Good Things Happening at RVC

There are good things happening at RVC. I have two that I want to share. I think you'll find them amusing.

The first is related to school supplies. As a church, we are sponsoring three schools. We actually want to do more, but they won't let us. A few years ago, we sponsored ten schools and district 196 had problems with other groups complaining they didn't have anywhere to give. Or something like that. Lame!

So, we're "only" sponsoring three. Well, our people are very generous in their giving. So generous, in fact, that I officially have a headache after counting last night. I'm about half way through the stuff, and we have way to many of basic things like... crayons. Rulers. Notebooks. It's a good problem.

The other thing I want to share with you, I just realized I can't yet. It could take away the impact of this weekend's sermon illustration. And I just can't do that to you - your eternal soul might hang in the balance.

Subscribe to my blog

Hey, for those of you who don't know, you can actually subscribe to my blog. If you have an rss reader, you can add this to it: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ALittleBitOTruth. If you use firefox, (and I hope you do - take back the web ;)), you will want to go to Bookmarks, Manage Bookmarks, File, New Live Bookmark, and put in http://feeds.feedburner.com/ALittleBitOTruth as the feed location.

This creates a new folder, but it is constantly updated. Any time I post a new blog, it will show. CNN, BBC, Fox, tons of sites use this. If you get into it, you can save a lot of time browsing the web.

Plans Continue for the Move

It has been a very full... week. In fact, at this Tuesday venture, I feel like I've done more in a week than a man should do in a week. It's not that the things I've done are abnormally difficult. The impact of these things though, is huge in my life. What things have I done, you ask? Well thank you, I'll tell you:

1. I withdrew from North Central University, the place I love most in this world.
2. I began the process of enrolling in the Carlson Distance Education shindig (re enrolling in North Central under a different name, essentially).
3. I set an end date for my full time status at River Valley Church. This is almost as heartbreaking as withdrawing from NCU.
4. I finished talking with my best friend about the fact that I can't room with him (and I feel really, really bad about that).
5. I spoke further with a real estate agent in Roosevelt to see about the housing and rental situation there.
6. I began looking into storage units in Apple Valley (and if you read this, and say "Hey Matt, God is calling me to bless a bible college student with free storage space, let me know. I somehow doubt anyone is feeling that call though).
7. I began going through things to see what I can ditch, what will go with me, and what should stay.
8. I contacted the Duchesne Chamber of Commerce. That's right, the area I'm going to is so boony, it has to combine into a county wide effort to get a chamber of commerce!
9. I set up an appointment with my family mechanic to make sure that my car gets fine tuned before I head out. I think I need new drive axles.
   

So, things are moving fast!

I've also begun corresponding with some pastors in Utah that Pastor Rob and Anthony know. Good guys, RVC supports them as missionaries to Mormons.

Man, what a busy day!

Plans Released

I've told my two roomates, so now I can tell everyone else. I'm moving to Utah September 12. I have an inordinate amount of debt... and it isn't honoring to God at all. I'm going to work as a roughneck and take care of that.

I'll be working for UTI-Patterson. My schedule will see me working 12 hour shifts for a week, then taking off a week. The pay is phenomenol due to many factors. For one thing, it's oil. Look at the pump and see that there is lots to be made in that area. For another, Utah has 2% unemployment at this time. Finally, the town that I'll be based out of just can't supply enough drug free people to work in this critical industry.

This will be the hardest physical work I've ever done in my life, and I'm not super pumped about this. I'm very sober. If I didn't absolutely have to do this, there is no way I would! I know though that right now Matthew Nowlin is about to get on the potter's wheel. And dang it, it will suck on that wheel until I begin to get into the shape and proportions I'm supposed to be. If you look at my life, it is the irregularities that make things difficult.

I have a lot of areas that I feel blessed and confident in. My spiritual life is doing well. I've been very disciplined this summer. I've lost close to 20 pounds and gotten into much better shape (and plan on continuing down this path). I've developed some wonderful friendships lately, been serving God through my ministry hardcore. However, my finances stick out like an abnormal lump on this pot, and I know that simply isn't right. The fact is, I just can't pay my bills, live downtown, and be a full time student at the same time.

The Bible says some interesting things about debt.
Paul says in Romans 12.8

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Proverbs 22.7 takes it farther, by saying:

The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The Bible teaches that we are to be slaves to no one but Christ. How can I, with the call of God on my life to be a pastor, stay in a state where I can hardly pay my bills? The answer is that I can't. I'm young, and can work. I have an opportunity. I can do correspondance classes and online courses on my weeks off. Simply put, this boy is getting free and continuing on in his calling.

And he appreciates your moral and prayer support.

Back in the Game

Some of my readers have asked, "Matt, what's the deal? You haven't blogged forever!"

Well, my faithful laptop of four years recently died. I just picked up a used laptop that the Lord provided in a great situation, so I'm back (hopefully with a vengeance).

My life is going to be drastically changing. I'll post more on this later, but please, keep me in your prayers. I've had to make a radical decision, a decision that will bring me more in line with the will of God. It is primarily related to my finances, which most definately are the most out of order part of my life. I've really been convicted that it isn't enough to meet your financial obligations, but that God has called us to do everything unto him. I have a goal, to be debt free in six months and to have significant savings and investments beyond that. When I am in ministry and married one day, I don't think God wants me to struggle simply because I didn't get my finances in order when I had the chance.

So, I'm going to be doing that. I will post more details later, but although I am feeling the peace of God about my plans, there are very important people in my life that will buck against these plans and probably against me. I'm very frightened that one person in particular will not only not support me, but choose to end our friendship. I don't want that to happen.