The End(?)

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If you happen to stumble across this blog, I write this to inform you that I have officially retired this blog for the time being.  There may come a time in the future that I may reopen this lovely little blog and reenter the essence of creativity once again.  It was quite a little adventure for the mind, writing little tidbits and adding pictures to everything.  I hope to do this again in the future but as for right now, other errands and duties have been getting the best of me and taking my attention.  I always have things to do and I have business to stay on top of.

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My last update for now:  I moved to Minneapolis, MN about a month ago.  I will more than likely be going back to school in the next year. I will see to it that I honor my Creator with my life, no matter what stands in my way. I love my business. I love my girlfriend. I love my Jesus.I love my life.

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I wish the best for you in your own life

-Joshua Centellas

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The Lion Whisperer

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Hey everyone, or all two of you. I know it’s been such a long time since i’ve done anything in a while.

Life has been kicking my butt lately. I thought I would just put this out there.

I saw it today and it really was an inspiration to watch, a real inspiration of what is to come.

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The Lion Whisperer

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What Can I Do

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When I see the beauty of a sunset’s glory,

Amazing artistry across the evening sky

When I feel the mystery of a distant galaxy

It awes and humbles me to be loved

By a God so high

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When I hear the story of a God of mercy

Who shared humanity and suffered by our side

Of the cross they nailed You to, that could not hold You

Now You’re making all things new by the power

Of Your risen life

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What can I do but thank You,

What can I do but give my life to You

Hallelujah, hallelujah

What can I do but praise You,

Everyday make everything I do a hallelujah

A hallelujah, hallelujah

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Sonshine Music Festival 2013

Before you start reading just know that I am in a hurry while writing this, so my grammar might be sub par and the full rounded out idea might be lacking.  I am getting ready to go to South Dakota at 6am tomorrow plus I have to go to work tonight too. Enjoy!

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          If any of people didn’t know what happened this past week/weekend, Sonshine Festival 2013 was what was going on in the greater central Minnesota area. They have close to 50 some bands that play for 3 1/2 days, with bands such as Newsboys, Tobymac, Lecrae, and Skillet for the main stage. There was also an indoor stage with heavier bands such as Gideon, Your Memorial, Sleeping Giant, and For Today which is more my thing.

Sonshine Fest takes place in lofty ole’ Willmar, MN where I happen to be from.  This may be where I have gotten my love of music, since I have gone there every year since I was born. Although I won’t dwell too much on the festivities of it, I will try to give you the idea.  I was not there for Saturday’s events due to the fact that I had to go to my cousin’s wedding up north and celebrate with him getting wifed up! I don’t really feel the “festivity” of it anymore or as well because let’s just say I have connections and that’s basically how I have been there ever since I was born. But honestly, Sonshine has been changing the past few years and so I just want to share a little bit about what I saw and what happened this past week there.

GOD

God was present, as he always has been I think.  There are things or aspects of the festival where God may not be the focus or people where God is definitely not their focus but I don’t think that will be able to take away from the overall focus of God being glorified and celebrated.  Most of the bands did their part in talking about God or Jesus or their testimony in some way.  Some went above and beyond that call and even baptised people as well, which I will talk about later.  Some bands were there for their own profit and promoting their band. But by all means overall it was a great weekend to experience Jesus.

COMMUNITY

The community of everyone there is always great, especially with the young adults there after you’ve basically been seeing them for the past few years.  I think the community aspect is definitely more relevant or present in the indoor stage or the HM stage because a lot of the people that are in there all go to the same concerts within the area.  I could be wrong, but it seems like at the main stage you can’t really become good aquaintences with anyone because there is simply too many people.   All in all, there were two or more people gathered in His name, so God was glorified through the fellowship of his saints this past weekend.

MY THOUGHTS AND IDEAS

So like I said I have been going there ever since I was born, and I have seen the logistical side of things for a few years now due to the fact that I have a family member that works as part of the staff.  So with this experience I feel that I kind of know what the festival needs to continue to stay alive and not go down in history like Cornerstone Festival did. I may be wrong, I may be right.

Not to bash the festival at all but it has been going down hill the past few years.   I remember way back when I was probably twelve years old or so about how the festival had 16,000 people come to the festival.  Now a days it seems like there is only 1,000 although there I know for sure there was more than that haha, the numbers haven’t come out yet for an official total. Regardless, I know that part of the changes in numbers has been due to the band line up, which is why people go right? They have had the same bands coming to the festival the past few years with no “real” changes other than Lecrae which has helped out with numbers and the diversity of genres there.  I remember a lot of these bands were big back in the day, but no offense, they either haven’t been doing too much, falling out from their on high cornerstone position in their genre, or they have been singing there so many times that people don’t really want to pay $100 to see a band for the 6th time in a row, no matter how much they like them.  I have some ideas about what would help though. Hopefully Bob Poe is listening (for all you who know who that is).

