My Affirmation

So this is my favorite affirmation
It was done by my Youth Pastor, Jake Allstaedt

Matthew is:
Loyal
Reliable
Faithful
Authentic
Curious

Matt is the kind of guy that has real integrity. In no small part to his faith in Christ, he has a conscience that keeps him in check. He places healthy boundaries to unhelpful things and is eager to do good- whether it be in service to someone else or for the simple satisfaction of doing the right thing. What you see is what you get- a grounded individual who tells you what he thinks, (to your enjoyment or not!) and commits to his promises. He is reliable and loyal. Tell him to do something and he will do it. He is a lover of God and of people.

Bow down before the INTJ

My profile outcome is this

INTJ

Introvert(67%)  iNtuitive(12%)  Thinking(50%)  Judging(67%)

• You have distinctive preference of Introversion over Extraversion (67%)
• You have slight preference of Intuition over Sensing (12%)
• You have moderate preference of Thinking over Feeling (50%)
• You have distinctive preference of Judging over Perceiving (67%)

To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. 

INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability.Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia).

INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable.Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. 

Here is a list of people that are INTJ's. Susan B. Anthony, Lance Armstrong, Augustus Caesar, C. S. Lewis, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, General Colin Powell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Thomas Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, Hannibal Lecter,  Gandalf the Grey , and Professor Moriarty.

That's right guys, I am secretly a woman activist, drug using elite athlete, roman emperor,  world renown Christian writer, black first lady but at the same time white hockey mom, 4 star general, famous action flick governor,  bible cutting Deist,  young president to stay young forever, a cannibalistic serial killer, gray turned to white wizard, and criminal mastermind called the "Napoleon of crime" (Sherlock Holms).

You are God's house.

Here is the quote that stuck out to me the most.

I do not know where it is in the book, I just had it written down in my journal.

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” 
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

This is by far the best description I've heard on how God works in our life. The quote in itself is easy to understand. However, the personal application can dive deeper then others imagine.

How this quote touched me is simple, but also very complex. By house was just like the quote describes. I had a leaking shower head, a falling roof, a half broken wall, shattered windows, peeling paint, and a moldy floor. From the outside this house looked like it is in peak condition. But one trip inside will reveal that the house was literally falling apart. To bad I had locked the doors and only let a select few see then inside of the house. So I asked God to rebuild my house. I wanted him to fix me just like he fixed other that I had seen. What I didn't expect is the extent that he would go in order to fix my life.

C.S Lewis describes it as, "knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably." This statement is 100% true. When God started to extensively fix me it hurt a lot. He didn't just add on to what was there. In my story he torn down the whole house. God completely levels it so that there is only one pillar standing in the very middle of the open plot. This one pillar starts to turn black, with hatred. But as God starts to lay the foundation I was able to recognize what he was doing. He was not only rebuilding the house into something much more grand, but he was using this one pillar as the main supporting part. What used to be a side pillar I had hidden away in my old house, has now become the foundation for the new house he is building.

This is why this quote/ analogy is the most important for me. For what used to be just a, "decent little cottage" is now becoming a castle. One that when completed will be fit for him to live in.

Masks

Litney(rewritten) by Matthew Straume

You are the part that others see,

the one in the light.

You stand in front acting the piece,

appeasing them all

You are there beside me and part of me,

but mostly in front of me

However, you are not what is wanted,

or desired,

but continue to exist here.

You are definitely not as strong as I thought you were.

Most definitely not as strong.

You are the chains that bind me,

and the thing that causes me the most pain.

but you are not even close

to the thing that stops me

When you look in the mirror you see me,

it reveals that I am getting stronger,

and slowly tearing away at you

Just so you know I do not despise you

your time has come

and you must now give up the light

I am the schemer in the darkness

the rebel who opposes the king,

and the unknown stranger

I am also the destination for which you are headed

and the light at the end of the tunnel

but you should worry, for you may be the part that others see

But that is for just a moment

Soon I will be the part that others see

 in addition to the one in the light