The Necky -hahahahaha!!!

Santa Sighting

Santa Sighting
Originally uploaded by mmccomas01

We got a new camera yesterday. Here's my favorite photo so far.

one chance in life

Face-Off With a Deadly Predator

The Hole in the Gospel - Review

Join the bigger story of the whole Gospel! It's waiting for you.

Richard Stearn's book The Hole in the Gospel is a convicting, intense look at the state of the western church. Stearns gives a powerful argument that ought to revamp our understanding of what it means to follow Christ and represent Him to a broken world.

Backing his thoughts with some powerful statistics like the fact that if you make more than 25K a year you're richer than 90% of the worlds population, Stearns makes it well known his belief that the world will not hear our message of Jesus Christ if we don't balance proclamation with demonstration.

This book is a bit long, challenging, intense, and almost overwhelming. At times I wanted to set it down and give up because of how bad everything seems. Other times I was moved to tears and torn up inside about my priorities in life. I believe that the themes in this book must be dealt with, not just in the American church, but in my own life. This book has changed my perspective of what I'm calling people to as I ask them to follow Christ

Bottomline...I recommend it. It's a tad bit long and it could've been about 3 different books, but it's a great place to start the conversation on these themes. If you want to understand the brokennes of the world and how we as followers of Christ can have a part in fixing it, this book is for you.

A Million Mile in a Thousand Years - Review

This book is good!

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is the best book by Donald Miller since Blue Like Jazz. This book is an easy read and I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times and then reading sections to my wife. I can still picture his roommate Jordan getting pulled around the snowy streets of Portland, Oregon in a kayak and running into a tree.

In this book Donald Miller is awakened from a slump in his life by the chance to edit his own life for a movie. The process leads him into a greater understanding of what makes a life great and worth living. We follow Donald on his adventures hiking Machu Picchu as well as meeting his Dad, who he hasn't seen since childhood. Through these events Donald is forced into greater appreciation of how God wants to shape his story into something great.

This book challenges the current status of life. It’s honest, challenging, thought provoking, hilarious, inspiring and moving. I loved it. You’ll want to go out and ride your bike across America or dig wells for clean water in Africa after reading this. Donald Miller has grown up and I recommend reading this book.

This is a where we're moving this spring!

Apparently in this video it never rains in Portland. Oh well, it looks nice. Wanna join us in Portland next year!

Pure awesome

Look how awesome my wife is.

MAtrix Ping Pong

Use this for a metaphor on working as a team.

Ridge Run

The crazies were out running the 20+ mile Bridger Ridge Run yesterday. We have some of the most hardcore people in the world living in this town. Photo by Erik Peterson of the Bozeman Chronicle.

Another thing for me to do on the interweb

I started another blog over here. It's exactly what it says it is. I'll be posting specific leadership thoughts I'm digesting and insight into leveraging technology to help fulfill the Great Commission.

Flutter: The New Twitter

Christianity and the Culture

Some crazy stuff is going on as the Church interacts with the city of Portland. Read the article in the USA today from a few weeks ago.

And then watch this clip from a Portland city council meeting.

How Technology is changing the world

The voice of God

I saw this in person today at our National staff conference. Except the voice over was live from Tim McKenzie without notes...all memorized.

Challenge your thinking

Robert Murray McCheyne on giving and the poor

Now, dear Christians, some of you pray night and day to be branches of the true vine; you pray to be made all over in the image of Christ. If so, you must be like him in giving. A branch bears the same kind of fruit as the tree…An old divine says well: “what would have become of us if Christ has been as saving of his blood as some men are of their money?”

Objection 1. “My money is my own” Answer: Christ might have said, “my blood is my own, my life is my own”…than were should we have been?

Objection 2. “The poor are undeserving.” Answer: Christ might have said the same thing. “They are wicked rebels against my father’s law: shall I lay down my life for these? I will give to the good angels.” But no, He left the ninety-nine, and came after the lost. He gave His blood for the undeserving.

Objection 3. “The poor may abuse it.” Answer: Christ might have said the same; yea, with far greater truth. Christ knew that thousands would trample His blood under their feet; that most would despise it…yet He gave His own blood.

Oh, my dear Christians! If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and the poor, the thankless and the undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. It is not your money I want, but your happiness. Remember His own word: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) Sermon 82.

Priority List

Hilarity!!!

Please note the typo in priority #3

Read more here in deadspin.

