My Birthday

I have to admit that today was a pretty cool birthday. I got MANY birthday wishes throughout the day, including some hugs solicited by Garland on my behalf. Got some really cool gifts also. Thanks to everybody who made it special including Ricky and Heredes for the heartfelt serenade (brings a tear to my eye even as I write this). FYI - my birthday meal was Little Ceasar's Pizza - one of my favorites, especially considering my dietary restrictions of late.

39 (but who cares?)
Matt

A Special Treat

As hard as it may be for some of you to believe, I have been eating pretty well lately. Tonight, I had to take a brief vacation from that plan. My birthday is tomorrow and my son, Bailey, made me some special brownies. Brownies have never tasted so good. Now I have to run extra miles for the rest of the week, but it was worth it.

Matt

Mashburn Family Tradition

For the last 8 years it has been a well protected tradition in the Mashburn household to attend the Monster Truck Races twice a year. In August they race at the BankAtlantic Center and in February at Dolphin Stadium. Today we went to our 16th race and had a blast. Although I do get some ridicule for it, I always say, if you go once you will be hooked. Tickets for the Feb show go on sale Sunday at midnight. We will be seated on the front row 50 yard line. Below are some pics from today as well as one from our first show.


Grave Digger and Maximum Destruction Get Ready to Race

Monster Mutt doing a Wheelie

The only Dodge that looks better than mine

Grave Digger gets sic air

Nick at his First Show in 2001

Elevator Etiquette Part 2

When you step into the elevator, move to the back. Dont' just stop inside the door causing everybody behind you to body slam you. Surprisingly, you are not the only person in the universe.

Sincerely,
One of the other people in the universe

Elevator Attack!!!

Was anybody else ever taught any elevator manners? I was always taught that when waiting on an elevator, you stand back so that if there are people in the elevator when it arrives, they can exit before you get on. (Also taught to let women enter or exit first but that is another topic).

In our travels over the summer, we had several hotel stays that resulted in many elevator rides. Every single time we were getting ready to get off the elevator and someone was waiting, they would practically run over us to get in the elevator before we get out.

I don't get it. Are they afraid it is going to leave them? Are they afraid that no other elevator will come for them? Have they been waiting for hours and simply can't control the urge to jump right in? Or maybe everybody enjoys elevator rides so much more than me that I can't sympathize with their uncontrollable enthusiasm.

Matt

Getting Things Done

I am an organizational/time management obsessive compulsive enthusiast. Figure that one out and then remember that you do not want to be one. I love systems, processes, solutions, challenges, and procedures. I have spent a lot of time honing my personal organizational/reminder/time management system. I have always felt that it is unique to me as it has been developed over many years and as a result of my many idiosyncrasies. Recently I have found out that it is not so unique. I have been reading a book called "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. This is may be the best book I have ever read on personal organization, project management, and team leadership. The system he describes is a lot like the one that I have painstakingly developed over many years. It's a little frustrating to re-invent the wheel, but at the same time it is reaffirming. I suggest you check it out if you feel like you have more plates spinning than you can handle all the time. If you don't feel that way - get married, get a job, find your holy discontent, have kids, strive to be a learner, find someone to lead, find someone to follow that challenges you, live a healthy lifestyle, and try to rest in the middle of all that - then read the book.

Matt

Cannonball Contest

Here lately, the boys and I have kind of made it a part of the regular routine to work in the yard a little on saturday evenings and then jump in the pool. We usually just hang out and spend some time beaning each other with splash balls. Tonight we decided to have a cannonball contest. Below are some pics from the contest. Sorry they are so dark.

Bailey's Jump

Nick's Jump

My Jump

As you can see it is quite obvious who the winner is. Below is the podium shot from the awards ceremony. Everybody was a winner in the end.

Matt

Vacation Ends

Looks like another great vacation is coming to a close. We have had a fantastic time. Vegas has been great. There is way too much to see here, so we feel like we missed a lot, but we got to see some really cool stuff. Coolest of all was probably today when we visted the Stratosphere. I would not say that I am afraid of heights (I do not lock up in those situations) but it definitely makes me uneasy. We could see the whole town of Vegas. The kids rode a couple of rides on the top of the Stratosphere - one that shoots you straight up and one that hangs you out over the edge 866 feet in the air.

I used to like that kind of thing, but I think I am getting old. I did run into an old friend today - see pic below:

Vegas is a town that represent a lot of the things that are wrong with our world, but there are a lot of things that are good for families.

Tonight, I asked the kids what they liked the most and they said the trash chute. Everytime we need to throw out the trash, they run down to it because they can hear the trash falling 22 floors. Sometimes it is the simple things in life.

We have a long day of flying tomorrow (two 3 and one half hour flights) and then we will be home. It will be good to be back. Hopefully our bodies can adjust back to EST. Here is a cool pic of some of the hotels:

Had to eat my own words

You might remember a few days ago I blogged about the inherent danger at the Grand Canyon and the fact that people seemed oblivious to it. I finally found a warning sign (above). Well, the next day while we were visiting the GC, Nick stepped in a crack and fell and cut open his elbow.

