mattskywalkers super blog

Some pondering on the beauty of forgivness

2011-09-29T14:27:00.001-05:00

When I struggle with forgiveness... 70 times 7 times I must forgive. It's easy to forgive a one time offense, but where did Jesus say to shun a brother or sister who is continuing to make mistakes? Where did he say that it's ok not to forgive someone who deeply hurt you? When do you read about Him spending his time and showing his love to all the "good" people? Never. He loved the broken, chastised the "holy men" and sacrificed His everything to reach out and touch those in need. So many times there is much more behind the scene.. that we judgmental humans don't want to see. Think about that before you slap a scarlet letter on your brother or sister who is crying out for help. Before tearing down someone for the mistakes they've made and continue to make, remember that we are supposed to be vessels of Christ's love, and He never leaves us, never gives up, never stops forgiving.. never stops loving us no matter how far we run, He's always there by our side.

Something to think about before you say words or take actions against a fallen brother or sister that you can't take back. The sick are the ones who need a doctor the most, likewise the fallen and broken are the ones who really need us to love and forgive them unconditionally. It's easy to love somebody who never wrongs you, but it's when you find yourself at the end of the sword that times get tough and you've still gotta forgive and love. Because forgiveness and love are gifts that keep on giving.. its when you pour yourself out that you're truly filled.

True forgiveness never expects anything in return. No return of forgiveness, no change.. Forgiveness is only whole if it's unconditional. The broken spirit doesn't just make a u-turn in life and live life perfectly from that moment foreward. It usually takes a long process of relapse and recovery to find itself whole again. How many times do we let God down EVERY DAY?? Does He stop loving or forgiving us? Even for a moment? As humans that's a hard concept to grasp. We throw around forgiveness with the tagged on condition that the offense not be made again. We expect a change before we will forgive. But that's not forgiveness at all. It's a selfish manipulation of a weak man's soul. Sure, total reconcilliation is never complete until repentance and forgiveness are joined together from both sides of the fence, but reconcilliation is not supposed to be our condition to forgive. Goal? yes. But wether or not it's ever attained carries no weight against our responsibility to forgive our enemies, forgive our closest brothers and sisters, over and over and over. And likewise to repent when we are the sword stabbing their heart back. To do our best to remove the log in our own eye before we go picking at splinters in somebody else's.

So very often we push the needy away from Christ.. we look down on the sinner instead of loving the sinner no matter how much we hate the sin. We show human "love" when we feel loved, and are all too quick to cast judgement on a situation that may be far deeper than meets the eye. Instead, we should be loving and forgiving unconditionally so that we can be a light to the lost, a rope to the falling, a healing touch to the broken. No matter if that person accepts your forgiveness, no matter if the boat heeds the lighthouse.. our responsibility is to be there for them regardless of what they chose to do with it. By doing so we have fulfilled our responsibility before God and fellow man to do what is right regardless of reward, in spite of continued hurt, and without a promise of a better future for us. Putting aside our wants and needs and caring for the lowly and broken.. that's when you suddenly find a peace and joy that you never saw before. And you never know when Christ might just walk across your path disguised as the most lonely and broken soul on earth. So my challenge to you today is to learn from your mistakes, but don't hold them in contempt, just move on and do your best to avoid those pitfalls in the future. Because if you can't forgive yourself, you cant forgive anybody else, and you haven't truly accepted the everlasting forgiveness of your father in heaven. Life is too short to brood over the way people are gonna hurt you, it's too wonderful to spend even a moment in bitterness. It's too precious a gift to waste it away looking or demanding to be filled by someone else, because the only true path to feeling filled is to spend your life filling the needs of others, and before you know it, the circle will come back you the moment you stop expecting and demanding it.

This fragile life

2011-08-21T19:05:00.003-05:00

It could have been yesterday, or ten years ago by this world's clock, but this story exists outside of time, outside of any dimention we are familliar with as we rush around in our busy lives. It could have happened in your own neighborhood, but would you have known it?
It was a dark night here on earth, clouds covered the sky and a new moon hid from sight far in outer space. But still, a worried father looked down on the broken heart of one of his children crying in a dark corner where she thought nobody would hear her. She'd never known her mother, only the picture she had found in the back of the basement gave her any idea what she had looked like. The day before had been a hard one, her father had come home drunk again, the bruises on her face still showed evidence of it. Scars on her wrists, still unhealed were a not so distant reminders of the pain she could not escape from no matter how hard she tried. Tonight, she was determined to escape. She trembled in emotional anguish, trying to block out the screams in her head. At fourteen years old, many would consider her still a child, but she had experienced more pain and hardships than most women four times her age. She looked down at the bump just beginning to show under her sweatshirt. Tonight marked four months since that horrible night in the basement, all she could really remember were the smells and sounds vividly emblazoned in her mind. There had been at least 4 or 5 of them, maybe more, she had lost conciousness long before it was over. She was too terrified to tell anybody, her father threatened to kill her if anybody found out. She took daily abuse at school by her classmates calling her fat, if only they knew the story behind the scenes.. if only.. if only they knew that she was being thrown into motherhood far before she was ready, in a world that many of them would do anything to pretend didn't exist.

She ducked her head as a few raindrops began to fall from the cloudy sky, nearly ignoring the way she was shivering from the cold. She had nothing left in her to feel anything anymore. No joy, no pain, just emptyness.

Underneath the tears she was a beautiful young woman, eyes that could win a person over in a moment if they had ever gotten the chance to sparkle, a smile that could have charmed a king, but it never got to show itself to the world, a heart as big as a mountain, that never knew love.

She stood up, turned down another ally and aimlessly wandered toward the river. She was out of options, she didn't know where to go. Another tear rolled down her cheek as she pulled her long dark hair to cover her face. She was so full of emotions, so inextricably tangled in thoughts running through her head, yet at the same time, empty and emotionless. She was at the bottom of the barrel, the end of the road, there was nobody to listen to her.

She came to the side of the river, a heavy rainfall all day had swollen it to it's brink. She stood there, staring into the dark, silently crying for help. A pair of headlights pulled up from the darkness of the forest across the nearby bridge. The driver turned to look at her, and drove off quickly with a look of disgust at the dirty clothes, the unkempt hair, the wild look in her eyes. She turned away, and with her heart racing, she walked off the ledge into the dark swirling water below, embracing the cold water as it closed her in, tossing and tumbling her tiny frame through the floodwaters. The pressure crushed upon her lungs, and before long they were filled with the icy cold water as her life slowly slipped out of her body, her unborn baby along with her.

My friend, that driver just might have been you. Two lives could have been saved that night if you had only let go of those judgemental thoughts, if you had only listened to that quiet voice in the back of your head. That child shares the same Father as you do, He wispers into your spirit to help out the helpless, but will you take the time to listen? This story doesn't have to end tonight, perhaps tomorrow you will come across that little girl, but will you take the time to stop?

Hey All

2011-08-07T22:39:00.002-05:00

Don't know if anybody even reads this blog anymore.. I've lost a lot of friends over the past couple of years, mostly my own doing, but life goes on and I do still exist! :P I made a lot of mistakes in my day, but there's always forgiveness for every mistake waiting for the asking :) As George shaw once said: a life spent making nothing but mistakes is not only more homorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

I'll be posting some pictures soon, I can't do it from the computer I'm on right now...

As most all of you already know, I'm happily married, and loving life through the ups and downs. I've begun a long road of getting my life back where it needs to be and the progress feels great! Of course financial freedom would be amazing, but right now I'm focusing on getting myself where I need to be so I can be refreshed and ready for whatever life throws my way!

Hope somebody out there in the blogosphere remembers me and actually reads this!
Have a great week.. month.. year... life.. whatever. lol

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:27:00.001-06:00

This time of year has always been a happy one for me, and this year is no exception. This past year I've lost much of who I am, the hills of life have pulled me down, people who I trusted turned against me, love became empty and lifeless, but I've found myself again. As I ponder the gift of love God has given us, I realize how much love there is in my life and although the pain and difficulties have been hard on my soul, I've risen again and am truly happy this holiday season. I've found one who loves me for me, faults, craziness, dumb moments, hurtful things I've done, they all slip away into the shadows and the real me is back again. Gone are those who's "love" is simply for selfish desires and taking everything I am from me. This time I mean to keep myself, and only become a more full and happy version, rather than forming my personality to someone else's. For those of you who don't know, I'm dating a lovely young woman who actually trusts and cares for me, just as I am.

SRT4

2010-10-21T11:33:00.001-05:00

Did a few more mods on my car. How's it look?

Wow.. has it really flown by this fast??

2010-08-20T10:39:00.007-05:00

I can't believe that I've neglected blogging for so long! Life has really grabbed me and dragged me into the full scale adult life!!

So... for those of you looking for an update to ensure I'm still alive, here goes!

Well, for one thing, I'm sure most of you know about my new baby sister, who now lives in Lawton Oklahoma. She was born June 22nd. Her name is Karissa Raquel. Sorry about the terrible quality, but here's the only picture I've got right now

Moving on, sad to say, my mustang had to be retired due to the cost of up keeping it, and the ridiculous price at the pump these days. It has been replaced with a 2005 Dodge SRT-4, which, although I do miss the convertible, I actually like my new car a lot better!! it has 4 doors, so I can take more people with me, it's smaller, lighter, and gets 28 mpg on the highway! (compared to 17-20 from the 'stang) The SRT-4 is black, which means it gets hot, but thankfully the A/C works really well. So well in fact, if I turn it up all the way, and it blows on my hands while I'm driving it makes them hurt from the cold! Here's a picture ;P

Anyway, in other news..

Since early this year I've been working at PCRMC in the laboratory as a phlebotomist and specimen processor. I'm sure you're asking "can you say that in English??" so.. a phlebotomist is somebody who draws blood. Technology has come a long ways, and they can pretty much figure out everything that's wrong with you just from your blood, so basically everybody who comes into the hospital has to have their blood drawn, usually several times. SO, its my job to pull out needles and terrify children!! JK!!! lol I usually do pretty good with the kids, even when they're terrified of needles :D Also, a big part of what I do is receive specimens of all sorts from all over the hospital, enter them into the computer system, spin things down on the centrifuge, and take them to the part of the lab they need to go to.

On top of that, I'm working part time whenever I get the chance at Von Ameris K-9 in salem with Ashley Riefer and Alyssa McCluskey. And to add to that, I still am pretty busy with my military duties, since lately I've had two AT's (two weeks of annual training) and been doing double drills, which means pretty much every single weekend I'm either at drill, or working at the hospital.

School starts up this coming monday.. not sure I'm really looking forward to it, but.. oh well..

I'm really wanting to find time in my busy life to make sure I'm not loosing the things I love. Being a grown-up isn't really all that fun at times.. SO, for those still not quite there who are reading this blog, PLEASE take advantage of the time while you've got it, before you know it you're going to be suddenly realizing that "free-time" doesn't exist, and all the fun things you used to do you don't have time for anymore. Bills are always due, and it always seems like I get more bills than paychecks!!

So anyway, if you're wondering why you never see me anymore, thats why :(

Hmm.. as to an inspiring morel to the post.. well, I can't say I have one, but I do want to make sure all of you know I'm still alive, still love life, and will be more than glad to cut a chunk out of all the hustle and bustle to stop and smell the flowers :)

Something I really love to do is go to the lake that's near my house, and get out on my kayak and enjoy nature and all the beauty of God's creation!

Hmm.. pictures.. let's see.... well, here's a picture of a blackhawk that flew over my house the other day.. it was pretty cool!

I must be going now, work calls..

I will try to stay a bit more updated on here though.

Also, if you would like more regular updates, be sure to visit my facebook profile, and don't forget to drop by my photography business page These Moments In Time

peace out!! Give me a call, comment, email, text message, facebook me, or something!! I'm still alive and well and always looking to try to make time for fun things or to help somebody out if they need it!

Bye now ;)

Skillet!! Best. Band. EVER!!!

