2008 in Review!!

This was a big year for my family. God was so good to us this year and has blessed us in so many ways. I wanted to go through a couple of those big things and share it with my blogging world.

1. Marriage. This past year God really did a miracle in our marriage. Beth and I have grown to love each other much deeper. In late 2007 I confessed some things from my past to Beth that I very much regretted. Although that was hard, God did a miracle through it and we are closer than ever. Sin separates! That is just the facts. When sin enters the marriage you will automatically be separate, just as it does with our relationship with the Lord. Since my sin was from before we were married, I never was one with Beth the way that God intended. In 2008 we were able to achieve that oneness through confession, repentance, and forgiveness. I love my bride deeply and I am the man I am today because she pushes me to be there.

2. Babies in Heaven. As most of you know, we have 3 beautiful children; all of which were unplanned by Beth and I. This year we decided that we were going to go for #4. We were very excited. We went on a cruise in March and began trying (that was fun, I recommend it for married people) Sure enough I shot for the stars and hit; she got pregnant. A few weeks into the pregnancy Beth began to have cramping and bleeding. Next thing we knew, she had a miscarriage. This was odd because that never happened before. The one time we try and she has a miscarriage! So, the Dr told us to wait 2 months and we could try again. So, we did. Again we started trying for another baby (fun fun fun) and another direct hit. This time the pregnancy lasted a few weeks more than the previous but with the same outcome. It was a very hard time for Beth and I. Although we knew that God was in full control, we were confused to say the least.

Now Beth is almost 4 months along and it looks like we'll be having a healthy baby in 2009.

3. Walk with the Lord. This year I made a strong effort to do 2 thing. 1. Have a meaningful time with the Lord everyday and 2. get into the Word everyday. Although there were some days that I missed, I absolutely fell in love with my Bible and my time with the Lord like never before. I have learned how to hear the voice of God and God has spoken to me more clearly this year than ever before. I know how to study my bible and have a heart to know God rather than religious practice. I know more scripture than ever before and it has changed my life.

4. Transition from OFY. As God began to burden me more and more about our church plant, he also began to transition me out of OFY (youth group) in order to have more of a focus. While doing this, God also raised up some other great leaders that are serving Frank in ways that I was never able to because of my schedule. It is a testimony of God's absolute control over his Kingdom. OFY is now literally on fire for God. I have never seen a group of kids on such a rebellious pursuit of God. It convicts me with how much faith these kids have. I remember the day that God transition me out. Frank and I were set to meet at Panera Bread and I was going to tell him that God was transitioning me out. It was just after the Catalyst Conference. Well about 10 minutes into the conversation, Frank told me that he felt that God was transitioning me out. I didn't even have to say anything. It was awesome and totally God.

5. Church Plant. In 2008, God absolutely confirmed in me that we are to move to Boston to plant. All of the people who I consider spiritual leaders over me have confirmed it. God has spoken to both Beth and I about this. God has already begun to build a team. We are out of all consumer debt and have money in savings. Someone has donated to our church plant already. The stories can go on and on and on. It truly is amazing. I am at the end of the Acts 29 process, Daystar has agreed to sponsor us, we have all of our Brochure info ready, logo done, and are close to a website.

6. Work. This year I have been so blessed at work. I closed my first $1,000,000 deal. I hit my goal again this year even with all of the economic trouble that we are seeing. I have favor in the eyes of my leadership at work and have been given more responsibility. Also, this enabled Beth and I to give more than ever before and get ourselves of a lot of debt.

7. Kids. My kids are the joy of my life. I love them to death. This year Daniel has gone from a toddler to a young boy. He is a total dude. He loves fighting, dirt, peeing outside, sports and I even caught him glancing a some girls this year at his basketball practice. Although only 5 the boy prays like a theologian, knows more scripture than most evangelicals and truly has a heart for God. Just the other day he was telling me about how he was telling a friend about Jesus at school because they were acting bad. haha....That's Kinda fundamental. He also calls himself a "Mighty Man of God"

Abby is still a princess. She cries if we put her in pants, she is very sassy, but tender hearted and sensitive. The girl can eat like a horse although she's the same size as Ella who is 2 years younger. Abby is totally convinced that she is going to marry me. I tell her all the time that I am already married to her mommy but she wont buy it. In her eyes we're married. I guess that's OK for now. Abby called herself a "Beautiful Women "OF" God" with a major emphasis on "OF" not sure why that is, but whatever.

Now, Ella and I got to know each other this year. When she was breastfeeding, she wanted nothing to do with me. Now she wakes up every morning yelling DADDY. Its very cute. That girl has grown like crazy. She loves to wrestle with me, jump on my belly and have me tickle her until she cries, haha. She always comes running back for more.

8. Theology and Doctrine. I am by no means a theologian or doctrine expert but I will say this. God has given me a deeper understanding of who he is. In Ephesians 1 Paul writes that we should have a Spirit of Knowledge and Wisdom. This year I have read more books and studied more than probably ever year of my life combined and I am not even in school. I have a room in our house dedicated to study and prayer. I have literally become a student. I read often and am constantly downloading seminary podcasts and learning on my own. I look forward to getting back into school part time to began to have more of a focus in my studies. Who would ever have though I would like to go back to school. OMG.

