I used to be an art major. I don't usually tell people that. It's not something I'm ashamed of. I like art and all things creative. I think one of the main things that fuels my life and my walk with God is the ability to be creative. Every time I read a scripture, watch a movie, or look at a painting I find myself try to find some kind of creative angle that can be used to tell the story of God.
This kind of thinking has brought me to the the understanding that creativity is a human attribute that comes directly from God. Anytime we decide to put things together or to create something new we are entering into a God-based experience. Maybe that is why sex is such an intimate and exhilarating process. It's an act that is grounded in creation. It was created so that we can create more of us. Not that I would know though!
Think of it like this, our faith begins with creation. When everything was void and it was only God, the Almighty chose to create. Genesis says that God created the heavens and the earth. He created everything around us and then He created us. Right now, there are almost 7 billion people on earth and we are all sculptures on God's mantle.
When God created Adam He sculpted him out of dirt. What does that say about our need to express ourselves? Is it too hard to buy into the idea that creation, painting, singing, writing, sculpting, music and all things artsy are an avenue to finding The Almighty?
Please, paint, sculpt, doodle, write a song, play a new melody. And know that when you do this that you are plugging into a God-centered ritual. God create you and you are beautiful. Live in that tradition and make something that is beautiful.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Money to Burn
The World Health Organization has reported that the 4th leading cause of sickness and death in third world countries is indoor smoke inhalation. Women in many parts of Africa build open fires inside their huts for heating and cooking. These fires require a large amount of wood and the deadly fumes they release are then breathed in by the women, and children in the home.
My friend and brother Raphael Ogbole lives in a predominately Muslim community in Northern Nigeria. Raphael has developed a very unique ministry to fight indoor smoke inhalation. He has developed a fuel efficient stove fashioned out of handmade adobe bricks that reduces the amount of carbon monoxide that is released into the home. The stove also greatly reduces the amount of wood that is used in fire building. Nigeria, which is in Sub-Saharan Africa, has a very scarce amount of wood to burn. So, Raphael's ministry is effective in a variety of ways. It saves fuel, it reduces the amount of smoke in the home, and allows him to introduce the love of Christ to a group of people that are usually placed at the opposite end of the Christian spectrum.
Raphael also teaches seminars that show people how to make the bricks that the stoves are fashioned out of and a blueprint for stove building. The best part of Raphael's ministry is that it's free. In fact, he uses many of the donations given to him to purchase rooms for people that travel great distances to take part in his seminars.
He receives no money, other than the small paycheck that he draws from his local church, and he relies solely on the charity of others to help fund his ministry. That is where I come in. I am on the board that oversees the fundraising aspect of Raphael's ministry. The funds are raised through is done through SIFAT, a Christian organization that teaches efficient and effective missionary tools to American and foreign missionaries.
This quarter we are working to raise $2,750 to fund Raphael's work. I've never been comfortable with the idea of asking for money, but I truly believe that this ministry is worthy of support. That is why I agreed to be on the board of directors. So please, if you'd like to invest anything in this ministry know that it will be put to good use and that Raphael will do his best to be a good steward of the gifts you give. For more information check out the photos at the bottom of the page and Raphael's cause via Facebook or feel free to send me an email if you have questions at blaket@uga.edu.
Warmly,
Brother Blake
My friend and brother Raphael Ogbole lives in a predominately Muslim community in Northern Nigeria. Raphael has developed a very unique ministry to fight indoor smoke inhalation. He has developed a fuel efficient stove fashioned out of handmade adobe bricks that reduces the amount of carbon monoxide that is released into the home. The stove also greatly reduces the amount of wood that is used in fire building. Nigeria, which is in Sub-Saharan Africa, has a very scarce amount of wood to burn. So, Raphael's ministry is effective in a variety of ways. It saves fuel, it reduces the amount of smoke in the home, and allows him to introduce the love of Christ to a group of people that are usually placed at the opposite end of the Christian spectrum.
Raphael also teaches seminars that show people how to make the bricks that the stoves are fashioned out of and a blueprint for stove building. The best part of Raphael's ministry is that it's free. In fact, he uses many of the donations given to him to purchase rooms for people that travel great distances to take part in his seminars.
He receives no money, other than the small paycheck that he draws from his local church, and he relies solely on the charity of others to help fund his ministry. That is where I come in. I am on the board that oversees the fundraising aspect of Raphael's ministry. The funds are raised through is done through SIFAT, a Christian organization that teaches efficient and effective missionary tools to American and foreign missionaries.
