A Kid Named Kevan

a few of my favorites

[wordsnquotes]

How do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understands that there is no turning back.

J.R.R. Tolkien (via wordsnquotes)

[akidnamedkevan]

2 Corinthians 7:10

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Grief is such a rough topic. 

When I imagine grief, my face twists and contorts into something ugly. If sadness is a frown, then grief is the ripping apart of one's face. It's hard for me to think that even grief could be a path to God.When we have worldly grief, we are sad without hope. We are in a state of loss without an exit. When we experience godly grief, I imagine it as loss that leads to know God more. Sometimes this loss leads us to see redemption. Sometimes this loss leads us to be emptied of something that was just "taking up space." In the case of Paul and his letter to the Corinthians, it looks like the the grief he is speaking about was spurred by his harsh words. They were words of encouragement that were delivered abrasively. I think that sometimes we feel grief when we're called out on our crap. We experience the loss of a piece of ourselves. Character judgements hurt. God doesn't call us into a downward spiral of grief, but He does often call us out. It's by grace that we can respond by repenting and drawing closer. Grief isn't permanent. God's presence is.

[akidnamedkevan]

Ruth 4

As I read Ruth today, the word that stood out to me was "redeem(er)." As I read the verses, I wasn't sure who Boaz was to Naomi and Ruth. I knew that Naomi was a widow and Ruth was a good daughter. I didn't understand the laying at the feet or asking for the corners of the cloth. I wasn't sure what this redeeming meant, but then I saw that it was from this bloodline that David was born. I looked up on Google what this passage and book meant. The research I did lead me to learn that this redemption foreshadowed and paralleled Jesus. Jesus the redeemer. What stood out and was pointed out was that the cost of redemption that Boaz paid was not mentioned, it was of no consequence. We know what the cost of redemption was for us - death on a cross. To know that Jesus would have known and seen what was to come and much like Boaz did not count the cost of redemption is crazy to me. Is there nothing more precious than life? To God, we are more precious than that life. We were redeemed at the ultimate cost. Jesus, thank you for the cross and your blood poured out for us. Thank you for redemption. I want to know life. I want to know how to value the life of another more than my own. I want to know that kind of outrageous love.

[akidnamedkevan]

Easter

An open letter to Jesus.

Jesus, I have been such a good friend to you and you to me. I dared not venture to call you more than friend. More than a friend would mean I would need to tell you my secrets. By being more than just a friend, our relationship would have to go deeper. That scares me. Would you see my ugliness and forget to hang out with me? Would you see my shortcomings and change your opinion of me? Scary to think that this could go deeper.

Today, you reminded me that you are God the father. You’re not here because you want to grab pizza and beers. You’re not here because of what I can offer. It’s completely out of my control that you are here. You are here by choice. You’ve adopted me and called me son. You’ve called me by a name I’m still discovering. That’s even scarier, but you’ve shown me love. You’ve reminded me that your perfect love casts out my fear. I can bring to you my brokenness and you accept it.

God…Father, I lay down my fear, my insecurity, my incapable hands that try so hard to manufacture life.

I bring you nothing of worth, but you’ve called me worthy.

You are good.

So, I’m no longer afraid. I’m no longer hungry to learn the things of this world. I want to sit and learn from you. I want to learn love, adoption, family, and restoration by your presence alone.

Thank you for the cross. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for adopting me. Thank you for allowing and teaching me to love outside of my own ability. Thank you for the covenant that can never be taken away from me.

All glory, honor, and praise to you alone.

Amen.

[akidnamedkevan]

Nike has released a new backpack called the Nike Mog Bolt. I am really impressed with the design. The problem it looks like the Nike team was trying to tackle was that of a slim silhouette and expandable storage combined into a sleek package. In time before, we would have to deal with the ugly straps on the side. There would be probably two on each side and the straps would look like half-done waist straps; this created a functional, yet not very sleek profile. I'm guessing the team looked at the way that insect's bodies move and adapt as the insect itself moves sparked the beginning of the creative process. Whatever the method is, I'm always excited to see new products that are bringing fresh perspectives and solving old problems.

