Archives For Going Big

Going Big Week 8

Matt Lawson —  February 13, 2010 — 1 Comment

Snowing on the drive up to the mountains

Laura and I have had a tradition for 4 years now that we take a weekend retreat to the North Georgia Mountains.  We’ve stayed at Brasstown Valley Resort as well as the Dillard House.  Brasstown has a great setting and wonderful lodge. The Dillard House is the place to go for knock-your-socks-off family style food.

This year we took recommendations from friends and landed on this place in Blue Ridge, GA.  Wes Goswick is the man for making this recommendation!

Serenity in the Mountains doubles as a spa/massage destination for many in North Georgia. This isn’t your mountains motel.  It’s a condo-spa-esque retreat. Even though it’s located right off the Blue Ridge Parkway and doesn’t have spectacular views, you totally forget about it once you get inside the condo.  The bathroom has a tub large enough to fit a small family (You can see the picture…it speaks for itself). You can even head upstairs to the day spa to use the sauna and steam room complimentary for your stay.

Anyways…Laura, Deacon, and I turned on the fireplace and the 47-inch Flat Screen TV and chillaxed for the night. While it was snowing and peaceful outside, all was well and good inside our sweet getaway.

Some people recharge by being around others. I don’t. My batteries light up by being around my family. There is absolutely 100% no other place or people in the world that I would rather be around than my wife and son.  So, it’s good to be together and away from everything else on weekend getaways like this!

It’s so good to get away and retreat with the family.  God has blessed our lives in ways that can’t be explained. Do we have a busy life? Yes. Do we see family less than most people? Yes. But we wouldn’t trade what God has given for anything. We love this place in life and are enjoying it to the fullest.

This week our family went Big by taking a weekend Mountain retreat!

Going Big Week 8 – Weekend Mountain Retreat with the Family

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Going Big is a weekly post by Matt Lawson about living without regrets, taking risks, and enjoying Christ to the fullest.

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Going Big – Week 7

Matt Lawson —  February 6, 2010 — 2 Comments

When someone or some idea comes along that stretches me to think beyond myself to something greater, I usually pay attention. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone, especially when it pertains to the Kingdom of God. Anybody else out there love to be stretched and challenged to Go Big for the Kingdom?

Well, I was contacted in December by Adam Malanga with an organization called The LifeBook and presented with the thought of helping get the Gospel to 16 million high school students in America…specifically, getting the gospel to every high school student in Cherokee County and a few schools in Cobb County.

ZINGER.

My response?

YOU. HAVE. MY. ATTENTION.

After emails, tweets, a few phone calls with Adam and talking it over with my boss and a few others, we are in.

Next week, I’ll be previewing the LifeBook organization as part of a series of posts on ministries that you need to know about. I’ll specifically talk about our partnership and how we plan to get the Gospel to 18,000 high school students in Cherokee and Cobb County.

But, for now…our yes is on the table.

GOING BIG Week 8: We Are Committed To a Plan to Get the Gospel to 18,000 High School Students in Cherokee and Cobb County. 

What are you doing to reach students?  I want to know.

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Going Big is a weekly post by Matt Lawson about living without regrets, taking risks, and enjoying Christ to the fullest.

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Going Big Giveaway Winner

Matt Lawson —  January 30, 2010 — Leave a comment

David is also a connoseiur of fine mullets

Congratulations to David McNees on winning  the Going Big Giveaway this week.  David will receive a full set of the 2009 Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference Breakout sessions (27 total) that 12,000 men had the opportunity to hear. 

David is the worship/youth pastor at Green Meadows Baptist Church in Davie County, North Carolina.  You can find David’s blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

We’ve had two giveaways in the month of January alone.  If you would like to have a chance to win in our next giveaway, be sure to subscribe to the this blog to the right.

Also, there is still time to make the second week of the Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference, Feb. 5-6.  You can register by clicking the picture below.

 

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Going Big Giveaway

Matt Lawson —  January 26, 2010 — 1 Comment

This week Revolution Speaks is Going Big and honoring Youth Pastors, church staff, and church members by giving away a full set of every breakout session from the 2009 Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference. That’s 27 sessions of jam packed goodness from the conference that drew over 12,000 men last year! You can see every session title here.

HERE’S ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

1st – You need a valid twitter account
2nd – You must be following me (@MattLawson77)
3rd – You must tweet about the giveaway and include my twitter name so that I can track the tweets (see suggested tweet below or get creative and use your own!)
Last – You must be the _th person to tweet about the contest. We’re not saying what the number is, therefore the more times you tweet, the more chances you have to win!

Suggested Tweet: @MattLawson77 is Going Big and giving away a full set of breakout sessions from the 2009 Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference http://bit.ly/4r2m6z

The contest will end Friday morning, January 29th. We’ll notify winner and post on this blog. Giveaway will be mailed to winner the following the week.

Join 12,000+ men this year at the 2010 Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference.  The first weekend is January 29-30 and the second weekend follows February 5-6. 

You can buy tickets at the door (no steak dinner) or online by clicking the link below

 

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Going Big is a weekly post by Matt Lawson about living without regrets, taking risks, and enjoying Christ to the fullest.

