Matthews Family Herald

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" from Joshua 24:15

(I am working on getting the videos uploaded of Jacob smiling and laughing.  Check back periodically!)

We are so thrilled that Jacob smiled and laughed tonight!  It all started when Nathan and I went into his room in order to play cards.  We all try to do everything that we can in his room instead of elsewhere in the house so that he can be with us and we with him.  It's good for his recovery and good for us too.

So we were in his room and before we got started, we decided to go say hello to him.  I opened his eyes and Nathan decided to make ridiculous noises and silly faces to Jacob; something that none of us had done before.  He broke into a large smile!  Whoah!  Nathan did it some more and Jacob laughed.  Oh my gosh.  We were stunned and amazed!  I started calling out to Heather and the kids to come quick!  I didn't know how long this window would last.  As it turned out, the window went from 5 p.m. until his bedtime at 10 p.m. and never really ended.  We just moved on to getting him ready for bed, doing physical therapy, and then family devotion.

We had him laughing to funny videos he had done in the past both alone and with the other kids, funny videos Micah did, and even to Tim Hawkins videos.  Now with the Tim Hawkins videos he laughed when he could only hear the audio, and he laughed when Heather opened his eyes to see Tim Hawkins.  Jacob laughs at the right parts and at the right times.  His absolute favorite videos are the ones where he is aggravating his younger brother, Nathan.  Hannah says he laughs hard now at the very same parts that he once laughed hard at and enjoyed the most before the accident.  He laughs before any of us do, most times, and especially on the first time that we showed them to him.  Another thing, he smiled really big whenever I sat in front of him and started talking to him.  He did the same thing when Gabriel was put in front of him and he did the same thing when Hannah sat down in front of him.  We had the most fun tonight!  We laughed, we cried, and we did both at the same time.  We needed this.  We really, really needed this.  We needed to connect with him and are so glad to know he is still a stinker!  He still has his great sense of humor and still gets pleasure out of frustrating his brother.  More importantly, he remembers making the videos, he anticipates his favorite parts as they come up, and he comprehends English and can process what he is seeing and hearing and can show it emotionally.  It's amazing!  We knew it!  We knew it!  We are so grateful to God and look forward to his continued progress!  Now for the videos.  The following videos are only of few of the moments within the hours of fun we had amusing Jacob and relishing his reactions. Enjoy!

This video shows Jacob briefly smiling at something Hannah shares with him:


Copy and paste address link: https://youtu.be/PRI9jtJ6OOk

This video involves a scenario where Jacob was aggravating Nathan and hitting him with some sort of a stick; not very hard but hard enough to annoy him.  Jacob's reaction is huge!

Beat With a Stick
Manual copy and paste: https://youtu.be/DzMEnAJMsac

This video is of Jacob dressed up in his old man hat and beard costume.  The night before, Nathan had agreed to let Jacob get up early in the morning and pour water onto Nathan while filming him.  You can see Jacob begin to grin as the video gets closer to the point when he is about to pour water on Nathan.  In the video, Nathan wakes up a little just before Jacob pours the water and says "no" he has changed his mind.  Jacob pours it anyway in the video.  Nathan keeps repeating "I said 'no'" and you can see here how amused Jacob is by watching the video prank.  Grandpa Water Prank
Manual copy and paste: https://youtu.be/ugYR17x6v48



Good evening,

It's time to pick up where I've left off and get this family history going again on our family blog site.

I miss Jacob so much, we all do.  He's here and we thank God above for that!  We thank Him so much.  There is Hope.  There is a living Hope that we place all of our faith onto and are so glad.  We miss being able to interact with, talk with Jacob; laugh with him.



We are leaning upon God to bring us closer together as a couple; Heather and I.  Even more than "as a couple."  We are not a couple; we are one flesh.  We are leaning upon God to make us closer as a family and to restore the joy of our salvation amongst one another.  And He is doing that.  He really is.

Today was such a relaxed day at the house.  First of all, Heather let me sleep for over nine hours; something I haven't done in over two months since that tragic day . . .  I also had a two hour nap in the midst of the day.  That was also amazing.

Church family brought over a Taco Bell family pack of burritos and tacos and this was such a treat for lunch.  Folks from church bring us meals every other day and this has been a HUGE blessing.  God has blessed and cared for us all so much exceeding beyond all we could ask for during this time.  In the end, we all want Jacob back and this is our heart's cry.  Having him in this way puts a gray cast over just about any joy but God is using this in our hearts for good.  

