tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75716066702589150922011-09-05T15:04:39.306+02:00Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comBlogger3561100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-62231144236081873042010-11-08T08:14:00.001+01:002010-11-08T08:14:36.604+01:00

I published my first blog post on March 11, 2004 and at that time it was called Swainlife. I began writing a blog primarily as a place to keep my friends and family up to date with our ministry happenings while we were living in Spain. Over time I realized that it was not only a place where I could inform friends and family, but could also teach and use it as a forum to share things I was

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-38885434492556368382010-08-23T00:08:00.001+02:002010-08-23T01:29:41.084+02:00

Wow! Things here have been chugging along at a fast pace and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you, before so much happens that I can't. So, here goes: Crater Lake: Two days after we arrived in Salem we met up with our good friends Ric and Jannie Halloman and their daughter Fiona. Before they knew we were moving out west they had already made plans to visit Crater Lake, OR. When they

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-42032158881048864022010-06-22T20:19:00.002+02:002010-06-22T20:23:40.627+02:00

Two weeks ago, we put all of our worldly possessions in this Pod and watched it drive away as we prepared for our move from Hoffman Estates, IL to Salem, OR. We spent our final weekend in Chicagoland at our church's annual retreat. It was a huge blessing to be with everyone one final time, but saying goodbye was neither easy or fun. We spent our last night in the area with our dear

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-41253473972849288332010-05-12T22:31:00.000+02:002010-05-12T22:31:37.684+02:00

Tim Keller "Creation & Creativity" Clip from Redeemer Video on Vimeo. In this Vimeo Video on the Redeemer Video Page Tim Keller talks about how creativity is a reflection of God. Ex nihilo- bring something out of nothing!

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-92209950393995704752010-04-21T17:57:00.001+02:002010-04-21T17:59:47.558+02:00

This weekend Harvest Community Church will be highlighting Compassion International and its work around the world. Seize the opportunity to get involved!

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-72252188171854098682010-04-20T20:47:00.004+02:002010-04-20T23:29:19.855+02:00

Adam Savage is one of the hosts to the Discovery Channel show Mythbusters. I am a huge fan of the show and watch every episode that I can and I also follow Adam's twitter feed. I love how the Mythbusters take things that we assume to be one way or the other and put them to the test to see if indeed our assumptions are correct. I love how they seek the truth and attempt to avoid letting their own

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-76195447572068772122010-04-06T04:16:00.001+02:002010-04-06T04:22:00.500+02:00

Hello, Life is Ministry friends. I wanted to invited you to my new website and online portfolio at mattswain.org and my new design blog to go with it. I hope you like it!

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-18424080474369124352010-04-04T15:43:00.000+02:002010-04-04T15:43:06.916+02:00

Resurrection: Rob Bell from The Work of Rob Bell on Vimeo.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-68976709028286581522010-04-03T22:25:00.000+02:002010-04-03T22:25:51.763+02:00

The Big Picture Blog has an amazing collection of photos of Holy Week from around the world. Some are beautiful and some are disturbing. Which photo stands out the most to you and why?

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-42745572673881711442010-04-02T16:14:00.002+02:002010-04-02T16:16:38.475+02:00

The innocent suffered alone at the hands of the guilty.Friends fled, silent about injustice.The wicked jeered and rejoiced.Darkness covered the world. God was silent. God was silent...

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-59475323986773653072010-03-30T03:17:00.002+02:002010-03-30T03:18:36.728+02:00

I just read about a church in Corpus Christi, Texas that is going to give away over a million dollars in prizes during their Easter service. "Cornelius asked church members to donate during services two weeks ago. The response since has been overwhelming. The plan was promoted as a $1 million giveaway, but the actual value is going to be much higher. The 15,000 gift bags alone are worth $4.5

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-89785125859341600872010-03-18T22:37:00.005+01:002010-03-18T22:55:03.634+01:00

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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-11840310799968729662010-03-17T16:00:00.002+01:002010-03-17T16:04:39.276+01:00

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,  he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-12032738839857259322010-03-04T16:58:00.004+01:002010-03-04T17:41:30.528+01:00

Check out this video! Our world has changed rapidly in the last decade. I often am amused when I hear people speak about the Gospel as though it were merely information to be disseminated among the masses. If that is the case then the truth is that it will probably drown in the mass of information overload that the world is just beginning to come into contact with. ALL THIS INFORMATION MAKES

