Issue ages from 18-84
$1000 cash benefit paid upon 1st diagnosis
$100 hospital daily benefit for up to 90Days; $250 a day from the 91st day on
Up to $2000 for covered surgries
Radiation and Chemotherapy benefits up to $100 a day
Outpatient benefits for implants and prosthesis and Travel Benefits!!

Only 2 health questions:
In the past 10 years, has any person to be insured had, been diagnosed as having, been advised to seek treatment for, received medication or, been treated by a medical practitioner for:
1. HIV, AIDS, or ARC (AIDS related condition)?
2. Leukemia, Hodgkins disease, malignant melanoma, sarcoma, lymphoma, or any internal cancer, or had radiation or chemotherapy for any of these conditions?
IN the past 24 months, has any person to be insured experienced any symptoms that would have caused a person to seek medical advice from a medical practitioner, or to have a or schedule a diagnostic test for any of the conditions listed above?
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Rachel Ryan is the Champion and I am an Ice Cream Loser!

Many times when facing the challenge of largest tower of ice cream I have come up against willful opponents, however many of them tried and failed as their ice creams reached heights never dreamed of, but without proper bases they toppled. 

Which brings us to the Challenge of 8-31-08 a day that will live on in the hearts and minds of friends for years to come as the Champion (that's me) was challenged yet again at Jason's Deli to have the tallest ice cream. Some people didn't even try like Blair or Lauren who's barely made a few inches. However upon this eve there were challenges that I would have never foreseen.

1st came Thomas, we don't know much about him, but we can tell he has a competitive nature. However, his will for battle unfortunately quickly surpassed his skill and his tower of ice cream became a bowl of failure.

2nd came Russ Wishum, a newcomer from the East. He attempted to surpass the laws of nature them self, but was defeated honorably and bowed out of the competition.

Lastly and most importantly a familiar foe. One whom I have beaten on many occasion, but not tonight. For tonight she would surely see it through to the bitter sweet end. She moved from the table, elegant yet purposefully to finally dethrone the King of Ice cream towers. Nothing would stand in her way of victory. She slowly and effectively built a tower of ice cream with a solid foundation like that of Mount Olympus it self. It soared to the heights above the upper heavens (i.e. the straw in my glass). She had won....or so she thought. It was at this time when the challenge truly began.

Eat it! You must eat it to win! But wait! No one had said eating it was apart of the challenge,(she proclaimed) ahh yes, but no one had ever reached this stage of the challenge. So it began...eating...at first large bites, this isn't so hard she thought. Time went on, 10....20mins and still more ice cream in the cup. The Champion jeered, just eat it and I will conceded, but do not and you will suffer the utter shame for years to come. Emotionally and physically drained to her limits with her victory in site, the jeers turned to you can do it! Just drink the rest! You're almost there!

And........She did! To my eyes horror, to my hearts dismay, in one tip of the cup my victory had turned rotten in my gut. My throne no dejected and despicable. I now had to concede my throne to the one and only true Champion of the Ice cream Tower, miss soon to be Rachel Wishum.

In my sorrow, in my loss, never has someone risked there personal well being to defeat me and for that act I now vow to NEVER participate in the event ever again. Forever! Let everyone know from Shore to Shore, from roof top to skyline that Rachel Ryan (Wishum) is Champion for Eternity and that she against great odds defeated the now humbled and dethroned Matthew of the Morrow!  

My mama said.........

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, & sounds like a duck, it's probably a duck! ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />

My grandmother said sittin' in a chicken house, don't make you a chicken. Just like sittin' in church, don't make you a Christian.

I want to explore these two thoughts at some length and I would love to hear from you all as to what you think.

So here's the deal, I am constantly reminded by people in the difference between people that truly are trying to be closer to God, and those who just play church to make themselves and or family feel better. Now admittedly am I perfect, no! Do I think I am without sin? No, i mess up all the time! Then you have no right to judge! Well you're right, so i will let God do that. I can however look to the Bible and find what it is that I am supposed to be doing with my life and how we as Men and Women should behave. Here are just some of the things I have found.

