acts65's Xanga

Bible Giveaway

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:08:15 GMT

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

Our prayers and our perspective

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:58:00 GMT

"A refining process occurs that makes us fit to receive the deeper blessings of God. Yet our prayers focus mostly on the removal of the very elements God uses to bring us to the point of blessing. Is it any wonder why Paul would say, "We do not know ["understand"] how to pray as we should in Romans 8:26? We pray for greatness and blessing from God, and then for relief from the divine procedure that accomplishes this. On top of that, we usually blame God for unanswered prayers, while all the time He is in the process of answering what we glibly bring before Him."

-Greg Harris, The Cup and the Glory

It's a great book. Read it!

Re: "questions about stuff =)" by Angie

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:03:23 GMT

Angie: "You want to go out for dinner tonight?"

Steven: "Sure, where do you want to go?"

Angie: "Doesn't matter. Anywhere."

Steven: "Okay, How about Sizzzzzler?"

Angie: "No."

Steven: "Little Caesar's?"

Angie: "No."

Steven: "Island's?"

Angie: "...."

(pause)

Angie: "So... where do you want to eat? I'm hungry."

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The Joys of Marriage

In response to http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=142242930264

"Who picks where you go to dinner? (Angie's response) we usually want the other person to pick... i feel like i usually make the final choice"

Funeral/Blog Letter after Passing

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:15:23 GMT

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Funeral/Blog Letter after Passing

A brisk fall afternoon, the bright red and yellow leaves are falling from the trees at Round Lake Park, the sun is shining, I can feel the cool fresh air entering my lungs with every breath. I smell garlic and homemade Italian food in the wind. For you maybe it's a spring day and the flowers are blooming, or it's Christmas and the snow is falling and you are sitting with a warm mug of coffee by the fire. It's at those seemingly perfect moments that you know this all didn't happen by chance. It is not by chance that the leaves turn red in the fall, and it is not by chance that I'm not standing here reading this letter to you now.

After all the suffering I have seen thus far, there are only two things that I know are true. That I love my wife and kids so much, and that God loves me infinitely more than that. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all who have loved, served, and prayed for us. I am so very sorry to leave you all behind, but at the same time I am so happy to be home with my Maker. Everything that I love about the fall and the leaves and the fresh air and Italian cooking in the wind, pales in comparison with what it is like in the presence of Jesus. I have not eaten in a very long time, but know that I hunger no more. There is no more pain or suffering, no more tears or sorrow.

Grace, AJ, and Gracie, know that God holds you in the palm of His hand especiallly now. Jesus will lead, guide, and protect you. I am confident that your mourning will turn to dancing.

Fight for joy in this. Rejoice because cancer can kill my body but it cannot kill my soul. Rejoice because my greatest sickness was cured in 2001 at the age of 20 when I believed that Jesus could forgive such great sins as mine. Rejoice because even through sickness and death God has done great things in my life, and yours. Rejoice because this is not the end, it is just the beginning.

Rejoice! Again I say rejoice!

I will see many of you soon.

Andrew W. Mark

Posted by Grace Mark at 8:53 PM 0 comments

With Our Savior

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:19:55 GMT

With Our Savior

Andrew is now in the presence of Jesus. We praise the Lord that He called Andrew to be His and that Andrew is now rejoicing before the throne of grace without pain or suffering. He went at 12:35pm Central time. All his family was around him to hold his hand as he went peacefully.

Please continue to pray for AJ and Gracie, his mom and dad, his brother and sister, and me that the peace of Christ would continue to be a comfort to us.

Details on the funeral will be forthcoming. The viewings will be on Tuesday at Washburn-Mcreavy Funeral Home in Eden Prairie and the memorial service on Wednesday at Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka, MN.

Details for airline bereavement rates are to follow.

Grace and the family would love for whomever can make it to be there. Also in lieu of flowers, a fund will be set up for AJ and Gracie. More details on that to come as well, but if you are interested in contributing to that, please email fundforajandgracie@gmail.com and I will send you the details when I have them.

Thank you all for praying and for your encouraging remarks and for continuing to lift us up in your prayers.