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-20219694730411863422010-03-03T01:15:00.001+01:002010-03-03T01:17:07.281+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-19191238490380073372010-01-23T07:11:00.004+01:002010-01-23T07:41:13.087+01:00

I just watched Food, Inc. and I am really glad I did. When Lori and I lived in Spain I grew to know what foods grow in what seasons. For instance, there were certain months when we ate a lot of strawberries, Some months we ate fresh cherries, at other times roasted chestnuts were in order. When these foods were in season they were juicy and delicious, and when they were out of season they were

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-27466541918451322612010-01-13T18:53:00.005+01:002010-01-13T19:09:32.190+01:00

As you probably know by now, Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake yesterday. Even prior to the earthquake the people in the region have already struggled through years of economic hardship. A while back I participated in a Feed My Starving Children event where we heard stories of families baking mud pies to feed to children because of a lack of food. Yesterday's earthquake pummeled the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-14938588822075547982010-01-08T21:53:00.018+01:002010-01-08T23:51:18.646+01:00

2000 Spent Y2K with Lori and the first Presbyterian Church Youth Group. Nothing shut down and the world did not end.2001Sold, stored and shipped all of our earthly possessions and moved from Ohio to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. We joined the Hanlons and the Striblings and became part of Team Spain with International Teams.2002 Our first daughter Abigail Belén was born in Santiago. Abigail means

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-27855517411192042112009-12-24T17:01:00.005+01:002009-12-24T17:02:24.345+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-49382201322969125062009-12-03T05:19:00.000+01:002009-12-03T05:20:15.990+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-12422918029068553522009-11-26T17:53:00.003+01:002009-11-26T23:53:10.293+01:00

(More photos here)Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-85676866165467804732009-11-09T01:08:00.003+01:002009-11-09T01:13:44.774+01:00

The church exists for nothing else but to draw meninto Christ, to make them little Christs. If they arenot doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions,sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste oftime. God became a Man for no other purpose.— C. S. Lewis

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-25914894256956853732009-11-09T00:41:00.002+01:002009-11-09T00:42:18.630+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-83901829460477352782009-11-05T23:06:00.004+01:002009-11-05T23:23:17.209+01:00

I just finished Skye Jethani's book The Divine Commodity and found it to be both fresh and convicting in diagnosing much of the state of contemporary Christianity. One of the main characters in his book is the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Jethani does an excellent job telling the story of the modern church through the works and life van Gogh. Here are a few excerpts from the book that really

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-56362070203950437002009-11-04T03:05:00.000+01:002009-11-06T03:34:16.269+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-34882913184957848822009-10-31T05:59:00.001+01:002009-10-31T06:00:50.347+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-49805199268447827302009-10-09T21:01:00.002+02:002009-10-09T21:06:11.818+02:00

I paparazzi'd my wife last year when she was reading.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-1475798193357505052009-10-08T02:26:00.001+02:002009-10-08T02:29:29.108+02:00

Get your own barcode here!

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-10926491060534540242009-10-05T18:16:00.004+02:002009-10-05T18:28:50.561+02:00

This past weekend my family had the privilege of participating in the Ride for Refugees. Sometimes in the USA it is difficult to fully grasp the reality of the situations refugees face. The following is a podcast from the BBC sharing the stories of several refugees. These are very powerful and very touching real life stories. Organizations that are working with refugees:World Relief- Partner with

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-81773068757156689652009-09-23T02:46:00.001+02:002009-09-23T02:48:31.946+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-67117445981130579282009-09-22T04:57:00.003+02:002009-09-22T05:03:00.600+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-48485323768419938192009-09-22T03:38:00.005+02:002009-09-22T03:54:05.381+02:00

This photo was a happy accident (click on photo to see larger version). I took a photo of Abi on the first day of school that was over-exposed, but it looked cool so I used some filters in Photoshop to enhance the colors.Related L=M ArticlesOriginal Art and JewelryPhotography Fun: SistersOregonRetro Thanksgiving

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-16299360987076407892009-09-21T04:27:00.009+02:002009-09-21T06:33:41.017+02:00

Visit the Ride for Refugees site to find out more.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-51997921591792756412009-09-13T21:36:00.004+02:002009-09-13T21:58:15.815+02:00

Some good friends of mine just launched a new website at RedBrown.org. I first met Mark in 2001 during a cold and rainy week in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. At that time he was the pastor of some of our teammates. He and his wife Deb eventually moved from Massachusetts to Elgin, IL to join the staff of International Teams. We had the privilege to get to know them and their family well over the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-46598613495518377892009-09-13T21:04:00.006+02:002009-09-13T21:31:46.142+02:00

