There are 3 Types of People

All of us have talents and natural abilities.  Every person is unique, which means that every person has a specific set of strengths and weaknesses that no one else has.  I want you to stop and think about that for a second:

No one has exactly the same strengths as you, nor do they have the same weaknesses as you.

What a profound thought.  You are unique.  You are the only one of you.  There is no one else like you.  Often times the world tries to mock us for our individuality, or even define us by our faults, but I want to encourage you today to look past the ridicule, and see the truth.  Take off the drab-shaded glasses, and see the world as it really is, as if you were looking through the eyes of a loving father and seeing someone… like you.

You were made to accomplish.  You were made to conquer.  You were made to do something with your life that no one else could do.  Please understand what I am saying: no one is better than anyone else.  One person is not pre-eminent over another.  Rather the things that we are to overcome are the forces that would cause hurt, pain, destruction, or death.  Where there is hunger, heartache, or hopeless, there is also a person who has the skill and raw talent to overcome those obstacles, first in their own life, and then in other people’s lives.

The question is whether that person will dedicate themselves to the mission of their life.  Are they willing to submit themselves to life’s training to become the person that they were created to be?  And are they willing accomplish what they were created to accomplish?  Then again… you must ask yourself… “Am I willing…?  Am I willing to do what I was created to do?  Go where I was created to go?  Or make the change that I was created to make?”

These are tough questions.

From adriancrowe.wordpress.com

All of us are at different stages along the way.  Just as each one of us is unique, so too our journey is unique, as is our position along that journey.  And yet, as I study the bible, I am compelled to think that at any one point in time, someone will fall into one of three categories.  Can someone jump from one category to another?  Absolutely.  Nevertheless, as you stop and evaluate your life—as of today—I am convinced that you will find yourself in one of these three groups:

(1)   You have so developed your gifts and talents that you have an abundance, and you can freely share God’s blessing with the people around you.

(2)   You have so developed your gifts and talents that you have more to do and accomplish than you could ever do on your own and you need people to come alongside of you to help you with the vision that God has given you.

(3)   You have not fully developed your gifts and talents.

I want to encourage you to stop and ponder for a second which one you are.  Please realize that one is not better than the other.  There is no better or worse.  There is only reality.  And the reality is that God deeply and affectionate loves everyone, and has a work for everyone to accomplish.  This exercise of self-examination is not meant to bring commendation or condemnation.  It is only to bring clarity on what your next step should be.  You cannot confidently move forward if you first do not know where you are.

Which type of person are you? 1, 2, or 3?

Well… unfortunately, that’s all for now.  Part 2 of this blog will be next Friday.  I am going to take the weekend off.  Next Monday is going to be continuation of the blog I posted this last Monday.  Tuesday, I will introduce you to another awesome person that has greatly helped me with this project.  Wednesday next week is going to be another funny story.  Thursday will be more peaceful again.  Then Friday will round out the week with part 2 of this blog.  So, there are lots of great things coming up.

I want to encourage you, if you are liking this blog, then please subscribe over on the right.  It’s super easy.  Also, if you know friends who would enjoy it, then help me spread the word.  Also, feel free to contact me.  I would love to hear from you.  Other than that, have a great weekend, and I will see you Monday!  J

I Had Fun Losing!?!?

Tuesday was an absolutely perfect summer afternoon.  The sun was beaming brightly up in the sky, standing watch over the peaceful inhabitants below.  The warm summer breeze was just gentle enough to ebb between the players note of calming refreshment.  The bright green Astroturf crunched beneath my shoes as I sat on the short stone boundary wall and watch another yellow bocci ball meander down the crinkly green.  Ever so gently the yellow ball came to rest beside the smaller white one as if the two were snuggling up against each other on the warm summer day.

I looked down at my green bocci ball and then over at Jenn holder her blue one and just shrugged with a gentle smile, as if to say without words, “My mom just did it again.”  I was loosing in this three-way contest—badly—and yet in the serenity of the moment, and the grandeur of the day, none of that mattered.  I was enjoying a perfect summer afternoon with my two favorite women in the world.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

That’s all for today.  Tomorrow we are shifting into logistics a little.  I am going to define this project for you, and tell you about little more what’s next for Matt’s Mexican Adventure.  See you tomorrow.

