The Front Porch Mentality

I never grew up in a house that had a front porch. We had a back porch. Screened in. It had a consistent “old” smell to it. I think it’s because animals decided to go under it and “reflect” when they entered their last moments.I can distinctly remember my mom taking our insanely fat cat out to the porch one day and putting him on a leash while we worked outside. That was the day we broke the cat. Moving on.  Every day, we passed this big farm house with a wraparound front porch, and every day I thought to myself, ” I want a porch like that one day”. I imagined people sitting out there with their big family, enjoying time together. Being a musician, I always envisioned somebody like Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder playing on the porch at a big hoedown. Again, moving on. I heard a song on an upcoming gospel album that talked about those days: the days where people sat on the front porch and talked. Those were simpler, safer days. It was much easier to do that then than it is now. I grew up on the closing end of that generation, and listening to that song got me to thinking ( always a dangerous exercise for me): Are the days of the “front porch mentality” over?

It’s a valid thought. Think about your life. Think about how busy you are. Now, go back and think about your parents’ lives, and how they described it to you. If you’re from back in the country like me, those days sounded a LOT different than now, right? Sipping sweet tea, strumming a guitar, waving at the neighbors as they went by, and watching the kids play in the yard. Now, blink, and think back to what your family did this weekend for fun. Maybe you had a movie night. Maybe you played the Wii together in a friendly game of Mario Kart. Did you even do anything fun this weekend? Did you make any memories that will last? My grandparents used to send me out into their yard to play. I had to fend for myself for a couple hours. No Nintendo DS to keep me company. No YouTube. No Facebook. I made bows and arrows. I got pine sap in my hair. By the way, if you’re looking for me to make a spiritual comparison on this blog today, there’s not one. Just making a point. I made tents in the yard with sticks and old bed sheets. I’m thankful for technology and what it allows us to do, but one day we’re gonna Tweet, Skype, and text our way out of a relationship with our families. Divorce rates are exploding. Divorce among Christians is even worse. The foundations our parents laid out for us, socially speaking, are crumbling away. We text each other in our own home to let each other know dinner is ready. Our parents “request” to be our friends on Facebook just so they can see pictures of their grandchildren. Are the days of making memories like the old days over? I hope not. I want my daughter to have a front porch to play on while we are outside. My daughter will know what it’s like to feel the mountain air in the summertime. She’ll know what it’s like to get sunburnt from being in the pool too long. She’ll know what it’s like to spend real time with her family. Why? Because I didn’t always have that. I was an only child in a single parent home. I’ve decided to break the trend in my family. My “front porch” was in the back room at my granny’s house. Every Christmas, all us kids (my cousins and I) would retreat back there and eat our dinner really quick. We’d hustle back in the kitched with our dessert and back into that back room. You see, in that back room was an old acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, and an old little organ that didn’t play half the time. But we made it work, and we made music from an early age. I have no doubt in my mind that helped mold me into the music lover I am today.

So I guess there actually IS an analogy to be made here. What’s your front porch? Is it the family vacation you’ve always wanted to take, but never took the plunge to do it? Is it that big family get-together you’ve wanted to have, but felt you never had the time to plan it? What’s the memory you want to pass on to your family? They aren’t promised to be around forever. Neither are you. Neither am I.

 

I still haven’t built that front porch on my house. Yet.

 

Praying for rain with my umbrella open,
Matt

Get In The Game

I’m not naturally lazy. Ok, I am a little bit. I try not to be, though. The last couple weeks have really tested my “laziness meter”.  I try to keep a routine of getting up early, and getting rolling really quick for the day.  I’m usually successful. I usually get up, watch the baby while Ash gets ready, then head out for a morning jog. Then I come back, eat some breakfast, and do my devotions. Then I get started with my day’s duties of searching and calling around about jobs, while trying to keep our house somewhat presentable. It’s become the new me lately. I want to stay busy. I want to stay working somehow. If I don’t, my mind wanders off into what I can’t control- my circumstances.

