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!