Praying and missions...is like oatmeal and raisins. MMmmm.
John Wesley: "God will do nothing except in answer to prayer."
I enjoy hanging out with Matt D and Joel Sou; I like praying with Chris and James; going up to the Peak and praying with my fellows, hunting with James and talking about God deep in the woods...hangin' out with the Duncan family.
Kids rock. Kids teach us more than you know. Out of the mouth of babes he has ordained praise. I hope to adopt one day from another culture. Cultures and diversity are are like candy. A sweet variety. When all peoples worship around the great throne...thats what I'm looking forward to. I also am an artist!
Some things I enjoy doing: skiing and snowboarding, soccer, (mtn) biking, Frisbee in the park, swimming, hiking, camping, reading, art, cleaning, rock climbing, pool, playing with kids, foreign languages, drawing, writing, photography, journaling.
Things I used to like to do: jump off cliffs, fix cars, tumble down rough and steep places(with skis, or bikes, or automobiles), going very fast without a helmet, climbing high places with no ropes, working out every single day...
New things I like to do now: drink coffee, poetry, baking, reading a book, and getting a back massage...
Things I don't like to do: going to the hospital (for myself), driving (except for my job cuz i'm paid to), playing video games, using myspace!, watching tv
Music
I have played music since I was 6. Someday I will learn the pipes.
Favorite music/artists would include: Burlap to Cashmere, Waterdeep, Jason Upton, Shawn McDonald, Skillet , Lady Blacksmith Mambazo, Conjure One, Shane & Shane, World, Celtic, Clann An Drumma, Off Kilter, Peatbog Faeries, Robin Mark, Catriona MacDonald, Bad Haggis
Favorite Art: Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Giovanni, da Vinci, Kinkade is pretty good with the light, Chinese paintings, German Märchen, etc.
Television
Do you know how many stinkin TVs per 1000 people in the USA there are? about 740!
Books
The scriptures, and especially proverbs. Why proverbs? They fix my stupidity.
Books about missionaries, George Whitefield, George Fox, Hudson Taylor, John Piper, Andrew Murray, Oswald Chambers, John Bunyan, Don Richardson, E.M. Bounds, Brother Yun, classics, old writings, refugees, journals!, Brother Andrew, Brutchko, history, religion, world, foreign languages, travel, China, Middle East.
Heroes
Jesus Christ is definitely the hero. Hudson Taylor who's faith I want to imitate, my good bro Dave F who survived Iraq (barely by God's grace) and preached the gospel there, my brother Matt D who survived a suicide bomb explosion in Afghanistan (barely by God's grace), my parents who are incredibly supportive, Jeremiah for his awesome family clan, James and Chris and Joe who are good soldiers of Christ who can put up with my retardedness on the mission field, and all who suffer and die for the Gospel.
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish–His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see ‘Him walking on the sea’ with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see ‘Him walking on the sea’ (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a furthur goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.”
-Oswald Chambers
My old religion:
Who I'd like to meet: I wish I could meet those who sowed seeds in me and spoke truth to me while I was still ignoring God and wasting my life, and thank them.
Nataka kukuta Yesu, kwasababu ninapenda Yesu!
Hey bro hows your marriage to Jesus going? Miss you man, gotta tell you about my Mexico trip. Pics on facebook, amazing God-exalting adventure!! Love ya man...
Many churches are closing their doors or simply dying off. Our churches are full of the old and dying and the younger generations are in bars and strip clubs. Those who go to church go to mega-churches and are rarely fed. Has modernity poisoned the minds of Americans to the point at which pure doctrine and biblical teaching is being rejected in the house of God?
Happy B-day Buddy. Wish all of us could get together and do some snowboarding because skiing sucks. LOL. Miss you buddy hope things are going good have a great Birthday!
Hey Matt.. I really enjoy talkin with you brother today.. "on the eighth day, after getting some sleep, God realized something was missing and created the Matt club.. " lol, randomness..
Im just finishing the year out at oregon state and next year im planning on going to a bible college not for sure which one yet. I wanted to go somewhere but it didnt work out so maybe this summer. How have you been and what are you up to?
i miss you too man, i'm livin back on mt hood with dad now, the job with darrell did'nt work out, so i'm once again trying to find my way in this blind mess we call life, but i just keep my head up and keep my friendships positive and somehow i make it through, i'm so glad you're back stateside, and i can't wait to see ya
Charlie
P.S. i'm up for goin to church with ya, i've been meaning to i guess i just need to make more time
Hey Matt, I love you bro! Sorry for stupid frustration about the bike, its many more things that that in my life. So stoked you are back, I missed you man! Lets make a weekly time for prayer, even 30min session fine.
Niko poa. Your in Germany..cool.. hey you & Doro should meet up one day. You must remember her right? She was in my DTS. She visited me in England in Dec..so cool..anyways, cya and God bless. good luck with your german : )
Hey Matt! Mambo vipi?! So where are you now? I'm back in the states for now or a while..sijui. Gonna take kiswahili lessons soon, can't wait! Not sure where God's leading me, just taking it day by day. Mungu akubariki. Sawa..baadaye