I heard a quote recently: “If you want to get into the throneroom, the best way is usually through the servant’s chambers.” I’m testing that theory as I try to get more involved with things around the church. What’s the harm, right? I have to admit, there’s nothing like being around there. It has its own vibe, its own atmosphere.

So what’s my point? Do you want the answers you need? What should you be doing right now in the meantime? Should I sit around, twiddle my thumbs, pat my feet, and stare at my watch for the skies to open up and a letter to fall from heaven with a 10-step program to follow to get the answers I need? No. I’m responsible to God for the way I handle this situation, and I want Him to be pleased. Doing right doesn’t take a backseat while I’m out of work. It’s still the priority, no matter what around me is happening. So until God provides the job He has for me, I want to move closer to Him in a way I never have been before. That doesn’t happen on a couch saturated with potato chip crumbs. It happens when I get my hands dirty trying to get out and minister. It happens when I get desperate  on my knees in prayer. You want to get better? It doesn’t happen sitting on the bench waiting your turn. Get in the game, hone your skill, and watch God lead you into your answer.

 

Praying for rain with my umbrella open,

Matt

Busy, Busy

It seems that ever since I’ve been out of a job, I’m busier than ever. I don’t mind it. I can see God’s hand in some little things that I’ve been able to do that I wouldn’t normally have been able to do while working. I’ve also seen God work some great things out for me to be able to do these things.

 

Tomorrow night, I’ll get on a bus, and ride through the night with some folks from my church to Washington, DC, for the 2012 March for Life. I am so excited to be able to offer my support and my time to support such an important issue in our society today: the right of a little baby to live. If you’re reading this, you ought to be thankful your mother shared that right, otherwise you would be just another statistic. The numbers are staggering: people think the easy way out is to “terminate a pregnancy”. God calls it murder. Society calls it “pro-choice”. What about the choice of that child? What would they choose? Today more than ever I realize the blessing of a baby. Though trying at times, God gave us a gift and a responsibility to raise this child and teach her about Him. I’m so thankful for my sweet Bella, and can’t imagine life without her here with us.

I’m telling you all this because there’s a strong chance I may not be back here until Tuesday. I wanted to share one more thought with you. I was watching some college basketball today, and a commercial came on that really got me thinking. It was for a popular Men’s suit company. The setting was at a church for a wedding. The bride is walking down the aisle, and the narrator says, “On your wedding day, everybody will be looking at the bride. But she’ll be looking at you. You want to look good while she’s looking at you.” Isn’t that true? Think back to your wedding, guys. The day is all about her. How does she look? What does her dress look like? You are not the focal point of the day. The bride is. But to the bride, you are the only person in the room when she walks down the aisle. And when she meets you down at the front of the church, everything else is a blur.

Many times the church is referred to as the bride of Christ. I got to thinking about this during that commercial. We, the bride of Christ, are brought to the bridegroom, Christ himself. We are not the focal point though. The Bridegroom is. You see, it’s only because of the Bridegroom that the bride can be dressed in that beautiful white adorning. We’ve been given His righteousness. He has made us beautiful, and we are His. May we live everyday in the light of the Bridegroom’s imminent return.

 

What a day. Is that wedding music I hear?

Matt

The Preacher Woman

I knew that title would grab your attention 🙂 .

I was in one of those moods today. I haven’t had any luck finding work and I took my eyes off of what was really important today. I let myself get really down and discouraged, and frustrated. I was driving home from taking Ashley to the doctor, and I let it out. I was disappointed in myself for not having been able to find a new job. I didn’t understand why nothing has happened yet. I just wanted to give up and sit on the couch and eat chips.

