Christmas Thoughts Vlog

The video above is just me going through some feelings on Christmas and also talking about work on Christmas Eve and how God provides for me. A lot! I hope this finds yall at a good time in your life with Christ and that if not, that God will work in you to make it so. For all who still read these things I'm sorry I haven't been writing as much. I tend to get caught up in things and forget that people still follow me. I'll try to post at least twice a week with a vlog or two a week. Keep telling me what to do and who knows. I just may do it

To explain myself...

So, my last blog may have had some thinking, "Matt, what the heck is you doin?!"

Well, let me put it in some perspective here. I've done a lot of working this semester and haven't really had time to develop friendships outside of my roomies and those I work with. And with my roomies, one in particular, it seems like every time that I want to do something it's, "I'm busy"....or...."I'm too tired." Yet, he's happier than nothing else to play Xbox with me when he wants to...

Then comes work, my own escape from stupid roomies. I now have to deal with the biggest jerks I have ever known to ever exist...EVER! The guy has something stupid or mean to say to me every night but can't take it when I try to dish it back to him. It's insane how big of a jerk-face this guy is to everyone. I know I'm not the only one who feels like this but I just can't stand this guy at all. It's like the rest of the managers are sitting back and saying, "Oh, a lot of people hate this guy, but we'll keep him." Ya, did I forget to mention he's a manager himself....yaaaaa. I'm hoping that I can a new job soon on campus to get away from him cause I'm seriously about to snap with this guy almost once a week

Now, for a positive note. I interviewed for a RM position here on campus last week. I had hoped to know the results this week before I moved back home but not quite yet. The lady in charge of RM selection is out this week and won't be back till Monday. So, I'm hoping I can talk to her and see what's going on Monday and prayers will be answered and I get this job. That and next week I turn 21!!!! YAAAAYYY!!! Plus, the next day I go to Conway for family....YAAAAYY!!!

Basically, this week=suck

Buuuuut, next week (minus accounting exam)=YAAAAAAAAY

Song of the day: "Re-Education Through Labor"-Rise Against

Side note: Don't ya just love going back over some old music on your iPod or iTunes and falling in love with a band all over again...that's me and Rise Against right now

Audience of One...

So, I'm beginning to think that a lot of what i say falls on deaf ears with my friends these days...it's like I talk and nobody cares. That or they listen but want to just get me to do stuff and know I'll follow along. I'm lost and I don't like it, but can't change it. Why does it seem to me that whenever I think I have friends, good friends, that they turn around and backstab me till there's nothing left? I pour my heart out to people and have very few good results, and lots of new holes. I feel like a cork on an aged wine bottle, brittle and full of holes...

The Triumphant Return of SME!!!

Well, a somewhat triumphant but you get the picture ;)

Today I felt really challenged by what was preached in church today. A lot of it was focused on how we need to be more outward in our walk with other believers and reaching out to those who are less fortunate than us since God has called us to do so. Now, being in college and working I may not have the money to give a lot financially but I have realized that I have something that can be more valuable than money....time. I work with the "Pro Presenter" team at my church and spend time working with the worship team to help facilitate worship on Sunday mornings. It's only once a month but hey, it's what I can do and I love to do it. Plus, it's a great opportunity to help people connect to what's being sung or the scripture that's being preached. Now, is my job a really glamorous one where I get all the recognition in the world and people love me for it? Nah, but to be honest, I kinda like it that way. I like being the guy that you can depend on for something and that gets it done for you.

Lately God has been putting scripture on my heart during a time full of stress. Lately I've been dealing with exams, papers, and a lot of overworking myself trying to keep up with the game and doing it myself. For those who know me, I'm quite the stubborn person and hate to admit I'm wrong or ask for help (it's my "vice" if you wanna call it that) that prevents me from being completely transparent to those around me who want to be there for me. When most people want to help me, I put up a mask and say, "I'm good, I'm fine!" But in reality, I'm hurting inside because I am so pressured that I feel small and alone in this world with nobody to help me.

God asks us to look at the ravens, flowers, and other objects/animals in Luke 12 and says that if they are provided for, then why should we worry? This has been preached to me for many many many years but never has really hit me till now when I'm "on my own" and trying to make my own way. I have tried many times this semester (and failed usually) to make my own ways to deal with stress and it just turned into me bottling it all up and not getting the help I need. Well, God gave me the usual, "look dummy!" knock on the head with Luke 12 and showed me that He is what will get me through all the rough spots in my life, not the things of this world.

So, this is "blog" usually is me telling what happens in my day and letting yall see what I do everyday. Well, now this will be more of me chronicling my journey into becoming a more wholesome leader for those who look up to me. I took inventory of my life this morning after not being able to sleep last night and realized I wasn't being who I should. I have let the things of this world come into my life and take away from my time and have slipped as a child of Christ. I am an example for those who are younger than me, especially those in the youth group at church. How can I be someone who tells them to live like Christ when I don't do it myself? I can't, plain and simple. So, I'm asking those that may read this blog to see this and pray for me and help me become who I should be in Christ. I'm tired of trying to do it myself and failing every time I try.

Verse of the day: Colossians 3....go read it folks, it's deep stuff that may "stub some toes" but it's as good of a "manual" as you're going to get for Christian living

Forgiveness...

When one forgives you for a wrong you have committed you breathe a huge sigh of relief...

I also wanted to point out how much I am LOVING THE WEATHER! It's a bit chilly in the early morning but I can deal with it over sweating a lot walking to and from class. I can't wait till it's chilly all the time and I have to walk around with my Columbia jacket and enjoy soups and stuff...EXCITED. Football is even better when it's cold. Too bad not a lot of games happen when it's cold :(

The Cat is Out of the Bag...

So, I finally showed my parents my tattoos. Sadly it was by my Aunt Nina telling my Dad and him asking to see them. Not the way I wanted to show them but now they know. My Mom likes the concepts for both just wishes they could have been smaller. But, in retrospect, both tattoos are average size for ones that are on one's shoulders...

Having fun in GA

So, today I just got to GA and am now hanging with Carrie and Kirby watching Lilo and Stitch and enjoying quoting the movie. It's cool to hang out and chill before a fun filled weekend of crazyness! I can't wait to just chill and not worry about work and school. I may take a nap before going out to do random stuff with Kirby and Carrie

Bored In Class

I'm really bored in my TSTM E343 class. I think this guy looks like a fatter and "slower" version of Lane Kiffin. I'm hoping that this class will go by fast so I can get out of here and go to Russell House to see Duffy from Ace of Cakes. I really wish I had dropped this class but decided I'd suck it up this semester and be more slack spring semester. The things you suffer in college....

"We Hail Thee Carolina..."

If somebody can comment on this and finish the rest of the USC alma mater I will be sooooo excited!

So far I have:

-Went running this morning

-Moved into my dorm

-Helped Kathryn (Katie/Gooba) into her dorm

-Met one of my roomies (the other 2 are MIA right now...)

-Hung out with some cool RT people last night, which was a blast

-Got to sleep in and enjoy my "first dorm meal"...which was cereal by the way

-Met Kathryn's roomie again and watched her unpack

-Then, after being "kicked out" by Kathryn had to walk all the way back to West Quad.....in the rain...

But other than the last one, things are going good. I've tried to make some new friends and I made a couple new ones last night. Also, I got a few phone numbers from some girls and one has texted me back so we gotta see what happens. Right now I'm just enjoying being new to all of this and just chatting up people I meet. Tonight is First Night Carolina where we go to Russell House and they take us to some random location. My best bet was going to be Williams Brice Stadium but....it's raining! Games in the rain are fun but I really don't want to get wet on my first weekend here. But hey, I'm game for almost anything really

Song of the day: "Still Fly"-Devil Wears Prada (yes, it's screamo but is sooo good for when you go running in the morning)

Life...

Life can be a funny thing sometimes. Here I sit in my room at 11:17 at night alone after wasting more than 4 hours of my life playing on Facebook and watching Matrix movies when I should have been spending time with my mother who I'll be leaving in two days to move downtown. I can't help but feel like I let her down tonight since I wasted my time and energy with petty things like TV and my laptop when I have such a chance for quality time with her. My family is something that I profess to be really important to me yet I let the most important member of it just sit alone. Now, there are two kids in my family, but I am one and should've realized that I was wasting my time. Now, I feel like a jerk for pushing my own mother to the side...I know this seems way too low for me right now but I just can't feel right about all of it right now. I just wish I could rewind time for a bit and have spent some time with her. I talked to her for a bit tonight but I still feel like I let her down...I guess I should realize that tonight was one night, but tomorrow is a new day....