Love is an Orientation - Book Review

“Every stereotype can be broken with a face, and every face has a story. Even leaders in both the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GBLT) and the Christian community tell me they know that something needs to change -- but nothing is changing because we’ve all been conditioned to dig in and fight. So where are we to go from here?”
-Andrew Marin Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

In his book Love is an Orientation, Andrew Marin takes us along with him on his immersion into the gay neighborhood “Boystown” in Chicago. Examining the current reality of the relationship (or lack thereof) between the Christian community and the GBLT community Marin seeks to build bridges between the two camps. Marin teaches from his experiences in the gay community in a way that is both thought provoking and entertaining. If you’re looking to find scientific answers to the “gay-gene” question, you’re gonna be out of luck here. But if you’re looking for helpful insight into the lives of gay men and women, along practical tools to authentically reflect the love of Christ to those you encounter (even in church..surprise!) this is a great place to start. Be warned this book will challenge your thinking and force yourself to question how you view people. Do you really love people as God does them? Remember God made them.

Although sometimes a bit theologically messy and seemingly unorganized, Love is an Orientation did a great job of resourcing me in my ability to relate to, understand and overcome the issues surrounding the Gay/Faith culture wars. The ultimate goal being that my interaction with gays men and women would be a “wonderful opportunity to prove my faith by reclaiming the word love as I tangibly live out all I believe in Christ.”

Andrew Marin's blog
The Marin Foundation

Summer Reading

I try to read way to many books in the summertime. Here's what I've read so far, what I'm reading now and what looms on the horizon.

Read:
The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley
Did a review here
Silos, Politic and Turf Wars - Partick Lencioni
I love Lencioni's stuff. I read this in one 3-hour sitting.
Three bags full: A Sheep Detective Story - Leonie Swann This is the one fiction book I've read so far. This book is like nothing I've ever read. It took me a while to get into it, but after a while I couldn't put it down. Entertaining

Reading:
The Reason for God - Timothy Keller
Really good apologetic book. I'm about 100 pages in. I have to read this one a little slow to make sure I digest it, but so far it's one of the best apologetic books I've ever read.
Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community - Andrew Marin
Very interesting so far. Andrew Marin has quite the stories of his interaction with the Gay community and helping them get a taste of who God is. Very challenging. I'll do a review of this one when I'm finished
I Samuel - Dale Ralph Davis
I think I've mentioned Davis's commentaries before, but let me just say it again. They are amazing. Get one.

Hoping to read:
When People are Big and God is Small - Welch
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands - Paul Tripp
More than Me - Jim Peterson

Bozeman Police Reports - May 28, 2009

* A caller wanted information about a duck rescue that occurred Friday or Saturday on Durston Road.

* A man tried to pay his bill with a “ridiculously fake $100 bill” at an establishment on East Main Street. The bill was later determined to be genuine.

* A farmer was injured after a bull sat on him around 2:30 p.m.

Jonah talk

I just dumped a talk I did at CRU this spring into Wordle.net. It highlights words based on the number of time I used them....and makes it cool looking. Kind of interesting.

Need Caption Please

I need a caption for this picture. This is Jenna on the left and her friend Lira on the right. The winner will get a prize...or at least my appreciation

Update: Jenna is still cute

This is mostly for my sister and brother-in-law in Scotland.

1976 'Swine Flu' Public Service Announcements

The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

With honesty, humility and humor, Andy Stanley helps us connect our thinking to the direction we set for our lives. In The Principle of the Path a relatively short and easy to read book he tackles the complex issues of decision making and life direction and clarifies it for us in a way that is both accessible and motivating. The major theme of the book is the well packaged phrase “Direction -- not intention -- determines our destination.” The basic idea is that often we (basically smart people) end up far from where we intended to be originally. Andy suggests that we tend to make a lot of little decisions that end up placing us on the wrong path headed in the wrong decision. Our direction, not our good intentions, determines our destination.

I read this book while doing some traveling on a plane, and I was a little bit embarrassed by the “self help” look of the cover and title, but The Principle of the Path has helped me slow down from my harried pace and reflect on the parts of my life that need to be adjusted. The parts that if I don’t adjust are going to cause me to end up at a very different destination than I intended. The principles in this book apply to all parts of life; relationship, health, parenting, marriage, work, church and more.

The Principle of the Path would be a insightful and challenging book for someone who needs to reevaluate the direction their life is headed. But, if what you want is a straight up leadership book then I recommend Andy’s The Next Generation Leader for a more helpful read before jumping to this one.

Nick Thune

If you think this is funny you're in your late 20's early 30's. This is courtesy of Donald Miller's blog.

It's her birthday!!!

Here is a post that I wrote about Jody (my wife) to celebrate her birthday 3 years ago.

Today (technically 1.5 hours from now) is her birthday again. A few years older, wiser and even more beautiful!

Jody, today we celebrate you! We revel in the fact that you are uniquely handcrafted by God. You are lovely!

Happy Birthday my dear!

How to get free books

My first free book is on it's way to me thanks to this post by Matt Mikalatos. All I had to do is swear on my life that I would write a 200 word review and post it on my blog and a retail site like Amazon.com.

I ordered a copy of Andy Stanley new book, The Principle of the Path.

