Matthew Robinson

For real.  Next Sunday.  Join us as we pregame for church.

Bring something to share.  And bring your friends.

And it’s my dream that this one day becomes an every Sunday event!

“Never forget that the only difference between you and them is Him.”

Dean was a fired up.  This morning and tonight.  This sermon’s been brewing in him for the past few months.  Watch and listen (again!) tomorrow.

Not gunna lie…the squirty hand sanitizer grossed me out a little bit.

And we definitely played this clip (at least the first 2 1/2 minutes of it) from Taladega Nights.  Oh so funny.

There are moments when I’m able to take a breath and just “be” during a service…right before I went on stage tonight , I had one of those thank-God-He’s-God and I’m so blessed to be a part of all of this moments.  Standing at the front of the auditorium hearing 300 people belt “From the Inside Out” left me without words I had to quickly find.  I said it last week…and I say it often…I love our church.

Well Kids, how we know it today, turned one.  It seems like yesterday we were faux sewing canvases and putting together what would come to be known as The Ark.  Here’s a “live” cut we did from kids that day…Sarah Graves (of the they’re-my-rocks-Lawton-and-Sarah-Graves-duo) still won’t be on camera with me to this day.  The volunteers back there are the unsung heroes of our Sunday experiences, and the growth we know were expecting is exciting as we prepare for what’s to come.

For all of you Todd and Giana fans, here is  a link you can downloaded from today’s worship set.  Those two can sing!  And that band is so good! (013110 Music)

No 5:30 p.m. service next week.  And a special announcement about the morning service coming in another post!

A thousand times I’ve failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I’m caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

There was this one today, an email that hit my inbox this morning, in its entirety:

I’M NOT DOIN 2HOT ON THA QUIZES

And there was this voicemail yesterday.  Oh how I love the voicemails.

I believe in them.

All of them!

I have an albino person in one of my classes.  Add one to the list of interesting Doc Rob classroom experiences.  I’m learning a lot!

My favorite word so far this week: earworm.  “Earworm” comes from the German “ohrwurm,” for a melody that gets stuck in your head and you can’t get it out no matter how hard you try.  I get earworms a lot.  And I’m sorry to all those around me who listen to me sing every fifth word of the songs I know that get stuck in my head.

My chick magnet 2009 Toyota Corolla is part of this massive recall.  Wonderful.

College students love Breakfast for Dinner.  Cracking 90 eggs to feed them is no something I loved.

I’ve been to a lot of weddings.  But this has been the best view of one I’ve ever had at this point:

And this video, from my Dad, will make you smile:

If I had to list a “hobby” somewhere I’d probably say cooking.  I love to create, I love to eat, and most people I surround myself with enjoy indulging in my delectable treats.

I’m often asked to make things for other people and events, and so many have suggested I “go into it.”  My friend Julia is the same way, and we’ve been putting together an orgainzed and legit approach for the love of all good things food related.  We’re proud to present:

You need a cake for a birthday, a special event, or just becuase?  Want tapas catered?  We can do it.

It might be a little hectic for you.

But for us, it’s a

Piece of Cake.

Tallahassee.

Pass it on.  And enjoy! :)

I usually don’t do this whole pass  it on thing, and I’m no going to pay it forward, but I got tagged-you’re-it by Srta. Gomez and am supposed to relate seven random facts about me.  So here goes:

1.  I bite my nails when I’m nervous.  I know it’s gross and I’ve gotten a lot better about it.  But sometimes still…

2.  When I was a kid I loved tuna fish.  Like one time I ate 9 tuna fish sandwiches kind of love.  I can not stand tuna fish now.

3.  I secretly wish I could sing.  Runner up wish is play guitar.  Ten points if you can do either.  Fifty points if you can do both.

4.  My two biggest pet peeves: mouthial noises (while eating, in microphones, all of the above) and being late (and a corollary to that one: when other people are late).

4a.  I CAN NOT watch or listen to or be around other people when they’re brushing their teeth.  It utterly disturbs me.

5.  I was 21 when I bought my first house.

6.  I had a dog named Bo right out of college before I had Sadie.  And I gave him away.  He was a beagle.  And I should have never gotten him.  He’s much happier now.

