All the pieces coming together in wonderful harmony!!

Okay so this weekend I go to ROOTS. For those that don't know (if anyone reads) ROOTS is a Salvo conference which is held in different places around the world. ROOTS UK is held in Southport (near Liverpool) for 4 days.

This year I'm taking part doing morning Bible Studies in ParkLife (the young adult venue). I'm pretty scared!!!!

I think I know what I'm going to teach and the notes I sent out where pretty well received but I'm still scared.

I know God has got it under control and that I'm only actually delivering what it is I hope He wants to say but I'm still scared.

I know that the people there don't want me to fail and that people are supportive but I'm still scared!!

And so in reaction to this completely irrational and not of God Fear I'm not sleeeping very well. And so last night at about 11:45pm whilst in bed Christina, not able to sleep with me rolling around not sleeping, started to sing. She began with "I can't live if living is without you" which was beautiful and excellently displayed her ability to switch octaves with ease!! That then began a conversation about what duet Elaine Paige and Gloria Estefan had done. I wasn't sure they had ever duetted but was assured that they'd done a song from the musical Chess. I then believed it was I know him so well. (By the way I don't it was those 2 artists I'm sure Paige sang it with some woman called Barbara) anyway, we then began to sing the duet, Christina being Elaine Paige and me being Gloria (or Barbara or whoever it was).

This was a beautiful thing!! Man and wife, side by side in bed singing a song about loving the same man!!

Fear is a terrible thing!!

p.s. I then went on to try and remember how Anthem went also - I figured it out and managed the whole thing before we decided to go try and sleep........not very successful I may be on the sofa tonight!!

Back to life.......

And so I've returned from Spring Harvest Camp (that's for Simon & Beth)

Last week was a great experience and I learnt lots of stuff from lots of very talented and Godly people.

Some memories;

1. Hearing Dave Westlake do the morning Bible Studies was amazing
2. The prayer archways with people just running through and being prayed for by peers
3. Introducing electralyte to a packed venue for their gig – which was awesome buy the album here!!
4. Getting our venue to sing out the doors on a couple of evenings and hearing them sing all the way out
5. Four hours of recording Songs Of Praise in a very hot marquee
6. Daniel Bedingfield scratching my face with his stubble for a few minutes
7. Dimitri – this guy rocks!! His live show was a mixture of everything and was quite and experience (click here for a review and some mp3 samples)
8. Team meetings just spent laughing and enjoying each others company
9. Watching anchorman for the first time – “Where’d you get you clothes…..the toilet store??”

And many more!! We had a great time!!

This weekend I’m off to Surrey to spend 2 days with some young adults from the region on what we call Discovery Weekend. It’s basically a chance to teach and share with them about who they are and what God might be calling them to. It’s a great weekend and a great chance to connect with some people from the region I work in.

Then carus on Sunday night.

Then on Thursday we’re off to the ROOTS conference. I’m doing the Bible teaching in the young adults venue and am pretty nervous if I’m honest. We’re looking at the resurrection all weekend and it’s going to be a great time together so I just need to relax and let God do His thing.

Finally I’ve added a new blogger to my list so check out Glynn’s blog it’s worth a read. I’ve also added the ultimate showdown on the right under websites to check out it’s a very funny song and video!!

Finally, finally, I’ve set myself a personal challenge for the next 12 months. I want to get a job hosting a TV show. I’m not looking for a new career or to leave ministry I just want to do it once before I die. I want to host a TV show, any thoughts or suggestions how to do this please let me know.

So on Thursday I spent the morning in London, I had a chat and coffee with Ben J which was great and then went to Wesley Owen Bookstore to buy some books I needed to read before the end of next week. I found the books (thanks to Glyn for holding onto them for me overnight) and then had a wander around the shop looking at all the stuff on sale there.

I had a great tour guide in Glyn who was able to show me some of the great sights of the world of Christian merchandise!! So here compiled is my top 3,

In 3rd place - DANCE PRAISE (Pictured) Oh yes, for all you youth club leaders that want the joy of a dance mat but without the suggestive lyrics here is the answer you've been looking for. Now your 13 year olds can dance along to hits such as,Shine Jesus Shine, When the Music Fades (extended remix), Dancing generation, When I survey, Thine be the glory, The day thou gavest.......and many more!!!!

