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Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know, you can get a sneak peak of the December edition of our newsletter, BEFORE DECEMBER!!! Just head over to the left on the sidebar and look under the "December Newsetter" heading. Also, if you want to access any of our past newsletters, they are available on down the sidebar under "Newsletters Preceding". Check it out!
On this month's newsletters take note of our Prayer and Praise Points. We'd appreciate your prayers. And if you have any requests of your own for us, let us know.
Those of you who receive our newsletters, they mail out December 1st. Keep an eye out for them!
Later guys,Matt
Today also, we are thankful.
Later guys,Matt
Today, we are thankful. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Later guys,Matt
Hey guys. So I know it's cold in Illinois and Kentucky and Minnesota, and everywhere else up north, but guess what.We've turned on the heat in our household. And it's been on for an entire day.I know, I know. It's Florida. Why do we need a heater?!Sure, it's not nearly as cold as Illinois. But you have no idea how quickly you get adjusted to the temperatures here in the South. Soon, 60º begins to freeze your butt off!OK, OK. I think 60º is great. But my wife freezes her butt off in no time.Enjoy the Frozen North.Later guys,Matt
Can you believe Heather and I have been married six months already?! What's up with that?!
Or, in the words of my favorite campaign advertisments, "What's she thinking?!"
A second thought, can you believe the Cards won the World Series during our wedding year, just as they last won the World Series during my parents' wedding year. I hope that doesn't mean we won't win again until my son gets married.
Later guys,Matt
So, when we got down to Florida, I started some reading on some books I haven't read in quite a while, some I had never finished, and some I have read who knows how many times.First on the list was one I never thought I would ever read, or even try to read, again. This was the book that defined the beginning of our years in the Capital Scholars program at UIS, the very first book we were required to read. And, if you asked some (me included) they would tell you it was probably the hardest book we had to read throughout college.
Holy War by Karen Armstrong. I wish I had read it back then. I skimmed it over and got out of it what was required, or at least the smallest amount I could. So, I found myself throughout college wishing I had put a lot more into it, just like all of my classes I had back then. I always thought I would get back into it, but never did. Until September. I finally picked it up again. And I've enjoyed it, believe it or not. I am about halfway through it now, and it has been very slow going for me. But I keep chugging along through it. If you have the patience for a 65 pages chapter every now and then, I recommend it. It has a lot to say about how Christianity, Judaism, and Islam interact with one another. If you tried to read it 5 years ago but couldn't, pick it up again! Give it a shot!But that took a backseat when the books from The Voice Project came in. When I finished the first book of that project last week, I decided to read a short classic from CS Lewis.
I picked up The Great Divorce and read it over this past weekend. What a great book. There are a lot of interesting ideas he has on Heaven and Hell and Earth. But the main point of the book is that we cannot have our evil desires and what the Holy Spirit produces. They are in a continual conflict with eachother, and we can't have both. It is so much a part of me to want to keep the things about this earth that I love but aren't honoring Christ. I think I can hold on to them and still pursue Christ with all of my heart. But it's a lie. It can't happen this way.This reminds me of something from Galatians I read yesterday morning.Here's how the Message puts it:5: 16-18 - My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?So now that I've finished that I'll go start the second book in The Voice Project and get back to you guys about how that was. A long time ago (the beginning of the year) a lot of you challenged us to read a book a week for this year. While I haven't done quite that well, I have read a lot. But I there are so many more to read!Later guys,Matt
Alright, so you remember this post.I finished the first book, The Last Eyewitness: The Final Week about a week ago.
Quality.I really enjoyed it. It was written so that you could imagine sitting down with John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the last surviving witness to Christ's life and death and resurrection, as he told the story again of Christ's last days on earth. It runs from John Chapter 13 to the end of the book. As he is telling the story just as you would read it from Scripture, he takes breaks from the text and adds extra parts and other stories to bring out the point of what he's writing. At times he'll refer to the other gospels and include whole chapters from what they were writing.He really tries to get you to imagine the scene of what's happening as Christ is at the Last Supper, and then in the garden, and then taken to appear before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, as Peter denies him, as Christ is crucified and buried, then resurrects, and how John runs past Peter on Easter Sunday morning to the tomb to find Jesus isn't there, and as Jesus reappears to them and ascends into heaven soon after. He explains his own feelings of love and sadness and lonliness and excitement over the realization that Jesus Christ really was God incarnate.It was really a fresh look at the story, not like it was anything new or a new twist on the Gospel or a new discovery in the Greek of the text or anything. Just a fresh retelling of the story, as if instead of reading John's letter to everyone, you're actually sitting there and listening to him tell you about it all.I recommend it. You can borrow mine. Just don't expect anything brand new. The Gospel isn't a new thing. It's just an exciting thing. And sometimes we need to take a fresh look at stories that we often rush right over because we've heard them our whole lives.Check it out. The Voice: The Last Eyewitness: The Final Week by Chris Seay and David Capes.Later guys,Matt
*update* You can get the first chapters of the books at www.hearthevoice.com. They are coming out with a third book soon on Matthew. Check it out!
