Today is Sunday, August 29th, that makes me a one week veteran of the 2010 fall semester. As always, the first week flew by in a storm of daunting syllabi, new class schedules, coursework, and catching up with friends. Even in light of the heavy workload my classes this semester will be quite fun. They are as follows:
BE103 - OT History II and Poetry
HT101 - The Church to the Modern Era
OT101 - Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
WM205 - Cultural Dynamics in Ministry
WM425 (Audit) - Intercultural Church Planting
ST901 (Independent Study) - The Lutheran View of the Lord's Supper
As you can see I have quite the mix, everything from History to Old Testament study, Language to Missions, Anthropology to Systematic Theology. I trust it will be a challenging semester, one in which much knowledge is acquired and hearts are transformed.
Thought/Question of the Week:
Make friendship a fine art.
Prayer Request:
1) That Natalie and I would learn to balance life in a God glorifying way.
2) That Natalie and I would show learning hearts and thoughtful minds as we apply ourselves to the study of God's Word.
3) That Natalie and I would establish strong marital habits in the area of devotion, worship, and ministry.
4) That God would provide for our financial needs in His timing.
Grace,
Matthew
August 29, 2010
August 12, 2010
Life Update!
Hello World,
It's been too long since we've talked. Much has happened in the last couple months. Just to save us all time, I will bullet point most of it and describe the highlights.
May:
- Finish Spring classes
- Prepare for wedding
June:
- Moved out of our apartments
- More preparation for our wedding
- Married the woman of my dreams (June 12th)
- Honeymoon to Costa Rica and Panama (20 days)
July:
- Spent the 4th with my family
- Enjoyed a wedding gift (trip to San Antonio, TX) by attending a Vision Forum Life Conference
- One month after our wedding we finally moved into our first apartment in Swiss Tower (DTS)
- Lots of work and catching up with friends
August:
- Attended one week of summer classes at AFLTS (SIT)
- Natalie led a one week family mission trip to Arkansas
- Trying to get fully settled into our apartment
- Started a new role with my work
- Classes start in under TWO WEEKS!
I will now expound on some of the highlights.
1) Wedding
To say it succinctly, our wedding was wonderful. We are so thankful for all the friends and family we had helping us throughout the process. Could not have been pulled off without them. The week before was spent preparing food (smoking brisket), setting up the church, coordinating people, and everything else that goes into planning a wedding.
The Bachelor party that my brother headed up was above and beyond what I expected, par excellence without a doubt. It was fun, encouraging, and challenging all at the same time.
The wedding day itself (June 12th) was a blast! The ceremony went smoothly and dad did a fantastic job with the message. The reception was a fun with lots of great food, dancing, and laughter. The one thing we'll never forget during our reception is how the AC went out! Boy did it get steamy.
2) Honeymoon
Our honeymoon was quite the adventure. Costa Rica and Panama are gorgeous countries with friendly people always willing to help. We experienced (saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt) the culture in full. No holds barred. Highlights include: volcanoes, horseback rides, zip lines, scenic mountain towns, beaches, Panama Canal, food, transportation, coffee, people, rainforest, picture perfect islands, and much, much more.
3) Life Conference
The Life Conference we attended upon returning to the States was informative and challenging. I have a lot more I could say on the matter but work is fast approaching so I'll keep moving.
4) Moving into our first apartment has been a blast! So much more work than what we imagined. Unloading all of our boxes and sorting through our doubles of everything has been very time consuming. However, with that said, it's been fun to see things slowly come together. We can't wait to start hosting gathering in our little home.
God has been so faithful in providing and protecting us in all our doings and goings. We praise Him for how He first loved us so that we could love Him back. It's exhilarating to watch how our heavenly Father is opening and closing doors before us as we seek Him.
Prayer Request:
1. That in these early months of our marriage, Natalie and I would start God pleasing habits in seeking and serving our Lord.
2. For mental and spiritual fortitude as we move into our fall semester.
3. For opportunity to be a light and witness of our God's love wherever we are.
4. For financial provision, especially in the area of tuition cost.
Sincerely,
Matthew
It's been too long since we've talked. Much has happened in the last couple months. Just to save us all time, I will bullet point most of it and describe the highlights.
May:
- Finish Spring classes
- Prepare for wedding
June:
- Moved out of our apartments
- More preparation for our wedding
- Married the woman of my dreams (June 12th)
- Honeymoon to Costa Rica and Panama (20 days)
July:
- Spent the 4th with my family
- Enjoyed a wedding gift (trip to San Antonio, TX) by attending a Vision Forum Life Conference
- One month after our wedding we finally moved into our first apartment in Swiss Tower (DTS)
- Lots of work and catching up with friends
August:
- Attended one week of summer classes at AFLTS (SIT)
- Natalie led a one week family mission trip to Arkansas
- Trying to get fully settled into our apartment
- Started a new role with my work
- Classes start in under TWO WEEKS!
I will now expound on some of the highlights.
1) Wedding
To say it succinctly, our wedding was wonderful. We are so thankful for all the friends and family we had helping us throughout the process. Could not have been pulled off without them. The week before was spent preparing food (smoking brisket), setting up the church, coordinating people, and everything else that goes into planning a wedding.
The Bachelor party that my brother headed up was above and beyond what I expected, par excellence without a doubt. It was fun, encouraging, and challenging all at the same time.
The wedding day itself (June 12th) was a blast! The ceremony went smoothly and dad did a fantastic job with the message. The reception was a fun with lots of great food, dancing, and laughter. The one thing we'll never forget during our reception is how the AC went out! Boy did it get steamy.
2) Honeymoon
Our honeymoon was quite the adventure. Costa Rica and Panama are gorgeous countries with friendly people always willing to help. We experienced (saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt) the culture in full. No holds barred. Highlights include: volcanoes, horseback rides, zip lines, scenic mountain towns, beaches, Panama Canal, food, transportation, coffee, people, rainforest, picture perfect islands, and much, much more.
3) Life Conference
The Life Conference we attended upon returning to the States was informative and challenging. I have a lot more I could say on the matter but work is fast approaching so I'll keep moving.
4) Moving into our first apartment has been a blast! So much more work than what we imagined. Unloading all of our boxes and sorting through our doubles of everything has been very time consuming. However, with that said, it's been fun to see things slowly come together. We can't wait to start hosting gathering in our little home.
God has been so faithful in providing and protecting us in all our doings and goings. We praise Him for how He first loved us so that we could love Him back. It's exhilarating to watch how our heavenly Father is opening and closing doors before us as we seek Him.
Prayer Request:
1. That in these early months of our marriage, Natalie and I would start God pleasing habits in seeking and serving our Lord.
2. For mental and spiritual fortitude as we move into our fall semester.
3. For opportunity to be a light and witness of our God's love wherever we are.
4. For financial provision, especially in the area of tuition cost.
Sincerely,
Matthew
August 8, 2010
Tell Them About Jesus
Fantastic short video on college student mobilization, please watch it and let me know what you think.
http://vimeo.com/11749648
Sincerely,
Matthew
http://vimeo.com/11749648
Sincerely,
Matthew
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