it's been a minute...

hey there.

a few things have happened since my last blog...  =^]

taking a break from the world wide web can be a very good thing, but i'm thinking that it's time to get back in the saddle again.  this blog has been a healthy outlet for me in the past, so i will continue to document all that is awesome.

the next few posts will attempt to bring me up to speed on myself...  you can follow along too if you want.  we'll talk about the regular stuff:  family, faith, & fellowship.  these three are among the most important things in life; and what we choose do with them will ultimately determine our future.  feel free to leave me some feedback, or questions that you want me to tackle.  i promise that i'll get back with you in the next couple of years...

here's to reconnecting!

_that's what matthinx.

happy bert-day carter!

hey there.


the fam went to the park for carter's big #3 day last week.  little man turned three last year, according to him.  so it was really good that he actually made it...  alive.  here are some of my fave pics from our fun outing:  ENJOY! 

and now for the money shot...  gotta love that little daredevil!  he's nothing at all like his daddy.-]

& hot mama's big day is tomorrow!  i just love it when that girl gets older than me.  love you pooh bear!

_that's what matthinx.

tooshie totes

hey there.

wendy jo & i met for the first time in 7th grade.  we were those jr. high school sweethearts that made you sick to your stomach.  the truth is:  our cuteness has been known to make even our own stomachs turn.  80)


there is no doubt that knowing somebody for nearly 25 years comes with some really good times...  but it also comes with a handful of difficult days.  we have had to learn along the way that real love is quite stubborn.  working through the difficult days is the only way to discover and enjoy the really good times.


another crazy thing about knowing someone for about 25 years is the way we get into each other's heads.  finishing each other's sentences becomes second hand.  we can look into each other's eyes and decipher a paragraph of thoughts.  it's just freaky!  i can come home with a surprise, but she figures it out instantly.  and i can quickly tell that she's onto me, and she picks up on the fact that i know she knows...  [makes it kinda hard to pull one over in our house]

but for as long as i have known wendy, she has been one creative chica.  in fact, one of the coolest parts of my day is seeing her latest creation.  she is currently putting all of her creative juices into tooshie totes.  you can check out some of her goods on etsy.  i'm not a girl, but if i were, i would totally be into this junk.  besides, our kiddos would really appreciate the business.  =)

_that's what matthinx.

p.s.  today makes 15 years & 9 months of being hitched to my best friend!

undefeated losers

hey there.

it's always fun to be undefeated.  there's nothing better than pulling off what you knew you were capable of...  even in the face of every critic.  the kansas city chiefs currently find themselves 3-0, the only  unbeaten team in the nfl!  nobody truly believed they would be in the position they are in this week.  but they have relearned something about themselves:  money & prestige can occasionally have an impact on the win column; but strong hearts and raw talent carry the trump card every time.

go ahead.  get out there and prove your critics wrong.  don't be fooled into thinking that you will win every battle...  but with the right motivation and God's help, you will win the war.

[and also, please pray for the chiefs...]

_that's what matthinx.

my friend steve

check this guy out:  steve parsons dot net

hey there.

God knows.

He always knows!

it never matters what we've been through, or even where we've been...  God knows how to reach us with His relentless love.


it's like when a stranger from the other side of the planet shows up to worship with you at church, and then he sings a couple of songs that God uses to bring you crashing to your knees.


steve parsons is a funny guy.  i really think you'd like him.  his humor is perfectly dry, and his sarcasm is perfectly dropped.  he's not some pre-packaged squeaky clean plastic christian.  he's real.  he's been there.  but He is madly in love with God as he follows Jesus in real life.  and i haven't even know him 24 hours, but we are kindred spirits.  his lyrics are honestly raw, leaving no room for excuses:

one truth can set a man free, lift him up out of the dark, give him a reason, give him a new song to sing. one Man nailed to a tree, paying the price of a new beginning.  love is His answer and life is the gift that He brings.

i want to care without a stony heart.  i want to love and never lose the spark.  i want to go illuminate the dark.  and i want to, want to love.

[from 'one life'  _  written by steve parsons]

 check this out:  i attended central bible college with danae rutherford, who married steve parsons [singer/songwriter from the uk], who was invited to attend a conference in estes park colorado with eugene peterson [the beast behind 'the message'], and then got in touch with paul church [college friend & current pastor], to finally minister to the body of believers at dakota ridge assembly [where i just happen to attend].  you can call all of those details a tangled mess of happenstances, but i would simply call you crazy.


thank God for working all things together for the good!


