Matt W Cook

Good morning!

So, it’s Sunday morning! This is the last Sunday I will have as a single man! I am incredibly excited to get married! Less than a week…so close.

I found an apartment last Wednesday. I’ve paid first and last, and I started moving stuff it. It’s a nice place, hardwood floors, new fridge, big windows. I like it, Ruth loves it! I am amazed at how time has travelled so quickly, but I’m not complaining!

Well, gotta go read and pray and then obey! See ya later!

Matthew

PS – I’m getting MARRIED!! YAY!!!

Hello friends in the blog-zone!

Well, that apartment fell through, it’s a shame. But, I did what I could, God obviously didn’t want me to be there. So I resume the hunt!

The Internet was down here at GSA for the last two days because of some technical issues with Bell Canada. I never fully realized how utterly depended we are on this Internet of ours. I sat around most of yesterday with little to do because most of my service work is through the Internet on PcAnywhere. It was a little odd not having the wisdom and information of the world at my fingertips…But, it’s back online now, and us computer nerds are very happy with it. We gave the repair guy a Pepsi for his wonderful service. Thank you Mr. Bell Repair Guy…we appreciate it.

That’s all I got for now. Gonna go home soon. Ruth and I are planning on donning the Pakistani clothes and going out to Niagara Falls this afternoon because of the wonderful heat we are having. Boo ya!

So, have fun all, pray for me and for yourselves, be good!

Matthew

G’morning all!

I think I have a pretty good lead on a place to live for the next few months. It looks real nice, the only catch is that I need to apply for this apartment, which means that I may not be accepted. BUT, God is in control of it all, yes? Yes.

I was reading Philippians 3:1 this morning. I was going to read the whole chapter, but I got stuck on the first verse. “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord always. For me to write the same thing to you is not tedious, rather, for you it is safe.”

(probably not exact wording, this is from memory) Something really jumped out at me when I read this. Paul says that it is safe to continually repeat the command to rejoice in the Lord. Wouldn’t that mean that failing to rejoice in the Lord is dangerous? I think so. This exhortation came ate a good time. I’ve been melancholy these last few days, (except for the spurts of realizing I’m getting married soon). But I need to be constantly rejoicing in God! I’ve just been thinking about that today…good stuff…

“Oh Lord I give You all I have

But it seems so little

When You have given me so much

I come to You with empty hands

And a heart that’s fragile

You come to me with a wealth of love

Oh Lord your love

Is new with every morning

Your faithfulness

It gets me through the night

You bid me come

You know that I am weary

Your yoke is easy

Your burden is light

And now I sing You songs of praise

But your greatness is beyond me

I know I cannot comprehend

How You ancient of days

Stoop yourself to call me

To be your son, to be your friend” – Rich Mullins and Cliff Young

Yo all!

So I’m sitting here with my cousins Victoria and Samantha at my right. They were over with their mother and siblings for yet another bridal shower for Ruth. So many showers! I never knew that getting married would be such a lucrative endeavour! So much stuff.

I’ve not much to say today. Have fun all!

Matthew

Namaste y’all!

Ruth and I went for a trek up to Gerrard street in Toronto today, at the Indian Bazaar. What a wonderful time it was! Ruth got some wonderful Indian jewelry for the wedding, including a neat little headpiece. We ate at a wonderful little Indian restaurant, probably the best goat curry and eggplant I’ve ever had! It was just a wonderful time walking around that area. The looks, sounds and smells reminded me of Pakistan so much! It was very similar, except for one or two main differences. (1) Much cleaner and less crowded and, (2) it was so expensive! I did manage to get a pretty cheap Qur’an holder though, pretty snazzy!

In other news…I’m going to bed. Church tomorrow, I’ve been tired the last few weeks for church because of some poor time management choices. Gotta get off my butt and get focused. “Stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the giver of all good things!”

Beloved Saviour, let not me

In thy kind heart forgotten be.

Of all the plants that deck the bower,

Thou art the fairest, sweetest flower.

Youth’s morn has fled – old age come on,

But sin distracts my soul alone.

Beloved Saviour, let not me

In thy kind heart forgotten be.

– Abdul Masih (Slave of Christ), former Muslim believer from the early 1800s

I was just listening to a sermon by John Piper…check him out!

We’ve had the Bible in our language for about 500 years. As a result, there are many institutions built around the Bible, there are universities built around it, our very language and culture is influenced by the Bible. The impact that the Bible has had on our society is incalculable, and our gratitude should be endless…

But just think! Can you imagine if 500 years from now, a preacher in Pakistan or Afghanistan or somewhere like that would be able to stand up and say the same thing? If in five hundred years the Bible could have as much of an impact on a former Muslim country as it has on ours? Pray big friends, pray big.

John Piper makes you think, eh? I was just listening to his sermon “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable.”

