Drive Time with Matt

The Sacrifices Nobody Sees

I saw a post that said, “Parenting is turning down jobs because they don’t fit your child’s schedule.”

And honestly… I had mixed feelings.

Yes, sometimes being a parent means saying no to an opportunity because being there for your kids matters more. But parenting is also about providing. Sometimes loving your family means taking the job, working the long hours, missing an event, or making a sacrifice that nobody else sees.

So what does being a good parent really look like?

In this episode of Drive Time With Matt, I talk about the tension between being present and providing, the sacrifices parents make, the lessons our kids learn by watching us work, and why we probably shouldn’t judge another parent based on one decision we see from the outside.

Because maybe parenting isn’t about choosing your children over everything else.

Maybe it’s about making choices because of your children.

Sometimes the sacrifice is your career.Sometimes it’s your time.Sometimes it’s your money.And sometimes… it’s taking that job because your family is counting on you.

It’s an honest conversation about work, family, responsibility, sacrifice, and the things our kids may not understand until they’re grown.

So buckle up, turn it up, and come ride along.

Drive Time With Matt — Life one mile at a time.

😀

Inhale the Good, Exhale the Bad

I saw a simple little phrase online that said, “Inhale the good, exhale the bad.” At first, it sounded like just another inspirational saying—but the more I thought about it, the more I realized there might be a pretty important life lesson hiding inside those six words.

Breathing is essential. We need the right things coming in and the right things going out. And in a lot of ways, life works the same way.

What are we allowing into our lives? The people we surround ourselves with, the conversations we have, what we watch, what we listen to, our work, our schedules, our environments—and even the thoughts we constantly replay in our minds.

Sometimes we’re taking in things that are toxic.

Sometimes we’re holding onto things we need to let go of.

And sometimes, surprisingly, we’re simply taking in too much of a good thing. Our schedules get packed, we’re constantly busy, we’re trying to be everything to everybody, and eventually…we forget how to breathe.

In this episode of Drive Time with Matt, we’re talking about what it means to inhale the good, exhale the bad, make room for the things that really matter, and trust God with the things we can’t control.

Maybe you don’t need to fix everything today.

Maybe you just need to take a breath.

Inhale the good.
Exhale the bad.
And keep moving forward—one breath, one step, and one mile at a time.

Thanks for riding along with me on Drive Time with Matt.

#DriveTimeWithMatt #InhaleTheGood #ExhaleTheBad #LifeLessons #Faith #ChristianPodcast #Life #Encouragement #LetGo #TrustGod

What I Learned This Week at the Lunch Table

Sometimes the best conversations are the ones you never planned to have.

This week at the lunch table, we tackled some very important questions: Should brownies have nuts? What about cookies? Why does coconut have to ruin a perfectly good sweet potato or pumpkin pie? 😂

Then somehow, the conversation moved to McDonald’s, overseas menu options, and the most important question of all…

What exactly does Grimace taste like?

Apparently, blueberry.

Even though he looks like grape.

And yes… somehow the conversation eventually made its way to grape Robitussin and the crazy “home remedies” people have heard about over the years. 😂

But somewhere in all that randomness, I started thinking about why I enjoy these lunch-table conversations so much.

Life can get heavy. Bills pile up. Parenting can push you to the limit. We wonder if we’re doing enough, being good enough, or setting the right example for our kids. There’s always something happening in the world that can add a little more weight to our shoulders.

And sometimes, you just need to laugh.

Sometimes you need to sit around a table with people you enjoy and talk about absolutely nothing.

Because maybe those ordinary conversations aren’t pointless after all. Maybe they’re the little moments that remind us to slow down, enjoy the people around us, and not take every minute of life so seriously.

So come ride along with me as we talk brownies, coconut, Grimace, questionable remedies, faith, family, and why sometimes the most random conversations can make your day.

And for the record…

Nuts do NOT belong in brownies. 😂

#DriveTimeWithMatt #LunchTable #EverydayLife #Faith #Family #FunnyStories #Brownies #Grimace #McDonalds #LifeLessons

Apparently, We Need Rules

When did common courtesy stop being so common?

In this episode of Drive Time With Matt, we start with a simple question: When you pull into a gas station, do you pump your gas and then move your car before going inside—or do you leave your car sitting at the pump while you run into the store?

Because Matt has been the guy sitting behind that empty car… watching his gas gauge drop… and having a full conversation with himself:

“If my car runs out of gas, you are coming out here to help me push it to the pump!” 😂

But what starts as a funny story about gas stations turns into a bigger conversation about the little things we do—or don’t do—that make life easier for the people around us.

Shopping carts. Grocery store aisles. Turn signals. Merging in traffic. Holding the door. Office microwaves. Elevators. Cleaning up after ourselves.

None of these things are complicated. Most don’t cost us anything.

Sometimes common courtesy is simply stopping long enough to realize:

We’re not the only people here.

So buckle up, ride along, and let’s talk about why maybe we need to bring a little more courtesy back into everyday life.

Because apparently…

we need rules. 😂

Drive Time With Matt — Life one mile at a time.

The Unwritten Rules of the Office Microwave

Let’s talk about something every workplace has… the company microwave. 😂

You know the one. The microwave where somebody reheats fish, somebody else explodes spaghetti all over the inside, and somehow there’s always a mystery container in the refrigerator that nobody wants to claim.

In this episode of Drive Time with Matt, we’re laying down the unofficial rules of reheating food at work—from covering your food and cleaning up your mess to knowing when a meal might be better enjoyed somewhere other than the break room.