We had to take him to the GC Clinic for 5 stitches. Seeing him in that hospital bed brought back old memories and also reminded me that it can happen to anybody.

We did get to see some more of the GC including the sunset and then headed back to Flagstaff to prepare to leave for Vegas the next day. I share a few pics below:

Train Ride to the Grand Canyon/Fatalities

Yesterday, we surprised the kids with a train ride on the Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon, They knew we were going to the GC, just not how. They were so excited. The train ride was awesome, complete with entertainment and train robbers.

It was very scenic and allowed us about 4 hours in the park to check it out. Below are some pics from the park time. Today, we are going back a little later to finish seeing the sights and end the day with a sunset over the GC. One of the most interesting things I saw is that the rim trail runs right along the rim (hence the name) with NO GUARD RAILS. You can walk right out to the edge. In a society that is fixated on liability, this was very weird. I saw people who were not used to having this kind of freedom, making questionable decisions about how close to the rim to get. I can't imagine somebody lacking in their judgment to that level.

It seems that their tendency to rely on rules to keep you safe found them without judgment when rules were removed. As we were walking, I thought that it must not be much of an issue or they would put up rails. When we returned to the gift shop, Melissa found a book about fatal accidents at the canyon – that was about the size of a phone book. Maybe my original observations were right.

THis picture has an interesting significance. When I was 12 years old (26 years ago) my family took a similar picture in a tree at the Grand Canyon - the traditions continues.

Spontaneous Human Combustion

I am calling it right now. I am the only known survivor of Spontaneous Human Combustion. Today the Mashburns embarked on a journey to the Grand Canyon for our Summer Family Vacation. The day began at 3:20am (for me) and you can see what time this post is. We had heard news reports of the heat out west, but you always hear “There is no humidity, so you don’t feel hot”. NOT TRUE. When we got off the plane in Phoenix it was 106 degrees. And it felt like 106 degrees. After cramming all of Melissa’s luggage into our rental car, we set off for a short trek to Flagstaff where we are staying to explore the Grand Canyon and other things in the area. On the way, we drove through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, which leads me to my near demise. In Sedona, we stopped to see Montezuma’s castle – which sounds pretty cool and it was. The problem was the unbelievable heat. It was so hot, it was hard to breathe. Not long after I boasted “I could burst into flames any moment. Let’s get back in the car” Melissa and the boys saw smoke coming from the top of my head. Being the quick thinking wife that she is, they quickly doused me with water and, it would seem, averted what would have certainly been a catastrophe. The weird thing is that neither of them remembers the part after I said I might burst into flames. I think maybe the heat got to them. Besides the oppressive heat, it has been an amazing trip so far. I posted some pics below to share.

Suds

Just in case you were wondering if you can use dishwashing soap when you run out of dishwasher detergent.

Sure wish I had bought that wet vac.

Matt

My Little Drummer Boy

Today Bailey made his public debut on the big stage. Maybe it was a glimpse into the future when he will be up there on the weekend during the services. For now, he played for the school audience in the FRCA talent show. Above is a picture of him on the kit. It was cool to see him up there doing his thing both as a drummer and as a 10 year old willing to put himself out there in front of all those people. It took a lot of courage to do that. Thanks goes out to his drum teachers – Cory Farver (his first teacher who went off to college) and now Pastor Igor (who somehow finds the time to squeeze the lessons into his schedule). You guys have helped Bailey find something he is truly passionate about and I will be forever grateful for that. It is cool to see your kids grow up, but you also realize how fast it happens.

Matt

Someday I will be 40

But not today! That honor belongs to our Pastor - Troy. I remember when I thought 40 was old (yesterday), but as I near that magic mark myself, I see that now 50 is old. Pastor Troy gave me the opportunity to go into vocational ministry and I will always be grateful for that. He also fuels my argument that its the healthy people that get sick (also thanks to Greg Mize, HP, Raul). Despite the sometimes strange sicknesses, God is using him in a big way and it is cool to be on he journey with him.

Last but not least, let me be the first to publish what science will determine in the future - The Snickers diet is the only way to be truly healthy; King size = more healthy.

HB - TDG,
Matt

Colonoscopy

OK, so I have not been very consistent blogging so far, but I am going to try to do better. On Friday I had a colonoscopy. Let me share a few thoughts with you about this process (but no graphic details).

1. It is not good when one of your good friends said that his doctor threatened him with a colonoscopy but then said he was not old enough....and he is the same age as you. This person also shared some of his thoughts on the process and the humor in it over the next few days - not so humorous to me.

2. I can only imagine why they put you completely under during this procedure - but am glad they did. If anybody knows - keep it to yourself and suffer in solitude.