2010-02-11T00:29:00.001-06:00

Randomosity

2010-02-01T14:03:00.003-06:00

Well everybody.. I'm pretty busy.. sorry.. Let's see.. well for starters, most of you know that I've moved into an apartment just outside rolla, I sold my motorcycle, got a blazer and a 4-wheeler instead, I'm taking college classes still, I'm incredibly busy, and life is average :)

So.. the details.. well I haven't taken any pictures lately, I'll have to do that!! My 4-wheeler is fun, you should come over to ride it! While you're at it, you can come over to watch movies, eat food out of my fridge, study, or whatever! lol

So.. I need something fun to do.. umm any ideas??

anyway, I'd better go.. I'm supposed to be doing chemistry.. lol

later folks!!

my ride :)

2010-01-28T23:16:00.001-06:00

Happy thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T12:50:00.001-06:00

Hey!! Happy thanksgiving everybody!! Things are going well, I have a job working construction, and so obviously i'm very busy!! Thanks guys for sticking to my blog even when I don't update like I should ;)

2009-10-28T09:04:00.004-05:00

Does anybody else feel like there's not enough time to do the things you want, and yet every day seems to be FOREVER long, every 5 minutes sitting in class looking at the clock sure that at "least" 30 minutes have gone by just to see the tiny 5 minute difference? and somehow I still don't have time each day to fit it all in.. sigh..
anyway, I'm staying plenty busy with school, I'm doing well, it's tough.. I even had to drop what should have been a ridiculously easy math class.. I'm learning a lot, and hopefully next semester should be a lot easier.
Well here are a few pictures from my life these days..

A deer that was really close to our car at Meramac Springs

fall time is such a beautiful season :)

Hmm.. anyway, I'm really trying to keep updating my blog, but Im always so tired and busy.. I hardly even have time for facebook.. lol which if you know me well you'll know I used to spend a good hour or two a day just on facebook ;) anyway.. I better be going, I'm sitting in Psychology class.. learing about Freudian theories.. :) yay!

Just for Megan :)

2009-10-09T19:33:00.001-05:00

Hi meggy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sitting next to you so I thought I'd say hi! :) now you'd better actually read this..

-- Post From My iPhone

Jeannie night

2009-09-17T22:06:00.000-05:00

Haha so tonight the main event if the ever famous Jeannie night was the official sandbox party where Megan ahem.."gained some weight" I'm not sure what happened to her arms.. It was hood times.. After the rush and crazy hours of the midnight study college world it's great to just hang out and do crazy stuff with my friends.

Breaking free after a long uncomfortable burial

The crew

-the star of the show

- Post From My iPhone

A smile a day keeps the doctor away

2009-09-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

So apparently my motorcycle gear was not maufactured with the intent of Megan Reifer wearing it.. Lol! Anyway, I guess I'll post more later! Grabbing some lunch now, and then heading off to technical communications class... Yay.... Ugh

-- Post From My iPhone

Spider on the lawn mower..

2009-09-10T22:15:00.001-05:00

Nice huh? Kinda blurry... My iPhone doesn't have good macro

-- Post From My iPhone

Jeannie night

2009-09-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Well college has me swamped these days... But here's
for Megan :) :p anyway.. Gotta run, I'll post more later!

A much needed update

2009-09-03T20:32:00.001-05:00

Well I'm in college now, and with 19 hours as a fresh man I don't have a lot of time for blogging anymore... Between work, school, girlfriend :) and military.. I'm very busy... But life is good :) anyway, gotta get going, God bless!

The Hike (2)

2009-05-22T10:34:00.003-05:00

A cool red barn :)

So they decided to utilize medical tape and creativity to come up with this dazzling piece of artwork on my back..

Beautiful. lol

my favorite hiker :)

Cool old-fashioned barn

aww :)

He could not figure out where the slow children were playing. Guess he wanted to join them.

Megan and Ashley were the only ones cool enough to wear overalls..

The weed clan

Shhh.. don't tell the cops.

Wow I'm terrible!!

2009-05-10T22:05:00.002-05:00

Haha so yea I haven't been updating very well lately..
Well I don't have my camera in here to get my newest pictures, but I'll work on that later ;)
So this past wednesday I drove out to south carolina to see my dad graduate from his basic combat training at fort Jackson. It was kinda weird being all done with my training and remembering what it was like to be in basic.. it's a 14 hour drive each way, which was pretty crazy.. I get there around 230am and had to get up at 5:30 to be ready to be on post to pick him up for family day. I drove separate from my fam because they are staying out for a week or now they're talking aobut staying for two weeks, so yea I couldn't afford that, so I drove myself. Then on the way back it ended up being mid afternoon by the time I was headed back home, so I got home at 530am saturday morning.. lol talk about tired.. I literally think I was asleep before my head even hit my pillow. I had to keep pinching myself to stay awake while I was driving ;)
So saturday I went to work out at McCluskey's (well the farm house) to do some weed-wacking, then it ended up that Heart's cry was suddenly playing that night, so I had to rush home and change and head into Rolla and ended up getting to church about 5 minutes before it started.. lol!! So then afterwords I went back out, finished my work, went out and looked at some flood waters in the creek and ate supper and watched a movie and fun stuff like that until like 11 pm. Then today I ended up crashing for about 4-5 hours after church.. lol ;) I was TIRED!! hehe
Well anyway, that's my life, so yup I guess I will catch you all up more later!

1234

2009-04-28T22:36:00.001-05:00

5678

We are the pirates, who don't do anything, we just stay at home, and lie around.. lol come to the play!! it is the bomb-diggity and the bee's knees!!!

2009-04-12T22:07:00.009-05:00

there it is. you should come.

Well, I took over 550 pictures this past saturday of the Pirates of Penzance dress rehearsal, but here are a few.. I'm really looking forward to seeing this play, although now I've pretty much seen it all.. :) I found out I could probably have been in it after all, but oh well.

Hmmm.. I recognize that look..

They are all noble men gone wrong..

ok.. this is why ninjas are better than pirates.

it's a good thing it's only a play or this guy might have a sore face.. lol!

What??? don't you dance around in a nightgown in the middle of the night?? I thought everybody did that..

I think he's a pirate who don't do anything.. or maybe he's jack sparrow in disguise??

What was that???

a VERY brave-looking policeman..

Wow.. I think every picture I take of jacob he looks more and more intelligent.

Not to brag, but I really think this is an awesome picture..

don't ask don't tell..

Well guys aren't supposed to say a dress is pretty.. but I have to say this one is quite attractive, and you couldn't ask for a better model either.

My dear Frederic.. don't go!

well you see..

don't move or I'll shoot!!! these parasols are loaded!! ha!

Real men carry parasols. Back off.

Aaaaaaaa!! lol

The model of a modern major-general..

My new ride :)

2009-03-29T15:25:00.002-05:00

Well after about 8 months of shopping I finally found my car! I wasn't planning to get one for a few weeks since I at least had a motorcycle to hold me over, but this one came up and it was the right car at the right price, so it's mine!! :)

Ok, so details. It's a 1996 Mustang GT convertible, 4.6 liter V8, racing transmission and clutch, RAM air hood, aftermarket spoiler, exhaust, wheels/tires, paint job, On the track the guy has done mid-upper 12s in it, so it's pretty fast! I've gotten to 60 in about 4 seconds or so, and once I get more used to the clutch I think it'll do even better. It's got a lot of git-up and go, and the mufflers sound sweet. It's not flowmasters, but they're still pretty short and therefore pretty loud. I've been told if I run it around 3,000 rpms I can be heard over a quarter of a mile away :) but it idles very quietly actually..
It's a ton of fun to drive, and at least I think it's a really good looking car. Sorry the pix aren't perfect, but I'm having internet problems over here, so I couldn't get them to load in full size.

Anyway, anybody want a ride?? haha

Dude.. I iz a motorcycle owner.. w00t!

2009-03-24T21:32:00.003-05:00

Well I finally got my motorcycle tonight :) :) I can't legally drive it much for a while because of titling and licensing and all that, but at least it's mine now, and I have it, and I can drive around some :) Here are a couple pix for you :) I'll get some more later, but the rest of this week I'm pretty busy, so idk.. So now you can call me a biker ;) although I'm not really a biker until I've had it for a while and all.. :) anyway...

This is to all my fellow LOTR geeks.

2009-03-20T00:51:00.002-05:00

So if you know what these are, moreover if you even know what sindarin is, you are probably either a hardcore google-er or you are a LOTR geek (which I am by far more the former, but not too far behind on the latter) haha. If you don't know what LOTR stands for you probably shouldn't even be reading this blog... lol ;)

well... one of these days I'll get to it..

2009-03-18T07:18:00.002-05:00

Hey sorry I haven't updated lately, but I've been pretty busy.. I gotta go to work in a few minutes today even.. :) but anyway, I'll be trying to get some new pictures up here. For now check out my facebook, I got a few (120) up there, because they load a lot faster. Anyway, have a good day, I'd best be going. Bye!

New blog look

2009-03-13T14:41:00.002-05:00

So I changed the background on my blog.. how do you like it? I had to do some rooting around with HTML code and stuff.. but hopefully everything still works.. for some reason it was saying I have no followers, so if that stays you can just re-follow my blog ;P Anyway, God Bless you whoever you are!! :)

Stuff.. YAY!!!

2009-03-11T09:41:00.002-05:00

So yea, I'm really wishing I had an electric guitar and amp right now, because I'm trying to learn this song I put up as my new blog song.. and it's not meant for acoustic at all!! But oh well.. anyway, I'm really hoping sometime this week to be able to go get my motorcycle.. hopefully somebody else won't outbid me on it.. lol!! so yup, I'm doing great, loving being home, and all that :) I just finished writing up my resumé so I can apply for a couple jobs in Rolla, but I've also got quite a bit of other work I can do around town while I wait. I finally got a pretty big dent in all the cleanup and organization of everything here at home, there's not much left to do. My refrigerator had gotten unplugged while I was gone, but they didn't take the meat out of the freezer section of it, and it was all rotten and NASTY when I came home and opened it up!!! haha!! so I spent like two hours yesterday afternoon with lots of bleach and a scrub brush to clean it out! lol eww.. Today I'm going to finish putting away two rubbermaid tubs full of stuff that has accumulated over the months.. some trash some very important stuff.. fun stuff..... lol

AIT FTX

2009-03-07T10:11:00.000-06:00

So I thought I'd post a few pictures from FTX at my AIT, see if you
can see me in some of them :)
As you can see the texas weather down there is a bit more
accommodating than up here in missouri!! lol ;) oh well ;)
Most of these pix are from patrol- where we carry about four to five
patients up and down rugged mountainsides for about a total of 4
miles. It's the hardest, but probably most fun training I did at AIT.

Biker Stats!

2009-03-06T14:11:00.001-06:00

So yea, I decided to buy a motorcycle since I can afford one now, and
then when I get my bonus I can get a car. Otherwise I'd be driving the
15 pass van everywhere for the next 6 weeks. Which I'll still have to
when it's raining and stuff.. The one I'm hoping to get up there is a
2005 Kawasaki ninja 250R with only 1,100 miles on it. Insurance is
dirt cheap, under 450 dollars a year compared to about $1,800 a year
for a car. Gas mileage is about 60-80 mpg. This one's not very fast or
anything, probably maxed out it'll do 130. A bigger bike could do 250,
but I'd just kill myself, so I'll be fine with a low powered bike for
now :) I got my motorcycle permit today, so I'm legal to drive a
motorcycle during daylight hours now. Hopefully this one isn't gone
yet, if it's still there I'm planning to get it like tomorrow :) so
yea, biker stats! hooah! lol

yay :)

2009-03-05T10:19:00.001-06:00

Well, I'm HOME!!! AIT was fun at times, and not so fun at others.. ;P
I miss a lot of the people I met there, some more than others, but I
missed everybody back home more!! :)
So, the next couple days I'm working on getting unpacked and moved
back in, and taking care of all the random junk that has accumulated
back here while I've been gone, and then I'm going to try to get a job
on an ambulance here in Rolla for the summer.
Anyway, I've got a busy day today, so I'd best be going! God Bless,
peace out home dogs!

The Journey

2009-03-03T20:23:00.001-06:00

The Journey
Anonymous

A woman’s heart is like A field of roses
A man is like a gardener who wants to have the flowers for his own
To just cut the fence surrounding the field seems easiest,
But once he gets in, he feels like trespasser.
He tramples many of the tender flowers underfoot.
Finally he stumbles out of the field, and he is crushed
when he looks back and sees the way he smashed and broke the flowers,
his clothes are ragged from the thorns that he carelessly trampled through.

Yet the honest gardener will buy the field
Make it his forever, and get the key.
Once he opens the gate, he walks along the path
Admiring the beauty of what he has worked for.
The journey does not stop though.
A raw field can always be touched up to make it better.
The loving hands of this gardener taking out weeds and trimming thorns,
Watering the flowers, tending the shrubs and watching the seasons pass.

