God is so amazing!

Last week I had the oppoturnity to attend a UM ARMY camp in Beaumont Texas. We were working in the community to clean up some of the damage caused by Rita and generally show the love of God to the whole City.

I knew going into the week that the work was only a side job to the real purpose of showing Christ's love, but the work was still important to me. I never would have thought I would have seen God's hand so clearly so many times through out the whole week. I saw family after family so overjoyed that someone, anyone, came to help them. I saw students begin to understand the whole impact of the call to true servanthood and discipleship of God. I saw my self doing things and leading folks to tasks and callings that could not have been done under human power.

Through out the week I had the honor of being the only Work Team Adult who also was working as part of the programs team. During the day, from 7 am till 5ish in the evening, I was working construction type of work, rebuilding handrails, painting, siding replacement. I was helping right along with the students, and I think that despite some slight issues we had with motivation and organization that we got the right work done right. During the evenings after meetings and paperwork from 6 till 8 I was working on teambuilding and eating, and boy were there some great things in both of those. 8 till midnight or 12:30 or so was worship time, and programs work, soundchecks, running the sound board, light controls, helping out with worship, setup, breakdown, everything that I was able to help with.

Needless to say I was totally exhausted at the end of the week, 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night, and lots of work during the day, made for a long week.

Client night this year was such a powerful thing for me, some of my Team's clients actually showed up and joined us. Now the way we met them was totally God. I was sitting at dinner with my team and 2 elderly black folks, who were obviously a couple sat down at our table. I was slightly bummed as none of our clients had shown up yet. I was talking to our guests and introduced myself and the group and offered to "adopt" them as our clients for the night and asked their names. They introduced them selves as the Adams family and said that we had replaced some windows for them. As I sat there it dawned on me that sitting there was actually the clients we had worked for the day before. I had talked to their daughter the day before and never met them. When I realized this it was like a burden was lifted from my whole time with UM ARMY. I had never before had a client show up, and I had never had one want to step to the front of the sanctuary and tell the whole gathered assembly what our kids had done for her. It was a powerful night all around, we had folks crying, laughing, and preaching. We changed folks homes, hearts, and even some outlooks on lives. We had folks testify to being scared of teenagers until a group completely rehabilitated a family home. We had women praseing God simply for replacing 5 window panes, or some siding and putting a good handrail in place for a wheelchair ramp.

If you ever doubt that God exists, go to a client night at UM ARMY, visit a work site, talk to someone who has gone. It is one of the most powerful spiritual retreats I have ever been on and one of the most effective mission trip also. A week like that can totally revitalize a dry spirit or kindle the fire in a new believer. This was the sort of week that sticks with you for a long time.

I would love to tell me, so please drop me an email and I will fill in some of the other details or stories.

Later Ya'll, Happy 4th, Praise God, Love freedom,

Wow, this is going to be short. Work is hectic, we are now down to 50% strength. Monday, I am going to have to spend all day long working on things that are not daily work, and it is only going to make life difficult on the rest of the guys.

Church is going well today. However Stephen and Star Smith, our worship leaders, had their last service with us today, Irving Texas is getting some great leaders, and wonderful people in them. It was sad to see them go, but at the same time God has called them to something great. I also have faith that God has some wonderful worship leader in store for Foundry.

Well I gotta run, check out the photoblog sometime, I like to post my new works there sometimes.

later folks,

So the promotion went through, and I got my newly revised paycheck yesterday. I like having a little bit more comming in every month makes life easier.

Work however is gonig to get crazy soon. we have lots of work to do and not many people, and when we get new guys in it is going to be tough just to get them trained up.

But on to happier topics, I love Spring/Summer time, it is nice outside, pool parties are often. I am a huge fan of the Grillin' and Chillin' time for those of you who do not know. I love to Grill. Ask my sister, I am kinda fanatical about it. I love to grill whenever it is allowed, I have a grill set my family got for my birthday one year, and it is great, you get to walk up and bust out this James Bond looking set of tools and gear. I have added a meat hermoter to the kit and a few other things. like I said I am a bit fanatical about my cooking.

I have not had alot of chances recently to do lots of Photography, it has been a crazy busy time of year for me and my hobbies are kinda suffering. I have not gone Photoing, not much biking, little time for my few shows, it has simply been busy.

I will post a few pictures soon and see what folks think of them.

leave me some nice notes they are fun to read.

Life is good!

Can I get an Amen for Promotions at work?

AMEN!

Other news to follow soon, just had to share the newest news soon.

