Hillsdale, Iowa

Stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. However, the middle of nowhere now has a name, Hillsdale.

I met a lady st the gas station. She shared how her father was a drunk growing up. One day a pastor came over to their house and started talking about having a personal relationship with Christ. By the end of the conversation her dad was on the floor weeping.

Now, her dad and brother are both preachers and she says Christ is the best part of her life!

Are you kidding me?! Oh the power of God in Hillsdale, Iowa!
Joshua Mathews
joshmathews@gmail.com

The start

Here is the first leg of my road trip. Iowa city = 4 hours
Joshua Mathews
joshmathews@gmail.com

Josish getting in trouble

Joshua Mathews
joshmathews@gmail.com

Josiah

Joshua Mathews
joshmathews@gmail.com

Meghan Rachel Mathews

This is a test post.
Joshua Mathews
joshmathews@gmail.com

The Blog Has Moved

josh.mathewshome.com

Yes, this is the new home of the blog and some other stuff. However, if at any point the other site goes down, this blog site may come back into existince.

Concert on the Lawn

I feel like I see a new perspective each day of my North Point Internship, whether that is in ministry, life, or just people.

As the days go by, the importance of understanding the vision and mission of whatever you are doing, from a small project to your occupation, is vital. Further than understanding, having the ability to properly communicate that vision truly shows if a person really “gets it.” At North Point, it is so evident that staff has captured the vision of “Leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.” The way the entire staff operates reflects this understanding. There is no competition between divisions and ministries. The staff sees the church as one body and work together so that everyone succeeds.

With catching the vision, comes this feeling of responsibility and ownership of what you are assigned to do. Although North Point does not have tons of different ministries and aspects, everything that they currently do is done with excellence.

Along with excellence, there is an aspect of purpose. From the intern retreat a few weeks ago to Concert on the Lawn (which was yesterday), every aspect of what they do has purpose that ties in with the vision statement. Yesterday was Concert on the Lawn. Basically it is this huge concert that North Point puts on to attract married couples to come and hang out together for a Friday night. The concert is held outside and all the music played is secular. It is a perfect way to invite someone who has never considered church to a safe environment. Although it was raining throughout the night, about 2,000 people showed up and had a great time. All the singers and musicians were a part of North Point church, but you would have never known the difference between them and the radio. I have attached a picture (not a great one) of the concert. Tonight is Gig on the Grass, which is targeted towards singles, between the ages of 20-35 or so.

One of the coolest things I saw yesterday was the community in small groups, which is the entire focus of this church. North Point believes that heart change really happens in small groups, so everything that they do, leads to encouraging people to be a part of one. Because of the rain yesterday, hundreds of people waited inside the church before the concert started. As I walked through the hallways, I experienced something that is unusual for a mega church. There were groups of people everywhere, talking and socializing on a personal, intimate level. Granted everyone did not know everyone, but everyone did know someone. The sense of acceptance, love, and fellowship was so evident.

In a sense, I feel like the box I have placed heart change through God has slowly been getting bigger and bigger. It is said that Americans are among the loneliest people in the world although they have the most entertainment options. People want to have community. If only the Christian stereotype of exclusiveness and “holier than thou” attitude could be eliminated and replaced with a Christ-centered perspective of loving everyone and considering others better than yourself. Oh the lives that could be affected and changed, simply by acting as God intended us to be.

Welcome to the South

It has been quite a long time since I have posted. So much has occurred the last few weeks that it is difficult to figure out where to start.

Junior year of college is done. In retrospect, I saw many things that were so difficult throughout the year, but at the end, it was all worth it. Really, isn’t this how the Christian life seems to be. Struggles, challenges, temptations and difficulties are common parts of staying in step with the example of Jesus Christ. However, the ultimate end glory, eternity with Him, will be worth it.

In about a week span, I have gone from being in the midst of studying for finals in Minneapolis, to being at home in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to being in Alpharetta, Georgia for an internship. It really does seem like a huge whirlwind of weather, emotions, and environments. But I officially do know that I am in the south with the numerous Sonics, Waffle Houses, and just good ol’ southern hospitality (and all the “y’all’s” I keep hearing).

For the next 10 weeks I will be doing an internship at a church in Alpharetta named North Point. It is a pretty large church and my perspective on ministry has already started to change a little bit. It is so interesting to see the differences between what I have been used to my whole life, as far as church, and now see a totally different perspective, a good one at that.

In the past, my perspective of ministry and reaching people was one of direct contact and relationships. But being part of a ministry that has so many facets, it has been sweet to see how heart change really occurs on many other levels.

On the flip side of the internship, there are 40 some other interns, mostly from Georgia and other states in the south. I am realizing how different I am in simply the way I talk and do things. At the present time, it is so interesting to be in a place where I really do not know many people or have established contacts. The situation is quite different from home or college, but at the same time exciting.

That is it for right now. My mind for some reason has found difficulty in processing all the information and situations that have been experienced. Hopefully in due time, these things will come into an organized sequence of maturity and understanding.

Back Home...Learning

Right now I feel like Doogie Howser M.D. (if you don’t know him, use Wikipedia). I am sitting at my computer late at night after a long day reflecting on the incredible amount that I have experienced and learned this past weekend.
I had the sweet chance this weekend to travel home and be with my ENTIRE family. That is right, all the brothers, sister, parents, grandparents, cousins, relatives, extended family, and some family friends. There was an atmosphere of celebration and joy this weekend because it was my brother’s birthday, my sister-in-law’s baby shower and a cousin’s wedding. Although I was sick the first two days, the chance to sit back and observe helped me learn so much about myself, my family, and the way we interact. So here is my random laundry list of some sweet things (at least to me they are sweet).

