Matthew West » Blog

The Heart of Christmas

matthew — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:22:52 +0000

Well, Merry Christmas in October! The Heart of Christmas is now available in stores and online, and I hope it brings you as much enjoyment as it did for me and the band in the studio.
Here are some links to retail outlets that are carrying the CD, all of these folks have been very supportive to me every time I release a new project.
Thanks for your support everyone, and for allowing me to abuse the blog for a little shameless plug… Fa la la la la, la la la la…

itunes
Lifeway
Family Christian

-mw

Who wants a free song?

joel — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:39:14 +0000

I just wanted to let you all know that we have partnered with our friends at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) to give away a free download of the the song “To Me” – which was inspired by the true story of a boy named Conner. You can read the story as well as watch a video piece on the song HERE.

Not only can you download this song for free, but you can also share it with 5 of your friends. So, check it out and pass on the word! CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE DOWNLOAD

ABOUT MOPS:
What is MOPS? MOPS. Mothers of Preschoolers, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of every mother for nearly 40 years, so no mom is alone. MOPS is for every mom with children from newborn to school age. MOPS encourages moms to become better moms and equips them with tools to strengthen their family, their marriage and themselves. A MOPS group is a place where women can come just as they are to build friendships, be encouraged and gain practical parenting strategies. To find a group near you go to MOPS.org.

Taking Inventory

matthew — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:55:44 +0000

Just dropped my daughter off at school, and was looking back through my journal. Came across this that I wrote on her first day of kindergarten:

“I don’t know why they say grown men don’t cry…” Those are the lyrics to the Tim McGraw song, written by the great Tom Douglas. A fitting soundtrack to how I have felt every weekday morning for the past two weeks… My oldest daughter, Lulu started kindergarten, and I don’t like it one bit! I’m supposed to be the strong one for my wife, right? Yeah, right. My sadness has certainly caught me by surprise, but I’ve chosen to embrace it. You gotta feel stuff. Going through life ignoring the different emotions life brings, well, I don’t really think you can call that livin’. I’m sad when she walks into that classroom, and cheering for her when she walks off the big yellow bus. (Is it weird that I’m still videotaping her getting off the bus?) ha!
Through this change in the life of my daughter and our family, I have found myself taking inventory of my job as “dad,” in the first five years of Lulu’s life. See, all of sudden it dawned on me, ‘for five years, my wife and I have been the only influencers in her life for the most part. Now, she’s going to spend her days out of my arms and in someone else’s care.’ Suddenly, I felt the weight of responsibility, and began allowing my mind to travel backwards hoping not to discover too many shortcomings in the job I have done.

Perfect? Far from it, I’m sure. That’s not a realistic goal for any parent, or any person, for that matter.

Strong? Maybe sometimes. I hope and pray she has felt comfort in knowing her daddy will help fix a boo boo, or wipe her tears away. Mostly, I hope that I have showed her where my true source of strength comes from, in the love of Christ.

Steady? Consistency has never been my strong suit. But I do pray she has never felt my love or approval of her has depended on anything she does or doesn’t do. I hope these first five years, I have made her secure in knowing that no matter what, Daddy loves his girl with a great big love.

Leader? There are days when I don’t feel equipped to lead anybody anywhere, that’s for sure. Yet, maybe the mark of a true leader is not perfection, but awareness. I pray I have been quick to point out who our true leader is and to point her heart in the direction of the one who will lead her through all of the valleys she will face in the years to come.

I’ll close with a prayer today… If you are a parent, feel free to share in this prayer for your child or children with me.

Lord, thank you for the blessed gift of my children. I thought I knew joy in this life before they were born, but before them, I had no idea. I pray that you are pleased with how I’m doing as a parent. I know I’m not perfect, but I know you are, and thank you for covering me and them when I fail. Father, mold me into the father you I need to be to raise a little girl, two little girls in the way they should go. Help me be slow to speak, and slow to become angry. May our home be filled with love, and words of affirmation. May our home be a place where dreams grow and flourish, and anything is possible. I surrender my children to you. I know you are with them always, as you are with me. Thank you Father

-mw

Be a movie extra!

joel — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:03:04 +0000

This is a special invite for my friends in Southern California! This Thursday, we want you to come out and be extras in the new Christmas movie that we are filming – “The Heart Of Christmas.” All of the details are below – I hope you can make it out and I can’t wait to meet you!

The Heart Of Christmas – EXTRAS CASTING

Date: Thursday, September 1st
Time: 4:30pm – 11:30pm

Who: This call is ONLY for men & women ages 18 and up.

Schedule:

4:30pm
Arrive at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley located at:
2080 Winifred Street
Simi Valley, CA 93063-2933

5:15pm
Pizza will be served.

6:00pm
Groups will be loaded into busses and brought to the shoot location.

7pm
The fun begins!