Before long both gardener and field wonder how they lived separated
The gardener loves nothing more than to nurture and care for the field,
And the roses hardly could live without his care.
Neither one feels it is serving the other.
They go together perfectly. It is a symbiosis.
There are times when the gardener forgets to give the care he should,
and there are times when despite his care the flowers refuse to bloom.
Sometimes the winters nearly drive the gardener out of the field.

And yet because the love they have for each other they carry on
Years go by, every day the gardener discovering something new
Parts of the field he never even imagined existed.
Under the surface of flowers he may find weeds and rocks,
yet the next day he might find a precious gem.
To him, every day is an adventure and he will never tire of studying his field.
The mystery is never old, and he studies the field every day of his life.

The gardener picks blooms and holds them to his chest.
Yet he always replaces the ones he picks with fresh seedlings to take their place.
As he grows older he keeps changing,
Soon he is just happy to sit in the shade of the tree and enjoy
The work of his hands showing amongst the natural beauty of the field
The flowers look back and see the gentle gardener
The one who was once a wild lad,
now tamed into the tender gardener.

The seasons come and go,
The flowers begin to fade
The gardener slows more and more by the day.
Yet both field and gardener are happy.
Finally the day comes when death must take it’s toll.
The old gardener lies at rest under the willow
The stream flowing nearby,
Clasped in his hand are the last few wilted roses.
Yet this is not the end, it is only the beginning...

Our Father in Sindarin (LOTR)

2009-03-03T19:25:00.001-06:00

Min=Our
Adar=Father
Man=Who
naesse=is in
Menel=Heaven
Aer=Holy
Nali=is your
eneth=name
Li=Your
Arnad=Kingdom
Tul=Come
Li=Your
Indome=Will
naqua=be done
Bo=on
Amar=earth
Sui=as
hanaesse=it is in
Menel=heaven
annomin=Give us
hi=this
aur=day
mir=our
ilauria=daily
bas=bread
a=and
dihen=forgive
min=our
ugerthi=sins
siu=as
min=we
dihen=forgive
tuin=those
man=who
ugerth=sin
dan=against
min=us
a=and
tegimin=lead us
uminna=not into
usahtie=temptation
mal=but
lethmin=free(release)us
o=from
umea=evil

Sunny days

2009-02-28T16:17:00.000-06:00

So yea.. To all my Missouri blog readers... It was over 90 degrees
here yesterday, and it's in the upper 60s today and sunny after a cold
front that came through last night... So haha!!! Actually I miss the
snow.. Hope it lasts 3 or 4 days!! Then I'll get to see it! :) it
NEVER EVER snows in San antonio!! LOL

Dogs can grow beards all over..

2009-02-27T03:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm glad to announce that my army training has finally come to a
close! :-) after 16 weeks of high-speed and not so easy training I'm
finally a member of some of the worlds toughest medical professionals:
an army combat medic. With less than 5 days between me and going home,
I'm pretty happy!! All that remains is cleaning, turning in TA-50,
graduation practice, and packing to go home! To all my dear and
wonderful friends reading this, I thank you for your prayers, without
you I don't know if I could've made it. Although without experiencing
what a soldier goes through none of you will ever understand our
lives, I still thank you for supporting and encouraging us as we serve
our nation and families. I will never be the same after the hell on
earth I've been through. Some for the better, some for the worse, I'm
a changed man. There is little room for the child in me as I see the
seriousness of the real world as we live in. I no longer can talk
about what I'll do when I grow up. I'm already there.. And that's a
scary thought as I plan out the next few years. God has stayed at my
side through it all though, and I know that's not about to change.
When I get home I'm planning to get a temporary job working on an
ambulance until I head off either to combat, or college. There's no
question that I'm going to do both, the question is which will come
first.. Regardless, I have a lot of work to do to get ready for my
future, mostly in the next six months. As my family prepares to
possibly move to Korea Germany or Italy in the next year or so that's
yet another reminder that I truly am a self-sufficient adult and I
won't always have somebody to pick up after my mistakes..
Anyway, that's my update, hope you enjoy..

Oh and btw the picture is something I made in my spare time.. I've
started to do a bit of graphic design on the side as my hobby. Perhaps
I can incorporate it into my love for photography and get a few extra
bucks while I work through college.

Praying For You

2009-02-15T16:27:00.002-06:00

Father, I'm prayin' for a friend he and I are pretty close, and out of all my friends for this one I'm concerned the most. He say he readin' daily but he ain't really learnin'.He been in church but say that he ain't moved by any sermon. His face weak, he ain't prayed in a week, he wake up and just weep with his face in the sink Lord, you gotta help my man, I'm prayin' for him daily, he ain't sinned but it just seem as if he goin' crazy. He say he feelin' trapped, can't even head up the mall coz every lady's half-dressed temptin' him to lust and fall. He keep the TV off, videos just make him feel that he ain't really nothin' without money, girls and shiny wheels. The other day he told me that he felt less a man coz he ain't have a five-year plan or a piece of land and man it's crazy coz his family think so much of him, plus he wants a godly wife who always showin' love for him but he's strugglin', even though he talk to me, I tell him what to do but he don't listen when he oughta' be. I'm scared for him coz there's people that look up to him, he got some younger siblings who been changed by what he's done for them but is it done for him, Lord don't let it be, if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me, is it done for him, Lord don't let it be, if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me...

Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, I'm prayin' for you
Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, yeah, I'm prayin' for you...

God, his condition is worsen since we were last conversed and I'm with him now and he ain't doin' well and this I'm certain. He say he tryna' trust you, doesn't wanna disgust you but he was in the mist of sinners and did not discuss you and just today his anxiety's got the best of him, he knows Christ but for hours refuse to rest in Him, he's not the best of men but Lord I know he really loves you and I can't understand why lately he's not thinkin' of you. People trust this dude, you could crush this dude, Father he needs more of you I pray you touch this dude, what can I say to him? I'm determined to pray for him Father empty and brake him I pray you'll just have your way with him, coz there's a change in him and the effects are strong, I pray you open up his heart before the next song and when he gets home, I pray he'll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote and soak it up coz he ain't hearin' You and he ain't feelin' me and God I know it's killin' You because it's killin' me and matter of fact there's somethin' else he's concealin' see, the person that I've been prayin' about is really me...

Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, I'm prayin' for you
Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, yeah, I'm prayin' for you...

Yea... This song probably defines my life right now..
Blessings, Matthew Beaty, Praying for you. :)

Another day another dollar..

2009-02-15T13:30:00.002-06:00

Hey Everybody,

I'm sure some of you are wondering how I'm doing.. Well, I've been better, but I've also been worse.. the days seem to creep by slower each day closer to graduation I get.. I wish I were allowed to have a camera with me during training hours, because we've done some pretty cool stuff! I think my favorite training so far is blood labs. The first rule of blood labs is "don't talk about blood labs" (which if you haven't seen "fight club" you won't know where that is from) but since none of you are medics in training it's ok ;) It's a big room, where the only light is different colored strobe lights flashing like crazy all over so it's really hard to see, and then they have german hard rock/metal (Rammstein) playing SUPER loud, and then they have these cool $20,000 manikins that breath, scream, have pulses, move... all that jazz... ;) there's fake blood all over them, and all over the place, and an instructor randomly walks around with a spray bottle full of it spraying you if you aren't controlling the bleeding. It was a huge adrenaline rush going in there. Plus I like Rammstein, so instead of distracting me like it's supposed to, it pumped me up. This coming week we're going to FTX (field training exercise) so I'll be out of comm until next tuesday or so. (No phones or electronics of any kind) it's going to be fun though ;) After that, I'm done training, and all that's left is getting ready to go home!!

I need some stuff to take pictures of! But the only places I've really been here are kinda boring.. I mean who takes pictures at the mall unless you're with good friends?? I mean the Hacienda club across the street is kinda fun, but the only time we ever go there is after dark, and then we go outside and the only light is from all the strobe lights, and it's loud from the jukebox :) so yea, it's fun to dance out there, but unlike line dancing, there's not any kind of lighting for pictures!! lol

My flag :)

So anyway, this morning was a really great time for me. Most wouldn't understand, but those who do know what I'm talking about ;)

Well, today I'm going to do some shopping to get all the stuff that I need for the FTX week, so I guess I'm going to go.. plus I'm talking to some friends on the phone right now.. (love you Hamachers) :)

Anyway, God Bless you all, I'll work on finding some more stuff to take pictures of before I leave!! Have a great week!

Life.. LOL

2009-02-13T22:21:00.000-06:00

Well, I really can't say I have a lot that I have to talk about on
here.. A lot of personal stuff both good and bad, but otherwise all I
have is the day in-day out routine.. I am excited about 17 days left
though!!! :) it seems like such a long time, and yet so soon all at
once!! LOL I'm MOS qualified, so basically I can't fail out of the
course any more :) i'm officially a medic now :)
Anyway, I'll try to work on getting more up soon, but until then,
peace out home dawgs!

Video time! Drunk people are awesome.. :)

2009-02-08T12:36:00.007-06:00

I edited the "words" out of this, so that's why it will have weird sounds in it.. lol
It kinda sucks that people have to cuss so much, for one thing it makes editing a pain!!!! :p Anyway, I'm keeping busy with training, and having some fun :) I've been doing a little more with people lately.. shopping, restaurants, riverwalk etc. Also been doing a little more bible study, praying and reading stuff.. watched a few good movies, and caught up on some much-needed sleep!!!
Anyway, as I get closer to finishing up my training and head home, I open up a new world of opportunities for the years ahead.. my choices are limitless, but I have to pick the right one.. I hate it when that happens... I guess though whenever tough decisions come up I always like it, because I see them as a challenge and know that through Christ I will always make the right choice no matter how much Satan wants to entice me to choose otherwise.
Well, hope you like the video!! The others were even funnier, but I didn't want to edit all the words out of a 15 minute vid...
God Bless!!

Training

2009-02-03T18:45:00.000-06:00

Well a little training update on me: the next two weeks we have M-16's
which means we can't do much.. We're doing STX (situational training
excercise) after that we have a week in the field, a week of prep/
cleaning, and then graduation and off to fort living room, where I
will be stationed until I deploy overseas. March 3 is looking better
and better every day! 27 short days! (or long ones rather..) anyway,
I'm doing well.. Hopefully I'll get enough time this weekend to go see
"Taken" which sounds really good :)

Well here's some of my gear.. This alone weighs nearly 40 pounds, plus
a 30 pound aid bag.. It's a lot to wear all day.. God bless! Ttyl

:)

2009-01-31T08:08:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody, just thought I'd let you know that I officially have
one more month of training! 31 days until I come home! I'm very
happy :) it's been that long since my Christmas break! And that went
by pretty quickly :)
Well, God bless!

Me being me!

2009-01-27T22:29:00.000-06:00

Yup, this is me! I'm such a kid! And a crazy one at that! I can't
really help it though.. with all the seriousness of my fast track to
the full-blown adult world sometimes I need to just act like a kid and
do goofy things without caring what people think :) I will never be a
boring grown up.. I'm too outgoing and crazy to ever do that! On the
other hand, I'm not the stupid teen I was a year ago.. Anyway, a cold
front came through here today, it was 45 this afternoon and now it's
like 35!! If it's below 30 everything all around closes down! Even on
post! So I might get a day off tomorrow, but I'm not sure. Anyway,
here's the pix of me, hope you like it... ;p God bless you! ~me

Me :)

2009-01-27T04:34:00.000-06:00

Hey all, just thought I'd say hey, so.. Hey!! ;) anyway I'm going to
be doing massive rapid trauma assessments again today, which is really
fun! Unfortunately I still haven't been cleared to get a camera in
there so I'll not have any pix, but basically it's just a bunch of
different dummies that they have fake blood and wounds that we have to
treat in a set amount of time while an instructor yells at us to hurry
up.. LOL
Anyway, that's what I'm up to.
So, here's a picture of my new haircut.. I really liked how it turned
out, so this is how I think I'll keep it ;) I'll try to get some more
pix up later, but now I need to head down to formation for pt.. So, bye!

