It's true, we they do!  :)  (This is my attempt to write a seemingly-impartial post. Let's see how this goes.)

**Shot at St. Patrick's Center and the YWCA West Florissant Center.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of shooting some of the great work that the STL Urban League Young Professionals are doing this month, for our their annual campaign for March, Young Blacks Give Back.  Each Saturday this month, we they, along with friends and family, are participating in a slew of community service efforts all across the St. Louis area.  The goal is to not only excede our their 1000-hours-of-service goal for the month, but more importantly to meet the needs of our their city, and raise awareness of how important it is help those in need.

There's two Saturdays left to participate in the variety of service efforts ULYP has available, so if you're in the St. Louis area and interested in serving, email the YBGB committee at ybgb@ulyp-stl.org for more info!

And God said "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. 
Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: 
A prophet to the nations—that's what I had in mind for you." But I said, "Hold it, Master God! Look at me. I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!" God told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a boy.' 
I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there.
 I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it. 
Don't be afraid of a soul. 
I'll be right there, looking after you." Jeremiah 1:5-8, The Message.

Limits. We all put limits on who we are, what we are able to do, and what we will accomplish.  There are some moments in life where we become so aware of our fragility.  And within those blips of time, is when greatness just seems SO out of reach.  So we use limits as a way to cope with who we are. Weak. Unaware. Human.

We also use limits to cope with who we are NOT. I'm certain that a few years ago, somewhere in the back of my mind I told myself, "I'm not business-minded... so I'll probably NEVER own a business."  Foot currently in mouth.  Limits are a way to make us feel better about the talents, the gifts, the courage, the resources that we don't have.  They feel like a warm hug, but then you're left feeling so cold.  Feeling without.

Limits are designed to put restraints on us, so that's what they do. It's simply a false hope. But thank God for the Hope of Glory.  Thank God for His Word that speaks much more greater things about us, and thank God that His Word is TRUTH.  From Genesis to Malachi to Acts to Revelation, God's Word is pointing at me, at you. We're in the midst of a crowd, and His Word is pointing and saying---"Yes.... yeah... you!". Perhaps we don't believe it, but YES, He really is pointing at us! 

The great thing about the word 'inheritance', is that it is a spin-off of the word 'inherent', which is defined as "involved in the essential character of something or belonging by nature or habit."  So, what was promised to me is ALREADY inside of me.   Because of Christ connecting us to his Father, we are limitless.  There is no need to worry about who we are not, or what traits or gifts we don't have.  We don't have to be like Jeremiah and say "Hold it, Master God! Look at me!" The great thing about it, He has already looked at us, from the beginning to eternity.  And He knows what's deep down inside of us. Now, we must embrace the journey of taking the limits off, and uncovering a great inheritance...

Yes.... yeah... you!

FIF.

"Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything we SEE. None of this comes from the Father." 1 John 2:16

"Legs In Element" from my contrast/harmony series in undergrad, 2008.

Even after I graduated some memories just stayed with me.  Not how it sounded, but rather what was in front of my eyes.  My eyes told me how it felt.  

Case in point: my first time attending a step show as a college student.  Such a vivid memory.  In my mind, that night is framed by sweaty biceps and triceps (and any other -ceps, lol) of men flaunting their prowess, by stomping to rhythms, yelling and growling.  Moving on... the more I evolved socially and spiritually, the more the memories I held onto changed.

Our eyes are VCRs (or DVRs for the techies).  And in college, it's like we have an endless supply of videotape to record even the smallest moments.  So what's been recorded in your VCR?

I know there's a lot, isn't there?

I'll tell you what's in there.  See, it's in mass communities like college where we are taught to practice either indulgence or minimalism.  More shopping or more reflecting. More drinking or more genuine relationship.  Either FLOCK or FLEE.  So you see those in college who skip class to chill and play video games all day long.  Or you see the girl who's in so many leadership positions on campus that you'd think her planner is glued to her body.  It is the imagery that we choose to immerse ourselves in that influences how we classify ourselves.   And more often than not, the imagery we choose to push away influences how we label others we're unfamiliar with.

This is truth.  Ask the advertisers sucking the life out of MTV or BET.

BET's College Hill: is this REALLY what college looks like on a DAILY basis? I don't think so.As a RA, I sometimes posted pictures of my church in intense worship on my front door.  One time, someone ripped them down.  Perhaps they were bent on making sure this imagery of worship wasn't embedded into their brain (or their spirit).  Because then they'd have to make a choice--to confront their ideas about me, and most importantly about Jesus Christ.  What we see, what is embedded into our minds and spirits--all of this pushes us to make choices.  to FLOCK or to FLEE.  to conform or to be peculiar.

So I ask you, what Christ-like imagery is being/was put on your campus?  What is the response?  In regards to negative imagery, how do we apply His grace, instead of our own judgment?  Sinful imagery in college just seems so much more concentrated, how do we counteract this?

The FIF wants to hear (or read...) what you think!