People of the Week: South Rouse 1st Floor

Yea, I know this is a little late but I just got around to writing this so deal with it fellas. 

To Barrett Isbell, Derrike Black, Josh Boley, Nathanael Benitez, Raymond Chassevent, Bryan Rice, and David Bishop:

This year as I transferred to Anderson I was worried how I would fit in and things like that because I was the new kid on the block in a hall where it was almost all seniors who were very close to each other.  I could not thank God more however for the hall that I was put on and the awesome, yet at times disturbing, people I was surrounded with this year. 

So here is to all of you who are leaving me to go off to bigger and probably better things:

Barrett:  Keep the movies rolling boss and I know I will see you on campus next year.

Derrike:  Please never spank a child. 

Boley:  Make sure you wake up in time to cook the bagels in the morning, and Good luck to you and Meredith.

Nate:  I just know too many things about you...enough said.

Raymond:  O Raymond, how I miss falling asleep next to you every night.  (sigh)

Bubba and David (Daddy and Momma):  You two have to be done together.  Words cannot describe but I will try a litte:
"One Pop", "We need size, I'm going in", The male enhancement team, Hellen Keller, and so many more that do not need to be said over the internet.

But Thanks to all of you for always being there always willing to listen and talk whenever I needed help in anything possible.  Thanks for taking me under your wing when I was the lonely kid at his own little lunch table.  You guys were great to me this whole year and I wish all of you guys the best of luck in life and I cannot wait to see you fellas down the road. 

-H.M. Mathis

People of the Week: President and Mrs. Whitaker

Yes I know I was not happy with P-Whit last week but this week he has just made my day.
Every year at exam time Mrs. Whitaker bakes thousands of cookies in her kitchen and they hand deliver them to the students in their dorm rooms!  I personally believe this is pretty awesome.  This is one of the reasons I am a huge fan of the small campus feel of Anderson and cookies never hurt my feelings either.  So here is to you President and Mrs. Whitaker!  I appreciate the cookies in my time of stress and sadness.
-H.M. Mathis

Your life in 6 words...

Ernest Hemingway once wrote a story in 6 words.  This was considered his best work even though it was clearly his shortest. He wrote:
"For sale:
baby shoes, never worn."
He said these words described his life in just 6 small words. 

We studied this is our chapel service yesterday here at the great Anderson University. (Yes she is seriously great even though I am not happy with her at the moment--see previous post)  I was then challenged to try to describe my Christian life in only 6 small words.  This is what I came up with:
"Blood bought,
Willing Submission,
Continuous Service!"

My continuous goal to live this way every day.  Each 2 word phrase is a portion of the Christian life and something that I am learning to try to realize daily.

"Blood bought":
Jesus Christ bought me with the blood that He shed on the cross.  He gave a willing sacrifice so that my soul  could be saved!  I am saved because of what He did for me and nothing of what I can do.  I deserve eternity from Him but because of His love and mercy willingly gave up His life for mine.

"Willing Submission"
I strive everyday to willingly submit to the will of God on my life.  I must continue to give up my own desires and be willing to accept God's desire for my life.  John 3: 30 says, "John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease."  I must get out of the way daily so that Christ can show me HIS way.  I must be willing to go wherever he leads, whatever the cost, whenever He tells me to!

"Continuous Service"
I cannot become complacent as a child of God.  I must continue daily to find a way to impact others the way that Christ has impacted me.  I cannot just say that I am a Christian and not serve those around me.  James 2:18-20 says, "Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and tremble. But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"  I must put action to my beliefs and try to impact people around me as much as possible.

I challenge you to come up with your own 6 word story and post it as a comment.  See if you can describe your intentions and goals of your daily life in just 6 words.

-H.M. Mathis

Aight Thanks...