Well, I'm sure you've all noticed, but we have a new template. After two weeks of messing, I think it's finally complete.Notice the sidebar.Our business card if you have need to contact us.Our most recent newsletter, front and back (August, but expect another in December!!).Our NMSI Brochure, inside and outside, complete with a short description of our work in MM, as well as the work we will be doing in the US until that time. Also, notice the response card just in case you decide you want to hop on board with us! Print it out, fill it out, send it in (the address, again, is on our business card!)!!Our Amalgamations (or, to link), a list of some of our favorite sites (just as they would appear were you using Firefox and it's Tab feature).If you look around at some of the well-known blogs in this little community we have, you might notice our new look is basically similar to a good friend's blog. Thanks for your thoughts with a common theme, friend!
I admit, as you can tell, I have a limited knowledge of HTML, but I've given it a shot, and I like the result. New colors, wider page content, and a surprise or two. Of course, I can't guarantee it'll stay this way. Hope you enjoy!Later guys,Matt
There is really only one television show Heather and I watch.LOST.And believe me, we watch it with a passion.Sure, there are other good shows on television. When nothing else is going on, we'll watch The Office (US), cause it's funny and we really enjoy it. A lot of times people are getting together around here to watch it together anyway, so we hang with them and watch. We like it. It's one of my favorites. Really. Then of course there are the Everybody Loves Raymond episodes that we'll watch at times. And Seinfeld reruns too. Those are classics.But they in no way compares to Lost. I'm not sure an hour of my week can fly by faster than when we are watching Lost. And believe me, they have Heather and I tied in for good. They could do nearly anything they wanted to the show, and they would still have us sucked in.So, tonight, we watched the Fall Finale of the show. I can't believe they did this. They drew us in to the show this fall and gave us 6 episodes. Then they go and say they'll be back in February. February 7th. That's three months away!! They're going to make us wait another 3 months!But I'll lay down and wait. Because that's how tied in I am. I'll count down the days with Heather until that Tuesday in February, one day short of 3 months from today. Then it's back for 16 weeks straight. Oh man, I can't wait.If you've not seen Lost yet, you have time in this 3 month wait to go rent Seasons 1 and 2, then ask around to see if anyone has recorded the first 6 episodes from this season. You can still catch up. Heather and I did. I believe in you.
Sure, the opening looks like a screen saver, but the story's amazing.Later guys,Matt
The Voice may give me $1394857.32 for reading any book. ANY book!Now that is what I call serendipity.Later guys,Matt
Hey guys, the things that happen to me, it isn't luck.It's just that I found "success apparently brought on by chance rather than through my own actions".(I prefer to call it serendipity.)Later guys,Matt
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!!!
(It's my wife's 24th birthday today. Wish her Happy Birthday!)
I love you, Heather!
Later guys,Matt
So guys, let me tell you about this sweet thing that just happened to me.First, I'll refer you to this post.Do you remember it? I asked someone to get this CD and tell everyone how much you like it. Afterall, I liked it and I loved the first Volume of the project also.So, a few days later, 15 to be exact, I received an e-mail that read as follows,"I came across your blog where you were talking about the cds and I want to thank you for that. I was also wondering if you would review the 2 books (The Last Eyewitness)John, and (The Dust off Their Feet)Acts, both are with the entire project called the voice. I would be more than happy to send you some copies if you’d like. Just let me know where to send themThanks,jc odenbrand managerthe voice."It surprised me. I was kind of suspicious to be honest. I almost didn't respond because I have seen some pretty ridiculous spam mail lately and I didn't want to take the chance of adding my address to another spam list by proving my address does exist evidenced by a response.But, finally I did respond. I wrote on the night of November 1st, "Hey JC, that would be great! I’d love to do a review on these. You can send them to..."I still didn't really expect anything to come of this. But, today, about 30 hours later, I received a package with two books and a CD from The Voice Project. I was amazed. This guy was serious! And he was quick. It came UPS Express marked "Extremely Urgent". Sweet.
Anyway, you can expect a review over these relatively soon. I'm excited! Wait for it...Later guys,Matt
Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know, you can get a sneak peak of the December edition of our newsletter, BEFORE DECEMBER!!! Just head over to the left on the sidebar and look under the "December Newsetter" heading. Also, if you want to access any of our past newsletters, they are available on down the sidebar under "Newsletters Preceding". Check it out!
