Sunday, February 26, 2012

Painting in Black

What a sweet and moving night we had last Wednesday at our Ash Wednesday service. This video really says it all...

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Painting in Black




Beginning today, February 22nd, Christians all over the world will enter a season called Lent. It's a season that Christians have participated in for thousands of years.

Lent comes from Latin, and it just means 40. It’s when we celebrate and participate in the story of Jesus’ entering into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days. It is a way for Jesus followers to prepare their hearts and minds for Easter.

And it all begins on Ash Wednesday.

Throughout the Bible, ashes are a symbol for mourning. After all, the first humans were created from dirt, and to dirt we will return.

Ashes remind us of our frailness; of our humanity. God wants His people to hope, but he also wants His people to be brutally honest about life, because God knows us. God knows that we try to trick ourselves into believing that death isn’t going to happen to us, but the symbol of ashes is a powerful reminder of our weakness, morally and physically.

We are broken creatures, and the ash reminds us of what we tend to forget.

We live under the shadow of death, and the grave will not be denied.

Yes, God can and will bring beauty from the ashes, but we must be honest and call our brokenness, and the brokenness of the world, by name.

Join us tonight, February 22nd, as Highland participates in Ash Wednesday, 7 pm in the Highland Auditorium.

Brandon and the worship team will lead us in worship, Jack and Jill Maxwell will be interpreting the message through art, and Greg Straughn will play cello as we enter a time of meditation and prayer stations.

Friday, February 17, 2012

ACU Sing Song

1991 Sing Song Hosts
This weekend is ACU Sing Song- a weekend that brings thousands of people to town. Sing Song is full of memories for me. I directed my fraternity to victory my senior year, but my favorite memory is being a host my junior year with some of my best friends. Stephen Bailey, Val Durrington, Darcy L. Chapman, Martha Kate Stallings Gunn, Kristin Ward and Kimberly Conder. What a total BLAST that was! My father was really ill with cancer but came to the show and my solo was a song about a boy and his dad that I dedicated to him. Very emotional for me. I'll never forget that experience. This weekend my family will get to enjoy the show (because of distance, my kids have only seen one SIng Song) and I'll judge vocals Saturday night. I'm excited we get to be around now for these types of things at ACU and will surely have tears in my eyes as I hear 5000 people join together at the end of the evening in singing "The Lord Bless You and Keep You"...an ACU tradition.


Freshmen Class Sing Song act 1989--Eyeballs!
Wendy Wray Ogren, Amy Nichols Boone, Nino Elliott, me, Stephen Bailey and Patrice N. Powell
Gamma Sigs 1992 "Doctors and Surgeons"
winner, men's division
(that's me in the red...looking completely insane)

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Daddy Daughter Valentine's Dance

Last night over 170 people came out for the annual Daddy/Daughter Valentine's Dance at Highland. We've heard so much about this over the years. It was so fun to get to be there and be a part of it all! Thanks to our children's ministry team who made this happen!


Dinner was yummy!

Matt Cope (Mike's son) and his lovely daughter Reese




Jonathan Storment (our preaching minister) and his lovely daughter Eden

My life long friend Kyle Dickson and his sweet daughter Chloe

Jim Miller (husband to Kellie Curtis Miller) and their daughter Abbie

Grant and Anna Claire Boone

Jason and Katie Blair

Bill, Jane Ann and Molly Carroll

Homer and Hannah Hillis

Let the dancing begin!!



"YMCA!"


I LOVE this priceless picture of my good buddy Kevin Roberts. Oh my, yes!

The Roberts, Thomas and Boone daughters went to Starbucks for an after-party! :)

My sweet and beautiful Maddie. How is she this old???