_that's what matthinx

life is good

hey there.

with 5 kiddos & a maltese named little joe...  the day gets underway very early at the davis place.

i guess it would first be helpful for you to understand my philosophy of the morning.  i've seen a sunrise or two in my lifetime, and actually enjoyed one of them.  @_@  but i simply believe that God would have put His sunrise in the middle of the day if He wanted me to consistently experience it.  

the thing is:  i would feel quite accomplished if my early wake up calls were because of my morning mountain climb, my long distance bike ride, or my intense P90X workout.  but instead, my mornings are filled with a very large cup of joe, a crack of dawn walk with little joe, dragging some kiddos out of bed [coop, ashton & caleb], unsuccessfully putting others back in bed [carter & abbie], and a few more glorious cups of coffee.  nope, none of this stuff leaves me feeling uber cool; but all of this stuff leaves me feeling extremely fulfilled.  these days, the biggest part of my day is spent hanging out with the fam.  and if i'm lucky, i get to wrap it all up with wendy jo on a late night mickey d's/starbucks run  [oddly enough, the toffee latte washes down a mushroom & swiss angus wrap really well].

the bottom line___  i'm absolutely loving my new schedule.
it has been crazy watching God perfectly recreate our provision.  my management training is now complete with ultimate protection inc., and i could totally get use to these seven hour work days!

so, if you're in the denver metro area, here are 2 things to remember:

1.  join us anyday of the week for some early morning
 mayhem [please let us sleep in until at least 6am].

2.  if you're ready to protect your family from the bad
 guys or house fires, i'll get my team right on it.  '8~]-

that's what matthinx.

the do-over

hey there.

before the great wii, before the xbox, before psanything, even before running water...  we had atari.  it was back in the old days when 3D graphics weren't part of gaming.  some of us remember a time when our video games didn't come with pre-packaged imagination.  we primitively manipulated our pixelated icon across the tv screen, and sat amazed.  it was magical!

one thing has never changed though:  the reset button.  honest gamers will admit to using it more than they were proud of...  but we were thankful to have one more chance to beat the machine.  one more chance to figure out the things we had missed.  one more chance to execute the perfect game.

i'll never forget the long wait before the system was able to reboot.  it seemed like an eternity.  such wasted time.  we had more important things to do than just sit there waiting...  like fixing what we did wrong.

life is like that sometimes, and we find ourselves waiting to reboot.


thank GOD for HIS relentless love!

_that's what matthinx

how to talk to girls

hey there.

point your kids in the right direction-

-when they're old they won't be lost.  [proverbs 22.6]

one of the proudest moments that a parent can experience is when their child starts learning how to read.  it definitely comes as a wake up call.  up until then, we're just glad they don't run around the neighborhood naked.  but now...  they can read?!  are you serious?  sooo, they are actually growing up to be a responsible citizen that contributes to the good of mankind?  weird.

this is quite a jump in the level of expectations.

needles to say, when our little meat-head became enthralled after finding this book in the library at school, my chest swelled...

keep studying carter, no man has ever figured this stuff out...

-pm@

buried & burned

hey there.

i've never been more proud of our undergrounders.  this past wednesday night, we buried and burned the cultural idols that are keeping us from growing deeper in Godly relationships.  strong decisions were made to escape futures of sinful strangleholds.  i would not be surprised if the total worldly value of what we destroyed was in the thousands of dollars.  what a powerful night!

don't ever forget:

we must make the idols in our lives useless to us,

so that our lives can become useful to God...

-pm@

laughing my way to a better marriage

hey there.


i get to hang out with mark gungor this weekend, and i think i'm gonna like it a lot.  just look at him!  my kind of guy.


wendy & i are joining 300 to 400 others tonight and tomorrow morning for a marriage seminar that promises not only to be a blast, but also to help our relationships become better.  it is through events like this that i have discovered the key to a fulfilling life.  it's actually very simple:  WORK ON IT!  we will never experience life to its fullest until we commit to living our lives on purpose.


quick question:  what are you doing right now to become the person you want to be?


learning to love,


-pm@

p.s.

if you're in the mount pocono, pa area, and are ready to laugh your way to a better marriage...  come join us!  registration begins at 6pm for this marriage-changing event.  [singles are welcome to join us and start working on a great marriage early!]  

pocono community church

2770 memorial boulevard

tobyhanna, pa  18466

stranglehold

hey there.

it's been a bit...  we've been kinda busy, huh?

