" We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
-Romans 15: 1-3
Two blog posts in a day?! What is going on?
If you know much about me, you know that I am a pretty simple person. Some things are just the way they are because that's how they have always been and that's ok with me. I don't need to know the answer to everything. Some may call that naive, but it certainly keeps my life quite a bit more stress free.
For instance, I enjoy the stars for their beauty. I don't need nor do I care to know why they look the way they do, how far away they are or if there is life on them. I think they are beautiful and that serves my purpose just fine. I can enjoy a sunset for no other reason than that is the only time I will ever see a sunset exactly like that ever again. I enjoy watching people interact with each other because human nature is an interesting thing to view.
There are certain, little things that offer so much feeling that we hardly think about it because our lives are too complicated and fast moving. Like a wave from a neighbor.
How many people still wave to their neighbors? Probably far fewer than those that do. For those that do, I commend you. A wave is a simple gesture. A quick flick of the wrist or tilt of the hat brim is all that is needed to acknowledge another persons presence around you. The implications root themselves far deeper than most people consider when thinking how insignificant a passing wave can be.
I think about this question a lot, believe it or not. I work at a private golf club, as many now know, and the members of our club expect the utmost customer service when they are approached by staff. They like to be greeted by name, asked how their morning workout was, how their last round of golf went when the wind was howling from the west. It sounds snobby, but in the essence of life, we all just want to have someone show appreciation in our lives. Taking a few seconds to acknowledge that the zombie walking past you actually still has a pulse. At the end of the day, you wouldn't mind being a little snobby if someone took an interest in your life occasionally too.
The level of neighborliness that we show our members must, then transfer into our driving. A simple wave as we drive by, regardless of knowing that person specifically, is a great way to brighten their day. And as the person who normally initiates the wave, I become upset when the person I am gesturing to fails to acknowledge my acknowledgement of their existence. I feel betrayed.
I have two neighbors in my barrio, specifically, that I know always wave when you drive by. When I see them out walking or in their yard, I keep my eyes trained on them so that I don't miss the opportunity to wave back. Because, heaven forbid, I miss the wave back and they feel bitterness for initiating a wave that wasn't returned. But, more so than that, I enjoy the feeling of the wave. I have thought on numerous occasions of going out of my way to engage in more serious conversation with these two individuals all because they have forged a greater connection through a simple gesture.
Think about it. How hard is it to wave? When was the last time you waved at a neighbor? When was the last time you even thought about waving to a neighbor? Try it. It might catch on.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Count your Blessings
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
-Colossians 3:15
Sometimes it's just nice to count your blessings. Too often we ask God to help us with problems and issues and we forget to thank him for everything He has given us. I challenge you to write down your blessings and then send a thank you prayer skyward. If you are a blogger, tag me and let me see your own list of blessings.
I am thankful for:
-My wonderful loving girlfriend.
-My incredibly supportive family.
-My brother, who has just started his fifth season fighting wildland fires.
-Having a job that is fun, engaging and stressful at times.
-A hopeful future.
-My health.
-The warm spring sun.
-My volunteer team at the upcoming LCMS National Youth Gathering in San Antonio.
-My talents and abilities.
-A savior who loves me.
-Colossians 3:15
Sometimes it's just nice to count your blessings. Too often we ask God to help us with problems and issues and we forget to thank him for everything He has given us. I challenge you to write down your blessings and then send a thank you prayer skyward. If you are a blogger, tag me and let me see your own list of blessings.
I am thankful for:
-My wonderful loving girlfriend.
-My incredibly supportive family.
-My brother, who has just started his fifth season fighting wildland fires.
-Having a job that is fun, engaging and stressful at times.
-A hopeful future.
-My health.
-The warm spring sun.
-My volunteer team at the upcoming LCMS National Youth Gathering in San Antonio.
-My talents and abilities.
-A savior who loves me.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
A Growing Community
"1 Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right."
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right."
-Psalm 106: 1-3
I have been given a great opportunity lately and through the whole process, the glory of God and his work in people is very evident.
I am going to share the story of meeting Dennis Gable for the first time and I hope he doesn't mind me saying all of this.
As many of you know, I am a photographer. I am kind of in a transition period of not necessarily wanting to promote myself too much before moving but wanting to continue to do some jobs and drum up work. One of my pushes to drum up work was getting a hold of this brand new growing community called Get Local AZ. The foundation of this community is to support local business, but you'll see the vision of the founder is quite a bit more spiritual.
I contacted them through their website about a month or so ago about becoming a provider for the community. That would entail buying into the group, receiving some "discount cards" and reselling those to clients as a way to both promote my business and give my customers a discount on their services with me as well as every other business in the community. The problem lies in the fact that I would be the only provider in Northern Arizona. Trying to sell a card for $20 that gives you discounts to businesses that you aren't located by is like trying to sell a tornado shelter to someone in California.
However, Dennis, who is a co-founder, mentioned that they will be looking for an intern to help grow this community in the north land. Well, I am perfect for this. I know business owners, I am a Flagstaff local, I have connections. Plus, if i promote and grow the community in Flagstaff, that will help me sell my cards more quickly. I'm in.
Dennis and I conversed a bit over email the next couple weeks and then he said that they would be traveling up to Flagstaff and would like to meet. Perfect.