At this current moment I should be driving down good ol' highway 28 on my way home to Aiken, SC.  HOWEVER, I am not due to the fact that Anderson University has given us class tomorrow on Good Friday.  For those of you who do not know this is the day that Christians remember as Christ being sacrificed for the sins of the world.  Anyways, Anderson felt the need to give us class on this day due to the fact that we had 3 days of snow that cancelled class at the beginning of the semester.  So yes, I am upset that our Christian University has scheduled class on this Christian holiday. 
Any nay-Sayers who have not stopped reading to this point will surely be mad over this post or then comment and say how selfish it is of me to 'complain' about this fact.  I know your argument though.  You are saying that all I am, and the other 2,500 students that share my opinion, doing is wanting another day out of class and we are lazy.  You even call us selfish because we just want this day that is meant to remember the sacrifice that was meant to save you and I as just a day off.  This is not the case however.  Good Friday is used to remember what Jesus Christ has done for us and how no matter what we do without Him there is no way we could enter into heaven as Christians.  This is a day to celebrate, yes celebrate, and give thanks that God would have such love, mercy and grace to save a bunch of unworthy sinners such as myself.  So yes I do see this day as a day to celebrate and spend with my family as well as other Christians to commemorate what Jesus Christ did because He desired to spend eternity with you and me. 
So yes I am highly upset that my Christian University will be having class tomorrow while my friends from secular universities will be spending time at home on this Christian holiday.  I just feel that this is a bad job of setting an example by one university to another.  So I am quite sorry Anderson University right now we are not friends.
Aight Thanks.
-H.M. Mathis

Person of the Week: G-Baby

So, I feel like taking a break from studying and the only blog topic that I have not done in awhile is a person of the week.  So today this person will be, yes I know I am suprised as well, G-Baby!  Good Ol' Grayson Alan Mathis.

O G-Baby where to begin o sweet and loving brother!  I congratulate you on your win this past week in the BFL on Santee, way to do work.  I know we all give you a hard time bout your ability out there on the water but just as Aguilar did, I always knew you could when even Teresa and Mark doubted you.  So congratulations.  Thank you for being a good big brother even though at times we wanted to kill each other or mom wanted to kill us both.  So here are your 15 minutes my friend and I am sure that I may lose some followers for selecting such a bad topic but I will stand up to them, cause I stand for a lot of things! I Love you Buddy!  DT4L!

"Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your lady."  ~Ernest Hemingway

"Bragging may not bring happiness, but no man having caught a large fish goes home through an alley."


-H.M. Mathis

Gratitude List: 41-50

41.  Beautiful weather
42.  Good Preaching
43.  Movie nights
44.  Gift Cards
45.  Seeing old friends
46. Weekends
47.  Phone calls with Granny
48.  Braves wins
49.  Good Music
50.  Studying on the Front Lawn

I also want to wish my Granny, Margaret Mathis, a happy birthday today!  We love you!

-H.M. Mathis

Studying the late Adrian Rogers for my biographical paper.  Just some of his greatest quotes.

"We ought to be living as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon." 

"Has it ever occurred to you that nothing occurs to God?"

"It’s what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn."


"If you have a Bible that’s falling apart, you’ll have a life that’s not."

"I wouldn’t trust the best fifteen minutes I ever lived to get me into heaven."

"God grades on the Cross, not on the curve."

The Christian Commitment

The following quote was found on the wall of an anonymous preacher in Africa.

The Christian Commitment
 

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.  I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made.  I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ.
 

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.  My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
 

I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.  I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.  I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
 

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.  My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.  I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed.
 

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.  I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
 

I am a disciple of Jesus.
 

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.  And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me - my banner will be clear!"

We should use this to challenge and check ourselves daily to make sure that we are achieving our full potential for Christ.

-H.M. Mathis

Gratitude List: 31-40

31.  Mommy and Daddy coming to visit me
32.  Trying on Jeans (Your welcome Lauren)
33.  Flat Rock Baptist Church
34.  Lunch with the Bishops
35.  Electricity
36.  Giving class devotions
37.  A brand new tray of biscuits in the caf
38.  Late night NBA Jam.
39.  Basketball Season  (Good Season Osprey!)
40.  A supportive Girlfriend

Baseball Season is finally here!