A year ago after some saving and some birthday cash I was able to purchase a Nikon D40 DSLR which is a great camera for an beginner to check out their chops on. I have been having a blast practicing my amateur photography in the suburbs, in the city as well as friend and family gatherings. I have decided to start highlighting a favorite photo once a week on this blog (the rest of my favorite

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-33866724773847498412009-09-08T06:05:00.001+02:002009-09-08T06:07:11.718+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-58469450597224606792009-08-21T04:19:00.003+02:002009-08-21T04:25:20.604+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-37582953233734915162009-08-18T03:43:00.003+02:002009-08-18T03:49:08.318+02:00

Some questions I asked myself as I listened to this talk:How does my view of success and failure cause me to treat others?Do I consider people who are poor as "unfortunate" or "losers"?Do I value others based on their station in life?Where does my idea of "success" come from and is it Biblical?

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-19639591256945063102009-08-14T15:53:00.002+02:002009-08-14T15:56:54.744+02:00

Image by hoyasmeg via FlickrI just read a great article from Bill Kinnon. Here is and excerpt:Jesus, when he speaks of himself as the good shepherd in John 10, says the shepherd knows the name of his sheep and they know the shepherd's voice. There is an intimacy that exists between the shepherd and the sheep - they live together. An average shepherd when Jesus spoke these words, was responsible

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-9465116503165587932009-08-14T04:34:00.001+02:002009-08-14T04:37:47.429+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-68823616887169864312009-08-13T18:05:00.011+02:002009-08-13T20:58:59.131+02:00

It was a scorching afternoon, but as they say in Arizona it was a dry heat. That did not stop the sunshine from feeling like a cosmic laser beam that was attempting to burn your skin right off your body. The day before I had been invited as part of a small group to see a local pastor's field. Coming from Ohio where large swaths of land are covered by corn, wheat and soybean I had been trying to

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-14878898328309933032009-08-01T19:10:00.001+02:002009-08-01T19:13:00.785+02:00

This is just plain cool!World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-9952043506156288362009-07-16T16:53:00.003+02:002009-07-16T16:59:36.826+02:00

My friend Liz Barnes recently asked if she could use one of my Chicago photos for a piece of jewelry that she was making. I was really impressed by how it turned out and you can see her entire set of jewelry on her etsy page. These are great ideas for gifts, especially if you are interested in original artwork.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-71510684890002500122009-07-15T21:47:00.003+02:002009-07-15T21:56:28.572+02:00

I just stumbled upon some letters that Eugene Peterson has been hand writing to a church planter and pastor on J.R. Briggs blog. These letters are full of wisdom to those in occupational ministry. Here is a quote that struck me:"The killing frost in too much new church development is forming programs that will attract people or serve their perceived 'needs,' getting them 'involved.' The

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-48272912457287528352009-07-14T03:44:00.004+02:002009-07-14T04:24:33.128+02:00

I just watched this interview with the former Vice President of Cigna Health Insurance, Wendell Potter (Click here to go to video). He gives a candid and heart wrenching look into the money, power and political games that are played in the health insurance industry. Here are a few of the Wendell Potter quotes that struck me:"You don't think about individual people. You think about the numbers,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-88362046125665772552009-07-09T00:33:00.006+02:002009-07-09T00:45:57.445+02:00

You can read the whole saga on Dave Carroll's site here.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-17975000058921448822009-06-30T04:44:00.006+02:002009-06-30T05:00:07.708+02:00

2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to toilets. Between that and a need for energy this composting toilet could potentially cut down on water born illness as well as offset some energy needs.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-46071657592112592762009-06-19T22:24:00.005+02:002009-06-20T03:00:14.383+02:00

This has to be one of the best and most refreshing television discussions that I have ever seen on such a polemic issue (It is broken into three small segments below) . Imagine if we saw more conversations like this in the midst of difficult public issues. Stewart and Huckabee appear to begin with a mutual respect for one another which allows them to give one another the benefit of the doubt (

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-57677950968762532892009-06-19T05:38:00.006+02:002009-06-21T04:15:15.674+02:00

I just saw Angelina Jolie talking about the worldwide crisis of refugees on CNN. I first learned about the plight of refugees during my time working with International Teams. The Refugee Highway (a site dedicated to serving refugees around the world) has an interesting article which lists people from the Bible who would fall under the definition of refugee.Organizations that are working with

