The Dream of a Hot Tub

I want a hot tub. I've wanted one for quite a while now. For about 5 years I've really wanted one. There was a point about 3 years ago when I almost bought one online, but in the end, something happened financially that kept me from actually 'pulling the trigger' so to speak.

I've always liked hot tubs. I've never owned one, nor did I have one as a child growing up. I can remember times when I would visit friends who had one, and go on vacations to places that had one. Even now, I love to sit in that hot water and relax. For me, its a place of total relaxation.

Part of the reason i think about hot tubs all the time is that I am such a big guy. I'm 6 foot 5 and weigh about 250lbs. I'm not sure if you've noticed the standard tub, but for me, its either legs or body in the water. Therefore, the amount of baths that I have taken in the past 10 years have equaled exactly zero. The hot tub is the only option for total and complete immersion in hot water for me.

This Christmas, my in-laws gave me a really neat piggy bank. Its made out of an old metal tank of some sort that looks like a pig and is painted and all that. Its sweet. Its probably got a 2.5 gallon capacity with a slit on top for the money.

Here's my goal- I'm shoving dollar bills and change in that thing and when its full, hopefully I'll be on my way to a hot tub. Right now I think there is about 25 dollars in there, so I've got a ways to go, but I'm on my way.

Here's what happened yesterday- my daughter Faith wanted to put 10 of her dollars into the pig towards a hot tub. It was so sweet. She came to me and wanted to give into the 'hot tub fund'.

Here's what I saw- my 6 year old daughter was willing to part with a large percentage of her personal stash of cash to help the hot tub fund.

It encouraged me.

Why? Because she was being giving. She wanted to help me accomplish something she knows that I want, and wanted to be a part of it. Even if it meant parting with a bit of her own money.

Here's the nugget for the day- how tight are you with your own giving of money? When you see someone in need are you willing to part with a bit of your own? Do you offer to pay for meals when out with others? Do you look for opportunities to bless others with your money?

This is what I'm getting at- do you control your money, or does your money control you?

Be willing to part with a bit of your money. It will stretch you.

be blessed
matt

I Love Perfect People!

I love perfect People

I’ve decided that from this point on, I’m only going to love and spend time with perfect people. People who look nice. People who smell nice. The kind of people who are going to make me feel good about who I am. People who validate Matt and make Matt feel special.

I’ve been looking around for some perfect people, and I think I may have found a few. There is this guy, who has a really swell job, who owns some snowmobiles. I think when he and I become friends that he’ll invite me to come and go out with him snowmobiling. Wouldn’t that be sweet if he had a cabin and invited my family and I to come stay over and then he could take us all out to a steak dinner?

Having a friend or someone to hang out with who was perfect would be sweet, because then, since he didn’t have any issues or problems, I could spend the bulk of our time together talking about my problems and issues. That way, I could get my emotional needs met, and feel better about my self.

I can picture it now, me and my perfect friend, out to dinner (that he paid for) driving in his sweet car, driving past all those nobody’s who don’t have a friend like I have.

Here’s what I think would happen- I would feel better about myself, and have more self value because people would see how cool he is, and how put together he is, and they would naturally assume that since he was so put together, he wouldn’t be spending time with anyone who wasn’t less than perfect.

People would never know how messed up I am, if I am only seen with perfect people.

An added bonus would be if he went to a perfect church that was full of perfect people. Not a bunch of people with struggles, who are trying to make it in this world, but a bunch of people that look like those people in the GAP commercials. Real pretty women and ruggedly handsome men. The kind of people that when you’re with them, you feel like you’re famous. That way, we could focus on the really important stuff like how we can look cooler together. I’m almost positive that those people have no problems. How could they? Look how great they look!

Well, I thought I would just pass this on to you as I’m going into the weekend. I’m done dealing with broken people who have issues. My main focus moving forward is to find perfect people to hang out with. My life will be so much easier. Fuller. Exciting. Meaningful. Cool.

I’m probably going to have trouble sleeping at night because I’ll be so happy.

Here’s the nugget for the day- go find some perfect friends. Hang out with them. Stay away from anyone who appears to have any sort of short-comings or issues. Those types of people will just bring you down. They aren’t the type of people that you want to be around. They might infect you with their mediocrity.

Or could I be wrong?

Blessings
matt

How To Deal With People Who Accuse You

Have you ever been accused of something? Someone says something about you that is not true, or is attacking your character? Typically during these times, these accusers are usually speaking about you behind your back, or to your family, or to your neighbors or friends.

We've all been there. Someone says something about us, or attacks us directly. It usually happens in a setting that catches you by surprise in such a way that you not prepared for the attack, and therefore, not prepared in how to respond.