This quarter we are working to raise $2,750 to fund Raphael's work. I've never been comfortable with the idea of asking for money, but I truly believe that this ministry is worthy of support. That is why I agreed to be on the board of directors. So please, if you'd like to invest anything in this ministry know that it will be put to good use and that Raphael will do his best to be a good steward of the gifts you give. For more information check out the photos at the bottom of the page and Raphael's cause via Facebook or feel free to send me an email if you have questions at blaket@uga.edu.
Warmly,
Brother Blake
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
There are only two kinds of people in the world...
Some sayings are more popular than others.
There is one that starts off like this, "There are only two kinds of people in the world...." I grew up listening to people spew out different variations of this saying and I cannot express how much it has intrigued me over the years. Here are some of my favorites:
There are only two kinds of people in the world, men and women.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, good and bad.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who give and those who take.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who want to do the work and those who want to take the credit.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who last and those who fade.
And finally my favorite,
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who get stomped and those who do the stomping!
I am sure that you have heard just as many if not more variations than these. Looking at all of these different "two kinds of people" leads me to one question. If there are only two kinds of people in the world then why is this one saying so diverse? It appears that in the community that believes only two kinds of people exist there is a discrepancy about what those two kinds of people are like.
So, it is safe to say that there are not two kinds of people in this world. There are almost 7 billion people on this tiny rock that circles a tiny star in a tiny galaxy in this great big universe. In the grand scheme of existence humans are very small, but that does not mean we are justifiably common. We are all different.
Let's face it, all of the above examples are inaccurate. People cannot be labeled as either good or bad. We all do bad things sometimes, but there are those other times. There are those times that we chose to help one another. There are times in which we chose to love rather than hate.
There is no such thing as givers and takers. All of us give, but there are certain periods in life when everyone becomes selfish. We are all givers and we are all takers. It just depends on where we are in the moment.
We all want to work and we all want the credit for our work. We've all been stomped and we've all done some stomping. We have all lasted to this point ,but someday we'll fade. We'll become worn out or we'll give up. Some of us have experienced this in small doses already.
There are even people who aren't sure how to identify themselves on the basis of gender. There are physical deformities that can make gender complicated. When both sexual attributes are available how does one decide what gender they are? Some people have been involved with different forms of mental, physical or sexual abuse that has left them confused and unsure of who or what they are.
So, maybe people are more complicated than we think. Maybe we are all complex and deserve a certain amount of patience and understanding. Or maybe the saying is correct. Maybe there are only two kinds of people in the world, those who believe that there are only two kinds of people in the world and those that don't.
There is one that starts off like this, "There are only two kinds of people in the world...." I grew up listening to people spew out different variations of this saying and I cannot express how much it has intrigued me over the years. Here are some of my favorites:
There are only two kinds of people in the world, men and women.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, good and bad.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who give and those who take.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who want to do the work and those who want to take the credit.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who last and those who fade.
And finally my favorite,
There are only two kinds of people in the world, those who get stomped and those who do the stomping!
I am sure that you have heard just as many if not more variations than these. Looking at all of these different "two kinds of people" leads me to one question. If there are only two kinds of people in the world then why is this one saying so diverse? It appears that in the community that believes only two kinds of people exist there is a discrepancy about what those two kinds of people are like.
So, it is safe to say that there are not two kinds of people in this world. There are almost 7 billion people on this tiny rock that circles a tiny star in a tiny galaxy in this great big universe. In the grand scheme of existence humans are very small, but that does not mean we are justifiably common. We are all different.
Let's face it, all of the above examples are inaccurate. People cannot be labeled as either good or bad. We all do bad things sometimes, but there are those other times. There are those times that we chose to help one another. There are times in which we chose to love rather than hate.
There is no such thing as givers and takers. All of us give, but there are certain periods in life when everyone becomes selfish. We are all givers and we are all takers. It just depends on where we are in the moment.
We all want to work and we all want the credit for our work. We've all been stomped and we've all done some stomping. We have all lasted to this point ,but someday we'll fade. We'll become worn out or we'll give up. Some of us have experienced this in small doses already.
There are even people who aren't sure how to identify themselves on the basis of gender. There are physical deformities that can make gender complicated. When both sexual attributes are available how does one decide what gender they are? Some people have been involved with different forms of mental, physical or sexual abuse that has left them confused and unsure of who or what they are.
So, maybe people are more complicated than we think. Maybe we are all complex and deserve a certain amount of patience and understanding. Or maybe the saying is correct. Maybe there are only two kinds of people in the world, those who believe that there are only two kinds of people in the world and those that don't.
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