I already knew that Dennis was connected to YoungLife and I knew that some of my friends had heard of him and were actually led by him when they were in high school. I knew that he was a Christ follower and that made this meeting much more than just a business lunch.
Dennis and his partner at Get Local AZ, Danny are both incredible guys. They have a passion for this because it's about more than just supporting the local business community. They want to see this community become an evangelistic tool for Arizona. Just as in Jesus' time, people had to rely on other believers for food, shelter, necessities that they couldn't get from those persecuting them. The vision behind this Get Local AZ community is to become the support network for people needing services. It is the modern version of the historical foundation. I think that is pretty cool. And something that I would support even if I didn't have a business interest in it.
If you live in Arizona and would like to get more information about Get Local AZ, purchase a discount card, or become a provider, write me a comment on here and I will be sure to connect you to the right people!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
My Past Weak
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will
snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and
the Father are one.” John 10:28-30
This blog is a long time coming (at least a few days). I have recently started back full time at Forest Highlands Golf Club (FH). A private, seasonal community of two top golf courses in the state and nation. I work as a Recreation Supervisor in a recreation department that oversees every recreational activitiy for every age group as well as two pools, four parks, a fitness center and classes and a poolside snack bar amongst a plethora of other small things. Because of our seasonal nature, we gear up for a chaotic few summer months during this time of the year. I have been doing this work for seven of the last eight years of my life and mostly enjoy it. I also am a youth leader at Peace Lutheran Church as another part time gig that I have been doing for the past four years.
As a part time youth leader that is year round, I only work 10-15 hours per week. When I started back full time at FH, my hours per week went from 10-15 to 50-55 over seven days per week. Needless to say, it is taking some getting used to again. Hence, the lack of blog posting this past week despite a huge amount of things to write about.
I decided that instead of writing separately about each event that happened this week, I would try to sum it all up in a general posting about my thoughts.
Cassie alerted me to the Boston bombings on Monday soon after they began reporting and I have been glued to the TV all week. When the fertilizer plant in Texas exploded, that added to my perceived necessity to stay in contact with all breaking news every moment of every day. I could say that it is not good for us, as humans, to stay so connected to all forms of media when bad things (or good, for that matter) occur in our world. But, I'm not going to say that because I truly believe the opposite.
We witnessed a brand new form of crime fighting this week. We saw "crowd fighting." (I am trademarking that phrase, so don't try to steal it *wink*) What do I mean by that? I mean we saw people come together through photos, videos, twitter, facebook, etc. to stop those individuals who are to blame for so much destruction this week. It was similar to crowd sourcing or crowd funding in that people, mostly unknown to each other, come together to help promote or fund a cause. The police used the public and the availability of cameras in phones, video, tweets, and social media to track down the suspects.
It seemed like a brand new way of crime fighting that I have never seen before. Sure, police have used the public's help in the past, but certainly not to the extent that we saw last week.
We realized that despite the evil of a few individuals, human nature is still inherently good. Through tragedy, we see the resiliency and love for our fellow man rise to the top of all other emotion.
President Obama stated this week in his address after the capture of the remaining suspect, "The world has witnessed one sure and steadfast truth: Americans refuse to be terrorized." And I would like to broaden that to "Humans refuse to be terrorized."
I obviously chose this quote because of Obama's use of "Sure and Steadfast" and the relation to my blog. It rings just as much truth in his quote as it does in the bible. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast." Hebrews 6:19
Those words mean that this truth, this hope that we have is unwavering, will be there forever, cannot be shaken. And we can debate the words of Obama, we cannot debate the words of God and the hope he has given us. That hope is exactly why we can still believe in the good in every human people being more powerful and resilient than a few of God's children choosing the wrong path.
This blog is a long time coming (at least a few days). I have recently started back full time at Forest Highlands Golf Club (FH). A private, seasonal community of two top golf courses in the state and nation. I work as a Recreation Supervisor in a recreation department that oversees every recreational activitiy for every age group as well as two pools, four parks, a fitness center and classes and a poolside snack bar amongst a plethora of other small things. Because of our seasonal nature, we gear up for a chaotic few summer months during this time of the year. I have been doing this work for seven of the last eight years of my life and mostly enjoy it. I also am a youth leader at Peace Lutheran Church as another part time gig that I have been doing for the past four years.
As a part time youth leader that is year round, I only work 10-15 hours per week. When I started back full time at FH, my hours per week went from 10-15 to 50-55 over seven days per week. Needless to say, it is taking some getting used to again. Hence, the lack of blog posting this past week despite a huge amount of things to write about.
I decided that instead of writing separately about each event that happened this week, I would try to sum it all up in a general posting about my thoughts.
Cassie alerted me to the Boston bombings on Monday soon after they began reporting and I have been glued to the TV all week. When the fertilizer plant in Texas exploded, that added to my perceived necessity to stay in contact with all breaking news every moment of every day. I could say that it is not good for us, as humans, to stay so connected to all forms of media when bad things (or good, for that matter) occur in our world. But, I'm not going to say that because I truly believe the opposite.
We witnessed a brand new form of crime fighting this week. We saw "crowd fighting." (I am trademarking that phrase, so don't try to steal it *wink*) What do I mean by that? I mean we saw people come together through photos, videos, twitter, facebook, etc. to stop those individuals who are to blame for so much destruction this week. It was similar to crowd sourcing or crowd funding in that people, mostly unknown to each other, come together to help promote or fund a cause. The police used the public and the availability of cameras in phones, video, tweets, and social media to track down the suspects.
