Another Top Five

Here's my Top Five Photos of 2008:

#1 A picture I took in Eagle Creek Park this past fall by Lilly Lake.
#2 A picture taken at Shades State Park
#3 Another picture I took at Eagle Creek on a separate occasion. I went with Christy to the Discovery Center and found this cool little dock at sunset.
#4 The visible spectrum of light being refracted through my Dr. Reisling wine.
#5 This was taken when I spent the weekend with my friend Alex; this is a cornfield in Noblesville.

A Few Top Fives

My friend Steve is encouraging people to post their favorite "Top Fives," so here are two related ones.

First, a video of my Top Five Favorite Personal Skate Clips (in no particular order):



#1 frontside anchor grind nollie shuv
#2 sewer ride to fakie in a ditch near the Round Rock Skate Park
#3 frontside 50-50 nollie backside bigspin
#4 board stall nollie shuv on an elastic tree branch
#5 a nollie backside bigger spin

Next are my Top Five Favorite Personal Skate Photos (also in no particular order):

Pop Shuv-It

Ollie

Sewer to Fakie

Noseslide to Fakie

Wallride

Almost Graduate

I finished my first of four finals this morning. It feels good to be done with collegiate courses! I have one on thursday night, and then the last two on saturday, and then I am finally done and get my degree in Chemistry.

After my final this morning, I did a little bit of creative work for a new set of songs I'm going to be getting around. The project is called "Out of Order." Here's a few peeks:

An Abrupt Consciousness

I woke up this morning with quite a piercing first thought: I'm only praising God because I want something from Him.

Woah. That's not usually how I start most days, but I'm really thankful for such a blunt awareness as that. I've really been praying for a job, but lately I've been so focused on the job part that I've been trying to "use" God. I need to change that because that's a really crooked way to treat Jesus. He is worthy of praise no matter what I go through, no matter what I have, no matter what I lose. Always. And today has been different, and I'm really glad that God showed me that so that I could change it.

I went skating today, and landed a new trick... well, I landed a fakie heelflip--a familiar trick--over the largest flat gap I've ever tried it over (around three feet). It doesn't sound like much, but I cleared it completely and rolled away smooth. It was definitely a highlight of today. Here's a sequence of the very talented Kellen James doing a fakie heel down a more sizable gap:

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Yesterday I went with a couple of friends to Manchester College in North Manchester, IN to visit a friend of one of my friend's friends. We visited and talked with her, then we spent some time praying for her and the campus. We procured a guitar and some drums and went to Worshiptown in the chapel. Afterwards we went to Warsaw and got some cheap and delicious chinese food (they gave us free sweet rolls). We went across the street to Central Park and ate watching the Christmas lights.

Here are a few shots from the park:




You may notice that the title of this blog is a line from a famous Christmas song. I'd like to talk about that now. Christmas songs.

I don't understand why people don't sing Christmas songs all year round. I am thankful every day that Jesus became a man to walk the earth that He created. Once when I lead worship last year I tried to do a Christmas song and it was discouraged because it wasn't Christmas time (the song was "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"). I'm not talking about songs like "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas" or "Jingle Bells." I'm talking about real Christmas songs. I find that a good portion of songs like "Silent Night" and "We Three Kings" do have moments of praise, but are primarily stories about stars and journeys. I'm talking about songs that glorify Jesus Christ, born and risen.

I think the main reason that I don't enjoy that this happens is because I see Christians getting swept under the "Christmas rug," or sorts. We can redeem Christmas (trust me, there is a LOT of pagan ritualism in almost every corner of the Christmas secular tradition), but it's going to take us acting differently and believing differently, and showing that we are not alright with what is happening to the celebration of the birth of our Lord.

God is jealous for our attention at all times, not just after Thanksgiving and before New Years.

Dallas Clayton: Skateboard Poem

I came across this "poem" about skateboarders. It's quite factual (besides the cheap part).
___________________________________________________________

ENDLESS

You should learn to skateboard.
It is cheap and fun.
It is something you can do when you are alone
or with friends.
Once you learn, you can hang out late at night in parking lots for hours and hours
(and you don’t even have to be high).
Also you can talk to others about skateboarding
and it will make them think you are cool
and they will give you things
like free stickers, or invitations to parties
with lots of guys at them.


If you get good
you can jump over all sorts of things
like cars, and European streets, and statues, and off small buildings.
and people will take pictures of you
which is nice (for later, to show your kids).

If you get really good,
maybe someone will pay you
to take pictures, and make videos of you jumping off all sorts of crap
and they will put you on billboards
and benches where homeless people sleep
and your name will be on thousands of pairs of shoes.
Maybe you will have a video game with you in it
or a TV show where you shoot your friends with weapons.

Or maybe not.

Maybe you will just keep doing it and no one will really care how good you are and you will just use your skateboard to ride down the street
to buy some beer
when your “old lady” takes off with the car.

It’s up to you I guess.
Like anything else.

But you should definitely learn.
It will be worth it
in the long run.

I promise.
___________________________________________________________

For more of Dallas Clayton's work, click here.

This Isn't Your Daddy's Communion

After a very relaxing and quite enjoyable break, I went to my first class this morning and then went to Campus House to do some reading. I brought an Amp energy drink with me, and right as I was opening it I had an idea. A few months ago I was with my friends and we wanted to take communion together, so I ran to the cupboard and got some hamburger buns. Then I opened the fridge and grabbed a Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Jammer (we didn't have anything remotely grape-like).

The bread was still similar, and it didn't phase me that "Jesus' blood" was blue and fruity. It was a neat experience and ever since I've enjoyed repeating it with the sincerest of reverence and the utmost creativity.

Back to this morning, I grabbed a Dark Chocolate Milky Way (the body) and set it down next to my Amp (the blood). I reflected upon how awesome Jesus is: He forgives me in a heartbeat and doesn't lord it over me, He gives me the best when I don't deserve it, and trusts me with the atoms of His creation (amongst other things). I took the Milky Way and a sip of the Amp--it was quite enjoyable, and a nice way to remind myself that communion is meant to remind us of what Jesus did.

I thought to myself that although I doubt Jesus' blood was green, his skin was probably much closer to the color of dark chocolate than white bread.

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break has been quite nice. I entered break with the knowledge that I received a 97% on my statistics examination, and it's only gotten better getting to stay away from school as well as be around Christy and my family for the week. I skated a little and finished filming for my "College Years" skateboard part; my final trick is a nollie backside bigger spin, and I'm pretty pleased with the part. It's on facebook if you want to check it out.

