Zunegate...

Sorry, I just had to post this link... it is just too funny.

Matthew

Christmas...

Yes, I know that I haven't posted much recently, but I am on Christmas vacation, so I have a good excuse.

But I did want to post about our Christmas Eve services. We had it at Argyle High School because our current sanctuary isn't big enough (and because or new building isn't ready yet... still...). Both services went amazing!

Shh, don't tell anyone, but I had some tears in my eyes at Silent Night (my favorite Christmas song).

Pictures!

Before service:


During the second service:




More photos: Gallery

Matthew

Moving Day

Tomorrow I am turning in the keys to my current apartment. I feel a bond to this place because I have been here 18 months, longer than any other place since well before college.

I am sad that I am moving again, knowing that I will probably move again in 6 or 12 months, but I had to get away from this place because they were raising my rent...

Anywho, tomorrow will be busy. I will turn in my keys, go run two Christmas Eve services, and go on down to Arlington where I will meet up with my brother and his lovely wife. The next day (Christmas day) we will drive to Austin for a lunch with my mother, then on to Grandmother's house we go.

I don't know why I tell you all of that... but I did. Deal with it.

Matthew

Photo Tag

OK, so my sister didn't officially tag me, but I thought I would do it anyway.



This is a photo that I took at the Texas Renaissance Festival in high school. It was taken with black and white film, and I processed the film myself. This is a digital scan of that frame. To see the rest of the photos from that roll click here (including photos of Ded Bob!).

Instructions:
1. Go to the place where you store all of your pictures on your computer and open up the 4th folder
2. Open the 4th picture
3. Post the picture and give an explanation
4. Tag 4 people

Instead of tagging specific people, I am tagging everyone that is reading this. That is about four people...

Matthew

Cups...

I have decided to give away all of the cups and mugs that I haven't used in many years (the ones that I have had since my freshman year in college and may have gotten used two or three times).



Anyone have a good ministry to give these to, or is Good Will good enough?

Matthew

Rick Warren

A quick poll: who here hasn't heard of Rick Warren? I didn't think so...

I have mostly liked Rick Warren, he has done a lot of great things for people, but watching a Dateline interview with him tonight made me fall in love with the guy. 95% of what he said I would agree 100% on, and he held himself very well while answering tough questions.

Anywho, if you have a moment, watch it yourself. You will be impressed.

Part 1 (7 minutes, 16MB, right click save as)
Part 2 (9 minutes, 20MB, right click save as)

Matthew

Junk

I have too much junk! The problem is trying to get rid of it, I am too nice to just throw it away...

So does anyone want old cell phones, a cordless phone, an N64 system, two iso-butane-propane tanks, a bed warmer that doesn't work, a Linkys router, or a Belkin 4 port USB hub?

That is about half of my list right now...

I am taking pictures and will post them on Craigslist or something.

Matthew

Sleeping...

I e-mailed Stephen to tell him I was sleeping late and to not call me... I should have e-mailed the rest of the world as well.

Matthew

Addictions...

I spent several hours tonight proofreading, printing, addressing, and otherwise getting my Christmas Letters ready. All I have to do is go to the post office and get a few more stamps... I hope there isn't a line... (yes, I know that there are machines that will give you stamps, but I am old fashioned, I like talking to a human...)

Anywho, I am watching old episodes of The West Wing. In one episode the president's Chief of Staff is talking to a female White House employee about his drug and alcohol addiction. Leo (the Chief of Staff) just finished telling Karen about how his father was an alcoholic and shot himself one night...

Karen: Is that why you drank and took drugs?
Leo: No, I drank and took drugs because I am a drug addict and an alcoholic.
Karen: How long did it take you to get cured?
Leo: I'm not cured, you don't get cured, I haven't had a drink or a pill in six and a half years, which isn't to say I won't have one tomorrow.
Karen: What would happen if you did?
Leo: I don't know, but probably a nightmare the likes of which both our fathers experienced, and me too.
Karen: And... so after six and a half years you still aren't allowed to have a drink?
Leo: The problem is I don't want a drink, I want ten drinks.
Karen: Are things that bad?
Leo: No.
Karen: Then why?
Leo: Because I'm an alcoholic.
Karen: I don't understand.
Leo: I know. It's OK, hardly anyone does. It's very hard to understand.

This speaks to something that I have mentioned here several times, and hearing them talk about this reminded me of it. I was addicted to pornography for many years, and I have been "sober" for two and a half years, but that doesn't make the fight any easier.

I know some guy readers of this blog that have never had this problem before, but I know that other readers have had the same problems that I have had. To get off on a tangent: I think most people would be surprised how many Christian males have had or currently have an addiction to pornography. I have been in groups of guys where every person in the room admitted to looking at pornography (and not just passively). As I was growing up I thought I was one of the few Christians who struggled with it, but now I see that it is rare to not have had this problem.