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-34790319503865281062009-06-12T15:38:00.006+02:002009-06-13T00:00:55.803+02:00

Prior to watching Super Size Me several years ago I never gave much thought to food. I ate what tasted good to me and tried not to over do it when it came to junk food. However, watching that documentary made me think more than ever about the kinds of foods that I was putting into my body. Growing up in Christian culture certain things that would hurt your body were always considered taboo.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-16888516415715431682009-06-11T21:54:00.004+02:002009-06-11T22:02:59.340+02:00

Global Zero is an organization that is working towards a world without nuclear weapons. They just released an interactive map that is both disturbing and informative.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-19004601825200493802009-06-02T21:45:00.004+02:002009-06-02T21:50:11.413+02:00

From all my lame defeats and oh! much moreFrom all the victories that I seemed to score;From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalfAt which, while angels weep, the audience laugh;From all my proofs of Thy divinity,Thou, who wouldst give not sign, deliver me.Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, insteadOf Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head.From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-28411080250233234272009-06-02T03:46:00.002+02:002009-06-02T03:49:31.375+02:00

Holideck in my living room???

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-57918777767545522302009-06-01T17:14:00.005+02:002009-06-01T17:24:01.880+02:00

Image by Gojca via FlickrI just signed up for a blog tool called Zemanta. As I write my post it offers me a choice of photos that I can add to the post. It also makes suggestions of related articles to what I am writing about. I am going to try this out for a while and see if it improves the blogging experience.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-4923407616747440352009-06-01T06:59:00.001+02:002009-06-01T07:01:43.779+02:00

What do you think?

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-56894020052879835772009-05-29T02:55:00.004+02:002009-05-29T03:36:01.221+02:00

No this has nothing to do with Guantanamo Bay. Do you know what country in the world has the has highest prison population per capita?I'll give you three clues. It begins with U,S, and A. So, while the U.S. leads the world in prison population I was totally blown away when I read this article about the how the Netherlands is closing its prisons for lack of criminals.Prisons are not cheap and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-50329151431528871272009-05-26T04:06:00.001+02:002009-05-26T04:08:06.129+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-53985615209371884812009-05-13T22:12:00.002+02:002009-05-13T22:16:42.006+02:00

This is an excellent video. It is both to the point and chalked full of powerful information. As I watched this I began to think about the implications that this will have not on the church, social structures, governments, technology and our children. How will we respond to this changing world?

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-67381541714113800852009-05-10T07:12:00.000+02:002009-05-10T07:13:44.797+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-21863812817674897442009-05-06T02:59:00.004+02:002009-05-07T18:50:58.553+02:00

I found this on my friend Nate's blog who is on his own pilgrimage in Spain.Previous Related Posts on L.I.M.On PilgrimagePilgrim Journey

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-2552311180507394542009-05-04T18:16:00.007+02:002009-05-06T23:05:11.733+02:00

I recently had a long time friend drop me a message on face book."Do you have any advice for a guy who thinks he has just recently felt God calling him into missions?"Go here to read about Phase 1: Explore and Phase 2: PreparePhase 3: GOSeek Partnership- Don't try to go it alone, but make sure you have a clear connection with your home church and completed phase 1 and phase 2. Keep in mind your

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-90639020162471719992009-05-04T17:48:00.009+02:002009-05-06T23:03:21.434+02:00

I recently had a long time friend drop me a message on face book."Do you have any advice for a guy who thinks he has just recently felt God calling him into missions?"Go here to read about Phase 1: ExplorePhase 2: PREPARECommunity- Unfortunately in today's world many people attempt to do “lone ranger” ministry. Since most healthy missionary situations need a healthy connection with their home

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-25031079678161476152009-05-04T17:31:00.012+02:002009-05-06T23:03:40.941+02:00

I recently had a long time friend drop me a message on face book."Do you have any advice for a guy who thinks he has just recently felt God calling him into missions?" Yes, I do! Below I have reworded something that I have been working on for people in my own church who are considering taking the plunge into cross-cultural or international ministry.Phase 1: EXPLOREPrayer: Begin to seek the Lord

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-92115225937109320312009-04-27T23:13:00.004+02:002009-04-27T23:19:28.793+02:00

"Christ says 'Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-74933580106163917442009-04-25T18:13:00.008+02:002009-04-25T18:36:02.781+02:00

We just watch this Korean drama called The Crossing which follows the story of one refugee family from North Korea. The movie was very well done and a powerful illustration of the plight of North Koreans.One of the Blogs I follow called The Big Picture focused on North Korea this week and had some amazing photos. Click on the Picture to see the album.Related L.I.M. articlesHuman TraffickingNK