It seemed like a brand new way of crime fighting that I have never seen before. Sure, police have used the public's help in the past, but certainly not to the extent that we saw last week.
We realized that despite the evil of a few individuals, human nature is still inherently good. Through tragedy, we see the resiliency and love for our fellow man rise to the top of all other emotion.
President Obama stated this week in his address after the capture of the remaining suspect, "The world has witnessed one sure and steadfast truth: Americans refuse to be terrorized." And I would like to broaden that to "Humans refuse to be terrorized."
I obviously chose this quote because of Obama's use of "Sure and Steadfast" and the relation to my blog. It rings just as much truth in his quote as it does in the bible. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast." Hebrews 6:19
Those words mean that this truth, this hope that we have is unwavering, will be there forever, cannot be shaken. And we can debate the words of Obama, we cannot debate the words of God and the hope he has given us. That hope is exactly why we can still believe in the good in every human people being more powerful and resilient than a few of God's children choosing the wrong path.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Boston
"21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
- 1 Corinthians 12: 21-27
What can I say that hasn't already been said about the Boston tragedy?
Not a lot.
I can say that the Boston marathon is one of the largest marathons in the world and you don't need to be a runner to have known someone affected by the events today. I had friends and acquaintances and fellow Flagstaffians running and cheering and my heart goes out to them. They are all safe, but to experience such a terrible tragedy will stick with them the rest of their lives.
We are the body of Christ and when one part suffers, every part suffers with it. We are all suffering together and it is these times when we are truly one body.
I pray for the families, runners, friends, children, medical workers, and anyone else in Boston who are now on the path of recovery, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. I pray for the individual(s) who committed this chaos. I pray that they find peace and judgement. I pray for healing. Amen.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Earth and All Stars
"3He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit."
- Psalm 147: 3-5
There are a few things in my life that make me truly understand the greater power of our Lord. Most of them are seen in nature and most are usually too awesome to explain in words. Two of those things are similar. The sunrise and the sunset. Although, the sunrise has more powerful emotions behind it as the dawning of a new day has spiritual and biblical connotations that the sunset sometimes lacks.
Another example, and the one I am going to talk about further, is the night sky.
God created the sky and evening on the second day. Two days later, God made lights to separate day and night and created the stars. (Genesis 1:16) He is so great even, that we cannot fathom the number of stars and yet, He knows them by name as the verse of the day reads at the top of the post.
To me, the stars stand as one of the greatest displays of God's awesome power. To me, he created the stars only as something gorgeous and mesmerizing to look at. They hardly ever change, besides their nightly and yearly rotation, and yet, they are always fascinating and new. The universe, the Milky Way, planets, worm holes, black holes, supernovas, what ever the astronomical event, it is amazing and divinely created.
Wednesday was a new moon night, which for a photographer is the ultimate time to go out and photograph the stars as there is no sky light to interrupt the multitude of stars. Unfortunately, there were some storms rolling through and it wasn't an ideal night to photograph. However, as per usual, the moon takes roughly 15 days to build back to full and there are still a couple of days in which star viewing is possible without light interruption. I took my chance, despite evening clouds and daytime breezes and went out to Lake Mary to see what I could see.
I have been blessed to grow up in a city renowned for it's dark skies. In general, Northern Arizona and Southern Utah have some of the clearest, darkest skies in the country. More specifically, Flagstaff is the world's first International Dark Sky City. Only three other cities in the world have the same designation. Lowell Observatory, located in Flagstaff, discovered Pluto back in 1930 by a gentleman named Clyde Tombaugh. Lowell is also known for a few other discoveries despite it's small notoriety.
Unfortunately our eyes are not sensitive enough to capture all the light that is available in the night sky even when there is no moon out. Fortunately, new cameras do have the capability with the right equipment. And on one of those clear moonless nights, a camera can capture all the majesty that God has placed in the Heavens for us to enjoy.
P.S. You just had a Bible, Geography, History, Anatomy and Philosophy lesson rolled into one. Who said the internet is bad for you.
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit."
- Psalm 147: 3-5
There are a few things in my life that make me truly understand the greater power of our Lord. Most of them are seen in nature and most are usually too awesome to explain in words. Two of those things are similar. The sunrise and the sunset. Although, the sunrise has more powerful emotions behind it as the dawning of a new day has spiritual and biblical connotations that the sunset sometimes lacks.
Another example, and the one I am going to talk about further, is the night sky.
God created the sky and evening on the second day. Two days later, God made lights to separate day and night and created the stars. (Genesis 1:16) He is so great even, that we cannot fathom the number of stars and yet, He knows them by name as the verse of the day reads at the top of the post.
To me, the stars stand as one of the greatest displays of God's awesome power. To me, he created the stars only as something gorgeous and mesmerizing to look at. They hardly ever change, besides their nightly and yearly rotation, and yet, they are always fascinating and new. The universe, the Milky Way, planets, worm holes, black holes, supernovas, what ever the astronomical event, it is amazing and divinely created.