Heather made an amazing gumbo and rice dish that was so tasty!  Nathan and I rode together to the store and back today just talking about the important stuff, like what three wishes we would make if we found a box we could make wishes come true in.  We both agreed that we'd want Jacob's total healing, a limitless bank account, and to live staying young forever.  We also discussed which super hero we would be if we could be one of them.  He said Superman because he can fly, stays young forever, can't be killed (well, almost can't be).  I played Charlotte Church in the car the whole time to try and have him develop a love and taste for higher culture.  Not uppity culture but fine or quality.  I joked with him that we are now "upper crust" peeps when we listen to that stuff. lol.

Heather's sister sent Eden a bead kit and she made me an awesome warrior necklace that I enjoy wearing.  Deree has enjoyed this so much!  Hannah did some decorative finger nails on her own fingers that looks amazing,  Heather worked on Ironman T-shirts to honor Jacob with.  Gabriel is sitting in my lap as I type and has the chicken pox.  :(  He's still very happy though!

                                     Click the pictures below to see them in greater detail!
 
Hannah made the cross necklace on the far left.  Eden made the other jewelry.
                               Hannah and Eden are showing off the finger nail artwork Hannah did!
 
Here is Chief Spatula holding his prize and wearing his necklace of authority Eden made him!

     Oh hey, the girls and I played the Candy Land game that Beka recieved as a birthday gift and that was so much fun!

We had a family meeting and devotion tonight and we prayed all together in Jacob's room with him.  Tomorrow we plan to go trail hiking and have a picnic lunch at the end.

Posted by James comments (1)

Hello,  if you can see this post on Facebook right now because perhaps Facebook loads the current page as a preview then don't continue to read yet if you are taking the Algebra class bonus question. 

Here is the question: 

There are three boxes in front of you. Each of them has a label. Exactly one of the statements is true.

Silver box: "The prize is not in this box."
Bronze box: "The prize is not in the gold box."
Gold box: "The prize is in this box."

Okay.  If you are coming over from Facebook to see the answer then you must have reached a conclusion.  Here was my conclusion:  The Bronze box is true.  It is the only statement that, if true, could be true by itself.  If any other box was deemed true, then at least one of the other boxes could also have been true.  Only the Bronze box could be true while the other two boxes were both false at the same time.  Is that what you found?

The following is a paper I put together for a music class I recently took. Thought you might enjoy learning about one of my favorite artists and a little about me along the way. You might even discover a new artist you like. I did the best to transfer the format from the Word program:

James Matthews
Music Appreciation
(History of Rock)

 

FAVORITE POPULAR MUSIC ARTIST - STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN 

     Who is Steven Curtis Chapman?  (http://stevencurtischapman.com)  Steven Curtis Chapman is the most accomplished, and perhaps the most popular Christian contemporary artist in history.   Opinions may be subjective and open to question, but accomplishment and achievement are not.  With 58 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, 5 Grammys, 1 American Music Award, 47 Number One singles and nearly 11 million albums sold, Steven Curtis Chapman stands head and shoulders above any other Christian musician in history.  He has released 22 albums from 1987 to the year 2013 (2 of which became Certified Platinum Recordings selling over 1 million units each and 10 of which became Certified Gold Recordings selling over 500,000 each), 7 video productions, and over 26 television appearances on shows such as CNN, 60 Minutes, Extra!, E! Entertainment, MSNBC and Fox & Friends.  Among other things, he has also starred in a movie, written several books and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Anderson University and was the commencement speaker for their 2011 class.

                Steven Curtis Chapman writes and performs his own music.  His style combines rock, folk and pop and expresses them in evermore unique and creative ways that evoke emotion, inspire change, and propel the listener into action.  When performing, he is normally backed by a band ranging from five to seven people and oftentimes features some of his children playing various instruments or in some other way contributing to his performances.   He plays the guitar, the piano, the mandolin and the dobro.

     How did it all start for Mr. Chapman?  Steven’s father ran a music store and was a talented song writer and guitar player.  His father and friends performed folk and bluegrass music in the town of Paducah, Kentucky where Steven grew up.    His father had an opportunity to become a famous, traveling country musician but decided to stay local in order to be the husband and father he felt he should be.  Seeing his son’s interest in music, Steven’s father gave him a guitar at the age of six.  Steven began playing with his brother Herb, who was already performing Christian music at school events, at church, and at musicals. 

