So tonight I bought some art by a fantastic artist by the name of Barbara Combs, and the proceeds goes to my church; so everyone was blessed all the way around.

I absolutely love Barbara's pieces. Her work varies, from the most simplest of concepts to some of the most dynamic. But even in the times when her work appears on the surface as a simple oil painting, watercolor, etc I have found that when you look with your spiritual eyes her work has a tendency to just shake you to the core at times.

The result of me buying a few of her pieces was due to a wonderful night spent at our family dinner at church. It... was... a.... BLAST! Between the food, the fellowship, and the uhm... friendly... competition during the art auction -- I couldn't have asked for a better time!!

Tonight reminded me that God continues to bless my socks off; and I can't help but sit here and just reflect on what an amazing Father I have. It never seizes to amaze me the things He does for me. In the mist of the craziest, most tumultuous time in my life, God has continued to put a smile on my face.

I bask in His greatness... I truly do.

Lesson 3

While hanging out in my hotel room this evening, I began listening to some JOC (Jars of Clay for the non-JOC fanatics), and I found myself placing "Boys (Lesson One)" on repeat. Now, I'm not a guy, and yet this song really began to move me.

It's a great song, but it's always around the second verse when it gets to "lesson 3" that I really start feeling what's trying to be conveyed. My dad passed away when I was a child, and my mother passed away last month. It's been a difficult road, and yet lately I've been looking back at the lessons taught to me over my life. One of the biggest things I regret is the fact that I wanted to grow up so fast. And now that I'm grown, I wish I could get back to that place where it was just me, my dad, and my mom and life was at its simplest. Where there was no hurry to date boys, go to college, or get my own place. Where it was long naps, and snack times by the old oak tree. God has continuously being trying to convey the same thing to me over and over again, "You are not alone." In all my regrets, in all my running, in all my suffered consequences for wanting to do it "my way," God shined through the forgiveness and love my parents showed for me, and even now in a period of deep heartache, God continues to convey the same lesson to me: I am not alone, and I never will be.

It's a shame when it takes the loss of a loved one to learn such a simple and yet important lesson.

Inking

So I've been thinking about getting a tattoo. Nothing fancy. Something that just attest to my faith. Unfortunately, my spiritual mom has some things against that. But, I not only bend to her wisdom, but that of the wisdom of God. Unbeknownst to me, it actually does talk about inking in the Bible, and warns against. In fact, God commanded it actually not be done.

There's a few references, but the most damning one has to be in Leviticus 19:28 where it states: Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead (a ritualistic thing back in the day), nor print any marks upon you -- for I am the Lord.

Pretty powerful, still it could be argued by those who truly want to argue it I suppose. After briefly studying words on "inking,"marks,"gashes" I have found that God was pretty serious about this not being done. So why so many Christians do it? Who knows.... if you look hard enough, people can seem to find a fallibility in anything -- the thing is... God's Word is irrefutable and therefore infallible.

With all that said.... man, do I still really want to get this next tat.