I'm not talking about the normal everyday questions that come from employers or spouses in regards to your whereabouts or productivity. I'm speaking more specifically about character assassination and attempts at discrediting your person in the public arena. It may happen in your workplace, neighborhood or organization.

These accusers usually possess these traits-

1. They feel justified in their attack because they believe that they are 'helping people out' by defaming someones character. ("Everyone else should know what I know")

2. They gain a certain satisfaction from attacking people either with or without cause. ("I sure showed them")

3. Typically they have been attacked in the past and are now lashing out at someone else to vindicate a past hurt. ("Now someone else knows how I felt")

4. They act on limited information and misconstrue the motives of the person being attacked. ("That person deserves this!")

I think at some level we've all probably attack someone at some point in our lives, but when it happens to us, it really feels different. That should prompt two actions in our own personalities. We should first, realize that attacking someones character or motives hurts that person, and secondly, not attack people.

It brings up the question? How do we respond to those accusers? Do we lash out at them? Do we attack them? Do we find fault in them so as to discredit their character?

There's a small story in the Bible about Jesus being accused that at times comforts me in regards to personal attacks-

Mark 15:3-5 The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Sometimes, the greatest defense of an accuser is to say absolutely nothing.

Here's the deal- if you believe in God, and believe that He knows everything that is going on, you have to believe that God will defend you. He will bring the truth to light and vindicate you. When you remain silent, and allow the Lord to do the defending, it allows Him to work things out in such a way that is better than anything that you could have done yourself.

So what's the short nugget for the day? When people attack you, be quiet and let God work it out.

Be blessed
matt

I Tried To Kill The Goldfish

About 6-7 months ago, my kids really wanted a fishbowl. Who knows where they get these ideas, but they each wanted some fish. Being the loving benevolent parent that I am, we took them down to the WalMart and bought a one gallon 'all-in-one' set for about 8 dollars. It came with a bowl, rocks, and one plant. We bought two fish and the kids named them Alli and Lincoln.

Here was the plan with the goldfish- I figured I would get them and they would die within the first month since, they were only .29c feeder fish. Alli did die, the second day, so we had to replace her with the current fish, Alli-2. My thought was that the kids would get over having a fish or they would die, and we could move on. Alas, this has not been the case.

Our two fish grew quite a bit in that little bowl, regardless of the recommended 5 gallon per fish standard that I have heard about. Two things I did notice though, the two fish seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time at the top of the bowl sucking air and their water was really dirty all the time. So what did I do? What any good parent would do, I went out and bought a bigger bowl with a filtration and aeration system. What has been happening with the fish has been remarkable.

Since they have increased their area to swim in by 4 gallons, and now have oxygenated and filtered water, they have been moving around a lot more. I can visibly see that their activity and movement are quite different. Here's the biggest thing I've noticed- they don't go up to the top of the water to suck air now that they are getting the correct amount of oxygen in the water. The water is much cleaner too.

Here's what I was thinking about last night while I was sitting in front of the tank watching those little fish- as soon as they got cleaner water, their life was better. They were better.

Is there some stuff in your life that you need to filter out? Have you been living in dirty water that is clouding your perspective? Is it inhibiting your ability to be able to grow spiritually?

Here's the plan- ask the Lord to reveal those things in your life that are clouding you and allow him to filter them out of your life. You'll feel better and live better.

Be blessed
matt

Here's the question

Back To The Grind

Happy New Year! Here we are, 2010 and back at it. If you're like me, you probably took a few days off over the holidays to spend some time with family, celebrate and relax. Those are good times for making memories and being with those whom you love, but it sure is nice for me to get back into the routine of it all.

One thing I love about January is the setting of the goals. Most people have some goals that they want to accomplish for the new year, and it usually starts in January. Its a new year, and the natural progression for most of us in western society is to make new years resolutions. I'm no different, I've got a few. I think goal setting is good, but its more than just the goal itself.

Here's what goal setting does for you-

1. Helps define some specific purposes for your day.
2. Gives you a tangible accomplishment on which to reflect.
3. Improves your overall well-being and sense of self worth.

Here's my recommendation for you for this year- when you are setting your goals, don't just set goals that have a end point. Set goals that will change your life for the long run. For example, instead of losing an amount of weight, make the commitment to exercise and eat healthy. Instead of paying off a debt, make some permanent changes in how you manage your money.

If we just set goals, and don't make lifestyle changes, the goals may be short lived and not accomplish what they intended- life change. Truly that is the only thing that is going to last. Having life change.

Take some time to reflect and decide what you're going to make different for your life in 2010. Find things that are big and little bit out of your reach. Pray and ask the Lord to empower you and help you to do them.

You don't want to be sitting here in 2011 thinking about 2010 wishing you would have done something this year. Make it count.

Be blessed
matt