And then there was this voice. From the passenger seat. It was a 2 minute sermon, and I needed it. Ashley began to remind me that God never promised to answer our prayers right off the bat, that my faith was being tested, and that God was going to provide in His time. I needed to hear that today. I’ve had so much encrouragement from so many friends that I have all over the country, and I know God is faithful. Even if He were to never provide a job, I would still have my greatest need met, and that was salvation. And if God can meet that need, He can take care of anything else. That’s the perspective I need to keep.

I’m so thankful for that little “preacher woman” riding beside me. She’s not a real preacher, but she could be. God’s blessed me with a wonderful family, and I count myself blessed way more than I deserve.

Reflecting in my blessings,

Matt

United, We…Jam?

Today I had the privilege to sit in on a session for a prominent Gospel Music group at the studio. I saw some of the greatest session players in America. They were all supremely talented in their own right, but one thing struck me as I sat there in amazement today: the teamwork they all had. They all had the same standard to go by: the chord charts. But yet they all had different responsibilities. You had the pianist responsible for the main accompaniment. Then there was the bass player, responsible for handling things on the low end. Then there was the guitarist. This guy was crazy good. He played several different styles. He is resonsible for some of the fills, and rhythm you hear. There’s the rhythm guitarist, responsible for helping keep time, rhythm, and adding different  flavors to the sound. He was also an incredible banjo and fiddle player. Finally, there was the drummer, responsible for keeping time. There was the control room engineer, making sure all the levels were set correctly, clipping parts where they wanted to replay, or play something different.

All of these parts added up to one goal: making great music. And that’s just one small part of the recording process. There’s still vocals to record, mix, and master. Then there’s the duplication and distribution. All these elements are part of a team, with individual gifts and responsibilities. The pianist can’t play the drums at the same time, or vice versa. If everybody played their own little thing it would be mayhem. But, together, as one unit, they made something masterful. The same is with sports. Look at a football team. Oftentimes much credit is given to a quarterback, or a receiver. But all those “hefty” linesmen make it all happen by blocking the defense, who wants nothing more than to chew that quarterback up. They all work as one unit, to execute a play, that gains them yardage, and ultimately gets points on the board. This is just a couple of many scenarios where teamwork is vital.

But did you know that as a child of God, you’re part of a team? God has designed a plan for you, that only you can execute. His standard to go by: the Word of God. He has a place in this big thing we call life, where you can be used for His glory. So why are you sitting on the sidelines? Do you feel inadequate? Unprepared? Has life left you so beat up and bruised, that you’ve placed yourself on the inured list? For lack of a better term, God, as our “coach” , our “session leader”, has given you, and is daily giving you the tools to succeed. The rest is up to you to use those tools and resources for His kingdom. You can’t get to the level of a studio session player by reading “Piano for Dummies” on the way over to the studio. These people have been playing for longer than I’ve been alive. God has given them a gift, and they, in turn, use that gift to play a small part in ministering to hurting people by making that music for the song that they’ll need to hear when their spouse dies, when they lose everything in a house fire, when their children are running from the will of God.

If you’re a Christian, you have a gift God has given you to fulfill a purpose. But you won’t fulfill that purpose all alone. God has some people there to guide you along the way. Get off the sidelines, get in the game ,get busy doing the things you know to do right now, and leave the rest up to Him. He’s in charge, remember?

 

In His Care,

Matt

 

 

A Revelation: Mind Blown

How many times have we said, “God is Faithful”, and meant it? Go ahead start counting, I’ll wait (cue the Final Jeopardy theme music). Too many times that we forget one small fact. I’ll get to that later.