Here's a little video of a some of the sweet things I've experienced on break so far:



The "water ghosts" at the beginning are air bubbles trying to escape from between the pond and the ice. Next there's a unidentified bird that has appeared at my bedroom window every morning. Today, Christy and I went to Mounds State Park in eastern Anderson, IN. I was pretty disappointed in terms of Indian burial grounds--which is what I thought I would be seeing--but it turned out to be quite the surprisingly entertaining trip. The deer was taped right next to the Major Taylor Skate Park. The deer carcass was found in the middle of a trail, right next to the White River, at Mounds. There were "water xylophones" there (listen carefully), and I found what I think were "water onions" that out of I managed to squeeze some H20. And at the end I had some fun throwing my Swiss Army Knife into an elevated tree stub.

My family, Christy, and I have played Monopoly the last two nights as well. I've always disliked playing this game because I grew up playing it with my cousins and we never finished a game. This time we played by the rules, and it was actually really fun. Each game was around two and half hours. Christy won the first game, and I won tonight; I had quite the monopoly on half the board.

I also finished reading "The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself," the autobiography of Rodney Mullen. If you don't know who that is, then here's the wiki link. He didn't talk too much about his faith, which I was a little sad about (he's very reserved about most things, though), but he is an incredibly gifted and talented man. It makes me glad when Christians are known for doing and producing quality in their line of work and products, and Rodney has quite his share of stardom in the skateboard community.

Bijoux Week (5 of 5)

Well, here it is, Bijoux Week Part Five of Five:



This is a ring that I got just last week at Vons. I really like multi-colored objects, especially clothes. This ring was perfect for what I wanted to get. I always sit next to someone in my Religious Studies class who has a sweet candy-looking, multi-colored "mint" ring, like one of the mints from weddings or Chick-Fil-A. So I went to Vons to check out their rings and prices. I got this gem a couple of days later.

This is definitely my favorite ring. Whenever I want I can jostle it and watch the light reflect off of all the pretty colors. There are twelve different "stones," but only six different colors. Revelation 21:19-20 explains that the foundation stones of the city walls are decorated with every kind of jewel, and then lists twelve precious stones (one for each of the Twelve Tribes). For the sake of displaying God's creativity, here are each of them (and linked is a picture):

Jasper, Sapphire, Chalcedony, Emerald, Onyx, Carnelian, Chrysolite, Beryl, Topaz, Chrysoprase, Jacinth, Amethyst

**Cautionary Note: some of these pictures were taken from "healing" and "superstitious" websites; they are idolatrous, and I do not support any of them in the least**

Some of these stones come in multiple colors, so I did not show them all to you. And depending on the translation, some stones are given different names (I used the New Century Version). But regardless, you see how diverse and spectacular is God's creation. What I think is really cool is that these stones are not what we would call "abundant," but God uses them to make the walls of the New Jerusalem! This ring reminds me that I am a citizen of Heaven.

In closing, here is the five-day Bijoux Week summary:

Bijoux Week (4 of 5)

Before I get to today's installment of Bijoux Week, I have a story I'd like to share about last night. Every wednesday this semester Landon, Alex, Brandon, and I have met for $0.35 wing night at Scognoli's Cajun Barbie-Que, give or take a few people. Last night Landon and I declared to be Couples Wing Night, so we all brought our girlfriends. Christy and I get there, and we actually had a party of fifteen or so (the biggest yet). Landon walks up to me and tells me that our waiter for the entire semester, Aaron, just told him that Scagnoli's is closing on Saturday; this would be the last wing night for us. I was devastated, to put it lightly. But there's little utility in crying over such a thing, so we sat down and had a mighty portion of the best wings in Lafayette--seriously, there are no wings that could ever compare to these.


A month or so ago I jokingly made a coupon in my room on a post-it note, because once a month I get a glass of Dr. L Reisling wine with my wings. I brought it to wing night that night and showed it to Landon, but I decided not to use it at that time. Well, since this was going to be the last Wing Night, I opted to go for it. The pic is to the right. So, I ordered my wings and then handed Aaron the coupon. He laughed, then walked back to the kitchen. Maybe I had gotten away with it, and maybe I hadn't.

After he brought out the glass of wine, everyone just looked at me like there's no way that you got away with it, no way. I was confident that I had, but only time would tell. We laughed and talked about our days while enjoying some hearty wings. We all waited until the checks were brought out... and sure enough there was no glass of wine on my bill. It worked! Now for the sake of my readers, I did "pay" for the glass of wine: I gave Aaron a large tip, it was his last Wing Night with us. But the moral of the story is be creative, and see what happens.

Bijoux Week now resumes with ring number three:


This is a ring that I got from my grandfather after he passed away. I found out that I was the recipient of one of his many rings, and my mom picked one out for me while I was at school. It reminds me of all the times that I was over at their house when I was growing up. He would take me to the Indianapolis Zoo on saturdays and we would go to movies. We played checkers a lot. Whenever I misbehaved he told me he was going to "cut off my peep and feed it to the birds," haha. Towards the end of his life it became difficult for him to recognize me or my dad at times when we would visit him in the nursing home. He was an auctioneer, and one time he even came to my youth group and auctioned some things off. I'll never forget what he sounded like during his auctions.

At some point it reminds me of how great grandparents are. And at others, it has been a very real example of how degenerative life can be, and weathering--especially on the mind. It makes me yearn for Heaven even more.

So we're almost done with Bijoux Week, here's the synopsis so far:

Bijoux Week (3 of 5)

Wednesday of Bijoux Week. Here it is:


This is a bracelet that Christy made for me. She found the "hoop" at the skatepark and took it home to add some elastic straps, which she sewed together to fit my wrist just right. When she gave it to me, she told me that she wanted it to remind me of Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

This has been a very good reminder as of late, because I'm graduating in December (exactly a month away) and I have a plan for what I'm going to do, but until I graduate it's still only just a plan. It's great to know that God is always with us. As cliché as it can be at times, the "footprints in the sand" is a great reminder that Jesus will never forsake those who love Him. In the shower? Yes. In computer science class? There, too. Even when I'm changing? Of course. He's always with us, and He even lives inside us; now that's cool!

Current Bijoux Week Report:

Bijoux Week (2 of 5)

Day Two: Bijoux Week. In case you didn't know, bijoux is french for jewelries (it's plural).


This ring is a skateboarding bearing that busted. I removed the lubricant that remained after the devastation and scraped out the inside layer of rusty gunk. It turned my finger burnt orange for the first few months that I wore it. This ring means a lot to me.

Skateboarding is one of the main ways that I connect to God. It's become a big part of my life, and every time I step on my board is a worship session. I've learned so much from skateboarding. The more I skate, the better I become and the more comfortable I become on my board--the less separate me and my skateboard act.

I know that God is good, because He lets me skateboard, and He allows me to progress and get better. I get so excited when I land a new trick, or when I've been trying so long to land the same trick and I finally land it. Skateboarding is incredibly rewarding; moreso, I think, than any other sport I've played (ultimate frisbee comes close, but it's not as fun as skating, although it can be a nice change of pace). This is a link to a three-minute clip of some of my best skating this year: 2008 Footage.