WOMEN- Let's tackle them first and I will deal with my own kind soon enough.

Ladies....and i use that term very lightly these days.... I hear women all the time talking about being a Proverbs woman. You know the verse? If not here it is to refresh your memory.

Proverbs 31: 10-31 Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

 10 ^[c] A wife of noble character who can find?
       She is worth far more than rubies.

 11 Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.

 12 She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life.

 13 She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.

 14 She is like the merchant ships,
       bringing her food from afar.

 15 She gets up while it is still dark;
       she provides food for her family
       and portions for her servant girls.

 16 She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

 17 She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.

 18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.

 19 In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

 20 She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
       for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

 22 She makes coverings for her bed;
       she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

 24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.

 26 She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

 27 She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
       her husband also, and he praises her:

 29 "Many women do noble things,
       but you surpass them all."

 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
       but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

 31 Give her the reward she has earned,
       and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I don't think half of the women that say they want to be a Godly woman, have ever set it in their hearts to be this kind of woman. My friend Dathan just wrote a blog called "home training" which talks about people acting stupid because they obviously weren't taught at home, but as he ends he states that at some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. Godly women try to build up the men around them in the Lord, encourage them, be humble. this is completely opposite of what the world tells us. I get so tired and saddened by going to girls page one after the other, that talk about being a Child of God, yet on their pages they have all kinds of half naked pictures of themselves, with their unmentionables falling out, all this "I'm so Hot" crap, drinking, smoking (yuk!), clubbing, rubbing their bodies all over loser guys, for what? Attention? Is that what you want? Well ladies if you want attention showing off your stuff is a sure fire way to get guys to look. You well have attention, but never respect! I was flipping through the channels the other day and stopped on the "Pussycat Dolls" show, they were telling the girls that to be a confident woman, you had to really know how to dance and more so dance on a Pole. WHAT THE CRAP people? maybe if you want to learn to be a whore... Sorry...I   shouldn't say that, but I'm serious.... You know who i love and respect. Women I seriously hold in high regard? My mom, Aunt Donna, grandmother, cousin Tellisa, & sister to start with. They are the spiritual leaders in my family. Had it not been for the women in my family, i wouldn't know about Christ. I would be lost with no hope of salvation. These women encourage, they work hard, they support one another, they have Godly answers, they have built up the men in the family to be the spiritual heads of our respective households. (i'm getting to the men's part, just wait) They read their Bibles, they write thank you notes, and letters of encouragement, they build me up in the spirit, they are not only involved in church, but they are most certainly Christians 24/7. Do they have short comings and faults, of course they do, but they live to be what God would have them be. They are separate from the world. I love the last verse there in Proverbs 31 that says," beauty is fleeting, but a woman who loves the Lord is to be praised" AMEN!! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of women in my life. Especially the women in my small group. I can't say enough about the wonderful example these girls lead. they are involved in church, they help in communities, they are positive humble, Christian role models. They encourage we men to be the best we can be. They make me want to be a better man to be deserving of such jewels. The women in my life (family, friends, small group) are the most beautiful treasures in my life. My prayer is that more ladies would take control of their lives, don't listen to the world, and stop acting like a garden tool, and start acting like the most beautiful thing God gave his glory in making. Our mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, nieces, and friends are our most prized jewels.

MEN- The gloves are off!! here goes...

DUDE... what the crap? Ask the ladies, especially the single ones, about how many good Christian guys they know. The list is waaaaaaaay short. Who's fault is this? I'm not gonna blame the world, i am gonna say it's our duty to be Godly men. God created us in his own image. Nothing on this beautiful planet, not even the women I just spoke about, not even the stars in the sky were made in God's image, but we MEN were made in his imagine. How stinkin AWESOME is that? That alone should be enough, but I will go a step further. One of my favorite verses I like to call the "Be a man verse" is

