that his 3 year old son – who was standing next Bubba was unharmed.<span style=""> </span>Bubba got pinned against the house by the truck and had to be care-flighted to the nearest hospital.<span style=""> </span>The Doctors quickly diagnosed that Bubba was fighting for his life and was likely to lose his leg.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">After a surgical procedure in the middle of the night the Doctors determined that there was a small pulse in Bubba’s foot, but that his muscle tissue was dead.<span style=""> </span>They would operate on Sunday morning – the chances of survival were growing, but losing his leg was a definite.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I had my phone with my while I listened to the message at church on Sunday morning.<span style=""> </span>I saw an incoming call from my friend and then a text message that simply read: “check your email.”<span style=""> </span>I looked at the email and read the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span style="">
<br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span style="">It is because of your faith that you are healed - Jesus<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style="">The doctors were stunned this morning during surgery that the "dead" tissue was in fact ALIVE this morning!!!!! And attached to the bones!<span style=""> </span>This is huge news.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style="">My sister broke down at the news. The Doctor is trying to find a clinical reason - there is no reason!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style="">Thank you, thank you, thank you, praise the Lord!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I showed Robin the email and I couldn’t help but start crying as I read this news.<span style=""> </span>Which was kind of funny because our message was on fasting and I’m sure the people around me were wondering why I would be losing it over a message on fasting!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I love my friends response to Jesus healing his brother-in-law: <i style="">Thank you, thank you, thank you, praise the Lord!</i><span style=""> </span>My friend understands that just because we pray for God’s healing, doesn’t mean we will see it.<span style=""> </span>I think that’s why his response is so precious to me – because it’s so genuine.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Miracles </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><b>do</b></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" > happen.</span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >God </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><b>is</b></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" > at work.</span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><b>Rejoice and give Him glory!</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-32289897198515751792009-04-24T16:10:00.002-05:002009-04-24T16:18:34.037-05:00Coming Out of the ClosetIt has been a long time since I have blogged because I have been going through a traumatic experience. This has really been a life long issue for me, but I have been trying to ignore it for the last few years. But the tension in my soul over the last few months has been unbearable. This will come as a shock to many, but to those who know me best I suppose you have always known. And I feel like this is the time for me to let the whole world know, because of the urgency of the matter...<br /><br />I am a Detroit Lions fan<br /><br />Billy Simms... Anthony Carter... Rodney Peete... Barry Sanders - these were my heroes growing up. I love the Lions! I even like the stupid teeth they just added to the logo. But it is time for me to speak my mind because tomorrow my beloved Lions may draft Matthew Stafford with the number one pick of the draft. Now Mr Stafford is indeed a fine young man, but it is my belief that drafting him will set the Lions organization back another 5 years... and put me back in the closet! So I'm hoping my drastic announcement will catch the attention of the Lions front office and cause them to do the right thing... draft the Baylor Bear!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-52735697089162938652008-12-10T20:46:00.001-06:002008-12-10T20:46:46.105-06:00Slugger Slugging<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oC1jhKbfbqWB75Q6Sb5Z0HFDuQNa3CMzhlFhXGxy1lwwUHMh5-RpqdWi0EaL4a9hR5mnY5txBfkKRMH9ITqACVA6tnVQTniI9rWEhGjjVDhQfmJz1xlqFyx5j9a3QUkRm6qbDw/s1600-h/photo-706106.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oC1jhKbfbqWB75Q6Sb5Z0HFDuQNa3CMzhlFhXGxy1lwwUHMh5-RpqdWi0EaL4a9hR5mnY5txBfkKRMH9ITqACVA6tnVQTniI9rWEhGjjVDhQfmJz1xlqFyx5j9a3QUkRm6qbDw/s320/photo-706106.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278358496827024770" /></a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-76165941954099943092008-12-10T20:32:00.002-06:002008-12-10T20:34:50.599-06:00The Slug is Back!I picked up my Dog Slugger today and brought him home. He had been staying with some friends since we moved out of our old house and we finally brought him home today. Thanks to Lonnie & Anita for taking such great care of Slugger. Macy & Mallory were beside themselves to see Slugger again. Needless to say, the Slugger Dog has been treated like royalty tonight.<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-27395048003171161252008-12-10T11:38:00.001-06:002008-12-10T11:40:13.045-06:00What Do You Expect?Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas where you live? It’s not really looking like Christmas here in Dallas as much as it’s starting to feel like Christmas! A cold front came in yesterday sometime between arriving to the office and leaving the office and I have officially brought the winter clothes down from the attic. And I love it! Growing up in Michigan & Colorado, I can appreciate some cold air.<br /><br />I absolutely love Christmas time! I love the lights, the food, the music, the time with family, but most of all I love the opportunity to share the love of Christ. On Saturday I read Luke 1 & 2 (<a href="http://hearthevoice.com/books/profile/27722">from The VOICE</a>) to my daughters and they were hanging on every word. We discussed how Israel had waited 400 years to hear from God and they were on the lookout for a conquering King, but God sent them a baby! We prayed together about how to show the love of Christ to others in an unexpected way. And the great thing about kids is that they don’t forget. So the last few days we have been finding unexpected ways to shares Christ’s love!<br /><br />As I think about God’s love and His plans it is so obvious that (as the scripture tells us) His ways are not our ways! I encourage you to ask God to find unexpected ways to share His love. I bet you won’t expect what He shows you! And I bet that you will be as blessed as anyone by it.<br /><br />Merry Christmas!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-30150251458787916332008-12-04T19:58:00.002-06:002008-12-04T20:16:49.882-06:00ChallengeI like challenge. Maybe that's why I like sports so much - because each game represents it's own challenge. I'm pretty sure I got this disease from my Dad. I remember him doing stuff when I was a kid like running for 200 consecutive days, or getting up earlier than everyone else in the morning, or committing to do things that others wouldn't do. I felt like sometimes my Dad would do these things because he liked the challenge. I have some of my own examples:<br /><br />Diets - I love to do fad diets because of the challenge. Eat only meat and cheese for 3 weeks...sounds good to me. Have to give up all products with white flour in them... why not! No meats and sweets for 60 days... I'm in!<br /><br />Card Games - I find it impossible to simply enjoy a game of cards. I need to study your play. Determine your patterns. Count your cards. And prey on your tendencies.<br /><br />Pancakes - I want to be the man when it comes to making pancakes. I make them virtually every Saturday of the year (unless my current fad diet doesn't allow them). I experiment with different ingredients. I use the latest flipping techniques. I know the difference between real eggs and egg beaters. Sometimes I make 9 different flavors of pancake for one Saturday morning meal... for four people. <br /><br />I've learned that one of the by products of someone who likes challenge is discipline. And this carries over to every area of my life. If I view things as a challenge - then I will form the necessary disciplines to meet the challenge.<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13009487.post-26520920691043973982008-11-29T20:34:00.001-06:002008-11-29T20:36:34.334-06:00BackWe are back from a great trip to Colorado. Mallory summed it up best last night when she said she was happy/sad that we were leaving. She was happy to come home to Texas and see all of her friends, but sad to leave Colorado because she will miss our family. <br /><br />I know how you feel kid!<div class="blogger-post-footer">To see the full blog, go to www.faithpluslife.blogspot.com</div>Marc Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11708872806699360637noreply@blogger.com1