Wednesday was a new moon night, which for a photographer is the ultimate time to go out and photograph the stars as there is no sky light to interrupt the multitude of stars. Unfortunately, there were some storms rolling through and it wasn't an ideal night to photograph. However, as per usual, the moon takes roughly 15 days to build back to full and there are still a couple of days in which star viewing is possible without light interruption. I took my chance, despite evening clouds and daytime breezes and went out to Lake Mary to see what I could see.
I have been blessed to grow up in a city renowned for it's dark skies. In general, Northern Arizona and Southern Utah have some of the clearest, darkest skies in the country. More specifically, Flagstaff is the world's first International Dark Sky City. Only three other cities in the world have the same designation. Lowell Observatory, located in Flagstaff, discovered Pluto back in 1930 by a gentleman named Clyde Tombaugh. Lowell is also known for a few other discoveries despite it's small notoriety.
Unfortunately our eyes are not sensitive enough to capture all the light that is available in the night sky even when there is no moon out. Fortunately, new cameras do have the capability with the right equipment. And on one of those clear moonless nights, a camera can capture all the majesty that God has placed in the Heavens for us to enjoy.
P.S. You just had a Bible, Geography, History, Anatomy and Philosophy lesson rolled into one. Who said the internet is bad for you.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Just Love
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13
As I said yesterday, my prayer was that God would guide the discussions that get posted to this blog. And once again, despite working for 11 hours today, God placed another topic on my heart.
I have discussed Christianity a lot lately. I don't mean the Christianity of who Jesus was or what denomination I am. I mean the Christianity of Christians. You know, the people who are Christian. Too often do we get caught up in things so unworthy of our calling, that we lose sight of why we are Christians in the first place.
The beginning of this topic stems from a lot of conversations lately about what makes a Christian. Is it their tithing? Is it how many souls are saved? Is it believing gay marriage or abortion is bad? Probably not. In fact, definitely not. Too often do people judge me when I tell them I am a follower of Christ. Assumptions of conservatism, craziness, and, ironically, judgmentalism pop into their minds. Who is really being judgmental here?
I am not who you think I am. I have tattoos. I have piercings. I like saving the environment and don't mind sitting in church next to someone openly gay. The point is, I don't care what decisions you have made in your life. God created us ALL in His image. Not just me and my family or those at my church or those at the church next door even though we don't worship together. Not even just Christians around the world or only those persecuted. He created Muslims, Buddhists, gays, black, white, Latinos, disabled, athletic, overweight, blind, and all the others In. His. Image. Period.
So, if you are a human. I don't mind you. I will pray for you. If you are a God fearing, bible reading, knee praying, Christ follower, I will pray with you. And if you haven't found Jesus yet, that's ok, cause I still love and pray for you.
Don't judge me. And don't judge others for their differences. When did we lose sight of the greatest commandment? Love. That's all He wants. He wants us to love Him and love one another. It's not our right or our place to judge others for their appearance, baggage, or present circumstances. Life has a way of sorting these kinds of things out and I don't want to be at the front claiming to know how.
As I said yesterday, my prayer was that God would guide the discussions that get posted to this blog. And once again, despite working for 11 hours today, God placed another topic on my heart.
I have discussed Christianity a lot lately. I don't mean the Christianity of who Jesus was or what denomination I am. I mean the Christianity of Christians. You know, the people who are Christian. Too often do we get caught up in things so unworthy of our calling, that we lose sight of why we are Christians in the first place.
The beginning of this topic stems from a lot of conversations lately about what makes a Christian. Is it their tithing? Is it how many souls are saved? Is it believing gay marriage or abortion is bad? Probably not. In fact, definitely not. Too often do people judge me when I tell them I am a follower of Christ. Assumptions of conservatism, craziness, and, ironically, judgmentalism pop into their minds. Who is really being judgmental here?
I am not who you think I am. I have tattoos. I have piercings. I like saving the environment and don't mind sitting in church next to someone openly gay. The point is, I don't care what decisions you have made in your life. God created us ALL in His image. Not just me and my family or those at my church or those at the church next door even though we don't worship together. Not even just Christians around the world or only those persecuted. He created Muslims, Buddhists, gays, black, white, Latinos, disabled, athletic, overweight, blind, and all the others In. His. Image. Period.
So, if you are a human. I don't mind you. I will pray for you. If you are a God fearing, bible reading, knee praying, Christ follower, I will pray with you. And if you haven't found Jesus yet, that's ok, cause I still love and pray for you.
Don't judge me. And don't judge others for their differences. When did we lose sight of the greatest commandment? Love. That's all He wants. He wants us to love Him and love one another. It's not our right or our place to judge others for their appearance, baggage, or present circumstances. Life has a way of sorting these kinds of things out and I don't want to be at the front claiming to know how.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Visual Witness
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
- Isaiah 53:5-6
Welp... It's Monday again. And to add to the start of the week, it dropped 20 degrees over yesterday and snowed. The good news is. I survived. Mondays don't necessarily feel like Mondays to me anymore as I am not in school and have two days off work, not in a row that don't occur on the weekend. The only reason that I truly know it is a Monday is because I went to church yesterday and generally Mondays follow Sundays. Go figure.
I decided that when I started this blog I would let God guide the discussions that I post. Mostly I would allow any ideas that popped into my head to be thrown up onto the screen for all to read. But apparently I haven't taken my ipecac today. So, just as any Christian blogger may do, when inspiration fails, reach for your bible.