                Steven accepted Jesus Christ into his heart at the age of eight, just a short time after his parents had rededicated their lives to Christ following some months of marital trouble.  Steven says of that salvation moment “I went forward and accepted Christ and it was a very real commitment.”  He and his brother Herb performed music together through their school years.  He taught himself piano and says that music such as that from Dallas Holm, Jim Croce and the Doobie Brothers influenced him greatly at this time in his life. 

                His brother Herb went off to college but Steven continued to perform on his own.  Once in college, Steven initially was majoring in medicine at Georgetown College.  He later met up with Danny Gaither, brother of Bill Gaither and began spending weekends practicing with him.  Steven’s songs were shared with Danny’s contacts.  Steven transferred to Anderson University (where the Gaither’s call home) and decided to change his major to music business.   While there, he “shared” a mailbox with a woman named Mary Beth Chapman (a woman he did not yet know but who had the same last name) and it was through this “happenstance” that they eventually fell in love and were married.  He transferred back to Nashville, to Belmont College in order to take part in their music program.  He began performing at Opryland before large audiences where he honed his performing skills.  His wife became pregnant and they eventually had three children together; Emily, Caleb and Will Franklin.  It has been a lifelong struggle for Steven to balance his music career with his family commitment and his commitment to his church.  Friends of family attest to his success and doing so.  He and his wife and family currently live in Franklin, Tennessee.

     Steven Curtis Chapman is not only an excellent Christian, husband, father, musician, song writer, and performer, but he has also demonstrated a long standing commitment to impacting the world for Christ through social activism, among other things.  For example, he has worked with the late Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship Ministry.  He spent time visiting prisoners and raising awareness and support for the PFM’s Angel Tree Program that provides Christmas gifts to children who have incarcerated parents (http://www.prisonfellowship.org/).  His song “Free” was inspired by his interactions with prisoners.  I can tell you it greatly impacted me when it was first released.  I have donated several times to PFM after becoming aware of it through his album “Signs of Life.”  Here are some of the lyrics to give you an idea: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTD69JfhMgo

The sun was beating down inside the walls of stone and razor wire
As we made our way across the prison yard
I felt my heart begin to race as we drew nearer to the place
Where they say that death is waiting in the dark
The slamming doors of iron echoed through the halls
Where despair holds life within its cruel claws
But then I met a man who's face seemed so strangely out of place
A blinding light of hope was shining in his eyes
And with repentance in his voice he told me of his tragic choice
That led him to this place where he must pay the price
But then his voice grew strong as he began to tell
About the One he said had rescued him from hell, he said...

I'm free, yeah, oh, I have been forgiven
God's love has taken off my chains and given me these wings
And I'm free, yeah, yeah, and the freedom I've been given
Is something that not even death can take away from me
Because I'm free
Jesus set me free

    A school shooting at Steven’s alma mater in West Paducah, Kentucky led him to dedicate a song called “With Hope” from his “Speechless” album to the families that lost someone.  He also sang at the funeral held for three victims.  He then gave a memorial concert and partnered with Chuck Colson to make a video to reach out to teenagers in preventing things like school shootings.

     Steven has toured in a number of Asian countries and was the first Christian to ever perform for soldiers in South Korea.  He was also the first Gospel artist to publicly perform in Shanghai, China.    Steven and his wife eventually felt led to adopt three girls from China named Shaohannah Hope Yan, Stevey Joy Ru, and Maria Sue Chunxi.   He and his wife became promoters of adoption and started a charity called Show Hope that helps others who wish to adopt make their dreams come true (http://showhope.org/).  One of Show Hope’s largest accomplishments was the building of Maria’s Big House of Hope which is a medical care center in China that provides holistic care to orphans with special needs.  

     Sadly, the Chapman’s adopted daughter, Maria Sue, was hit by a car and died.  It was during this dark moment in their lives that Steven almost quit music all together and had vowed to never perform the song “Cinderella” again.  Here are some of the lyrics to that song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrWMBC6yoME

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders 

It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you

There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oooooh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...