[living our lives on purpose will do that].

we started a new message series at underground fellowship:  STRANGLEHOLD  the kick-off night this past wednesday had to be one of the top ten nights we've ever had!  the big idea is that we've let some things slowly creep in and take death grips of our lives.  bad decisions, bad habits, bad self-image, bad culture...  and this march is all about allowing God to break us free from those entrapments.  don't let your friends miss this, [it would be good to see you too].

every wednesday @7pm in pocono community church

north of mount pocono on highway 611, next to the airport

FREEDOM!!!  [picture william wallace]

-pm@

repeatable comebacks

hey there.

i'm happy for the saints.

it's just a really cool story:  a city that is left in ruins.  a people that refused to give up.  a nation that rallied behind them.  a pro football team with 2 total post-season wins in the previous 42 years; to then win their very first superbowl appearance in 2010.  an epic comeback for the ages.

and the best parts of this story CAN be played out over and over in our own lives...

there are moments when we seem to be left in ruins.  there are moments when it seems like we haven't 'won' in years.  but when we follow God with our life and refuse to give up, we can experience miraculous comebacks.

that's all.

-pm@

p.s.  i would really like to be buried with a casket full of doritos...

shut the door!

[posted first on january 1, 2009]

hello, my name is matthew and i’ve been thinking...

life is very sticky. we go through our routine, mind our own business, when BAM! out of no where, and without even asking, life attaches itself to us with a very strong death grip. eventually, the layers of life begin to get kind of heavy. it’s like an old door that has been painted over and over through the years. at some point, the layers of paint get so thick, that the door can no longer close. truth is: we have several layers of life on us by now. honestly, some of them are great parts of our life... but others just aren’t. we’re gonna spend the new year stripping away all of the layers, so God can repaint us. don’t miss it, you will look much better!

[pm@]

ditch the party

[posted first on december 1, 2008]

hello, my name is matthew and i’ve been thinking...

some kids have all the luck. they get all of the alphabet blocks in preschool. they win all of the tetherball games in grade school. they get the brand new car at their sweet sixteen birthday party. they even marry their high school sweetheart. and then there’s the rest of us: the people who get the leftovers... the point? life is not fair. only God knows why good things seem to happen for some, and not for others. the problem with pity parties, though, is that our perception rarely lines up with our reality. we are taking a step back from our circumstances this month so we can see the greatness that God has planned for our future. don’t miss it! 

[pm@]

supersize me!

[posted first on november 1, 2008]

hello, my name is matthew and i’ve been thinking...

it has been said by a lot of people that bigger is better, and i believe them. who, in their right mind, would take a 6 ounce sip of mountain dew when a 64 ounce bucket is also available?! why would we watch our favorite movie on a 2.5 inch screen, when there is a 5 foot screen in the next room?! how could we ever eat a regular meal deal, when we can supersize that bad boy for 50 cents?! bigger is better. 

and this is the point that Jesus makes in matthew 28.19: ‘go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life...’ 

following Jesus is one thing; but bringing others along for the ride of a lifetime is something much, much bigger. and since we’ve established that bigger is definitely better, let’s make our following of Jesus BIGGER than ever. 

[pm@]

long live unboredom!!!

[first posted on august 18, 2008]

hello, my name is matthew and i’ve been thinking...

some things just don’t make sense... like the h3 hummer that is never driven off of the pavement, or the boeing 747 that is never taken out of the hangar, or the nuclear submarine that is never even allowed to go underwater... and this is only a short list of untapped potential. but one of the largest wastes of possible effectiveness has to be the Christ follower who never shares their faith with anyone. this is why mission arizona and the lost planet series are so critical for our fellowship. when we choose to live out the plan Jesus gave us for saving the lost, life begins to make sense! never forget that we were made to live our life on purpose, not on accident. so get off your backside & join us in august as we discover how to really live life. let the adventure begin... and long live unboredom!