In other news, I have officially put in my "notice" for Vintage Marketing. My Dad is frustrated with me because he believes that I am "selling myself short" and "running because I got my hand slapped". I really think that my reason for leaving is that both he and his business partner would be better served by someone who had more time and energy to put into the company. That, and I really feel like I haven't done what I can to make there ventures successful; thus, taking away from everything they have put into their lives. I've cost them a lot of time and headaches spent on my problems so I think it's time to move on. While the financial drop may be a bit significant to start, I feel like I can balance it all out with smart planning and saving my money

Song of the day: "Heartless"-The Fray

(PS: Go check the video for this song out! You will not be dissapointed!)

It's been one week...

....since I blogged! Well, almost a week but to be honest, I don't know if anyone is really reading these anymore :(

I'm not into blogging for fame and fortune, but more or less to express what I'm feeling and let the world know and offer their input. I just hope that somebody starts reading and commenting soon because I'm debating slowing down more with blogging since I'm not getting any love. So, if you guys want me to keep this going give me a shout-out or something!

Thanks!

Funny People

So, last night I went with a group of people I work with to go see Funny People. Here are my thoughts

• The movie dragged...a lot. It was funny in some parts but since it dragged some parts lost their "spunk"
• There was a lot of depression and sad themes in the movie which aren't what a lot of the audience people have in mind when they go see a movie called "Funny People"
• The language...it's crazy how much stuff is in there. But, in true comedic form, it's hilarious and if you know most comedians the content of their sketches will be what it normally is
• Did I mention it dragged? You think you're close to the end and then it keeps going and going....the final scene almost makes you think that it's about to start back up and you're like, "NO!!!"

Overall grade on a scale of 10: 8

Now, I would love to give any Adam Sandler flick a 10 or higher, but I just can't for this movie! It was really funny and I laughed at a lot of the parts in the movie but other parts made me go "END THIS MOVIE!!" So, I would reccomend seeing it if you love Adam Sandler and also like Seth Rogen (who, btw, absolutely made up for Knocked Up with this movie)

Funny story though, walking up to go buy my ticket I was carded at the front door by the lady. Apparently I don't look old enough to get into a rated R movie...aka: I don't look like I'm even 17

Song of the day: "Your Song"-Mayday Parade

Life after you... (and a new book?)

(a really really really great Daughtry song fyi)

But the past week or so have been ones of peace even though some of the world around me is going into chaos. I sometimes wonder why I'm so at peace but I realize it comes from being with God and letting him take over everything and not worrying too much about things from your end. I'm enjoying being at peace and not letting the worries of this world get to me like they have to others

Lately I've been on a mass Mayday Parade binge it's insane. I'm listening to their album and their EP over and over again and I LOVE IT! I thought their EP wouldn't be as good but I was wrong! My new favorite song by them is One Man Drinking Games (it was I'd Hate To Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About) and it's because it's quiet but it gets heavier and heavier in true Mayday fashion. Also, this binge is just making me want to go see them in Charlotte even more

Oh, I'm debating getting back into book writing! I started to write a book based off a 28 Weeks Later scenario but I lost the file that had about 30 pages worth and I was very sad :(.... So, I'm thinking of picking it back up and seeing where it goes from there

Song of the day: "One Man Drinking Games"-Mayday Parade

Resolutions Update (07/30/2009)

So, at the beginning of 09 I made some resolutions to myself to make 09 a good year for SME

To those who didn't know, here are the original resolutions:

"First and foremost I want to try to eat a lot healthier than I have in the past. I lost a lot of weight cutting out soda but still drank sweet tea and lots of sugar loaded juices so I am officially cutting out sweet tea out of my diet for 09. Shocking yes but I think in the long run it will help. I'm already feeling the effects of less caffeine in my diet (being more tired during the day) but I'm going to have to learn to watch what I eat and how it'll affect me.

Second thing: I want to work more on getting back in shape. I used to say that my old job at Fatz when I would run around was excercise but now that I work from home I now have to find ways to get in shape. Now, this is probably going to be uber hard but I want to try to make a consistent effort to get in shape and stay that way

Third thing/resolution: drink more water! LOTS OF WATER! Ok, maybe not enough to make me sick but enough to help level out fluid levels and stay hydrated. I used to down gallons of tea in a week but gallons of water will help keep me hyrdated and cleaner so this will help me out in the long run.

Next, I plan to do something I've never done. I will intentionally take time to just enjoy others' company and not have to worry about dating. Now, this is not something I've done since I fell prey to "I have to have a girlfriend" disease and didn't think things out with a previous relationship. But, alas, I have promised myself to make better on my mistakes and find ways to better myself with God's help. I've realized that with relationships just doing things "my way" has led to confusion, heartbreak, and lots of emotional trauma. So, does this mean that I've given up on dating?! No way, not at all people. It just means that I will take my time and not rush. I've looked for what I thought was the "right" thing but in the wrong place.

Also, I've pledged to be myself more and let others see my colors. It's a rush to show who I really am to others and it's getting easier and easier to let others in. It was such a blast near the end of this year getting to hang out with people and see a side of them I'd never seen. So, by opening up myself others open up to me, thus making everything easier for everyone and just plain amazing. I'm tired of being fake for others just so I won't get hurt. I'd rather have people not like me for who I really am than people love who I'm not. I tried to change myself but it ended up in a lot of questions and problems.

Now this one is actually the hardest for me to try to realize. I want to get into a sport, something physical that will push me to my end and bring me back. I'm thinking rugby but I've lately been thinking boxing or MMA but seriously doing it this time. I know I'm not the most athletic person but with getting in shape I think I can get there if I push myself."

I updated on January 28th and here is what I've done since that time

• For eating healthy, that's still a work in progress. My house is on a south beach diet so all of my junk food is gone so that makes me eat healthy at home
• The exercise part is not as easy as I thought it would be. I'm doing basic freeweight exercises when I get off work or in the AM but that's not a whole lot. Work at Ruby Tuesday is a lot of running around so that helps to shed some weight
• I am drinking at least two big cups of water a day! It's ridiculous how much water this house goes through everyday!
• I'm still taking time with dating. I've learned to value the company of other people, girls included, and enjoyed meeting new people and finding good friends at Ruby Tuesday that I thought I'd never find
• To opening myself up, after a crazy late part of June/early July, I took a hiatus from opening up to shelter myself which I realized was not a great plan. So, I'm starting to let more people in and show them that there is more to SME than what you see at first glance
• And to the sport thing, I'm really thinking that I may do club wrestling or rugby at USC this fall! I think I'll do rugby since I don't remember ANYTHING about wrestling even though I did it for three years in high school haha
• Not on my original "list" but my weight when I first set my resolutions was 221, I now weigh 203.5 as of earlier today. I'm stuck at the lovely area of anywhere from 202-208. It's annoying since I want to lose more and more weight but I don't know where to draw a line. That and it's annoying that half of my basketball shorts don't fit me anymore haha

So, that's about it. Keep praying that I can push through and make me into the best SME I can be!

The Blues...

The blues...always a musical genre that speaks to your soul and let's you just relax. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do for a living. Blues is something that makes you just feel alright about your life and just go without a care in the world

My life hasn't been a blues song lately, thank God. But, I've been taking time learning the meaning of patience. I've had to be patient with getting ready for USC and being patient with how things fold out with other aspects of my life. One just being patient with making plans this fall. Here's what I've come up with so far

• Go to USC-UGA game this September (in GA of course!)
• Go see Mayday Parade in Charlotte in October
• Go visit David Cress in Clemson
• Go to the beach at least once before it gets too cold
• If last one doesn't work, just go to Charleston for the heck of it and take lots of pictures
• Maybe a side road trip to GA just for grins and giggles

So, that's about it. I hope the Mayday Parade show works out since I would love to see them live but I don't know who would want to go! (sadness) Maybe if I ask Carrie nicely she can convince the twins to go and we can make it a nice event. We'll see how it all goes

Song of the day: "Luther's Blues"-Luther Allison

Quote of the day: "Read not to contradict and confute, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider"-Sir Francis Bacon"

Already Forgiven

So, it seems to me like Sundays tend to be the day I do my best thinking since it's usually accompanied with a great message at my church and some nice weather...too bad it's over 100 outside!

But today was great! I got to eat breakfast with Luther and had a good deep conversation with him before everyone got to IHOP. I've always thought Luther to be silly but he does have a lot of insight and knows what to say in situations when you need advice. That's what I appreciate out of him, and he knows it. I can have a good laugh with him and the next second he can give me advice that can help me figure things all out

Also, I was awed by the message today. It was all about grace and how God has already forgiven us which blows my mind. If God had not already forgiven us and we tried on our own...well, we'd be screwed! So, two straight weeks of great messages is really good for me since I've been needing good messages in my life. It seems that things have really picked up for me in the last week with being more "energized" and more "positive". I sometimes think that it may be my change in friends but I really think it's me diving more into scripture and praying for my day. I spend most of my thinking time...believe it or not...in the shower. It's odd for some but for me it's my safe haven to sit there and just pray. That or I just sit there on my bed with all the lights off in total silence and darkness and just relax and let everything be still

But back to the message! Bill Powis preached and again it was great! It kinda rambled a bit but it all made sense in reality. For a while I struggled with an assortment of demons and I was wrapped up in them and not wanting to go to God for fear that He would not take me back because I had strayed. But, in Titus (and the whole Bible!) it talks about how we are already forgiven by God and that we should go to Him and we are saved from our evil demons and can be free in him. I'm thinking that God wins out on this one folks

Verses of the day:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36

What About Now?

