| | - John Martindale
- I am the son of a southern Baptist pastor, so there really is no reason to add that I grew up in a Christian home. I think it was when I was five that I wanted to eat the Styrofoam wafer and drink the shot of grape juice which was forbidden tell I prayed the “sinners prayer” and got baptized, so I became a “Christian”. I must say the Baptist have something going here, I doubt I am the only one out there with this testimony.
While growing up I was schooled at home, and was anything but normal. In a word I was “strange”… for example I actually wanted to be fat, and succeeded and would brag about my weight to the visitors of my dad’s church… Well, that was until the age of girl consciousness, fortunately enough for me during my junior “stupidity” high years I was too shy to pursue any of them. I was like the nerd on those sitcoms that is easily made fun of, who does not understand the jokes, dresses funny, and would fall backwards if a girl approach him, stumbling for words and unable to answer if a girl asked him a question. AS I think about it now, I just grin and shake my head in awe that this was me… I mean it is hard for me to believe.
Yeah I was the kid who was picked last for the basketball and football teams, who could not find anyone to be my partner in the games. Yet, Looking back I suppose my obesity and weirdness was a good thing, for few live like Christians during their teen years, and if I was accepted by my peers, I too would have easily become the selfish, girl seeking, materialistic, American dream pursuing “Christian”, for by nature I am a "conformer” and like play-doh I would have easily been pressed into the typical cultural mold, yes the one which I now protest.
During the latter half of my teen years, my sister and I become close friends. I believe it was her relationship with God that was the main catalyst for positive changes in my life. I remember how she would want to pray about things, and of course I would not say no, but she would just pray and pray and pray, and I would look at my watch and wonder “how long it will it be tell she stops?!”. But I could not justify how uncomfortable I felt; she had a life that was foreign to me. Her passion for God shined a light on sad state of my soul. I had yet to truly taste and see that He is good. I remember laying my head on the pillow night after night thinking, "I did not think of God at all today... I'll try to do better tomorrow". I really begin to wonder what relationship with an invisible God is, I could not feel Him, see Him, hear Him. I could not get excited about, I did not feel like I loved Him and did not know how. I believe coming to grips with my lack has created a hunger and thirst for righteousness that has lead me on a journey searching for understanding, insight, eternal perspectives, self-control, abundant life and the knowledge and fear of God. I understand how the excess and misuse of the pleasure, power and possessions that the world offers is temporary, addicting, short lived, empty and meaningless. Therefore, no matter how much my faith is tested, I see nowhere else to turn.
The art is raw, honest and real. If you are not a Christian, you may wonder why I still am, considering the questions I raise, if you are a believer, you may very well wonder if I am saved. A risk I am willing to take for one thing I have been learning is that what I experience, though rarely spoken of, may just be more common for others then I once thought. It has been healthy for me to let it out, remove the masks and be real. Life does not seem to be as black and white as people make it, formulas don’t always work. God is mysterious and often does not work how we think He ought to.
I hope my work is a comfort and encouragement to you. I invite you to feel with me, ponder life, and try to find understanding and truth, amiss the temporal realities that seem to contradict what God says is true in the Scriptures. - General Information
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- Profile:
- Personal
- Since:
- Wednesday, August 29, 2007
- Gender:
- Male
 - Age:
- 27
- Languages:
- english
- Tags:
- Art, Paintings, Drawings, Symbolism, emotional, raw, honest, surreal, symbolic,spiritual,christian,depression
- I'm here for:
- Photo sharing, Friends, Networking
- Contact Information
-
- Email:
- uthubomb@yahoo.com
- Personal website:
- forevergrasping.com
There are no gifts yet! Be the first to send this user a virtual gift! - My Cities
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- Hometown:
-
- Background & Lifestyle
-
- Marital status:
- Single
- Sexual orientation:
- Straight
- Smoking:
- Non-smoker
- Drinking:
- I never drink
- Children:
- I don't have kids yet
- Education:
- High school
- Ethnicity:
- White/Caucasian
- Body type:
- Some extra baggage
- Height:
- Average
- Income:
- Less than $30,000
- Religion:
- Christian - other
- Interests & Personality
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- Interests:
- God, songwriting, art, good conversation, people...
- Sports:
- Saints
- Music:
- Lots of it
- Movies:
- not many
- Television:
- Burn it
- Heroes:
- Jesus, my sister, Paul
- Books:
- bunches
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