the matts:

Foster Care Backpack Drive Update

Meghan Matt — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:43:53 +0000

THANK YOU to everyone who made the foster care backpack drive such a massive success!! We were believing for 100 backpacks and ended up with 159!!! That’s 159 kids in our local foster care system who are going to begin school with a pretty, new, fantastic backpack.They won’t wear their hand-me-down or reject bag, but will be able to be proud of having something new! What a huge win

Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus in a practical way for these kids!!

I Am Too Indecisive

Meghan Matt — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:01:38 +0000

Chris & I are selling our living room furniture… Well technically, we have already sold it… And the little problem we now face is finding replacement furniture CHEAPER than what we sold out other stuff for.

We LOVE the furniture we have, but it’s big and oversized and our house is not. We are looking to find a sofa that will fit better in the space, has clean lines, and will fit well with my twisted style that incorporates vintage and modern.

We have found two that fit the mold, and now I cannot decide! It’s killing me! I need your help.

Option #1

This beauty is from Wal-Mart. What I LOVE about it is the tufting, the low-profile back, and that it can lay down and convert into a sleeper. My main concern about it is that some of the reviews online side it was too firm, and Wal-Mart doesn’t have the best track record of making high-quality items. You get what you pay for- yes- but I don’t want it to be total crap (even though I love looking at it)!

Option #2

This one is from Target (already a plus)… And the reviewers all LOVE it, but say the color is actually mocha and not this caramel (I prefer mocha anyway). The downside is it’s 1/3 more expensive than option 1 (which means we couldn’t afford to buy a chair) and it’s a little plain jane. It does come up higher on the back than option 1, but it’s not as long so that makes up the difference. It doesn’t scream “The Matts” to me, like the other one, and Chris doesn’t really love it either.

Can you help? Which one do you like better? Which one do you think is the best decision?

Backpack Drive for Foster Kids

Meghan Matt — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:36:11 +0000

There are SO many ways that we can fulfill the commission in James 1:27 to care for orphans and widows. There are children without fathers in every country in the world, as well as right down the street from us. One (of about 10 million) reasons I love Healing Place Church is our heart for the fatherless. One way we attempt to reach them is through service to our local foster children, and we have a great opportunity for you to play a role!!

We are trying to collect 100 backpacks for local foster kids by tomorrow and we need your help! We still need 45 more… Walgreens is doing a buy one children’s High Trails or Urban Sport backpack for $9.99 and get one free sale (I called to confirm this). That means two families could spend $5 each and provide two children with a brand new bag for school.

These kids are often forgotten. They get the leftovers, the hand-me-downs, the rejects. THEY are “the least of these”… Let’s step up together and provide them with something we so often take for granted. You can deliver all bags to HPC, or if my house is closer you can bring them here and I’ll make sure they get dropped off.

And read more about my heart for foster kids here.

A Challenge to All Christians

Meghan Matt — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:38:39 +0000

You may or may not know, but Chris and I feel called to be foster parents. I had it in my head first, but after the adoption conference we went to last year, God totally planted it in Chris’ heart and started the fire burning. We were going to get certified before I left for Africa, but as everything is in God’s timing, He held us back (and now we see why).

I ran across this blog through an awesome friend who is currently fostering some beautiful girls. This post really affected me. Here are some highlights:

It is time for the Christian community to put up or shut up regarding foster children. It is time for… the 130,000 children in the United States of America to quit languishing in foster care and find forever families. It is time that we put aside everything that is keeping us from stepping up to the plate, and step out in faith. It is time for the world to see more than a poster touting our views on abortion and see us in the throws of the 24/7 that IS adoption.

It is time for risk-taking and soul-searching and fact-finding and life-living. It is time that we-the Body of Christ- are more than just words…that we are the hair-combing, wound-binding, hand-holding, shoulder-bearing hands and feet of our Savior to children who, through no fault of their own, wind up in a system that sometimes could really care less.

Wow… I mean, wow. I love that last sentence; it has shaken me to the core. It’s never going to be easy or convenient, but it’s really time we quit acting like Christians and starting BEING like Christ. I wonder how it grieves the heart of our Father to see His precious children forgotten, neglected and abandoned, while we sit and enjoy our comfortable little lives.

It’s time to get uncomfortable. Are you with me?

Reading My Mind

Meghan Matt — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:57:26 +0000

Sometimes God puts people in our path to inspire, encourage, and uplift us… and to show us that we aren’t crazy. Amy Block has been one of those people to me.