(I'm listening to Daughtry so that's why I put that as the title...good song, even better acoustic)

So, I've decided that when I'm at USC I'm going to spend some of my time on Tuesday and Thursday at the gym. I thought about working out early before my first class of the day but since it's at 8am, that went out the window! But I'm thinking I may take the time from when the first class ends to go to the gym. That, or maybe go work out after the second class. I've got a period from 9:15-10:45 so I'm thinking maybe a nap? I will be living maybe a ten minute walk away from Wardlaw where my first two classes of the day are. So, maybe I nap between those and then work out after University 101? I've got the Blatt (where I may be parking my truck full time?) and the Strom. I don't have class till 5:30 in the Coliseum (also walking distance for me). So, life is good for me and my classes are close to me! I get all of my classes in the Coliseum or in Wardlaw so I can walk to all of my stuff and save a LOT of money on gas.

Speaking of USC, I got into the education class I wanted! SO EXCITED! The professor told me that he probably would only seniors which would mean I would be fresh out of luck. Thankfully I was given permission to sign up for the class as of yesterday. But, there may be one small issue. I dropped EDTE 400, which is the field work class for EDFN 300 and I don't know if I have to have it in the same semester or not. If I can't take EDFN because I dropped EDTE I will be so mad at myself. I dropped the EDTE because the professor for EDFN told me I wouldn't be able to get into the course. I've spent 30+ minutes this morning just praying that I don't have to give up the class after I fought for it for so long. Maybe some strings can get pulled and I can get into an EDTE course and have to fight my butt off to show I deserved a chance. But hey, I did it for EDFN, so there's no stopping me!

Song of the day: "Life After You"-Daughtry

Life Is Good...

I love days when I can just sit here and blog about nothing but positive things. I really haven't had anything negative to think about for a while and it's a great feeling. Last night I had my first "date" in a while and it was really good to just hang out with someone and have fun. We just gotta see what happens from here

In other news, Ruby Tuesday is actually going better than it was when I first started. I'm making more money a night and having fun with everyone I'm working with. It's a lot better than when I was at Fatz because all of the people there didn't want to try to let me in their "groups". In probably my third time training I got invited to go hang out with people which never happened at Fatz. I'm really happy about this job and plan to continue to work there even when I'm at USC. It's sad that a lot of people are leaving but I'm happy that most of them have sad that they will come back and come visit so that's a plus!

Song of the day: "Jersey"-Mayday Parade

More Than Words...

Ah, the ever used three words...not the three little words that are used with relationships. But, the words of "more than words", something reserved for when you mean so much with what you just said that your emphasis is extremely strong. That's how much God has molded my life and made me into who I am today. That's how much He cares for me and how much He loves me

Life has been going a little "bonkers" as of late for me with all of the stuff that has been going on. But, thankfully, God never leaves those He watches over. Because if He did, I would be...well, screwed. But God loves us more than words can even begin to say. I just had that thought when I woke up and went to church this morning. Then watching people get baptized I realized that God loves us more than we can even begin to imagine and wants us to be clean and with him. We are saved when we ask Him into our lives but being baptized is the ceremonial act of us dying to ourselves and being reborn. In real life the pastor pulls you out of the water but in reality, Christ is helping you out and showing you that in your heart you are now a new being...reborn

So, today in all was a good day. I am so glad I am a son of God and that I can find such peace and serenity in Him

Verse of the day: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."-Romans 15:13

And I'm Feeling...Good...

So, this is a nice post to say that I am feeling a LOT better after that nice little depressive blog. Nothing like being with family to make you feel worlds better and not think about your pains for a few days. I enjoyed my time in GA and cannot wait to be back down there for the USC-UGA game...lots of fun already planned for that game

When I came back to SC I got to chill with my favorite guys at Wing Night and then got to go see the midnight premiere of Harry Potter with the Ruby Tuesday people. I think I'm really starting to do well at that job and get accepted by most of the staff. There are a few that still don't really talk to me that much but I'm still in my first month so that's expected. I can't wait till I'm at USC so I can hang out with them and not worry so much about curfew like I do when I live at home with my parents

PS: If you haven't already, go buy Daughtry's new album! It's really good, and a lot heavier than his last album which works out for me :)

Song of the day: "You Don't Belong"-Daughtry

Oh the joys of July...

July...usually associated with fun in the sun, fireworks, and getting out and having fun. For me, it's been nothing but people getting pissed at me left and right, friends leaving me, and making me want to just forget the whole world. It's so terrible I'm sitting in the same room as Casey, Kirby, and Carrie yet I feel so distant I can't stand it. I want to just scream for help but all I can do is be pitiful. I'm feeling worse since it's Casey and Kirby's birthday and I am supposed to be having fun. But, after more people getting mad at me I'm feeling terrible and it's showing....this sucks.

I know some of it is my fault, but to those who can say, "Matt, this is kinda your fault" with some of it, look at it from my end. I thought that people would actually be mature and not leave me but I underestimated them. I thought that the people who have abandoned me were bigger than that but it's life, and it's not what I thought it was.

I feel so bad since I came to GA to be with my cousins and Carrie but now I feel as if I'm making them feel depressed by my feeling down. I wish I could just make it all go away but I swore to myself I would never go there again...that I would never, ever, ever go to that place again...God help me

Song of the day: "The Black Parade"-My Chemical Romance

Facebook Hiatus?

So, I have decided I spend waaaay too much time on Facebook. So, on Monday I decided to take a two week break from the site so I can try to spend more time doing other things. So far, it's not that hard! I've really not had a lot of problems staying away. The only major thing is I've had a couple of pictures I wanted to upload from my cell but I decided not to. But it's all good!

Work at Ruby Tuesday has been massive amounts of fun! It's kind of crazy since this is my first time being a "full time" server but I'm getting used to it. Thank God that nobody has tried to be complicated and that I've had an easy time. Wednesday was kind of funny because I couldn't hear worth anything out of my right ear and I kind of struggled for a bit but had a good time. Made pretty good money as well ;)

My twin cousins are turning 21 on July 13th and I am trying to be there from Monday (their actual bday) to Wednesday (Casey's gf Carrie's bday) so I can spend some nice R&R time with them and be a crazy kid for once. Well, not crazy but with them a laugh is always 2 seconds away! I hope I get to go. Even if I only go Monday and Tuesday it will be SO worth it

Song of the day: "No Suprise"-Daughtry

Super Exciting News!

So, remember how in my last post I complained about how I was waiting so much for the people at Ruby Tuesday to call me back and for me to get hired? Well, I had enough waiting so I went in on my own and talked to the GM and he hired me right then! I just wanted to talk and he said that since I came in instead of just waiting and calling I was hired for being persistent. Now I start orientation after a whirlwind store tour on Friday. That puzzled me though...a tour of the place on a Friday NIGHT? That just doesn't make sense to me.....at all. But, I did get the job so that's great

One thing that's kind of irking me (to those who do not know me, "irking" is the same as "bugging")...well, more like two things...

1) Laptops. My poor laptop had lemonade spilled on it...by my kitten. So, I have to wait till someone who knows what they are doing can fix it and I can get back to using it. Just hope the keyboard is the only thing that has to be fixed!

2) USC. This may come as a shock but it's more of a trying to figure out schedules and all. The insane part is looking at coming home all the time to work and made me think...why spend all this money to put me in a dorm when I have to come home all the time? It just doesn't make sense to me to do that. But the other part is having to figure out if I get an education course I want. Now, it is at 8 am which is not attractive for some but I neeeeed it for my major. I gotta wait till the 1st week in July to know if I got in or not. And for those who know and love me, I am not patient at all

Anyways, hope this wasn't too much of a vent-blog!

Song of the day: "This Love"-Maroon 5

The Waiting Game...