7.  I give my college students in every class dollar store bought themed pencils for every holiday and put stickers on the tests that are A’s before I hand them back.  They loved it in second grade.  And they still love it in College Algebra.

Don’t hate.

:)

Halfway through the first music set this morning, while I was running point and directing from the back row, Jovanna leaned over from the computer and shouted over the music into my ear: “If it could be like this all the time I’d come to church every day!”

So true.  So true at The Well.  I.  love.  Sundays at my church.

I can’t explain what we’ve seen happen in two and a half years.  And I hope we never can.  And we’re only getting started.  And we truly believe we have no clue what’s in store as we see Tallahassee changed one life at a time.  Get excited!

A church that Dean and I follow that started out very similar to The Well celebrated their ten year anniversary today at their version of the Civic Center in a town in South Carolina.  They packed it out with 15,000 people.  I shouted at Dean during the pm service that I want to be at the Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center for our five year anniversary.  Packed out for two services.  Why the heck not!?!

Our band rocks.  It’s just electric.

Our team does a phenomenal job.

And our Pastor can preach the heck out of God’s word.

Like I said: I.  love.  Sundays at my church.

Other highlights of the day from behind the scenes:

-Seeing the efforts and hard work and thought of Scott Simmons and Todd Doss’ band rotations and leadership begin gelling and working.  I’m so jealous of the talents of those on our team and it’s a treat to listen to them practice and prepare hours before each service.

-Batman’s appearance was a special shout out to our 5:30 crew after last week:

-Figuring out the lights and projectors and making them work correctly for the 5:30 service.  The little things only I know are a bit off drive me nuts of Sundays.  Fixing them helps me feel accomplished.

-Mr. Robot’s Samurai Chicken meal.  I was talked into it at lunch.  And oh.  my.  It should be illegal.  I don’t know what the heck was in that stuff.  But my mouth can’t stop thanking me.

-I got to meet a real live Shrek sounding Scotsman…it was even better that he was Rebecca Stewart’s pop visiting!

-Sarah Cowart has transformed our Guest Services experience.  She’s organized and led and thought-through and prepped and planned.  Her “greeter visuals” for today’s pregame meeting will become legendary:

-Seeing new faces take their next steps, get involved and invested and take ownership–I will never get tired of being a part of that!

Oh how I love a Sunday.  Indeed!

And we’re talking about how this has happened to Him for so many:

Yeah.  It’s going to be some fun.  Get ready.  And see you Sunday!

I’ve had three people ask me for this one in recent days…they’re so, so good.

4 small zucchini squash
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried chives

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Using a small spoon, hollow out the zucchini by removing some of its pulp, leaving at least a 1/4 inch wall. Combine the cheeses, cayenne pepper, and chives in a mixing bowl. Stuff the zucchini boats with the cheese mixture, and place them in a lightly greased baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the squash is heated through and the cheese is melted.

This weekend I had my mind set on cleaning out my office at the house.  It’s the dumping ground for all things happening in my life, and has been for a long while.

I pitched and sorted and organized and wondered why in the heck I had held on to so much stuff.

I had buckets and bins of cards: birthday, graduation, Christmas, thank you, and just becuases.

And for the better part of two and a half hours, I sorted through 9 years of Hallmark greetings I had hoarded.

A few observations from this adventure:

• I really, really, really like getting hand written notes.
• I don’t like Christmas cards that just say, “Love, and then a name.”  Write something personal.  Even just one sentence.  I promise to always do the same.
• God love her, but my mom’s handwriting hasn’t gotten any worse since I’ve known her. It also hasn’t gotten any better.
• There have been people in my life who wrote me meaningful thank yous for doing stuff I can’t for the life of me remember doing.  I only hope that they still do and it still means the world to them.
• I have cards from actual people whom I don’t remember anymore.  And I wonder 9 years from now, if there will people currently in my life whom I don’t remember.
• Many of the cards reflect the same themes of ”Matthew-ness” now, 9 years later: God, the food I cook, and my big heart.  I’m glad some things haven’t changed.
• I’ve graduated a lot.
• There have been three friends who have sent me a birthday card every single year along the way.  They did, and they do, mean much to me.
• The love letters are still fun to read.
• And the just because cards still make my day.

Write someone a card this week!  I’m going to try to write more to more people this year, too!