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.

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

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

pure

hey there.

today was the first day of february, which prolly has to be one of my top ten fave months of the year  [...letting that last statement sink in...]  the reason being:  as a student ministries pastor, it is when i get to focus all of my attention on relationship and purity issues.  [put simply:  sex]

there is no question that this topic is exciting, controversial, and sometimes even uncomfortable to talk about.  but during the pure series, we are going to discover that sex is one of God's greatest gifts to us.  the key is to remain pure.

i invite you to come along for the ride if you live in the area.  we meet every wednesday night @ 7pm just north of mount pocono, pa on highway 611 at pocono community church.  we'll be looking for ya!  [if you can handle it...]

-pm@

so far, so good...

hey there.

welp, we're working on our third day of the new year now.  and just for the record, twenty-ten is treating me just fine.  the truth is:  i'll be leaving on a cruise to the bahamas today with my high school sweetheart.  WORD!

on january 7th of this year, wendy jo and i will have been married for 15 years!  WOOHOO!!!  every new year serves as an excellent immovable marker when we can take stock of where we've been and where we're going.  but 2010 especially gives me a chance to reflect on the love God has given to wendy and i, what it has taken us through, and where it is leading us next.  i am so thankful for the unbelievable history that we've shared together, but can hardly wait for the unimaginable future ahead.  i'm looking forward to the things that God will reveal to me when i quiet myself before Him in the coming days of this new year.

next time you see me, i'll have a better tan, and a better plan.  how about you?

[pm@]

violated

[posted first on february 1, 2009]


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

the pocono community church family has spent a ton of time preparing to move into our new building. every detail has been carefully considered... anything from which trees to clear off of the lot, to which color flecks to include in the different carpets. every step brings more excitement, as we get closer to actually moving in. now, after all of that, how tragic would it be to learn that someone had come in and single handedly destroyed the new building. every class room had been vandalized with graffiti, every bathroom sink had been broken, every piece of video or audio equipment had been stolen. how hurt and violated would we feel? think about it... then show up for our underground services in february. we will connect our relationships to these strong emotions about the building. you won’t want to miss it! trust me.

[pm@]