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-82324309131085033062009-04-22T18:51:00.003+02:002009-04-22T20:09:35.566+02:00

I just read this article It's 2009. Do You Know Where Your Soul Is? in the New York Times by Bono and again I am blown away by both the eloquence and timely truth that he weaves so masterfully into his writing. Take a few minutes, sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-66925342935147914822009-04-10T19:09:00.003+02:002009-04-10T19:40:19.958+02:00

Last night was the first Passover Seder that we have hosted in our home in the States (Lori and I did host one in Santiago de Compostela with our friends there). We invited a small group of close friends from the NW suburbs to join us in this special celebration this year.If you have never had the chance to participate in a Messianic Seder meal then I would highly recommend it. It follows the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-81409010238395532372009-04-08T16:43:00.001+02:002009-04-08T16:43:52.486+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-79527682567379405442009-04-08T15:58:00.007+02:002009-04-08T16:14:04.540+02:00

Yesterday I received an e-mail from some friends at my church who have gone to India several times for short-term ministry trips. They told me about Anson Thomas who is a man who helps to rescue women from being trafficked. They told me that he does a lot of rescue work in India's red-light districts. He recently won CNN-IBN's real hero award and then gave the prize money to one of the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-13746382127127700982009-04-07T03:27:00.002+02:002009-04-07T03:28:22.057+02:00

This video really gets good around minute six.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-14928446623528756132009-04-01T04:54:00.000+02:002009-04-01T04:55:19.182+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-14093066220670125712009-03-31T04:17:00.002+02:002009-03-31T04:21:26.670+02:00

I just uploaded some photos from our Oregon trip here and here.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-41629758583129374042009-03-30T04:47:00.001+02:002009-03-30T04:49:07.656+02:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-31705815141404045062009-03-20T19:28:00.003+01:002009-03-20T19:33:10.483+01:00

If you live in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and are looking for a photographer for your wedding or another important life event, some friends of mine have just gone public with Photography business. Check it out at www.studio1125.com.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-66172516368309991602009-03-20T07:18:00.000+01:002009-03-20T07:20:24.677+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-58509896080336430002009-03-18T06:23:00.002+01:002009-03-18T06:25:38.042+01:00

See the rest of my Saint Patrick's Day album here.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-627095350913553102009-03-17T06:24:00.000+01:002009-03-17T06:25:46.501+01:00

Detroit Wildlife from florent tillon on Vimeo.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-68448568554082633282009-03-09T00:47:00.002+01:002009-03-09T00:50:48.623+01:00

"We are generally the better persuaded by the reasons we discover ourselves than by those given to us by others." -Blaise Pascal

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-39065984259319002022009-03-08T05:17:00.002+01:002009-03-08T05:20:38.054+01:00

World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-68511025011771216742009-03-05T15:52:00.006+01:002009-03-05T16:55:22.875+01:00

I just finished reading Flat, Hot and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. It is an excellent book and is an eye opener when it comes to environmental and conservation issues. Friedman's concept of a flat world comes from his last book The World is Flat which explores how the technological age has leveled the playing field for industry and competition across international borders. This book explores how

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-92119799114543459082009-03-03T04:26:00.001+01:002009-03-03T04:27:36.555+01:00

Thanks to Sharkride for pointing this out.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-43974359676070593562009-02-25T17:04:00.006+01:002009-02-25T18:49:19.542+01:00

In the story of the rich, young ruler we see a man who is not so far off from the way many of us who call ourselves Christians live our lives today. When he comes up to Jesus the young man refers to him as "good teacher". Jesus immediately challenges the man on this point. Why? It was because Jesus knew that this man underestimated what makes someone "Good". His standard was set too low.The

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-16359488455000678792009-02-25T05:57:00.008+01:002009-02-25T06:12:22.360+01:00

I am streaming some of the new songs from U2's new album No Line on the Horizon on their Myspace page right now. It appears to have their complete album available to listen to. Pretty catchy!U2 has been part of the soundtrack of my life, but my respect for them shot out the roof when I read Bono- An interview with Michka Assayas.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-21939374383880262292009-02-21T18:04:00.007+01:002009-02-21T20:31:36.240+01:00

So, I just tried Kopi Luwak for the first time in my life. This is a coffee that is considered a delicacy that was sent to us from some friends who are living and working in Indonesia. Traditionally, Kopi Luwak coffee beans were harvested from the dung of the Asian Palm Civet. I have been told (and hope it's true) that they have found ways of replicating the process that the coffee beans go

