Matt Beveridge Update 2/21

Cindy and I saw our friend Matt Beveridge today at Driscoll Hospital. You can check out Matt's CaringBridge website and even leave him a note by clicking here.

He's been in since his first round of chemo 3-weeks ago. He began round 2 last night.

If all goes well and he continues to progress he will go to San Antonio in a couple of weeks for them to harvest some of his bone marrow.

When I asked Matt if he needed anything - as Audie told some of you the other day - Matt asked me to ask if there are any Creekers out there who have some computer video games that he can borrow while he is in the hospitals. He likes ones where he can 'shoot things'! (Of course, he's a guy!)

Please pray for peace and healing for Matt . . . and for the Holy Spirit to pour out on his family.

Matt Beveridge Award

In a little while Luke and I are going to the annual CC Hooks Baseball Banquet - where they honor local pro, college and high school baseball players.

This year they are also giving out the First Annual Matt Beveridge Award. It is for a local high school player who lives with - on and off the field - the kind of courage and passion that Matt lived with.

I had the privilege of being on the committee that chose the local player (although I can't say who it is as they are not announcing until tonight - check out the sports page tomorrow if you want to know) -- and it is going to be awesome to see Matt's life honored in that kind of way tonight . . . and more importantly to see Jesus lifted up as Matt looks down from beside His Savior!

Matt Beveridge Update - 7-28-08

As many of you know Matt has been fighting cancer for over 2 years now. (You can go to previous posts about Matt by clicking here, and here.)

Just a month ago Matt got home after a 'bone marrow recovery' process and had been recovering. Last week Matt began to have new signs of cancer and late last week the doctors confirmed that the cancer was back, worse than before.

I just spoke with Matt's Dad Gary about an hour ago and Matt was in the OR going through a procedure to put a new port in his chest . . . they are going to begin a new round of chemo on Matt tonight . . .

Please pray for God's hand on Matt and his family. Pray for the miraculous power of Jesus to bless Matt . . .

Psalm 34

1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Matt Beveridge Field

On Saturday King High School will rename it's baseball field Matt Beveridge Field.

If you don't know Matt's story you can click here or here or search him on my blog.

I'm privileged to get to speak at the event and encourage people to live their life fully. It starts at 1pm Saturday on the KHS campus . . . If you knew Matt I encourage you to come and honor his life and bless his family.

Matt Beveridge Update - 10-7-08

Matt is still in Driscoll Hosp and experienced a set back today. (Click here and here to see the last couple of posts about Matt)

He had a procedure done to try to determine why the pneumonia he has developed is not responding to any medication/treatments. After the procedure, he did not recover well from the anesthesia and had to be intubated to help his breathing. He is currently in ICU.

Please pray for Matt's parents (Gary & Laurie) as they are tired and discouraged from being in the hospital now for most of the past 3 months. And as always pray for Matt. Pray for God to fight for Matt and for Matt to experience God's comfort.


"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30)

Matt Beveridge Field

There was great news in the Caller Times today . . . the CCISD school board voted to name the King High School baseball field (where my son Luke will start playing this year) . . . Matt Beveridge Field.

You can check out the article here . . . http://www.caller.com/news/2009/aug/24/ccisd-names-king-high-diamond-after-former-player/

This is a cool part of a great legacy of a young man who was seeking to chase after God . . . When I think about Matt's life it always causes me to reflect on this question:
'Am I living my life for the Kingdom today, like there is no tomorrow?'

Waffle Breakfast For Matt Beveridge's Family

On Saturday November 22nd at Monclair Elementary School (on Alameda behind St. John's UMC) there's going to be a waffle breakfast to benefit Matt Beveridge's parents.

The costs associated with Matt's sickness and death were astronomical and this act of generosity will be a huge blessing to Gary & Laurie.

The tickets are $6 and we'll have them available on Sunday . . . or during the week at the office.

"You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ." Philemon 1:6

Matt Beveridge Update - 5-5-08

Matt had more tests run today and found out that it will still be at least 3 more weeks before he goes to San Antonio for the bone marrow transplant (actually it's a 'bone-marrow recovery' and you can read more about it on his website here.)

His kidney numbers are still not quite high enough so they gave him another small dose of chemo today . . . that's why it will be three more weeks.

But it has been awesome to see Matt at church the last couple of weeks!

So please keep praying for Matt and his family. Pray for strength and the peace of God for Matt and his parents (Gary & Laurie). And pray for the healing power of God to move over Matt and that he would be a trophy of God's grace.

You can see older posts about Matt here and here. And don't forget to check out his website where you can leave him a note of encouragement int he 'Guestbook.'

Matt Beveridge Update - 3-25-08

Spent some time with Matt today. He's finishing another round of chemo. The hope is that his body will be clear and in a couple of weeks he will be able to go to San Antonio for his bone marrow transplant. (Remember that you can check out his website here.)

Please keep praying for Matt & his family (Gary & Laurie are his parents).