Life, love, and the persuit of happyness.. (ok, so I didn't make it up, but it sounded cool..;p)

2009-01-25T15:42:00.006-06:00

Well, thought I'd give everybody an update on me! :) I've been pretty busy this week, so that's why I haven't posted much. I've had two social outings in the past week, which is cool, since I haven't been able to go anywhere up till now unless I wanted to go by myself.. last weekend I went to a little cook-out party at the park here (which is pretty nice btw.. I'll have to take a few pix sometime, but it would be better in springtime) and then last night I went to a restaurant called Chili's with some people. Anyway, I'm officially done with all my death by powerpoint training, and now it's on to hands-on stuff.. YES!! I'm happy about that..
I'm doing pretty good overall, I'm kinda sick with a head/chest cold virus that's going around our company right now, but I'm surviving :) I'm still struggling with being unpopular, and boredom and stuff.. and still occasionally battling off the weirdos who think that just because I don't spend my weekends at the strip club or surfing porn online I must be gay.. it's really annoying..
I've spent a lot of time praying and asking God about what I need to be doing with my future.. right now I *really* want to get married and have a family of my own, but there are a lot of things to be done before I'm ready for that! I'm thinking about going through the Army MD course which would take about 3 years and I would be a doctor as well as an officer which is much better pay than I would have as enlisted in three years. I'm also strongly considering deployment in the next 12 months sometime, I think now is as good a time as any, and that way I can make some extra money while I'm deployed to get me through the next few years.. I've heard of people coming back from the middle east with as much as $50,000 in their bank accounts. Talk about a jump start! Also, if I get deployed now instead of like 3 years from now then I will probably only get deployed once or twice more while I'm in the service, and that would probably be after I become a doctor if that's what I decide to do. On the other hand I could just go with the civilian doctor program and let the Army help me pay for it, but that would take about 6 years if I'm remembering correctly.. Sometimes I feel like Charlie brown ("everything I touch get's ruined..") so I'm not sure what to try, but at any rate I'd appreciate your prayers! I want to make sure I don't put my desires in front of what is best for everybody else, yet at the same time I want to make sure that God's will is done in whatever I do. Anything I do now will have affects long into the future, and I want to make sure I choose the right future now, before I mess something up along the way.
Anyway, all that jumbling ramble to say, I'm open to advice, but most of all prayer. Maybe I'm just getting tunnel vision, but it seems like I'm lost and alone and every path seems full of holes and I don't know what to do.. even choices I have every day are becoming more and more difficult.. Sometimes it seems like everything is clear and simple, and the next minute it all collapses and I'm back at block one, wondering what to do next. LOL I'd better shut up or nobody will read this post!!! ;P
Aaaanyywayyyyy......
I have 38 days until I'll be home, and hopefully those will zip by quickly!
I'll really be on my own around the beginning of May when I officially will be on my own dime. Hope my family has fun in Georgia and wherever else they roam!! :) I'm probably going to be living in the basement apartment for a few months, but by the end of this year I'm probably going to be either in civilian college, army med school, or deployed overseas in a combat zone :) The last is for sure the easiest, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to say goodbye to everything I know for 12-18 months..Well, until next time, God's blessings upon you as you read this, and into the days and months ahead! I'm praying for you!!
Matthew- the unwilling adult ;) being a kid was so much easier.... ;p
ttfn!!

An LOL moment from the archives of Matthew Beaty:

~thou shalt not weigh more than thy refridgerator

~The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.

~I can resist everything except temptation.

~Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

~Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

~Laugh and the whole world laughs with you.............. cry and you have to blow your nose.

~Children should be seen and not ..................spanked or grounded.

~A penny saved is...................... not much.

*prepares to be shot by the females reading this one..*

Yesterday scientists revealed that beer contains small traces of female hormones. To prove their theory, the scientists fed 100 men 12 pints of beer and observed that 100% of them gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became emotional, and couldn't drive. -- No further testing is planned.

LOL!!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a good laugh every day puts him in the poorhouse!

My other picture

2009-01-22T21:08:00.000-06:00

Well here's the other picture.. Again note the littlest marine in the
back, staunchly refusing to carry a navy bag, rigidly standing at
"attention" LOL what a nerd..

LOL what a square kid I was!

2009-01-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

Haha thought you might like to see this picture of me from nearly 7
years ago.. Notice the marine patrol cap and attempt at standing at
rigid attention.. LOL! This was at an airshow that we went to with the
D's and I was all über-excited.. Back then I was positive that I was
headed for the marine corps ;) anyway, there's one more that I'll post
in a bit.

Old picture :)

2009-01-19T21:36:00.000-06:00

My aunt just posted this picture today from her wedding like 10 years
ago.. I was one of the ring-bearers :) don't I look like a little
skater punk? LOL or something.. Anyway, thought some of you might like
to see this ;)

Yea..

2009-01-18T22:27:00.000-06:00

Well I've been having a lot of trouble
lately with my life... I feel alone in this world, lost in a sea of
faces as kutless puts it.. I know I'll never fit in with the crowd
down here, but I am the kind of
Person that needs at least some popularity... There are plenty of
girls who give me attention, but that's not what Im looking for.. LOL
Anyway, I seriously wonder many times if there is anybody out there
who even cares.. Well, honestly I shouldn't need people to care to
feel like I'm worth something.. But for some reason I starve for human
attention. Oh well, I guess I'll live! ;p anyway.. I'll stop whining
now :) tomorrow is a holiday so I don't have any class to go to :)
that's nice for me, although with no real friends days are kinda
boring here.. Well, I'm probably sounding
Really weird, but I'm just really tired and sick.. My head is hurting
pretty bad so I can't think clearly..

Pictures and randomness as usual

2009-01-17T16:34:00.004-06:00

Well, this week has been really busy, and really slow for me, but it's finally the weekend! :) Here are a few pictures, mostly old ones that I edited over this week while I was bored, but a few new ones too :) Well, I've been learning some more fun stuff in class, but every week I feel more and more alone in this place.. I've started to get invited to go do stuff with people every now and then, but I always have to come up with some excuse why I can't make it, because I'm not exactly looking to go to drunken wild parties... I get enough of them in the bay to satisfy me! lol ;P but I'm the kind of person that needs lots of human interaction, and here I always feel left out.. either I'm not interested in what they're doing, or they form cliques and don't invite me, or I'm honestly too busy with other responsibilities.. I'm glad I have my bible and cell phone, because without them I would go crazy!! Anyway, hope you enjoy the pictures! I'm looking forward to march 3.. 44 days :) well anyway, I'll stop talking now, and get the pix up :)

Sweet cast huh?? Army Style and everything!! Won't get in any fights like this!

Earlier this week there was a really beautiful sunrise :) I love my camera because it actually captured it how it looked!! :) I thank God for this kind of beauty even though all around me it's so bleak and crowded :) I love to pray for my friends while I watch sunrises and sunsets.. wondering if they're watching the sunrise too :) Same with the moon and stars.. although I don't get to see stars much because of San Antonio's lights..

The sunrise a little bit earlier before it was so pretty :)

Well, the next few pictures are already on here, but I was bored and did a little bit of editing with three different programs I have on my laptop :)

hehe creepy huh?

David playing guitar

She looks grumpy, but she wasn't ;p

One year!

2009-01-14T18:33:00.001-06:00

Well, a year ago today a nervous 17 year-old boy signed his name on the dotted line and became a soldier.. Well, not a soldier yet, but well on the way. Then, after 6 months of rigorous army training, he's here writing his story out as we speak :) LOL yea so I've been in for years,,,so :p
So obviously I have had some fun times.. You guess what happened and I'll tell if your true or false.
Later,
A very tired matthew..

Pictures and stuff.. since I haven't updated lately

2009-01-10T14:27:00.004-06:00

I decided to take some pictures of myself while I'm sitting here at the PX (the Post Exchange, it's like walmart on streoids) posting on my blog :)
hehe mohawkishness... :P it's like the only thing I can actually get my stupid hair to do..

Oh, hi!!

another mac guy!! lol ;P Macs are the best

I'm sitting in this comfy chair over in the little book area where they have free wi-fi

The Post Chapel, you can see the lovely Texas "winter" making itself obvious.. haha.. I just took this picture on my way over here to the PX :)

Me so gangsta.. not.. lol I'm WAY better at staying serious for goofy pictures now than I used to be!! :p

Oh say can you see, by the coffeeshop light, what so gladly we hail, every morning and evening? The starbucks coffee, it is so good for me, and the class's dead air, the textbooks everywhere, give proof through the day, that I cannot stay awake, so I grab some caffeine, now I am a machine, I stay awake until classes are over.. lol (like my anthem to starbucks?? actually this was back from new year's on my way home from Hamacher's house, but I still like starbucks ;P lol)

Isn't the view from my bed depressing?? I much prefer the pond and woods I'm used to looking at :)

By the way, that's a bandage from my aid bag, also known as a cravat.. I had some fun with it ;)

Ok, so this one wouldn't make sense, but I'll explain ;) So there was some soap stain stuff in the shower that the Sergeant said had to be gone.. even though it's probably been there for like 10 years.. well, after trying like 5 different chemicals it wouldn't come off.. so somebody decided to use this toilet bowl cleaner stuff we have, which is basically battery acid. Well, apparently it reacted with the other chimicals and made a really nasty smelling gas in the showers.. plus if you get it on your hands it burns like battery acid.. so we got medical gloves from our aid bags, dampened some cravats to make emergency masks, and glasses to keep it out of the eyes, and went to work trying to scub the stuff off... well, it ended up still not working completely, but it did help some.. anyway I thought I'd show you a picture of how funny I looked :)

Well anyway, I'm out of new pictures.. they said we could bring cameras to class, but then the next day they changed their minds :'( so now I cant show you pictures of what I do :( oh well.. anyway I haven't really eaten anything yet today, and it's 15:00 (3:00 for you analog clock people) so I'm pretty hungry, so i'm going to head over to Robin Hood and grab a sub, and maybe over to cinnabon to get one of their amazing cinnabons and an iced mocha latte espresso :) so God Bless you, have a great day, and ttyl!!

"Without suffering, there can be no compassion"

2009-01-09T00:06:00.003-06:00

Well, I'll shoot straight, there have been times in my life where I've been upset with God, asking why life has to be so full of hadships and trials. Sometimes I've wondered why God has to let life be so hard. Then I realize that some of life's hardships are brought upon myself by my own actions. To be upset with God isn't fair in those situations, but what about the times when I'm just the innocent bystander and my life seems to just fall apart all around me? What about those times? Many people say there can't be a God in heaven with all the suffering in the world. Well I disagree. I have found that when life's road gets the toughest, that's when I find myself closest to God. Like the title says, how could we ever give or recieve compassion if we didn't have suffering? After all, it was through the worst possible torment that Jesus showed the whole world how much he cares for us? He offered those sufferings up to God in atonement for the salvation of someone like me? I mean, why would He do that if He didn't have a purpose for me that's higher than the normal falling down and giving up when life gets hard? I think I've found that by showing compassion to others my pain is put at ease and life isn't so hard anymore. One of the lines that hit me the most out of a movie many of you have probably seen called "a walk to remember" when Jamie says "without suffering there'd be no compassion" Landon replies, "yea, well tell that to the people who suffer." well, I realized that when I've suffered in one way or another, I can have compassion for overs going over similar hardships. God really does have a reason for giving us the gift of suffering. Maybe it's time we realize it's there to make us better, stronger people in the end. True, others take suffering much better than I, but I use them as inspiration to also accept the hard parts in life the way I should. I'd love to keep weaving this analogy further, but considering that I have less than 4 hours until it's time to get up again, I should probably try to utilize as much of that time actually sleeping as possible :) God bless you, and hopefully next time you experience a hardship you will remember that until passed through flames most metal is comepletely worthless. Hopefully we can be like lead that only takes a little bit of heat to go the right way instead of taking years of running from the hardships and not letting God use them in our lives.hopefully this makes sense even though I haven't slept in over 20 hours... :) later! Matt

My snail mail ;)

2009-01-06T21:55:00.002-06:00

Alrighty google bloggers and other readers.. I think I set it so this forwards to my facebbok too... You obviously have Internet, so there's not much need, but if anybody wants my address here it is:

PFC Beaty, Matthew S.
B Co. 232nd Med. Bn.
2950 Koehler Rd.
Platoon 1
STE 1350
Fort Sam Houston,TX 78234

Hope you are doing great!
Me

Movies, fingernails, and classrooms.

