Don't Tell Anyone, Okay?

Secrets can be a lot of fun. We all enjoy having a little inside information -- knowing something that not everyone else knows. It makes us feel special. And there are some good reasons to keep secrets – a surprise for a friend, respecting someone’s privacy, wanting to share something special with someone special. Secrets can build strong trust between friends. But some secrets can tear relationships apart (these are not the good kind of secrets). I want to get to know you more, so let’s share secrets. I’ll tell you guys a secret about myself and you share one with me, sound good?

Here is my secret: I am still, at 21, somewhat afraid of the dark. I guess it’s not so much the dark itself, but the fact that I don’t know what is hiding in the dark. I mean, there could be a snake waiting to bite me and pump me full of venom, or a serial killer ready to cut off all my fingers, you never know.

So now that you know my secret, what’s yours? (If you dont want to post it as a comment, you can email it to me. mattetress@gmail.com)

Breaking the Cycle

This didn't exactly turn out the way I wanted it to, and I don't know how long I'll leave it up. If it continues to bother me, I'll take it down in the morning.

Today I was thinking about how I no longer like a lot of the things I liked as a kid. Things like swings and merry-go-rounds. While they were fun as a kid, now they just make me sick. As I was thinking about playing on merry-go-rounds (and feeling quite nauseated at the very thought), it was like this word about cycles just hit me right in the face. America, the church as a whole, and even my own personal life seem to be going in their own little cycles that just loop over and over. Take a look at my relationship with even my best friend, for instance. We go through times where we hang out everyday and are really close, and then a few months later we will hardly even speak to each other. I can only speak for myself, but I feel as though we’ve worked through a lot of stuff in our relationship recently, and I intend to continue pressing forward and putting forth the effort to not let the cycle continue. And don’t get me wrong, this is pretty much with all of my friendships. And then it even transfers over to my Christian walk. One week I’m reading my Bible and praying all the time, and the next I may not open my Bible once or pray one time. This brings me to America. America has been going through a cycle of revival followed by exceeding sin for a while. It seems like every time there is a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Satan comes along and there is an even bigger influx of sin. I truly believe that we are on the very brink of the greatest awaking the world has ever seen. It would be awesome if we don’t allow the cycle to continue, but it has to start with breaking the cycle in our own lives. It’s time that we get off of our merry-go-rounds, shake off the dizziness, and get on a steady incline. Not like an escalator, its not going to be that easy. More like stairs, its going to take work, but it‘s worth it when you get to the next level. Or even better, like a ramp. If you are sitting on a ramp in neutral, you will actually begin to roll backwards. Its going to take a constant pushing forward. Let’s break the cycle people.

25 Pieces of Me

A while back everyone was doing the 25 facts thing on Facebook, and I did not give in to the peer pressure. But now that it has died down, I think I'll put in my 25. I think tho since this is actually on my blog I'll have to dive deep and let y'all see some of the more personal parts of me (not too personal though there are a very select few who get to go there). Well, here goes nothing.

1. I love Jesus with everything within me and am learning to daily walk by the Spirit according to His will.
2. I feel as though through consecration and getting in covenant with good Christian friends I am at a place of personal revival.
3. I have to rinse the "dust" from a glass before I drink from it, even if it is obviously clean.
4. I cannot go anywhere unless I have been officially invited. This even includes public places where I know my friends are. (The only exception to this is Anita's house, and that's only because I know that they don't mind)
5. Even though I can't go anywhere uninvited, I expect my friends to just know that they are always welcome to show up at my house unannounced. And then I wonder why no one ever just shows up.
6. I love to spend money on my friends. Love it. But I really dislike the idea of anyone spending their money on me.
7. It absolutely drives me up the wall to feel like I'm being ignored.
8. I love to cook.
9. Cooking is even more fun with friends.
10. Most of the time I will not play a game if I don't think I can win or if I think I'll look stupid compared to the other people playing.
11. I have a really hard time opening up to people, and am just now getting to a place where I actually can with a friend I've had for about ten years.
12. Pretty much every day I pick a word or a phrase, and I try to say it to everyone I talk to that day and see if anyone catches on. It can be something as simple as "chump" or "these days" or an entire sentence like, "Either I'm getting bigger or these pants are getting smaller, because they sure are a lot tighter than they were last week."
13. I tend to be a really touchy person --I like pretty much any kind of physical contact. I have to touch people when I'm talking to them, and if I'm sitting next to someone, I like to be touching them in some way. I feel like it makes me connected... I don't know.
14. I will cuddle up to pretty much anyone who isn't creeped out by it.
15. However, If I don't know you, don't touch. That means keep your knees out of my back!
16. I don't mind pain as long as it's not burning or freezing.
17. I hate to say this, because it's terrible. But I have a fear of people with mental handicaps. I'm working on it though.
18. My primary love language is quality time. That's why hanging out with people one-on-one and talking to people on the phone is so important to me. I love to have peoples undivided attention every now and then. Or I'm just really needy, either one really... they both fit.
19. I have recently found a girl that I'm interested in for the first time in a couple of years (I'm very picky). It's a rather unlikely situation though.
20. The other day I realized that I actually miss being in school and going to classes. I never thought there would be a day when those words would come out of my mouth.
21. I was quite the liar in elementary school. Ask me about it, I'd love to tell you some stories.
22. I was thinking the other day about things that I regret, and I came to the conclusion that there is only one thing in my life that I really regret doing. I feel like everything else has been used to bring about good things in my life.
23. I have been trying a lot of things that I thought I didn't like lately only to find out that I actually like them.
24. I don't have a favorite day of the week. I think that is crazy. Everyday is great and unique and created by the Lord for a specific purpose. Although recently I am not so fond of Tuesdays. I don't really have a favorite color either. If someone asks I'll say blue, just because I have trained myself to prefer it. But really, what makes one color better than the rest?
25. My favorite job I've ever worked was the summer Jordan and I worked for Larson Storm Doors. It's the exact opposite of a job that you would think I'd like, but I loved it and I have a lot of good memories from that summer.