Ephesians 5

 1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 Wives and Husbands

 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

This is just one of many verses that talks about men being the head. BTW this blog is not about women's roll in the church, however I think we would have less trouble at work, in the church, in relationships, and certainly in the home if men would ACT LIKE MEN!! I get so frustrated by many of the men i meet that seems their only purpose in life is their next "hookup", favorite sport, or the type car they have. Men we have got to get into God's word and be what God  created us to be. The head of our homes, the church, and even the heads of relationships. Godly women are not threaten by a man leading, they want us to lead. Let me say that again, Women want the man to lead. Godly women crave to have their husbands and boyfriends ask them to church. They long to have a man that is involved in the church, who is willing to share his feelings with others, who will lead prayer, study the Bible with them, lead prayer. Am i saying that women don't contribute or should never pray in a relationship, heaven's no, I am saying women would be blown away if men acted like men instead of hormone crazed apes. I swear looking at gorillas and man, i can see why ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Darwin thought we evolved from them. Men act like complete fools. There is nothing wrong with likeing hunting, fishing, sports, fantasy football, or your favorite college team (war eagle!), but that is not our purpose in life. We were created to Glorify God. God holds us as his most precious creation. God loves us more than the universe, the angels in heaven, and yes even himself. God became man to be one of us, to live and to die so that we could be with him forever. I ask, nah I beg men to get involved, to lead a class, a Bible study, a devotional, help on the Lord's Supper. How many guys are willing to ask their friend if they have been saved. it's easy to do....Do you believe in Jesus, you believe he died for the forgiveness of your sins, now repent and turn away from sin, be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. How hard is that? I guess it's easier to talk about Pimps and Ho's. Let me ask you this...If someone asks about you, do they say good things? We are not and will not be Judged by man, but our example to others is important. Am I the poster boy for the perfect life? No, not hardly! I find the more I know about God, the more I study, the less manly i feel, but I am constantly being built up in the Spirit by ladies in our small group, brothers in Christ, my family and so many other places. i seriously pray for the men i know and so many more that i don't know to ACT LIKE A MAN! Not an ape! If you do nothing, you will be just like every other man, being a man of God takes hard work, devotion, and time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and we will not ever be perfect, but  

Romans 12

Living Sacrifices

 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship

There is more good news and that is that when we are baptized into Christ we are clothed with his death, burial, and resurrection and are clothed with Christ. When God looks at us he doesn't see our awful sins, but he sees Christ. This good news should Thrust us into humble submission and devotion. I am not perfect, i struggle every day of my life, but it sure is easier to shoulder my burdens with my Godly men by my side. Pat, Stephen, Kevin, Dathan, Nathan, Paul, & all the other guys in my life that Hold themselves to a higher standard. I am so blessed to have you MEN in my life. You are part of my strength, you help me keep going, it's that constant push to be more like our maker and more like what the Potter created us to be. I didn't grow up with a lot of spiritual instruction yet God has blessed me to be a part of a group of men who are just that, MEN! Thank you for being my friends, mentors, & brothers in Christ.

Well I know this has been a seriously long blog, but it has been on my heart for quite a few weeks. If any of you have made it to the end, i would love to hear some of your thoughts.

Love you all!
One day at a time,

Matthew

 

I say all the time that the "proof is in the puddin." What i mean by this is pretty much that ACTIONS speak louder than words. I am seriously not happy with  several people right now. I am not going to mention any names because there is really no point. People will be people. People are stupid and ignorance seems to be an airborn disease that follows people like a plague. I am constantly amazed that so many people are openly allowed to have their opinions about people without ever getting to know those people. For instance... When Pat was at Faulkner there were so many half truths about me floating around, it makes me sick!! There were rumors that i was the "lobby player" and that i took girls out and had sex with them. #1 i have NEVER had sex and am probably one of the only virgins you know. Have i messed up and done things i am not proud of, YES< but i have never gone all of the way. At Faulkner the rumors got SO bad that i had to have a meeting with Mama Stouch about it. I NEVER not ONE time even KIssed not ONE female that was enrolled in school. Have I ever gone out with someone after graduation or when they weren't at Faulkner, yes but i had this bad rap because why, because I'm a flirt. Is flirting a sin?? i'm not sure, but i know being a Gossip is one thing God says he Hates!