But I digress. Like I said, as a true addiction, I still struggle with it. Some weeks it is easy, some weeks it is hard. When Leo is asked "Why do you want to drink," he replies "Because I'm an alcoholic." For me, it's that simple. Why do I struggle with pornography? "Because I'm a male." There isn't something inside of me that other guys don't have, it is in all males of all ages. But I made a promise to God, and I am doing everything in my power to stick to it.

Even though I am not currently struggling with this issue, please keep me in your prayers for the times that I am struggling. Please also keep the other readers of this blog in your prayers, as well as my efforts to fight this epidemic in America today.

Matthew

Shipping...

I just bought some Christmas presents on Amazon... I hope they get here in time... I hope I don't regret saving $6 by going with "FREE Super Saver Shipping".

Matthew

1st Peter...

I love it when I read the Bible and feel encouraged...

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
~ 1st Peter 4: 1-11

Matthew

2 AM

It is 2:30 AM and I am writing my Christmas Letter... this is going to end up being either amazing poetry or not fit for the bargain bin.

EDIT: OK, I have been writing Christmas letters, thank you letters, and confessional letters for an hour and a half now... I need to get to sleep!

Matthew

Quote...

Quote of the week:

"The past isn't the only thing your family can be proud of."
~ Josiah Bartlet, the president in the TV show "The West Wing"

Matthew

ornery

ornery, or⋅ner⋅y [awr-nuh-ree] –adjective
1. a word that I would use more if I knew how to spell it.

Matthew

Blog, blog...

Ya, so I haven't blogged in a while... I think it is a mixture of my life being mundane (doing the same thing every week), and me not being talkative. So don't feel left out, really, not much is going on. Just work, sleep, eat, work, work, work.

Oh, I am moving. I guess that is something to talk about. Really, though, the thing that I want to talk about is not me moving but that I need people to help me move. It looks like I will try to move my stuff before I go on Christmas Vacation, so I will need help the 22nd - 24th. Any volunteers? I have plans on going through my stuff BEFORE I move to get rid of any old junk, so stuff being moved will be not as much as it would be...

And I know I will regret saying this, but I need to borrow a truck from someone. A JEEP can carry lots of stuff, and I could probably do it without a truck, but it would mean lots of trips back and forth, and the box springs tied to the top. A truck even for one trip would make things a lot easier.

Anywho, that is all.

Matthew

Early...

Going to bed early doesn't work when everyone calls you, and leaves you voice messages, and sends you text messages...

*Note that I am not in bed asleep like I should be. =: <

Matthew

Dates...

[A disclaimer: Most of the following post is sarcastic. Due to the level of sarcasm involved, do not take it seriously. Do not believe what I said. Do not process the information. In fact, it would be best if you just didn't read it. Ignore this post like you do the rest of my posts. This will save you from the evils of sarcasm. Oh, except for the ending of this post, that part you can read without fear of sarcasm overload.]

As some of you may know, a two weeks ago I took a friend to "hang out" for a few hours. SHE is calling it a "date", but for me, it is "hanging out." Lets look at the facts:
A) Yes, I did pick her up, but she lives in my apartment complex, so it isn't like it was a long drive.
B) Yes, I did choose where we went, but we went to an ice cream shop where we had hung out before with friends.
C) Yes, I did pay for the "meal", but because that ice cream shop doesn't serve food after 4:00 PM, I only paid for ice cream... clearly paying for ice cream does not constitute a date.
D) Yes, we were mostly alone at the ice cream parlor that night, but at one point a small group from our church walked through the door, and we each talked to some people that we know, so we weren't alone ALL night.
E) Yes, I did walk her to her door, but it was because SHE insisted on it. AND there was no kiss. See? Clearly not a date.
F) And because the weekend before I had left my shoes at a friend's house, I was wearing sandals that night. Common sense says that if you are wearing sandals, it isn't a date.

So the facts all point to the fact that it wasn't a "date", it was "hanging out". Oh, and I hear Evan agrees that it was just "hanging out". See? I am not the only one!

However, I will say that I told Tiffany that once I buy "dinner" I would call it a "date", so I either have to plan to go to places that don't serve a full meal (like the movies), or I am going to have to move up in the world to "dating status."

OK, all sarcasm aside, I agree with our friend Sara (not to be confused with my sister Sara) that said that hanging out at an ice cream parlor is the perfect first date. The media shoves their version of what a date should be onto us, but I refuse to let the media define me. Why can't I decide what a good date is or isn't? Why does how well a date goes have to depend on how much money I spent, or how much kissing we did, or how many beers we had at a local bar? Why can't the perfect date simply be hanging out with a friend eating ice cream on a cold night?

Granted, one day I will plan dates that are much more romantic and personal, but for now I just want to enjoy time with a woman I like, and I don't need to spend a lot of money to do that.

Matthew

Hmm...

Now here's an idea...



Matthew