I read today's daily verse from my bible app, which is written at the top of the post, and it reminded me of something mostly different from everything in that verse. Tattoos.
I am a believer in tattoos. I think they are true art and can have incredible meaning and witnessing principles. Now, before anyone starts condemning me for marking my body. Hear me out. In Ezekiel; Ezekiel 34 to be exact, the bible talks of God as the shepherd of His people. He rebukes the leaders of the church saying. "You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally." He calls those leaders the "shepherds of Israel." They are the leaders, the spiritual leaders of the Jews and they have done a terrible job having any kind of compassion for their flock or passion in their profession. He says that He will "remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them."
The chapter continues and talks of how God will become that shepherd needed by His people. He will tend the flock, guide them and leave the flock to find any and all lost sheep and return them to the flock. He will judge the sheep and lead them to rich pastures.
I think that is a beautiful portrayal of how God is to be viewed. We are humans. Because we are humans, we make mistakes; we are sinful. We are not perfect. And because of that, even God's chosen people were being led by shepherds that did not have their best interest in mind. But, God never gives up on us, even the one sheep that strays from the flock. He will personally go out and find that sheep and return it to the flock. He has our best interest in mind and will lead us to the best pasture.
I want to get that beautiful portrayal of God shepherding his flock as a tattoo. I want a whole arm sleeve dedicated to this chapter and God's continual shepherding of His flock. I want to have comfort in knowing that God will never leave and I need continual reminders of that fact. We all do.
However, many of you might quote the most common verse against tattooing in the bible; Leviticus 19:28, which states, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." This is a controversial topic as some people believe this verse as infallible truth. We are not to get tattoos or mark our bodies. I am not one to tell you that you shouldn't follow this because as long as you love God and believe in your heart that what you are doing is the right thing and in God's plan, I have no ill to speak on you.
The context of the verse is early in the historical narrative of the bible. Moses and the Israelites are defining the new kingdom of God on earth in Israel. Because this is God's chosen land and God's chosen people, He wants it to be pure and He wants it to be unblemished. For that reason, Leviticus can be defined as a book of holiness. It is full of instructions to follow in order to be an individual in the community of Israel under God's protection. Moses tells the Israelites in the verse stated above that God didn't want them to be like the pagans who would cut and mark their bodies as a way to gain attention from their deity's. He wanted them to be more pure and righteous than the pagans.
However, in our day and age, tattoos are not meant to only be religious in nature. They have gone from a purely paganistic ritual to expressions of each unique individual. People get them for every reason from just wanting one to see what it's like to cultural rituals in which the individual getting the tattoo uses the art as a shield from animal spirits taking over their bodies and actions. Check out the powerful video of this occuring here.
In my mind, I use tattoos as a part of who I am as a person. I depict important aspects of my core being. God being at the center. I have four tattoos at the moment, all depicting important puzzle pieces of my life that have shaped who I am as a person. Two of them are Christ centered and I intend for them to be witnessing tools as well as reminders to myself of the love God has shown and the reminder of his unfailing support of my life. Tattoos are generally not seen as a christian undertaking, albeit the stigma is slowly changing, and the people mostly drawn to tattooing their bodies are unchurched. If I can reach one of those people on their level because they are attracted to my tattoos, it opens the door to talking about my beliefs and my love for Jesus. Something that God calls us to do; be disciples.
Tattoos aren't for everyone and some people may not think they are pure because of God's instruction and that's OK, because God will certainly use you in a different way to reach people that my tattoos can't. That's what makes us unique and even more clearly defines the unique traits God has placed inside each of us.
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
- Isaiah 53:5-6
Welp... It's Monday again. And to add to the start of the week, it dropped 20 degrees over yesterday and snowed. The good news is. I survived. Mondays don't necessarily feel like Mondays to me anymore as I am not in school and have two days off work, not in a row that don't occur on the weekend. The only reason that I truly know it is a Monday is because I went to church yesterday and generally Mondays follow Sundays. Go figure.
I decided that when I started this blog I would let God guide the discussions that I post. Mostly I would allow any ideas that popped into my head to be thrown up onto the screen for all to read. But apparently I haven't taken my ipecac today. So, just as any Christian blogger may do, when inspiration fails, reach for your bible.
I read today's daily verse from my bible app, which is written at the top of the post, and it reminded me of something mostly different from everything in that verse. Tattoos.
I am a believer in tattoos. I think they are true art and can have incredible meaning and witnessing principles. Now, before anyone starts condemning me for marking my body. Hear me out. In Ezekiel; Ezekiel 34 to be exact, the bible talks of God as the shepherd of His people. He rebukes the leaders of the church saying. "You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally." He calls those leaders the "shepherds of Israel." They are the leaders, the spiritual leaders of the Jews and they have done a terrible job having any kind of compassion for their flock or passion in their profession. He says that He will "remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them."
The chapter continues and talks of how God will become that shepherd needed by His people. He will tend the flock, guide them and leave the flock to find any and all lost sheep and return them to the flock. He will judge the sheep and lead them to rich pastures.
I think that is a beautiful portrayal of how God is to be viewed. We are humans. Because we are humans, we make mistakes; we are sinful. We are not perfect. And because of that, even God's chosen people were being led by shepherds that did not have their best interest in mind. But, God never gives up on us, even the one sheep that strays from the flock. He will personally go out and find that sheep and return it to the flock. He has our best interest in mind and will lead us to the best pasture.