2ndly I have really worked very hard on being a good guy. However people believe whatever they want to believe and i have recently heard more than once that MY FRIENDS have told girls that are in or around our group of core friends to NOT go out with matthew, or I could never date matthew, or you dont want to date him because i know "how he is with girls." WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!! I beg you to go and talk to the girls i have dated. I have been out with 4 girls in the last 3 years and i havent even kissed more 10 minutes with all of them combined, yet somehow i am some big time slut. I'm pretty ticked right now and probably shouldnt be typing right now, i probably should turn this stupid thing off and go driving or vent to a friend, but right now I am just SICK of how everyone seems to have a definite opinion about who Matthew Morrow is and how he does or doesnt treat girls. I ask you you to find a girl i have dated and ask her of we were involved in church, if i have my beliefs and work ethic in order, if i EVER took advantage of them, if I ever treated them poorly. I have been so blessed to go out with some wonderful ladies. I am not going to mention names, but the 4 girls i have dated these last 3 years have all be such amazingly sweet girls. I consider each one of them special, sweet, and beautiful. i would never have asked them out if i thought it wouldnt work out, and it certainly wasnt just to make out with someone cause we didnt even do anything! People get together and talk to each other, they take the little snips of opinions they have had, mix them all together, talk about it, and then they figure out how i am or am not. The only problem with this is, the whole time they are figuring out this opinion they arent spending time with ME. Being with or around me is the only way to know me. You cant have a friendship or more if you dont spend time with that person.

How come people always want to share dirt! TICKS ME OFFFFFFFF!!! We are supposed to be Christians and encourage one another, build each other up, and hold each other to a higher standard. How often do people say how many times i have helped them in a jam, helped them move, lead a bible study, how often i am involved in church. No they say matthews big flirty whore, matthew's stuck on himself and his ego is out of control, blah, blah, blah!!

In closing there are so few people that take the time to get to know you. You might have a 1000 friends, but if you are blessed with just one close friend you are truly blessed. I am very richly blessed to have many close friends. i could name them, but i am pretty sure they know how special they are to me because i regularly tell them how much i love them. You know why people deny Christ and dont want to be a part of a church family, its because of backstabing gossiping freaks who come to church and have nothing better to do than to raise eyebrows and judge others on things they THINK those people are or are not doing. What a load of crap!

I am so glad that i am covered with Grace, and the Lord has forgiven me, and loves me. I pray that my attitude will be better, and that this bad blood in me will soon be out. I am such a loving teddy bear and i want to be liked so badly that i try too hard to be liked and then i just feel hurt and betrayed when i find out that people i consider friends have said hurtful and negative things about me. If you have been spewing off at the mouth or openly giving your opinion about me and it is not positive, COME TO ME BEFORE YOU SAY IT! Tell me, please! Talk to me, be my friend, if i am in sin and you are my friend, hold me accountable, dont go tell people that i am screwup. Get the 2 X 4 out of your eye before you come to tell me about Giant Oak tree thats in mine.

in the end... i probably shouldnt have written this.... nothing good can come from it, people will believe whatever they want to believe.... I have no control over it and i will just need to continue to try and be better everyday. I love my family, friends, and my Lord and i pray that my relationships with all of them will continue to grow. I love you all! I really do! Believe me if i have an issue with anyone i will go to them, my prayer is that u will offer me the same chance. I...I am still stewing.... i'm ticked and 3 pages later i am still mad.... I pray a good nights sleep will calm me down and keep me from giving the devil a foothold. AGH! BLAH!!