I classify myself as an individual who is primarily impatient. I try to be patient a lot, but it seems that I can't do it to save my life! I'm having to play back and forth with Ruby Tuesday and Tsunami for jobs right now. It's frustrating since I want to just sit down with either place and say, "hey, I can work any day you want, just HIRE ME!"...but, one cannot do that with people that may want to hire them

Especially Ruby Tuesday, since I talked to their GM today and he said he'd give me a call back around 4. Well, at almost 4:30 I haven't heard from him and I don't have time to wait. I have to get a job somewhere by next Tuesday or I have to go work at Publix (eck!). Not trying to disrespect those that work at Publix but I really would rather not go work at a grocery store. That's just not my thing. I'd rather work in a restaraunt like I have before. I could always go back to work at Fatz ;)...jk, jk people

Other than that, the biggest thing is playing the waiting game before I go move out! I want so bad to have this summer fly by and it be time to move out ASAP. I've never thought I'd want to summer to "fly by" so bad but I just want to be out on my own and living my life. It's gonna be life-changing and the best thing for me that I can think of

Now this next part is NOT a rant so for those who thought I would rant the whole post I can now say to yall "HA!" Haha, but this is me being a proud big brother. My sister is graduating Saturday and I couldn't be more excited, proud, and whatever adjective dear Webster can give for those last two! I've watched her grow up so much over the last four years, and it's sad to watch her grow up since it makes me feel old! But, I'm also proud of her for how she's always been herself and not let the world change her. I'm really glad she's going to USC with me next year and not Winthrop. This way I'll have a partner in crime with me on campus and not have to take 90 trips to Rock Hill like I thought I was going to have to do!

Song of the day: "I'll Stay"-Sequoyah Prep School

The days of summer...

So, I have been getting up early...well, make that reaaaally early! I'm getting up at 6:30 so I can watch the dog and let my Dad get some extra sleep most days. My Mom works and gets up with the dog at 5:30 then and I take over. I enjoy doing this since it's a big help for my family. Even an extra hour or two of sleep helps my Dad unwind and have a better day

It's great for my spiritual walk as well. I get to wake up early and see how great God makes early mornings look. It's inspiring to say the least. I think that this is something God has wanted me to do for months since I usually try to go off and do my own thing but being able to spend time just thanking Him for another day and also asking God to help me be better for Him

Finally, the week I thought would never come...KATIE IS GRADUATING! I always knew it was inevitable but I forgot we are only two small years apart. The two of us have been really good friends recently and have been better than ever. It's like we're protective of each other, and I'm ok with that. Especially since she'll be at USC so that way I can go bug her a lot during the school year ;)

Song of the day: "Holy City"-Sequoyah Prep School

NGAGE Retreat!

So, this last weekend was spent with the a-mazing group NGAGE. NGAGE is the "young adult" group for our church and it's a great group full of people my age that love the Lord and are not afraid to show it. I can't put into words how inspiring it was to be around so many people that are so wanting to be with God. That and to add that the food was great. Not to mention the tubing was quite epic in my opinion

The theme of the weekend was "The Basin and the Towel" which was aimed at finding out our spiritual gifts and using them to serve others. We spent most of the weekend taking a couple "spiritual gift inventory" tests and I scored high on Administraion and Mercy on both tests. I was a bit shocked with scoring so high on Mercy till I realized what it "meant". According to one of the tests (the longer one) Mercy was "having a heart felt joy for comforting Christians during times of need". I then realized that Mercy wasn't really such a shock!

A lot of thanks go out to the people that helped plan the whole thing but a lot of thanks goes out to the guys I shared with. David Cress, the man has a heart to serve like you wouldn't believe and it's pretty evident. Josh Odred, I got to know him more and see he has a great heart for people and has such a great testimony. Ben Dye, may have just met him this weekend but to see his spark and love for everything is great.

I wish I had more pictures but I doubt we'd be able to fully capture how much God moved in just a short weekend. To be able to be so open and unashamed of our faith and to let others in was so great for me and I needed this weekend. It was a therapy that only being with other believers can give

Well, the tubing was a lot of fun. Hopefully we got some good shots since a lot of the wipeouts and bails from this weekend were hilarious and warranting of some "Top 10 Play Footage". I mean, where else can you find 3 pretty well sized guys holding on for dear life on a tube designed for 3 smaller people?!

Song of the Day: "The basin and the towel"-Michael Card

Ah, sweet sweet river

Conway, SC. A place that many do not go to since it's not "the beach". But to me, it's a safe haven that I love to seek refuge in. I may not live out in the way crazy parts of South Carolina but nothing is better than going to my Grandma's house and enjoying some peace and quiet on the river. Nothing is more calming than just sitting on the dock with your feet dangling and watching the river just roll on. It's almost too good to be true some times.

I got to live out my first ever "solo road trip." This means, I got to drive all by myself to Conway and got to come back on my own plans!

Ok, it was slightly planned how I came home since I had Lauren with me but that's a different story. I got to spend time with my Grandma that I had not been able to in times past. Also, got to see the new Star Trek movie which I was dying to see! I had no clue Grandma was a Trekkie. Surprise! But it was a great weekend and I had a lot of fun. No sunburns but did get a nice henna tattoo and it's pretty good

PS: My sister and I are getting matching tattoos this summer, and it was just "ok'd" today by my parents at lunch. I guess she just told them, "hey, Matt and I are getting matching tats!" And that's it probably

Song of the day: "Black River"-Amos Lee

Ain't No Sunshine...

An amazing song. I've been listening to the Kris Allen version of it over...and over...and over...and, you get the point huh?

Any ways? What's up my "blog readers"?! Life has been pretty crazy for me but I'm getting by and by. I'm really loving how if I put my faith and assurance of God than I will be fine. Lately I've been stressing about the finish of my stuff at Tech before I transfer but I realize that I just have to pray for God to help me get through all of this. I have a good feeling about everything and that I'll be fine. I have very little wiggle room with my grades but hey, it's all good. I'll be able to pass everything and keep my GPA high enough.

I'm just ready to go to a major college and live out on my own. I think it'll be the best thing that could happen for me. Being able to live away from my parents and make my own way will be a big breather for me. I love my parents but it's time for me to start making my own way and not worry so much with "house rules". I'll still be near them and hang out with them every now and then but to be able to have my own space and not all up "in their grill" all the time? Priceless!

Song of the day: Ain't No Sunshine-Kris Allen

Thoughts on Amazing Race and what not..

So, this weekend has been pretty fun. I've learned the meaning of patience and also the fact that I seem to have very little to none of such a thing. But I digress...

Today was a great worship set. Now, I'm not saying it was great by that the sound was good, or that the instruments were all in tune, or the performers did well (which all happened). I'm alluding to how the entire set was aimed around pleasing God and making Him more than anything that we can do. We're smaller, and are not as big as we think. God, on the other hand, is HUGE compared to us. So, in turn, we need to lay ourselves down and give our rights, pride, and ambitions to God and say "take control, use me as you will"....this is not something most Americans dig...AT ALL

The fact that Jesus who could have gotten off the cross but didn't astounding to me. The fact is something that I cannot truly grasp....and ya know what? I could care less because that same God that gave His Son for us is the same God that loves us more and more everyday. Kind of blows your mind huh? Or "kinda blows your mind eh?" if you're from our neighbors up north!

So, tonight I realized that people can be mean. I understand that the Amazing Race is a reality show and it's sad to see how some people act. The worst thing I've ever seen in that show was how one team treated another tonight. The team I am thinking of when I mention this is a team of two people from the University of Louisville. It was inhumane how they stinkin' laughed at one of the contestants who was deaf when he tried to sign out his frustrations about them. They never once said, "hey, I'm sorry, this isn't a good thing for us to do" but instead said "hey, we laugh during tense situations and that's what we do...we laugh and smile". Well, you laugh and smile while someone who is DEAF is trying to talk and that's not just rude, it's despicable. I hate it that this team tries to piggy back off another team then beats them to the finish since both of them are atheletes, and then does this?! I'll be the first to admit, the other team has been manipulative during the game but guess what? IT'S A GAME! The guy on the other team being deaf? THAT'S NOT A GAME! It makes me sick to see this and how the guy in charge of the whole race (Phil) can look at this and not try to make them stop but he lets them go on. I personally think that this is just sick but hey, they belive in "karma" and such so we'll see what happens...

Song of the Day: "Liar"-Taking Back Sunday

LIfe...

First and foremost, Sobe Strawberry Daquiri flavored drink is NAS-TY! I cannot belive this thing would be so nasty but I was shocked when I found out it was. I thought it wouldn't taste half that bad but it was nasty...waste of a couple of dollars

But, other than that, has been a pretty good past few days. Let me use my infamous "bullets" to describe the days

• Friday: Spent the night with my Dad just hanging out and not doing much of anything
• Saturday: Hung out with Dad's side of the family...GOT ACCEPTED TO USC...helped out with Easter Egg Hunt at church, and then spent rest of night chilling with family
• Sunday: Easter Ensemble, kayaking on the river, and then just chilling with family and neighbors

Did I mention I GOT INTO USC PEOPLE?! I'm so excited. My parents are excited to get both my sister and I out of the house. I'm anxious to see how it all plays out but I think I'll be staying in either East or West quad. I'm hoping for East since West would make me have to do the "Green Community" thing. I'm hoping for East since they have a "Bridge Community" which is ideal for transfer students. It's something that would help me out a LOT. So, please pray for me and the next few months as I get ready to move out and do college on my own

Song of the day: "Hear Me Now"-Framing Hanley

My Thoughts on Easter Weekend

So, I usually like to think that I know all the answers on things and if I don't then try to garner as much information. Well, I can say now that I have spent all 20 years (and some change) in my life trying to figure out why Christ came to this Earth, lived 30 something years, and then died on a cross. A lot of people I know look at it and go, "ya ya ya, a guy died for sins and that's it, big deal!" Well, it is a BIG DEAL!

