My story

I (Matt) have just been asked to be a guest blogger on this fine publication. This is one of the greatest honors of my life and I will do my best in the following post to uphold the tradition of journalistic excellence that this blog represents.
This week I was reminded several times of who I was before I became a Christian and he changed my life. Many of you have heard this story so you are excused from reading the rest of this post if you want. But if you haven't I will keep it brief.
I started drinking early, 12. By the time I was 16 I was drinking and using drugs heavily. By 17 I was also selling drugs to support my habit. I had fallen into a downward spiral. If anyone tells you that the human heart is not inclined toward wickedness please send them to me.
When I was 19 God sent Tiffany into my life. He had just started working in her life; drawing her back to him. She invited me to come to church with her. As you can imagine I had some bad experiences with church people so I wasn't exactly enthused to go. But I had a plan how I could stay in good with her and run them off at the same time. It might be good for me to give you a description of myself at this point. I was what you might call the typical "dirty hippie kid"; long scruffy beard, dreads, and about as unhealthy as you can get. Tiffany told me recently that she thought that I was on the verge of death. I ate very little. I was on a steady diet of alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. Looking back I think she is probably right.
So, I put my plan into action. I fluffed up my beard, didn't wash my hair, and tried to look as undesirable as possible. But a funny thing happened when I went to the church. Instead of being repulsed by me the people in the church came up to me and loved me. My plan backfired. I was confused, I had to come back and find out what was going on. I kept coming back. I kept hearing God's word, and eventually I recognized that the hole that I had been trying to stuff full of all the world has to offer really only needed Jesus to fill it. I accepted Christ as my savior and he radically changed my life.
I'm not saying it was all roses from here on out and I'm not saying that I never faltered but God was with me and he cared for me. When I fell he lifted me up, dusted me off and sent me on my way again. God is my ever present strength.
 But why have I told you all this? I told you to encourage you. Do you know someone who is like I was? There is hope in Christ. I told you this because It helps me. It is easy for me to rest in myself, to think I can do it myself. But I can't! I can do nothing without God's wonderful indwelling Spirit. I told you this enlighten you. God is real and he really changes hearts and lives, he can change yours too.

the digits

our move back to SC went well. we have completed our stateside training and now we focus on partnership devlopment.

SOOO,,,we are getting closer to the goal! We are going to switch now to numbers for our support level in hopes that it will be more meaningful- we still need $1190 monthly to reach our budget requirements by july.

 we don't have internet at the missionary house or a home phone..i think we will just use our cells now and hopefully we will have internet soon so that we can update more frequently...

news

wow. this is the first time i have been able to access the blog since the last post- not sure what's up...anyway i have NOT been in a bloggy mood. here's a quick update for my peeps


guess what friends...we recieved word that our visas are on the way! it took less than 3 weeks! And we are up to73.7% of our monthly budget- still hoping to make it to 100% by mid july  xoxo

I Am Resolved

The words of ths old hymn have been running through my head so much lately (esecially the first verse)...they sum up pretty well how i feel about leaving the few worldly goods we have and taking our family to the jungles of PNG...

I am resolved, no longer to linger

charmed by the worlds delight,

Things that are higher, things that are nobler,

these have allured my sight.

(refrain)

I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;

Jesus, greatest highest, i will come to thee

.

I am resolved to go to the savior,

leaving my sin and strife;

He is the true One, He is the just One;

He hath the words of life.

I will hasten to him, hasten so glad and free;

Jesus greatest highest, i will come to the.

I am resolved to follow the Savior,

faithful and true each day;

heed what he sayeth, do what he willeth;

He is the living way.

I am resolve dto enter the kingdom,

leaving the paths of sin;

friends may oppose me, foes may beset me;

still will i enter in.

I am resoved and who will go with me?

Come friends without delay,

taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,

we'll walk the hevenly way.

I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;

Jesus greatest highest, i will come to thee.

                               (by Fanny Crosby)

Hear me people! Jesus said Himself in Matthew 19:21 when asked speciffically by a rich young ruler how to obtain eternal life "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possesions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

Now this is where we lose most comfortable Americans. i do NOT believe this is figurative like most of us want to think. the common teaching is that this means you can't love your stuff more than God. that makes us feel better- but check this out-

"when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property."(v.22)

You see? there had not been 2000 years of watered down theology to lessen the blow of what Jesus had just told him. and this man knew...it cost too much. He looked into the face of Jesus and knew this wasn't up for discussion...but Jesus i won't love my stuff like i love you!  nope. he walked away. and Jesus said;

"Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."(v.23, 24)

Even the disciples were astonished.

Please don't let the world's delights charm you in to missing the joy of  following Christ! Be FREE!

Give it away! Come follow Him!

   

more spring photos

once again i want to brag on Courtney at http://www.storinguptreasuresphotography.com/ ; she does a GREAT job with children- just capturing them the way they are~ none of the posing stuff that looks so fake..we just played around and she took pictures that really capture each child's personality...

but i will say that she did some BEAUTIFUL 6 month portraits of evangeline that were more studio style- with the black background-  they were STUNNING! Look back to the November 2009 posts if you want to see more...