Our church showed Courageous tonight in our gym. This was my 115th time seeing it. Okay, it was my 3rd time. My pastor and I were talking and we came to an agreement that one needs to see this about 3 times to get all the material out of it you can. The first time I watched it, I was broken because I realized for the first time the level of responsibility I bore raising a child in this world. I left challenged, entertained, encouraged, and motivated. The second time I saw it, I was reminded that my primary duty is to my family, no matter what. But tonight, I related with the character Javier, who had trouble keeping a job, and his family struggled along just to squeeze by. Not that we’re starving, but I know what it’s like now to be “let go” from a job. I watched as he proclaimed to his family, “God will take care of us”, only to be let go from yet another job. He walks down a road talking to God out loud, asking God why He had allowed this to happen, when through a comedic turn of events, he ends up with a job working for the main character. I was just going through the motions watching the movie when it hit me in the face, and I haven’t been able to let go of this thought all night. This is what I said we’d get to later: Just as God is faithful, He rewards faithfulness to Him. Wow. Let it sink in for a second. Just as God is faithful, He rewards faithfulness to Him. We aren’t told what type of reward this would be. We aren’t even guaranteed that the reward would be in this life. It could be eternity before we reap the reward of being faithful to Him, but mark it down, remember it, there WILL be a quiz on it: God rewards your faithfulness to Him. Not just an outward display, but an action out of the heart. I saw this character near the end of the movie have to make a questionable decision on whether he wanted to do what his boss said, or do right. We’ve all been there. We know what we should do, but so as not to disappoint someone, we do wrong to avoid the fallout. But not this guy. He did right, and in the end, when he thought he was going to get fired for refusing to do wrong, he was promoted. Didn’t always happen that way. Take specimen A: our brother Job. He did right, an upright man, walked with God. God didn’t reward His faithfulness. God took everything away. Wait- how did Job attain all that wealth to begin with? Sure, I’m sure he was a brilliant businessman, and a great entrepeneur, but if we believe God is in control like we say He is, then by following the trail, we see that God blessed Job with success. For his faithulness. Then God took it all away. Did Job stop being faithful? Au contraire. He fell down and worshipped and praised God. Sarcasm? Nope. Insanity? Nada. Was it because there was nothing else left to do? Nerp. It was because he realized his source was a sovreign God. He was God no matter if Job was rich or poor. Job realized early on that his wealth and blessings weren’t his. They belonged to God to begin with, and He could do whatever He wanted to with it. That’s a good way to look at it, right? Precisely. Through Job’s perspective, we see how to react when things go wrong. Through Job’s persistent faithfulness to God, we see how we ought to live daily, whether things go wrong or not. God blessed him with more than he had before.

 

What’s the lesson for me? God rewards faithfulness from the heart. Just because I don’t have money coming in, doesn’t mean I stop giving altogether. Just because I don’t have a job doesn’t mean I turn my back and sit in the corner, waiting for my world to come crashing in. It means I get up earlier, I read more, I pray harder, I seek God’s face with more fervor than ever before. Why? Because He’s good, no matter what. And for me to not have faith is for me to be a fairweather Christian. That’s the last thing I want to be. Will you be faithful to God when it all goes south? Because you can bet your bootstrap He’s gonna be faithful to you. Promises, promises, and all of them true.

 

Pay it forward, and be faithful to Him in every way. See what happens.

 

Praying for rain and packing an umbrella,

Matt

 

“I’ll Have A Side Of Patience, Please”…

When will I ever figure out that I’m not in a position to be impatient with God? What good would that do? You ever feel that way? I don’t know what it would have felt like to be wandering in the wilderness for 40 years like the children of Israel, or like Mary and Martha, to watch their brother die, knowing that if Jesus would have been around, all that would have been different.

I’m usually a low key fella. I don’t let things get to me. But when I can’t figure something out, and I need to know  what to do or how to do it, it tends to mess with my mind. I’m just that kind of guy. Not a control freak, but I need to know what’s going on. So this situation has been a battle. I know God’s in control, but there are parts of the days where I look up to the sky and audibly say, “I don’t know the next step, Lord! I want to do your will, I want to do something worthwhile with my life, but I have no direction!” Can you imagine the panic in Mary and Martha’s voice, as they’re trying to tell people that Jesus would be there soon to heal Lazarus, and get no response. And then, the unthinkable. He dies. Imagine the heartbreak. They were so sure that Jesus would be by there to heal him. After all, they were good friends with Jesus. Jesus and Lazarus were close friends (how cool would it have been to have been able to say that!). But He never showed up? What kind of friend is that? He did it for other people. He healed them right on the spot, but He let his friend just die off? They buried him. 1 day. 2 days. 3 days. 4 days have past. Jesus makes his way to them. They bombard him with questions. “Why weren’t you here? If you would’ve shown up on time, he’d be alive right now. But he’s been dead for days, and he stinks.” But Jesus was just setting the scene for Him to do something incredible. You know the story. He calls Lazarus out of his grave. The people are so stunned, that He has to tell them to take his grave clothes off so the man can get some fresh air!