To put it into a nice mental picture what Jesus did for us, think about this. Christ came down to Earth and laid the world's sins on Himself and felt the full wrath of God so we did not have to. I really don't think people realize what God's wrath does or how powerful it is. A lot of people try to "lowball" God and think that his wrath is not that bad. Well, let me put it in clear words: God who breathed out life and light for the world and everything around us has so much power we cannot BEGIN to understand it all.

Now, to make another mental picture for what Christ did, check this out...say you have the chance to become a maggot. You'd be a maggot and live with them, eat with them, and then eventually die for them. Now, would you want to become a maggot for all the other maggots, and then die for them? Well, Christ was perfect and without blame, but He chose to come this world and become a maggot and die for us. So, starting to be a little clearer?

I'm not one who knows all the answers, and will tell you in a heart beat I don't. I do know that the only way we can get the answers is to pray and let God tell us. I know it's something that is mind blowing but I can tell you from personal experience, God takes care of you. It's something that the world may not suggest but let God pour into your heart and begin to see how much He gave to this world when He gave His only son to die for us. I hope we can all let that sink in this Easter weekend. This is something that I think we should all look at and let it wash over us

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Oh the fun photoshop can bring..

FAIR WARNING: I did not create the picture being spoke of, that was the work of Jim. Jim is one of the guitar players in The Love Handles. This photo was based on two different events during the Palm Sunday service for Columbia Crossroads Church. One guy brought a pinecone to Mark Mills during the earlier part of the set and after a rocking solo on "25 or 6 to 4" Mark proceeded to hand the pinecone off to Jim. Well, during another song the guy pictured was dancing along to the song. Well, let's just say that Jim had fun with this shot...

In other random "Love Handles" news: the gig was a-mazing! Well, it wasn't quite a "gig" but it was great. The band had a lot of fun with the worship set and when they got to play their songs they were able to really let loose and have a good time. I'm excited for the band and the chance I get to run their Facebook and Myspace pages. Plus, I get to take pictures for them! Check the pages out (links in earlier blog)

A truly random thing that ties into all of this is that I am considering saving up for a Nikon. I know it will be really expensive but after using Jim's...man, I think I am actually in love with an inanimate object. So, anyone think I should do it? Leave comments and let me know what you think

Blogging in Psych

So, I'm bloggin in my psychology class! We're on a break right now so I'm good to go. But I've decided that I will blog twice a week. Doing it everyday became way too stressful and I don't have the time right now. I may go to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule but that would be this summer. So, for now, I'll blog twice a week and let that be it for now. I won't do all the stuff I've been doing but I will share what God's been doing in my life and what else is happening in my crazy world. I want to say THANKS to the people that have been following this blog even though I've been slack in blogging. You'll get more of me, trust me!

So, I think I've rambled enough! Hope all of you have a great weekend and enjoy the weather. Oh, before I forget! Sunday, April 5th is the first "gig" for The Love Handles! I'm stoked since I'm a part of the crew and get to watch them play. I've been keeping up with them with practices and running their Facebook and Myspace pages but I'm stoked for them to play live. Also, they will be playing in the Summer Concert Series out at Finlay Park this summer. One of the important things that landed them a spot was the Facebook and Myspace pages run by yours truly! I'm glad the little things I do can help them out

Song of the day: "Please Don't Stop The Rain"-James Morrison

I'm BACK!

Ok, this is not going to be a HUGE blog but just a blog to let yall know I'm still alive! But as of now, South Carolina is becoming a hot bed of "BLEGH" weather. But hey, I think the rain helps one think the best. The two retreats have been amazing for Youth Group. Going on these as both a student and then a leader have given me a great perspective. I've seen how God can speak to students and how He can work through leaders in kids' lives. But other than that, just trying to survive classes and get out of Tech. I'm doing good but am almost there so pushing as hard as I can to get there. I'll (God willing and the creek don't rise) be going to USC next fall and living on campus. Let's just hope that actually happens, which I think it will.

Now, since Lauren blogged about us in her blog, I think I'd return the favor! Things are going great with the two of us. It's like everytime I think I know everything about her I find out something new every day. I can't explain how awesome it is to be able to be with someone so crazy like me. Well, to put up with my goober self she kind of has to be crazy! We've had a minor bump but with God's help it's being worked out. That's one of the best things with us, it's that we are both people who know God's grace and know that He is an amazing God. Now if I can only teach her how to throw a football.... :P

Song of the day: "Apologize"-Silverstein

"Update Post"

So, I haven't blogged in a while...

The main reason for such is that I have been busy and not had enough time to do so. But also I've been going through some insane amounts of stress. I've made mistakes and am reaping the problems from it. I won't go into details but I will say that I am amazed at the mercy that God has shown me. I think that this is a lesson that the more I stray from His mercy and love that I fall into mistakes when I try to do it my way instead of His way. So, I think that with continued prayer that life will get better for me. Please pray for me folks. I've got a lot on my plate but I know with God's help I will overcome anything that the devil tries put in my path

In His name,

Matt

Song of the day: Beautiful World-James Morrison

Mondays suck!

Ok, maybe they don't suck but they can be slow. Especially when they call for snow and there is none at all!

To be brief, this is really a blog to blog. Nothing long and fancy but just wanted to post so I can say "I posted today!" So, tonight was dgroups, and I cannot wait to see God move in these guys. He already is but I feel He has even more in store. Other than that, not a lot!

Quote of the day:
"Patience is the companion of wisdom."-Saint Augustine

Sunday Morning Rain is Faliin'...

Yeah, crappy weather and a long day equals mucho drainage! But, luckily I was able to hold off being reaaaally tired and made it through the day.

The sermon from today was a really challenging sermon. It's almost like Nehemiah wrote his book based off my life. It's all about being out there with your walk and being a light of God. It was on how people were not whole hearted in their ways and it was not reflective of God. So, today I had a thought. "Am I walking with God wearing sandals or Nikes?" Let me explain that first. Dave Andes had on two different shoes when he preached today. He had a Nike and a sandal on his feet. The sandal was casual and half-hearted. The Nike was all about being active and pursuing God. So, I may be a rainbow-a-holic but now I will start to wear Nikes!

Verse of the day:
"All our cities, all our houses, must have holiness to the Lord written upon them. The believer should undertake nothing which he does not dedicate to the Lord. We are concerned to cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, when any work for God is to pass through them. Those that would be employed to sanctify others, must sanctify themselves, and set themselves apart for God. To those who are sanctified, all their creature-comforts and enjoyments are made holy. The people greatly rejoiced. All that share in public mercies, ought to join in public thanksgivings."-Nehemiah 12:27-43

Stormy Friday...

It's not a song but it should be..today has just left me feeling "blegh!" Weather like today is not fun at all!

It's pouring rain and cloudy all over. It's perfect weather to just relax and just listen to blues all day. Which, I did all day! It was great to work in a recliner and work today. I think it was well worth the time spent. Now only if the weather holds off for tomorrow so we can go play paintball!

Hope yall are having a good week and looking forward to a great weekend!

Quote of the day:
"You have to recognize when the right place and the right time fuse and take advantage of that opportunity. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You can't sit back and wait."-Ellen Metcalf

Post for Wednesday and Thursday

Ok, so here's a post to make up for not doing one yesterday....

Today's "victim"/"subject" by popular demand is my girlfriend Lauren Williams. I told a few people *coughLEANNEcough* I'd blog on her for a while now and just haven't gotten around to it. So, here's my "blog" about Lauren!

The first time I saw Lauren I thought "who is this girl?" And then the next thought was, "Dangit, there are girls close to my height!" But once I got to know her I was able to see her personality that was full of sarcasm and random like mine. I could see how much she wanted to get involved with things at the church and hanging out with people in the youth group.

