Coming back to life and needing some help.
Howdy friend,
I wanted to send you a quick message to hopefully achieve three things: 1.) briefly update you on recent events 2.) inform you of what we feel called to in this next season and 3.) to ask for some help.
(If you want the quick gist, scroll to the very end and it’s all summed up there in case you don’t have time for the whole story right now.)
The Update:
For the last 2 years, I’ve been in a bit of a hole from a spiritual stand point. I got lost in the crazy BIG home renovation journey we have been on and trying to keep the bills paid. In the midst of that, I walked away from my calling. I got drawn away by the cares of the world. I didn’t walk away from Jesus or anything, but, I wasn’t doing what He called me to do, which left my heart still burning within me but I was also numbed out.
God started waking me back up a couple months ago when things kind of came to a head and Erika told me some version of “whoever this joyless guy you’ve become is, isn’t the man I married and isn’t fun to be around and you need to do something about that.”
I instantly prayed and sought The Lord and told Him to do WHATEVER it takes to help me get back to the man He made me to be. Whatever it takes to wake me up from this numbness. Whatever it takes to get back on track.
Erika and I started having little bible studies on the phone while I was at work at my A/V job and I started waking up a bit. I stopped listening to anything other than gospel centered (for the most part) podcasts while at work and focused on being saturated in the word and prayer, like I used to live before the numbness.
Erika’s Spirit-lead chicken buying is what really kicked things off.
Since we own our property now, Erika has been stoked about plants, chickens and the dogs on top of educating our kids and making half the earth function all while looking beautiful and being kind to all of us at the same time. I have no idea how she does what she does. I thank God for that woman!
After some spontaneous chicken buying brought our flock up to 19, we realized they all needed a bigger chicken coop and I was nominated for the job. In the middle of sinking 4x4’s into concrete footers, my old herniated disc injury decided that it’s time to make an appearance again. After setting the concrete, I walked inside, took a shower and laid down in bed and could barely walk for the next week. I obviously had to call in to work. I’ve got to say, the company I work for is awesome and has been really gracious during this time.
I have been stuck on my back for the majority of the last month and a half as the only position that isn’t painful is laying on my back with my legs elevated.
Time on your back gives you a lot of time to think and I remember the prayer I prayed for God to do “WHATEVER it takes to help me get back to the man You made me to be.
WHATEVER it takes to wake me up from this numbness.
WHATEVER it takes to get back on track.”
I was there, on my back, forced to wait on God and trust Him for everything. In this process, it dawned on me that I am able to do much of what I’ve been called to do on my back. Not all of it, but enough of it to keep me busy. It became clear that He is calling me back to the simplicity of that original call.
To stand, serve, minister and burn as a priest before Him and to serve the world as a prophet of hope.
To be a voice speaking light into the darkness and a creator who brings forth solutions and art that makes the world a brighter place.
So, God used Erika’s chickens and a herniated disk to remind me of who I always have been and to bring me back to Him.
Romans 8:28 isn’t always comfortable…but it is good.
This Next Season:
I’ve been challenged recently to release at least one sermon a week that I prepare for as if I were preaching in front of a congregation and to make that available online. I’ve also been challenged by John 6, where Jesus fed 5,000+ people with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. He did so by taking what little they had, lifting it in thanksgiving as an offering to The Lord and then distributing it to everyone, as much as they wanted.
So, instead of lamenting that I don’t have a studio in this season, I’ve been going through my studio hard drives and finding that I have a lot of music that I never released in my seasons in studios. I made a lot of stuff for The Sound of Waiting and will be releasing a new instrumental music project called “Neskowin” (after the families’ favorite beach in Oregon). I’ve also been talking to my Marvelous Comrades in Oregon and the door has opened for me to finish a 5 song worship EP that I started recording in 2022 of some unreleased worship songs.
I’ve also had a dream in my heart since moving to Florida to start holding live Sound of Waiting meetings where we gather and rest in God’s presence and allow Him to speak to us, whatever He wants to. Then recording the audio of the instrumental I create and releasing it as a new Sound of Waiting Album to make the experience available to experience live and to make it available on all major music streaming services.
And, if that’s not enough, we also have a plan in our heart to start an online community for kingdom creatives, called The Bright Hope Collective where we will go through resources together and hold weekly live zoom calls to help encourage and motivate God’s kids to release the dreams on their hearts. Out of that will flow a podcast and eventually a local community outreach, but that is further down the track. ;)
This all sounds like a lot. It is a lot. It’s like all of a sudden I’m able to see all we were incubating during what felt like my lost season. There was all this momentum and then, I went dark at the end of 2022. Well, now I’m waking up and it’s time to get back to work on the things God has called us to Florida to do.
I haven’t even mentioned the house. That’s a whole can of worms of it’s own. I’ll save that for it’s own update. In short, there’s been progress, two bedrooms are done and we built a new bathroom in the master suite, we got a new electrical panel installed and put new wiring in half the house where we have renovated. There’s still TONS of work to be done to make it the haven I know it’s called to be, but that’s enough on the house. The house is the diva that wants to eat all the attention and resources and I need to intentionally look away until it’s time to work on it and we have been on a construction break for the last few months due to lack of morale, materials and functioning backs. House update done.
So. There’s a view of what’s been up with us. It’s an update on where we are going from here and how we can use your help.
Where you come in:
Prayer: The short of it is we need people praying for us. What God has put in front of us is monumental and it’s impossible to walk out alone. We have had health issues, money issues, emotional issues, all of which could greatly benefit from prayer covering. We have work to do and a mission to accomplish and prayer support is invaluable as it relates to that. If you would like to join our prayer team, please reach out and we can add you to our FB group for timely updates.
Money: I’ve been out of work for over a month. We still have some supporters who have been standing with us, even in the dark season and we are incredibly grateful. Even in spite of working at the A/V company, we have still really needed those donations and it’s carried us. My job provides only a portion of what we need to make it, about $2400 a month. We haven’t had that in about a month and a half. Now, God has been faithful and there have been some awesome provision testimonies during my down time, but we are down by about $3600 just to make up for lost wages.
So, we have a somewhat urgent need for about $3600 to catch us back up immediately.
Moving forward, we are believing God to help us to bring in at least $4,000 a month moving forward whether that comes in through financial partnerships, side gigs or whatever kind of work I’m able to do in light of the limitation my body is giving me in this season.
I want to ask for your help to pray for us, that God would give me wisdom on how to proceed as not only one He has called into service but also as a husband and father. I need great wisdom and guidance from Him regarding how to proceed as the head of my household and, if you are able (and God speaks to your heart) to help us with a donation to get us back in the black. If you are able to give, we have giving links on our website at www.mattbondmusic.org/give , or the give tab above.
We are working on some really exciting stuff as it relates to building an online community to pour into families and creatives and to create resources to inspire hope and make the world a brighter place. We will be starting up an email update soon, to easily keep our followers up to date with all that is unfolding.
In short, I’m back. I need wisdom and some financial help ($3600) due to blowing my back out and missing a month and a half of work to help get me back on my feet and a prayer family to run with as we light the world up. The best is yet to come.
Jesus loves yer face!
Matt
P.S. Check out some of my recent work on our blog at www.mattbondmusic.org/blog