Summer Summer and did I mention Summer.

Well it looks like I haven't been able to post for a while. I've been terrible at keeping this thing up, I'll try to do better at keeping it up. 

A Few things:

House that I'll be staying at for the summer

I moved into my own place, for the summer months in Greensboro to be closer to campus and summer ministry opportunities. It has been an awesome experience so far to see the Lord move. The house is actually the same house as my campus minister stays at, which is an awesome opportunity to be poured into by. It has also been great to live with 4 guys that I consider my close friends. I share a room with my close friend Vincent and another guy named John. Our room is right above our front door and above the entrance to the house. Be praying for opportunities to minister this summer within the city of Greensboro and how our house can be used.

Panaroma view of our room. (Matt, Vince and John)

Working.


I recently got hired at my local Sonic Drive In, working as a carhop, which is basically a waiter that delivers right to your car, and I'm on skates, which makes it more fun and enjoyable. I've only worked a few days and I can already tell that it is going to be a learning yet fun experience. I'm reading through the book of Matthew currently, today I read about how Jesus sent out the disciples and gave them the power/ authority under His name to cast out demons and heal the sick, and that they would be going into a world full of wolves, and them being the sheep. Yesterday I got a taste of what that actually meant. I came into work around 11:30am ready and excited to work, first off my boss did not give me my clock in number so I looked stupid in front of my manager and not to mention all who were working there that day. I really got thrown into all things Sonic, I ended up making drinks yesterday, making all the fountain drinks and fruit slushes and slushes themselves, the only thing I need to master is the Ice cream sundaes, malts, blasts and shakes, but other than that I did an overall good job. Pray for me to be able to take a stand for my faith and be able to be unashamed of the Gospel as I go to work. Literally I am going into an area full of wolves ready to be ripped apart, pray for the Lord to soften the hearts of my co workers as I try and reach them this summer.

Swaggin at Work. 

Proverbs 18:24

Sorry for not posting recently, but I've been busy with you call College. Ya know its that thing that you go off to after graduating High School, yea that thing. I believe the last time I updated this blog, it was in August, right after getting back from my second beach project. This past semester has been a long and hard one, but it is only by the Grace and Mercy of God that I am still in school and am alive to tell you what has happened.

Me and Vincent, friends and brothers for life. 

God has really used a brother to really reach out to me and get to know me at the same time. His name is Vincent. We look nothing alike, he's short, I'm tall. He's older, I'm the baby. I wear glasses, he doesn't. Those things don't matter what matters is our inward heart change that comes about when Christ persues us and we respond back to Him. God has really used this brother to call me back to Himself and given me a passion for learning Gods word.  I honestly didn't know where I would be if it wasnt for people like Vincent, who stepped into my life and poured into me. What began as just talks out in his car when I was living in Jefferson Suites, to now great friends that are planning to live together next year. I have developed a deep friendship with him, a friendship that I would have never had when I was little, or just having an actual friend in the first place. A friend that doesn't use me to get what he wants, but a friend that cares and loves me for what Christ has done in my heart.

I see alot of myself within Vincent. I see that he has a heart for others, he cares/ puts others before himself. He desires to grow in his faith daily, and he does his best to make sure that happens. He is a great example of what it means to "walk the walk".  The way that he carries himself, inspires me to better myself. I admire his faith in the Lord, to just stop and surrender. He surrender's all, even despite what he may be feeling or thinking about. We both have similar backgrounds, growing up in the Baptist denomination, and also just constantly being around Gods family. He spurs me on to love Christ more and more each day and his passion for the word has rubbed off on me. Everything that he does he points it back to Christ. We had the opportunity to share the Gospel earlier yesterday, as well as earlier in the year to be meeting up to study the word and praying.

He is like family to me and I would totally put myself on the battlefield and take a bullet for him, as long as he stayed safe. I know that he would do the same thing every game, and knowing that someone cares about me. I am thankful for what God is going to do through .

Of the World?

I've been back from the beach for about 2 weeks. The devil thinks he is clever because he is has tried and has gotten me to fall back and struggle with past sins. Throughout all of this, I have remained relying on God, to move and I know its only by the Spirit that can change my heart, but I also need to put in some pratical time, I understand that God works but it takes a little effort. Yes, relying on Christ is what I need at the moment but I need to meet Him halfway. I need to remind myself of the Gospel everyday, without that I fall. I need to remind myself that I am a sinner that is bound for Hell on my own in my flesh. I have no hope, but the good news is that God gave that to me, by sending His son to take on the sin of the world. I never really stop and meditate on that and its a convicting thing for me, do I dwell on the cross and the meaning of it? Do I even desire to Love Christ like I say I do?

Romans 12:2 states "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the perfect will of God." The question then becomes Am I friend of the world or am I a friend of God. In scripture it says that if we love God we must become enemies of the world. My campus leader in Campus Outreach put it the other night in a question "why is it hard to live with a kingdom mindset all the time?" I replied that most people believe that this life is all about getting what YOU want, and being the best at whatever you do, its a survival of the fittest aspect of it. What we pay attention to the most and what we invest our time in explains where our heart is, and where our motives are. If its anything other than God it is sin.