I want to get that beautiful portrayal of God shepherding his flock as a tattoo. I want a whole arm sleeve dedicated to this chapter and God's continual shepherding of His flock. I want to have comfort in knowing that God will never leave and I need continual reminders of that fact. We all do.
However, many of you might quote the most common verse against tattooing in the bible; Leviticus 19:28, which states, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." This is a controversial topic as some people believe this verse as infallible truth. We are not to get tattoos or mark our bodies. I am not one to tell you that you shouldn't follow this because as long as you love God and believe in your heart that what you are doing is the right thing and in God's plan, I have no ill to speak on you.
The context of the verse is early in the historical narrative of the bible. Moses and the Israelites are defining the new kingdom of God on earth in Israel. Because this is God's chosen land and God's chosen people, He wants it to be pure and He wants it to be unblemished. For that reason, Leviticus can be defined as a book of holiness. It is full of instructions to follow in order to be an individual in the community of Israel under God's protection. Moses tells the Israelites in the verse stated above that God didn't want them to be like the pagans who would cut and mark their bodies as a way to gain attention from their deity's. He wanted them to be more pure and righteous than the pagans.
However, in our day and age, tattoos are not meant to only be religious in nature. They have gone from a purely paganistic ritual to expressions of each unique individual. People get them for every reason from just wanting one to see what it's like to cultural rituals in which the individual getting the tattoo uses the art as a shield from animal spirits taking over their bodies and actions. Check out the powerful video of this occuring here.
In my mind, I use tattoos as a part of who I am as a person. I depict important aspects of my core being. God being at the center. I have four tattoos at the moment, all depicting important puzzle pieces of my life that have shaped who I am as a person. Two of them are Christ centered and I intend for them to be witnessing tools as well as reminders to myself of the love God has shown and the reminder of his unfailing support of my life. Tattoos are generally not seen as a christian undertaking, albeit the stigma is slowly changing, and the people mostly drawn to tattooing their bodies are unchurched. If I can reach one of those people on their level because they are attracted to my tattoos, it opens the door to talking about my beliefs and my love for Jesus. Something that God calls us to do; be disciples.
Tattoos aren't for everyone and some people may not think they are pure because of God's instruction and that's OK, because God will certainly use you in a different way to reach people that my tattoos can't. That's what makes us unique and even more clearly defines the unique traits God has placed inside each of us.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Reminiscence
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3: 23-24
I have been working seasonally for a top Arizona private golf community for seven years. All that time has been spent with the Recreation Department in which I have done every job imaginable from spin class instructor, to camp counselor, to supervisor of everything from special events and adult programming to our poolside snack bar. The only jobs I wouldn't know how to do at this point without some help is write out our budget for the department and personal train our members. I will gladly leave those jobs to the professionals.
As you can imagine, I have had my ups and down in the department. I started out there as a 16 year old and have truly grown up in the recreation center. I have spent 70 hour weeks setting up tables, going on field trips, organizing family fun runs and staring at a computer screen wondering why my snack bar budget isn't reaching its goal. I have seen the economy tank during my time at this club and believe me, the economy even touches the richest among us. I have watched our numbers dwindle and watched my Director pull his hair out to make our department grow despite all the financial hardship. I even took a year off in 2010 to regroup after an especially overwhelming and stressful season. I've looked forward to starting back at the club some years and abhorred it others. Made great, lifelong friends and met my girlfriend while working out there. It has truly been a blessing in disguise.
I am reminiscing because this, after all the failed attempts at trying to break free, will be my final year at the club. As Cassie and I look forward to moving out of the state and starting something new, I began my final first week back as a full time staff last Monday. It has been draining, to say the least. Trying to turn my internal clock back to work time has been a struggle both mentally and physically despite the work not being terribly exhausting. I will truly miss the department, but maybe I am getting ahead of myself, as I have the whole summer season to look forward to in front of me.
Ups and downs to the side, I haven't always had the same attitude about this job. I have been stressed. Angry at members and staff alike for asking too much of me. Bending over backwards to fulfill obnoxious requests. Cleaning poop out of the pool. Early mornings. Late nights. 17 hour days. Seven day weeks. Doesn't matter the reason, I haven't always been aware of the blessing it has been.
As Colossians says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." I know for a fact that I haven't obeyed that command. I know that I struggle with being placed in hard situations and complaining about the easier way. But I have made a covenant to myself this year that I will take this job as a blessing and not a regret. Because when the time comes for us to move, I will miss this place. I will miss the memories and the hardships. The lessons learned and the growth. The blessing of just having a job when so many struggle. I will do my best to put my whole heart into the work I do. I will slip, I know that. I am not perfect. But, hopefully I can remember that things only get harder from here and the present is an honest blessing.
I have been working seasonally for a top Arizona private golf community for seven years. All that time has been spent with the Recreation Department in which I have done every job imaginable from spin class instructor, to camp counselor, to supervisor of everything from special events and adult programming to our poolside snack bar. The only jobs I wouldn't know how to do at this point without some help is write out our budget for the department and personal train our members. I will gladly leave those jobs to the professionals.