The Real Story of HITCs Return from Mexico

Hello again everyone!  The plan is, as of right now to share something funny, random, or wacky with you every Wednesday, and today I have the perfect thing lined out.  This is, without a doubt, the most random birthday present that I have every received.

My last birthday was absolutely my best one ever… except for maybe my first one… because without that one I wouldn’t have been… born.  But besides that one, my last birthday was the best!  It was the day that my HITC class and I returned from Mexico.  This meant that I got to celebrate my b-day with friends in Mexico in the morning, and with my American friends in the evening… and in between I got to celebrate with my HITC class during our layover in San Francisco.

We had all separated in the airport to find our first authentic American meal in 2.5 weeks before re-congregating in a corner of the airport.  There I was, walking over with my plastic brown tray of pizza, breadsticks, and a 20 oz cup of soda, when I noticed that something was up….

After I had taken my seat in a long line of black vinyl, metal armrest clad, airport chairs, I was promptly presented with a slightly crinkled set of four, small, slightly blue pieces of journal paper with these words written on the front:

“To:

Matt

Love:

Us J”

What follows is the exact story that was written on these pages.  No changes or edits have been made.  HITC class of 2012, this blog entry is dedicated to you:

May 25, 2012

In honor of Matt Sterling and his day of birth.

Written by: HITC Mexico

Once upon a time Matt was flying in an airplane.  Suddenly… [SJL]

There was a big white hand that reached back and grabbed his leg really intensely.  The hand was so strong that he tried needed to use two hands to pry them off.  After two hours he got the hand off and… [SM]

Was really happy.  Sooo… [HK]

He was like, “who just grabbed my leg? I am gonna…” [JJ]

Give them the biggest hug ever because… [BD]

I’ve had a cramp in that leg for 27 years and now it’s gone!”  So he jumped up and did a jig, but then he fell! [RMC]

And knocked over the coffee of a prissy business woman across the aisle, spilling it all down her white suit… then she erupted with… [ALB]

Epileptic spasms!  In shock her Chinese minions jumped out of her briefcase and started chanting mandarin incantations [JB]

Frantically, Matt tried to find some towels to help wipe off the coffee, but all he could find was a… [SJF]

Used tissue in his pocket.  At this point he decided the only logical answer was to turn on his smolder.  At this point the Chinese minions… [Speddy]

Turned to look at Said but Said wasn’t paying any attention to the minions because was asking Matt and Jonathan a very reasonable question.  But both Matt and Jonathan were exasperated as they unanimously raised their hands in the air and answered back to Said, “wrong question, right country.” So being perplexed, Said said to them… [DZ]

“I put my shades on and I take ‘em off.  Suddenly the minions started singing the song with them.  Matt looked back to see the minions  dancing and the… [Steve]

Business woman running in circles yelling, “Everything looks different while it’s dark out,” while simultaneously baking a cake while blindfolded.  Suddenly Matt realized… [SF]

That he wasn’t in Kansas anymore and wanted to go back.  He used his soccer skills to kick past the minions to get a parachute.  He opened the door of the airplane and just as he was about to jump out… [DG]

He remembered he left his oven on at home so he couldn’t jump because he needed to go home and turn it off.  Just as he took his parachute off he looked down and was baffled at the sight of… [ES]

The grotesque tint of his alligator shoes.  He’d been on the travel a lot, and kicking minions does that.  But then he remembered he had an app for that.  So he turned off his stove from his phone, put his parachute on, opened the door and yelled… [NSU]

P L E N A R Y   V E R B A L

And happy birthday to meeeeeeeeee! [SJL]

The End

HITC, you are the best!!

Thanks for reading everyone.  Tomorrow’s post will be smaller.  Promise J  It is going to be about being destroyed by my mom.  Don’t miss it!

[picture provided by marccortez.com]

Tuesdays on this blog are going to be dedicated to recognizing someone who has contributed to this project or in some fashion become an a vital partner.  It has been said that, “If you want something done right then do it yourself, but if you want it to last, then you need a team,” and I especially agree with the last half of that statement.

There is no way that I could possibly accomplish all that I have to do on my own.  There are too many pieces, too many roles, and too many things to accomplish with too little time.  Therefore I believe it is imperative to recognize the people who have helped make this project possible, and, at the same time, I think it would be fun for you all to meet these people.