In 2nd place - The Complex Infrastructure Known as the Female Mind - A book writen about girls, written for girls written by.........an all male Christian Punk Band!! Oh yes you'll find out all about the different types of girl,

Airhead
Girlfriend
Sporty
Posh
Scary
Baby......and Ginger

But my favourite and 1st place winner is - The Open Mic Karaoke series - Ladies and gentlemen our winner. Now you can sing along in the comfort of your own home to your favourite Christian tracks. You may never make it onto the bill of a major conference but now you can simulate that feeling with this series of discs. Sing-along with your favourite Christian Pop Stars, impress your non-Christian friends with songs they won't know as you look in the mirror and pretend to be someone else worshipping God.

A brief look into the world of Christian merchandise...........all in good fun......no offence intended.

p.s. If you're wanting to publish this list anywhere else I'll need 10%!!

Back in the land of Lego and Bacon

This weekend we're back in Denmark with Christina's mum and dad and our good friends Ben and Rach.

Today we went of a boat trip, shopped for a while, played pro-evo 5 (FIFA still kicks its butt!!) and had a great meal in a lovely Italian restaurant.

It's been good to relax for a few days before we head to Minehead for Spring Harvest on Tuesday.

 

more pride than this guy!!

I've spent the last few weeks really examining my heart (in a non-surgical way) And I've come to a few conclusions that are likely to shape the next period (and hopefully more) of my life. And so I thought where better to commit to them than here in my blog.

The post below outlines some of my thoughts on my family life and since the incident explained there my attitude has definitely changed and my actions have followed. I also blogged here about some of my thoughts on where I was headed in my work and stuff. The last few weeks have been amazing and some things have happened that have really made me examine my job and what I've been doing and I've come to the conclusion that God wants me where I am right now. I can think about where next or anything else when the time is right but for now I'm where God wants me to be and there's no place better.

I also had a great chat with a guy from my church last week (he took me out because he was worried I was becoming disillusioned with my church - he's a wise man indeed!!) We talked about where our church is at and where it's headed. We chatted about the fact that I miss Sunday after Sunday becuase of work and other stuff and how I felt about that. We chatted about commitment, about lifestlye, about time, about cell and most other things that come into being in a church. And at the end of it I felt relieved and I felt challenged. Relieved that I'm not the only person who feels like I do. Challenged about my reaction to feeling that I was.

Finally, the last few days have taught me some stuff about me and all 4 things link together on this one. As a person I want to be lots of things;

I want to be a blessing
I want to be happy
I want to bring happiness to others
I want to be successful (whatever that means)
I want to mirror the glory of God
I want to be a good husband
I want to be a good son
I want to be a good brother
I want to be a good friend
I want to be a good disciple
I want to be a good employee
I want to be a good mentor

and the list goes on, but in all of this I've sometimes struggled with humility. As a teenager I was incredibly arrogant and I guess as a musician I sometimes had to be to get noticed or booked for work. As I got older this got less and less as I matured and grew not only in age but in my faith.

There are still times however when this rises up in me and I find myself reacting in the old Matt ways. I become the arrogant 19 year old that didn't care about people as much as getting ahead in my music. Even in the last few weeks I've had moments when my pride has risen up and I've heard my inner voice saying things like - "who do they think they are??" or "do they know who they're talking to??"

When I was younger I could convince myself that it was everyone else's fault. I could convince myself that I was right to be that arrogant. These days I recognise it immediately, and while my automatic reaction may still be one based in senseless pride I am more able to catch it early and get rid of it.

So why blog this??

Well, I might always struggle with pride. I might always struggle to remain humble in spirit. In fact until the day I die I may fight constantly againt the arrogant moron within.

But I'm not giving up!! These old words from Albert Osborn say lots to me;

My life must be Christ's broken bread,

My love his outpoured wine,

A cup o'erfilled, a table spread,

Beneath his name and sign,

That other souls refreshed and fed,

May share his life through Mine.

My all is in the Master's hands

For him to bless and break;

Beyond the brook his winepress stands

And thence my way I take.

Resolved the whole of love's demands

To give, for his dear sake.

Lord, let me share that grace of thine

Wherewith thou didst sustain

The burden of the fruitful vine,

The gift of buried grain.

Who dies with thee, O Word divine,

Shall rise and live again.

And so I keep trying and keep trying again to become the humble man I think God wants me to be. And so I blog this in the hope that it reminds me of my commitment to be more than I am.

And that someone reading (if anyone is reading) will hold me to account if they see or hear of me acting like a teenage drummer from a smll market town just south of Belfast.