I have been convicted of this in my own life, my passion has been in my sin and pleasures of this world and what can I get out of certain things. My affections havent been set on Christ, who I say that I love. I havent been getting in the word like I should, and growing deeper in my walk since coming back and have been turning back to lust and the things that go with it. I know its where God has called me to be at the moment and I'm okay with that because He is making me stronger and I've seen that evident in my life and I know that there is coming a day when I will be totally free from the grips of porn and all the things that are attached to it. I ask for your prayers as I continue the fight, I believe that I have been losing the fight because I dont have the trust in God like I should. I sometimes question why I go through what I do because it seems to always hurt me and leave me in a deeper pit and I believe that I havent had any backing from others in prayer, so I covet those as I continue the fight.

I believe that God is changing my heart even now, because now I reconize that its a problem when a while ago I didn't. I believe im on the hill about to cresent the hill and never looking back to where Ive been, its been an awesome journey so far and I look forward to whats to come and what He does in my life, this coming school year. Again I covet your prayers on my behalf.

Pray that I : would be reminded of the Gospel daily. 2) know when Im feeling temptation to escape it and go somewhere else. 3) rely on God for everything and to get me past this.

thanks Matt

The Freshness

Do I know that You care?

 Do I know that Your Here?

This is much more than I can bear.

Lord, Oh how I long to be clear.

This world is sufficationg me.

It's tears against my ugly flesh

Please God hear my plea.

Make me fresh.

I'm chained up

Locked up with the key thrown out

like a fresh bottle of ketshup pulled from the shelf

face full of doubts

Asking myself "Will I ever be freed of this?"

When I'm about to loose hope and when all else fails

Your prescence comes to me like a wave crashing on the beach

It is immediate, I'm hit like a brick.

Reminding me of who I am and why I'm here.

This world will fail me,

But I know God, You will never fail.

In You am I able to be free

Please God hear my plea.

Lord, Oh how I long to be clear.

transitions

Over a year ago I started college. I knew that when I graduated from High School and moved out on my own, I knew that I wanted to stay grounded in my faith. Upon entering college, and attending the fair on the first day of school I learned about Campus Crusade for Christ. I remember going because it was one of the only ministry's that I heard about. I remember treking over to the Sullivan building for meetings the first semester, I loved the worship at the meetings and it turned out to become my ministry for most of my freshman year. Over Christmas break, I started to feel different about my decision, maybe I had made it to soon, I had friends that had gone to CO another campus ministry and attended there weekly. I felt the pull of God to maybe go elsewhere once I got back from winter break. In myself I battled Him. 'No God, I just made friends here, I'm just getting into this.' I told Him, but sooner or later I went about staying in Crusade, a spring break opportunity came up, a week long trip to NYC. Wow I thought. I felt the pull to go so I signed up and followed. While there I believe God started to reveal a passion for sharing the Gospel as that was what we were there doing. I got back and AGAIN felt God pulling me to step down from Crusade and to go elsewhere. I didnt want to leave people that I had become friends with, and it felt bad after going on a trip with them and then saying peace, to them. Despite that I followed Him and started going to 805 aka Campus Outreach.

I remember asking my friends where 805 was and asked if I could walk with them. As we walked over I passed several Cru memembers and my heart sank. As we got to the meeting I was immediately hit with all these new faces of people. People came up and shook my hand and asked my name. I was like wow these people are friendly. As the meeting started I began to loosen up, the game was funny, the testimoney amazing and the message very pratical. I felt home, like this is where God wanted me all along. I believe God puts in things and then takes us out according to His will. Long story short I ended up going the rest of the semester and then going on an eight week trip with them over  the summer where I grew  so much and  developed friendships. Again I felt home, and CO will always be a place for me to go to and Im thankful that Im apart of that and this ministry.

Summer Plans already? Yea

Im on spring break. Its hard to believe that the semester is almost over. When I go back this weekend, I have about a month and a few weeks till my summer starts. My college career is halfway over. It still blows my mind that I walked over two years ago and here I am almost 20. AHHH im going crazy. Anyway... I have some awesome news. I found out that I am returning to the Summer Beach Project! I was asked to be on leadership, a role that not everyone gets the chance to do. Im excited to be going back on the other side of project, last year I was the one recieving everything, this summer I get to give and I am super pumped about that. I believe that the Lord is allowing me to return, and again I am trusting Him to provide the funds to get me there.

I am on the servant team for SBP 2012. I'll be serving the project, by being in prayer for the students. One thing I believe that I'm passionate about is seeing students grow in their walks with Christ. It brings me joy too see students grow so much over the summer and thats why I'm so excited for SBP.

This is the vid from last years project. To Legit to quit. Enjoy! and be in prayer for us and the students that we will reach



As I fall from the grips of my faith.
You came, without a trace.
Caught mid way and told me that it would be alright.
Encouraging me to keep fight.

Savior please, consume my life, my wants, needs. My desires, my goals, my being, heal me of broken wounds and a broken heart. Savior please do as you want.

I pleaded and He heard. A change overcomes me, o am transformed.
Savior please keep saving me from myself.



A simple message but I forget, that He transferred himself to us and us to Him.