burning bridges won't help you mend fences

I really had a great time over the weekend despite having to attend my grandmother's funeral. Jeanette and I went back home to Texarkana on Saturday to attend Pastor Jeff's baby sister's wedding and go to a baby shower for Jeanette's best friend from high school. It was a beautiful wedding and baby shower; we got to see a lot of old familiar faces that we haven't seen in a long time. After coming back home to Sallisaw, OK that night I left out again after church on Sunday to come back for my grandmother's funeral on Monday.

Sunday night I had a great time hanging out with a long time friend, Jackie Allensworth. We played some XBOX 360 and went and ate some double whoppers and came back and played some more XBOX and literally laughed until we cried about old times, and some not so old times. It's great to be able to go back home and drop in and see a great friend like Jackie when I have the chance. We don't ever really talk about anything of significance; we just enjoy each others company a lot. I have not always been the best at keeping old friendships burning, but I can say that one important lesson in life that I have learned is this. Burning bridges will never help you mend fences. Although, I may not be the best at keeping old friendships burning; I will never burn a bridge that will keep me from going back and mending that relationship through God's timing. If you have any old friends that you haven't talked to in a while, even if you may have burned the bridge, I encourage you to call them or shoot them an email this week and try to mend that fence. I believe that God places people in our lives as gifts, and for us to throw away a gift that He has given us is worse than sqaundering away a family inheritance. Make your life more enjoyable today; call that person that you've wanted to call for a while but felt that you couldn't. It'll be worth your while, I promise...

Extreme Makeover Home Edition

This show has totally changed my life. It's amazing that some networks are trying to go against the flow of everyone else. This show totally goes against everything else that is on TV. It is making us all think more about giving to others to see their dreams come true rather than looking inward and selfishly trying to fulfill all of the desires of our own flesh. This has got to be the best "feel-good" show on television. It's like having church on Sunday nights in your own living room. Our church has even started something called "Project Elevation" that was inspired by this show along with Oprah. You can go check it out at www.journeychurchonline.com . I love television that inspires us to be better people. There are already too many shows that inspire us to be selfish and to only think of ourselves. Be sure to watch it this week and see how God can touch your life through this show.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Jeanette, by now, I know that you think that I have all but completely forgotten your birthday. Although, we haven't gotten to spend any of it together, we are finally together now. Let's cherish what we have left of today. I know that you're wondering why I have not even so much as mentioned a birthday gift today. I hope that it will have been a wait that was well worth it. At your convenience, you can check a certain red chair that was adored by your youth to find your gift from me. I hope that you have enjoyed the many emails and MySpace comments that you have received today. I love you dearly, and grow to love you more and more with every passing year. Happy Birthday.
Your Husband,
Matt

Dinner for 10

Once a month, my wife and I randomly invite 10 people over from our youth group to have dinner with us on a Saturday night. This is something that we started a few months ago and has started to become one of my favorite things that we do. It is so hard to get to know people on an intimate level when you are in a large group setting; especially in a setting that is as crazy and insane as our youth service. That's why I am growing to love Dinner for 10 so much. It's a chance for us to get to know people's lives instead of just knowing their faces. I encourage you to invite someone over for dinner this month that you don't normally get to spend much time with. Let's share our lives and see how God works in and through us all.

i've been hustled

if anyone ever invites you to play a game with them, just know that they are probably asking you because they know that they are good at it and you are not and they are going to spank your pants right off of your hynie. i was up late last night trying to tie up loose ends for our service tonight and pastor jeff IMs me and invites me to play bankshot billiards on our new msn messenger betas. i figure, why not, i need a break anyway. then he proceeds to kick the everloving crap out of me for an undisclosed number of games. i only won 2 games out of ALOT, and one of them was because he ran the ENTIRE table from break to 8-ball and accidently knocked one of mine in as well as the 8-ball...it was the only ball of mine that got knocked in that game because i didn't even get to shoot. if i didn't know any better i'd swear that he leads a double life as a virtual pool shark. so, just a warning for all of you out there, next time somebody asks you to play a game with them, you're probably fixin to get your hynie handed to you.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Today is the one day of the year that corporate America gets to cash in on our love for our significant other. You know, sometimes money just can't buy the best gift (don't hold me to that). A lot of times, the best gift you can receive is something from the heart. As a guy, I never expect any kind of hooplah or big gifts or anything on Valentine's Day but, it really makes my day when I wake up in the morning and find a card with something really sweet written in it from my amazing wife. And, I do mean amazing. My wife is the most beautiful, compassionate, caring, selfless, and loving human being on the face of the planet and I am BEYOND blessed to have her as a soulmate to share my life with. She adds the spice to my life. Jeanette, I love you and am beside myself every day that I get out of bed just because I have you in my life. I love you!

weather

it's 40 degrees and snowing today. how weird is that? it's mixed with alot of rain too though so, i guess it's not "really snowing". it's just cool to see any kind of snow, being from texas and all. it'd be nice to get a few inches of the real thing sometime. the last time i got to see snow was the second week of december when we went on vacation to Wolf Creek to go skiing in Colorado. now that was an experience. one, i'll save for another time...