But as ridiculous as the office microwave can be, there’s actually a bigger lesson hiding in there.

Sometimes common courtesy is found in the smallest things. Cleaning up after yourself. Thinking about the people around you. Leaving something better than you found it. Being willing to make somebody else’s day just a little easier.

Because maybe the way we handle something as simple as a company microwave says a little more about how we live life than we realize.

So grab your coffee, buckle up, and come ride along.

This is Drive Time with Matt—life one mile at a time.

🍂 The Sigh of Fall

Sometimes, all it takes is a walk outside to remind us to slow down.

The temperature drops. The air gets crisp. The leaves begin to change. And before you know it, the world feels a little different.

On this episode of Drive Time with Matt, Matt reflects on one of his favorite seasons and wonders: How do the trees know when it’s time to change?

But somewhere between the changing leaves and that first cool breath of fall, a bigger thought emerges.

Maybe fall is a reminder that change isn’t always something to fear. Maybe letting go isn’t always giving up. And maybe some seasons of life are simply invitations to stop trying to control everything, take a breath, and trust God with what’s next.

Because sometimes surrender isn’t defeat.

Sometimes surrender is simply…

a sigh.

A deep breath.

A release.

A reminder that you don’t have to have everything figured out today.

So wherever you are in life right now, take a moment. Look around. Notice the season you’re in.

And breathe.

Drive Time with Matt — real life, one mile at a time. 🚗🍂

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Surrender Is the Pathway to Life

We often think surrender means giving up. Waving the white flag. Admitting defeat.

But what if surrender isn’t the end of the fight?

What if surrender is actually the pathway to life?

In this episode of Drive Time with Matt, we’re talking about what it really means to surrender control to God. Our plans. Our fears. Our families. Our futures. The things we desperately want—and the things we’re afraid to lose.

Sometimes we spend so much energy trying to control the outcome that we forget we’re not the ones who have to know how the story ends.

Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but yours, be done.”

That’s not weakness. That’s trust.

Maybe surrender isn’t saying, “I don’t care what happens.” Maybe it’s saying, “God, I don’t understand what You’re doing, but I trust You anyway.”

So what are you holding onto with a clenched fist?

And what might happen if you finally opened your hand?

Hop in for this drive as we talk about faith, control, trust, and learning to let God lead us into the life He has planned.

Because sometimes the next step isn’t holding on tighter.

Sometimes it’s letting go.

🎧 Listen now to Drive Time with Matt on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Life one mile at a time.

One Small Step Can Lead to Something Big

Apparently, the chocolate drawer at work has decided it’s my life coach. 😂

This time, the little message inside a piece of Dove chocolate said, “One small step can lead to something big.” And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true that really is.

We often overwhelm ourselves before we ever get started. We think we need the perfect plan, all the answers, and a clear picture of exactly where we’re going before we’re willing to take the first step.

But what if we don’t?

In this episode of Drive Time with Matt, we talk about the power of small, consistent steps—and how those little decisions can build momentum and eventually lead to something much bigger. From goals and relationships to faith, family, work, and the things we’ve been putting off, sometimes the answer isn’t figuring out the entire journey.

It’s simply figuring out the next step.

You don’t have to climb the whole mountain today.

You just have to start walking.

So grab your coffee, buckle up, and come ride with me.

Because sometimes a little piece of chocolate can give you a pretty big reminder:

One small step can lead to something big.

Drive Time with Matt — life one mile at a time.

The Creamer Confession ☕️

Sometimes it doesn’t take a big miracle to restore your faith in humanity. Sometimes… it takes a bottle of sugar-free creamer and a handwritten note.

In this episode of Drive Time with Matt, Matt opens the office refrigerator expecting to grab his creamer and instead finds something unexpected: a brand-new bottle of creamer with a note from someone admitting they had been using his and wanted to replace it.

And honestly? It was refreshing.

We’ve all dealt with the office refrigerator thief—the missing lunch, the disappearing leftovers, the creamer that mysteriously gets lower every morning. 😂 But this little act of honesty got Matt thinking about something much bigger: what if we paid more attention to the good things people do instead of constantly focusing on what’s wrong with the world?

From accountability and doing the right thing when nobody is watching to simple acts of kindness, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the smallest gestures can restore a little bit of hope.

So grab your coffee, your favorite creamer, and come take a ride with Matt.

Because apparently… there’s a lesson in the office refrigerator.

Drive Time with Matt — Life one mile at a time.

I went to the chocolate drawer at work looking for a little dark chocolate.

That’s it.

Nothing profound.

Nothing life-changing.

Just chocolate. 😂

But then I opened the wrappers.

One said, “You’re never too late to begin your journey.”

The other said, “Embrace the everyday miracles.”

And suddenly, Dove was giving me a life lesson.

😂

In this episode of Drive Time with Matt, I take those two little sayings and run with them—talking about why we sometimes convince ourselves it’s too late to start something new, how easy it is to compare our journey to someone else’s, and how often we overlook the everyday blessings happening right in front of us.

Maybe you’re not too late.

Maybe you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be for the next step.

And maybe the miracle you’ve been waiting for isn’t nearly as big or dramatic as you expected.

Sometimes it’s a family dinner.

A conversation.

A sunrise.

A second chance.

Another day.

So buckle up, because today we’re finding life lessons in the most unlikely place…

the chocolate drawer.

And yes… I’m still calling dark chocolate healthy. 😂

Drive Time with Matt — life one mile at a time.