All Your Light

Greetings,

There's this ad out right now for Gatorade. It features Jabari Parker, the number two pick in the 2014 draft. During his rookie year, which was last season, he tore his ACL about two months in. The commercial takes us from footage of high school hoops to his college decision to the shot of him being taken to the locker room. But now he's recovering and working hard to get back to the way he was (If that description didn't help, here's the link: https://youtu.be/Yx9ftHL7oRg). The ad itself is sweet, but it's the song choice that mainly caught my attention. If you were to listen to the song ("All Your Light" by Portugal. The Man), you would probably never think this song would be perfect for an ad, much less a Gatorade ad. But, if you watch the ad and listen to the song, it meshes beautifully. I have such an appreciation for people who are able to listen to a song and translate it visually, or for people who are able to look at a short video and immediately think, "This song is perfect. It'll be instrumental up until this clip in the film then we'll hit the hook and chorus." Crazy to me.  

Now you're probably thinking, what the heck are you getting at my man? Every day I'm amazed at the different gifts people have. I have friends who are incredible photographers, some who are freakishly athletic, and others who are gifted in music and art. I'm blown away by some of the different things these people can do with a guitar, a piece of paper, a camera, or a basketball. The best part about each of these talents is that they are not for our gain. The whole purpose for us to have an eye for a great picture, or the skill to be able to in-and-out dribble to a crossover to a step-back three, is to glorify the Giver of those gifts and to further the Kingdom. So here's my encouragement to you: use your gifts for His glory, not yours. It's so easy to hear words of praise and let them go to your head. I know I've fallen into that trap many times. Grow your gifts, work at them, enjoy them. But know that the purpose of you having those talents is not for your gain - it's for the Kingdom's gain. 

Another reason I chose the Gatorade ad to talk about is to announce a small change of direction with this blog. In the (hopefully) near future, I will be launching a website. Instead of it being strictly a blog, it will have videos as well. One of my passions is filmmaking. Not necessarily movies, but short videos (look up Jefferson Bethke and Kyle Dettman). Unfortunately, in order to make these videos, it takes a good amount of money to get started (buy a camera, accessories, software, etc.). That's why I don't have a timetable to launch the website. In the meantime, I'll still be writing here (more than I have been, promise), as well as keeping you updated throughout the process. Web design, even through Square Space, takes a while (I'm pretty picky). Although it is a lot of work, I'm stoked to begin this next chapter of SNEAKERS & A SAVIOR. 

If you guys have questions, suggestions, thoughts, or just want to talk, I'm here 24/7. If you want to know more about my Lord and Savior or have prayer requests, please let me know. I'd love to talk to you about the God who saved my life from what I was. As always, I really appreciate you taking time to read this. I know I say that every post, but I don't take that for granted. It means a lot. Use your gifts for Him, not for yourself. 

Grace & Peace,

Nathan

Twitter: @Nathan_A_Jones

Instagram: Nathan_A_Jones

sneakersandasavior@gmail.com

IF YOURE READING THIS ITS NOT TOO LATE

Greetings,

As I've said before, I'm a pretty big fan of music. Hip-hop is my go-to. Being a basketball player, hip-hop and basketball go hand-in-hand. Rappers spit bars about basketball players, and basketball players try to make rap albums, or just get in tight with them. Unless you live under a rock, or don't have Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat, you heard that Drake dropped a new album "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" from out of nowhere. He didn't market it, hype it, or even announce it. It just showed up on iTunes. There have been a few rumors circulating as to why he did it like this. The most reasonable one is that he had a four album contract with Cash Money Records. From what I understand, they had a falling out of sorts, and Drake was going to his own record label. Instead of dropping his highly anticipated "Views From the 6" album with Cash Money, which would make them a lot of money, he threw together some tracks that would have composed a free mixtape and made them into an album, fulfilling the four album commitment. The title itself is a message to Cash Money, letting them know that if they're reading the album title, it's too late to get him back. He's already gone. 

Well, here's my message to you. IF YOURE READING THIS ITS NOT TOO LATE. There is this pre-conceived notion in society that, if you want to follow God, if you want to accept Him as your personal Savior, you have to get your life in order first, and once you pass this certain point, you're too far gone. Let me tell you something: both of these ideas are so false. I don't have my life together. I don't know of anyone who does. Things happen all the time. Life throws you a curveball when you were expecting to knock a fast ball out of the park. The beautiful thing about Jesus and His love for each and every one of us is that there is nothing we can do in order to fall out of reach of God's redeeming love and grace. You can be the "worst" person out there, and still be saved from that lifestyle. 

I look to the Bible and see that Jesus hung out with tax collectors (the WORST people in society), He kicked it with the lepers, the people that society cast out. His squad wasn't the religious leaders. In fact, it was the opposite. In Matthew 9:12, Jesus says this when asked about why He eats with the tax collectors and sinners, "'It is not he healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.'" This passage shows me that there is no one that can not be saved. No matter your past, or what you're going through right now, it is NOT too late. You can always turn back. Run to the One with open arms, waiting for you like a father waiting for his son to return home from a long trip. 

I hope that this encourages you. Know that it is never too late. Don't give up on yourself. Don't give up on your friends. Thank you for reading this. I sincerely appreciate it. I'm always available to talk. Feel free to contact me. 

Grace and peace,

Nathan

Twitter: @Nathan_A_Jones
Instagram: Nathan_A_Jones
sneakersandasavior@gmail.com