3. The best part was the sleeping part.

4. Why do doctors tell you that yo will be done in 1 hour and then make you wait 3 hours to get the one hour started - after not eating for 36 hours. (It took almost 2 hours by the way - total time lost from my life never to be recovered - 5 hours not including prep (graphic details spared here) and recovery time)

5. With the impending sense of doom you feel about what the test might uncover, I reflected on my way to the procedure that these may be the last few moments of my life that I do not know a particular peice of horrible news that will change my life forever.

6. Laying in the waiting area, there was a poster right next to my bed that explained in detail all the things that could be wrong thereby making #5 even more important and making my nervousness even more acute.

7. As I laid on the bed in the procedure room and tried to see how low I could get my heartrate by concentrating (48 by the way) to kill time, the doc walked in and it jumped 25 points involuntarily.

Usually I post a pic or two, but I felt they would be inappropriate so I spared you.

BTW - turns out that I only have a minor issue so #5 proved to be a non-issue.

Back upright and loving it,
Matt

I'm Back

Over the last 80 days I have endured some good-natured ribbing about the fact that I have disapeared from the blogosphere. My response was that I lacked inspiration and refused to post just to check it off my list (as I am prone to do). Over that time I have experienced some level of guilt as well as a sense of neglect for abandoning theblog I started with such earnest. Alas, inspriation came last night in the form of Seth Godin's book "Small is the New Big and 183 other riffs, rants, and remarkable business ideas." Seth points out that if you have something to say, most of the other mediums are watered down, leaving blogging as one of the remaining pure forms of communication. E-mail is watered down by spam, snail mail is watered down by speed (or lack of - hence the moniker "snail"), telecommunication is watered down by being so cumbersome. Blogging is efficient, lacking distraction, simple, and readily available to those who are interested in what you have to say (and hopefully there are those people). So all that is to say "I'm back" and ready to share my random musings. Incidentally, I have also spent the last few days relaxing on the beach reading books, which lends itself to refocusing on some things. I am fired up and ready for 2007. 2006 has been an amazing year and I am sure 2007 will be even better. I leave you with the view from my beach chair and the promise to muse more.

Matt

New Inspiration

I have taken some grief lately over my lack of blog dependability. I have blamed it on a lack of inspiration. I feel that blogging just to be blogging is pointless and without merit. My opinion...for what it's worth.

Tonight I have inspiration and, I think, inspiration for the days to come. Today our family celebrated what we have dubbed our "Nickiversary". Today is the anniversary (1 year) of our son, Nick, leaving the hospital after a 51 day stay battling pancreatitus and it's collateral damage. To celebrate, we looked to Nick's number 1 passion now (cars) and went to the International Car Show. We bookended it with BBQ and Starbucks. We had an awesome time and Nick said it was the best "Nickiversary" he could imagine.

While there, I found that each unique car associated with a person in my mind. I am going to spend the next few days sharing some of those associations as well as some cool pics. The first one is one that the whole family agreed on. As we were rounding a corner, we were frozen in our tracks by the new Chrysler Imperial.

Melissa immediately turned to me and said what I was thinking "Garland should be driving that car." So the Big Daddy, staunch, bull dog, but savvy award goes to Pastor Garland (Brother Gar as I call him) and his Chrysler Imperial. BTW - Gar can be seen and heard in person this weekend as he teaches at the Cooper City Campus. His companion conveyance can be seen but not heard at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

More to come...
Matt (back from blog sabbatical)

More Baptism Pics

Sometimes I have to remember to slow down and experience the life change that is going on around me.

Beach Baptism 2006,

Wow! What an amazing feeling to be a part of 350 people taking their next step of obedience! Yesterday we baptized 350 people on the beach. I have not blogged in a while, I guess because I did not feel inspired, but as I sit here tonight looking through all the photos, I realize how many lives were changed on Sunday. It is humbling to think that God would allow me to be a part of that. I am going to try to post some of the pics over the next few days to give you a glimpse of what happened if you missed it. Above is a picture of our "Baptism Team". I am privileged to be a part of this group.

Next is a picture of a wave about to strike as God decides he would like to baptize a couple without our help.

I can never explain to you the feeling of looking up on that beach from the water and seeing hundreds of people clapping and cheering for those who experienced life change that day.

From the beach again,
Matt

One Church Where You Are

Pastor Troy asked me several months ago to begin dreaming of an "Internet Campus". At first, I did not fully understand what he was dreaming but quickly discovered that there are lots of folks who either geographically or physically can't attend our existing services. We already have jumped into the “physical” multi-site world and are vigorously pursuing that vision, but the internet campus can give us a true “where you are” option for anybody. Above is a picture of me experiencing the internet campus while on vacation in Sanibel (on my cell phone of all things). Below are some more pics. We are testing the live feed right now, so I am able to be an internet campus attender when I am away and begin to experience what our internet campus attenders will experience in the future. Soon we will be One Church ANYWhere You Are.

From Sanibel,
Matt