[akidnamedkevan]

The Original Wooden Eyewear

SHWOOD is killing it with it's eyewear. I don't personally wear Rx glasses, but if I did I would definitely look into these. The wood looks great and the styling is spot on. There's also a limited release Pendleton collaboration going on.

[akidnamedkevan]

Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron" - Teaser Trailer (OFFICIAL)

[akidnamedkevan]

pour out

God's word for me today confronted one of my deepest fears. I have the fear of being taken advantage of. My life has been marked by times where I've gone above and beyond just to see my efforts go unnoticed. God speaks to us and says that He sees us, our actions, our hearts, our potential. In that I now understand where the confidence to stand up against giants comes from. This confidence can send men into the fire without the certainty of being saved. This confidence can send men into the home of lions without distress. This is the confidence I want to strive for. As a child of God, this confidence is my inheritance. Let me be a man who stretches out his hand to grasp and take what God is pouring out to me. I cannot and will not let fear drive my life. There is nothing I lack so why not go above and beyond all the time? There is nothing that can be taken away, so why put limits on generosity?

I love you God. I love your presence and the strength it gives me to stand in the light of your glory.

Yours is the glory, power, and kingdom forever and ever.

[akidnamedkevan]

FLOURISH

[akidnamedkevan]

Made You Look documentary trailer

[kultco]

Black Bug by Sebastian Voll on Flickr.

[akidnamedkevan]

Legends of the hidden temple

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Cafe Dulce bakes

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DTLA

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[archatlas]

House Bruce Alexander Tribe Studio Architects

"Designed for an artist (Giles Alexander), an environmental scientist (Anna Bruce) and their busy young family, House Bruce Alexander explores the poetic potential of the rawest pragmatism. 

The family’s bikes hang from the ceiling in a double height void, casting a beautiful array of shadows across the space. Storage for a family-full of stuff is arranged to create interesting spatial relationships and create display walls for the clients’ art collection.

This small, innercity terrace house has been renovated to suit the needs of a growing family, and reflect the clients’ interests in sustainability and art.

Built to a tight budget, the project is an example of how a diminutive footprint can create a high level of amenity, or how we can live smaller and more sustainably, and of the enriching quality of art of in space.”

[akidnamedkevan]

Genesis 39-41, Luke 16.

For a lot of reasons, this was an interesting place for me to pick back up on my devotionals. The story of Joseph and his rise to becoming Pharaoh's right hand man reminds me of my own current selfish ambition. How amazing would it be to rise up through the ranks so quickly! The temptation he faced in Potiphar's house reminds me of my struggles with lust. The Cupbearer and the Baker (Gen 40) reminded me of my struggle with handling responsibly the words that God gives me. Who would really want to tell someone they'd be decapitated? Joseph's honesty and glory giving statement (Gen 41:16) convicted me of the way that I seek to build my name before God's. It would’ve been so easy for Joseph to just take all of the credit because he has some special line to God. The passage in Luke was a wonderful follow up to the rise of Joseph. It made me think about the reasons why I would seek a place of power, glory, honor, by using God’s name. It made me realize that balance in my life doesn’t lie in balance “two masters” (Luke 16:13), but instead it lies in finding my balance completely in God. I need to find and get to a place where it’s my unwavering love and desire for God that makes me balanced. I’m also convicted of seeking to try to build too quickly without God. It’s true that “’Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…’”(Luke 16:10), but it’s the very little that can leave so much to be desired without God. Without God, the “very little” can seem almost trivial to be responsible with. Without God, the “very little” seems useless and it makes me feel like to jump from the “very little” to the “much” it requires my own hands intervening – BIG mistakes to follow that formula. It’s the “very little” that makes the Kingdom work. It’s the “very little” faith that moves mountains. This is where I need to start. Patience is hard to keep when I seek to live my life in the future (Reverend Sam Lee, 1/15/14). God, keep reminding me to be small, to be little, and to be content because you are with me. The “much” that comes later is grown from a seed that you’ve planted in me. The “much” that comes later is a product of maturing with you. The “much” that comes later is not the goal, but it just happens because your love is “much.” Thank you for your constant love. Thank you for your consistent love. Thank you that your love is my rock. I surrender my own strength and legs; I trade it in to stand on you.