 Now that Baseball season has finally arrived after a cold and boring winter here are some of H.M. Mathis' favorite Baseball quotes to get you into the mood for the season.

"You can only milk a cow so long, then you're left holding the pail." -Hank Aaron

"I don't know if he throws a spitball but he sure spits on the ball." -Casey Stengal

"Most ball games are lost, not won." -Casey Stengal

"The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers." -Earl Weaver

"I am dead set against free agency. It can ruin baseball." -George Steinbrenner

"Hell, if KY jelly went off the market, the whole California Angels pitching staff would be out of baseball." -Spaceman Bill Lee

"I went through baseball as "a player to be named later." -Joe Garagiola

"All I can tell them is pick a good one and sock it. I get back to the dugout and they ask me what it was I hit and I tell them I don't know except it looked good." -Babe Ruth

"I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball." -Pete Rose

"I led the league in "Go get 'em next time." -Bob Uecker

“You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out”  -Bob Polewski

“One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something.”  -Nolan Ryan

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs." -Tim McCarver

"Trying to sneak a pitch past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster." -Joe Adcock

“It ain’t the arrow, it’s the Indian.”  -Bob Polewski

"Never root for a team whose uniforms have elastic stretch waistbands." -Susan Sarandon

"There ain't much to being a ballplayer, if you're a ballplayer." -Honus Wagner

"There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither one of them works." -Charlie Lau

"The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then to pick it up." -Bob Uecker

"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer."  ~Ted Williams

"Let's play two." -Ernie Banks

"Yogi (Berra), I came up here to hit, not to read."  -Hank Aaron, 1958 World Series answer to Berra after being told to turn his bat around so he could 'read' the label and not break the bat.

"I'd be willing to bet you, if I was a betting man, that I have never bet on baseball." -Pete Rose

"The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor." -Cincinnati Gazette editorial, 1879

The all-time greatest quote master of all time:  Yogi Berra

“The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.”

“You observe a lot by watching.”

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."

 “Third ain't so bad if nothin' is hit to you.”

“Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting.”

"Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did."

"All pitchers are liars or crybabies."

“Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.”

-H.M. Mathis

Got to love sarcastic Facebook posts...

The Pity Train has just derailed at the intersection of Suck It Up & Move On, and crashed into We All Have Problems, before coming to a complete stop at Get Over It. Any complaints about how we operate, can be forwarded to 1-800-waa-aaah with Dr. Sniffle Reporting LIVE from Quitchur Complaining'. If you don't like it...suck it up buttercup! Life doesn't revolve around you!!!

Thank you mother for posting this today and reminding me of how you responded everytime I complained.  You made my day today with this.

-H.M. Mathis 

Person of the Week: The Church Candy Man

This past Sunday while attending Covenant Baptist Church here in good ol' Anderson, Lauren was approached by this older gentleman as we sat in our seats before service.  He came up to her, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small Tootsie Roll without saying a word and walked away.  Many people may find this a bit odd but to those of us who have attended smaller churches in the south this comes as no surprise.

This man could play many different roles in the community from Monday to Saturday but on Sunday to kids, and most likely all the adults, as: The Candy Man.  Often times you may not even know his name, but you know that he will always be there for every kid in need of a butter scotch or peppermint on Sunday morning.
As I grew up, and still to this day, that man in my church was Jim Gibbons.  He is known to every child in the church, not by name, but for the delicious treats that he so willingly passes out every Sunday.

The Church Candy man is one of those unsung heros of life that never get any recognition but always put a smile on our faces.  So when you see your 'Candy Man' this Sunday, before eating the amazing treat that he offers you, thank him for touching all of our lives, even if it is just one ounce at a time.
-H.M. Mathis

Gratitude List: 21-30

21. Lunch with Mom, Granny and Lauren
22. Hopeland Gardens
23. Salmon and Shrimp Coctails
24. Baseball Season--Bout time you got here
25. 9 Year Olds who throw Strikes!
26. Chillin' with Doug
27. South Aiken FCA
28. The phrase, "I will cut you!"
29. Late Night Zaxby's
30. This is the most serious one of them:
       I am grateful for every thing that Coach Tommy Dunbar did, not only for me personally, but for the kids and people of Aiken.  No matter who you were he would always greet you with a smile, a handshake, and always remember your name.  You will be greatly missed.  Thank you for everything you did for us!

