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.

Skate and Create

Today I had a really good skateboarding day. I went to Major Taylor (from the photo) and had a good ol' time with some of the guys who were there. I've been thinking about why skateboarding is so fun. For one, it's physical activity that gets your heart pumping, and I get really involved in it both mentally and physically. It's a great cardiovascular workout, but it is a high impact workout. Secondly, in all things we can praise God.

I'm really thankful for the two limber legs that God has given me, and the arms as well. I'm thankful that God keeps my heart beating at all times so I can live. And that I'm blessed to have the resources available to me to own a skateboard and make adjustments to my equipment ever so often. In all these ways and more I am blessed greatly. 

When Christ died, the veil in the Temple tore, opening up the Holy of Holies to every believer--and that means that we are all priests who should be offering spiritual sacrifices up to God. Romans 12: 1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing, to God." Skateboarding is a spiritual act from me to the Lord; it's an acknowledgment of His blessings and my love for them. In the Old Testament, sacrifices were offered on altars; when I go skate, the skateboard is the altar where I place my sacrifices and offerings. I work really hard to perfect my tricks so that I can offer perfect gifts to God. At the end of 2 Kings, King David asks to buy a threshing floor from one of his people, and the man offers to give it to him for free. Then David says, basically, that no, he will buy it because he doesn't want to offer to God anything that doesn't cost him something. 

I fall a lot when I skateboard, and I get back up, generally, and keep trying until I land the trick. I really rejoice when I land a trick perfect, and I give all the glory to God for it, because He gave me this day to live and to use to love in many ways. Today, I was trying two tricks over and over again: fakie frontside big spin and a backside heel. I can land them flatground pretty easily, but I was working on increasing my velocity on each trick and launching off of a kicker ramp, which takes a good deal of adjustment. I tried both around fifteen or twenty times, and then I finally landed each of them. Perfectly. I was so pleased with my hard work, that I was able to offer that time and my efforts to giving Jesus an acceptable and perfect display of my love, a pleasing sacrifice. 

It's so much fun to get going really fast, then spin and flip the board, and land perfectly. So. Much. Fun. Honestly, I wish everyone could experience it, but I'm glad not everyone can because it means more to me, and God. 

Here's a recent video of me and some friends skateboarding. They all go to Purdue with me, and we're all pretty close. That makes these types of things a lot more fun. Another great thing is that most of them are Christians, so we connect in that way as well. The music is the Godzilla Main Title, from 1954.

Chasing Heaven

This is my synopsis of the Lakeland Revival that I visited with my four friends: Steve, Matt (Michael), Geoff, and Ben. We were gone for about a week, and the trip was paid for by many individuals from the Upper Room Ministry; thanks! Long story short, there were a lot of people healed--and I mean a lot. I didn't know about a lot of the things going on, but that's alright, it was really wonderful and an entirely good thing. The video below is a collection of shots and thoughts throughout the trip. Some of my thoughts have changed, and some of them have stayed the same. I don't have any reserves about what was going on in Florida when we were there, I support it completely, and great things are happening through humble men of God.

Losing Her to Texas

I have one final left for the semester, and it's tomorrow afternoon. I wanted to make a post for my last day with Christy. Here are some pics from our recent adventures: at Horticulture Park at Purdue and Shades of Death State Park. The video is from Shades of Death State Park. The picture of the flowers here is a Dogwood Tree, it's my new favorite tree. And the blue flowers smelled like Fruit Loops!