Being with Matt blesses me. It makes me slow down and quit taking little things for granted. Watching Matt persevere through pain and suffering beyond what any of us will probably ever know, gives me courage. Matt unassumingly points me to Jesus.

That we would all learn to live in the 'peace' of Jesus. At the 'speed of love.' Thanks Matt for living it out in front of us.

October 10, 2008

One year ago today my friend Matt Beveridge went to rest in the presence of the King of Kings.

We still miss him, but we celebrate what he meant to us and the impact he had on eternity.

You can check out the video below that we made last year for his funeral.

And then lift up his family to God (Gary & Laurie are his parents) -- that they would continue to know the grace and hope of Jesus.

Matt Beveridge, Sept. 1, 1988 - Oct. 10, 2008 from Fellowship of Oso Creek on Vimeo.

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 15:50-57)

Matt Beveridge Update - 6-2-08

Matt had some good news last week as his kidneys are in good enough condition to do the 'bone marrow recovery'! (You can check out my last post about Matt here.)

You can check out Matt's update on his website here . . . And leave him a message of encouragement here.

Please be praying for Matt and his family. The plan they have given him thus far is to do radiation on June 10-12 . . . Chemo on June 13-14 . . . and then do the bone marrow recovery on June 16. All of this will take place in San Antonio.
Pray for peace and strength and Matt and his family through the procedures and the recovery that will follow. And pray for the healing power of God to move through his body!

Matt Beveridge Update - 6-20-08

Went by Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio today to see Matt after dropping Sarah & Laura off at soccer camp at UTSA.

Matt's really struggling right now. Because his immune system is so low I didn't even get to see him, but spent some time with his dad Gary. (You can see past posts about Matt by clicking here.)

Pray for peace and healing for Matt. Pray for his mom and dad - Laurie and Gary - as I can't imagine the agony they are going through.


27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:27-31)

Matt Beveridge Update - 4-3-08

Matt is resting at home after his last round of chemo and feeling better . . . thanks Lord.

He had a PET scan earlier this week that showed his body to be free of cancer . . . thanks again Lord.

If another test of his internal organs goes well this week, he will go to San Antonio for the Bone Marrow Transplant in the next couple of weeks. Pray for Matt as this procedure is preceded by a week of incredibly tough chemo --- and then a couple of weeks of isolation and recovery.

And pray for his family for peace and hope --- hope in the Living Christ!

Remember that you can go to Matt's website here and leave him a note of encouragement in the Guestbook.

Matt Beveridge Update - 6-29-08

Great News! Matt got back home today! You can check out his update on his website here and see my last post on Matt here.

You can drop Matt a note here in his guestbook --- and please keep praying for him and his family.

Matt Beveridge - 3-2-07 Update

Matt has finished his second round of chemo at Children's Hospital (in Corpus) and went home yesterday. (Check out his website here)

Tomorrow (Monday) he goes to San Antonio and they will do a bone marrow harvest at Methodist Hospital Children's Infusion Center. After that Matt will have to come back here for another round of chemo.

Please continue praying for Matt and his family - that God will meet their needs and the peace of Jesus will fill their days in San Antonio

Matt Beveridge Update - 10-10-08

This morning at 11:30am Matt B. went to be with Jesus.

It was difficult. But Matt fought a great fight! He ran a great race! And now he receives a great reward . . .

We will have a celebration of Matt's life Monday afternoon at 4pm at Oso Creek . . .

Please keep praying for Gary & Laurie and their family.

"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Matt Beveridge Update 10-9-08

Please pray. Cindy and I have been at the hospital most of the day as Matt is very critical right now. Please pray.

Pray for Matt to have peace. Pray for his life to be a living picture of Jesus' grace to all around.
Pray for Gary & Laurie (parents) and Gary (brother). Pray for Jesus to surround them and show them His compassion in supernatural ways.

Pray for God to be glorified . . .

About the only movement we saw out of Matt today was when he squeezed my hand as I was reading these verses:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:16-18

Matt Beveridge Update - 6-17-08

Matt had his transplant yesterday (Monday) and even after a week of radiation and chemo, and then the transplant was feeling good. Praise God!

You can check out the update on his website here . . . And post a note of encouragement in his Guestbook here. (Last post on Matt here.)

Keep praying and believing!

"So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. . . . We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light." Col. 1:9, 11-12

Matt B Update

Matt Beveridge (Creeker College student w/anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma) began his new protocol of chemo yesterday at Driscoll Children's Hosp. It will last 3 days and then he'll have two weeks off. He will go through this cycle for the next few months.

Please pray for healing, peace and strength for Matt - that He will allow God to 'fight for him.' And for mom & dad - Gary & Laurie, who Cindy & I have had the privilege to get to know during this battle for the last two years. Pray that God's glory will be revealed.

Beveridge Family Fundraiser

Just a reminder that this Saturday (22nd) there will be a waffle breakfast at Monclair Elementary School (on Alameda behind St. John's UMC) between 8 and 11am to benefit Matt Beveridge's parents and the costs they've incurred in the past two years.

The tickets are $6 and you can get them at the office on Friday or at the door on Saturday morning.