So, what made me want to date her? One silly answer would be her height. I'm really happy that I'm dating a girl that's my height. But in reality it's her heart. She's got a heart that goes on and on and on. I've never met someone who cares that much and it's purely genuine. That and she's a "pistol" which is always fun lol. I'm glad that she takes a lot of my crazyness and spouts her own brand off back at me. I really enjoy spending time with her and just having a lot of fun along the way

I think I've blogged long enough on her for today. But a recap of things not related to my amazing girlfriend

• LEAP...went really well. Had a couple of issues with two kids but I think that they will work themselves out. It's an amazing blessing to work with these kids. It may be tiring and frustrating at time but I see how much of an impact we have on these guys
• IMPACT (Youth Group)...what else can I say? It was awesome as always. We were short on leaders but still got to talk to all the kids and see how God was working in there lives. That and we played "Doubles 4Square", which was AWESOME
• Music Appreciation...so, my professor was awesome today. Awesome in a hilariously stupid way. He thought that since Mark (guy in my class) and I had our laptops we'd be playing games or getting on the internet he tried to teach by both of us. But, since neither of us could get a connection he was wasting his time. He spent the first half of class trying to work the remote to advance the slides but gave up once he saw that he wasn't going to get what he wanted.
• Bio...it all began and ended with the lab practical. It was a beastly test. But at least it's halfway over! Now to just finish the second half strong like I know I can
  

Quotes of the day:
"The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think."-Horace Walpole
"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist."-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius"-Comte de Buffon

It is for freedom He set us free

Ah, the joys of hearing Jimmy Needham's upbeat acoustic style. It's pretty good stuff hearing a guy that's young and such a great guitar player love God so much

So, today was my "second longest" day for classes. I'm starting to appreciate my music class....ironic it's called "music appreciation" huh? But it's really not that bad once I stop to think about it. It's better than philosophy and I get to spend time with Lauren afterwards so that's a plus. Now to just find a concert for this weekend for my upcoming critique.

Bio? Eh, it's a class that I think is turning around. We're starting the animal kingdom and I think that once we get into it my grade is going to go up a lot. And it'll jump even more once we get to the human body since that's the field that my mom is in.

Lessons are going great so far. I'm really starting to get the hang of what Peter is teaching me. Now to just master some chords and start learning music. I can't wait!

Now, what made me smile? It was a TV show. It's actually my favorite TV show at that. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It was really beautiful watching this episode since it was about two families getting their lives together. I loved it when they gave one of the guys from the shelter a job after he had been helping out the crew for the week. I take a lot of stuff for granted and to see how this guy was happy to help and was rewarded with a job when he had nothing...it was awesome. To think, we get pissy when we don't get fancy things but this guy was happy to do anything to get some work and get his life together

Quote of the day:
"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."-Mitch Albom

.....had to add this quote in as well....it's the funniest thing I've seen, ever
"With a stop light, green means 'go' and yellow means 'slow down'. With a banana, however, it is quite the opposite. Yellow means 'go', green means 'whoa, slow down', and red means 'where the heck did you get that banana?'"-Mitch Hedberg

Chain Rules, K's, and Trashcan Games!

To understand the title you must understand these three things...

• A section in Chapter 2 of Math 130 (Calculus)
• Baseball...at least a little bit
• The spontaneity that is my dgroup and the stuff we do once 4square gets old

Today can be chalked up as a pretty good day. Well, minus being really congested and having sinus headache that feels like a truck hit you in the face repeatedly...was a pretty good day. Salais is back (for now) in Calculus and that means we can actually learn something! It's crazy how in 30 minutes with him we can understand something that in 90 minutes another professor couldn't even begin to teach us. It's insane sometimes!

The next best part was going to the baseball game. I really enjoyed going and seeing my first game at the new stadium. While it doesn't have all the old time memories that "The Sarge" has, it's a nice ballpark and I think it'll help the program out for years. It'll only do good for USC in terms of attendance and also recruiting.

The best part of the day you might ask? Well, that was D-Groups. I really think God is moving in Crossroads, and in pretty big ways. I don't know yet what exactly will happen but I get the idea that something great is going to come out of this group of guys. It's a blessing to work with them since I was there not waaaay too long ago myself. I hope that through working with them that I can impart any "wisdom" that God has shown me through my years as a middle schooler and beyond. If I can be a spark of light to these guys then I'll be happier than words can ever express

Quotes of the day:

• "Life ought to be a struggle of desire toward adventures whose nobility will fertilize the soul."-Rebecca West
• "Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something."-Henry David Thoreau
• "If someone offers you a gift, and you decline to accept it, the other person still owns that gift. The same is true of insults and verbal attacks."Steve Pavlina

"It'll feel like a horse kicked ya in the chest!"

Ok, haven't blogged in a while so gonna do a recap for those who are out o' the loop

Friday: class, work...then WINTERJAM! It was awesome to be around so many Christians and just enjoy it. God was moving in that building and I don't think it could have gone any better. Over 2,000 desicions for Christ in one night? Pretty nice if you ask me

Saturday: Paintball and sleep...great combo! Didn't get hit so much but had a lot of kills

Sunday (today): cool Sunday school discussion. Sat in the with HS group and hopefully will stick with them cause I want to help with the discussions that Daniel has planned. And we had a NGAGE lunch today which had a funny "icebreaker". I got tongue tied during parts of it which was soooo funny

Have a great day and enjoy the rest of your weekend

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."-William Shakespeare

Gregorian chants oh my!

Yeah....funny attempt at humor for a title today...blame music for that one ;)

Well, today was a pretty long and boring day. Bio seemed to last forever thanks to a test and a lab quiz. That class is a lot more challenging than I first thought it would be but hey, I'm doing good so far. Now to just have music seem more interesting. We're going to start some new stuff in bio soon so I hope that is able to make the class more interesting. And for the human body, I have my mom to help me study so that's a relief

What made me smile today? Well, I'd have to say that small furry white thing in my house...the puppy. She may be a pain in my butt sometimes but I'm learning that she's a baby and you have to be gentle and such since she's a baby. It's a great way to learn how to be kind to little ones according to my mom haha

Have a great night and leave comments on what made you smile today!

Quote of the day:
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."-Colin Powell

Posting from tech?

Not really a huge post. I'm just bored in the Tech library and decided to just blog a bit on random stuff...now that I say that I have NO clue what to blog about. Hmmm...?

Well, last night was a great lesson taught by my good friend Justin Knauff (sp?). I think it was well recieved by the kids and I think that God is doing something big in our Youth Group. Don't know what yet but I think that He's moving and I can't be any happier seeing it. I keep praying that God softens the hearts of the kids and I see that prayers are answered in just how they are attentive and listening to the lesson and taking in the words that God uses through the people teaching

Totally off that subject but I have found that learning guitar may not be as easy as I thought it was haha. But I'm determined to learn how to play! It may be different for me but I think it's going to be awesome once I can play

So, short post I know but hey, I'm bored and will blog later tonight. Also, if you have any suggestions for who I should blog on next Wednesday send in your suggestions and I will go over them and pick someone then. I'll pick someone by that Tuesday night so send them in! My email is mrsme007@gmail.com so send them in!

(Quote later since I don't want to say too much more)

Calculus oh calculus...

...today's lecture really was baaaaad! (my frail attempt at a bad song to the tune of "O Christmas Tree")

But today was terrible for calculus. The professor we had as a "sub" was the same one I had for a professor back in Math 102. It's really sad to see how badly this guy can teach. All he does is give us the problems, he does them in a drawn out manner really fast, and expects you to nail it right then and there. It's pretty sad if you watch it. I hope Salais doesn't miss more classes cause I don't know how much I can stand of this other guy. He's a bad professor and if it wasn't for people helping me in 102 I would have failed that class

But other than that (and the rain), today is pretty good so far. Got LEAP later, and then Youth Group after that. I may meet with Lauren for some dinner at McDonalds or meet with Daniel...hmmm...choices choices choices

Today, I blog on someone I should have blogged on a while back...my late Grandpa Hoyt. Fyi, you would have never heard me call him that to his face when he was alive. He was always Grandpa and that was it.

I loved my Grandpa for as long as I can remember. Even though he was a Clemson fan to his death, he still loved me and my family of Carolina fans. Funny thing is, my sister was a Clemson fan to make him happy but decided to come back to the USC side! But he was always there for games and was a treat to watch him get animate about games.

While he wasn't my "biological grandfather" per se, he was the only one I had growing up. And trust me, I learned more from the years I spent with him than any level of school could ever begin to teach me. I learned lessons on life ranging from how to drive a golf cart, cooking okra, all the way to learning how to be successful with anything as long as you put your mind to it.

He was the one who penned my oldest nickname..."spike". I used to not like it when I was a kid but now I would give any amount of money in the world to hear him call me by that again. I miss him very much and I know he's in heaven watching us all. I hope to take a small nugget of wisdom that he imparted on me and make the world a better place...starting with me

Quote of the day:

"Nobody has things just as he would like them. The thing to do is to make a success with what material I have. It is a sheer waste of time and soulpower to imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different."-Dr. Frank Crane

Pride and Glory

(good movie...lots of crazy plot twists, but good)

So, today I blog on a few random things.