It’s hard to hear for some of the die hard Sonshiners to hear but we need to start going hipster, and going back to the roots of “pure” worship.  Such bands as Josh Garrels, The Rend Collective Experiment, Gungor, maybe even Leeland along with someone like John Mark Mcmillian, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin (again), Kari Jobe, or even “purer” worship like Jesus Culture or Hillsong United.  This is what college kids are listening to now a days and this is what will draw in people, especially the now college kids that used to go when they were young.  Lets be honest, the hipster culture totally took over college campuses all over, or at least Northwestern College when I was there, and a new genre of Christian artists have arose because of it.  Sonshine does not have this.  I think this would jumpstart the festival again with the all coveted age 20-25 instead of  the 16-19 with kids living off their parent’s money.

The HM stage could use some revival as well.  I remember when they used to had August Burns Red, For Today, Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster, and The Devil Wears Prada.  Now this the closers for the week were Sleeping Giant, For Today, and Love & Death (which is Brain “Head” Welsh’s band).  For Today has gotten a lot bigger since those days but still, For Today only had a little half the arena packed when a few years ago they had more of a turnout. They used to get As I Lay Dying but I don’t think that taking that band is in they’re best interest (which if you know don’t why, I am in the midst of writing something on that soon. But still google it). I think Sonshine needs to steal at least one band from Warped Tour, like ABR or TDWP, and get some other bands so it’s not simply a facedown fest. They had some good midrange bands like Wolves At The Gate, Your Memorial, and Everything In Slow Motion (which is basically the band Hands FYI) but they need to expand that out again.

I really have to some things done before I go to South Dakota tomorrow so I will start wrapping this up. I may add some later depending on my memory.

FINAL THOUGHTS

But amidst all of my criticism of the festival I was able to witness a baptism of new believers by the band Sleeping Giant, in which they used water bottles and showered the twenty some people that weren’t Christians. That image is something that gives me hope.

I write this little article because I care about this festival that was started in my hometown close to 30 years ago. You may have thought that this was irrelevant to you but think the festival or venue near you.  What would you think if it was lost.  I won’t cry about it if Sonshine goes away but I will be sad for sure. But regardless, to God be the glory.

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Related articles

• Sonshine is more than just music (hispanicbusiness.com)

All The Way My Savior Leads Me

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I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July, I know I sure did. I just have something to share with you today that I found.

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  A few days ago, I went into my local thrift shops in my town  called “New 2 You” and started looking around. I was originally looking for some cheap speakers for around the house but I couldn’t find any there. Out of my slight disappointment in their lack of speaker selection, I then preceded to the book section, which if you know know thrift shops, always seem to be in abundance. I started looking around and didn’t really find too much besides some old hymnals. This thrift shop is a Christian thrift shop ran by my a local Christian school that I used to attend when I was in high school. I recognized these hymnals because of the fact that I live in a very small community and with the ties with the CMCS, my old school, where I have seen these hymnals in some of the churches around the area. I may have even used one of them, who knows! I got three of them only because they were about $.75 a piece and they were all a little different. One actually had the engraving of my school on it ” Central Minnesota Christian School” which I never recall ever using. I assume that they were before my time due to the look and lettering of the book.

          Anyways, I was looking through one of the hymnals that I had bought, more or less just kind of relishing in the idea that God had preserved and continued the faith of his saints in the mid to late 1900’s through these hymnals, or through these songs.  Something that seems so bland and dry now used to give the refreshment and renewing spiritual energy as does a Hillsong or Jesus Culture song of our day.  I think that old time hymns were something to be treasured and the depth of some of these songs is just incredible and really cannot be matched by anything of today’s standards. All it takes its an acquired taste and some time to really listen.

But anyways I digress, I was looking through one of them and I found this song. I don’t know this song off hand but I just thought that the words were perfect.

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All the Way My Savior Leads Me- Fanny J. Crosby

“All the way my Savior leads me- What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who thru life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, di-vin-est comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know what-e’er be fall me, Jesus do-eth all things well;
For I know, what-e’er be fall me, Jesus do-eth all things well”

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Present Suffering and future glory

Romans 8:18-25

(18) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (19) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  (20) For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself will be liberated from it’s bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

(22) We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (23) Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.  (24) For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  (25) But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

(NIV)

I opened up my bible tonight and read this passage from Romans and these are my thoughts from it.  Sorry if it’s out of context, I just opened it up and started reading. I really wish I had more time to elaborate and get into it.

     

My thoughts

” I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”

 I take this to mean after death. I could see being the glory revealed in us after being saved or “re-saved”

          – They are not even worth comparing with out present sufferings! This goes to show that we have no idea what heaven will be like           or  for that fact the new and coming restoration of God’s kingdom. We really cannot fathom what is to come.