2009-01-04T21:55:00.002-06:00

Well, I just finished watching a movie, and "somebody" will be glad to know I loved it. By the end of the movie my fingernails were gone, and if I hadn't been in an army bay I'd have been jumping up and down yelling:p ok, I admit, most wouldn't guess it, but I've got a bit of the hopeless romantic in me.. maybe from my mom, but anyway if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm talking about the movie "August Rush" few movies are as soul-grabbing as it was. I generally am more attracted to fast-paced action movies, but every now and then a movie grabs me by the heart and takes me for a ride. This was one of those :) so anyway, I'm doing good down here, tomorrow it's back to the grindstone going to class.. The temps dropped a lot today, the last two days have been around 80!! But hopefully it won't be cold tomorrow!
Another fun movie you might like to see is Kung Fu panda. It was cute and really funny. A little dumb at times, but generally pretty humorous :D well, I'd better get to bed, so ttyl! God bless you and protect you, and have a blessed year to come!
Your brother in Christ, matthew

Temptation

2009-01-03T23:24:00.001-06:00

Well, since I'm living in a place filled with as much filth as there is
going on every day around me I have a lot of opportunity to deal with
temptation. I decided to look up the major verses on dealing with
temptation in the Bible, and share my thoughts on dealing with
temptation.

Matthew 25:41
Watch and pray, that ye not enter into temptation: the spirit indeed
is willing but the flesh is weak.

1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken thee but such as man can bear. But God
is faithful, who will not suffer ye to be tempted beyond that ye are
able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that
you may be able to endure it.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he
hath been approved, he shall recieve the crown of life, which the Lord
promised to them that love Him.

Based on these verses, I think of three ways to deal with teptation.
Only one will pan out in the long run though. First, there are those
who put themselves in dangerous situations intentionally to 'harden'
themselves to temptation. Sorry, but looking at dirty magazines to
strengthen yourself is just lying to yourself and you're giving into
your selfish desires. Second, there are those who try to blanket off
any opportunity of temptation. The problem with this is, eventually
you will be tempted, but you won't know how to resist temptation. God
can use temptation as a way to "test us by fire" so to speak. Then
thirdly, the best way to deal with temptation. Look at temptation as a
necessary evil, one that can't always be avoided, but not something we
should be looking for. Look at yourself and question- am I really
strong enough to be in this situation without giving in to the fleshly
desire to sin? If yes, proceed with caution and don't give in, because
that is not the most effective resistance training. If no, you need to
do some prayer and work on standing up to the little temptations
without giving in. There are many times whee a perfectly fine thing to
be doing can evolve into a mirey pit of sin if you can't resist the
temptation to begin with. All to many times I've found myself in the
first group and ended up further away from a true faith-based ability
to defeat sin than people from the second group.(no, I've never looked
at dirty magazines, I'm just using that as an example) The key is
listening to the Holy Spirit through your concience and knowing when
you're in too deep and back out of a situation that you may fail in.
Basically, defeating the flesh does not mean fleeing temptation, it
means fleeing from sin. Be bold and courageous when facing temptation,
and remember that if you keep your eyes on God, He won't let you fall
into sin. However, we have the choice to ignore God's escape path and
plunge ourselves in too deep and end up sinning. Hope that makes
sense! Please keep me in your prayers as every day I'm met with the
opportunity to fight, or to flee, and pray I'll have wisdom to know
which to do in those situations.
God bless!
Your friend, matthew.

Tess has a gun!!

2009-01-02T20:51:00.001-06:00

LOL tess wanted me to do a fun pix of her, so I did some editing on this pix I had of her.. :)
If you'd like one done, I have plenty of time to do fun stuff to pix of you, just let me know!!
I'm kinda practicing for when I'm in college and I'm doing photography on the side for extra cash :)

back to work

2009-01-02T12:49:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm back in Texas now, and thought I'd let anybody who was wondering know that I made it :)
I had a great time at home, wish I had had more time to hang out with everybody, but I have a job to do, so here I am.
Thank you everybody that let me chill out with you and stuff like that.. I'd better go start putting all my stuff back away and such. So ttfn!

Partayy! ;P

2009-01-02T06:50:00.004-06:00

This is a kinda boring video from a not so boring party.. I was just goofing around and seeing where the dirt specks were on my lens.. but make sure to look close at David's face toward the end of the video.. I watched it like 10 times after seeing that :) it's awesome :)

The little girls dancing

2009-01-02T06:44:00.004-06:00

I thought that the little girls looked really cute dancing by themselves :)
I sat out on quite a few dances to just watch people :)

Anyway, I'm at the airport now waiting for my flight that doesn't leave until 8:10, so I have about an hour of down time here.
I'm glad that I've only got two more months until my training is over :) :)
but for now I'm still headed back to "prison" for a while... and that's not so cool.. haha well, I'm going to try to upload a few more videos now, so ttfn!

Gibberish

2009-01-01T23:01:00.002-06:00

This was REALLY funny and fun to do.. you should try it!! It's from facebook but I had to bring it over here to my blog for the fun of it :) Just follow the simple instructions and hope you have lots of music!!

I. Put your iTunes or other music player on shuffle.
II. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
III. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
IV. Put your own comment after song.
V. Tag 11 friends who might enjoy doing this (including me!).

1. If someone says "Is this okay?" you say: Looking for Angels (Skillet)
Hmm... Remember that we have Angels looking over us, and Jesus is looking too...

2.What would best describe your personality: Beatbox Live (Matisyahu)
umm.. I like to beatbox??

3. What do you like in a girl/guy: Second Heartbeat (Avenged Sevenfold)
If she only had one heartbeat she'd die! But I guess I'd say I want my wife to be like a second heartbeat to me.. or two hearts beating as one.. or anyway, not sure how to make that one work.. :)

4.How do you feel today: Keep Your Hands off my Girl (Good Charlotte)
Wow.. nice.. umm.. I guess that works pretty good.. I'm not sure how I really feel today.. ;P

5. What is your life's purpose: Vapor (Skillet)
Talks about how without God in our life we just drift around and evaporate like a vapor.

6. What is your backup plan?: Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over (Devil Wears Prada)
Kinda random name, but by the lyrics, "We're too strong to compromise don't be ashamed of your faith" Rely on my faith and trust in God to get me through.

7. What do your friends think of you: Catchafire-whoopsi-daisy (Tobymac)
I guess they think I'm hot or something.. or not.. :p

8. What do you think of your parents:A Fault Line, A fault of Mine (Underoath)
Wow.. yea so honestly that's awesome.. cuz we kinda moved apart in our relationship a little bit and it was my fault.. so yea pretty appropriate..

9. What do you think about very often: Hey Now (tobymac)
I think about the present a lot... well actually I think for the future, but oh well it sounded cool..

10. What is 2 + 2: We Cry Holy
God+Us=the need for us to worship.. it's like putting 2 and 2 together.

11. What do you think of your best friend: Blessed be your name (Tree63)
Haha that's awesome!

12. What do you think of the person you like?: Boxing Day (Relient K)
Hmm... well I don't like fighting, but this is about the day after Christmas, so not much relevance I guess... hehe

13. What is your favorite color?: I Love the 80's [pink tux to the prom] (Relient K)
Ugg.. no, I don't think pink is that cool... but I do like blue and green.

14. What are your thoughts on LOVE?: Be My Escape (Relient K)
The person you love should be there to help you out of the rut you fall into by mistake, and of course God is always there waiting

15. What is one true thing about you?: Praise you with the Dance (Casting Crowns)
I like to dance.. it's a way to express praise to God.. moshing counts right??

16. What do your parents think of you?: Rockin' Into the Night (38 Special)
Well, I do kinda tend to listen to loud music at crazy times of the night and they are always having to tell my to turn it down.. haha

17. What will you dance to at your wedding?: Bless the Broken Road (Selah)
Hopefully I won't have a trail of broken relationships before my wedding, but other things in life can make the road rough.. so I guess God will bless the road ahead of my wedding.

18. What will they play at your funeral?: Heaven (Warrent)
Seriously I did NOT purposely pick this one... But that's cool :) I am plannin on going to heaven when I die, so :)

19. What is your hobby/interest?: Benediction (Relient K)
Haha a benediction is a blessing, so I guess I'm a blessing to people's lives.. at least that's what I try to be!!

20. What is your biggest secret?: Livin' on a Prayer (Stellar Kart)
Well, I don't try to keep it secret, but lots of times I don't know how I'm going to make it another day, and I live one prayer at a time.. i

21. What do you think of your friends?: Crazy (Simple Plan)
Well, I like to hang with crazy people, and I've got a lot of crazy friends.. but the song talks about the way society is falling apart around us.. the way money is our first priority, everybody wants to be like the "cool" kids, and families are falling apart. Hopefully my friends all see the same and want to help be a solution in whatever ways we can.

22. What's the worst thing that could happen?: Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, and Things like Chemistry (Relient K)
Well in the music video a ton of old people in a nursing home start moshing.. and they throw the band's music instruments all over and the band has to run away to avoid getting overwhelmed by the crowd.. but that wouldn't be all bad.. haha

23. How will you die?: Cherish (Newsong)
Cherishing the thought of Jesus waiting for me

24. Does anyone like you?: Live Free or Let me Die (Skillet)
Well, that doesn't make sense.. I hope people like me though.. I'll never really be popular though.. idk why, but.. maybe I'm too annoying :p

25. If you could go back in time, what would you change?: Glory Defined (Building 429)
I'd wake up to find God's glory defined in my life everyday.

26. What hurts right now?: The Created Void (Underoath)
The hole in my heart from seeing so much suffering in the world, the emptiness and dirtyness of our society, and broken relationships everywhere I look all because people threw out Jesus.

27. What rule do you always follow?: I Wanna Live (Stellar Kart)
I want to live life to the fullest and make the most of every day.. and staying alive is a plus.. :)

28. What have teachers always thought of you?: In Memory (Haste the Day)
They remember me I guess.

29. What's something you do everyday?: Brother John (Thousand Foot Krutch)
I don't have a brother named john.. I don't even know anybody named john really... oh well.. good song anyway

30. What will you post this as?: Gibberish (Relient K)
Perfect!!

Okay, all done, your turn now!
Oh, wait...

How will you say goodbye?: Don't Say Goodbye (Skillet)
Wow.. umm.. ok, yea so I guess that pretty much answered that one!!! I do stink at saying goodbye though!! just ask any of my friends!!! haha I'll talk and hang out forever!!!! ;P

New Year's Eve Party

2009-01-01T12:32:00.006-06:00

The Capital at like one minute before this year.

I soo wish this wasn't blurry :(

Ellen, Tess, and Lizzy

Maggie

Tess is starting to look all grown up and stuff.. it's not fair!!

August was being weird here... not quite sure what he's doing..

I was trying to get a goofy picture of Kurt to put on facebook, but this will have to do.. cuz I didn't get any silly ones.

My iPhone was REALLY popular!! Tess used it a bunch on the way to Jeff to talk to Megan, and for a while there with somebody, and on the way home, and Jacob used it for most of the rest of the time.. hehe

I think this was a waltz

Ellen and Tess doing the pretzel

More of the same

We were singing christmas Carols and stuff :)

Well, we had fun, although there weren't many people there.. we did a lot of the normal dances like physical snob, hole in the wall, progressive gordon's, and all those, as well as a couple new ones that were pretty easy but tons of fun, and of course the Scottish and Virginia reel :) But yea, it was pretty epic to go scream outside at midnight right across the street from the state capital :) It was pretty cold though! :P well, I'm going back to Texas really early tomorrow morning, so I'd better skitter off and start packing all my stuff up and getting ready! bye!

Happy new year!!! (more pix to come later)

2009-01-01T02:52:00.000-06:00

Yay!

2008-12-31T09:17:00.001-06:00

Haha funny :)

2008-12-30T14:39:00.002-06:00

Now I don't need a ton of disgruntled females trying to stab me in the back...

*looks over shoulder*
but anyway I think it's funny.. they just missed the part about needing innocent male species to vent their anger upon while male stands in utter confusion wondering how to fix it.. haha yea..

Christmas :)

2008-12-27T10:16:00.004-06:00

Well, here are a few pictures.. I ended up with like 115 pictures on Christmas morning, and I haven't had time to sort all of them yet...