I think Andy Stanley is a brilliant spiritual leader, so I'm excited to read this book. I'll let you know when I'm done.

Fast Food Folk Song (at the Taco Bell Drive-Thru)

That's what she said.

I'm on Dad patrol this weekend while Jody speaks at our womens retreat up in Big Sky. Last night I was getting Jenna ready for bed and this interaction took place. Keep in mind she's only a little over two years old.

Me: Which pj's do you want to wear tonight?

Jenna (admiring the options within the drawer): ummmm....striped ones!!!

Me: ok

Jenna (holds pj's up, inspect them and declares her thought): That's a good option!

Adoption?

After last nights info session with Christian World Adoption at church we're getting more serious about adoption.

This morning we asked Jenna if she wants a brother or a sister

Jenna: Brother! No...Sister! Both! I want brother and sister!!!

Made my Saturday

If you didn't know that I'm a rabid Gonzaga fan you should be ashamed of yourself.
They advanced to the sweet sixteen tonight with this win over Western Kentucky. I don't care if the rest of my bracket is busted. Tonight I can go to bed happy.

Jennas walk

Jenna's Walk from Matt McComas on Vimeo.

St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patricks day from the McComas clan.

Enjoy some corned beef and cabbage today!

Bozeman Police Reports March 9, 2009

This was actually in the Police reports the other day

-An accidental 911 call was received and upon follow up, the man who had called said “his butt dialed.”

You can also now follow the police report on twitter here

I live in Antartica

What does a guy got to do to get some warm weather around here?

Last night I actually thought to myself as I walked back to my car at 10 pm with the wind swirling across the frozen tundra and my nose hairs freezing, "this must be what it's like to live in the arctic circle."

Ok, I live in Montana, but Spring break for students at MSU starts on friday!

I'm just saying, that even though our calenders say it's spring break and it's almost officially spring it's still arctic tundra time in Montana. It was -14 last night, not including the windchill.

Shorts and flip flops might have to wait till after spring break.

A pick me up for when you're blue

I first heard this a couple of years ago and it resurfaced in our staff meeting today.

It's an audio recording of a guy from Texas leaving a phone message and witnessing a car wreck. Check it out here.

Bozeman Blast

This morning Bozeman was rocked by an explosion downtown. I drove by the area on the way to campus this morning to get a closer look at the fire and destruction. Needless to say, this type of stuff doesn't happen everyday in Bozeman.

On a sobering note our next door neighbor plays in a local band and three of his fellow band members live in the taller building in this picture and 2 of them are unaccounted for.

Update: Our neighbors friends are ok. Only one person missing still.

Square root day!

Don't forget to celebrate Square Root day today. Today is the day when both the day of the month and the month are the square root of the last two digits of the year.

The history of Square Root Day is long and varied and goes back all the way to 9/9/81. That's what Wikipedia said anyway, and I didn't want to do any math...so there.

Celebration options:
-cut some vegetable roots into squares
-bake a cake in the shape of a square root

The Gospel

This is from Donald Miller's blog. Read the whole post here.

American invention

This item was highlighted on the Jon Stewart show last night. As Jon said, "for those of you who want to have a heartattack, but are to lazy to cook some bacon."

Leadership Model clarification

If you've been around Campus Crusade you'll at least recognize some of the terms on the Leadership model. When you're new staff you're supposed to have a working understanding of it. Check out this post by Brian Barela helping to clarify some things that might help new staff and at least one old one...me!

This was super helpful and encouraging when I think about how I'm wired and how my giftings and passions can be used for the Kingdom.

Bozeman Police Reports: Monday February 16, 2009

I'm starting a new posting series based on the Bozeman police reports in the local paper. I don't know who does the writing but the amount of details is hilarious. They are too funny to keep to myself. Here's a sampling from today...

-A caller reported her neighbors making loud sounds and yelling, "oh my God." Upon investigation, the occupants of the apartment said they were excited to see an acquaintance on television.

-A report of suspicious activity was made when two males entered a rug shop and told the reporting party that they were male strippers "looking to make some money."

I just met Alec Baldwin...kind of

What follows is my recent Facebook chat with our friend John who works at Saturday Night Live in New York City.


8:39 John
I'm still at work...ugh
8:39pmMatt
which work?
8:39pmJohn
SNL
and the new Jimmy Fallon show
8:40pmMatt
say hi to the Jimster for me
8:40pmJohn
okay
he's a very nice guy
8:40pmMatt
you live on a different planet than me
I'm sure of it

9:14pmMatt
Jody says hi
9:16pmJohn
hi Jody

Alec Baldwin is standing over my shoulder

I'm explaining Facebook to him

LOL Alec officially says hi to you guys

9:18pmMatt
tell him we think he's great on 30 rock

9:18pmJohn
he just left...but you just indirectly met Alec Baldwin

9:18pmMatt
yes, my life is complete

9:19pmJohn
nobody will believe you...

