The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren

Okay, let me tell you my version of how this book came about. A few Novembers ago were in Nashville to attend our friend Anne Horch's (nee Goldsmith) wedding.

Friday night, Susie tuned into her son's football game via the Internet. His team was in the championships. Saturday afternoon, as we got ready for the wedding, I watched the Ohio State-Michigan game.

Both my brother and husband texted me the score during the wedding. (Sorry, Anne, but it was a lovely, moving wedding! I loved being there!)

So, Suz and I were of a football mind. On the way to the wedding, we started brainstorming about a football mom. We yakked back and forth the rest of the night, turning to each other during the reception, "What if?" And argued on the way to my car to go back to our hotel who would write the book first.

"Whoever goes home and writes the book gets it," Susie said.

Well, I was doomed. I knew I was doomed. I only hoped she wouldn't really write it. She did. In two weeks. Amazing. But from the beginning, this was her story. She is the football Mom. I'm only the football fanatic.

This is a great book straight from Susie's heart with a fragrance of her real life. Please, buy this book for your friends, for the office gift party, the staff exchange. I think it will become a Christmas classic.

Here's a word from Susie about the book:

Shoot...football season is over. I'm so sad....as we all know, I love Football...

So much so that I wrote a football story! Okay, it's not just about football. It's about Christmas. And small town life. And church Christmas Teas. And family....and traditions. And the crazy things we do for each other. Basically my favorite things about the season.

I love Christmas stories - and every year I read aloud to my kids (this year my college kid might be too old), the Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. And recently Dave Barry's, The Shephard, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog. (sooo funny). I wanted to write my own Christmas Classic.

So, I did. Well, at least I HOPE it is a Christmas classic. Check it out HERE!

Are you in ministry? Want a cool bulletin insert--flyer for the GCB?

And don't forget the cool CONTEST we're running this fall! It's a recipe exchange!! Send us your favorite Christmas recipe and a cool story - we'll publish it on the blog, and sign you up to get a preview copy of my new book (a world war 2 epic!) And/or a cool Harry and David Gift basket!

Warren’s tender holiday novella invokes both laughter and some sweet tears. The vivid portrayal of family connections and football fervor will bring the Christmas spirit to everyone. (Romantic Times)

College Game Day

It's college football season -- a whole four months of "holidays" for me. I love this time of year. Love college football.

We don't have a TV with Dish or cable hookup, so I miss watching games at random, having the TV on all day, so we have to select our time to go out and watch games. Usually, Ohio State, of course.

Not having television has disadvantages, but the advantages outweigh them. It's just too easy to flip on the telly.

Instead we watch DVDs, read, umm, write books. Well, I do. Tony writes vicariously.

I talked last night to our church women about prayer. Prayer is the aqueduct in which the Spirit flows in and through us. But if we have so many distractions we cannot settle down and focus.

And if it's not TV, it's the internet, or sheesh, iPhones and Blackberries.

I can see the Lord of Heaven waving His hand over the earth. "Silence!"

Then immediately following. "OH-IO!"

Passion, Intensity, Wisdom

Last night, my beloved Buckeyes almost won the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. Texas scored a touch down in the last sixteen seconds.

The Buckeye's played hard. It was a well matched game. I was proud of them. But sometimes it's the extra effort, the passion of players that makes the difference between win or lose.

Football is four quarters. Players have to give their heart and soul for the entire hour of play.

In the 2003 BCS Championship game against Miami, Ohio State was on the verge of scoring when Craig Krenzel threw an interception to Miami safety Sean Taylor. OSU phenom, Maurice Clarett, CHASED HIM DOWN and stripped the ball.

It change the game.

How often do we see players chase down their oppenent after a bad play or turn over. Clarett had a passion. He loved to play. He wanted to win. And when the turnover happened, he didn't give up.

Yet, off the field, Clarett's passion and intensity lacked wisdom. A star college career, possibly professional career was lost because he was full of misguided, uncontrolled passion.

He got in trouble. His ego caused him to listen to the wrong voices. And in the end, all is passion and talent was wasted.

Could a bit of Clarett passion made the difference in last night's game? Maybe.

The apostle Paul writes to us, "Run the race with endurance. Run to the end so as not to lose the prize."

Too often, we lose intensity and passion in life. We stop fighting the things that entangle us. We compromise, make excuses. Even at times, let misguided "wisdom" steer us wrong.

Jesus said in Matt 24, "due to lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold."

Don't know about you, but I don't want my love to grow cold. We have to be passionate, intense, and disciplined. It's a day-to-day commitment.

I grow weary as much as the next person. But I want to live with my eye on the prize. I don't want to get to the fourth quarter and ease up in the last 16 seconds only to find that I've lost.

I've had a few battles in my life. In the '80s, I got hit with out-of-the-blue fear and panic. I fought. I prayed. I used the Word of God to change my emotional chemistry.

It was scary at times. I remember once saying to God, "Look, if this is the life you have for me, go ahead and take me home now cause I can't live like this."

It wasn't an every day, all day battle, but enough to really annoy me. I chose to be passionate, intense and believe God more than fear. His perfect love cast out all fear, John wrote.

I'm happy to report. No fear. God's Word and prayer works. But it's intense and hard and I had to stay steady.

Stay steady. Seek wisdom and grace. Fight the good fight. Play all four quarters!

It's football Saturday and...

... I don't have Direct TV or any TV any more.

We killed the cable.

Sigh, exhale, sigh.

I do miss it today though 'cause I love college football and the Buckeyes play Wisconsin today. But the noise of entertainment was growing too loud in our souls.

Tony said to me, "I think I'm okay watching shows, (he likes Sci Fi) but how do I know it's not desensitizing our hearts in ways we're not aware of."

Notice how he always rains down a holiness point right in the middle of a flesh feast? :)

I'm not against television and movies, or college football, but we want to guard our affections. Bring down the outer noise and see if the still small voice of God isn't whispering something we can't hear because our souls are tuned to entertainment.

And really, is there ANY place more out of touch than Hollywood? I'm tired of them trying to tell me how to feel and believe, claiming to be more than they are to society.

WE ALL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

It'll take a bit to get used to, but we've lived without a television before. And now there are so many shows on DVD we can just rent them and watch when it's convenient.

Besides, I have a book to write! It's due Nov 1 and I deleted 15K words this week, probably more but I won't admit it to myself for fear of tears and panic.

When that book is turned in, I have to start my own, stand alone book we want to release in the midst of the these other books I'm writing with someone.

So, I don't need television at the push of a button.

In other business, like music, you must get the Alisha Powell CD "Consider." It is AMAZING, fantastic, beautiful, fun, worshipful! She's been a worship leader in the International House of Prayer-KC for about ten years and her internship in humility, leading but not being recognized, learning to wait for her day to record shows in her music. I can't recommend it enough.

So, back to football. I can watch the game at the local Beef O'Brady's. ;D

Go Buckeyes, Go Auburn

The Buckeyes won!

And so did the Auburn Tigers. Beat the Gators.

Ah, sweet football Saturday!

Interview on Deeper Living

Check out the interview I did on Deeper Living!

Tomorrow I leave for Dallas until next Monday. I'll be leading worship and teaching at the ACFW conference, and reuniting with friends old and new. Can't wait. It's always such a great week.

I'll blog if I can. Otherwise, be cool, love Jesus, love each other and watch college football!

Go Buckeyes!