- Ok, my family, especially my mom’s side, is loud. I mean really loud. The decibel level when we are all together is pretty high. It does not surprise me why I am so outspoken and vocal at times anymore.
- The thing I thought I began to despise this year is something I love at home. The same sounds and noises that make it difficult for me to sleep at school were soothing at home. I went to bed early one night, and everyone else was still up. The loudness of conversation, jokes, and random sayings eased my mind to sleep. This phenomenon of something so difficult turned into something so desired was unusual but a pleasant surprise.
- Chicago Cub fans are arguably the best in baseball. The mere passion and perseverance of supporting a team that is difficult to root for shows the deepness of this fan hood.


- Being away from friends at school for a wee bit, made my realize how close I have become with some and how important many have been this year.
- There are less than two weeks left in school. The realization that this hallway and group of guys that I become accustomed to will never be together again as a unit is tough.
- The amount I love my siblings (including my sister-in-law) is greater every time we are together. This is not because we have just a jolly good time the whole time. Maybe more so because we can argue, passionately disagree with each other, and at the end of the discussion, we still respect each other the same. For many, the first person to turn to is your “best friend” or confidant. I realized for me, apart from God, I turn to my family so much for support, encouragement, and joy.
- In the Indian community, I am realizing more and more that you do not just marry the person, but you marry the entire family. While this is a difficult concept to grasp for man, it is a reality in my eyes. (Ohh yea,500 people at a wedding is "medium" size)

- The numerous wedding traditions Mayalaye’s do once made me look down at my culture now make me proud.
- The importance of worth of a late night conversation of deep meaning and “realness” is nearly priceless in my eyes.
- Money is really not that big of a deal. At the Cub’s Game this weekend, my brother found a single seat, maybe 10 rows behind first base. The rest of us had tickets for seats way higher up. After an inning of enjoying the quality of the seats, my brother came back to enjoy the company. No matter what, the love and fellowship of close family far outweighs the world’s delights money can buy.
- Cousins I have not seen from Edmonton, Canada for years hold such a special place in my life and heart. It is as if we do not need to talk, and we can just go back to being friends in an instant. That my friend is special.
- But the biggest thing I learned this weekend is the bond of fellowship and love that is found in the presence of God. He is big, powerful, huge, but intimate, close, and personal. The love, peace of mind, true permanent joy that is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is something that cannot be replaced, bought, or substituted for. This time on earth may provide huge homes, large sums of money, beautiful cars, and expensive clothing, but what good is all that 300 years from now. The actuality is that these things are temporary, but the fellowship of being with the Jesus in eternity is forever.

Small Towns and Easter

This weekend, I may have visited Babbitt, Minnesota for maybe the last time of my life. Ok, for many of you, you A) have no idea where the heck Babbitt, Minnesota is or B) know the town and really wonder if there is something wrong with me that I would actually miss it. For the second time in my life, I visited the wonderful, small, Iron Range town in Northern Minnesota. This is where one of my roommates from last year lives. Town = about 1300 people on a good day. It is kind of weird, there is not too much in the town except of course The Babbitt Golf Course, The Teen Center, a few churches, a school, and of course Tank’s Bar. The reason Babbitt plays such a special role in my life is because it is the first real small town I have ever actually spent time in. All my life, I grew in a big town with multiple gas stations, stores, and five Wendy’s restaurants within a few mile radius. If any of you have never spent time in a small town, it is something you must do.

The unity of people in a town like that is incredible. For many small villages in Northern Minnesota, the entire community is dependent on one thing, the local mine. I never understood the implications of how one thing could really effect so many people at a deep level. The thing about a mine is that after a few years or decades, there just is not anything left to mine, meaning all those who worked there would have to be laid off. It is as if each day you go to work, you are actually working away at eliminating your job. Maybe a decade ago or so, a mine closed down in Babbitt, decreasing the need for schools from three to one and shutting down numerous business. Families have been affected greatly. It is not just the parents, but also their kids and grandkids. For many, growing up in a tough environment with an unstable job is common. The implications for the children are great and heavy at the same time.

What I wanted to establish here was the implications of one thing (in this case a mine) that could effect so many people for generations to come. As today is Easter, it is crazy to think of how deep the implications are of what Jesus did on the cross on Good Friday, but further the unbelievable joy in Jesus being raised from the dead. What implications are there in these activities? For us as humans, we have the ability to accept a gift that redeems us from the penalty of our sins. Although the physical act of Jesus dying and then being raised occurred thousands of years ago, the result of this act effects each of us today and for our eternity. So often the spirit of Easter is lost in activities, family, and food. While these things are important, the true meaning of Easter is often overlooked. Let us not forget what it meant for Jesus to overcome the sins of the world on the cross in being resurrected. There would be no Christian faith, no atonement for sins, no eternal life in Heaven, no forgiveness of sins, without Jesus being raised. What an incredible gift that is offered to us that is often overlooked?

Lastly, I must add that although my stay in Babbitt this time around was about 24 hours, I do not think a family outside my own has ever treated me so nicely. It was as if I was their son for the weekend. I always said that one of the biggest reasons why I came to the U was because the people were so nice. I never knew that the parents and friends of the people I became friends with would treat me as one of their own too.