Matthew

Yo all, check out the blog by Andy Mack to see a balanced critique of my views on favorites.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way

Who walk in the law of the LORD. – Ps. 119:1

We’re so easily defiled. I watch a movie in the afternoon or evening, and for the rest of the night I find myself re-thinking the specific parts in that movie that are defiling. The movie shows a scene or makes a remark once, and I re-run it in my head hundreds of times. That’s just one manifestation of the problem we humans seen to have with deployment. But God offers us so much more! Blessed! To be blessed! That’s the goal of every human, isn’t it? What does it mean to be blessed? Happy, well-off (not materially), just all-around good! What the *&%$ am I doing fooling around with this silly, vain stuff that the world is after when infinite joy is offered me?

The funny (or sad) thing is that I’ve said this to myself and others many times before. I know this stuff very well already. Every time I put this into practice properly I do experience this blessedness I am promised. The sin living in me is so great! Even though I know all of this I still fool around with petty, shallow, defiling thoughts and words and actions, forsaking the One who’s offered me all the blessedness I could even imagine, and who died to bring them to me…

It’s so good that God is gracious…if I were Him, I would have struck me dead long ago…

So what to do??? I’ve spent so much time in wasted stuff…I’ve gotta commit myself. But how? Through plans and accountability…but first through prayer…

regimented Bible study and prayer times are helpful…

Well, that’s what’s been on my mind all night. It’s good to get this stuff out…thanks all, g’night!

Matthew

Over the past week, Ruth and I have been trying to buffet our bodies in order to bring them into subjection, i.e., exercise (1 Corinthians 9:27). This started out with a quick, but painful, jog around the block every morning. Oddly enough, instead of becoming generally more active and fit and energetic immediately, we found that we experienced soreness and stiffness. So, after about three or four mornings like this, we decided to switch over to bikes. So much nicer! We went further and expended much less valuable energy. The only issue now is a bike for Ruth. You see, my family owns two bikes, both of them about the same size. They fit people like me, Dave and Steve perfectly, but Ruth is quite a bit smaller than any of us. That just makes riding a little awkward. Note to self – invest in bike for Ruth…

So we ate breakfast at Tim Hortons today, after haggling with the clerk a bit over whether I should buy muffins, we took our seat in the corner of the store and began sweet fellowship and discussion.

We can’t understand how people can have ‘favorites’ for everything. Like, people ask questions like “what’s your favorite food/drink/movie/whatever?” I have no idea how to answer that! I have no favorite thing like that. If you eat enough of your favorite food, it pretty quickly becomes less of a favorite, yes? And a favorite movie may only be a favorite if your happy, or depressed, or energetic. These things seem to be changing, at least for Ruth and I. My favorite song today may be “Thy Mercy” by Caedmon’s Call, but last week my favorite song was “Yeh Lardka Hai Allah” from the Bollywood film “Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham” (which I recommend to all). These things change, unless you have some special loyalty to a particular song or food or movie or whatever. Anyway, I realize this is pointless, it was just on my mind.

I’m driving down to the States tomorrow for some software stuff, keep me in prayers…

Matthew

Things are getting pretty busy for Mr. Cook (me). Planning away at this wedding thing that’s coming up in a mere 24 days (YAY!!!). I never realized how much work this endeavor could actually be. Oh well, it’ll be worth it in the end.

In regards to that movie I mentioned last time, Osama…Wow…I gotta say, if you’re planning on spending your night watching a fast, fun, lighthearted film, Do Not rent Osama. Don’t get me wrong, though, I think it was a wonderful film! But it’s not an entertaining film. I can’t figure out if I recommend it or not, it’s a tough movie.

Friends are neat people, eh? I’ve visited with many people over the last few weeks, and when you visit with a lot of people it’s easy to see who your friends are. When you’re hanging or chatting with a real friend, you find yourself not bothering to look your best or try to impress them, they already know you’re screwed up. Real friends help each other to grow and are open and honest about their life and what they see in each other, not-so-real friends are usually closed off and unwilling to share their faults and struggles (either that or they’re too willing to tell you every thing that’s going wrong with their life, in a false-humility type of way). I may be rambling, but I’ve just come to appreciate the real friends that I have. No-one really has many real friends, and that’s a good thing…but it’s sure great to have a few. Thanks, friends, you know who you are.

Well, I’m out, see ya’ll later!

Have fun and pray more!

Matthew

So, here I am at the computer with the Ruth at my right. We’re planning some wedding stuff and getting ready to take a break and pop in an eastern movie. It’s an Afghan movie called ‘Osama’. It promises to be one of those ‘issues’ movies that. I’ll post a nice little review when we’re done!

Oh! I forgot to mention, I bought my very first car yesterday! A beautiful Honda Civic! Praise God! He’s so good!

I’m kickin’ it up to the P-dot (Peterborough) tomorrow morning with Ruth for some marriage counseling and hanging with my good buddies. There’s also a good chance of some Indian food while I’m there! Boo ya!