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

What to wear:
-This movie is set in the Fall – we are asking that you wear clothing appropriate for the season. Sweaters, sweatshirts, jeans, Christmas hats, etc.

What NOT to wear:
-No plaids, stripes, white clothing or anything else that feels “busy.”
-No open toed shoes.
-Do not wear any clothing with large, visible logos.

What to bring:
-A good attitude!
-Bring water or soda.

What NOT to bring:
-Do not bring any valuables, we will not be responsible.
-Cameras – photography will not be permitted.
-No alcohol, no smoking

What to expect:
-A fun time with Matthew and a few hundred new friends. Matthew will have his guitar – so don’t be surprised if you get treated to some songs!

About the scene:
-We will be shooting the final scene of the movie. This is where all of the neighbors come together to show their love and support for the Locke family. Watch the music video to Matthew’s song “One Last Christmas” and you will see the specific scene that we are looking to recreate. To view music video Click Here

Questions? Please email us at: heartofchristmas@gmail.com

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!!!

THE SPACE IS LIMITED FOR THIS – AND TICKETS WILL BE ISSUED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS. IF YOU GET A TICKET AND ARE UNABLE TO COME, PLEASE EMAIL US AT heartofchristmas@gmail.com TO INFORM US THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND, SO THAT WE CAN GIVE SOMEONE ELSE THE CHANCE TO TAKE PART.

A video for the tornado victims…

matthew — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:43:24 +0000

I just posted a new video for “Strong Enough” that I wanted to let you all know about. We partnered with our friends at Samaritan’s Purse to make this after seeing the devastation that the recent series of storms have left people facing. Many people are standing at the foot of their own impossible mountain and left to pick up the pieces of what used to be their home, of what used to be their town.

My prayer for this video is that it can serve as an encouragement to all who have been impacted by these storms – as well as a call to action to everyone in a position to help and make a difference.

The need is still very real and I urge you to get involved in some way.

You can donate to Samaritan’s Purse and their relief efforts here:
Online: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/Project_Donations/
Phone: 1-800-528-1980

Find out how you can volunteer:
http://spvolunteernetwork.org/

God bless,
Matthew West

I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Come On, Christmas

matthew — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:42:41 +0000

Come On, Christmas!
(Written on the beach) by Matthew West

I left the lights up all year round
’cause I couldn’t bear the thought of taking ‘em down
I’ve been singing “Jingle Bell Rock” since July
all the Neighbors look at me like I’m crazy but I
Got a feeling that I just can’t shake
It’s lasted 365 days
Now I’m too excited, I can’t sleep a wink and
I stare at the snow outside my window just thinkin’

Chorus
Come on Christmas
I don’t why you’re taking so long Christmas
I’ve been waitin’ all year for you to get here
and I can’t take another second
Can’t you hear me beggin’?
Hurry up Santa Claus
I’ll give you my number
Just in case your reindeer get lost
And I sure wouldn’t mind
If you’re early this time
So, Come on, come on, come on Christmas!

Day After Christmas

matthew — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:00:23 +0000

Tonight, we are recording this little tune I wrote about one of the most disappointing days of the year, the day AFTER Christmas… Who would write a song like that? Me. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the lyrics…

DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
BY Matthew West

HERE COMES THE LETDOWN CHRISTMAS OVER
HERE COMES THE MELTDOWN, THERE GOES THE CHEER
BUT BEFORE WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN, LET US REMEMBER
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS STILL HERE

chorus
SO, HAPPY DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
MERRY REST OF THE YEAR
EVEN WHEN CHRISTMAS IS OVER
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS STILL HERE…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Great Lengths

matthew — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:15:39 +0000

Being a father of two little girls, I find myself drawn to the little girls when we visit these children. I see my daughters in them in a very special way. I wonder if they have daddies telling them how pretty and smart they are. I wonder if they know that they matter to anyone. I love to watch their eyes light up as they look through their shoebox or when I give them a piece of gum…

Our second stop of the day 1 was to visit a graduation ceremony. Operation Christmas Child has a discipleship program called The Greatest Journey, designed to help these children go deeper in discovering what a relationship with Christ is all about. These children have all, at some point, received a shoebox, and have now all completed the 12 week course. We arrived to yet another church. And when I say church, you need not picture your comfy community church that smells like a Starbucks with power point and smoke machines that we all have come to know and love. No, these are modest buildings with tin roofs and no air conditioning. I was reminded of the tin roof when the heavens opened up over Panama and a hard rain fell during the ceremony. But it would take much more than rain to put a damper on the celebration taking place. These children were all wearing graduation caps crafted out of construction paper and white gowns cut from cloth. They were seated in rows and anxiously awaited hearing their names called. Then they each took turns walking forward to receive their diplomas and their very own bible. This was a special time. You could sense the feeling of pride the children felt as they heard their names called. I wondered how many heard their names called very often by a parent or anyone with happiness and excitement. We actually had this clown, who was serving as the MC. He was awesome. Made the kids laugh so much. As each name was called, and each child walked forward, I felt the Lord put in on my hear that this is exactly what He does. He knows our names, and he calls our names. These children who were strangers to me, were no strangers to him. He gave them each their names.