Here is a more descriptive list of the things I've learned from skateboarding:
--Perseverance: When you're trying to land a trick for an hour, you're sweaty, worn out, just want to give up... but you're so close to landing it, it's just going to take that little additional amount of balance and focus. I've tried tricks for an hour straight and never landed them. Those are some of the most frustrating days, but either way I've gotten a good workout.

--Patience: When you are trying for an hour to land what seems like an ollie, I've learned not to get too fed up with myself. Essentially, I look at it like I view myself spiritually. I've learned to wake up in the morning without a chip on my shoulder. Yes, I know the Eternal God, that's really tight, but I underestimate sometimes how selfish I can be. I've learned that my best days are the days that I don't consider myself beyond committing any defiling act, that way I work from myself up to God who is my strength, not start with a prideful commendation and work down to God (that's just backwards). I've also learned to not be angry in my mind at the droves of little kids that are constantly at skateparks and even more constantly getting in my way, it seems. The same at Purdue's campus: I am surprised at how many zombies walk around in the middle of the day. Occasionally I'll be standing still holding my skateboard, and a couple people will without a doubt run into me because they're not looking. This can infuriate me like none other. They don't even say they're sorry, they just look at me like, "ughhhhhh" and keep walking. And even when I'm crouched down about to do a trick, people will incessantly continue to walk towards me and sometimes even change their path to walk in front of me. GAHHHHH! But none the less, Jesus loved them enough to die for them, and I'm learning to not become so upset about it. Actually, lately I've been pretty chill about it, but I don't want to commit heinous pride here.

--Love: Isn't this a big category? Love. Helping the little kid who just cut you off five times in a row get up the ramp because he's too small to get up on his own. Love. Giving your fellow skater the last of your gatorade because he's dying of thirst... and so are you. Love. giving people rides to the skatepark. Love. Being honest about what Jesus has done in your life when they see His name on your griptape. Love. Having an extra helmet to give to skaters at the park because they can't afford one. The list goes on. God is really helping me see the beauty of His creation all around, especially in the faces and bodies of skaters, who whether they like it or not, are made in the image of God.

--Sacrifice: This may seem a little out of place, but bear with me. At the end of 2 Samuel, David is about to score a free parcel of land to offer sacrifices to God to end the destruction of his people. When he is told this by Araunah (the owner of the land) David says the following, "No, I will pay you for the land. I won't offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." Skateboarding is a spiritual act for me. It helps me connect to God, using my sweetly-designed body to do weird tricks and somehow bring Heaven to earth moreso than it already was. And with perseverance, when I'm trying that trick for the one-hundreth time, I remember that I don't just skateboard for me, I'm skating to bring glory to God by doing my best and giving my all in everything that I do to prove myself worthy of His name. Colossians 3:23 says, "Do everything as for the Lord, and not for men." I'm satisfied to learn a new trick when no one else is around to see it; God sees it, and He loves it.

Being a skateboarder also gives me the unique position to show other skaters the bright and salty love of Jesus. Most skaters are harassed by their elders for "destruction of property" or "wasting their time." By being a skateboarder, and knowing Jesus, I am quite able to share Jesus with other kids in a way that no non-skater ever could.

So that's a brief report of skateboarding and how it relates to my bearing ring. Here's a summary of Bijoux Week so far:

Bijoux Week (1 of 5)

This is the beginning of a five part series. Every day this week I'm going to explain one of the pieces of jewelry that I wear everyday (four rings and a bracelet). Today I'll be displaying bijoux #1:


This is a solid, silver ring that I got from Vons. I'd wanted to get a "thick," inornate ring for some time, and Vons has quite the collection of metallurgical specialties at fair prices--so I picked this up. This actually doesn't have much deep spiritual meaning to me (unlike the other bijouxs), but it is something that I think is very fashionable. Sometimes I feel that artists and craftsmen become too fascinated with adorning their creations with elaborate designs that they forget the beauty of simplicity, and sometimes it's because they're trying too hard to emphasize their skill that they forget their trade.

I can really relate to this; it is a very sensitive balance. Especially with my song writing, I try to create elaborate guitar parts more for the sake of them being elaborate and less for them being what I actually want a song to sound like. I'm getting better though. I can't help but think that sometimes the better musicians write "harder" music, and sometimes that's true, but the best musicians know how to make music enthralling while simple or complex.

And I suppose that I lied when I said there was nothing innately spiritual about this discussion. I find that I sometimes carry this mindset into my relationship with Jesus. At times I am so focused on doing what I would call "the incredible things of God," such as healing someone who can't walk, etc, and (sadly) uninterested or unaware of the little ways that God works. I have a story relating to this.

I was skating and stopped to chat with my friend Steve outside of the Math building. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my statistics professor was walking by. Steve and I were engaging in conversation, so I didn't want to be rude and interrupt what Steve was saying but I also noticed that my professor had his head down as he was walking by to his office in nearby Haas. After Steve left, I had the earnest conviction of what I thought was to "share the Gospel" with my teacher. I assume that he is Muslim, because I see him from time to time at the Greater Lafayette Islamic Center right across the street from where I live. The first day of class he told us that he was born in Bethlehem, which I think is really sweet.

And so I was skating, trying to figure out what in the world I would do about this feeling. I knew that it was from God, there was no question; but what should I do? Just walk into his office and start talking about Jesus? There's a point where I disgust myself because I feel that I love my own life too much, that I'm concerned about my reputation and not the reputation of Jesus. I told God at that moment, "You're timing is awfully inconvenient for me." I was kinda joking, and kinda serious. Of course, I want to be stretched and grow, so I welcome the thought of going beyond what I'm comfortable. But, I also kept in mind that the Gospel is a way of life, not a conversation you have with people. What could I do that might allow Jesus to shine through? I couldn't get away from the thought that the only logical thing to do was to begin a conversation about Jesus, but I kept thinking. Because it wasn't just me involved in this, it was God. I was going to labor through this until I was confident about what I should do.

I remembered that just down the way there was a group handing out free hot chocolate. I decided to get a cup and deliver it to my professor. Suddenly I was taken back to my painful freshman and sophomore year research where my advisor practically despised me. On her birthday (and she was quite pregnant at the time) I brought her a small cake. I walked into her office to give it to her. "Happy birthday," I said and presented the cake. I thought maybe it would lighten the stress she felt and give her a reason to be a little nicer in the lab. She stared back at me, "I'm diabetic." I carefully apologized and left the room. So with that in mind I prayed to God, "Lord, don't let him be diabetic; let him enjoy this." I got closer and closer to his office, and I actually became increasingly excited to see what would unfold. I walked to his office and he looked up to greet me. I told him that I had gotten him a cup of hot chocolate. He smiled and told me that he loved hot chocolate, it was one of his favorite drinks! I said, "Have a good day," and he said, "Thanks Andrew."

That was it. No thesis on atonement, no discourse on salvation. A cup of hot chocolate. God's practical love.