[pm@]

please sir... put down the rocks

[posted first on july 17, 2008]

winston gordon blogificates:

hello, my name is winston and i’ve been thinking...


life, everyone is always talking about it, making movies about it, even making board games out of it (hasbro knows how to make their billions). but everyone knows how to worry about it. for example, the money people used to use to buy unimportant things like groceries and toys for their children, they are now using to buy gas. lets not forget to mention the election, with so much hoopla over what bush has or has not done the last eight years. and what about the longest primary ever (honestly, before this year i did not even know anyone really cared about the primaries). this november is sure to be one for the history books. this is the life we live in today as americans (of course, i am assuming you are all american. if you are not, i am sorry for the ignorance). the dollar is dropping, and everybody is talking and worrying. isn’t it funny how much stuff gets summed up into such a small word like life. i mean, when you talk about life, you can talk about the beginning or the end, the good or the bad, the board game or the feature film. but can we please just make all of our lives a little bit easier and stop thinking about the stuff that stresses us. i have noticed, especially getting older in my high school career, i see so many people preparing for life in the future that they are not living their life of the present. so many people are worrying about college, and then they will worry about a job, and then they will worry about being successful and having a family. here’s a thought, lets worry about what movie we are going to see tonight with our friends, or which mall we are going to go to later. don’t get me wrong, i am not saying goof off and stopping caring about the future, then you might end up like pastor matt (just kidding, who wouldn’t want 4 kids with enough energy to power new york city, with one more on the way). all i am saying is: stop trying to catch the good life, and let God bring the good life to you. work hard, but then go play just as hard. when you spend more time thinking about life than you do living it, you end up like that old cat lady that every one thinks is a witch, or the old guy on his porch with a shotgun who throws rocks at little kids as they pass. and who really wants to end up like that?

[wg]

solo sock

[posted first on july 1, 2008]

hello, my name is matthew and i’ve been thinking...


losing stuff is not cool at all. you know that your phone is right where you left it, the only thing is, you’re not sure where it is that you left it... what about that one time when your backpack literally grew arms and crawled underneath your bed? and why is one sock in every pair genetically programmed to disappear into the abyss? i am convinced that we spend most of our lives doing one of two things:

1. looking for our lost stuff

2. organizing our stuff so it doesn’t get lost

but when we stop to consider our spiritual lives, the stakes grow much higher than mismatched socks. the price we pay for being lost is death... good news: we can receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus! even better, we can share our faith with others so they can also be found! join us as we study the book of acts and discover God’s plan to rescue this lost planet.

[pm@]

road trip!!!

[first posted on june 16, 2008]


hello, my name is matthew and i’ve been thinking that i know what you have been thinking...

where have all of the ublogs gone?!

my world is spinning.

can’t focus.

please, someone help.

well, there is no reason to fret any longer. just dust yourself off and enjoy the latest ublog, free of charge:

it would be great if we could know what goes through a bugs mind the last seconds before they come face to face with our car’s windshield. are they planning their day? are they thinking about that one dandelion that all of the cool bugs are hangin’ out at? maybe they are just wondering why this big box of people is getting so... WHAM!!! but what about the other side of the glass? how is this road trip called life going for you so far? are you driving the car, or is God? the truth is, nobody likes back seat drivers, not even God. join underground fellowship as we learn how to hand over our life keys to the One who made us. we will discover how to win in this race of life.

[pm@]

p.s. it will totally be worth it when we get to heaven and can ask God what all of those bugs were thinking about!

i like sunflower seeds... but not too much

[posted first on may 1, 2008]


hello, my name is matthew, and i’ve been thinking...


there are several things in life that are important me. a good pair of socks. a hat that fits just right. a big bag of sunflower seeds. a cup of strong coffee. even a big juicy burger. but i’ve made up my mind that i will never bow down and worship a cow! there are many people in life that mean the world to me. my wife and kiddos. my other family members, (even the weird ones). friends that have been with me through thick and thin, (what were you thinking?). but i will never bow down and worship any of them!

here’s the deal. worship is a very sacred act. the truth is, though, that worship is a mystery to many. so we will take the month of may to ask four important questions:

||| who do we worship?

||| why do we worship?

 ||| when do we worship?

||| how do we worship?

join us as we study this very important part of our lives.

[pm@]