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-46507374466788176222009-02-21T16:44:00.000+01:002009-02-21T16:44:21.693+01:00

This is very interesting. In some ways they got it right and in other ways they got it very, very wrong.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-27089158339516940642009-02-19T06:54:00.006+01:002009-02-19T07:01:41.056+01:00

I just watched and ABC program entitled Children of the Mountains. It gives a small glimpse into the life of those in Appalachia. It is powerful and well done.Watch the full episode here.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-19503246625661813162009-02-18T17:05:00.004+01:002009-02-18T17:18:18.524+01:00

"Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger."C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-3924597409958292912009-02-17T04:18:00.003+01:002009-02-17T04:22:11.682+01:00

Click here to see more.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-17607903267615304552009-02-17T03:46:00.002+01:002009-02-17T03:47:54.234+01:00

I just heard about this site from a friend. It seems like a cool way to not only share the books that you have read but see what your friends are reading as well.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-5108847257454103442009-02-08T22:04:00.001+01:002009-02-08T22:05:03.802+01:00

Check out some other videos like this one at iamsecond.com

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-43180940702728870312009-02-04T04:04:00.007+01:002009-02-04T04:33:52.193+01:00

RFID actually stands for Radio-Frequecy Identification and is a way of automatically tracking items by transmitting and receiving a radio frequency. While this technology can be very beneficial for things like the I-pass on a toll road or for tracking books in a library, it's not a great idea when it comes to tracking individuals or when put on items that contain personal information (especially

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-86941905074034864812009-02-03T02:54:00.003+01:002009-02-03T02:59:20.347+01:00

I have some friends who are working cross-culturally in Indonesia. When I saw these photos at The Big Picture it made me think of them.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-57407974547156162382009-02-03T02:51:00.000+01:002009-02-03T02:52:28.740+01:00

London (harder, better, faster, stronger) from David Hubert on Vimeo.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-48577245829181173042009-01-29T18:31:00.007+01:002009-01-30T07:16:06.509+01:00

Ok, so it was very silly of me to think that I could possibly unpack what I heard in the last 24 hours on a blog. It is just not possible. What I will do is try to write out some very brief and pithy main ideas that I am taking away from from specific people who I heard at this conference.Gary Gaddini- "A missional focus is the greatest discipleship tool for the church."Brian Mills- God is at

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-68525178207275552212009-01-27T03:01:00.005+01:002009-01-27T03:12:09.584+01:00

I'll be heading to Dallas, TX this week for the Innovation3 gathering. This is a gathering of different innovative Church leaders from across the country. I am looking forward to conferences and I hope to process some of what I hear on this blog.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-68699541471371167262009-01-26T05:56:00.004+01:002009-01-26T06:14:56.811+01:00

Our church recently started a 100 part sermon series which highlights 100 key parts to the Bible narrative (Click here for sermon podcasts). We will be spending the next two years taking a look at redemptive history from Genesis to Revelation and along the way we will be posting additional relevant information here (things like additional reading, video clips, etc...). Heath Allison is a very

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-6900400978880288012009-01-20T16:00:00.002+01:002009-01-20T16:04:11.213+01:00

If you pledge to donate 5 hours of community service between 1/21 and 1/25 Starbucks will give you a free cup of coffee. Click here to find out more.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-56823111820870425302009-01-19T23:51:00.004+01:002009-01-20T00:06:41.970+01:00

Several years ago I watched the entire Eyes on the Prize PBS documentary and it opened my eyes in many ways to the struggles that African Americans specifically, and minorities in general, have faced throughout the history of the United States. I believe the entire series consists of 10-12 two hour programs that document the civil rights movement. While watching this set of documentaries there

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-70196889374403746492009-01-17T23:10:00.004+01:002009-01-17T23:43:14.100+01:00

I just got back form the Sub*Text forum in St. Charles, IL. Al Hsu who is the author of The Suburban Christian was the keynote speaker. I also had the privilege of meeting Steve McCoy and Joe Thorn, whose blogs that I follow.Anyway, here are a few of the things that Al shared which stuck out to me as we thought about and discussed missional living in Suburbia.SuburbiaMulti-faceted and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571606670258915092.post-18352077784541253872009-01-15T05:20:00.001+01:002009-01-15T05:20:50.557+01:00

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06381394495190620659noreply@blogger.com