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.