Taking it one day at a time,

Matthew

Work order from Aronov to cut up tree= Check Pricing tree for $350 KNOWING its covered in Poison Ivy= Check Cutting up tree and getting Posion ivy = Check Shot in the butt and pills= Check Current mood.... Miserable! Oh the things i do for money! Take this as a lesson kids, sometimes there are jobs you should say NO too. Sometimes there are risks you don't have to take. And if it involves getting poison Ivy all over your body, blisters on your lips, ears, eye lids, etc... you should RUN THE OTHER WAY!! I am recovering, thanks for asking, and will be back to work tomorrow. So in the end......I still made $250 so that's good right? Thanks for caring! Love ya! Bye! ..> ..>

..

FOOD!!!

If you know me well enough you will know i struggle with two main things. FOOD & a pretty face. Most of my family is Obese which goes, I'm sure, with our natural tendancy to be big anyway. Also my family has a catering company and so our whole life is surrounded with Food.

"Did you have a bad day? Let's go get dinner." "Congratulations on your new job, lets Celebrate, where you want to eat?" "You will get to eat your dessert if you finish all on your plate" "You eat all that, there are starving children out there"

Not only are all the people in my family (for the most part) obese, but morbidly obese, which means 30 or more s overweight. Men and women in my family start having heart attacks at 40. just between my mom, aunt, and grandmother, who are all still living, we have 3 open bypass surgeries, 10 bypasses, multiple stints, multiple angyeoplasty's, multiple heart caths, 5 heart attacks, a difibulator, and stem cell research.

What does it all mean and why am i writing this...

I want to be and lead a healthy lifestyle and I need my friends and families encouragement. It was once said that a man's greatest battle is with himself, and i think this is definetly true. I constantly am aware of my size and after while the compliments like,  "oh but your tall, or oh you carry it so well" dont seem to cover it. The pants in the closet don't lie and i cant fit into half my pants in my closet. I'm thrifty too so i don't want to buy new pants. I have been fat my whole life and i pray that for my health sake and the health of my family i can discipline myself to do this one thing right!

So here is my challenge to myself and i will need your help.

-I want to lose 30s of fat.

-Get my Bodyfat% down to 8-10%

-Have my 6pack (i got to 4 abbs one time back in 98')

I love you all and i will be updating you weekly on my progress Starting January 1st, 2007 and by my 29th birthday on June 20th i will have achieved my goal!

Please pray for me!! Love you! Buhbye!

matthew

UPDATE: Jan 1, 2007

Starting Weight 243.5 with 32% Bodyfat (according to my little scale)

UPDATE: Jan 8, 2007

WELL CRAP! Weight 243.5 with 32% fat!

This stinks...This last week i went to play tennis for 2 hours, and won (thanks Rachel) worked out 3 times, didn't have any Dr.Pepper or soft drinks, and only had one Brownie and 2 sugar cookies the whole week. I guess my body doesnt think i am serious! I'm still a long way from Abbs!

UPDATE: Jan 15, 2007

FINALLY: 243.5 's 31% BODYFAT!

Finally moved 1% of my body fat! Dang that took forever!  Alright so my goal for this week is to buckle down and do at least 30mins of cardio everday. Last week I only worked out 3 times and no matter what Boflex says 3 days a week isnt enough. Wish me luck! And thanks for all the on going support!

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2007

Rolling! 241.5 (2s) 31% body fat

A new wind is blowing! Much like Rocky I now have the Eye of the Tiger!! I Promise at least another 2 s next week!

UPDATE : Jan. 29, 3007

This is the slowest crap! 241.5s 30% bodyfat (down 1%)

So all and all i just went down another percent in bodyfat, but as Pat would say, "at least that's positive yardage." THANK YOU all so much for all the positive feedback! It really helps me a lot!

UPDATE: 2-5-07

I Am a slave to my gut  241.5 s Bodyfat 33% (up 2% which i personally think my scale is a piece of crap!! )

"I eat because I'm unhappy, and I'm unhappy because I eat. there's someone who I need to get in touch with and forgive....Myself... " (Fat Bastard, from Austin Powers) Seriously though, changing the way you eat is HARD! I will say that at least i have stuck to my guns and not had one soft drink or tea this whole year. Now if I could just do the same with late night snacks, portion control, and sweets. Oh yeah, and getting to the Gym more than twice a week!  Please keep the prayers coming!