Here is a summary of Bijoux Week so far:



Stay tuned!

Move Over Rhinocerus

I was at the mall today with my magnificent girlfriend and was looking at animal books in Walden Books (they always have great sales/deals every time I go there). I was looking through an encyclopedic volume of the animal kingdom and came upon an animal I'd never heard of before: the pangolin. It quickly became my favorite animal, trumping the mighty rhino. If you know me, it's very hard for me to select a "favorite" anything, especially an animal! There's so much beauty and excellence in God's creation; everything is so unique, creative, and diverse. Every little lizard is a work of art by God. Every tree, every twig, every leaf. Every hip, every femur, every ankle. Every bird, every amphibian, every amoeba. It's mind blowing, really. The amount of wonder that God poured into each individual creation... wow.


So here is a picture of a pangolin. It's like a mixture of an armadillo, a snake, an anteater, and an assistant (watch the video below and you'll know what I mean). Wow, God! It walks on two legs and clasps its hands together as it walks, haha; that's probably my favorite part. And for its size it has the longest tongue of any mammal. It's definitely one of the most distinctive creations on planet earth. Here's the video:



I am amazed at you, God. You definitely looked at the pangolin and said, "It is good."

Poetry

This is a picture of a doggie that I encountered a few weeks ago on State Street on my way to work on the Lafayette Community Skate Park. I had quite a good time driving as this dog yapped and barked at every car that passed and traveled next to his owner's. I took it at a stop light (don't worry, I was stopped at the time).

Last night I went to that "Einstein-inspired" poetry reading. Boy am I glad I didn't have to pay to get in. Besides a hearty portion of swear words, there were no poems about quantum mechanics, energy=mass times the speed of light squared, or time dilation (and I found out that it wasn't really poems inspired by Einstein, it was a reading by A. Van Jordan of some of his poems, and he has written a book called quantum lyrics). So needless to say, I was disappointed. But in the meantime, I wrote my own poem. It's called "Charcoal."

"Charcoal"

Black
Charcoal, black
Darkness, black
Black coats, black

Black cats, red
Red ants, blue
Blue sky, black

Black eyes, black
Black stacks, black
White black?

Eating My Words

Soooooooo, I know I said that I was going to stop blogging/posting, but I thought more about it (the last post was a little spur of the moment) and I've decided that I will continue to post on here as long as I see fitting. This is my telling amendment: I do exercise the authority of this blog, so I can choose what I want to do with it. Also, I have a story I'd like to share for the resurrection of The Think Basket.

I was heading to my 3 pm Religious Studies class and I had with me sixty-five cents, with which I was going to purchase a can of cola (I was aiming for a cherry coke). I went to the vending machines just around the corner from my class room and pulled out my change: two quarters, a nickel, and a dime. Now, it's important to note that there is a machine that vends $1.25 sodas, and another across the way for the sixty-five cent colas. I took my change and mistakingly went to the $1.25 machine, and proceeded to enter my change, unaware of my error. I placed the first quarter in, and it was returned in the change cubby at the bottom of the machine. I checked the quarter and made sure it wasn't a fake, and placed it a second time into the machine. I heard something like the falling of multiple coins this time, and when I looked into the return I spied two quarters! Sweet, I thought, so I grabbed them. That's when I realized that I was at the wrong machine. I felt so silly; luckily no one was behind me.

I walked to the sixty-five cent machine and was surprised to find out that they raised the price on this machine, and maybe campus-wide, to seventy-five cents. And what do you know? Here I am, left my house with sixty-five cents, and came to the machine with ninety cents! Some people might think this is a stretch, but to me this demonstrates God's abundance. I had fifteen cents left over from buying a cola that I was really ten cents short of!

I quite enjoyed that cherry coke, and it was sweet to see God's favor in something like that. I was going to be really bummed if I didn't get something to drink, because although I'm not dependent on high fructose corn syrup it definitely makes power hours go faster when I have something to consume. And on top of that, it's been the first day I can actually skate outside in a while--it was absolutely gorgeous out today. So on top of everything Christ did on the cross for me, this day has been quite excellent. I'm going with my friend Ace to an Einstein-inspired poetry reading later tonight, so I'm looking forward to that as well. What has God done for you lately?

Farewell

You know as well as I do that I am bad about blogging on this. I'm good for a little bit, but then I get caught up in living, and I find that my pseudo life on the internet is really short lived; kind of like a firecracker. It gets lit, there's a lot of expectation, as the fuse gets closer and closer to the explosive powder, then... boom. And as the smoke clears, you realize that was a fairly short-lived five seconds. I fear that subconsciously I'm looking to be commended by my peers for my "insight into the Scriptures" and I've found that it's quite a thrill to get comments from others, even if they are from my fantastic girlfriend. And I don't want to overplay this, but for my own sake, I'm going to refrain from posting on this blog. I already do a lot on facebook, and I can post songs and videos on there much more easily than I can on here--not to mention that many more people traverse my facebook page than my little cubbyhole blog. David Bazan wrote it pretty well when he titled on of his albums "The Only Reason I Feel Secure... Is That I Am Validated By My Peers."

We've all been separated from God, but some of us have been reconnected. It's like the cord that got pulled too much and was yanked out of the socket. But then Jesus plugged us back in. Prophetic electronics. Some of us are blenders, some of us vacuum cleaners, some are night lights, others are radios. Some are floor fans, some are wireless internet hubs, and still others are alarm clocks. There really no end to the diversity of the Body of Christ. God will forever remain more creative than any of us, and that means that the diversity is only going to expand, in terms of where the Church spreads and reaches.

But back to what I was saying: this blog isn't thrilling enough for me to want to continue it. I created it originally for my parents and friends who I don't talk to on a daily basis, so that they could keep up with me and what I'm doing, learning, and thinking. Ironically, I keep many of my thoughts off of this website as I've been caught up in the cutting-edge of actual life beyond the internet. With the popularity of such programs like World of Warcraft and Second Life, I'm taking a stand against the perversion of the internet. I'm not condemning people who regularly blog (in fact my friend Steve maintains a very interesting, artsy, and blunt blog that I enjoy reading: Formula 2911 Blog), and I'm not condemning those who use the internet. The internet is an incredible resource and has without a doubt changed the world forever.

So I think that what I'm trying to say is that I feel that my life becomes increasingly sterile as internet use is increased, and definitely as my subconscious dependence on "facebook browsing" and youtube skate videos goes up. I feel a pressure to be clever and edgy, to be one more blog that bashes the Church but assures others that I do love them. I do love the Church, especially how much potential we have! And maybe that pressure is self-inflicted, but I want to be someone who stands out amongst Christians. Not just for my sake, but for the sake of Jesus--because He's so beautifully amazing, and I have been filled with such gladness and joy (despite the traps of life) that I want others to know how good knowing Him can be. To really enjoy everything God gives me (including but not limited to skateboarding, guitar/piano, and chemistry) to its fullest, because He gives us great gifts!