Today I am sooo excited to introduce you the person whom I consider to be my biggest support.  She has consistently been there to give me a word of encouragement, to tell me that I can do it, and to dream God’s dream with me.  This person is Jennifer Fox.

Jennifer is an amazing woman of God.  She is an incredible pianist (yes, she gives lessons) has the voice of an angel, and, as I just found out in the last week, is a clutch volleyball and ultimate frisbee player (she scored the winning point in both games on different occations).  She is a loyal friend, dedicated to the house of God, and she writes a crazy-awesome thank you card.  Honestly Jenn, I don’t know where you get the time to buy all those thank you cards, let alone write them.  You are sooo cool.

So in closing, I just want to say, “Thank you Jenn!”  Thanks for all you support, and encouragement.  Thanks for being such a faithful woman of God.  Thanks for being you!  You rock (even if you did beat me at “Ten Penny”… I will get you next time)!

That’s it for today.  Tomorrow is Wednesday, and Wednesdays on Matt’s Mexican Adventure are going to be dedicated to something little-hearted, random, or otherwise funny, and I have something great lined up for tomorrow.  Get ready to laugh.  See you then!

What Was I Created to Do?

What a horribly provocative question.  It’s one that is very difficult to ask yourself, and it’s one that is even more difficult to answer.  Often times, people do not have the courage to ask this question of themselves.  It is just so much easier to just go through life one day at a time; each day not too different from the previous, and before you know it weeks have gone by—or months or years—and nothing substantial has been accomplished.

But every once in a while someone will stop and ask themselves this question: “What was I created to do?”  Sometimes this self examination will be initiated by another person, sometimes by life circumstance, sometimes by sheer boredom, and sometimes by reading challenging.  For me, it was a mix of all of the above.  I was two years out of college, and 24-years-old.  I was working at a Civil Engineering EIT, and making about $50,000/year.  And I was incredibly bored.  I had pursed this path to do the responsible thing.  I dated the same girl for five years, and I figured that is was what I should do to be a good provider.  Well, at this point she was two years out of the picture, I had spent all my money on toys, games, and nonsense, and I was at a point of decision.

I knew that I was created to do something great with my life.  I knew that there was more than I my current situation and surroundings.  I knew that this was not all that God had for me….  But what?  What was I to do?  What was the path?  What was the destination?  And most importantly, what was the first step?

These are all questions that I had to answer for myself, as I am sure that some of you have to answer for yourselves.  For now though, I just want to leave you with that question: “What was I created to do?”  As this blog continues, I will start to share with you what I believe the answer is for my own life, and as you read, I hope that you also will be able to answer that question yourself.  Obviously, due to the title of the blog, Mexico is tied into that answer, and in the coming weeks and months I will relate that to you, but for now let me just say that for me, this was truly the first step: having the courage to ask this question.  I am hoping that in between today and tomorrow you will join with me and ask it of yourself.  Before you go back to working, or back to the kids, or back to homework, or back to… normal life, have the courage to…

Stop….

Have the courage to stop and ask yourself this question: “What was I created to do with my life?”  I can tell you from experience, this is not an easy thing to do.  It takes courage.  It takes strength.  And on the road of life, it may lead you on a harder road.  Your road may become narrower, less travelled, full of bumps and obstacles.  But in the end it is worth it.  In the end you will be grateful you made this choice.  In the end you will experience true satisfaction as you see yourself start to do all that you were created to do.

Tuesdays, on this blog, Matt’s Mexican Adventure, are going to be dedicated to sharing with you someone who is vital to this project, someone who in some way contributed to the overall success of what is going on.  And so I am very excited to share with you the person I have in mind for tomorrow.  Don’t miss it!! 

Almost there...!

Well, I have been working on my blog for the last couple of days, and I have noticed an interesting trend: people are reading my blog before it is ready, and before there are any posts up....  Ahhh.  So this post is dedicated to all of you amazing people who have discovered me before... I was there to be discovered.?.  Uhh, anyway, if you have stumbled upon this blog by mistake, by happenstance, or just because you are plain awesome, then I say, "patience my friend, patience" (sorry, really old movie quote).  There are lots of amazing things coming.  I have tentatively set the live-date to Monday, June 18, at which point I plan to be blogging at least Monday thru Friday.  Feel free to poke around on the different pages, e-mail me with questions, or otherwise make yourself at home.  Until then, take care.  See you soon!