     Eventually Steven began to realize that his daughter would want him to go on singing and to honor her memory by continuing to sing “Cinderella.”  Since that time, he and his wife have publicly spoken on a number of occasions about their struggles with losing their daughter and have been used of God to help many go through this same struggle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ySghBeUuNM  ).   His later album entitled “Beauty Will Rise” has many songs inspired by the death of his daughter.

    Steven and his wife have also done missionary work in Africa and they have promoted World Vision for at least ten years (www.worldvision.org ).  (I fell in love with my wife, Heather, while watching her perform a song she wrote as a part of her endeavors to raise money for the World Vision ministry at the Baptist Student Union at TVCC Athens campus.  The song she wrote and performed is entitled “Calling All Lambs”.)

     Steven Curtis Chapman’s latest Album was released on September of 2013 a.d. and is called “The Glorious Unfolding.”  It’s his 18th album and is his first album of all original material to be released in the last seven years.  The challenges and the growth of the last several years are said to be reflected in each of the songs of this new album.  There’s a song called “Together” dedicated to his wife of 29 years as of October of this year.  He’s written a song of encouragement for his 13 year old daughter Shaohannah saying “It’s that wonderful, incredibly awful time to try to be a young lady in this world and culture.  I’m just very, very proud of her and I wanted to write a song to tell her how amazing she is.”  The song “Take Another Step” is about taking steps of faith in dark and uncertain times.  Of the album as a whole Steven says “God has continued faithfully to reveal Himself through dark places and reveal His mysteriousness.  I get the sense that He’s telling an amazing story.  He’s not confused.  He’s not biting his nails worrying if the plan is going to turn out okay the way I do.  He’s fully confident of His plans and He’s in control.  That’s been something that I’ve held onto.” 

     So how did I come to discover Steven Curtis Chapman?  When I was a junior in High School, my best friend and next door neighbor loaned me a copy of the album “The Great Adventure.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFPjIp6nkk )  I had accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord at age 7.  Although I had a deep love for God since that time, the embers had become cold and dark through the years and I was not living for the Lord any longer.  The friendship with this Godly friend and his family, and partly the energy and sincere passion for Christ that poured out of Steven’s music and heart in both the sound of the music and the lyrics really helped to re-ignite that passion for God in me and brought me back to life.  Through the years, this has continued to be the case. 

     Steven is someone I feel like I’ve journeyed life with.  His music and his image have changed so much over time but that impact has not.  His example in perpetually intertwining God’s most important callings to serve Him, to expand His Kingdom, to his wife and his children, and to holiness before God and man has been compelling.  That example of a real servant of God who lives what he says, who is faithful to God and wife and family, and who impacts our world and increases the Kingdom of God with his whole life has served to encourage and inspire me for a lifetime. 

     In an age of sanitation of anything of meaning, in an ocean of meaningless or destructive lyrics and lifestyle examples, we need those heroes like Steven that God raises up.  It’s this example and impact which makes all other forms of music and purposes for music and performance seem pale to me.  Why not reach for the highest goal?  Why wouldn’t someone want to use their gifts to bring glory to the Giver and call others to do what matters most?  What will God say of the time we have been given?   While the allure of the call to rebellion and nonconformity can seem attractive, I want to dedicate myself to conformity with Christ and submission of my life to His will and to His call.

     Steven Curtis Chapman’s words as he spoke concerning his latest album seem to address the question with a challenge.  He goes on to say “Yet a part of the mystery is that He is revealing it [His story] in our lives and it’s this unfolding incredible tale of His love for us.  This album gave me a chance to tell that, to celebrate loss and hope and new life.  For all of that, I’m really grateful.  It really is my hope that people will hear the sound of God’s voice whispering to them: ‘I know the plans I have for you.  Will you trust me?  Will you trust me through the hard seasons and through the good seasons?  The story is good.  Will you trust me and watch it unfold?’”  And so Steven calls and carries God’s call to us.  What will we do with this call?  It seems fitting to share the song Steven sings that pulled and pulls still so hard on my heart when I hear it:  “For The Sake of the Call” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sb4RrF9VxI

Drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea
No turning back for the water cannot help but flow
Once we hear the Savior's call we'll follow wherever he leads
Because of the love He has shown
And because he has called us to go we will answer

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die

Not for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who calls
And if we believe we'll obey 

References:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Curtis_Chapman Retrieved Dec. 2nd, 2013
  2. http://stevencurtischapman.com/about/ Official website.  Retrieved Dec. 2nd, 2013
  3. http://blog.al.com/mcolurso/2008/10/crowd_says_amen_to_steven_curt.html Birmingham News.  Published Oct 28th, 2008.  Retrieved Dec 2nd, 2013.
  4. http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/05/22/daughter-5-christian-music-star-steven-curtis-chapman-killed-by-suv-driven-by/ Fox News.  Published May 22nd, 2008.  Retrieved Dec 2nd, 2013.
  5. http://www.klove.com/music/artists/steven-curtis-chapman/ Retrieved Dec 2nd, 2013.
  6. http://voices.yahoo.com/getting-know-steven-curtis-chapman-biography-1504097.html Published Jun 2nd, 2008.  Retrieved Dec 2nd, 2013.

 

 

 




Hi Friends,

It's been a very long time since we have posted here!  A lot has happened!  We don't have internet at home and so making posts here and uploading photos is still not very easy.  If you keep in touch with me by Facebook or email or otherwise it will be a lot easier.  We still have not forgotten about this blogsite and hope it will one day be easier to get back to posting regularly here.

We still live in East Texas.  The rent house I was going out to look at is the same house we live in today.  We joined a nearby church and serve by working with the children and participating in worship there through occasional leading and special music performance.

It is so great to live near to various family members!  I am telling you.  Family is so important.  Extended family.  The nuclear family is like a castle.  The extended family is like a moat and wall of protection.  It's something we really need and was intended!

I am working in the criminal justice field while attending full time college (criminal justice major). 

We participate with our local homeschool group as I have mentioned. 

We have a new daughter, Rebekah, born just a month ago!

We are planning a trip back to Missouri here within a week in order to pick up a car we left there and the remainder of our things.  We hope to see lots of friends as we close up that chapter of our lives.  We close the chapter but will always want to stay connected to those we knew and lived with and near while there. 

Why did we leave Missouri and our life there?  Looking back, I think going to Missouri and attempting that way of life we began there was something we just had to do.  I don't think I would have gotten it out of my system unless we did it.  I felt that as time went on, making that life work and accomplishing those goals out there had become the way of life and purpose; not the purpose of growing the Body of Christ and working for the Lord as we raised our family.  I felt an ever increasing struggle to either pursue the work God was placing us in, within our local church and within the greater global church, or putting everything into doing what it would take to live as we were trying to live.  These conflicting efforts, combined with the hardship of the lifestyle and the challenges we faced, made me feel like God was bringing me to the point of needing to decide; build a farm or build My church.  That's the choice I felt I was coming to.  Fulfill your desires or fulfill God's. 

God's desires are mine as well now and I have the peace that comes from being in His will once more. 

Yes, we had a great time out in Missouri and learned so much.  However, we are in East Texas now and getting back to more of a normal life.  Closer to family.  We still hope to live in the country, but with all the normalities of modern life such as electricity, plumbing, more space, etc.  We plan to keep you updated as we go along.  I turned in the U-Haul yesterday.  I picked up a new set of hub caps for the van and a mirror to replace the one knocked off on the driver's side.  Micah and I look forward to replacing that.

Tomorrow we intend to check out a rent house out in the country.  Monday I have an interview with a major grocery store chain here where one of my family members is a long time employee.  Long term I hope to enroll with UT perhaps and work towards a business degree.  Heather will continue her herbal business ambitions and increase her knowledge base.  Micah is working on getting his job and driver's license, etc.  We plan to link up with the area homeschool group and also go to our family's local church this Sunday.

It's good to be back in Texas where it's warm.

We've been in Missouri for two months now.  We started out living with some family friends in their upstairs while we staked out an acre of property on their land and then cleared it.  We next moved into our camp site we set up, and then spent three weeks building up our little Winter cabin.  We've moved into that and are working on getting it warm and cozy for living.

Right now we are visiting family during the Thanksgiving timeframe in Oklahoma and in Texas.  Lord willing, we'll be back in Missouri by Wednesday.

God is incredible and has gotten us through in the wilderness by a mighty hand and many miracles. 

If you want to keep up with us a lot better, I'd recommend connecting with me on Facebook.  I'm able to update that with my cell phone out there, but not able to update this blogspot through the cell phone. 

Send me a comment here if you want me to find you on Facebook.  Give me the info to look you up and I'll see what we can do.

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