• Music Appreciation: I was lucky that the test was moved to Thursday due to the fact that I had only studied a little for it
• Bio: Test Thursday, and I am ready for it...I think
• Work: Going great..I'm happy it's slow right now and not too much on my plate at one time
• Life in general: I've got a great girlfriend and a great God....can't get better

So what made me smile today? I'd have to say when I was able to play my scale on guitar and know that just practicing it over and over helped me do it. Call me crazy but I think I'm doing pretty good for a first timer

Quote of the day:
"I don't think there is a proper way to celebrate something which makes you happy."-Matthew Oliphant

Guitar News

So, I have been told by my Dad that I'm not allowed to buy a guitar right now and that I can just use his for the time being...so, no guitar for me yet. I'll just use his to practice/play on for the time being. Maybe he just wants me to learn before I go out and buy a guitar (best bet there)

New Guitar

So, this is the guitar that I'm going to buy come the end of the month. I decided that the deal was waaaay too good to pass on. That and I need one to learn on and I bet my Dad wouldn't like it if I kept stealing his all the time haha

So, let me know what ya think!

Good news

So, today has just been a good day all around. I find out that the acoustic I'm looking at buying looks good from what I've seen. Hopefully it sounds as good as it looks. But the biggest thing I'm looking for is one that I can plug into an amp so I can play sometime down the road

But other than that not a lot to report. But Saturday was awesome! Other than some crazy stuff at the start of the day it was great. I have to say that Lauren has got to be the best at surprises ever. She got me a throwback Vince Papale jersey! =D Yeah, if you couldn't tell I'm really happy that she did that. I got her roses but she beat me out big time

Quotes of the day (three since I didn't post Saturday OR Sunday)
"Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in."-Amy Lowell
"There is no wisdom without love. "-N. Sri Ram
"Maybe I wanted to hear it so badly that my ears betrayed my mind in order to secure my heart. "-Margaret Cho

"Cause he's emo!!"

To understand this blog's title...you must know Trevor Berry and also have been at the Williams' tonight watching Inigo Montoya not flinch while being attacked...PRICELESS

But, tonight was a lot of fun. I didn't watch a lot of the movie but got to see my two favorite scenes. The "wuv...twu wuv"part (which the "party" was named after!) and the "you killed my father, prepare to die!" part. Well, the part with Andre the Giant on fire is awesome as well!

So, tomorrow is Valentine's Day....and I'm playing kickball! Yes, I know some of yall will think, "but Matt, why not take your girlfriend out and go somewhere 'romantic' or something?" Well, I think that playing kickball will so be worth it. Besides, it's something both of us agreed on and we're still doing gifts. Her's will get to her house tomorrow afternoon and mine is supposed to get here by either Tuesday/Wednesday since she bought it on Ebay. Haha, yeah, we're just crazy like that

Quotes of the day:
"Writing well mean never having to say, 'I guess you had to be there.'"-Jef Mallet
"Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical."-Yogi Berra

TGIF

So, I want to say this reallly fast...THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!

I've been waiting for this weekend all week! It's going to be a lot of fun the next couple of days so I'm really excited. Tonight is movie night and tomorrow is kickball which I'm especially excited for. I'm just hoping it doesn't rain tomorrow cause that would just be a bit of a downer. But hey, if it does then we'll just play games inside till it clears up.

Psychology was fun today. We talked about different kinds of memory loss and how it can affect the person. We watched part of The Bourne Identity and I think it was awesome cause I never looked at that movie from that angle. Maybe I should watch them all again and see what happens since I now have a bit of psych knowledge.

So, there's still time to get your votes in for who I should blog on. Also, if you want to you can vote on the person for next week!

(quote of the day for post later tonight!)

Yay for naps!

I used to not nap a lot but for some odd reason I've been really tired. I guess it's wearing me out having so much going on in my schedule. It probably doesn't help that I stay up till midnight and then get up at six in the morning.

So today was sad since I spent a little bit of time...15 minutes...napping in music appreciation and had to have my neighbor wake me up once the professor got his computer fixed. I was wide awake after eating something at Subway after class and thought I'd be set. But in lecture in bio I kept almost nodding off. It's sad really...I don't want to fall asleep but it seems like lately I just can't get enough sleep. I'm going to go to bed at 11 more often so I can get at least 7 hours of sleep.

But in really amazing news...(drumroll please!)...my sister got into Winthrop! That's been her dream school for months and she finally got in. So, now to just hear from USC and hear the words, "we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the University of South Carolina for fall of 2009"...well, for a letter I'd see the words instead of hear them. But, it's still a lot of happy times in the house right now

So, what made me smile today? I'd have to say the random assortment of candy and sugar filled crap I got for my "lunch" that was supposed to wake me up. The inventory was:

• snickers ice cream bar
• twix
• two lindour mint truffles
• two packs of "Sport Beans"
• gatorade
• and dove dark chocolate

Yeah...I ate bad but wanted to load up on sugar so I could stay awake

Quotes of the day:
"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."-Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
"Life only demands from you the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible - not to have run away."-Dad Hammarskjold

Cool chance...

So, one of the guys at my church has offered to teach me how to play acoustic guitar! I'm really excited about this since I've always wanted to learn how to play. I thought I wanted to play bass or drums but I'm thinking I want to stand out and do something different. I'm really excited!

(longer post later)

So...

I've decided to request something of yall...I'm going to skip this week's Wednesday tradition. But for good reason. And my reason, I'm simply exhausted and need to get some sleep. So, I'm going to let yall do something for me. Well, two things but the other will be named later. I'm going to ask that you send me a message to my email (mrsme007@gmail.com) and tell me who you want me to blog on. I'll take my results and then blog on that person on Sunday. It's against the grain but I'm all about being random once in a while ;)

The other thing I ask is this: If you comment on my blog, follow it then. I want to be able to follow yours and return the favor. I love reading what others have written and if you've left comments I want to return the favor. So, please follow me....not for getting more "followers" but so I can return the favor you have bestowed upon me by leaving a comment. It makes me really happy yall comment in the first place =P

Quote of the day:
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. "-Bertrand Russell

Advertisement?

This post is just to promote the band that my Dad is in... The Love Handles

I've recently created both a Facebook and Myspace for the group. They already have a website that has their demo. The Myspace doesn't have a lot right now but it's still "under construction". Check up on the pages (links at the end of this post) and add them on Myspace or become a "fan" on Facebook. Also go check out their site sometime

Links:

www.thelovehandles.org (site)

www.myspace.com/thelovehandlessc (Myspace page)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/The-Love-Handles/48880479860?ref=mf (Facebook page)

Go check them out!

Small post...

So, today/tonight's post is not going to be much of anything...just a basic play-by-play of what my day was really

• Music-BOOOOORING! But, thankfully it's still easy and nothing too hard
• Bio-slightly less boring....could have been a lot worse but having a cool professor helps
• Flag Football-1st game today....though turnout wasn't all too great it was a great game....I had three TD passes, three TD catches, and one INT (should have had 3!)...can't wait till we get more people involved and get bigger games going

Well, that's really all that happened today. Other than seeing Lauren and her watching my game =D (goober smile for those who wish to know which smiley that is) Have a geat night and leave a comment or two

What made me smile today? It was playing ball again and having fun...and not being so sweaty afterwards lol

Quote of the day:
"Victory belongs to the most persevering."-Napoleon Bonaparte

Revelation

So, I never had put this down to paper so if what I'm about to say seems like a rant, then it's all good. This is a story of my life...well, more my walk with God. I call it my walk cause it's a thing I do daily and I continually walk with Him and experience what He shows me. So, here's a shortened version of it all

I prayed the usual prayer one would see off a Billy Graham special when I was about 9 or 10. I thought it was something that I "needed" to do and didn't really take the gravity of the situation seriously. I never thought about what Christianity was just saw that my parents were Christians and thought, "I need to do that!" I spent time being a "good church boy" and tried to do a lot of works to make myself look good at my church. I thought that by doing that I was being a good Christian and would be in good graces with God. Without realizing it I had adopted a works based doctrine and didn't even realize it.

I then took it a step back and began to not take God seriously at all. I would skip out on church events to just goof off or go hang out with friends when I knew God wanted me to be somewhere else, doing what He wanted. I did this up to a certain trip to El-Paso. Little did I know what this mission trip, though a short-term trip, would change my life forever...

While in Mexico for a project with the church we worked with, I had the chance to help run groceries to people's houses. Now, this doesn't seem like a huge task for some but for me it was mind blowing. I was walking around in this neighborhood and saw how little they had and how broken their lives were. But what blew my mind was that these people were thankful for what they had. One mother asked Mrs. Wilson, one of the El-Paso kids, and I to walk their groceries to her house. Well, I didn't think much about this until she invited us in. This house was maybe as big as my bonus room in my house. But she was so proud of what God had given her that she wanted to treat us as guests and not be ashamed of what little they had.

