Get Ready…Get Set…

The new blog is ALMOST ready. After many weeks in development and coding (blah!) we’re almost ready to launch the new “look.”

Then..I turn on my phone this morning and see a msg from my tech-guru titled “Huge Blog Hang-Up…” You can imagine my nervous-ness as I opened the email.

As I twittered earlier, WordPress does not let you upload custom template to sites that they host…so.

After moving from HERE to HERE…I know have to move to HERE.

If you got to my blog all along by using www.mattmacdonald.ca then you would have NEVER had a problem, but after the advice or a few friends like THIS GUY and THIS GUY it’s time to host the blog myself..

So on Monday morning we are going live to www.mattmacdonald.ca and leaving WP Hosting behind. Please change your links/pages/subscriptions to the new domain…

P.S Apparently “give-aways” are the coolest new thing…SO…with the launch of the new look, I’m going to be giving away from swag! Stay tuned!

That’s “Epic”

No…it’s really not. I tweeted earlier today about the over use of the word “EPIC” and received a mixture of responses. Some (like from THIS GUY) we’re poking fun at me…no surprise…but others claimed to enjoy the using the word. All in all, calling my friends’ band “Epic” or saying that party I just patron’d was “Epic is simply not the case…unless your friend is Bono or Paul McCartney and party you attended was held @ Madison Square Gardens and it was hosted by Michael Jordan.

Here’s my criteria for the correct use of the word Epic…

1) Is the event/source embraced and esteemed by others to the same degree?

2) Is the event/source timeless and relevant in its greatness?

3) How does the event/source compare to other comparable event sources?

Here are 3 examples that I used:

1) Becoming a Father
2) Star Wars “Empire Strikes Back”
3) The Mona Lisa

What 3 could you come up with? Do You Agree/Disagree?

I Got Robbed

For those of that follow me on twitter, you read about how my car was broken into yesterday…not a good day.

I really struggled with the whole thing. There’s something about getting in your car after someone else has just rummaged through it that makes you feel…uncomfortable. My golf clubs were the only thing taken (which we’re not cheap to replace!), but I found myself really clinging to James 1 in thanking God through this trial and praising Him for His faithfulness (no one was hurt, no damage to the car, etc.)

As I looked back on the whole incident, I was struck with a parallel in my own relationship with God.

God calls us to live blamelessly before Him, pursuing holiness. As I drove in my car, I couldn’t help but feel like I was riding in a ‘sin-bin.’ There were a few minutes during the night before, where thieves had been where I was now sitting with the sole purpose of stealing from me.

Sort of reminds me of my sin. Everything I have and am is because God has ordained it and allowed it. My health and possessions are His alone. So I guess when I don’t take care of my body, or blow money on foolish things…or worse…take pride in something that isn’t mine to begin with…I look pretty silly.

It would be like the guy that stole my golf clubs…would he feel a greater sense of accomplishment having worked and saved to buy them (like me) or from just stealing them…?

I know the example isn’t perfect, but it does put things in perspective. I feel ripped off because someone stole my golf clubs. How much more is God ripped off when we misuse the life that we have in Him.

Just some food for thought.

It Happened One Night…

So here’s the thing.

Babies are great…specifically mine…BUT you know what isn’t great…crying babies…specifically mine.

Last night, Stella (or as I refer to her “the diva”) went to bed @ 9:30pm…pretty good eh! Hailey and I watched some T.V, talked about the next few weeks, etc. At approx midnight, “the diva” decided that it was not sleep time…but scream time. She proceeded to cry off and on until 5am.

I say this…to say this…

1) My wife is AH-MA-ZING. Without a word of complaint, she tended to “the diva” and told me to go back to bed as I had to work the next day.

2) I am a suck. I am SO tired and basically running on 2 large coffee’s and 4 hours of sleep right now…she’s at home taking cat-naps whenever she can…I’m a suck…she’s a hero.

3) We need to consider moving to Australia. Our night is there day…Stella would love it!

4) I love my little girl. Even though she kept us up all night (I did sit her down in the morning and give her a talking to about her behavior), I could not help but play with her and hold her in the morning…DANG Diva Powers…!

I’m PRETTY SURE that God doesn’t want that…

||| NOTE: Outlandish Sarcasm ahead…proceed with caution |||

I saw this on a friends facebook. I guess he found it in a bookstore or something. Makes you wonder…is it really that easy to get something published? I’m contemplating ripping some bark off a tree in my backyard and seeing if someone will publish it for me…I’ll write my name on it and maybe “God wants us all to be like tree bark.” Think of the potential!

Click HERE and HERE or HERE for other great ideas…

(okay, the 3rd one is a joke)

Farewell Michael Jackson

“Where were you when you heard the news..?”

A question I’ve heard over the years to describe “important” events in history.  9/11, JFK Shooting, the most recent Tsunami and now…the death of Michael Jackson. For me, not quite as big as big a deal a catastrophe like those other events, but still…the dude was a legend.