I actually feel closer to God when I'm skateboarding than in most musical worship services in Church. It's like God has handed me a blank check and everyday I withdraw more and more on His account. The same with guitar, and I won't even get started on chemistry.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you more in real life.

A long time

It's been a while, Blogger.com, but I'm back.

This past weekend I went on a trip to Carmel and Noblesville, IN with some of my skateboarding buddies. I usually end up doing the filming--predominantly because I'm the worst skater there and everyone else is doing way cooler stuff than I could ever do, but also because I always bring my little avi video camera my dad got me (thanks again, dad!).

It's been cool over the past few weeks to assume the role of "filmer" amongst my friends. I enjoy it from occasion to occasion. I don't get to skate as hard as I'd like to most of the time, but I get to serve my brothers in a very substantial way. And I get to edit the videos and help make these guys look great on their boards. It's a subtle way to refocus on others and not be so self-interested with the lens.

I always pray for who I'm filming too. Skateboarding can be very stressful sometimes, and it's easy to slip into a poor attitude when your normal tricks aren't coming easy. The power of prayer was really shown to me this weekend at the Carmel park. I was filming Brad Hill and he was trying this very impressive and large maneuver at the park. After numerous tries he was getting close but wasn't sticking with it. He looked up at me and said those fateful words: "one last try." At this point I had already been praying a little bit, but I turned to God and prayed very fervently that He would help Brad land the trick; not just for Brad, but for God's glory. So I kept praying, and interceding. Brad stepped on his board and swooped towards the obstacle. I waited anxiously to see what would happen all the while trying to keep the shot focused and centered.

What if Brad didn't land it? This wasn't a major faith issue for me, but I strongly wanted all of his hard work to pay off, and I knew that I at least wanted to worship God by seeing such an excellent trick be done in person. But I forget sometimes that worship is also done on our knees, crying out in pain, loss, and despair. Clinging to God for everything He is: true worship of the Almighty Father.

Needless to say, he landed the trick perfectly. It couldn't have been any better. I was amazed, surprisingly, having received exactly what I had asked for and more. He didn't just land it; it was perfect. God is truly good to us and concerned about our daily lives. Now I get to show off Brad's skating on facebook and know that God was wrapped around every ply of that canadian maple.

Texas!

That's what I was looking at right before the unthinkable occurred. It all happened so fast. You might think there was turbulence involved, or maybe someone bumped me since I was sitting in the aisle seat.

Nope. I just spazzed out and my knee bumped the tray table, spilling the cup of wine all over my pants. Here's what it looked like:


I had a good laugh about this. I pushed the "flight attendant" button, and she brought me some club soda and paper towels to clean myself up. The club soda actually worked really well; it got most of the stain out. Then when I got here to Christy's house, Teri washed them for me and got the stain right out.

But now back to the airplane. I was going to sip some of wine and read some of Acts. I did a little of both before the accident. There was a young woman sitting next to me. Being so nosey, I looked over to see what she was reading and I caught the end of a hand-written letter:

"You're a friend, sexy, smart,

Kenan"

She was reading a couple of love letters from someone named Kenan. I was trapped in the moment for a couple of seconds. Here was this woman reading love letters from this guy named Kenan, and here I am reading God's love letter to me. Then I started thinking about "What if God's name was Kenan..." Haha, I won't continue that thought, but it was a cool moment paired with being stained by the blood of Christ, literally.

Turkey Run and Eagle Creek

The vid is from last Sunday after I led worship at Campus House at Purdue; me and some buddies went to Turkey Run for an afternoon of hiking and adventure. This vid, especially, highlights my fondness for finding infrastructure and jumping and twirling off...

Today I went to the skate park and saw more people I knew there than usual. I've been trying to learn this trick for the last week or so, it's a fakie big spin heelflip. Basically, you roll backwards on your board and do a 180˚ ollie with your body, the board does a 360˚ shuv-it as well as a heelflip. It's one of the more technical tricks in skateboarding. I've landed on the board a few times up until this point, but always fell off after a moment or two. Well, today, third try: Boo Yeah! And my friends who have seen me trying it so often were there, they just erupted when I landed it. It was perfect. Caught the board 270 in the air and slid the front wheels on the ground to finish the rotation. It was at least a few feet out of the ramp as well. SOOOOOO much fun. And so rewarding when you put so much work and sweat into a trick and you finally land it. I also learned how to "launch" out of quarter pipes today. I missiled a large roast beef grab third try. I suppose today was third try day...

After a thorough work out at the skate park, I went to Eagle Creek park and spent some time away from the sterilizing, infertile noises of the city and enjoyed some peace and quiet next to the reservoir. I spent a good half hour sitting on a buoyant walkway watching ducks. I observed some new behaviors today, it was quite exciting. They did the usual stand on one leg and pretend to sleep bit, and the whole primming deal, along with the butt shaking. That's my favorite part to be honest, when they shake their butts, haha. I don't know why, it's mesmerizing... Anyways, I saw a good number of the ducks, all female mallards (btw), they would stand on one leg and stretch out their opposite leg and adjacent wing for a few seconds. And also, with the stretching, they would stick their neck straight out to its fullest extent, and then raise their wings up, like open car doors on a Lamborghini or some other fancy car (you know, like how the Delorian's doors opened up in Back to the Future). I tried to communicate with them: I waddled around hunched over, moved my arms like wings, and quacked. I only managed to get some glares from them, haha. They knew... Ducks are just sweet animals. I think sometime soon I'm going to make a duck costume out of cardboard. Be watching for that in the future... There was a hispanic family on the wharf next to me fishing, and as I was leaving the father caught a fish and exclaimed,"got you sucka!" I laughed all the way to my car.

After all that fun, I went to the bird sanctuary and on my way encountered a clan of female deer. I tried to follow them through the woods, but they were skiddish and wouldn't let me get close enough to pet them. I would've petted them all day if they would have let me. They're like the wild dogs of the woods. So I got to the bird sanctuary and I looked down to my right only to see a bumble bee plucking the petals off of a flower, one by one. I'd never seen this before either, it was quite strange. After it finished trimming, it just flew away. Another cool part of this portion of the park is the butterflies. There were monarchs flying around me as I walked down the trail, darting only a few inches in front of my face. It kinda scared me every time they did it; I'm sure the people around me had a good laugh.

Like I said earlier, it was nice to get away from "city." It's wild to think that God created all those things I saw: the ducks, cranes, butterflies, spiders, plants, every thing!