Santa brought us a really big gift this year!!! :P

haha.. heidi :)

LOL

Heidi was really excited.. Christmas is kinda different now than it was when I was a kid.. seems like we made a much bigger deal out of Christmas, where now it's not made so important I guess.. something I miss from my childhood.. but it's nice to get a little bit of the kid in me on Christmas morning.. not like I ever grew out of the kid in me, but.. anyway yea.. ;P

haha.. a gamecube AND an X-Box :) :) lol I think we were playing my atv racing game on the gamecube here.

Hmm... interesting handwriting, but it's the thought that counts! :)

2008-12-22T20:45:00.000-06:00

http://righteousb.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-22T16:45:00.008-06:00

                                                              
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         /     @@    |    @@      \                     
       *      @      |      @       *                   
             '       |       `                          
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                     * 



             .======.
              | INRI |
              |      |
              |      |
     .========'      '========.
     |   _      xxxx      _   |
     |  /_;-.__ / _\  _.-;_\  |
     |     `-._`'`_/'`.-'     |
     '========.`\   /`========'
              | |  / |
              |/-.(  |
              |\_._\ |
              | \ \`;|
              |  > |/|
              | / // |
              | |//  |
              | \(\  |
              |  ``  |
              |      |
              |      |
              |      |
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        _  _\\| \//  |//_   _ \// _
 ^ `^`^ ^`` `^ ^` ``^^`  `^^` `^ `^

More abstract, macro, and random photos.. thanks to my favorite camera ever, the Canon S5-IS

2008-12-19T07:02:00.003-06:00

My awesome watch.. It's got a compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, moon chart, tide graph, and of course the date and time :)

Purdy... :p This was made in Jerusalem :)

The warrior Ethos, part of the soldier's creed.. we get this thing after we graduate basic.. It's a good reminder of what I'm fighting for. On the other side are the army vaues: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage.

What I wear around my neck 24/7

a dime... yea..

Yes, it's a comb.. no, I there's nothing special about it.

I'm proud of my camera's macro.. can you tell? :)

Did you know that dollars are not paper at all, but actually a mix of linen, silk, cotton and a couple other fibers?

As You can see, I took a lot of pictures of this dollar bill :) It just made such a good subject for photography :P

Life goes on..

2008-12-18T20:50:00.004-06:00

Hey friends, I have a little request for you all, a good friend of mine could use some prayer, for her privacy I won't disclose too much, but her family isn't allowing her to even come home for Christmas, and it's very emotional for her, she's not even 18 and she's out on her own. So keep this friend in your prayers this Christmas, thanks guys ;)
On a lighter note, I'm coming home tomorrow, and I'm pretty excited! I have to get up at 3:30 in the morning, and then enjoy some of the army's wonderful hurry up and wait until my flight at 7:50.. Lovely. LOL anyway, I'm ready to get my butt OUT of this place for a few days to recharge! See some of you then! :)

38 hours!! Almost home :) yay!

2008-12-17T21:16:00.001-06:00

LOL this is just a random picture of a styrofoam cup..

Anyway, my facebook readers know I had to go to the doctor to get my legs x-rayed and stuff.. Anyway, I had what I thought I did, which is inferior medial billateral tibula stress fractures, more commonly known as shin splints.. Don't worry, it's just this thin that makes me have leg pain if I run or jump too hard, and a couple weeks of limited running will fix that:)
Anyway, obviously I'm pretty excited about taking a break and getting to see everybody!!
Hopefully I will have chances to see all my friends!
God has blessed me so far, and although sometimes the atmosphere drags me down, I never stay there long :)
Hope you all are enjoying this advent season and are happy and blessed! Don't take your families for granted, cuz someday you'll regret it...
Anyway I should be going, I haven't got a lot to write about tonight.. But God bless you richly and "may your days be peaceful and your nights be golden" as the army parachute performing team puts it... I'll see many of you soon!
Matthew ;p

One of many more abstract/macro photos to come.. I'll be home in 72 hours, so I'll post the rest from my laptop.

2008-12-16T20:15:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the jungle! LOL

2008-12-14T14:46:00.001-06:00

LOL sometimes I feel like I'm in a jungle!! Except for those below freezing windy mornings we occasionally have down here in San antonio..
I'm sure when I come home on block leave in less than 5 days (!!!!!!!!!!!)I'll be freezing cold all the time, but oh well. Today it is 82 and sunny here.. It's really nice! A few trees have finally started to change color, but for the most part it's still all green bushy down here. Anyway, I'm really excited about coming home! Hopefully I'll get to hang out with a bunch of my friends sometime while I'm there :) I really look forward to going to my familiar church, seeing my family/friends and sleeping in my comfy bed! Anyway, if you see me while I'm home, maybe this picture I took today might help you see why I'll be wearing every piece of warm clothing I own.. Ok maybe not that bad, but... Haha until next time! ~me ;p

Enough said.

2008-12-14T06:57:00.000-06:00

I thought I was in the Army...

2008-12-14T06:50:00.002-06:00

But I guess it was my sister that joined! Love ya sis.. Even if you're crazy...

The picture before I became Darth Vader jr. ;)

2008-12-11T20:27:00.000-06:00

Another car for sale back home that I can't buy... Only $4000 too!

2008-12-11T20:25:00.000-06:00

More photo fun :)

2008-12-11T19:10:00.001-06:00

Haha my nickname isn't matt skywalker for nothing!! LOL just more photo fun :) I love manipulating pix!
Sorry if it's not too high quality, it's just an iPhone camera picture..
Well, now that i've passed the NREMT and pt test I'm a lot less stressed, and I'm just looking forward to a little break from all of this!
I hope you are all still having a great Christmas season!! I know I will in a week or so :)
I'm going to go do a bit of working out and then go play halo 3 probably...
So ttyl!!

Another picture..

2008-12-08T19:57:00.001-06:00

Here is another picture I took a couple weeks ago. It's a pretty little spot in the Alamo riverwalk section. I figured that the few pictures I have left to put up I will post one or two at a time every day or two. That way I can keep everybody up to date and still keep it colorful with pictures :)
So the update on me: well, pretty much the same, except that I'm taking the NREMT in a few short hours, and that is an intimidating thought for me right now. I'm excited to be coming

home in ten days for my two week Christmas leave. I'll be getting home around 7 or 8 on the 19th, and then I leave really really early in the morning on the 2nd of January. So, that's what's up with me.. Hope this post sees you being blessed and having a wonderful Christmas season :D Well, God bless, and unt next time, ttfn!

Hi!

2008-12-07T15:12:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody, hope you are all well, and are being blessed with a joyous and amazing Christmas season this far. I'm doing well, but I could use some prayers for my NREMT test this coming Tuesday. I will put more up sometime, but right now I've been spending most of my free time studying and doing laundry and such, so there hasn't been much to take pictures of.. Anyway, God bless you!! If anybody is interested in contacting me, feel free to call or text me anytime! My# is (573) 578-6367 if I dont answer just leave me a message!! Or you can always email me at mattskywalker17@gmail.com ;) I love hearing from people!! And of course, you should cment on my blog.. ;p well, ttyl until next time!

A little photo editing...

2008-12-05T18:25:00.000-06:00

I'm combining posting a fun picture I edited with testing the photo
posting to my blog that I think will work.. Want your photo turned
into a fun photo?? Feel free to email one to me and I will see what I
can do because I enjoy working with pictures :)

Test2

2008-12-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Testing again..

Test

2008-12-03T21:31:00.002-06:00

Well I'm messing around with my iPhone seeing how easy it is to post to my blog. other than posting pictures so far it seems pretty easy.. I'm going to try working on that one next, because so far that's the only thing I have not been able to do online with my iPhone that I could with a regular computer.

2008-12-03T19:13:00.002-06:00

Taken by my iphone after dark in dim lighting.. not bad for a cell phone..

Well, I don't have much to put up, but I thought I'd let everybody know that I'm doing well, and so far I've been doing ok in class.. I got an iphone this past weekend, because my RAZR was starting to get old and randomly shut off and drop calls or not even turn on without a ton of playing around with it. I LOVE the iphone!! the internet browser in my pocket everywhere I go is awesome, and the gps is pretty sweet!! I've already got like 30 applications downloaded onto it, because it has a lot of free and inexpensive software using the gps and internet that make it a very useful tool.. plus with 16gb of hard drive space, I've got a lot of music and movies on there too :) So anyway, that was pretty exciting for me, since I've wanted an iphone for a LONG time!!

For some reason recently I've been kinda depressed and gloomy.. maybe it's just because the stuff I have to live with every day is starting to get old, along with not having seen all the people I know and love back home for several months.. whatever the case, I can't wait to come home for a little break from it all here in a couple weeks.. :) :)

Anyway, I've got to get going and get some supper real quick, so I'd better go! God Bless!!!]
Matthew

My trip to the Riverwalk/Alamo

2008-11-28T22:40:00.024-06:00

Well, I decided it was time to post again, today was my first chance to get out of Fort Sam for a few hours.. I went to the Alamo and the nearby riverwalk.. it was really crowded today because they were going to turn on a bunch of Christmas lights all along the riverwalk, but I had to leave too soon to see that.. I got a few pictures.. here are some of them.. I will keep trying to get more pictures out there.. I'm planning to get an iphone pretty soon, so hopefully I'll have a bit more reliable internet!! Anyway, here are some pictures of my mini-vacation, enjoy!
Unfortunately by the time I got to this little waterfall along the riverwalk it was completely dark out, and only the light of a little riverside restaurant lit it up.. and the flash ruined the beauty of it, so you'll just have to be happy with a slightly noisy and dark picture for now..

A cool plant in the park surrounding the old Alamo fort.

I've seen this building before in pictures, but I don't know what it is..

An interesting statue thingy..

This fountain was really sweet.. it had flames coming out the midle, and water all around it and through it.. ;P

This picture would have been better if it hadn't taken me so long to get my camera out and going.. there was a couple holding hands that was silhouetted down at the end of this breezeway thing.. it was kinda cool, but oh well...

There was this cool fountain in the middle section of an intersection, it was pretty neat :)

Yea.. it's a palm tree... hehe

Parts of the park felt like a mini jungle!! the palm trees in some places made a little tunnel where the path went, and blocked out most of the light, and it was really cool ;)

That's one BIG christmas tree!!!

Umm.. a cactus plant.. yea.. that's about all there is to say about it.. ;)

A neat little barrel cactus that was growing outside in the alamo park

I have no idea what this building is, but it looked cool :) pretty old too by the looks of it..

one of hundreds of pretty flowers through the park.

Here is a picture of one of the walls of the original Alamo fort that is very famous in history :) It was really neat to actually see this history-filled place with my own eyes..

The greenery all through the Alamo park was really beautiful!! I wish I had had more daylight for photography!!!

Here is another picture of some of the plants :) The place was like a tropical oasis!! I will for sure be back there again!! Of course, the thought that while it's in the mid 70s and sunny here, back home it's frigid only makes it nicer here.. :)

Hope you enjoyed your mini-tour of my little excursion into the amazing city of San Antonio!!
More to come eventually!

My Home away from home

2008-11-23T22:16:00.011-06:00

Hey everybody, I finally got some pictures to put up.. Not very many, but considering my internet situation I'm glad to get this!! I'm less than 2 weeks from taking my NREMT test, which is the hardest test I will be taking here. After that I will be nationally registered as an Emergency medical technician, which should be cool :) You never know, I might be on the ambulance you see whizzing past down the road, hopefully you won't ever need my services!! lol Anyway, here are some pix.. Eventually I might get some pix of the other people here, but it would take forever to try to explain who they are, so for right now I'll put that off for some other time.. Tomorrow I have wake-up at 2:45 in the morning, because we have a PT test, so.. it's pretty dumb, but I won't get phase 5 privileges if I fail it, so I'd better get some sleep tonight!!

Echo Company is next to us, and I thought their elephant was kinda cool :) so here it is :)

Practicing for the basketball season.. yes, we have company competition basketball games here.. well, we will in a couple weeks.. :)

My "home"

Combat medic lead the way!
"Soldier Medics... Warrior Spirit! Hooah!"
(as you can see the leaves are still green.. and they're some weird kind of tree..)