As you can imagine, I have had my ups and down in the department. I started out there as a 16 year old and have truly grown up in the recreation center. I have spent 70 hour weeks setting up tables, going on field trips, organizing family fun runs and staring at a computer screen wondering why my snack bar budget isn't reaching its goal. I have seen the economy tank during my time at this club and believe me, the economy even touches the richest among us. I have watched our numbers dwindle and watched my Director pull his hair out to make our department grow despite all the financial hardship. I even took a year off in 2010 to regroup after an especially overwhelming and stressful season. I've looked forward to starting back at the club some years and abhorred it others. Made great, lifelong friends and met my girlfriend while working out there. It has truly been a blessing in disguise.
I am reminiscing because this, after all the failed attempts at trying to break free, will be my final year at the club. As Cassie and I look forward to moving out of the state and starting something new, I began my final first week back as a full time staff last Monday. It has been draining, to say the least. Trying to turn my internal clock back to work time has been a struggle both mentally and physically despite the work not being terribly exhausting. I will truly miss the department, but maybe I am getting ahead of myself, as I have the whole summer season to look forward to in front of me.
Ups and downs to the side, I haven't always had the same attitude about this job. I have been stressed. Angry at members and staff alike for asking too much of me. Bending over backwards to fulfill obnoxious requests. Cleaning poop out of the pool. Early mornings. Late nights. 17 hour days. Seven day weeks. Doesn't matter the reason, I haven't always been aware of the blessing it has been.
As Colossians says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." I know for a fact that I haven't obeyed that command. I know that I struggle with being placed in hard situations and complaining about the easier way. But I have made a covenant to myself this year that I will take this job as a blessing and not a regret. Because when the time comes for us to move, I will miss this place. I will miss the memories and the hardships. The lessons learned and the growth. The blessing of just having a job when so many struggle. I will do my best to put my whole heart into the work I do. I will slip, I know that. I am not perfect. But, hopefully I can remember that things only get harder from here and the present is an honest blessing.
Friday, April 5, 2013
More about Me
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast" -Hebrews 6:19
My prayer for this blog is to be beneficial for anyone who comes across it. By that, I mean I want anyone searching for answers or justification or encouragement to find something in it that speaks to them and answers their prayers. And how can you take anything away from a blog written by someone you don't know anything about.
This post is going to be about me.
My name is Matt Boness. I am a twenty three year old, degree holding college grad from Flagstaff, Arizona. I am a born and raised Lutheran Church Missouri Synod practicing Christian. I am a Youth Leader at the same church that I was baptized and confirmed in. I have one brother who is 17 months older than I am. Two loving parents who are so supportive that I take their smothering for granted sometimes. I own Matt Boness Photography. I am injured at the moment and have been for over a year, but was a triathlete and runner who races for FCA Endurance. I have a wonderful, supportive girlfriend named Cassie, who has good words to say on her blog. And I am far from perfect.
You don't have to believe what I am going to say in this online journal. And I like being corrected if I am wrong because the last thing I want to do is lead someone astray. God has given me a talent to teach. And while I am not a teacher, I enjoy being able to reach people by telling them of what life has taught me.
The name of the blog comes from Hebrews 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast" Now, if you go look it up, it might look a little different. The words, "Sure and Steadfast" come from the King James Version of the bible and the rest of the verse comes from the New International Version. I combined them because I love the imagery from the words sure and steadfast. Along with the anchor, the words sure and steadfast remind me of sailing tradition, along the lines of "Hold Fast." Again, you may be telling your self, "Hey! the name of your blog is Steadfast and Sure! Not, sure and steadfast." And again, you'd be correct. I took some liberty with that as well because I like the flow of the words Steadfast and Sure more. I took the words directly off a tattoo that I have to illustrate the verse from Hebrews. The "Hope" the verse talks about is the hope that Christians have for eternal life. It is our anchor. The anchor to our soul. Our souls can be joyful knowing that we are anchored in Christ and the promise of everlasting life. I think it is a powerful image. God used the "anchor" reference because people in the time just after Jesus' death and resurrection, when Hebrews was written, would have had a more powerful connection to an anchor as a tool used in sailing. They would have had a personal connection to an anchor as they may be fishermen or used boats to travel and God wanted to reach them where they are. God likes to reach us where we are and maybe in this day and age He would use the word "cell phone," since we all seemed to be anchored to that now. But, regardless, He wanted to relate to people and He still does. Something that means a lot to me may not mean that much to someone else and that's ok, because God knows what we need to hear when we need to hear it. He's pretty good at that. You just have to listen.
I am neither a sailor or living around much water for that matter. (Arizona! Hello!) But, I have always loved the idea and romanticism behind sailing and was drawn to this popular verse as a way to remind myself of the hope I always have in Jesus. I challenge you to find a way to remind yourself as well. Maybe tie something around your finger, or post something on your mirror at home. Whatever it is, don't lose sight of the path God has you following. We all may take different ways, but we all can end up in the same place, Heaven.
My prayer for this blog is to be beneficial for anyone who comes across it. By that, I mean I want anyone searching for answers or justification or encouragement to find something in it that speaks to them and answers their prayers. And how can you take anything away from a blog written by someone you don't know anything about.
This post is going to be about me.