I was golfing yesterday afternoon, and within minutes of the story breaking, the Cart-Girl told us that he had died…

As I thought about it (and all the worship of a man that was about to ensue) I thought about how crazy it was that the “King of Pop” was now about to meet the “King of Glory.” Even as I write this blog, with the T.V on in the background, I hear a old woman crying about how she is heartbroken and doesn’t “know how she can move on…” as Michael was “everything to her…”

How Sad.

We so quickly exalt these sinful men and women to iconic levels. My dad and I were talking yesterday and he said something that really made me think. As we discussed the TRAIN-WRECK that is Michael Jackson (“Wacko Jacko“), my dad said that MJ was really the perfect picture of the TOTAL “depravity of man. From icon to nut-job, the guy was worshiped in spite of his sin and was held in a place that is reserved for the God of the Universe ALONE.

So where does that leave us?  Well, I am left saddened that this pop-legend has now MET the living God and SEEN how his life was such a waste!

Why We Love to Hate

It’s really unfortunate…but isn’t it true. Admit it…don’t admit it…doesn’t matter to me.

We love to hate.

No one rants ON AND ON about what they love. Even look at my blog, your friends blog, your favorite speakers blog…controversy and disagreement is what turns the wheels.

Now I’m sure your already on the “disagreement and controversy are not bad…” and I agree. BUT. How often to we go a little to far? How often does a disagreement (theologically, politically, etc.) go from “agree to disagree” to “you’re an idiot…”

As I sit back and look at this a little more, we all know that the culture sets the trends for the market. MEANING: The reason why all of these dumb Reality T.V Shows exist…is because (secretly or not) we all watch them. The reason why McDonald’s is changing their menu to Green-friendly…healthy choices is because that’s what the market wants.

So when I look at the kind of hate-driven crap that’s on T.V (and this is coming from a guy that watches it) I need to ask myself…is it becoming more common on T.V because we simply LOVE TO HATE?

Shows like; Entertainment Tonight, TMZ, Inside Edition are all driven by finding people’s flaws and mistakes and raking them over national (sometimes International) television.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen an episode of TMZ when Harvey stands up there with his lame thermos mug telling his staff that he’s really impressed with the conduct of some young-gun celebrity.

As Christians, it is so easy to look at culture and be like “What is this world coming too?”

As Christians, we VERY quickly grab our blame-game stick and point it right in the face of the “church across town” or the preacher with just a little to much charisma for our liking…

We LOVE to see others stumble. Very few would verbalize that, but it’s true! Over-zealous Joe Worship-Leader drops his guitar…we’re glad he was “humbled.” High-flying Business Exec gets caught in a fraud scandal…”I knew he was up to no good!” Or how about a close friend gets promoted above you and then gets laid off a few months later…”Sucks to be him!”

All of these are internalized thoughts that we would NEVER say…(Luke 12:34…Acts 1:24…James 5:8)

I write this blog primarily for myself. I need to Rejoice in the successes of others and pray for them when they stumble and fall. Lord give me the faith to trust, the will to follow through and the grace to offer others, just as you have done for me!

Amen.

Enough is Enough.

I have largely remained quiet about the whole Jon & Kate + 8 “thing.”

I’ve read comments from tons of people on blogs, twitter, TMZ (yes, I’m a closet fan)…and I think I have had about enough “Jon and Kate Plus 8″ for a lifetime…

“He Cheated”
“She Cheated”
“They Cheated”

Who cares…

The kids are a modern-day sideshow and the parents are milking them for all its worth. And to add insult to injury…if Monday Night (+ a Tuesday night encore) wasn’t enough J&K+8 for you…tonight they are on Orange County Choppers!

Let’s get these people some help and stop dragging them through the mud in the name of Reality T.V…

Seriously.

P.S. What the heck is with Kate’s hair…I mean, I’m not the fashion police, but I’m pretty sure he “do” was never cool…

Mac Geeks Unite

Thus far, I have never seen 1 online event that is as widely followed as today’s big Apple Meeting.  Here’s a picture I snapped on my twitter to demonstrate how Apple owned the day…
Below is a snapshot of what the “pre-chat” on Apple Insider dot com looked like.

Pretty brutal in terms of what people get excited for.  Check out the bottom one…the guy “couldn’t sleep” the night before. Joking or not, it’s pretty sad when people idolize technology like this.  But here’s the thing…I’m just as bad!  Am I stoked about the new “copy/paste” feature on the new operating system (OS)…YES!  I was convicted today via Apple.  I had a sweet chat with my buddy @CaptainCool about tech stuff, ministry and everything in between. It is refreshing to talk about tech stuff in the context of our faith (i.e how can I use technology as a resource to spread the gospel), BUT the bridge between resource and idol is not large.
I get excited about technology sometimes…

I need to get JUST as excited about stuff that matters! At the end of my life…no iphone app, new car or cool tie will be there, just me and my Saviour…I need something more to say than…”my itunes library was SUPER up-to-date and I had great hair…”

16 Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance. Psalm 37:16-19

Now THAT is startling!

I’ve got my head down for one more day (they’ve become 15+ hour-days recently) left before freedom from tax season…

I haven’t posted anything of substance in a while, and come May, I will return (big baby news that I will write more about soon), but until then…read THIS ARTICLE.  It talks about how much T.V you watch and how it is costing you thousands of dollars a year!  Very convicting!