Most likely in the past few days maybe even hours you’ve been in contact with someone who’s Inked!

Tattoos are becoming more and more common these days.
Some absolutely horrible and make you question what happened…
Some just awe inspiring at the intensity of detail….

Tattooing has become an art, your skin a canvas to depict something, something real.

Back in college I read an article from Walt Mueller’s CPYU that I searched to ad to this post
[Read it HERE.]
But have you thought about those that you’ve passed with ink, or maybe you have some ink yourself.
What does it mean?
What life change happened that might have sparked that piece?
What significance is that in their life or maybe a previous season/chapter?

These are all questions I ponder when I pass those walking by with ink.
I personally have a piece signifying my marriage. Its the one key reminder that kept my wife and I on track…
“Love Never Fail”.
1 Corinthians 13 unwraps that one for us, and that was a key to our dating and now marriage.
The story goes deeper, but guess you’ll just have to meet me and get the rest.

Next time you pass someone with ink, don’t be quick to judge…
if you get a chance ask them, use it to start conversation.
Who knows where God could take it!!!!

Since this week has been a ton of just sorting through my thoughts and feelings with life lately here’s something that’s resonated deeply.

Sheep don’t need cowboys, they need a shepherd. -Blake Bergstrom

This was said during an absolutely hilarious, thought provoking sermon this Sunday.
I remember the old guy sitting next to me elbowing my side like a, “hey that was some funny stuff!”
He was right, Blake was right!!!

Now I haven’t chilled with sheep for a long period of time, but I just know when I was at petting zoos or anywhere around sheep…they didn’t like me!

Let me break down the quote as best as I can, to paraphrase where Blake was headed.
Sheep…can’t be hearded!
Cattle…can be hearded!

So Sheep won’t listening to a bunch of hootin’ n hollerin’ or whips crackin’!
They need the gentle voice of their shepherd to lead them together!

Isn’t that us!?!
We fit that so well.

We need to listen to our Shepherd, Jesus!!!
Where is He leading you?!

Last week I spent an evening away from my wife, first time in a long time that I was away from her. It’s just simply amazing to see just how dependent we become on each other as we grow in our intimacy together as a devoted married couple.

I’ve lately been thinking about the imagery used in the Bible describing a very similar relationship. The Bride and the Bridegroom.

God wants us to be just as dependent on Him. The Church, the Body of Christ, Christians everywhere are to enter into an Intimacy that NO ONE will EVER top.  That intimate relationship or dependency is in the Bridegroom!

I challenge you, even if you’re married or not, think about that relationship, and how dependent the two of you are together that you miss them so dearly when apart and long for that togetherness.

Don’t you want that in Christ?

I know I do.

What are you dependent on?

I was thinking today, while stranded without my VW yesterday, that we all need some fine tuning in our lives. Our vehicles go in the shop for service, regularly scheduled maintenance to serve as preventative actions for wear & tear. So here’s my question…How come we don’t go into the shop?

When you really think about it, we should be heading in for regularly scheduled maintenance every day.

Our time of devotion and being still before the Lord is where we’re getting our tune up.

Here’s how I look at it, I surrendered my right to my freedom by giving my car up for the day to be maintained, we need to surrender our right to our daily schedules/busyness and be refreshed by our heavenly father servicing us, molding us, maintaining us for His work.

How’s this for some inspiration…

^“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Tim 3:16-17

I’ll be so bold to say God, is our mechanic! He wants you to surrender, be serviced, & be equipped.

Are you going in for your regularly scheduled maintenance?

Its appropriate to bring up American Idol right? New season, new contestants, but I want to go back to an old one…he happens to have a hit single out all over the radio. You know him as Kris Allen.

A few weeks back now, right before xmas I think. I was able to join my friend John down at Crosspoint in West Nashville accompanied by my wife, and Blake Bergstrom spoke on living like you were dying. This message I know was God-given and a challenge to even deliver. The night service was rough for Blake as he struggled to share some of the examples but it hit me hard.

How am I living, am I really living every second I can for God?

Check out Kris’ song that is my constant reminder while listening to the radio about how I’m called to live for God DAILY!

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Are you living like you are dying?

So I have to admit a bromance of mine. Peter is my boy! One of my favorite stories in the Bible that hits home in my life is Peter being called on the water to walk to Jesus (Matthew 14). I just love how this guy tries and tries again and always seeks to improve and make a difference even if it means pushing some buttons, cutting some ears (na I don’t want to do that one). But really I just love some of the challenges and being able to relate to this guy. So here’s a quote and a question, enjoy!

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  [1 Peter 2:1-3]

So I’ve just gotta ask, what spiritual milk you cravin’ these days?

I recently received a challenge from a dear friend, John, he has been reading a book for school that I know in my past I’ve run across but never picked it up to read. He quickly began highlighting some of the concepts and principles that were in this book, Roaring Lambs, and at that moment I just HAD to read it.

God has been placing on my heart the issue that we as Christians have become content with what we know and do. We have no desire to think outside the box anymore. We are happy with the Christian circle(s) that we’ve created within media, entertainment, education, etc. and don’t realize the impact we’ve really done. Author, Bob Briner says it best:

But what we’ve really done is create a ghetto that is easily dismissed by the rest of society.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but SOCIETY, thinks we, Christians, are a JOKE! That may be harsh but really we’ve become the fuzzy sheep that are depicted in our art forms and are totally cool with being quiet, timid, meek, you name it!

Instead of running away from the world, rush into it, living for Christ, the way intended. No longer have this image of a timid, meek fuzzy sheep, tear down the comfy subculture and speak UP!

What is it going to take for us to become ROARING, radically making a stand for the gospel?