Well that's all I have for now.. I will post more some other day.. God Bless, hope you have an amazing day, week, month.. whatever ;P
Thanks for reading by the way, and feel more than welcome to drop me a comment, even just to say hi! :)

stuff.. lol

2008-11-19T19:28:00.007-06:00

Hi everybody, hope you're doing well, not too much new with me, unless pillow fights and artwork count...
Well, I've been keeping busy lately, class is getting more and more challenging, but I'm still surviving.. it takes a lot of caffeine to keep me awake in class though!!! here's a picture that's going to freak some peeps out.. oh well.. Well, a lot of people will ask questions.. and I'm just going to let you come to your own conclusions.. sorry.. ;P I'm mean like that..

this is how we have fun in the Army.. or something like that.. haha!! it's even more fun when half the participants are drunk.. haha.. anyway......... :p
I'm going to go play mario kart while I wait for this huge video to upload.. it's taking forever.. ok, it's done now, so here comes my post!! :)
Later!!
Matthew the weird ;P

hey a few new pix

2008-11-18T19:44:00.007-06:00

Hey everybody, sorry I haven't posted recently, but the bluetooth modem on my razr is going out, so my internet is kinda spotty at times.. I'll get more pix soon, I have a ton already, but it takes too long to upload them all.. and not all of them are interesting or good, so I have to find time to sort through them, which is not to often.. lol anyway, I took my mod 5 test today, which marks almost 3/4 of the way to my EMT license. I'm kinda bummed because my class average so far is only 87%, which is better than a lot of people, but I'm not used to having such low grades!!! It's a really challenging course though.. Of course, after I get it I have to do 3 or 4 more months of combat medic training, but.. lol :P anyway it's only one month from tomorrow until I come home for Christmas leave! so that's cool too :)
anyway, here's my pix!!

Here I was kinda bored so I decided to take pix of some people playing a netless version of volleyball :)

The mini mall/shoppette.. it's not very big, but it's got gas station style food items, writing/class materials, and some clothes.. most of what we need. the real PX is awesome! It's like 2 times the size of wal-mart, plus a little strip mall out front, and there's no tax! unfortunately there's not any groceries to speak of at either stores, but then, they feed us, so we don't have to get our own food.. and there's several restaurants at each of them, so...

Haha of course they've got this.. :P

My pizza from supper the other night.. yummy!!

Ok, so this is just me trying out my camera, this is the REALLY fine kind of carpet like they have at stores, and it still got right up close and made it look huge!! this picture would not have even shown a whole penny, that's how small it is for real :)

Here's some of my friends. We all are still phase 4 so we can't go off post because either they didn't pass their tests, or like me, they weren't able to complete the pt test in time to phase.. I get to take it on the 25th, so it's not too bad.. only difference is that on the weekends they get to go off post and wear civilian clothes all day, so..

An update..

2008-11-10T10:23:00.004-06:00

Here's a few pix.. I've gotta get a real camera.. the camera on my cell phone does not do good in the kind of lighting we've got here.. besides the lens is scratched, so it's hard to get clear pix.. anyway, here's some sorta kinda pix ;)

Hehe I decided to make a sad face... convincing huh??

Sweet haircut huh? I think I'm going to keep it like this ( a little longer on top) after I get home.. It's soo easy to wash!! lol ;) plus it hides all the gray hairs that for some strange reason popped up during basic training and now I've got stray gray hairs around my ears ;) hey- the bible says grey hairs are the mark of wisdom, so maybe it will make me smart!! I'm tired of being dumb!! LOL!!!!

Sigh... ok I'll try to smile.. lol I never can smile good for a picture.. idk why.. lol

Anyway, I'm doing pretty good, I got a data plan for my cell phone, so now I can get online anywhere, it's sorta slow, but you can't really tell unless you're uploading pictures or things like that.. I'm in the middle of my 4th mod of the course to get my EMT-B license. It's supposed to be one of the hardest parts.. I just want to get done with this part and get on to the combat half of training.. I get to give myself an IV!! I tried to the first time, but they wouldn't let me, so I had to do it to another guy.. I was sad :( lol anyway...
My 18th b-day is the day after tomorrow.. YAY!! not that it matters here, but it will be cool to be considered an official "Adult" they tell us that graduating basic turns everybody into an adult, which is pretty true, but the government still calls me a minor until my b-day :)
anyway, hopefully now I'll start hearing from people, because it seems every time I call somebody either they are busy or they don't answer the phone.. ugg.. but the internet always works :) Anyways... I've got to get back to homework now..
I'll put up a few questions I have to answer for homework for fun :) I like showing peeps my homework :)

Normal electrical impulses originate in the sinus node, just above the:
A. Atria
B. Ventricles
C. AV Junction
D. Bundle of HIS

Characteristics of epiphrine include:
A. Dilating Passages in the lungs.
B. Constricting blood vessels.
C. Increasing the heart rate.
D. All of the above.

Anticholinergic medications have properties that block the____nerves
A. Parasympathetic
B. Sympathetic
C. Adrenergic
D. Parasympatholytic

as you can probably see it's pretty complicated stuff.. lol and that's just a TINY glimpse!!! so yea, I'd better get back to it.. we have a 4 day weekend because of veterens day, so we have a ton of homework assigned since we won't be in class..
so yup, God Bless, have a great day, and remember, it could always be worse.. lol like you could be doing EMT homework!!!! lol jk ;)

L8R.

Hey!

2008-11-06T22:41:00.002-06:00

Hi guys.. Sorry I have not been able to update my blog, but my training has kept me very busy, and I can't really get online much.. When I get my iphone in a couple weeks or so I will be able to get on a lot more, but until then I'm pretty much limited to cell phone.. I don't really have any pix to share yet.. my camera is still at home and I'm waiting for it to get mailed to me.. but eventually I'll get to work on that too :) The course here is pretty tough, but fun and challenging at the same time :) IN a few weeks I'll have finished my National Registry Emergency Medical Technician Basic level course (EMT-B) and then I'll be moving on to the combat side.. giving care under fire.. advanced life support.. all that fun stuff that the legal system won't let me do in the civilian world.. I've already successfully given an IV, but it would take nearly a year of extra school to be "certified" to do an IV on a patient in the civilian world.. it's kinda stupid, but whatever.. if somebody really needed one in a life-threatening situation I would probably break the rules rather than watch them die like technically I should, but.. anyway.. I'm learning a LOT here!! I just passed my test on patient assessment/diagnostics but that's only the intro to those subjects, and I thought it was going to drown me in information!!! LOL anyway.. If I were a bit more intelligent it would be nice.. but anyway... We'll see how the rest goes..
I'm looking forward to coming home for Christmas! I'm a lot more grown-up than when I left, but otherwise I'll be the same for anyone who wonders.. and yes, I will still do stuff like ply tag with the kids and stuff.. it's just that I've learned that I don't know everything, and how to be more disciplined and stuff like that.. otherwise I'm still the same goofy me that I used to be :p me all "grown-up" would be like Tigger with no bouncing!! so nope, I'm not boringified ;) lol but anyway, I'd better get to bed! Wake-up at 4:15.. and that's sleeping in too!! :) so God-bless! and I'll be back hopefully soon whenever I get my iphone or next time I get the chance to get on otherwise ;)

BCT 2008 part 1

2008-10-16T14:33:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, I am very proud to announce that I have succesfully completed Army basic Combat Training, and in less than 24 hours I will be walking the graduation floor, hopping a bus to the airport, and flying to my advanced individual training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio texas. BCT was by far the most strenuous 9 weeks of my life, but at the same time the best use of 9 weeks I've ever done probably.. The physical aspect was a huge test of my endurance, but the part that made the physical work look like summer camp was the mental/spiritual part. The DS's mess with your minds for the first two or three weeks, but for the entire cycle I had to put up with some pretty rough stuff from other privates in training. I was CONSTANTLY made fun of in ways that make high school look like kindergarten for my refusal to stoop to looking at porn, reading my bible, not talking like everybody else, and for being a christian in general. It was not fun at times, even though I don't mind getting teased, but they just took it too far, and never stopped. I was constantly labled as a homo, or looser, and because I didn't want to get involved in fights I was a "wimp" etc... oh well, it was a test of my spiritual capacities, and God carried me through :) don't think of me as some spiritual giant because I'm not. There were times when I got angry and acted in ways I shouldn't toward those guys who have never had the light of Christ in their lives.. However, even though the scorn me now for my morals, hopefully someday they will remember me, and maybe even look into Christianity because of the influence I had on them. Maybe I'm too optimistic, but that's my goal for BCT.

Anyway, on to the FUN part!! here are a few pix.. I'm in almost all of them, I'd put up more, but without a long explanation they would be boring... lol

Heeh.... turtle head!! before qualifying with the M-16A2 rifle you have to wear a plain green helmet instead of getting the ACU cover on it like in later pix. This was week 2, and that's me attacking a dummy with a bayonet :) yea...

Pugils, yup.. beat the crap out of each other with padded sticks.. one of the more fun things.. week 3 :)

He went down first, but to win you have to do three proper attack moves, so we tied after going at it until the DS got bored of watching us ;)

Our first obstacle course.

That's me with my thumb up getting ready to go into the gas chamber :)

Sorry.. no "after" pix.. they didn't get me :( anyway, at AIT I'll get to have a camera, so I'll get lots of pix :) I'm out of time for now, so I'll get this posted. After today I won't have internet for a little while, but after 2-4 weeks at AIT I'll get my laptop, cell phone etc.. so this time it's not so long away as basic was :) I've got nearly 800 unread email notifications, so I'm going to try to catch up on a little of my other cyberspace life now.. until next time, ADIOS!! :) God bless!

Well... I guess this is goodbye..

2008-08-05T06:37:00.003-05:00

So In a very few short hours I will be on my way to St. Louis to go to basic training. This is my last blog post until Christmas time. I'm sorry I don't have my mailing address, but if you've given my yours I will send you something whenever I get there and know my address. I'm not sure if I'm excited or scared or sad or happy about leaving for this... haha. Probably some of each. =)
I know that God is with me just the same over there as He is here.

There's a Michael W. Smith song that I like a lot called "friends"

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But well keep you close as always
It wont even seem you've gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Chorus:
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
cause the welcome will not end
Though its hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show

But well keep you close as always
It wont even seem you've gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Although I'll be gone for a few months, you will all be in my thoughts, so it will seem as if you're right there with me :) I have a lot of maturing to do while I'm away, and hopefully I'll come back twice the man that I am now. Just don't any of you change too much on me! lol I ask for a special blessing on each of you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that life may go well for you, and the time of these next few months may be one of strengthening and betterment to both you and I. Hopefully sometime around the beginning of November I will have my cell phone, so I'll be calling around a lot more to let people know how I'm doing (if they want to know..;P)

Galatians 5:16-18

I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.

For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want

But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Hope you all have a wonderful time without me! lol I'm sure you will.. but before you know it I'm going to be back again, terrorizing the world... J/K but anyway, I know that the same God sees me when I pray as the one who sees you. I'll be seeing the same stars at night, the same sun in the day, and praying to the same God.

I give you my final goodbye in the words of the apostle Paul:
2 Timothy 4:22
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with all of you.

Some song lyrics I thought I'd share

2008-08-02T13:52:00.008-05:00

Anybody who knows me well knows that I LOVE music! I almost always relate better to song lyrics than I do to a movie character, a public speaker, a book, or other forms of getting a point across.

First, I'll start with the lyrics to a song I saw on the blog of one of the speakers from steubenville. I often relate to this song almost too well, but as I progress to other songs, I'll tell my story better.

Simple Plan "I'm Just a kid (and life is a nightmare)"

I woke up it was 7
I waited til 11
Just to figure out that no one would call
I think I've got alot of friends
But I don't hear from them
What's another night all alone
When you're spending every day on your own
And here it goes

I'm just a kid
And life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid
I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares cuz I'm alone and the world is having more fun than me

And maybe when the night is dead
I'll crawl into my bed staring at these 4 walls again
I'll try to think about the last time I had a good time
Everyone's got somewhere to go & they're gonna leave me here on my own
And here it goes

I'm just a kid
And life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid
I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares cuz I'm alone and the world is having more fun than me

What the f--- is wrong with me
Don't fit in with anybody
How did this happen to me?
Wide awake I'm bored & I can't fall asleep
And every night is the worst night ever

I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid

I'm just a kid
And life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid
I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares cuz I'm alone and the world is
Nobody wants to be alone in the world

I'm just a kid
And life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid
I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares cuz I'm alone and the world is
Nobody wants to be alone in the world
Nobody cares cuz I'm alone and the world is having more fun than me tonight
I'm all alone tonight
Nobody cares tonight
Cuz I'm just a kid tonight

All too often I feel this way, but then I always remember that even if it seems like nobody cares about me, there's always Jesus.