Patrolman

Tonight I spent some time with my two friends Kristen and Calin who are leaving for Uganda in the morning to deliver audio Bibles and do some photo journalism stuff. I just wrote a song, inspired by the breath-stealing storm that we drove home through from Buca di Beppo's. For the entire drive, over an hour, there was constant flashing and flickering of lightning. After a while of being awed, I just began to get bored with it. I started to talk to God about it, saying things like, "Lord, it would be really sweet if there was neon blue lightning, and sparks came up when it 'hit the ground.'" I have this problem, that's how I see it at least for now, that I see something and I usually want to change it. When I walk around campus I always imagine that the grass--instead of being just green--is colored in rows like a rainbow. And that trees have yellow bark with white leaves. Just something that I'm not used to seeing, that would catch me off guard and really make me stop and stare at it.

Like I've said before, I sometimes get off track and lose my wonder of God's creation. Lightning is sweet, but I always want to take it further, add more to it. Sadly, there are no tears in my eyes right now. I want to come back to the place where I'm as a little child marveling at everything God has done. I want it to be genuine, and I want to put this part of me in the shredder and burn it; this part that depreciates the wonders of God's hands.

The song I wrote is called "Patrolman," and here are the lyrics:

Verse 1
God, how many times do I really have a better idea than You
Just because I think that using more colors would be a wiser choice to light the sky
God, forgive me for my selfish thoughts
For You know what You want more than I can see

Chorus
I surrender my patrol at Your borders
Take me as far as You can, Lord, don't keep me waiting for You to show
I'm crying out because I'm craving more of You

Verse 2
God, I don't want to take credit for Your work through me
It's so easy to cast away thoughts of humility when You seem so far away
A violent death is what I need to bring me to my knees
I'm tired of thinking I have a better way around things

Outro
This box isn't big enough for the both of us
So I'll burn it to the ground
And dance around the glory of the Lord
Who knows me inside out

Here's some of the meaning. The first verse is what I was talking about up top about the lightning, etc. I want my life to be about what God wants, and hopefully it is. The chorus is where the name comes from, "Patrolman." As we were driving home, I thought of God driving up to the border of how far I'd let Him go in my life, what I imagined God would do, and as He wanted to pass, I would put down the gate and say no. I'm done with that, and I want to let Him pass now. I want everything that God has for me, I want to suck Him dry of everything He has to give. In any situation, I feel that I enter with some sort of expectation, and sometimes my expectations for God are extremely shallow. I'm not used to giving a "word of knowledge" or prophecy to someone, even healing someone, but I want to be open to it at all times. I just want God. I'm learning to hate my life more and more now, just like Jesus says in Matthew 10:39. Not as in hating to exist (although I really long for Heaven), but as in not loving my life enough that I still grasp tightly to the reigns and pull in my own direction. My life is the Lord Jesus', and He will decide what I do in a day (that's what I'm aiming for, completely). The last part of the second line,"don't keep me waiting for You to show." It's a bold line; if I'm honored to be used by God somehow, then I want to have to wait for God's timing for it to happen, not have God wait for me to be ready. May it be on God that I wait, and not myself.

Then the second verse. It's about how we wake up, we breathe in, we breathe out, our limber joints move us from place to place as our muscles stretch and contract, and all the while Jesus puts no neon signs above our beds to remind of that He gave us all these things for the day. Almost like we're renting them, but He doesn't make us fill out the paper work. Jesus owns everything we could imagine, even the breath in our lungs, but He's so humble and powerful that He doesn't stamp His name all over us. It basically is, I mean no one else can create atoms or tissues, but you know what I mean--hopefully.

I keep coming back to this idea of putting myself to a violent death. I hate violence: guns, knives, hatred, anger, it all makes me sick. But when it comes to me and the Lord, I want to be as dead as possible; John 3:30, "He must increase, and I must decrease." It doesn't say, "I must decrease, He must increase." God even comes first when he says this. I am completely useless in and of myself, and until I truly realize that, I'll never live up to my full potential in God's Kingdom. I want to make sure that I'm dead, completely. Not like in those movies where you think someone is gone and then they keep coming back. No, I want the worst death possible, to be sure that I'm not going to get in the way. And honestly, I'm tired and sore from thinking that I have a better way to go about things.

That brings us to the outro portion of the song. Just as much as I put God in a box, I also put myself in a box. Ephesians 3:20 says,"With God's power working in us, He can do much, much more than we can ask or imagine." And Philippians 2:13 says,"because God is working in you to help you want to and be able to do what pleases Him." I liked the imagery of God and I both stepping out of the box and burning it to the ground, so that we could never go back in. And in my joy I begin to dance.

KKSM and the Market Place

Friday was the skate camp at Shepherd Community (those are some of the donated boards that I put together for the campers that didn't have a skateboard). We had around 30 kids, and got to break up each instructor with 2-3 kids, so there was a good instructor/camper ratio which made for some good personal interactions. We did an all day camp, complete with snacks and water and lunch, and did a small devotional with the kids. I talked briefly to the older, more experienced skaters about griptape. Skating without griptape is an awful idea, because without it you can't do any tricks. You can have a complete skateboard, but if you don't have griptape, it's practically useless to a street skater. Just like with Jesus: you can have the entire world, but if you don't have Jesus, it's all meaningless. He's what makes it all worthwhile, and He enables us to do incredible things. There was a good response, the kids seemed to get it.

So then, after a great demo by the King of Kings guys [highlight: nollie flip up the bank land one foot down the other side of the bank, Dave Voetberg] I blasted off and went to Circle Center Mall in the heart of Indianapolis. I paid the meter and skated towards the food court, where I enjoyed some bourbon chicken. I found a bench in the mall and started reading for the day, Philippians 3-4. The following verse, specifically, struck me as all the teeny boppers and middle aged women, husbands and "gangsters" walked by me, occasionally brushing the edge of my Bible with their fat shopping bags: Philippians 3:8 "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."

I wonder, if Jesus were in the mall would He weep. Not because of all the things people can buy, necessarily, but because of all the money that people spend that isn't going into the Kingdom, it's going into themselves. I'm so guilty of it. I see a shirt with a cool graphic on it, and I want to buy it, and more often than not I do buy it. I get caught up in trying to wear cool clothes, instead of really just being thankful for any sort of fabric draped across my body to keep me from shaming myself in the nude. I'm giving up my entitlement to a vicious self image to let Jesus allow me to see how beautiful I am no matter what clothes I wear. I'm not condemning the purchase of articles of clothing, but really, is that God's money well spent? There are so many Christians, apparently, here in America, so why is our culture so submerged in dirt. Everywhere I look I'm practically spitting rocks and dust out of my mouth.

I'm incredibly guilty of the following things: having more than 2 or 3 shirts, pairs of pants, socks, underwear, etc. I don't think it's a crime to have an abundance of something, but when others have so little... Get ready for this: Luke 3:8-11 "Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives. Don't begin to say to yourselves,'Abraham is our father.' I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks! (DANG) The ax is now ready to cut down the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." The people asked John,"Then what should we do?" John answered,"If you have two shirts, share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that also."" Does that rock you? I'm looking for a way that I can give away some clothes to a family that would really use them. I don't just want to give them to Goodwill or something like that, but it may come to that. Let me know what you guys think about it.