9. Influence. This year I have had more influence in the lives of other people than ever before. I have seen people come to Christ through relationships and conversations I have been engaged in. God has given me words for people that have been right on. I am constantly learning what it means to live missionally in my world and how to have influence in the lives of other people. In no way am I there, but I am a student of this. I have done this at work, the gym, church world, and with random people. To God be the Glory in this. I do not want to boast in this because I know it is just the progressive work of the Lord, however I am very thankful.

Friends and Family pop-in.

This past week was so cool. First my Grandparents popped in from NY to visit. They are awesome. My grandparents were the first people in my life who prayed for me. They say that when I was little, they knew how I was being raised from a "Religious" perspective and how the family baggage was effecting me and they would consistently pray for me. I never knew about this until I a few years ago. Then we had our friends from college, Heather and Carlos, come and visit us with their little baby girl. She was so cute. It was so awesome to see them. They are the type of friends that you can go years without seeing them and when you finally get together, it's as if you were never apart. I had a chance to share with them my heart for Boston and what God is doing. They were so encouraging and I will definitely be calling them when it is time to move and invite them on the journey with us.

Appalled and Flabbergasted !!

My mother went on my blog last week and saw where I wrote about a wife submitting and obeying her husband. Her response to me was that she was “Appalled that I would ever think that a women should submit to her husband and that she raised me much better than that” It is so funny how both Christians and non-Christians have such a hard time with this. When I explained to my mom what it means to submit as a wife and how a husband has the harder job, as he is to totally lay down his wants, his needs, his feelings and his life, she was a little more understanding of what it means when God tells a women to submit to her husband.

With that being said, I would like to quote Ephesians 5:21 which is the verse right before “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” In verse 21, it says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” This is clearly stating that a husband should also submit to his wife. Then Paul clarifies that even tough both a husband and wife should submit to one another, it is important that the family has a leader as the head of the home. If you look at the structure of any well functioning organization, whether it is a church, military design, McDonalds, law office, police department, or a fortune 500 company, you will see the same thing. All of those organizations have a chain of commands or a structured line of authority. The line of authority has nothing to do with value or importance; it is just that this structure gives functioning organization the best possible opportunity to be successful and prosperous. To be honest, Beth is much more valuable and important to my family than I am. (Especially now that I have $1 million in life insurance) She is the one who takes care of our children, keeps the house in order, takes care of me; she is the link that keeps our family together.

One last thing to note is that if I want to make it easy for my wife to submit to my leadership, than I need to be a servant leader. The problem that the world has with submitting to husbands is that the typical husband is viewed as being a macho, chauvinist, Napoleon complex, little man syndrome, insensitive, my way or the highway, over powering, hole punching, nympho maniac. But when you view that to what a Christian husband should be; loving, compassionate, selfless, serving, God fearing, Christ pursuing, sensitive, a man who doesn’t get angry or pushy, a man who doesn’t raise his voice, a man who listens to his wife, supports his wife, and try’s to do all that he can so that she can be everything that God wants her to be.

Would that man really be hard to submit to? I’ll let you answer that.

Love you momma, Matt

Comfortable Sin

I'd like to post a question to everyone, but first let me tell everyone about my conviction.

Not to long ago I was listening to a speaker talk about the fruits of the spirit and God totally convicted me about something. I sin more against the people who I am closest to than I do against people I don't really care about. Here is what I am talking about. A couple of weeks ago, Daniel spilled some water on the floor and I got really angry at him. I mean, it was water and he spilled it on my vinyl floor. I don't remember the details but I think I raised my voice in disappointment and sent him to his room. I mean, I had just told him 2 minutes earlier to be careful and plus he just turned 4 and should be able to take a drink without dumping it all over the ground. Rightfully so, I got upset...right? Of course not, he's a little boy, he's only 4, and he spilled some WATER on a VINYL floor (right next to a roll of paper towels) in which it may have taken me 26.3 seconds to clean it up. I was totally out of line to loose my patience and God looks at my action as sin.

Now here is my question. Why are we so quick to sin against people who we are most comfortable with than when we are around people who we don't even know? I'll even go as far as asking this...Why do we feel like it is OK to sin against people who we are most comfortable with than when we are around people who we don't even know?

This is true inst it? If my pastor was over and his kid did the same thing as Daniel, I know for a fact that my actions would have been totally different. I would have laughed it off and been liek "Oh, its ok, he's just a kid" How about in our relationships with our spouse. If Beth points out a fault in me that has some truth to it, my first reaction is to get proud and defensive, but if someone like my neighbor pointed out the same thing, I would probably act different. Have you ever been having a fight with your spouse and your phone rings and you answer it all chipper and happy, only to hang up and start fighting again? Its crazy how two faced I can be sometimes.

God convicted me on this. We should have more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control with the people who we love and care about the most, rather than treating people who we don't even know very well like this because we want them to view us in a certain way. The truth is that we are not this way with the people we are closest with because that is not who we really are yet. And I think I would also say that I am hypocritical and proud if I choose to act this way; we all would be.

Lets begin to be intentional about treating all people and especially the people who we are closest with, with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Next time you are in a conflict or uncomportable situtation, PAUSE for a second and think to yourself, how would you act if this was someone I didnt know very well. Actually, next time you get in a conflict, say to yourself, If I was in a conflict with Jesus right now, how would I act?

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.