She comes out with some amazing blog posts, and sometimes I feel like she’s reading my mind. This one… Well, it just describes a lot of things and situations in my life. It’s a good read, and very worth the 5 minutes

No Weapon Formed Against Us Shall Prosper

Bring on the Bucks, Baby!

Meghan Matt — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:03:05 +0000

Our garage sale fundraiser is all set up and ready to go… Come check out our awesome deals on some really great stuff. See you there!!!

Living room set- loveseat/huge chair and large couch. Great condition!
Beautiful dark wood dining table, seats 6
Ornate wood coffee table with glass top-almost brand new
2 wicker beds
Black changing table
2 light wood toddler beds w/1 mattress
2 strollers in great condition
Small tv armoire
Solid wood dresser
Large New Orleans street scene painting
Mink stole
Fur coat

TONS of kitchen/housewares
High-quality decor
Designer womens clothing and purses
Golf bag
Books
Luggage
Christmas decor
Beautiful throw pillows/linens
Loads of make-up and beauty products
Webcam

And loads more!!! You don’t wanna miss this sale!

8716 Norfolk Dr.
Baton Rouge 70809

Going to the Birds!

Meghan Matt — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:46:27 +0000

Some of you know I have been going crazy for birds lately… Well, really all things bird-related… I’m obsessed with the beautiful flying creatures.

Bird paintings, bird statuettes, bird houses, bird cages… Geesh. It’s madness. The only way to make birds better is to make them vintage-related.

Anyway, I stumbled across this bird house today and oh.my.goodness. My heart did a little leap.

Enjoy

(And just in case you love it as much as I do, you can find it here.)

It’s Time to Celebrate!!

Meghan Matt — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:30:56 +0000

With all the craziness of life, stress, finances, adjustment, VBS and everything else, we never quite got around to throwing Pres and Mo a birthday party, or Moses a welcome home party. BUT, we ARE going to celebrate on August 1, and I.can’t.wait!!

That morning we will stand in front of our church and dedicate Moses to Jesus. We will promise to raise him (and Presley) in a Christian home where they will be taught the Word of God and learn all about the Lord. After wards we will have a light reception at my mom’s house to honor the occasion

I can’t help but lump a lot of things together in this one celebration… This is really so much bigger than us… We get to stand before many of the people who prayed us home, who gave to us financially, who fasted with us, who laughed and cried with us, and celebrate Moses being part of our family and our dedication to his life. It’s such an honor, and we’d love for you to be a part. Check out this invite for all the details!

Sweet Samuel is Home At Last… Forever!

Meghan Matt — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:59:05 +0000

God is a god of purpose. Nothing happens by accident, and He uses every event, happening, pain, day, moment and relationship for His glory. He put me in Uganda at a specific time. WHY it had to be THE WEEK the Embassy changed the rules, I still don’t know, but I do know He put me there with Jade Metz for a reason. She always kept me laughing and constantly had a positive attitude despite terrible circumstances.

She left Uganda after two months there to return home. She made the gut-wrenching decision to fight for her baby from home while taking care of her two beautiful young daughters. She returned three months later and after just two short weeks in Uganda, they are ALL home together. Jade, Nathan, Maddix, Sophie and SAMUEL EZRA!!

Check out her blog. Read her story. Share it. Love it. This testimony of how God orchestrated things on this trip blow.my.mind. It’ll remind you just how much He IS in control (I often need that reminder).

Here’s the link to her blog.

Make Your Trash Our Treasure

Meghan Matt — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:33:57 +0000

Adoption is costly. It costs time, energy, emotion and money. LOTS of money… Now let me tell you this, GOD HOOKED US UP! 95% of our adoption costs were completely covered. But while I was gone to Africa for three months, we got a little behind… and with Chris out of work it’s only gotten worse. He’s been busting tail trying to get us caught up, and I’m working a part-time job, too… But we are still stuck.

SO we are finally having this garage sale next weekend!!! We are hoping that God will bless it and help bring in the rest of the funds for us to be caught up to where we were before I left for Africa. A few people have been so generous to donate some items, but we are still looking for more!

If you have anything you could like to donate (besides clothes- we have plenty), please let us know and I will come get it from you this week. We are especially looking for bigger ticket items that will bring in more money.

Thank you all so much for your support throughout this journey. We are praying this is our last fund raising push for the adoption and that we are able to move on from the financial side and start concentrating on all the other exciting adventures of this great pursuit. It’s very humbling to have to ask others for help, but we believe that this is just a season, and in time we will be able to pay it forward to other families in need of a little boost.

Love, peace and yard sales!

Megs