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!

Update on "A Challenge to Attack..." blog

So, I know I'm breaking tradition here but I thought it was muy muy importante (very very important) to let yall know something.

Today when meeting Daniel (youth leader for those who may not know) for lunch I talked to Jeff Shipman (pastor from "A Challenge to Attack.." blog) and he said that I was going in front of the whole church to talk about my experience with Josh. God had put it on my heart to talk about the whole thing to more people but I was too anxious thinking I didn't want to draw attention to myself and what I did but wanted to show people what God did through me.

So, I'm a little nervous since I'm not a great public speaker but I keep looking back at my favorite verse (Phillipians 4:13) and see that God is on my side. Any kind of anxiousness I have for this is something that God doesn't have in store. So, I'm going to let my nervousness fall away and just let God move through me and give me words to speak. I'm going to be reading my blog and am hoping that God can use it to make an impact in someone else's life/ministry. He showed me how to be more open and "on the attack" through Josh so I hope that He does the same for someone else.

So, please pray for not only me but for the people that will be there Sunday (BOTH SERVICES) and that God will prepare their hearts even now to hear what He will show through me. It's kind of big step for me but I know God is in it. And, "little is much, when God's in it"

Here's my favorite verse so yall can read this and feel challenged like I was.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Phillipians 4:13

Ah, the joys of calculus

So, first and foremost, I got an A on my first calculus test! I'm really excited about it considering I was so fearful of this class leading up to this semester but am really enjoying it. Not to mention I got a 95! Yeah, if you couldn't tell I'm really happy! I am not the best in math but I love algebra and a lot of the problems are based off algebraic principles. So, thanks to studying and having a great professor I think I'm set for the rest of the semester!

Today, in keeping with my Wednesday tradition. I get to blog on another person today. Today's person is....my mom!

I'm a self admitted "momma's boy" as most southern guys are. But for me, it's more out of respect for her and what she's done for me. A lot of times I have wanted to give everything up...even to the point of letting it all go. But, luckily for me, I had her to pull me back up and keep pushing me.

I may not give her all the respect she deserves sometimes but I know that no matter what I do, she will always love me. Not to mention she'll still pop me upside the head for no reason. "Ouch! Why'd you hit me mom?!"..."because I can!"

Yeah, don't let her short stature fool you one bit. She may be short but she makes up for it in tenacity and perseverance. She's a strong mother and will stick up for her kids no matter what. I thank God that she's my mom. That and that she puts up with me. It's a funny scene when a 5'3" woman is beating up on her 6'2" son.

Anyways, hope yall have a great day and if you have any suggestions on who should be next for my Wendesday tradition just shoot me an email at mrsme007@gmail.com !

Quote of the day:

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. "-Mark Twain

Two tests and a hand drawing

So, I had two brutal tests today...actually, bio was the brutal one and music appreciation was pretty stinkin' easy

But I got to hang out with Lauren today which was great cause it helped calm my nerves down and that helped me relax for the test. I get so worked up over school this semester since it's my last at Tech and I want to make it count. I'm ready to get out of Tech and go to USC. Man, I made it sound like a jail sentence with that last sentence.

One thing I most definetly want to try doing is not using medicine that may make me drowsy the next morning. I tried to cut down on my sugar intake after 3pm hoping it would help. But I took two ibuprofen pms for a headache that I had thinking I would wake up fine the next morning. I literally felt like a slug...very tired and groggy. Once I got to Tech I curled up in my back seat and just took a 20 minute nap. Then, in Music, I slept for about another 20 minutes. So, next time, I'll skip the PM stuff

So, today I have something interesting for what "made me smile". Again, it was my girlfriend but for a funny reason. I have sent her three or four pictures that I drew on my phone using the drawing pad. Now, they aren't Mona Lisa caliber but they're funny and completely random. So, here's what she drew on my hand that made me laugh and forget about that silly test that was coming up for Bio

Quote of the day:
"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."-Henry Ford

Ramen with shrooms

In reference to the title...it was my genius idea to add sliced mushrooms and cheese to my ramen today. Well, I think that's what probably got me feeling "blegh" earlier. So, next time I think I want to do that, I'll remember feeling like someone punched me in the gut

So, for the first time in Calculus I felt like we actually...well, learned something! Salais spent maybe 15 minutes talking, but the rest we worked out problems. I was there till close to 9:30. Usually, we get done by 8:30 at the absolute latest, so today was insane. But, I understand it all now. I was confused about delta x and all the jazz but it all makes sense now. I may have said this before but for someone who used to hate math, it's not so bad right now. Now only if I was taking physics to go with it...that would be a-mazing!