And there it is… He goes to great lengths to pursue every heart. He knows every heart by name. And he calls every name by heart. And when he calls out our names, he does so with pride, and with excitement, and with a sound of pleasure and enjoyment. The clown would make up silly nicknames that rhymed with the children’s names, much like I do with my daughters. I wonder if that is what Jesus used to do when he called the little children unto him. I imagine he was playful, maybe even silly with the children, reaching out to them on their level. I love that image. I saw that image at the graduation ceremony. A moment I will always remember.

A Van, A Boat, and A Guitar with Five Strings

matthew — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:03:28 +0000

Day 1: We are crammed into a van here in Panama City, about 15 of us. Our group consists of Operation Christmas Child workers, representatives from KLOVE and Air1 radio, and translators. We have a two-hour drive to get to out first destination, and then we will take a boat the rest of the way. Our group just spent some time in prayer and devotions. Several people shared their hearts, and what they’re hopes are for this trip. It is so awesome to hear about what God is doing in different people’s lives, and how he is preparing us each in a unique way for what we will see on our journey. Hearing each person speak is a reminder that God speaks to each of us, and can use even the same experience to write different chapters in all of our stories and show us all different colors of the same picture. Personally, I am feeling like God is going to take me even deeper into showing me his heart for orphans, and for the poor. My wife and I live in a bubble, a bubble called Franklin, TN. Today, we are a long way from that bubble, and strangely it feels good.

Jonathan, one of our translators, was with me on our last trip to Colombia. He is an awesome guy with a great big heart. He was given the assignment of finding me a guitar to use on the trip. He showed up this morning with a nylon stringed guitar that only has 5 strings. For those who don’t know, you kind of need 6. The 6th strings is busted, so we’ll see how it goes… Jonathan told me that back in his home country, Ecuador, he and his family love listening to The Motions. I thought that was cool.

We arrived to a small village on the side of the narrow road and were led down to the water’s edge where we boarded two small boats. We then sailed for about 40 minutes across this great big lake. The further and further we went from shore, the further and further I felt from anything certain. While on the boat I kept thinking about great lengths. I was struck by the great lengths Operation Christmas Child had gone to seek out these children in this remote village in Panama, that would require us to be on this boat in the middle of nowhere. Then, I was struck by the thought that our little journey was just a glimpse of the great lengths God goes to in pursuing each and every heart on the planet. And maybe we could be that glimpse of God’s pursuit to the boys, girls, moms and dads we were about to meet.

The heat was heavy, weighing down on each of us as we traveled across the water. Even the slight breeze was heavy, and less than refreshing. The boat began to slow, and as I lifted my eyes to the hills in the distance, I began to see signs of life. Grass huts, a few stray dogs, and people began to show themselves along the hillside as we docked our boats. We climbed out of the boats, and up the hillside, passing chickens and huts along the way, arriving at a small church in the middle of the village, and children, tons of children were waiting for us. They were so beautiful. Each one, dark skin that made their smiles look glowing white. You could tell they were excited, and unsure of what to expect.

A young boy, about twelve seemed to be following me around while we were there. He was one of the older boys, so I grabbed Jonathan and began a conversation with him. I’ll call him ‘Henry,’ because I think it was something like that but I would butcher trying to spell his full name. I quickly discovered that we had much in common. See, he was the pastor’s son. I told him I, too, was a pastor’s son. I caught our conversation on camera and will try to post as soon as I figure this new camera out… But we bonded in how difficult it can be to be singled out at the pastor’s kid. That was a meaningful moment, and he asked if I would return to visit again. I hope I can someday.

Operation: Panama

matthew — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:08:06 +0000

Well, I’m off this morning to Panama. It will be about an 8 hour journey, flying through Houston. I’ve taken a trip with Operation Christmas Child in the past. Last year, I traveled to Bogota, Colombia, and had an incredible experience delivering shoe boxes filled w/ gifts to children in some of the poorest regions of the country. This week, we will be doing the same in the country of Panama. My wife will be joining me on this trip, which I am especially excited about. Usually, I take come home from these types of trips and tell my wife all the stories of how my life was impacted, and she’s like “well, good for you…” Ok, maybe that’s not exactly her response. But I’m glad she will get to experience this by my side this week. Because this week will undoubtedly be a life changing experience.

Pray for us if you think of it this week. Pray that doors will be opened for us to not only share these gifts with the children, but that we will have the chance to share the love of Christ with these children. That is the real reason why we are going. -mw