So who wants to read a blog without an "about" section? As if the blog over time wouldn't tell you "about" me, I'll let some of the "secrets" out of the bag. Apparently I "like" quotes, but I've yet to "like" them on "the facebook." Maybe I just like the "idea" of quotation marks more than the reality of quotes. That's not true, but I'll digress(at least temporarily).
Like most of you, my mother gave birth to me. Not that MY mother gave birth to most of you, but more in the "your mother probably gave birth to you" sense. However, unlike most of you, when presented with my birth certificate my parents filled out my name to be Matthew Scott Blair. At least that's the story I've been led to believe. I'll be 30 years old in February ("Lord willin'")… not this February though. Contrary to what some may think my mom isn't in her 105th trimester. I've actually been breathing open air now for a little over a quarter century. I turned 25 years old (1.25 scores) a few months back and, despite all the rumors of 25 being the "silver anniversary," failed to see even an ounce of silver come my way on the so-called "silver anniversary" of my birth. Hogwash!
I grew up (and out), somewhat mentally, but mostly physically in and around Carrollton, GA. Not that I marched around the city in a Joshua-Jericho way, but more in a modern-day sense. As most people say, "I have an awesome family," or some derivation thereof. Without their investment in my life I wouldn't be who I am today, so thank them… or blame them, your call.
I spent 6 of the best years of my life (so-far) squeezing the most I could out of the University of West Georgia. Four of those years I shared the campus with both my parents, who were also going for their degrees (mom decided to stick around for a 5th year). They both rocked it academically, much more than I did… perhaps signaling that I should have taken 15 years or so off from school too). Nahhhhh. In those 6 years, I met and got to be a part of the lives of a lot of great people, many of whom I'm still blessed enough to know closely, and almost by accident wound up getting a couple pieces of paper in blue cases after over 180 hours of college courses. They say I've completed the necessary curriculum to have a B.A. in mass communications and B.B.A. in marketing, but I'm still skeptical.
After I graduated college, (in only 1 more year than Forrest Gump!), I still hadn't learned how to properly write the current sentence grammatically, and about 3 years after that (today) I still don't care. I became a college graduate in August of 2008 and, unlike most graduates much to my family's disappointment, I decided not to pursue a career in the circus industry. Instead, I took my "talents" no significant amount closer to South Beach, as I took a ministry internship at a campus ministry that had been a big part of my time in school, CCF aka Christian Campus Fellowship. By "ministry internship," I of course mean a fancy way of saying "I worked with a bunch of awesome students and former students and had a blast."
I realized shortly after, also after not really finding any jobs in California, that 7 years around West Georgia wasn't enough. So I stayed around as I worked through more of what I felt God leading me to do. That has taken 2 years, including a job at Hibbett Sports, leaving that job because I felt led to, working with the youth at my church (WestHills Church… if you live anywhere near VR check it out… it's "ballin" although that's a weak descriptor), and trying to grow more as a man of God. And I've still got a lot to do, but He's brought me to the point of going on The World Race and typing out this blog. There have been many ups and downs, some greater than others (duh, who would expect things to be exactly equal… not that it's quantifiable), and throughout it all God has provided, both with Himself and with some loving and caring people around me in every way I could have needed it and more.
Now, I've not mentioned the Lord until a late point in my "about me" section which might be contrary to what you'd expect in a blog on a mission website, and that's by design. While the name "Jesus" may appear to have been absent in my message about me, let me assure you that EVERYTHING I've been blessed to do and will be blessed to do are all as a result of His abounding mercy and grace. All the "good" and "bad" circumstances have been at the direct working and allowance of His Almighty hand and I'm forever indebted (which is fortunate, because I've got that long to return that praise). Jesus may have appeared absent from much of my writing though He was FAR from absent, and the same is true in your life. He may appear to be nowhere near, but I assure you He's there, even if you deserve Him as little as I do.
This blog isn't always going to be cool… This "about" section has already made sure of that. I will be right sometimes. Sometimes I may even be wrong. GASP! But I'm going to TRY to be real (try isn't an acronym in this case, I just wanted to emphasize it). Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment, maybe I'll delete it, probably not though. but maybe… It's a risk you'll have to take. Ok you really don't have to take that risk, it's more of an "encouraged option."