My timing is not God’s timing. I can stomp and pout all I want to, but God will do what will best glorify Himself for my good in my life. I can’t help but think that God is just waiting for the right time to do something monumental in my life. I desperately seek Him each morning during my morning run, and after I’ve spent time in the Word. I remind myself to have faith and trust God just for today, and leave the rest to Him. But when it seems like all is silent in heaven, maybe they’re just planning the surprise party where God does something so big not even you could think up. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. After all, I’m just along for the ride.

Pray for rain, and bring an umbrella. And be patient. It’s still a virtue.

Matt

 

 

 

Reflection

27 years ago today…the world got a little weirder. True story. I’ve spent the day really reflecting on how faithful the Lord has been thus far. I could be in a far worse situation in my life. But instead, I woke up to my daughter’s cry. Actually, I woke up to my wife having a meltdown because the alarm clock not going off, but anyway…

I had an important phone call to make this morning, and as I was doing my devotions I came across the verse in John where Christ said that if we asked anything in His name, it would be done. I began thinking over that phrase about what it was to ask something in Christ’s name..it means that because of what Christ did on the cross, we have the same access to God that Christ has, because as the adopted children of God, we have been given access to the Throneroom. How bout that? It also means, though, that when we pray “in Jesus’ name”, it’s more than an ending phrase tacked on to our prayer list. It means we are submitting our will and our wishes to His will and His wishes. I accepted that fact this morning, and trusted God with the results of that phone call. The call didn’t go as planned, and looks like that door may be closing. But if it’s closed, it’s because God wanted to close it. You know why? Because early this morning, I gave this day to Him. I gave Him control over whatever happened with it. And while a bit disappointed with the initial results in my mind, in my heart I know there’s a plan working out for my good.

Speaking of my birthday, I told my wife to hold off on getting me a present until after I went back to work. I know God provides our needs, but sometimes God just gives us a little present, to boot. My parents took us out to eat at Longhorn, and then decided to get me a new suit. Score. I wasn’t expecting a suit, didn’t have a desperate need for one, but God used my parents’ love for me to bless me with something tonight. I stand (okay, I’m actually flexed out on the couch) before you a blessed, loved, thankful, unworthy, slightly overweight 27 year old man. God’s been faithful for these 27 years, and His track record points toward Him not changing anytime soon. God is good…did I mention I’m blessed?

 

Feeling my age,

Matt

In Good Hands…Even in Your Valley

I was able to sing a song tonight in the service with my two friends, Mylon and Wendy Hayes, called “Even In The Valley”. I had mentioned weeks ago about singing this song with them in a service, and it just happened to be tonight, in the week that I needed it most! That’s the God I serve! God knows what we need when we need it! I began to think of each word of the song as I sang it, and although I’ve heard the song literally hundreds of times, it was a new reality for me. You see, God can do nothing BUT good. He’s a perfect, holy, righteous God, and all that He does, whether miraculous, or what would seem to be disastrous, is good. Not because of the circumstance, not because of the result, but because He’s God, and He’s good. It’s that simple. I have recently begun to realize this more and more, and believe it more and more. And because I am realizing this, though maybe through the hard way, I have noticed in the last week that I have a joy and a peace that I can’t really explain, but I know is there. I took today to reflect and not stress, and thank Him for His provision thus far. That’s all you can do in a time like this; look back at your evidence.

