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MATTHEW JOHN BELL

I have serious problems! (or) I'm called to be a missionary in Japan.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005

There is really no other way to look at it. How else can you explain the fact that I've been laying in bed for two hours and am still wide awake. FYI: It's 6:45P in Japan right now. Feels about right. I have got to get my sleeping habits (if you want to call them that) under control. Right now, I just go and go until I can't keep my eyes open, then I just fall asleep wherever I am. If it's 3P or 3A, it really doesn't make much of a difference. So thats my #1 new years resolution, to get my internal sleep clock straightened out and keep it that way. It's getting close to 4A and I'm not even almost sleepy. I've got to be at prayer at 7:30A tomorrow morning. I want to be at prayer. I need to be at prayer. God I hope I can wake up! So I'm just laying in bed (Actually I sleep on the floor. Don't really like beds.), and I feel like I'm just wasting time. So I decided since it's been almost a full month since I've blogged I'd hit this up. I sincerely apologize for letting this blog run cold for so long. December has been a whirlwind of a month. I remember thinking about posting on the topic of how I wasn't ready for Christmas yet. About how I hadn't had proper time this year to get into the Christmas spirit. Well, too late for that. I remember wanting to do a post to recap The Red Airplanes concert we held on December 14. Seems too late for that too. It was awesome though! It seems too late for a lot of things. January is here. We only have 4 days of 2005 left to squeeze in all those things we said we were going to get done this year. I think I only have about 50 books of the Bible left. Let's see, I think thats about 12.5 / day. I don't think it's going to happen. 2005, where did you go? If I had to put a term to this year, it would have to be "Total Insanity". Maybe a better term would be "Chaos". The year started off pretty slow. At the time I didn't realize it, seemed to be going at a pretty good clip to me. Little did I realize how fast things would accelerate midway through the year! Even though a lot of times it feels like I'm just trying to keep my head above the water, I wouldn't change it. No way. 2005, where did you go? Honestly, the last six months are a complete blur. I'm sitting here tripping out over the fact that the year is gone. Another year, another entire year, totally gone. I don't feel like it's been wasted at all, I'm just amazed. At the rate things are going, I know I feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and be 50. Time is such a bizarre thing. One one hand it feels like I'm going through life at a million miles per hour, with the sands just slipping through my fingers, and and in the process I'm just trying to make a dent in this world for Jesus. But on the other hand, it seems as though certain areas of my life are just crawling along. I don't talk on here much about my relationships (or lack there of). In fact, I don't think I have ever touched the topic, but when you come to the close of a year, you start to think about all kinds of crazy things. For instance. Will this be the last time I have a Christmas or New Years a single man? WIll I have to be dealing with in-laws and their Christmas celebrations in 2006. I honestly don't think so, because I just don't see much of anything on the horizon in that area. But you never know. At the beginning of 2005, I had no clue that I would be where I am today. You never know. I mean, eventually I think I will probably get married. I mean, sooner or later it's bound to happen. So as each year passes by, the chances that this next year may be the year increase. It's just the way it is. (I'm probably going to look back on this post in about 5 years, still single, and think "Yeah right!") I'm so excited about 2006. I love new years. Not the day, but the new year. I just love it. Christmas if my favorite day and time of year, but I think there would be a lot less excitement for me if a new year wasn't around the corner. A new year. What an amazing thing. Everyone alive gets one. For me it's a new start. The opportunity to improve upon some of the things I wasn't so great at in 2005. A chance to start over fresh. I just love the idea. Maybe 2005 was your worst year ever. Good news, it's almost over! And 2006 doesn't have to be anything like 2005. 2006 is yours to do with whatever you please. Make it count for something bigger than yourself! So goodbye 2005. It's seems as though we hardly knew thee. You were good to me, but I'm not sad to see you go. 2006 ... bring it on!

Listening to in iTunes : Chaos by Mute Math

posted by MATTHEW JOHN BELL @ 12/28/2005 04:21:00 AM, ,




Encounter 11 30 05 / Recap
Friday, December 02, 2005

Wow, it's been an eternity since I've blogged. To all my millions of faithful readers out there, I humbly apologize. It's taken me some time to get back into the swing of things after my little illness which led right into the Thanksgiving holiday with no Encounter service. It seems like it's been forever since I've been productive! This week I was back into the swing of things. Destiny Insanity™ at it's finest :-D. Wednesday was just one of those days. You know, when you just feel ... off? Seemed like I just couldn't get ahead. I was behind all day, all the way up until we started service ... about five minutes late (a rarity). All went well once we got things going. Had a handful of brand new people. It's always a blast to get to see who shows up and then have the opportunity to meet them. Lots and lots of fun. A bunch of people have the flu. I guess it's going around. I had a bunch of people cover their mouth, cough, shake my hand, and then when I asked about how they were doing they would say "I feel horrible. I think I have the flu." Thanks to everyone who blessed me with that! ;-) I talked this week about the age old battle between Jesus Christ and Santa Clause.

I compared and contrasted the two using this list I found online (link). I added my own contribution to the list. It's the point I consider one of the biggest difference between the them ... Santa keeps a list of everything you've done wrong all year but Jesus completely forgets your sins as soon as you repent (Isaiah 43:25). How cool is that? Very cool indeed. I then made the point that a lot of us have a Santa Clause view of / relationship with Jesus. We think Jesus is just up there watching us, waiting for us to make a mistake (I used this funny little video clip to illustrate that). Or that we only go to God when we need something. Next week I'm going to be talking about Jesus' words. What they mean, and how we can live them out in our daily lives. Hoe you all have a wonderful weekend! Be safe. + Link to message notes + Link to message audio (.mp3 or podcast)
Listening to in iTunes : Above You by Manhattan red

posted by MATTHEW JOHN BELL @ 12/02/2005 05:58:00 PM, ,