matt ames blogs

The thought that someone discovered my blog yesterday because they might have been searching for posts stating that God won’t lead them definitely brings me joy.

God WILL Lead You

Dot + circle + swirl=sarcasm???

According to the folks at Sarcasm, Inc., that’s how you make the SarcMark.

You may have heard of the newest addition to the punctuation family last week, and at $1.99 per download, a way to express sarcasm is raking in some serious cash. 

The SarcMark is gaining attention in news reports and across the ‘net.  Allow Jimmy Kimmel’s stunt double to show you how it works:

How does the SarcMark favor in the writing world?  Has its time finally come?  I decided to ask my eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. Laurie Frazier:

Okay, Matt, I think the SarcMark is a really innovative!! Like the ad says, its time has come. When you want to ask a question, can’t you?? When you want to shout, you can shout!! I think this little mark has the potential to revamp our traditional system of punctuation. Let’s face it, language is an ever-evolving organism. It grows and changes as the human race progresses. Look at the word “nice.” According to Maria Boomhower at EZine.com, it used to be ”an insult and meant foolish or stupid in the 13th century,” but, of course, it now means “good and pleasing or thoughtful and kind.” Words like “cool” and “postal” have taken on a whole new meaning in the world of slang. Then new words have had to be invented to again keep up with humankind’s progress – words like “spyware,” “supersize,” and “manga.” So, it only stands to reason that if our language is “alive” and must continue to develop and grow, why shouldn’t our system of punctuation? I, for one, like the SarcMark so much that I decided to download it. If I feel like making a sarcastic remark, I want to make sure everyone knows it’s a sarcastic mark! No more misinterpretations or scratching of the head. The SarcMark makes it plain and simple and keeps no one guessing, even the geniuses (if I had the SarcMark, I’d put it right it here!).

Thank you, Mrs. Frazier!  What do you think about the SarcMark, and is it worth $1.99 for people to get the hint?

Whenever a tragic event like that in Haiti occurs, two sets of emotions seem to arise.  Some people feel led to help out in any way they can.  Others wonder why so much attention is being paid to another country when theirs has people in need.  Why give money away to another nation?  Why go and help them out in their time of need?  Why have a telethon for them?

While I’m no expert in the answers to these questions from a government or celebrity perspective, I hope I can shed some light on the Biblical commandment to help other nations:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
–Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus wants us to go everywhere and share Him.  When you look through the four gospels at the beginning of the New Testament–Matthew, Mark, Luke and John–you will see the ministry of Jesus Christ while He was here on Earth.  He didn’t stay in one place, but traveled to many, and preached how to be with God for eternity.  However, He didn’t stop at preaching.  He healed people, spent time with them, ate with them and loved and cared for them.  This work continued with His disciples in Acts:

‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
–Acts 1:8

By saying His disciples will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the Earth, Jesus means their homes, their regions, their nations and beyond.  This call was answered as His disciples spread past where they lived to share Jesus with others and to meet their needs.

This is why everywhere matters–be it Haiti or outside your door.  We do need to meet the needs of the people of our nation.  That has been true and always will be.  Celebrity telethons were there post-9/11 and post-Katrina.  They were there for Haiti, too.  Praise God they were, as the influence of these people raised money in a couple of hours that would’ve taken weeks to be received otherwise. 

We need to be there for everyone.  Maybe the relief efforts of Haiti have brought forth places locally and nationally you would like to help out citizens of your country.  That’s great.  They need you.  The best thing to do is respond as you are called.  You don’t pick up a phone and say, “hello?” before it rings.  The world is a global effort, and the best way to find out what actions you should take is to seek the counsel of God.  He is the hope we all need.

If you look back on archived posts, you will find a wide variety of things on my mind, and I hope you will always have to look no further than the front page to find something that gets you thinking, inspires you and leads you to take further action.  There’s a world out there that needs you, and a God who loves you more than you can ever imagine.  I pray you will be pointed to both. 

Now that the pressure of making it to the one-year mark is behind me, I can’t wait to move forward with you and see what all we can accomplish and dialogue about (I’m always open for suggestions). 

Right now, I want to pray for you: 

Father, whoever comes here and reads what is written, may they always be able to find You in the midst of it.  It is my desire to give You the glory, and for people to connect with the love You have for them.  Please keep all receptive hearts moving closer to You.  May we reach the world by first reaching for You and then letting You lead us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

My First Birthday - October 16, 1986

Hard to believe, but one week from today is this blog’s one year anniversary! That’s a lot of writing; especially when I started out writing daily.  This is getting to be the longest I’ve stuck with a blog outside of a social network.  I’m glad you’ve been stopping by to read it up, and hopefully you’ve been able to take away something.

Keep coming back between now and next Tuesday.  You never know what I’ll have on my mind.

Committing to reading the Bible has never been more accessible.  Thanks to YouVersion, there are 20+ reading plans available on their website, on your phone, or in your RSS reader for no charge.  Starting tomorrow, I will be continuing a plan online that was introduced to my church over the summer. 

These plans range from 25 days to two years, and you’re bound to pick one out that suits you.  Once you do, you can connect to a community of users who are on the same plan. 

If you’ve never used YouVersion, chances are you’ll love all you can do with it.  If you’re more book-friendly or use an eReader or a mobile app (by the way–YouVersion has those, too), then you can still follow along.  You can also check out Gene Jennings’ recommendation for a reading plan on his blog.

What a great time to word up!

So I haven’t been stopping in as much as I would like to write a thing or two about a thing or two.  It’s funny: between busyness and forgetfulness, I am bound to never blog again.  However, God’s timing is great.  Here I am, waiting for my camera to charge in preparation to see this guy . . .

David Crowder

. . . in Columbia tonight, and it gives me time to say “hi” to all of you.

As far as busyness is concerned, this is simultaneously the most wonderful and most busy time of year.  It can really blow by or be full of getting caught up in the wrong things.  Engagements, events and errands are often the three e’s that define the holiday season best.  A full social calendar with programs and to-do’s mixed in can leave someone ready for it to be over.  I haven’t found the recipe to simplify  the months of November and December yet, but I do hope to find myself enjoying the true moments of this time as they occur.  Maybe that will even be before Christmas Day, when I usually can finally breathe and be thankful that it’s all over. 

Forgetfulness is another thing that’s kept me away from the keyboard.  This past Sunday, I had a topic in mind to write about, but it escaped by the time I logged in to put my thoughts into words.  It really is a shame when this happens.   Makes me think of all the great songs we’ll never hear, or the new ways to sell pre-chopped lettuce that won’t hit the market.  I’m pretty sure my mind has maxed out on its absences.

Hopefully I’ll have thoughts on the Crowder show up in the next couple of days, and also a follow-up to this.  I’m also working on a series idea that I hope to unbox one of these days.  Oh, and maybe even a new My Journey addition.  Who knows?  Now, if I can only remember what it was I was charging . . .

Brilliant! Take some time to watch this:

People aren’t a series of updates and bits of information on a computer. They’re actually people living their lives.

How close are you to having something to talk about with the people who pop up in your Facebook chat list?