And so it begins...

Well, there was a day when I promised myself that I would never have a blog; I simply wouldn't "lower myself" to posting information about my life and myself as a person on a public page on the internet. Well here I am. What has happened to me? Well, as far as I see it, there are three possibilities:
1. I have accepted blogs as an acceptable method of communication, and no longer view it as a pathetic waste of time.
2. I am currently posessed by a demon of some sort.
3. Brian Estabrook is my "Tiny Dancer". Hold me closer, tiny dancer...

Well, I am not quite sure what #3 has to do with anything, but I do know that Brian does have the uncanny ability to "bust a move".

There's a good chance that if nobody wants to marry me within the next 5 years, I will just go ahead and be adopted by Brian Estabrook, and become his son. My name would be Matthew Jacob Estabrook. I might even get really drastic and change my first name to something like Eduardo. Why Eduardo? Well, I'll let the following picture speak for itself.

Okay...this is a picture from this year's homecoming at my old friend's school. Her name is Chelsea Martin; she lives in Greenville, Ohio (near Dayton) and she's the girl standing next to me (this whole homecoming story is a long one, so I will refrain from telling it today). Well, right next to us are three of Chelsea's friends. They are very nice girls, but I scribbled them out because they aren't relevant to this post. NOW...the Venezuelan stud to the right...yeah...that's Eduardo. Holy crap. He makes us all look bad. AND...he can dance.

Enough said.

So Eduardo Jacob Estabrook it is.


Check it out...here's my current life lesson. God has really impressed the following verse upon my heart:

(Rom 15:1) We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

God really spoke to me through this... I used to be really weak in my faith, and altogether insecure about who I was - God has since given me an incredible security in Him and as a result given me some experiences that I can use to minister to others with.
I have been learning that we who are stong (in our faith, in our selves, or in any other way whether it be spiritually, socially, mentally or emotionally) have a responsibility to bear with ("bear with" properly means "to lift up" according to Barnes' commentary) their weaknesses and failings even when it means lifting them up at the cost of our own comfort and enjoyment.

Just think about it...good stuff.

Well there it is...the first post. It's a long one. May as well start it with gusto.
Farewell.