{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"Micro.blog - Matt Mitchell","home_page_url":"https://micro.blog","feed_url":"https://micro.blog/posts/lifeintheyoke","_microblog":{"about":"https://micro.blog/about/api","id":"1954049","username":"lifeintheyoke","bio":"About the blog:\n\nI am a beginning writer seeking simply to share the fruits of my life and prayer with the world for the Glory of God. Within this site, you will find my own philosophical, theological, and experiential deliberations on stuff that just tugs at my mind or heart. These are not fully fleshed-out musings and contain many non-original ideas that I strive to cite as precisely as possible. They arise from my genuine curiosity, wonder, and fascination of God, the created world, humanity, and their interrelations. At minimum, I hope they spark your curiosity and critical thought. At most, that they inspire dialogue-either with me, another human, your AI chatbot (I hope not), or with a supernatural One. Happy reading! \n\n\nAbout Me: \n\nMy name is Matt Mitchell. Born in Waukee, Iowa, I grew up in a wonderful loving family on the suburban outskirts of Des Moines. From a young age, I was quite active and energetic, especially towards things that I found passion in. I loved to create and to build, to use my mind in coordination with my hands to create beauty and share it with others. This desire found sufficient outlet through legos then, with maturity, through landscaping and music. I started a landscaping company when I was just 14 years old and grew it alongside several high school friends through my second year of college. I loved to create firstly: in my mind, secondly: on paper, and finally: in reality. This passion found further outlet as I dove headfirst into Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University after high school. I remember fondly many sleepless nights with other students in the College of Design pushing endlessly to create and conceive of new designs. I was fortunate enough to see some of my ideas brought into reality during my early college summers working on the business. Life quickly became shallow for me, however, when my work and production became wrapped up in my identity. \n\nBy my second year of school, my identity ached for firmer footing in many respects and a new life was growing within me: a life in God. I was undergoing a ‘reversion’ to the God revealed in the Catholic Church in which I was brought up. No longer was religion merely a practice, but now a person. My attraction to Him came out of absolute necessity—as it often does—while I was witnessing my prideful worldly image collapse to dust on the ground. It was only by being emptied and raw that I saw God’s merciful and loving hand working in my life. His placement of a few people in my life at necessary moments and in profound ways was convicting me of my Belovedness in God. My heart’s satisfaction and completeness threw my whole person into action for others to experience this Lover’s gaze. Perplexed at how deep He pulled me out of my poverty, I was immediately attracted to those souls who found themselves outwardly poor. Because I saw plainly myself in these homeless and forgotten people, I hung around them more than the typical church-goer. \n\nBy my third year of college, I was certain the Lord was calling me to some life in ministry and service. I would continue to complete my degree by Spring of 2020 (the beginning of COVID), but by 2018 I had decided to leave the landscaping business to my longtime business partner and friend after 9 years of work with him. \n\nThat same spring of graduation found me working alongside several other Ames residents to begin a Catholic Worker house of hospitality to the poor and homeless of that area. I knew quite well at the time of the needs in larger cities for such ministry and my audacious and idealistic self would gladly have gone elsewhere. However, I was convicted that my Calcutta (in reference to Mother Teresa) was in Ames, Iowa given my established relationships, the apparent need, and God’s clear invitation. By fall of 2020, the Ames Romero House purchased its first house of hospitality and had 11 guests by that winter. The organization grew rapidly with the need and the undying support of the community and of course, God's grace. By 2022, the mission shifted slightly from overnight to daytime hospitality where a need for another house arose. This allowed the original house to be the formation and missionary house for current and future single men called to serve. In many ways, I was living my best life at the Ames Romero House, but my desire to serve and lay down my life would lead me onto something more. \n\nBy the summer of 2024, when the mission was blossoming and the future bright, I felt God calling me away from it to enter seminary formation for the Catholic priesthood. From an early age, I saw God’s nudging to this vocation, but it was always met with my reluctance and distractions. Since that time, I have been in formation to be a priest within the Archdiocese of Dubuque, the diocese that encompasses the place of my reversion and reconnection to God. The process of formation is extensive and probing and I thank God daily for this opportunity. Formation includes secondary degrees in philosophy and theology prior to potential ordination to the priesthood in spring of 2031. Please pray for my formation that I am led to deeper imitation of Jesus Christ, the priest who alone is the source of all goodness. \nYou will see, if you haven’t already, that my blog is littered with traces of seminary material, philosophical deliberations, inspirations arising from prayer, and pastoral observations of culture and encounters with others. God has invited me to share, and I pray my sharing bears fruit in your life. I am praying for you. \n\nMay God find you beholding the beauty of life in His yoke.\n\nMatt Mitchell\n\nSeptember 2026 \n","pronouns":"","is_following":false,"is_you":false,"following_count":1,"discover_count":0},"author":{"name":"Matt Mitchell","url":"http://lifeintheyoke.com","avatar":"https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2026/39/1954049.jpg"},"items":[{"id":"99122459","content_html":"

A True Disciple: lifeintheyoke.com

","summary":"","url":"https://lifeintheyoke.com/2026/10/12/a-true-disciple.html","date_published":"2026-10-13T02:01:58+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Mitchell","url":"http://lifeintheyoke.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2026%2F39%2F1954049.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"lifeintheyoke"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-10-13 02:01","date_timestamp":1791856918,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"98702461","content_html":"

Who is Fulton Sheen and Why Now? \"\" : lifeintheyoke.com

","summary":"","url":"https://lifeintheyoke.com/2026/10/05/who-is-fulton-sheen-and.html","date_published":"2026-10-05T15:55:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Mitchell","url":"http://lifeintheyoke.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2026%2F39%2F1954049.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"lifeintheyoke"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-10-05 15:55","date_timestamp":1791215737,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"98284261","content_html":"

The Namesake of the Blog: lifeintheyoke.com

","summary":"","url":"https://lifeintheyoke.com/2026/09/27/the-namesake-of-the-blog.html","date_published":"2026-09-28T02:04:49+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Mitchell","url":"http://lifeintheyoke.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2026%2F39%2F1954049.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"lifeintheyoke"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-28 02:04","date_timestamp":1790561089,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"97492002","content_html":"

Image and Likeness: lifeintheyoke.com

","summary":"","url":"https://lifeintheyoke.com/2026/09/13/image-and-likeness.html","date_published":"2026-09-14T02:34:45+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Mitchell","url":"http://lifeintheyoke.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2026%2F39%2F1954049.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"lifeintheyoke"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-14 02:34","date_timestamp":1789353285,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"97086827","content_html":"

Blog Launch: lifeintheyoke.com

","summary":"","url":"https://lifeintheyoke.com/2026/09/06/blog-launch.html","date_published":"2026-09-07T02:03:47+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Mitchell","url":"http://lifeintheyoke.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2026%2F39%2F1954049.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"lifeintheyoke"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-07 02:03","date_timestamp":1788746627,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}}]}