My name is Matt Boness. I am a twenty three year old, degree holding college grad from Flagstaff, Arizona. I am a born and raised Lutheran Church Missouri Synod practicing Christian. I am a Youth Leader at the same church that I was baptized and confirmed in. I have one brother who is 17 months older than I am. Two loving parents who are so supportive that I take their smothering for granted sometimes. I own Matt Boness Photography. I am injured at the moment and have been for over a year, but was a triathlete and runner who races for FCA Endurance. I have a wonderful, supportive girlfriend named Cassie, who has good words to say on her blog. And I am far from perfect.
You don't have to believe what I am going to say in this online journal. And I like being corrected if I am wrong because the last thing I want to do is lead someone astray. God has given me a talent to teach. And while I am not a teacher, I enjoy being able to reach people by telling them of what life has taught me.
The name of the blog comes from Hebrews 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast" Now, if you go look it up, it might look a little different. The words, "Sure and Steadfast" come from the King James Version of the bible and the rest of the verse comes from the New International Version. I combined them because I love the imagery from the words sure and steadfast. Along with the anchor, the words sure and steadfast remind me of sailing tradition, along the lines of "Hold Fast." Again, you may be telling your self, "Hey! the name of your blog is Steadfast and Sure! Not, sure and steadfast." And again, you'd be correct. I took some liberty with that as well because I like the flow of the words Steadfast and Sure more. I took the words directly off a tattoo that I have to illustrate the verse from Hebrews. The "Hope" the verse talks about is the hope that Christians have for eternal life. It is our anchor. The anchor to our soul. Our souls can be joyful knowing that we are anchored in Christ and the promise of everlasting life. I think it is a powerful image. God used the "anchor" reference because people in the time just after Jesus' death and resurrection, when Hebrews was written, would have had a more powerful connection to an anchor as a tool used in sailing. They would have had a personal connection to an anchor as they may be fishermen or used boats to travel and God wanted to reach them where they are. God likes to reach us where we are and maybe in this day and age He would use the word "cell phone," since we all seemed to be anchored to that now. But, regardless, He wanted to relate to people and He still does. Something that means a lot to me may not mean that much to someone else and that's ok, because God knows what we need to hear when we need to hear it. He's pretty good at that. You just have to listen.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Steadfast and Sure Genesis
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8
A week ago, I wasn't all that interested in starting a blog again. I say "again," because I had one that has sat dormant for almost two years. But, please, by all means, go take a look at it here. It mostly talked about my racing, training, early photography stuff, nothing spectacular or worth much in the scheme of things. Sure, it probably gave a few trusting souls some advice about a race that they had signed up for or an idea about a particular workout, but all in all, just day to day things.
When my girlfriend Cassie started her blog just over a week ago, she brought back the idea and at first I wasn't interested. But, then I got thinking. She has worked herself into a Christ loving woman and we have a pretty unique situation as far as christian couples are concerned. Something I will probably talk about in a later post in more detail, but something that you can read more of on her blog. And I thought we could really be an example of how relationships can work out if other people are in our same position. We can really give some hope to people who may feel like they are on a hopeless relational path. We discussed this possibility and thought it might be worthwhile if we both started our own blogs that then worked into a couples blog when we both had more time and experience as our own virtual authors.
You can probably tell through my language and the obvious bible verse at the top of the blog that this blog will be Christ centered. And you'd be right. You may also have more questions about me than I have given you answers for. And that's OK. I have to leave something for future posts!
The point is, this is going to be a journey. I have a hard time sticking with drawn out commitments like blogs, but I hope this one is different. I hope I have more knowledge than I did when I first starting blogging and that someone might stumble across it that could really use the words that I have to write. And hopefully that is enough of a calling to continue.
I will definitely post more about myself as we draw along and hope that you feel comfortable enough to engage in any questions or comments you might have.
Blessings,
Matt
A week ago, I wasn't all that interested in starting a blog again. I say "again," because I had one that has sat dormant for almost two years. But, please, by all means, go take a look at it here. It mostly talked about my racing, training, early photography stuff, nothing spectacular or worth much in the scheme of things. Sure, it probably gave a few trusting souls some advice about a race that they had signed up for or an idea about a particular workout, but all in all, just day to day things.
When my girlfriend Cassie started her blog just over a week ago, she brought back the idea and at first I wasn't interested. But, then I got thinking. She has worked herself into a Christ loving woman and we have a pretty unique situation as far as christian couples are concerned. Something I will probably talk about in a later post in more detail, but something that you can read more of on her blog. And I thought we could really be an example of how relationships can work out if other people are in our same position. We can really give some hope to people who may feel like they are on a hopeless relational path. We discussed this possibility and thought it might be worthwhile if we both started our own blogs that then worked into a couples blog when we both had more time and experience as our own virtual authors.
You can probably tell through my language and the obvious bible verse at the top of the blog that this blog will be Christ centered. And you'd be right. You may also have more questions about me than I have given you answers for. And that's OK. I have to leave something for future posts!
The point is, this is going to be a journey. I have a hard time sticking with drawn out commitments like blogs, but I hope this one is different. I hope I have more knowledge than I did when I first starting blogging and that someone might stumble across it that could really use the words that I have to write. And hopefully that is enough of a calling to continue.
I will definitely post more about myself as we draw along and hope that you feel comfortable enough to engage in any questions or comments you might have.
Blessings,
Matt