Washburn-Mcreavy Funeral Home
Eden Prairie
7625 Mitchell Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952)975-0400

Redeemer Bible Church
16205 Highway 7
Minnetonka, MN 55345
(952) 935-2425

Posted by Grace Mark at 1:27 PM 1 comments

update from Grace

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:25:33 GMT

Friday, February 06, 2009

A Gift

GRACE WRITES:

Andrew is still here. Perhaps he is waiting for his sister to arrive, who has been driving with her husband through the night from New Jersey. They should be here in less than an hour.

Even though his eyes have been closed the whole time, he usually is not sedated, so he seems to hear what we are saying to him. I think he has terrible bleeds when he gets emotional, then begins to hyperventilate, and then we sedate him. Please pray that would not happen when his sister arrives or ever again. It is really terrible that he has to suffer during those moments, and I don't think I can take another bleed. But what has kept coming to mind in those moments is that he looks like Jesus to me as he suffers. And I feel reassured that his suffering is not inconsistent with him being favored by God, because Jesus preceded Andrew in all his suffering. Jesus blazed the trail of suffering and went before us so that we could follow in His footsteps.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. I am sorry that you all have to cry for him. Please pray that I would be ready for what is to come and that his family would be too.

I love him more than ever now. These 24 hours, everything reminds me of memories with him. Even the faded memories are vivid now. It is like our time together is flashing before my eyes over several hours, the way they say your life flashes before your eyes in the instant before you die. And yet, somehow, the Lord has shielded me from the grief that could completely overwhelm. I am so fearful of future grief, fearful that it will strangle me. But so far it has not come yet.

Andrew had said to me recently that we could be thankful at least for the time we did have together. I said I wanted more time and it wasn't enough. But as it all flashes before me, I just feel so thankful. So priveleged to have loved so deeply and to be loved by someone so extraordinary that he could love me in spite of all my sin and despite how unworthy I was of him. He was such a picture of the gospel to me and taught me so much about Jesus' gospel love through the way he loved me. When we fell in love, I thought we might be the happiest people on earth. That is a gift. And I'm thankful to have ever tasted of it.

Posted by Grace Mark at 9:35 AM

Please pray for Andrew & Grace Mark

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:25:57 GMT

Please pray for Andrew. He went to the hospital this morning with severe bleeding.

Please see the link http://graceandrew.blogspot.com/2009/02/pleas e-pray.html.

thank you for your prayers for my grandma. she is doing much better

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 15:18:09 GMT

please pray for my grandma (mom's mom in Taiwan). she had a stroke the other day and is in the hospital. please pray for healing, strength, and that she would know the gospel.

say it ain't so

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:48:48 GMT

Lakers moving to 710-AM

By Tom Hoffarth, Staff Writer

Updated: 12/11/2008 10:35:39 PM PST

Location triumphed over a long-term relationship as the Lakers announced Thursday they will officially end ties with KLAC-AM (570) as their radio flagship to join KSPN-AM (710) beginning next season.

The Lakers made a big deal celebrating their 30-year relationship with KLAC last season, having joined the station in 1977 - two years before Jerry Buss bought the franchise from Jack Kent Cooke. But the fact that KSPN could promise more with having its new studios in the ESPN facility currently being built as part of L.A. Live across the street from the team's home court at Staples Center made the change easier for the franchise.

"This is an exciting but somewhat bittersweet announcement for the Lakers organization," said Jeanie Buss, the team's executive VP of business operations, in a statement. "KLAC has been a wonderful partner for more than three decades and we greatly respect and appreciate everything they have done. At the same time, we feel strongly that the time is right for this move to 710 ESPN."

Jim Pastor, the senior VP of ESPN Radio Station group, also said: "The move to L.A. Live and the vast resources of both organizations provide an incredible opportunity to serve Lakers fans for years to come."

The team said play-by-play man Spero Dedes and color commentator Mychal Thompson will move with the team to the new station, which probably puts Thompson's stint on the 570-AM midday show in doubt.

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new Kobe shoe!

Thanksgiving 2008!

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:01:03 GMT

Thanksgiving in the Lee House!
Reenactment of the first Thanksgiving
Food

Crafts

Games

bonus video (mini martinelli song)