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Going Big – Week 5

Matt Lawson —  January 19, 2010 — Leave a comment

This was definitely the least exciting Going Big week for me thus far. In fact, there was really no excitement about it for me at all. Honestly, I thought it was stupid. After I did it, I swore I wouldn’t do it again. It was painful. And stupid.

I even posted on Twitter that I needed a compelling reason to continue because I felt like death.

GOING BIG WEEK 5 – This week, I started training for a half marathon.

I’m following a running schedule suggested by a friend who has run four marathons. A full marathon is ultimately my goal. After this week I’m not sure I will even make it to a half marathon. Maybe a 10K.

Here is my running schedule:

Every Monday – run 30 minutes
Every Thursday – run 30 minutes
Every Saturday – long run starting with 2 miles and successively increasing each week.

I’m training with friend and fellow FBCW staff member, Wes Cantrell, during my weekday runs. He’s quite a bit ahead of me on Saturdays, but I hope to catch up. We’re shooting for a half marathon this spring.

Pray for me.

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Going Big is a weekly post by Matt Lawson about living without regrets, taking risks, and enjoying Christ to the fullest.

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Going Big – Week 4

Matt Lawson —  January 6, 2010 — 1 Comment

After the Christmas holidays, I feel fatter than ever. I admit, I ate way to much and indulged the gluttonous bear within me. And I loved it. Way to much. That’s one of the reasons I’m training for a half marathon this spring. I’ve got to get back in shape.

I like challenges. I love to see people successfully take on a challenge. Running a half marathon this spring and hopefully a full marathon this fall will be one of the biggest I’ve ever undertaken.

There’s something about flexing and stretching the bodies physical muscles to the threshold. It’s been years since my muscles will experience what’s coming and they’ll probably hate me for it at first. In time though, my body will be better for it.

While I’m intending to stretch the physical muscles this spring, I’ve been a little convicted that I’ve not challenged myself spiritually to the same equality.

This week I’ve started an intense and challenging plan to read the bible in 90 days. That’s right…90 days. I admit, I’ve never intentionally read through the entire bible. That all changed starting this week. And I’m GOING BIG…

GOING BIG WEEK 4 – Reading Through The Bible In 90 Days

You can grab a printable copy of the B90X reading plan here or choose a different reading plan here. Whatever you do, GO BIG. FLEX YOUR SPIRITUAL MUSCLES THIS YEAR!

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Going Big is a weekly post by Matt Lawson about living without regrets, taking risks, and enjoying Christ to the fullest.

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Going Big – Week 2

Matt Lawson —  December 18, 2009 — Leave a comment

I know it’s only week 2 of Going Big, but I found myself looking forward to taking a risk this week and living without regrets!  This is fun!

A couple weeks ago, I posted some links for those looking to write their first book. I admitted that I have a desire to write a book but only when I think there is something in the cooker that can help someone else. I’m still not convinced I have the wherewithal, experience, etc, etc. to write. I’ve got quite a few limitations and probably not the best skill set for an author. I’m busy with a lot of other stuff, and I’ve never done this before.

whatever…

I’M GOING BIG

 

This week I downloaded “How to Write a Winning Book Proposal” by Michael Hyatt.  This 10-page “how-to” is helping me put on paper thoughts that have been brewing for a book idea for sometime. My initial thoughts are that I probably won’t submit to a publisher. If anything, I’ll self publish. Michael Hyatt’s format is simply helping me organize my thoughts.

WEEK 2 – Starting the Process For Writing My First Book

SIDE NOTE: If anyone with skills would like to try to design a cool logo for my Going Big posts, let me know!

Going Big is a weekly post by Matt Lawson about living without regrets, taking risks, and enjoying Christ to the fullest.

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Going Big – Week 1

Matt Lawson —  December 11, 2009 — 1 Comment

I turned 32 last month and probably for the first time ever on my birthday, I had an epiphany. Maybe that’s an exagerration. Ok, I had a thought. It was more than a thought, though, because it has stayed with me for nearly a month.

I make it a point to challenge students every week to dream big for God and act on your passions to make a difference. I think I’ve done that myself at various times in my life, but more often than not, that dream has remained just that…a dream.

At 32, I’m nearing the halfway point for life expectancy. I want more than anything for the second half to count more than the first. I want to dream more. I want to take more risks. I want to see God use me more today than He did yesterday. I want to…GO BIG…as my good friend, Jon Martin, says to me all the time.

Well, I’m starting a week by week journey in Going Big. Each week, I’ll bring a post about how I’ve Gone Big this week.  It could be a small step towards a big goal. It could be something seemingly small, like doing something for someone else. It might be an act of generosity or giving. Who knows what each week will hold.  But whatever, I’m Going Big.

So, here’s the first week…  

I’m Buying a Pair of Running Shoes

As soon as I finish posting this, I’m headed out to go shopping for shoes with my friend and volunteer, Paul Beersdorf. What’s so big about that you ask? Well, for several years now I’ve been talking about wanting to run a marathon at some point in life. In fact, I’ve been saying it to Paul for months. His daughter placed first in an Atlanta Marathon earlier this year and also competed in an Ultra Marathon (50 miles!!) in Nashville recently. Oh yea, she’s just a senior in high school too.

So, I’m off. Here’s my first step towards a bigger goal and my first Going Big – Week 1 | Buying a Pair of Running Shoes.

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