Hey there folks, I simply wanted to say that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is actually kinda fun. I got the chance to see Pat Green perform and he did a pretty good job.

It is fun, however there were quite a few "prosta-tots", the high school hoochie girls. My buddy John coined the term and it made me laugh for about 5 minutes.

If you ever get the chance to go to the rodeo, I would recommend that you do. It is a very enjoyable experience. The performance was good, the fair was interesting. I enjoyed just watching some of the folks out there. I will probably post some of my pictures on the photo blog.

have a great weekend, everyone,

Bible study tonight made me think of something, so you readers will have to forgive me if i start to preach a bit. We studied Lent, and talked about the season, the traditions and some of the meanings behind it, and it got me to thinking.

Why is it that we live a season of Lent, why not aim for a Lenten Life. I admit, i think it would be tough, but is that not what we are ultimately called to do, live a life that is free of sin. A Lenten life would be one of deep introspection, prayer, and service, sounds like a good definition of a Christian life to me. I really do think that a life lived in all seasons as Lent would be a good thing for Christians.

Most folks look at Lent as the time that you give up something you like, chocolate, caffeine, cokes, what ever that thing that you like is. These sacrifices should really have some spiritual signfiance, not simply an ascetic removal of pleasure from your life. I think for lent it is more about identifying the sin in your life and stepping in with Doctor God to excise that cancer from your soul. That removal may take something with it, but it was probably not a good thing to begin with. The other reason I like the Great Healer analogy is that no one would ever do surgery on them selves, like real open heart type surgery. God must be the one doing his work, we simply have to let him, and we have to trust.

I think this Lent during the times of introspection I am going to ask that God identify my flaws, and help me to set out an action plan to remedy them. I will ask what i need to "give up", not just for lent so folks know I am a good Christian and I follow the traditions, but rather the big things, the Sins i love so much that are the Devil's work in me to separate me from God. Lent should not be 40 days of right living and prayer to make up for the other 325 days of debauchery and fun. Lent should be a reminder, and an encourager to us all, a season to re-charge and realign our minds and should with God. Life should be lived every hour as if it were Ash Wednesday Service, not depressed, down, self loathing time. Rather a time of introspection, correction, improvement, and total surrender to the Healer, Jesus.

Well now that i have preached and bored you all, leave a comment, let me know what you think,

Also, if it is your way, please pray for all Christians during Lent, that God will act in their lives and souls and help us realign with his path for each of us. Pray for healing of minds, bodies, souls and relationships. Pray for me as well, that this season will last a life time.

God bless,

Well, I actually had a good morning today, which considering the week I just had was amazing. I am actually well rested and relaxing today. I am not sure if i will do responsible stuff today or be a bit of a slug, some advice would not be un appreciated, if folks like to give that out.

I found out this week that I was passed over for a promotion, and the guy who got it is someone who I trained, who I taught everything that he knows. He will not be as good of an engineer as I, however he might not be a bad administrator. The decision by my boss has made my path further in my career much clearer now, as I know it will not be with my current company.

I have spent this morning cooking a quick breakfast and watching the Olympics, HD tv is the best for watching Hockey. I watched the women's game and it was great, with HD you can easily pick out the puck.

Well i will hopefully get better about posting on here and keeping folks updated. Hope everyone is well.

Have a good Saturday kids.

Another short update, Life is still going.

Work is really driving me nuts somewhat, lots to do, not alot of support.

Church is great, I am getting more involved in the youth group, but it is just a bit more time every week i do not have for my self.

I have to figure out what is happeneing with the Super Bowl this year, folks want the party at my place, but i dont think i am going to be available (See youth group above).

Ah...... gotta love making decision that have no good outcomes possible.

gotta run folks, catch ya'll later,

Happy New Year to everyone, I hope every person had an enjoyable and safe New Years.

I have another prayer request for a friend. I recently found that a companion of mine at church has been diagnosed with a form of cancer. I am not sure of the details, however it will help and assist if prayer is applied. I thank all of you in advance for your prayers of healing, wisdom, hope, and knowledge, and I thank each of you for the time that you spend.

BTW, check out the Photo Blog, it has some new pics up and I always love comment on them.

Regards,

Ok, so I am bad about updating this thing..... sorry.

I hope everyone has had a good Christmas Season, I know mine has been filled with parties, get-togethers, family visits, and all the drama that goes along with those things. I did get some very cool gifts for Christmas and my Birthday (Yesterday), among them, a "Darth Tater" potato head doll, it is about the funniest thing I have ever seen.