This is a picture I took from the demo on Wednesday at East 91st Church in the parking lot right next to one of the ramps. It's cool that Jesus is everywhere. Sometimes we have to squint, and other times He just reaches out and grabs us!

Skateboarding

I went to the skatepark with my friend TJ last night. I never go at night, because the lighting there is not very profound. But I went, I figured I'd at least roll around and get some exercise. We got there, and within 8 minutes I had landed every major trick that I have in my proverbial bag. I was really quite astonished when I landed fakie f/s 360, fakie f/s big spin, b/s flip, f/s flip, f/s shuv, b/s shuv, kickflip, f/s half cab, b/s half cab, fakie flip, fakie 50-50 f/s big spin out, f/s 180, b/s 180 all out of the wedge ramp and practically in a row. Especially the fakie f/s 360, that was so much fun. I really wish everyone could experience what I do when I skate. It's so excellent when you're trying a trick and you land it perfect and roll away. You can't overappreciate going very quickly towards a ramp, throwing yourself in the air, turning, flicking the board, and then landing perfectly. I'm amazed that God made us with an ability to do this!

So after I had done all those tricks, this guy came up to me and we started talking. I have the Gsus chord on my board, so he asked about it, and I told him I'm a Christian. He said,"Really? Christian skater, huh? That's cool..." I politely corrected him: "Well, I'm a Christian that happens to skateboard." I asked him if he was the same, and he said that he's agnostic, that he at least acknowledges a higher being, he just doesn't know what it is. So we kept talking, and it was really cool to see God use my skating to give an inlet to talk to this guy. Who knows what will happen, I'm just really pleased to be used in a positive way at the skate park. So much crap goes on there, so much foul language that's demeaning to most living organisms, and so much anger and hatred. When pimps and whores, skateboarders and bikers really begin to see the light of the Gospel, it's truly incredible.

Heinous

I'm reading through Judges, because I can't recall ever having read it. The only tidbit I did remember from the book, besides the cycle that Israel went through, was that some dude got killed in a tent by having a stake hammered into his head. That's really terrible.

This week is the King of King Skateboarding Demo(s), Camp, and Video Premier. I'm super excited about it all; it's cool to see everything have come together in less than a month, too! Just goes to show that if God wants something to happen, by gum it's gonna happen! It came together so nicely, getting free ramps from a great indoor skatepark--who's manager I just happened to bump in to--and then the three locations that we're using, three different churches around Indianapolis. It's just great. I'm excited for all the kids whose lives are going to be changed. And on a base note, just to skate with some professional and amateur skateboarders.

Christy gets back in three and a half weeks. Yes!

Lessons from the Skatepark

I put that on my skateboard today. In case you didn't notice, the chord Gsus--when pronounced--should sound very similar to Jesus. And it's sweet that the sustained chord has a dominant sounding 4th, which is C... for Christ!

So I went to the skatepark today, my back is doing much better, praise the Lord; I've been praying a lot for it, especially since I'm leading a skate camp in a few weeks. I just read the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. I was talking to God when I was at Purdue last week, and I realized that I'd become kinda numb to all of God's immense majesty. When I'd hear about God's breathing of stars, His control of the waves and the wind, His incredible grace... it just kinda slipped past me. In a culture and society where we constantly are one-up'ing each other and working aimlessly to be clever and introspective (not always bad things), I've shuffled the greatest glory of all away as boring and run-of-the-mill. The Lord has helped me, and one way I was blessed was by reading that book. It takes work on my part, especially on some Sundays, to really revel and praise God for the absolutely jaw-dropping list of acclamations. He breathes stars! WOW; and He has stitched every hair into my body--on my arms, feet, head, everywhere!

I enjoy a poetic look into everything God has done every once in a while, but I realize that it does take some work (e.g. breaking down mental barriers that I put up) during worship/praise time in song to really let myself marvel at Jesus.

And so I was at the skatepark today, and it's the same skatepark I've "grown up skating," ever since I started a few years back. I always talk to people about going there, and they're all like,"Naw, I go there all the time, I'm bored." I, on the other hand, love skating it; it has everything I need: transition, quarter pipes, grind boxes, wedge ramps. It might be one of the best parks I've been to, too, I could skate it forever. Plus, it's the closest park to my house. I was practicing my mini ramp skills and I thought about what I had just learned: no matter how many times I hear that God hangs the Earth on nothing, it is no less incredible every time! And just like I go to the same skatepark, I still learn new tricks all the time and it is well-rounded for any skater, really. The same with God's majesty; we can think about it and get bored or just overlook it, or we can really embrace it and just stare in awe at it. Like a little child seeing fireworks for the first time, or a sea turtle.

The Gospel of Mark

I'm back at Purdue to help with some coffee shop stuff. It's coming along nicely, they did a lot of work in the week I was gone! I'm in a computer lab and just saw my friend Ashley Isenberg, and then I got a call from a mysterious 231 area code that two or three times called and didn't leave a message. I picked it up, and it was Spring Hill Camps, telling me that they are understaffed, and need counselors for the summer. I told the guy I didn't know what my availability was, if at all, but that I was semi-interested and told him to put me down as a "yes" so I could get more details about it.

I woke up this morning and read Mark 3-4. I'm trying to better understand why Jesus did the things He did--like how He went about doing things and saying things. There are a couple times in the Gospels when I'm like.... "What? Why did He do that..." But today, I was just flat out flabergasted. In Mark 4:10-12, Jesus tells why He uses stories to speak to the people. Jesus says to the Apostles in verse 11, "You can know the secret about the Kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories so that: 'They will look and look, but they will not learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be forgiven.'"

The Scripture Jesus is quoting is from Isaiah 6:9-10. I read this passage after reading the quotation in Mark 4. I still do not understand it. I just don't get it. Jesus is basically saying--it would seem--that He speaks in stories so that people will not understand. WHAT? Is this the God that came down to save us? He knows that He is speaking in stories on purpose. This doesn't call my faith into question; it actually makes me love Jesus even more, in light of Isaiah 55:8-9. I want to get a hold on this, if it's possible. Maybe it has something to do with what Jesus said earlier in Mark 2:17, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners."

I don't know. If you have any thoughts at all, please share them with me. I'm trying to get a grasp on how Jesus lived so that I can have a more eternal, Godly perspective on things that happen in my life.

the Train

So I came up to Purdue, and I saw this train resting on a bridge between Lafayette and West Lafayette. I parked my car, battled through dense foliage, and arrived smack in front of the train! The video at the bottom is a documentation of my adventure. I saw some sweet bops (bird-of-prey, for the lay person), and had a good ol' time just running around. I'm having a great time at Purdue seeing some very dear friends, talking, playing guitar, writing a song on piano that I can't wait to record, and I'm about to go get some boba, or bubble, tea. Thank God, life is very good!