Just a few things I've been wanting to do

So I was thinking of a few things that I really want to do soon and I realized that theres a lot of stuff. Some are things that ive done before some are things that I have not. So if anyone would like to join me in any of these things let me know which ones and it’ll be awesome, ok? These are in no particular order…


1. Go fishing
2. Make fun videos with friends
3. Spend the day canoeing
4. Go white water rafting
5. Spelunking
6. Hiking adventure
7. Learn about hunting
8. Go hunting
9. Go skydiving
10. Play volleyball
11. Spend more time just hanging out with my friends doing nothing in particular
12. Get in shape
13. Move out
14. Get my tattoo touched up
15. Read through the entire Bible
16. Improve my posture
17. Go on a cruise
18. Go to Gatlinburg
19. Play on jet skis
20. Buy a new dirt bike
21. Go on a long camping trip
22. Try to snowboard
23. Start painting again
24. Cook something amazing
25. Go deep sea fishing
26. Go on a road trip
27. Learn to fly a plane
28. Mafia party
29. Learn a martial art
30. Buy a new iPod
31. Be less boring
32. Go to an NFL game
33. go to some college games
34. Visit Bridgett
35. Get back in school
36. Go to school at either Christ for the Nations or Hillsong
37. Finally convince Jordan and Micah to watch Lost with me. (This could take a while...)
38. Just be with my close friends (I had more before I lost the first copy, but this is all I could remember.)

Is there anything you’ve been wanting to do?

Kingdom of Heaven

This was a Facebook note originally posted on August 5, 2009.


This is a revelation that I got the other day concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. I was lying in my bed thinking about it just now and began to feel very convicted (I'll share what about later in this note) and then it was like a second part to the first revelation hit me. Isn't it awesome how the Lord works sometimes? I know I can't really do it justice, but I'd like to share both parts with you and hopefully it will hit some of you as deeply as it hit me.


About a week and a half ago, a day or so after we got home from the dude ranch, I was driving in my car and I was just talking with God (I like to worship and pray while I drive) and someone on the radio said something about the Kingdom of God. Now, we've all heard the phrase a thousand times and we all know what it means, but for the first time it registered with my spirit. I remember thinking "Lord, why is it called the Kingdom of Heaven?" And I'm telling you its like a light bulb came on. It was as though God spoke directly in my ear, "Matt, King of Kings is not just a title. I AM the King over heaven and the earth. and its called the kingdom of God it's because it IS a kingdom. It's like any other kingdom that the earth has known. And it's run like a kingdom. There is a palace and a throne room. And my throne room is bigger and has far more splendor than any human mind could ever imagine, certainly far more glorious than any throne room any king on earth has ever had(and its like i could see it, a great big awesome throne room with three big beautiful thrones right in the middle. notice i said like i could this was not a vision... i didnt actually see or hear anything like i did with the blood and the chains and the angels. this was in my spirit) . And I sit upon my throne. My subjects come into my throne room and they bow before me and the worship me, and i call their names and they rise to meet with me. And the elders step down from their thrones to bend their knees. And the angels they are all about me and my seraphim they encircle me and the cry out to me both day and night. and I shall rule the nations forever."


Now the second part which hit me tonight. I was thinking about the revelation i had gotten last week (the one i just told you about), and i started thinking how often do we actually give thanks to the Holy Spirit and worship Him. And even saying it now it sounds a little weird, but He is still God. The word says that there is one God Who exists in three persons. We are always more than ready to worship the Father and the Son, but its very rarely that I'll even pray directly to the third part of the Godhead much less worship Him. And as soon as I began to think about that I felt so grieved in my spirit. I spent nearly an hour on my face in the floor just worshiping the Holy Spirit. and you wouldnt believe how great it felt and how hungry i feel for more. And so from now on i will praise and worship not only the Father and Son, but also the Holy Spirit.

Okay, so this is what it's like to blog? Cool.

Obviously, this is my first blog and I'm pretty excited about it. I don't know how often I'll post or that anyone will read this, but it's here. Im gonna start by reposting a couple of my most recent notes from Facebook. Feel free to follow me, comment, and make me feel special. haha.