UPDATE: 2-12-07

Rachel Ryan is offically kicking me in the diet area! Holding steady at 241.5 s

I think my scale has just gotten frozen on this number. To be honest I have not stuck to my guns. I am really going to try and make it to the gym at least 4 times this week, which will be a huge change. I am also going to try and run 5 miles a week. Running is bad for the joints but good on the gut! Say a prayer for me and THANK YOU ALL for all the encouragement on and off myspace. Love ya!

UPDATE  2-19-07

 241.5s SUCK! That's my update! Blah!

UPDATE 2-26-07

FINALLY! 2.5s 239 according to the little scale! So that's a total of 4.5s thus far this year!

UPDATE 4-9-07

Yeah yeah i know it's been over a month since my last update, but that weekly thing was sucking wind something terrible. I am happy to announce i weighed in this morning at 233! That's down 10.5's Now to lose another 10! Thanks for all the encouragement! Love ya bye!

UPDATE 11-28-08

iT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF since my last update. i have fallen into lie after like i tell myself. I guess since i can still do pull ups and and am fairly strong i convinced myself i wasn't that big. though my pants have gotten tighter and tighter. I can't wear 80% of my pants now and i am too cheap to buy new ones. I have been going to a recovery group with my mom and i am learning lots of things about myself. Food is a comfort to me not something i need to live. in a little under two years i have now balloned to 262 s 20s more than my previous record. I really have to get this demon under control. Day after thanksgiving....i'm thankful for more than one chance to get it right.

UPDATE 12-23-08

This will probably be my last entry this year. I am learning that i am a slave to my desires. Especially if they are on the counter. I have been beyond week at my house with people bring candy and christmas parties etc... I have still managed to lose around 7s, but i feel terrible. I think i will have to truely completely change my life in order to overcome my genetics. and i need to 4X my work out and increase the intisity...for life......I thank you for all your support and i praythis coming year will be a new year of successes!

What is love?

 

            There have been 1000s of books written and countless years spent pursuing it. Philosophers can spend a lifetime to wrap their minds around yet a even a baby knows what love is.  Love is all around us. We were created in love. We were bathed, molded, and then cast in love. We were made for the purpose of loving. Love is the single greatest thing every created. It can be found around every wonderful thing we see, touch, smell, hear, & taste.

 

Words for love

Every culture has a word for love. Unfortunately for the English speaking countries we really only have one wordi.e. Love! Most languages however have multiple words for love. Love that has different degrees of love.

            I love my dogI love chocolateI love you so much! I love my job I love sunsetsI love candy, . I love my mamaI love my church.I love my friendsdo you love me like I love you? I love the breeze I love the beachI love palm trees Puppy love, baby love, motherly love, AGAPE love I love you!

 

I love you like

Like a fat boy loves cake, like the flowers love the sun, like a husband loves his wife, like a mother and her child, like a father with his son, like a cold drink on a hot summers day, like a kid on Christmas morning, like the first time you see fireworks, like the first time you see the sun rise, like the first time you get lost in your lovers arms, like being with you

 

Why does love hurt so badly?

            How can something that is so wonderful, be so awe inspiring, behind some of the greatest achievements know to man hurt so much. I guess the higher you sore the further you can fall. Some say Love stinks! Sometimes I agree. CS Lewis said in Mere Christianity that God put love in us as humans, or Biblically stated we love because he loved us first. When you put 110% of yourself into a project, job, or most often a person, it can really hurt when those people dont feel the same way you do. Marriages end, friendships fail, and people grow bitter because they feel unloved, unwanted, and not needed by the people that they had loved so much. Love is a tricky thing, and I certainly dont know all the answers but this is what I do know.

            God loved us first, better, and always. God is love and love never fails. When we set people (who are by their very nature flawed and not perfect) up on a pedestal, we are setting ourselves up for hurt and disappointment. People are people and they will not always do, react, be, or say the right things. Heros fall, mentors get shown for there imperfection, and yet love is still there. We all can remember the moment when our parents stopped being our heros. When we realized our dads werent the biggest and strongest and our moms were just doing their best not being perfect, yet love is still there.