-H.M. Mathis

Person of the Week: Mommy

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone.  Most people when they see March 17th approaching on the calendar they think of green and alcohol and everything that goes along with the St. Patty's Day theme.  When this day comes along every year though just one thing comes to mind, Mommy!
Teresa Mathis was born on this day, the year escapes me at this moment ;), to Gaines and Sybil Bell in Aiken, South Carolina.  She is the second child of four and was raised on the Bible and good southern home cooking.  She was raised in a Christian home and still holds true to those values today.  Later on in her life she married Mark Mathis and went on to raise 2 boys in the same way that they were raised. 

So today I just want to say Happy Birthday Mommy and thank you for everything that you do for us.  Thank you for always putting up with our attitude and ungratefulness because even though we do not always show it we are so thankful for everything that you do for us.  You have been the best mother that we could ever ask for.  So since words cannot describe how grateful we are, I just simply  want to say.  I Love You and Thank You Mommy!

-H.M. Mathis

Gratitude List

11. Wing Night with the fellas
12. 30 Second phone conversations with G-Baby
13. Cousins who are always willing to help you out
14. Getting out of Spanish class
15. Long car rides
16. Dinner with Lauren's Family
17. Being Home/Seeing Mommy & Daddy
18. Chillin' with the Old Friends
19. Morning outings with Pops
20. Opportunities

Prayer

Today here at our wonderful Anderson University we had our weekly chapel event.  Today's chapel was especially different though.  As we walked in we were requested to not talk and make as little noise as possible, which is very hard for 800 college students to do.  After an amazing time of worship Dr. Chuck Fuller, a ministry professor at Anderson, preached on how we should pray.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:9-10


Dr. Fuller addressed how often times we take something that is meant to bring us closer together with God and turn it into something about just us.  He explained how we are not even worthy to pray to God but we often times treat it as just a simple thing that we do when we are in need.  Instead, he said, we should see it as privilege to speak to the one who sacrificed His one perfect Son in order to adopt many disobedient sons.  Only through the grace, love and mercy of God are we allowed to look upon Him and say, "Abba Father."

I agree with him.  I feel like often times we, Hamilton Mathis included, pray in hope that God will just give us something or deliver us from a situation.  However, we must find God's will in these situations because sometimes He puts us in these situations to grow us but we often times miss this blessing because we are too busy attending our own pitty parties. 

Today I was challenged that I should be more respectful and reverent when I come before my God and Creator.  Often times I just casually pray and it is all about ME ME ME!  Praying is not about us at all, it is about the love of God just giving us the time of day. 

So, I also challenge everyone, when you come before our God and pray to Him, do it with a clean and reverent heart.  Ask not only for the passions of yourself but for God's will to be done.
-H.M. Mathis

Gratitude List

I find that many times we often overlook the simple things in our lives that God often gives us.  He presents us with things that we see and never think twice about even though they are meant to bless us.  So this is just the list of random things that I feel God has put in front of me for my blessing/enjoyment.

1.Humbling 0 for 11 shooting nights in Basketball
2. South Rouse 1st floor
3. Hospital visits to Papa Bishop
4. Ms. Pauline in the Caf--Has a smile on her face every morning
5. Conversion and Calling Papers--We need to be reminded of the ways God has blessed us
6. Lauren Ellen Clifton
7. All the others who blog that inspired me to start my own--Mrs. Dawn, Lauren
8. RUF
9. Class getting out early
10. Morning Breakfasts

That is all for now...I will keep a running list. 
I challenge all of my 0 followers to, as you go through the week, to find the small things that God gives us to be a blessing to us.

H.M. Mathis