Here is the text from the video:

Just before the day gets started, take time in the morning to connect with God, the source of our life and our strength. He is the one to strengthen us through the whole day.

Consider these encouraging Bible verses on prayer in the morning.

Psalms 55:17—“Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.”

Mark 1:35—“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”

Jesus really liked the morning time for prayer and Bible reading.

The music, decorations, and retail sales are the most poignant indicators that the Christmas season is in full swing. All of these things have become an integral part of our culture and the feeling of this holiday season. It’s a challenge for those of us who strive to keep Christ the center of Christmas to separate the true meaning of this season from all the cultural expressions that have nothing to do with it.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with embracing the fun and festive aspects of these weeks ahead as we go to tree lightings, Christmas parties, or other events. Here’s the funny thing though; whether we realize it or not the one story from the Bible that we think we know best – The Christmas Story – has actually been told to us more from songs, nativity scenes, and Christmas plays than from the Bible. As a result we may not have all of our facts right about what really happened on that night over 2,000 years ago.

So, how familiar are you with the Christmas story as it’s presented in the Bible? We’ve put together a fun little video quiz that you can take HERE. Check it out, pass it onto your friends, and take some time this Christmas to read through the Gospel accounts of Jesus birth found in the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke.

The Bible in 29 Seconds

If you were to explain the Bible to a friend in 29 seconds, what would you say? Check out our attempt to do this and tell us what you think. When we boil the Bible down to 29 seconds we just end up with the top Bible points: creation, sin, Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection and eternal life.

thanks for your feedback
Drew Haninger
President

Retirement.

Somehow, Kevin got the idea that I am retiring. Did an asteroid hit a satellite during the interview? Or maybe a golf ball hit the window in Stephen’s office during the e-mail interview. I am learning how to golf after all, though with minimal achievement. (I call “golf”  ”goof”)

Drew learning to golf in Christina Lake, Canada.

Kevin’s interview is great; however, I am still involved in Olive Tree as the President, especially with company leadership, software innovation, and publisher relations. There are still so many innovative ways to help people study the Bible using technology. Olive Tree is at the exciting intersection of this people, Bible, and technology triangle.

As Olive Tree’s president, my attention is currently focused on three projects. The first is my personal blog at DrewHaninger.com where my photography and devotional writing interests come together. The second two are both projects in the very early stages. Each of these innovative initiatives are designed to inspire people to get into the Bible. As Olive Tree’s users get into the Bible and the Bible gets into them, God has great opportunities to do things in their lives. We’re so excited to be a part of this transformation in our users’ lives.

I appreciated this line from Kevin’s article: “[Stephen said,] I learned perseverance and never giving up. Drew persevered and continued “pushing on” even when things were hard. I learned to focus on what we know we need to do and not get too worried or distracted with the ‘competition…’ We [are all] fellow workers in Christ.”

Golf doesn’t seem to be working for me, so I think I’ll stick with Bible technology innovation and carry on Olive Tree’s continuing legacy of encouraging people to study the Bible.

Drew Haninger is the founder and President of Olive Tree Bible Software. We asked him to share his thoughts about the future of Olive Tree Bible Software. Here is what he had to say:

When I first had the idea to combine Bible study with technology in the 80s, I had no intention of creating Olive Tree Bible Software. I began with the singular goal of using the current advancements in technology to enhance the way I studied and interacted with the Bible. With the release of the then new, popular handheld device, the Palm Pilot, I was challenged to create a mobile Bible program.

Over the years, the devices have changed, the technology has vastly improved, and Olive Tree has become a leader in Bible software, but my vision remains the same. At the heart of Olive Tree is the desire that everyone would know God and His Word, and we still strive to create the best Bible study tools possible through cutting-edge technology.

We live in a time where the newest technology has a shelf life of maybe a year, if it’s lucky, and the limits of what a phone or a tablet can do are boundless. It is exciting to see advancements like the retina display on the iPad and iPhone and smart phones that literally talk back to you, but I also see a unique challenge. How do we keep up with the pace of technology without taking away from the beauty and simplicity of God’s Word?

With a growing library of the finest biblical resources available and a staff eager to build new and innovative tools for interacting with those resources, I am excited about the direction Olive Tree is headed. I think we are in a position to reinvent Bible study and bring it to people and places that it has never been. My vision, and the vision of everyone here at Olive Tree, is to help Bible scholars, churchgoers, students, children and even people who have never opened a Bible to discover a love for studying God’s Word.

I am really happy to now have BibleReader on the PC Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone and Android.

Inspired by Michael’s half-marathon race, I and a few local friends decided to sign up for the Lilac Bloomsday Run, a 7.46 mile (12 K) road race that attracts approximately 50,000 runners and walkers each year. An added bonus is that Bloomsday is right in Olive Tree’s hometown of Spokane, Washington, so I didn’t have to travel to get there. On Sunday, May 4th, the day of the race, it was sunny and cool. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather for running, walking, and just being outside.

The picture below shows me crossing the finish line—with hundreds of my fellow Bloomsday racers. Right after this, we received the much-coveted Bloomsday T-shirt, awarded to every person who finishes the race, and worn proudly by many people around town the Monday after.

Michael finished his 17-mile half-marathon in about 2 hours. I finished Bloomsday’s 7.46 mile course in just over 2 hours. Looks like I have some training to do before next year’s race if I want to keep up!

Even so, running the race was a wonderful experience to get me out of my trench. I enjoyed the sunshine, soaked in the beauty of God’s creation (especially where the race course crosses the Spokane River), and enjoyed the excitement of participating in Spokane’s largest civic event.

Drew, talking a day off from Olive Tree, ran with 50,000 other runners (and walkers) in the Lilac Bloomsday Run, an annual Spokane event.

]]> http://blog.olivetree.com/2008/05/27/117/feed/ 0 http://blog.olivetree.com/2008/01/28/bibletech-2008-in-seattle-was-great/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bibletech-2008-in-seattle-was-great http://blog.olivetree.com/2008/01/28/bibletech-2008-in-seattle-was-great/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:46:12 +0000 Drew Haninger http://www.olivetreeblog.com/2008/01/28/bibletech-2008-in-seattle-was-great/ More details coming later this week, but check out the article on BibleTech08: Day 2 – Session 04, The Challenges & Future of Bible Software in a Mobile World.

• New Bible Study Collections and Bundles – Choose from nine new collections and bundles, carefully selected.
• New Scofield Study Bible Notes – from Oxford University Press, a skillful adaptation of the original Scofield notes.
• Amazing Grace: 366 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, an inspirational daily devotional based on 366 of the best-loved hymns of the Christian faith.