            Love is so awesome and so unbelievable simple, but it takes practice, it takes effort, it is something you have to do. Love is an action taken by God, given to us as a free gift. All he asks in return is that we love him back and then love each other.  Practice some love today please. Give someone a compliment, call or write a card, visit someone who needs you, call your mom and dad, go kiss and hold your beloved, and say a prayer that the Lord will continue to shower us all with love.

 

 

Just been on my heart and I wanted to share it. I know words are not enough and my words are certainly not brilliant, just felt like sharing some love.

The female woman haters club is not really about hate. It's about not understand the opposite sex! Since more women will read this than men, since i have mostly females on here i would love to hear some stories... ideas and thoughts on the subject of miscommunication.

For instance...

How can the word maybe and the phrases, "I'm fine" or "nothings wrong"  be so differently interpreted?

Pat comes in from a long day of counsoling crackheads....

"Pat," i say, "how was ur day?" "it was a day" pat says with a huffy breath. Now i know that this means he had a long crappy day and doesnt want to talk about it. I know that pAt will tell me about it when he wants to.

My sister calls me....

(ring ring) "This is matthew", She says, "how r u today?" "I'm fine"...She says, "are you depressed?" With confusion I say, "NO...Why do you ask?" She says, "You just sound depressed"..."no I'm just fine, just working away"  then she says " well Ok i love you talk to u later"................then for the rest of the day every our  i have a different female in my family calling me asking me why I'm sop depressed. within a few days i have cards in my mailbox of encouragement, with pictures of mountains and verses saying "this too shall pass"

Don't get me wrong i love my family, i love encouragement and can always use more, the purpose is just that i can never understand how they work. How can Women be each so indivdual and differnt yet be all apart of the same universal odditite known as WOMAN....

oK Ladies fire away!! :)

 

As many of you know if have kept to a smei-strict policy of only dating people with 45 mins of me. manly becasue life is busy enough without trying to organize my few hours of free time to travel to far of lands to see someone, but now that gas prices are running at near $3 per gallon, i am affraid i have to ammend my own rule, like so...

The 45 min ROL is now a 15min ROL, so if she's like, " I Live in old cloverdale, i might say um...yeah i'm sorry we cant date.... could u meet me at the perryhill road exit, "

I might have to switch to biking soon....

Comments welcome!

 

PS...I'm a goob  i know!

Do you ever wanna be bad? Not like...who was it....Jessica Simpson, or Hillary Duff... Some song called i want to be bad......But not like that....just not so good.....Sometimes i wonder how my life would be different if i just acted like worldly men. For instance (and BTW this not an ego boost or anything, just speaking outloud) I teach a class on Wednesday nights, Co-lead a small group on Sunday nights, regularly am involved in different ministries at church, I help with the Woodmere Neighborhood Assc., among other things. Also though i have not been perfect in my life, I can still say that if i ever get married, she will be the only one i have completely been with.

See if i were just like everbody else, i might go any given night to Despirations, the Drunkin Lizard in Prattville, or right here in my own neighborhood to the Tavern. *sigh* I could then hook up with countless semi-hot chicks(which ofcourse would look better because by this time i would be wasted) And i would probably get some girl pregnant, get married (because its the honorable thing to do) and then get divorced because it never really worked and then find myself single and alone with childsupport.....

You know...this little rant has allowed me to put it out on the table...AND MY LIFE IS GREAT! I love my Lord! I love my Family! I love my Friends! I own multile businesses, i am a self made man (not meaning God didnt bless me, just meaning i am self employed), I have my health, a house, 2 trucks, a car, I have tons of friends & family that love me. I really have a great life.... Ok so there you go.....no complaints. That really tells you how bad i am, when by just writing  a few sentences i can talk myself out of wanting to be "BAD"

If you find time, tell me what you would do if you were ever...."BAD"