I'm not a guy to cry but believe me, I bawled my eyes out when we got back to our host houses that night. I was so moved but still didn't want to show it in front of everyone. It didn't hit me until I got back to the states how much I had experienced. God had shown me how much I have and not thankful for and how little they have and are so greatful for. I was challenged and finally saw that my way wasn't getting it. My way was by myself and not being able to move in other's lives like I had wanted.

I believe that if God wants a verse on your heart then He will. Luckily for me it was a verse I could identify with right then...Phillipians 4:31...I opened up my bible and just flipped to there without thinking. It was an experience I will never forget to just feel God speak to me and just see how my life had been misused by me and how I was not taking what God had given me to further Him. I saw that day what I had needed to see all of my life. God had been wanting to show me this and He finally had to step in through such a means as that mother in Mexico.

One of my biggest things with God is that he gives you little "knocks" to help jar you to His will...I'll chalk up Mexico as a "sledgehammer" knock. I thank Him daily for that one

Hope yall read this and feel challenged like I did a few years ago

People get ready...

Ah, the joys of such a good song...but the reason I put that on there was that I'm currently taking in the sights and sounds of The Love Handles practicing. If yall didn't know, The Love Handles is the band that my Dad is in. It's a bunch of his buddies that get together every other Monday and practice then try to gig every once in a while. It's a lot of fun to watch all these personalities get together and have fun playing music. My Dad gets into it and so does the rest of the group

So, speaking of music...I'm considering taking lessons for either drums or bass. I want to do bass since it's something my Dad has done for years and I've always wanted to learn. But drums, it's just a natural feeling. I wanted to learn how to play the congas six or so years ago but lost interest. I guess I've regained interest since playing Guitar Hero World Tour (sad huh?). But I guess I'll have to pray about it a while. I could get my Dad to teach me but I'm already working for him and to be his "student" would make things more interesting around the house. So, I'm going to let yall cast a "vote" on this one. Should I learn how to play bass or drums? Write in your comments what you think and I'll tally the results up

(no serious quote since I had one earlier)
Quote of the day:
"and my phone said, 'for the prom queen'!"-Joey Fralick

70's music and slow days...

Ah the joy of slow days and 70's music...

Today has been a slow day. But there is good news. The weather outside is fantastic! I wish it would stay like this the whole week. Maybe Saturday will be nice since we're supposed to be playing kickball Saturday at the Williams' house. Big props to Mr. and Mrs. Williams for opening up their home to loads of madness for different events.

Valentine's Day is coming up this Saturday as well. Do I have any plans you may ask? Well, all I have planned is to spend part of the day playing kickball at the Williams' house. I don't have anything planned to go do that day. Now, does that mean I'm not getting anything for Lauren? Well, I guess everyone will have to wait and see! (that includes you Lauren =P)

Hope yall have a great day and thanks for reading these blogs!

Quote of the day:
"The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom... "-Bell Hooks

God is good

So, today I got the opporitunity to get in front of the church and talk about how my friend Josh came to Christ. It was a great thing to do since I could really feel God moving through the words I spoke. It was great to hear how what I said helped impact people after each service. Any nervousness I had before I got up melted once I got up there. I may have choked on my words a but but hey, the message was still clear. God is good, and he helped lead a man to Christ. All I did was talk about how He has shaped me. It's an answer to a prayer for me and I hope that it helps someone else on their walk

Verse of the day:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Blogger Milestone!

So, this is my 50th post! Insane huh? When I first started this I had no clue I would be doing this so much. But hey, it's a lot of fun!

Something else that's a lot of fun is drums on Guitar Hero World Tour. It's really great to play and just rock out on the filler parts. I know that on some songs you don't have to do that but it's still a lot of fun! I learned tonight that a long note on drums means a roll on it. So, next time I get one of those I am going to pound the mess out of it and go with it. I feel bad about breaking the tip on Caleb's sticks though...=(. I'll look up prices for sticks and see what I can do. It shoudn't be too bad

Tomorrow is the day I get in front of the church and talk about Josh. I'm ready for it and for God to get the glory on this. I'm so excited and no longer nervous. Well, I say that now at 11:19 the night before...but I still feel good about it. So, please pray that the people in the congregation will hear what God says through me and through all who speak or play tomorrow. It's not for our glory but for that of our heavenly Father

Quote of the day:
"Typos are very important to all written form. It gives the reader something to look for so they aren't distracted by the total lack of content in your writing. "-Randy K. Milholland

Recitals, Jason Mraz, and Coffee oh my!

Wow...that was a bad attempt at making a funny title...but hey, at least it was an attempt made in good fun =P

Any ways, last night was actually kind of fun. The violinst at the recital was pretty good for a college student. It was a senior recital and she did well for her age. I think she may have squeezed a few notes too much making some really odd squeaking noises. I have no background in violin/orchestra so I may be wrong. But the funniest thing was me freaking out trying to get a program and not succeeding for a while. I had this one creepy person (couldn't quite tell if it was a boy or girl...) laugh at me and say, "haha...you're SCREWED!....HAHA!"...creeeeepy. But a gentleman was kind enough to offer me his and I thanked him over and over for it. So, glad I got that out of the way. Now to just type up that paper by Tuesday and I'm set!

But the best fun was at Denny's! I may have missed the random drink mixes that the rest of the crew had but I had some fun while I was there. I had to be home by 10:30 so I could get up early to do yardwork today. So, it was a relief that I was able to fall asleep so fast after 3-4 cups of coffee. But I think next time I'll pass on the omlette. I didn't feel so good once I got home..soooo, maybe next time I'll just stick with fries or something =P

One thing I've noticed about Lauren is this....the girl is constantly making me smile. I know I'm the one that makes people laugh with faces, jokes, and other things but she just makes me smile without her even trying. We could just be hanging out and she sees something and will say something uber random and we'll both just start dying from laughing so hard. Ah...good times

Quote of the day:
"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps."-David Lloyd George

I'm also going to borrow a part of a quote book that I'm interested in getting. It's a collection of stupid movie quotes. Here's part of the product description on Amazon
""This is bad."--Leonardo DiCaprio as the you-know-what hits the you-know-what in Titanic (1997) "
Here's the link... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375753303/starlingtechnolo/ref=nosim
Anybody want to get me a really early birthday present?

OCD?

So, today I came to a conclusion. I believe I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...or as most call it, OCD. We went over it in psychology and I saw a lot of what we talked about in my life. It was funny since I have a good friend in the class and she looked at the material and then at me and kept checking off what I do compared to the list. Fun day!

Another guy I know came up to me and said that if I wanted I could go play baseball with him and a few others this spring/summer. I'm excited for the chance since I haven't played competitively for years. I'll probably be rusty but it will soooo be worth it

Quote of the day:
"Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand"-Leo Durocher

V8 Splash and icy winds

Well...that title really doesn't mean anything except that I'm downing at least one V8 Splash a day and it was cold this morning. But hey, the weather warmed up some so I can't complain tooo much.

Today was a long day for me. Music was pretty cool until we started to do a few listening exercises and I thought to myself, "I wonder how many times we are going to do this?"...well, sometimes I think my professor hears what I think...because two seconds after that I hear, "oh, this folks is what we're going to be doing on every test and quiz the rest of the semester so get used to it!" Listening quizzes are my forte but I get bored. And for those who know me, when I get bored I tend to get fidgety and get off track. So, I'm hoping that's not the case

Today was also the meeting for the Recreation and Fitness Committee. I got to meet with the administration on getting games started and working on getting more people out. So, I'm hoping this means that we're able to make spring semester big for once. I'm really excited about having people on board, especially since I've got more people who can help me do this. Now only if we can get games where we play colleges then that would be a-mazing!

So, for traditions sake....what is the thing that made me smile today? This may draw some laughs but it was a note that Lauren had left on my truck underneath my windshield wipers. I freaked cause I thought it was a ticket but it was a note. So, no need to freak out. I laughed at it later and thought it was a nice thing to do. So, what made you smile today? Leave a comment and let me know

I appreciate yall reading these. Continue to pray for my friend Josh and that he'll be able to keep walking with God. Also, continue to be working in the church's heart for what God is going to say through me Sunday when I get up and speak in front of everyone

Quote of the day:

"Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent."-Sophia Loren

PS: Another thing that made me smile is a quirky little feature I have on my phone. I'm able to use the touch screen portion of it and create a picture on a "drawing pad". Here's my latest creation. Hope yall get as much of a laugh as I did when I finished it

And to answer a question someone asked me, there wasn't really inspiration to it. I was in a "silly" mood and felt like making something that reflected it. That and boredom played a part in it (remember me saying I get fidgety earlier?). But I think it turned out pretty good!