Oh, and the song in the background is a song that I wrote this past week, it's called Malachi, and it's about the book Malachi in the Bible--I was inspired to write it after I read it this past weekend.

Nature and the Church

I went to Eagle Creek Park after dinner tonight, just wanted to get out in nature, use my annual pass that I bought, and get away from what man has made to just spend time marveling at God's creations. I saw the most beautiful flower there, definitely my favorite that I've ever seen. And I heard a bird's call that totally surprised me: it was high-pitched and then immediately low. It was really cool. I saw a woodpecker too (the last time I was there I saw a 2 foot tall woodpecker! It was crazy to see!), and it was banging on trees--fun to watch.

I was looking at the grass all around me, and all the ponds that were flooded, the picnic tables that were submerged that left pond scum on all the grass from the water's gradual recession. Then I began to look at how water, a liquid, was rolling over some of the logs nearby. It's so mind blowing how solids, liquids, gases interact on a daily basis with one another. I love looking at the coast, and where lakes are, because there are two, even three states of matter interacting all at once, but each keeps the energy that they have. The water doesn't transfer its higher energy to the land and make the land like water. Fascinating!

And as I was sitting there, I felt God teaching me through His creation. I was looking at the grass, and the trees, and the branches overhanging the water, and just how beautiful it was. Then I started thinking that nature is the same everywhere; it's like God just created a template for what it would generally look like, a system that would govern it all. I've been thinking about different churches, with my graduation coming near and all, and just wondering if I would fit into one. So then I felt ministered to that churches all across the world are like nature. There's the same basic principles and ideas that govern them, but they're all arranged differently and some are in different climates, etc. Just like different areas of forest are all different--like where the trees are planted, how their branches stretch, the grass that grows around them, etc.--but they all have the same wind blow on them, the same Holy Spirit is at each church and moves according to what God wants. God is the best Gardner I know, He plants the best seeds and knows just when to prune his vines so that they produce the most fruit. And all of nature is beautiful, no matter how it's arranged, because it all has the same essence--just like the churches of the world that form THE CHURCH.

Now, I'm not saying that churches aren't flawed, full of broken people who can mess up perfection, but isn't it wonderful to be able to trust our brothers and sisters everywhere because they have the same Spirit as we do! And God reminded me that no matter where I go in life, He will always be there. Not to mention I went back to where the red-wing'd black birds were and just listened to them.

The Birds and the... Trees

I went on an adventure a week or so ago and discovered my new favorite bird: the red-wing'd black bird. I took some videos of it and have been memorizing its calls so I can know when it's around. It's standard equipped with a very distinct call, so I can acknowledge it quite easily. I've been to a few different skateparks within the last week, and I've heard the bird everywhere I go. I was at the new Noblesville skate park, and I heard a few red-wing'd black birds just trilling it up; it was great! It's a small way of reminding me that God is, in fact, everywhere I go--whether or not I recognize Him. It's been a good reminder as of late.

I sometimes find it hard to understand God's presence. I feel like when God enters a room fireworks should start going on, and trumpets should blast, and confetti should stream from my mouth, and there should be a delicious cake (preferably funfetti), and many other festivious things going on to announce the arrival of our great and glorious King! But alas, these things don't happen, that I'm aware of. I wonder how such a majestic and mighty presence can be so easily forfeited, all because my radar isn't tuned in to the right frequency. I want to know if Jesus shows up, wherever He is that I am too. I'm trying to figure this one out; but maybe there's nothing to figure out. I'm reaching, digging, surveying, preparing, latching, loosing, straightening, mustering, conceding, and grabbing all that I can--that I'm aware of.

I suppose I "expect" those things because that's how I would welcome a great ruler. I know that He doesn't need anything: not us, not possessions, not angels, not demons, nothing. But He freely gives to all that ask. I'm not sure that I'm entirely going to start asking for the fourth of july in my bedroom, but I wouldn't put it past me.

Here's a short video of me and my friend Steve Hill skating at the new Noblesville park (me: f/s noseslide shuv-out; steve: kickflip f/s board to wheelie stall; me: fakie f/s big spin). Steve's a great guy, and he's not a bad skateboarder either.

Word Game

I was in Chick-Fil-A the other day and I was looking at a poster of their Ice Dream desert treat. I was reading all of these descriptive adjectives like "delicious," "tasty," "satisfying," (okay that last one was a joke) and how I thought that it would alter my previous thinking about it. And I decided that, well, if someone wants an ice cream cone while they're at Chick-Fil-A, they're going to get one whether or not they see the sign that says they are delicious. And would a restaurant advertise something that was pungent or uncouthly produced? The safe answer is: probably not, at least they wouldn't describe it that way to prospective clients.

So I started playing mad lib with the advertisement. And I thought, what if each of those food-related terms were replaced with something completely odd. "Yes, I'd like a comfortable Chick-Fil-A sandwich with a side of muscular waffle fries, a moral--yet homely-- Coca-Cola Classic to drink, and a medium, baggy shake." It's my pleasure...

Turtles Schmurtles

Today I went to Eagle Creek Park to spend some quality time with God. I took a trail I've never been on before and headed out with my Bible and a bottle of water. I really wish I would have brought my camera to capture some of the things I saw, but I'm sure they'll still be there in a few days or a week. I was finishing up my quiet time and decided to go ahead further on the trail I was on. So I went and I was taken to a small strip of land that was surrounded by the resevoir on both sides, and people were fishing there. I told God that it would be really sweet if I could see a turtle, because I really like their shells and how they are like a living tank, kind of. I saw some ducks on the way, too. I like them very much, because they're the all-terrain animal: land, air, and water. They're living boats!

So as I was walking, I was stopped suddenly in my tracks by the shrill call of a red-winged blackbird. I have never been so close to one, only five feet away from it perched in a tree. It ruffled its feathers and screamed at me, as if it were nature's fire alarm. I was awe-struck because I loved the contrast of the straight black feathers and the adornment of the red splotch on each wing, undercut by a small stripe of yellow. It was very beautiful. Then it flew away and I followed it for awhile until I lost it.

I was walking back to my car, and I saw two birds "flirting" in the air just to my left. They looked like buzzing, birding flames of energy and immediately captured my attention. They both stopped and perched, and what I saw was a dark counterpart soufflé'd with historically vibrant, electric, deep orange. It resembled the form of a swallow, but with most of the coloring of an oriole or american redstart. Truth-be-told, it reminded me of a descendant of a phoenix, because it just had a glowing presence. 

Needless to say, I never saw a turtle today. But what I saw was much, much better. It really blew me away: how magnificent the animal world is, and fascinating to boot! It reminded me, too, that the things I ask God for usually are temporary and subject to my limited expectations. But the things that God has in store are much greater than I could ever imagine, and in this case, were subject only to the marvelous beauty of His creation.