Death by Meeting - A quick review

I just finished Patrick Lencioni's book Death by Meeting.

It's a quick read and if you've read any of Lencioni's books you know that they are fun to read. The term Lencioni uses to describe them is "Leadership fables". Anyway, this book was interesting, funny and challenged my thinking about how the tone of our "corporate" meetings influence the rest of our organizations performance, moral and motivation. Staff meetings should be a highlight of your week. Some of the most stimulating and challenging conversations should take place during them. If you lead meetings regularly I highly recommend this book.

Immobile

I'm currently helping my Chiropractor save up to put his two kids in college.

My lower back has been giving me fits for a number of years now, often seizing up completely in opportune times...like when I was leading a summer project in Croatia last June.

On Saturday morning I went and did some Nordic Skiing with some friends and by nightfall I couldn't really walk, stand up, sit down, or assume the prone position without any pain. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'm becoming close friends with Dr. Anderson who I will see for the second time today in a few hours.

Back injury has got to be one of the most demoralizing injuries ever. I can't "do" anything. What an interesting reminder that my significance isn't dependent on what I do (or don't do).

So now I lay here in bed waiting for my back to stop yelling at me.

Current Events

- I'm speaking at CRU next week so I'm trying to figure out what to teach on. Perhaps the story of Jonah chapter 4 and his lack of compassion for people. You know...the call to love what God loves...people!

- I went to the chiropractor for my lower back pain, which since last summer has been like a thorn in my side....or back. Results are TBD.

- The man-challenge outreach is tonight. Truck pulling and jousting will take place along with a couple guys sharing their testimonies and thoughts about what it really means to be a man. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

There's lots more, but for some reason I haven't had a lot of time lately.

Have a great week and make wise life decisions.

The Starfish and the Spider - Book review (short version)

I just finished this book. Has great implications for how we're doing ministry in our current culture. It tells lots of stories about decentralized (Craig's List, Wikipedia) and centralized companies (Federal government, Music labels), as well as the hybrid company (GE, Ebay). I learned a lot about what a catalyst should be and what empowering people can look like. I heartily recommend it for those that want to be stretched in their paradigms of leadership. Oh, ....and it's fun to read!

no time

We've become Netflix suscribers....now I have no time to update my blog.

Turning Two

Jenna, you turn two years old today. I can’t even fathom this reality. I know I’ll probably continue to say that every year on January 7th for the rest of my life, but the fact of the matter is that long gone are the days of an immobile infant. Now the pitter-patter (i.e. stomping) of little feet can be heard from all rooms of our house.

Jenna, you are a two year old who lives life with passion. This truth is one of my favorite things about you. Whether you’re coloring, dancing, laughing, crying, running, bathing, smiling, reading, playing, drinking, or trying to tickle Mommy and Daddy you do it with such determination and intensity. It’s as if your current activity is the most exhilarating thing you’ve ever done. You love life and people, and you have so much fun interacting with both.

I love the way you give “the pound” to everyone. I love the way you dance to the worship music at church. I love the way you recite all of our staff teams’ names. I love that you talk our ears off with a new word every minute. I love the sound of your laugh. I love that you love to be outside exploring your surrounding and politely saying hi to everyone who happens to pass by. I love that when you give me a kiss good night, often it’s not just one kiss but about 20 in rapid succession on my cheek only interrupted as you throw yourself into the crib for the night.

I can’t imagine life without you now…except before the hours of 7 am when you’re up and want to play and watch cartoons. Bet even at those unholy hours, all it takes is the hope of seeing your bright smile and hearing your little giggle to coax me out of bed and to join you for a snuggle on the couch and an episode of Wordworld on PBS.

You’ve changed my life for sure, making it far more complex and yet at the same time far more rich and beautiful than I’d ever imagined. I wouldn’t change it for anything. My prayer is that your third year is filled with even more amazing discoveries, exhilarating learning and laughing, and much joy for you and for me as your Father.

Now let’s go eat some birthday cake with passion.

A New Year!

Well, my wife is hassling me to update my blog. I guess it's time. The recent delay in posting is mostly due to the reality of a sickness sucking the life out of me.

After spending Christmas with family in Oregon, we drove up the road to Portland for our annual Winter Conference (don't get me started on Oregon's chain restriction policy...it's ridiculous). We had a great time, worked hard and saw the Lord do some pretty neat stuff. In fact the second night 59 students gave their lives to Christ.

We picked up Jenna in Biggs, OR (I'm suprised you've never heard of it) and headed home after the conference. After staying the night with some dear friends in Spokane, which by the way has the more snow than I've ever seen at one time, we finally made it home. Then I made my way to bed and didn't leave the house for almost 72 hours.

Sometimes my life isn't that glamorous.