I want to take a chance to request some prayers, one for a friend with some health issues, that the doctors can diagnose what they have and find a way to cure or treat it. Also, prayers for my friend that was robbed a few weeks ago, hope that they get everything back in order. Prayers for my Church for the new year, that the direction and decisions are of God, and not leadership or the congeration. And also I would pray that everyone has a fun and safe New Years, and a great 2006.

I will be posting more soon, and maybe even a few pictures on the photo blog.

Thoughts from the end of the hall.

Random musings from the back of my mind.

I have recently found that I have a way of making almost anyone hate me, and it has to do with my conversations and some of my own personal philosophy. I ask too many questions, I answer questions with questions. I have a problem.

I admit it, I have a problem. I have a problem with statements, sentences, answers. I. Do. Not. Like. Them.

They lead no where, they are dead; once said they have no importance. I love Questions, questions have a purpose that out lives themselves. Questions lead to more questions, they are alive. Questions have meaning, they have substance, they learn. I think that more and more I have come to embrace this concept in much of my life, I do not like to hear anything but questions. Questions are how you get to know someone, how you learn about them. A well phrased question will be remembered (e.g Et tu Brute?) where as the answer is sometimes worthless.

If I tell you that the answer is 34 plus or minus 2, it means absolutely nothing, it is only numbers. If I tell you that "Edward did it" there would be nothing to work with. The question is what matters, without it words are only noise.

The question is the fundamental concept that learning is possible. Notice how people phrase the age old "Question", "Why did the caveman draw on the wall?" It to me seems that the answer is, that his friend asked how many Mastadons there were 3 hills over and the guy needed more space to answer in. A cave painting, a picture, a book, the internet, all of these are about the beauty of the Question; why did the cave man paint? We know he did, we know how, we know what he painted with, we even know when; but we are fascinated with the WHY. The Mona Lisa is not the most famous painting because it is executed wonderfully, or uses color better than any other, it is famous cause everyone wonders why she smiles like she does. You buy a book because you have a question, if you had the answers, you would not need it.

Even think about the word "Question". It is a Quest, a journey towards an end. It is the act of seeking, it is the adventure of learning.

I admit I have a love of the Question.

Why?

Ok, some thanksgiving pictures are up. For those of ya'll who don't know, one side of the family likes to do thanksgiving with everyone in town. This is my dad's side, and I am the shortest one of my generation of the guys, and I am 6'3 or 6'4.

The trip went well, two and a half hour drive this time, no where near the drive I had on my last trip (Evacuation from Rita).

Well I will give a few more updates soon, hop all are well and had a joyful thanksgiving. Enjoy the day, and leave a message

Alright folks, short update.

'Tis Sunday, tired as all get out.
Still not loving the work life.
There is no work getting done around the house.
Holiday are apoun us like the Vandals sacking Rome.

BTW, what is the deal with everyone trying to tell you to stop being a "bah hum bug" or a "Grinch" during the holidays?!? I mean really, do folks think that people aren't already aware that they are not in the spirit of things for some reason, and that they ought to cheer up a bit. Folks, ask a question, offer a shoulder, be kind to someone. Berating someone who is not in the holiday spirit is like giving someone with a heartattack a good scare; you might like it, but is not a good thing for the recipient.

continuing on:

I still am single.
Friends are always asking for help, and I am a "great guy".
Friends forget about me, or just don't remember me sometimes.
I need to go to bed and hope tomorrow is a better day.

Who am I kidding, tomorrow is Monday, lets hope Tuesday is good.

Sorry bout the mope-fest, just been a tought few weeks.

Later folks,

The really really really tired guy, Matt.

Just a quick update, you can now visit my Photo Blog, http://thephilosophicalengineerphoto.blogspot.com/

Take a stumble around and let me know what you think of some of the photos I wish to let others see. They are not the best, I save those for my own walls, but they are good enough to share.

Take a look and let me konw what you think.

Ok it's been a while, but life has been very busy, not a good excuse, but it has the novelty of being honest.

I have some big decisions coming up in my life soon. I think that I am going to be looking for a new job soon, and trying to find a bit more sastification in that arena. I have also been asked to join a different ministry team at Church. While this is an honor, it is a big decision and one i need to pray and think on at length, if anyone has advice, let me know, I would love some help with this one.

Other that I am working my self to death and trying to get used to this time change, it is really messing with me though.

Well it is off to bed with me, have a great evening folks,