Is it hard to swallow sometimes, that God is good, even in the bad things that happen? I admit, yes, it is, but I also admit, and PROCLAIM, that because of that truth, I have a hope, and a promise that God will provide. I don’t know what avenue He will choose, I don’t know what road it will lead me to, or what town, or what vocation, but I’m just in the passenger’s seat, along for the ride, cruisin’ through a valley on the way towards a mountain.

I’ve been very transparent through all of this, and it’s because I want my situation to help minister to someone else going through this same valley. God has met your ultimate need of salvation, your greatest need. And compared to my need of salvation, my need for a job is very small and to some effect, insignificant. Take a look at Abraham. God gave very specific instructions for him to take his only son, the son they had prayed that God would provide for them, and sacrifice him on top of a mountain. The whole trip up there, Isaac is asking his father, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” With a lump in his throat, Abraham, probably very relucantly replies, “God will provide himself a lamb”. My, what words! Did Abraham know that God would not have him go through with the killing of his son? Was Abraham privy to some information that wasn’t shared in Scripture? I doubt it very seriously. But Abraham knew, that whether God did something miraculous on top of that mountain, or whether his son did in fact be sacrificed, that God would still be God. Why else would Abraham have obeyed? Abraham believed in the master plan of God for His life. And because Abraham was faithful, and obeyed, God did something monumental on top of that mountain, and it’s a reminder to all that God is a big God, and those who remain under His wing in their time of trouble receive God’s best for their lives.

You and I, we’re just a piece of clay. Clay gets messed up sometimes, so the Potter takes it, breaks it down, reforms it, brings it back up, and because we serve a Perfect Potter, it’s always more beautiful than before. If you’re on the Potter’s wheel right now, like I am, and God is working His hands deep inside you right now, take some comfort in these lyrics…

I’ll trust the Potter’s hand, He knows what’s best for me,

He Has a perfect plan these human eyes can’t see.

He’s the Potter, I’m the clay, He knows just how much I can take,

so when I face the fire again, I’ll trust the Potter’s hand.

Trusting the Potter,

Matt

Duh…

Today, I learned something. And for me, it was one of those forehead-slapping moments. I’ve been a victim of many of those in my lifetime. This week, I’ve made a regimen of going running, coming back and spending time in God’s Word, and in hard prayer. I’ve always been taught that if you want to get to know God, you get to know His Word. That’s His love letter to us, and I want to be closer more now than ever. So I’ve been spending more time with it. A thought struck me as I read this morning: we’re not promised tomorrow. No matter whether you’re a millionaire, or whether, you’re unemployed, we’ve all been given a 24-hour gift. I have to trust God for today. Sure, I know I can trust Him through eternity, and through the coming weeks and months as I search for His will, but today, Friday, January 6, 2012, I can and I must trust the Lord to get me through it. Just for today. Tomorrow, the same thing. It’s a new day, but I have new mercies :).  But I’ll have to do the same thing tomorrow, and Sunday, and the next day, and so on. What am I getting at? Today’s all I’m given. Yesterday’s gone. Tomorrow’s not promised. I have God’s faithfulness from yesterday, His Promises for today, and His hope for tomorrow. I carried that thought with me everywhere I go, and it lightened the load significantly. I didn’t worry as much. I did all that I could do for today, and I handed the rest of it to the Lord. It felt good to not worry and stress a lot today.

 

As I go through this, I’m documenting this as much as possible on here, because I want to document the faithfulness of God daily for people in my same boat to read and be encouraged like I have been. But I also want to keep good record of this because I want to look back from the mountain down at the valley I came out of. This is not to depress anyone, or whine or gripe. I’ve got nothing to complain about..God’s been faithful. He’ll continue to be that way. I’m just along for the ride.

So why haven’t I learned until now to trust God for today? I guess that’s what these trials are for…duh.