Facebook

I joined facebook and really like it. I like the feel a lot better then a single blog.
http://www.facebook.com/

I think my favorite feature is the feeds, so I can keep up with what is happening with all my friends in one spot. It's also a lot more private, which is nice for posting photos and videos.

If you want any new updates you should visit http://www.mattandashley.com/ or visit Ashley's blog, as I don't think she has switched over to posting on mattandashley.com yet.

Happy Birthday

Today is also my 25th birthday...

Website

In case you haven't checked it out recently, our website has changed. We converted it over to using a tool called Word Press to manage the content on the site. That way publishing content is about as simple as posting on a blog.

We still need to work on the template. We haven't found one we REALLY like, we just found one that would work for the time being.

We also found a plugin that was really nice for displaying photo galleries. We've uploaded the photos to our flickr account and have the albums displayed on our site. We have photos from our Courtship / Engagement, and our Wedding.
http://www.mattandashley.com/photos/

If you click on one of the albums, wait for the next page to load completely, then click on one of the photos. We have a nice little plug-in called "lightbox" that displays the photos in a nice overlay of the photo on the page and lets you flip through them one at a time. If you don't let the page load completely you won't see the cool plug-in, it will just load that image by itself.

Married

Yes I got married, and I'm still alive, I'm just spending all my time with my wife and haven't found an opportunity to update the world with anything new.

You might hop on over and check my wife's blog as she has been able to make a few posts lately.
http://www.maranathabc.com/~ashley/

Busy

Well, incase you haven't figured this out yet, I'm getting married this weekend, and there is a lot going on.

The last few days I've been working on getting the wedding program together, designed and ready to be printed.

We have family coming in starting on Wednesday.

Just so nobody panics, it might seem like I've fallen off the face of the earth after the wedding, but in reality I will have jumpped off the face of the earth and will be returning to this planet after a few weeks.

dot-comified

We're starting to get information about the wedding up on our website.
www.mattandashley.com

We've got some content, now we just need to get a design together for it. I was talking with Mark and Amy, and they said they have just the oposite, a design but no content. :-)

We plan to get our story up there, along with a bunch of photos, and eventually a combined blog or something. We plan on using this as a way to keep all of our friends up to date with the happenings.

I got the code together for the RSVP, so people can respond online, but when I put it on the server it started complaining about this, that, and the other, so I've got a little work to do in order to fix it, but hopefully that will be working soon.

This week we've been working on picking out music for the wedding, getting information together for our website, and getting some engagement photos taken.

Simple Subtle Elegance

I tend to notice different aspects of design, and the style I tend to like the most ends up being centered around a simple and subtle elegance. I prefer this over something that consists of many ornate or extremely complicated patterns. Too often the ornate draws your attention, but the details remain on the surface and although they might have depth in their details it is usually very obvious at first glance. I find that the simple and subtle details are what I appreciate more with time, because when a subtle and simple design is used to emphasize elegance, the details are not on the surface but buried into the slight variations and over time you discover more of those subtle variations. It's appreciation may not be instantly recognized and impressive at first, but it tends to grow over time and retain a longer lasting and precious quality.

Weeeeee!

M J:
Beginning a new year never seemed quite as significant as this one. Last year the Lord allowed me to better understand the depths of my relationship with Him, and how He completes me. As I entered the New Year I was given the opportunity to meet with the father of the wonderful young lady that I am pursing towards marriage. Her father has helped me understand what it is to become a leader in this pursuit. Two weeks have now passed since I made my intentions known to the young lady, and we are working towards building a solid friendship. Through the process of this relationship we would cherish your support in prayer, that we seek Him, and that our walk with the Lord would be the central focus of our relationship. I am EXCITED!

A Victoria:
The last two weeks have been amazingly wonderful. I have agreed to a courtship with a man of great and Godly character. He came to my father the first of the year and after much questioning, deliberation, drilling, and consideration, he was given permission to pursue me. Almost two weeks have past since he came to me on a Sunday night and handed me a letter with his intentions and desires. I can not express in words how much this meant to me. I have always wanted the right man, this "pensive prince" (see mybelovedismine's blog) to give me a letter and then verbalize his reasons for choosing me. Through the hours we have spent sharing our hearts we have begun to realize how the Lord has already been working in both of our lives, drawing us closer to Him. Our goals are to bring glory to the Father through this and to build each other up in the Lord, while we head towards marriage. We ask that you pray for us, that we have wisdom and discernment as we continue to get to know each other and proceed in this glorious courtship.

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6

Expression

It seems only when it is quiet, that I can hear my heart pounding away as if it so desperately is trying to tell me something, yet the more careful I listen, the greater concern I have for not being able to understanding the language it is uttering.

If a feeling could be described, words would not be capable of embodying the intensity the heart can capture. Though when the heart is overcome with feeling, some of it may slip out and be contained amongst the ideas we consider to be words, when they are not mere words at all, but rather the essence of something more potent that could never be explained.

Since the day we heard...

I was looking through some of the books of the Bible I've been reading through lately trying to remember a specific section, and I happened to notice this while looking back:

For this cause (...Epaphras... having declared your love in the Spirit) we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his (Epaphras) will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; (Col 1:9-11)

What a blessing it must have been to the Colossians having that kind of support in prayer, and knowing that we can lift others up before the Lord bringing like concerns before him. Just to stop and imagine that someone else who was allowed entrance to talk to the Lord of All, The Almighty, and to ask, of anything that could be asked, knowing he can provide all things, that He would provide these things for me, is humbling, and encouraging. The friends we have are precious.

Uncle Matt

I thought I'd try to post a video clip on my blog, so here is a video of my nephew Isaiah.

I should probably work on what it involves to embed the video using the Flash Player, but I'll wait till my next video post to worry about that.

Reply Tag

QUESTION #1: Seven things I hope to do before I die:
Understand More, Believe What I Understand, and Do What I Beleive
Pursue The Other Half of Me
Write More
Learn Something New
Spend Less Time Accomplishing More
Teach
Visit Other Countries

QUESTION #2: Seven things I cannot do well:
Work Quickly
Save Money
Short Explainations
Make Quick Decisions
Jump Into Something Running
Concentrate Without Getting Distracted
Get Up Early In The Morning

QUESTION #3: Seven things that would attract me to my spouse:
You can ask her when I get her.

QUESTION #4: Seven things I say often:
"This is Matt"
"Hi, it's Me"
"I'm thinking"
"No, it's not broke, that's what it's suposed to do"
"Hush" (This started when trying to find something less demeaning than "Shut Up" to yell at a constantly barking puppy)
"Yeah it's possible, but..."
"Cool"

QUESTION #5: Seven authors, books or series I love:
The Word
F. W. Boreham
Chronicles of Narnia
Love & Respect
Larry Wall
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
Left Behind

QUESTION #6: Seven movies I watch over and over again:
Count of Monte Cristo
Gladiator
I am Sam
Pirates of the Caribbean
A Beautiful Mind
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Princess Bride

QUESTION #7: Seven people I want to do this:
Pass

Picky

An adept appreciation for a finer degree of the subtle differences between things. Without which many things would seem as being the same. Hence are we ridiculed for the lack of other's appreciation.

Scrapes

Important to one but not the other,
Unloved and ridiculed for,
Atoned and now together,
The solemn tones it once bore,
Now remembered with laughter,
And echoes of seriousness once more.

Pondering

Why does the wind blow.
What blows the wind.
How does the wind blow.
Where blows the wind.
When does the wind blow.
Who blows the wind.

Blowing the wind blows the wind to blow the wind.