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

Dig...

Ya, so I dig a girl, and she digs me... =: >

Matthew

Timothy...

Normally, when I read the Bible, I do just that: I read the Bible. I try to "study", but often times I find it hard to do that.

Last night, however, was an exception. I read 2nd Timothy 4, and it just made me want to study it. Read this passage a few times, and you will know what I mean.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 timothy 4:1-8

Matthew

Sodium Chloride

Yea! I got my first birthday gift today! It is a few days late, but that is because FedEx didn't leave a note on my door to say that I had a package at the office.

Anywho, thanks Sara for the Sodium Chloride Containment Unit!

Matthew

EDIT: Fixed the link... thanks Spart!

Gas again...

I just filled up with $1.84(9) gas. That's right, under $1.85 for a gallon gas! I filled a tank for under $35!!!

The last time I filled up for under $1.85 a gallon: January of '05. That's right, over 46 months ago!

I know that it is normal for the price of gas to drop at the end of the summer, but this is EXTREME! Everyone fill up your generators from Y2K while the prices are low!

Matthew

Spirit Juice

Tonight God is sending me lots of spiritual-goodness juice.

On the drive home from a job tonight I had a really good, deep conversation with a friend. It instantly made our friendship more than just passive. I asked a hard, taboo question of him (I was holding him accountable), and the resulting conversation was very cool.

When I got home, as I was taking a shower, I was thinking about the conversation that we had, and I got side tracked and had an epiphany about something that I said a week ago. (I told someone something that I meant, but I didn't know what it meant. To put it another way, I couldn't define what I was trying to say, but I knew it was true.) But now I know what I was trying to say, and it is a really cool idea.

Then, it being late and I have to be up early, I was trying to go to bed, and I had some music on like I normally do as I go to bed. But as I sat down to read scripture (I am currently reading through the New Testament, I am in 2nd Timothy), the track that I was playing started to read scripture. I knew what scripture it was, because I posted about it a few weeks ago. So I sat and listened for a moment to what they were reading, and I decided that it wasn't enough to just listen to them read a part of it, I wanted to read the passage again. So I flipped back a few pages to Ephesians. While reading it, I got a whole new idea that I turned into a post at my other blog: Linky

Anywho, I am totally grateful and thankful for God for showering me with spiritual-goodness juice tonight. He is one cool God, and I pray that he continues to answer my prayers as he is doing.

I just now pray that he will give me extra rest for when I wake up in the morning, because I have now stayed up to write two blog posts.

Matthew

Excited...

We are getting closer and closer to moving into our new building, and things are really starting to ramp up. We are installing equipment and finalizing things.

I am getting excited! I keep finding myself thinking about the opportunities that we will have, the fun and joy I will have worshiping God by leading worship... I am getting pumped!

So, who all is going to come up mid-December for our opening Sunday?

Matthew

Not all is lost...

While I may disagree with who the country chose for it's next president, not all is lost. Check out this page to see some of the local ballot measures from around the country: link

I am surprised that California is going to pass a constitutional ammendment to ban gay marriage (at least right now it is projected to pass).

Matthew

Dr. Horrible

In honor of me not being able to dress up as Dr. Horrible for Halloween this year like I wanted to (I had a job), here is a bad photoshop job of me as Dr. Horrible:



Matthew