Air 5 "I will carry you"

Just a freshmen, he's the new kid
Been six weeks and he still sits alone
Cause his happiness has ended
Ever since his dad left
Now the home is dyin
Mom's still cryin
Dads not tryin
And no one knows

Just as faith is about to let go
That's when my Jesus said
No. This one is mine
I will not let him go
Hear the voice of your Savior and know
I Will Carry You

Meet Kristina she's the prom queen
Runner up for three years in a row
And her dinner plate is quite clean
With frequent visits to the bathroom
Alone she's dyin
The Mirrors lyin
Her heart is cyrin
And no one knows

Just as faith is about to let go
That's when my Jesus said
No. This one is mine
I will not let her go
Hear the voice of your Savior and know
I Will Carry You

Broken pieces
Scattered on the
Ground's unstable
I can't find
My way is refuge
For the broken
Take my hand
I'll lead you there

Then there are times when I feel I've messed up so badly that even Jesus couldn't love me. Again, I need to be reminded that as long as I truly repent, it doesn't matter what happened, even if nobody else will do the right thing and forget about my mistakes, God does.

Stellar Kart "Second Chances"

No matter what you did or might do again
Following all the worthless trends
You know he's waiting patiently
From now until forever

Brokenhearted and confused
Feeling like you've been abused
The second chances never end
From now until forever

There will always be second chances
And you'll always be on your first try

There will always be second chances
And you'll always be on your first try

You try and you try but you're never ahead of the game
And you're wondering why you're on your face again
You feel like you've been left alone

You try and you try but you're never ahead of the game
And you're wondering why you're on your face again
You feel like you've been left alone

There will always be second chances
And you'll always be on your first try

There will always be second chances
And you'll always be on your first try

There will always be second chances
And you'll always be on your first try

There will always be second chances
And you'll always be on your first try
Forever, Forever, Forever, Forever, Forever...

And finally, when I've picked myself up, I come back to Jesus like the prodigal son.

Rush of Fools "Undo"

I’ve been here before
Now, here I am again
Standing at the door
Praying You’ll let me back in

To label me
A prodigal would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I’ve been known to be

Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one
Who can undo what I’ve become

I focused on the score
But I could never win
Trying to ignore
A life of hiding my sin

To label me
A hypocrite would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I’ve been known to be

Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one
Who can undo what I’ve become

Make every step lead me back to
The sovereign way that You

Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
You are the only one who can undo
You’re the only one who can undo
What I’ve become

Hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of my "life through lyrics" as I like to call it :) Sometimes you will understand more the things I am going through by listening to the songs I'll be playing while I'm working or whatever I am doing than you will be able to get out of me by talking with me.
Often I feel like different disciplines in my life hurt too much to bear, but I'm reminded by this verse that such is not the case.
Hebrews 12: 7-8 Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards.
Hebrews 12:11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

As the day comes closer when I will be leaving for basic training, on the outside it may seem like it's going to be easy for me, and in some ways it is, but deep down, it's really hard for me to leave some people behind, but in the end, I know God's will is being done, and it will be a time for me to learn discipline- not just in words, but in the way I act.
God Bless you, and protect you, and may the love of Christ shine through you to the ends of the world every day, yours truly,
Matthew

Graduation picture.. jk

2008-07-29T12:29:00.002-05:00

haha.. this is me.. president of the geek club!

More editing fun :)

2008-07-29T12:05:00.002-05:00

The Finish Product :)

The previous post has the original picture, then this was the next layer..

Baseball...

2008-07-29T07:50:00.011-05:00

Tess and Chelsea being sad because I'm leaving in one week :(

Tess and Chelsea being sad again, because not only am I leaving really soon, but Chelsea is leaving tomorrow :(

I was sure I was going to miss Megan doing this, but I didn't :D

Ashley, Mrs. Reifer, and Some other person who was there :)

Little sister Maggie!!! hehe we decided that since the Hamachers are my little siblings, that makes Chelsea my cousin :) so now I have another cool cousin to add to my collection :)

Three little girls :p

I actually got Jenny to pose for me!! :)

So, even though we didn't win, and this was the last game of the season, I had a fun time :)

New Photo editing software

2008-07-17T23:18:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I got this new photo editing software today that is supposedly as powerful as photoshop. It's pretty hard to use, but I'm starting to get the hand of it a little. Here is something I tried my hand at :) It took me like an hour and a half when it should only take like 20-30 minutes, but I'm still new at this.. lol

The original picture :)

Hmm.. some hair dye here.. whoa.. bad lighting.. greenish skin.. LOL

Here, we'll offset the bad lighting with a bit of makeup.. lol it doesn't look super, but I can tell that once I get a little better at it this program will be able to do a lot more, and better too :)

In Him shall I find strength

2008-07-11T06:16:00.003-05:00

Recently I've been going through one of the toughest times I've ever had to work through in my life. I'm not going to go into details, but let's just say I'm in a lot of pain emotionally and spiritually. I have to constantly remind myself that God is in control of the entire universe, including my life, and His will is going to be done no matter what people try to change. Sometimes His will and my will are the same, those are the easy times. It's times when God takes my life places that I truly do NOT want to go that I have to learn to trust Him. I'm no great man of amazing faith or anything like that, but I can say that I trust my Daddy in heaven and know that His will is the best. Although right now I feel like my heart is screaming at the top of my lungs, I know that even through this valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil, and I can impeccably trust my heavenly Father above to let His will be done with my life. Perhaps His will is the same as mine is, but at least for now, it definitely does not seem like it.
I must say that it's the times when my pain is greatest that I have learned to put my trust in Christ whole-heartedly. Sometimes I wonder if God just sees me not trusting Him, so he puts rough spots in my path so I have no choice but to hold His hand, or fall off the edge of the cliff. A lot of people who go through rough times just fall off the edge, and ruin their life. I personally choose to hold onto the hand of Christ Jesus, and know that He will never let me down.
In rough times, I tend to blame myself a lot, and especially here lately, I've been wondering if I'm even worth anything. I just feel like I've failed everybody around me, and haven't made the right decisions, and in general feel like a looser. The words of a song I have by Jason Grey keep running through my head:

Losers, all the lovely losers
who never thought you'd hear your name
Outside, always on the outside
empty at the wishing well, but time will tell

Blessed be the ones who know that they are weak
they shall see the kingdom come to the broken ones

I feed a lot off of music, it helps me to listen to songs that I can relate to the lyrics. These last few days I've been jumping all over musically in ways that I usually don't do. First, I'll be listening to sad country songs (which I hardly EVER do normally) then, I'll just start putting on Christian hardcore/metal, which helps me vent my anger at Satan instead of letting it get penned up inside. Then I'll start listening to more of my normal music, like punk/techno/alternative stuff. I think I've probably listened to these two or three songs I have by a band named "skillet" at least a hundred times in the last four days. In fact, the song I have on my blog I just put on repeat and sung along with while I was working for like three hours straight. Yea. weird. I know, but I can relate to the lyrics, and it just helps me deal with the pain I'm going through.

Today I'm leaving for a youth conference in Springfield for the rest of the weekend. I hope I will be able to connect with God better because of it, and hopefully get some healing inside. I know I'll have fun there, and although things may never be the same in my life, I know that God's will is going to be done, no matter how much we little humans try to change it. Two years from now I may look back at this time in my life and laugh at myself. Right now I sure don't feel like laughing though. It's a struggle for me to just keep a reasonable normal happy attitude on, let alone actually laugh. Please pray for me as I struggle through this mess that is my life right now. I feel closer than ever, yet further that usual with God at the same time, which really doesn't make sense unless you've been where I am now, but at any rate, I can use all your prayers :)

I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. God will not allow your foot to slip; your guardian does not sleep. Truly, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps. The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun cannot harm you, nor the moon by night. The LORD will guard you from all evil, will always guard your life. The LORD will guard your coming and going both now and forever.

~Psalm 121~

4th of July party

2008-07-05T10:28:00.005-05:00

Last night I went to the Dalton's house for a big party they were having. We had TONS of fun, especially doing fireworks!! They had probably at least $300 worth of fireworks, and David Bauer, Matt McLuaughlin, Tom Dilly, and I lit them off. Also there was a really fun man there from Nigeria who was more excited about the fireworks than the kids were because they don't do fireworks over there. He got to light some off as well :)

here is a video of some of the fireworks we did. This was kinda the grand finale. We had a LOT of these kind of things there :) I got a really cool fountain (that's it in the first picture) that changed colors, and made stars, and bangs and all kinds of stuff like that, it was the best fountain there :) other than that I only had a few of the cool kind of fireworks there, mostly I was just lighting theirs.

We had lots of good food, and after our firework show we watched the Rolla city firework display which was about a mile or so away from their house. I had a really good time, though I wish more people had been there, because a lot of my best friends were doing other things :(
Anyway, that's basically it, I didn't get many pictures of the fireworks because I was the one lighting a lot of them off..

Happy Independance Day! (aka explosives day for us guys...)

2008-07-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!

Remember that even though we may not like some of the things that the government is doing, and even if we are not as "free" as we're supposed to be, we have more freedom in this country than pretty much any other nation in the world.

Also, remember those fighting for our country, and their families as they are celebrating this holiday thousands of miles away from each other.

"It is only because rough men stand willing to do violent deeds that people can sleep peacefully in their beds at night in America"

Something that really bugs me is when people become almost Anti-American just because they don't like what's going on in politics. Sure, the government is kinda screwed up sometimes, but that doesn't give you the right to hate the country you live in. As a military personnel, like nearly all service men and women, I hold my patriotism very dear, even with my very life. It's sad to see how many people sit down, hats on, and talk while the national anthem is playing. While you don't have to stand at rigid attention arms presented, and all that a soldier has to do, you should at least give the flag some respect, if only in remembrance of the thousands of lives spent to protect that flag and the freedom that it symbolizes.

Have a great Independence Day! Remember what this day is all about, and the lives of so many who have sacrificed themselves "to protect and defend the constitution and the United States against all intruders both foreign and domestic"

Family Picture day

2008-06-29T21:12:00.007-05:00

This morning we all went to Ha-Ha Tonka State Park to get family pictures taken. I'd rather do it in the fall when everything is pretty, but I'd be gone then, so we wanted to get some pix before I leave ;)

I don't have any of those pix, but I practiced my portrait shooting skills on myself, along with natural objects ;)

Here are a few of the pictures I took. Hope you enjoy! you can skip over the ones of me ;) hehe

The "castle" ruins

So there was this guy there with a kinda cool oldies car, and he let my mom sit in it to get her picture taken :) I go there too late to get a pic with her in it, but John, the guy taking our pix did :)

Two little butterflies posing for me

The spring that supplied running water via a water tower to the house, stables, servant's quarters etc..

Three cute little girls ;) yes I called you a cute little girl Kristin.. hehe

This waterfall was actually like 300 feet down below where I was standing. I just zoomed in on it.

A swallowtail on a flower

A beautiful little glade up near the old water tower

Eric cried a lot when we were trying to get his picture, but he was all happy for me :D

Ok, here is the first of a bunch of pictures I took of myself. I just pushed the button and ran REALLY fast to get in the picture.. lol ok, so I had 10 seconds, but.. anyway.. lol

The water tower

Part of the Castle/mansion ruins

More of the same

Plain old boring me again

And again...

This one is cool because you can't see me!! j/k

That weird guy who kept letting me take his picture..

There he is again!

The BIG window!! lol

I really like this picture of me. I always look better when I'm not looking at the camera for some reason.. lol

Mark's Graduation Party

2008-06-29T21:02:00.003-05:00

Yesterday (saturday the 28th) was Mark Hickle's graduation party. There were a lot of people there that I had not seen for a long time :) I had Meagan Reifer take a bunch of pictures with my camera :) thanks Meg! you got quite a few good ones!

Here are a few of them..

Ok, This is a really interesting game calle "Buck-buck" where basically you try ot get a whole bunch of guys piled on top of some other guys.. it sounds weird but actually it was quite fun. :)

My darling little sister :)

Me being weird as usual.. but at least I'm not ever boring.. lol

I'm not sure what I was laughing about..

Umm... feet... yeah... I'm not sure, but it looks like a Joy or Anna Nisbett, and one of the Nail girl's feet.. lol interesting picture.. haha