But in other news, three...yes THREE...of my shows come back tonight. Chuck, Heroes, and One Tree Hill. I'm most stoked about Chuck since it's in 3-D but also for Heroes since it's a new season and looks pretty tight if you ask me. And yes, I watch One Tree Hill. But hey, I like the script and the music is pretty awesome that they play. I've downloaded at least $50-$60 of the artists they have played on that show

Have a great day!

Quote of the day:
"I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities. "-Whoopi Goldberg

Vegas

So, before I start...if anyone ever wants to take me to Vegas when I turn 21, you would officially be the most amazing person....EVER!

But today in church I got perhaps the biggest "compliment"...actually, wouldn't call it that. I got noticed for something I do and it wasn't that I loved it since it built me up but it was something that gave glory to God. I had a lady come up to me after the first service and ask if I was the one putting the words on the screen for the sermon. I said that I was which made her eyes light up. She told me that it was something she really appreciated and said that while to some it may be small what I (I also infered the other mediashout people) do was appreciated and a great way to connect what is being sung or said to the people in the congregation. This was huge for me since I for the longest time thought that what we did wasn't really noticed and just "a given." Well, I thought about it, and to put it in my most "basic" terms....God puts it in the heart of people what we (Mediashout Team) do and He shows them in His own way what we do.

The other amazing thing from today was talking to Rick Hawkins after the second service. He pulled me close and asked if I was going on any mission trips this summer. I told him that the college ministry, NGAGE, was probably going on and I was going. Well, Rick looked me square in the eye and said, "I want you to tell me when you're going so I can help you get there man." Now, this would normally be enough for one but he added right after, "cause Matt, you've been really helpful for me and I want to help you out...I'll even get others to help you out." Now before that last part I had already shook his hand but once he said that last part I nearly tackled the guy I was so estatic. Rick is basically a second dad to me at the church, and it was amazing to hear someone say that. So thanks be to God for men like that in the world...people with huge hearts that keep going and going

Oh yeah...the Steelers won the Super Bowl. I hated to go against Kurt Warner since he's such a strong believer. But, even with his and Larry Fitzgerald's valiant effort, they still fell in the end. Congrats to Pittsburgh, and better luck next time Arizona. Good game to everyone

Verses of the day:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (my Maranatha tshirt's verse)
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:35

Tribal Dances, Baseballs and Shotguns, oh my!

The only way you could possibly understand the first one is if you were at the Williams' house early yesterday moring! Sooo epic

Any ways...I spent pretty much all day with the Williams and a few other cool people making breakfast, playing baseball, and then shooting. It was awesome to get back into playing ball. I've been itching to play for a few months and finally got the chance yesterday. Now if I could only control my pitching then that way I could make it really fun for Jeremy and Trevor to hit. But I was proud that Lauren and Kristen actually tried to hit some balls and threw pretty well for beginners. Maybe next time I'll spend more time teaching them one on one instead of being a "coach" for a good while.

But then came the best part of the day. The shooting. I love to shoot things, and was having a lot of fun but had even more once we pulled out the 20 gauge. This was my first experience with a shotgun, and I LOVED IT! Too bad I only have videos of me shooting that and not pictures. But, if you want, check out my facebook and you can see the videos on there. I've also got videos of Lauren and Kristen shooting the 20 gauge.

Well, time to finish getting ready for church. I'll probably blog after church since I usually do after the message. Have a great morning and look out for the other blog today

(Quote of the day will be in the second blog...and will have two instead of one since this one does not have one...comprende?)