AMAZING SERVICE

well, i was so sick last night that i wasn't able to preach. but, it didn't matter because God doesn't need me to move in the lives of others. the night before as i layed in bed between my frequent trips to the bathroom to "pray" i mentioned to my wife jeanette that i didn't know what i was going to do about the service if i even felt half this bad there was no way that i would be able to preach. after she left to go get me some medicine from wal-mart she came back and walked in the room and said "i can preach". "WOW, okay", i said. so she did. all i had to do last night was get up and do the announcements and the offering while trying not to "pray" on everyone in the front row. she preached an amazing message, was inspiringly confident, and made me oh so proud to be her husband. when she did the altar call 12 people took a stand to give their lives to Christ in front of all their peers. i was so pumped! several people asked me after the service what i thought. i simply replied, "i think i'm going to have her preach more often." if you'd like to learn more about my beautiful, lovely, anointed wife go check her out at www.myspace.com/jeanettecaler or www.jeanettecaler.blogspot.com

sick

i'm sick and tired of bein sick and tired! well, an interesting chain of events has occured over the last week leaving me sick. some old friends of ours, brock and auny gill, who we haven't seen in several years came to town and stayed with pastor jeff last week. i got to see them and hang out with them some on friday and we went to lunch and got to catch up and laugh about old times. brock, however, was sick. well, brock and auny left that day and low and behold pastor jeff comes up to the office sick yesterday. stupid me, at some point hugs him and shakes his hand leaving me vulnerable to the virus. AAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!! although, i don't know how i really got sick, the fun thing to do is blame it all on brock since he's not here to defend himself. besides, i can't blame it on pastor jeff...he signs my paychecks. ;) HAHA!

humbled

There are times in life that everyone has, what Oprah would call, "AHA!" moments. I had one of these tonight. You know, it's very easy to forget where we come from sometimes. Living in South East Oklahoma you see a lot of people who are living very hard lives. Unfortunately, after a while you can actually start to become numb to some of the situations around you...until one finally hits close to home. We have so many amazing teenagers in our Youth Ministry that you fail to ask where some of them come from sometimes. You see a healthy looking teenager that is always smiling and overjoyed to help others and make a difference in the lives of those around them and you automatically assume that person comes from a well-rounded home with Godly parents who are constantly loving and supporting them...Until, you begin to develop a closer relationship with that person and find out that their homelife isn't near what you had expected. I was, just so, enlightened here recently. I too grew up in a broken home. One might say, so broken that it was much like a familiar nursery rhyme such as Humpty Dumpty. However, I often forget the past from which I came because, both, the present and the future that God has given me are oh so bright. But, then I see someone in my Youth Group who reminds me so much of myself when I was their age and, then I finally find out just how similar their life is to mine as a teenager. Going though the trials of adolescence with the responsiblities that only adults should feel. Living a life at home in wait for your next opportunity to leave the house. Counting the minutes until bedtime, which is not always pleasant due to your current living situation. Counting the hours until school, that are cut so short by the sounding of a three o'clock bell. Counting the days until church so you can go somewhere that you know you will be loved unconditionally and have the opportunity to worship your creator who is not only your spiritual redeemer but, will also one day be your "physical" deliverer from your current home situation that you are in bondage to. Counting the years until graduation when you can finally say "I am my own man/woman now and can pursue the dreams that God has given me for my life and my family". I remember these feelings all too well and, as I look around myself at the precious young faces that surround me, I am constantly reminded why I do what I do for a living. It's not a job, it's a calling. I remember...and I am humbled.

Encouraged

Today at our church we began holding a 24hr. Prayer Vigil for members of our church to come in and pray whenever they wanted, for our city, our church body, and everything that is going on right now. We had staff members and elders of the church come in and take 2 hr. shifts to oversee and pray with anyone who wanted or stand in prayer in an absence of anyone being there. Being the person who probably keeps the oddest hours of everyone in the church, me and my wife Jeanette elected ourselves to take the Midnight-4am shift. I knew that we had 1 or 2 teenagers in the youth group who had signed up but, to my surprise at at about 2am we had 7 warm bodies walk through the doors all wearing hoodies, pajama pants, and house shoes all ready to pray for their city, schools, friends, and their youth group. It was amazing to see these young men and women of God marching with purpose alongside one another while a good majority of their peers, the sane ones at least, were nestled tightly in their beds preparing themselves to sleep late on a Saturday morning. But, not these young people, I believe almost every one of them either had to be up at 7am or earlier, either for work or some sort of school activity. Ya know, people can say what they want about the young people of this generation but, I believe that God is raising up some elite warriors for his kingdom in our midst. It's easy to notice the masses who don't care and have no ambition in life but, I believe it's time for us all to start praising the young people who are choosing to stand up and be heard by their King and make a difference in the lives of those around them to echo out through a generation. This is a salute to you. Never give up and never look back...
Serving the Master,
Pastor Matt

Starting to BLOG

Well, this is my first BLOG. I hear that it's great yet, can be very addictive. Oh my, I hope not. I would really hate to start a nasty habit that I can't kick. That would be just my luck. Try something new that a friend recommended and it just turn right around and bite me in the rear. Man oh man, I hope that doesn't happen! I just want this to be a good relationship between the two of us. Just me and BLOGing...You respect me and I will show you the same amount of respect right back. I would hate to start another BLOG about how I don't like BLOGing but, I'll do it...I ain't scared. Well, I'll get off of here before you and I get tired of one another too quick. Don't worry I'll be back. You just sit tight right here and I'll come back soon...Okay???Okay.