          -Whatever you are going through, just remember that it is temporary and before you know it, you be forever in glory with Christ.

 – As verse 24 starts says, this is the hope that we are saved.  I thank God that I can live with that hope and that I have been for a few years now

“(21) that the creation itself will be liberated from it’s bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

          – Even creation longs in anticipation for the heavens and the earth to be restored! We as Christians and as humans in general I think need to remember just a little bit more that this life is not the end. We forget that this earth is in decay, not just physically but morally.

” (23)  Groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for out adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. “

– As verse 24 starts says, this is the hope that we are saved.  I thank God that I can live with that hope and that I have been for a few years now.

“(24) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.”

-Without hope in this life, I don’t think any of us would ever “make it” through this life

” (25) But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently”

– Stay firm and keep the faith. Amidst this world and all of the calamity, it is easy to look forward to heaven and step into future glory. But we for it patiently because we are not yet ready.  There is plenty of work to be done here on this earth before we leave.

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This Marriage

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I have known this song for years now. Amidst all of the styles of music that I like, I would say that this has a special place in my heart. I have a youtube link here on the title. Immerse yourself in the words and really understand what’s being said here. I hope that my future marriage is something like this.

Eric Whitacre – This Marriage

May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.

May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.

May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.

I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.

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I Corinthians 4:1-6

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I Corinthians 4:1-6

1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.

2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.

4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against

the other.

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The Crossroads

Right now I am sitting on a chair, at a table, in a coffeeshop (typical blogger location, I know..) of my small town of Willmar, MN. It is a busy Saturday afternoon here and things seem to be happening all around me here. Today is a great day simply because I am alive!

But, with that, there has been a lot has been on my mind in the past few days or so that sort of tie in with the image I have up top. I don’t know if this happens to everyone at some point in their lives, I don’t know, but it seems like I have hit a crossroads in my life. I know I’m only 21 years old and I have my whole life ahead of me to do whatever I want to do. But recently, to make a long story short, I came across a lady that I was interested in, but things didn’t work out.  We were in different seasons of life and going in different paths.. etc. you get the idea.  Anyways, she had an adventurous, traveling, and yet God-centered spirit that was infectious! I have always wanted to be the type of person, you know, go on hiking trip, then spontaneously drive to Seattle with some friends, that kind of person! I am sad to say that I am not this person by action but I am by heart. I kind of got caught up in my frugal living style of my parents and my answer to driving to anywhere far away was “why? What a waste of gas!”. This person re-introduced me to this free-spirited and adventurous lifestyle that I was aching for when I was in high school. Somewhere in between going to college and living at home to pay off college debt, is where I lost this very foolish (in a good way) and yet seemingly God-created heart alignment to explore his beautiful and glorious creation.  I think God thoughtfully created and designed the longing and desire in people to have a “heart” for missions, the big city, exploring etc. Philippians 3:13-14 has in there 13) …Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” If you put that in the context of salt & light and being adventurous about it, spreading the gospel to the corners of the earth, there just seems something so heavenly and so God glorifying about it. Maybe, just maybe,  this is a model of someone after God own heart. This has been “on” my heart for a few weeks now, and been “in” my heart since I was born.

So now I am at a crossroads here.  I have to keep paying off the debt that I have accrued over the time that I was in college, not only do I not want bad credit because I do want to be faithful to the higher cause of obeying the Lord for his glory’s sake.  I feel like the picture up top in the train station but don’t where to go next. This is why I have the “show me the way” on the side of my blog with the road as the picture. I feel like everything crucial happens within the next five years or so. Marriage, career, where you call home, and life basically. It seems like everyone is getting married around me, graduating college, and starting to take their different directions in life. For whatever reason, it makes me kind of sad, people are moving on. I just don’t want to miss anything, you know and I feel like I am. Hopefully you are starting to catch my drift here..

But another factor for me is as much of an introvert that I am, I want to meet people.  There’s something in me where I just want to meet everybody out there or at least all of the Christians my age, I guess I am an introverted extrovert! So with that, I want to go on some short-term missions program like YWAM or something like that.  I don’t know if I’m the only guy out there that thinks like this, but it honestly makes me sad or at least just a tiny bit depressed that I can’t go out on summer camps and Christian programs and just meet all of the young Christians out there.  Maybe that’s me being the fact I am more like a girl in certain areas haha, the fact that I am still a little bit in rebound-mode from this person I met, or maybe my not-so-mid-life midlife crises, I don’t know. There’s a number of possibilities.

I think that my life is in the terminal, waiting for the train to take me to the next place in life.  I have a feeling that this chapter is coming to a close in my life though, and the next chapter is building it’s opportunity for me.  The only thing I can do right now is pray to the most high and ask for clarity and remember and realize that nothing is more important than him, not even my adventurous heart’s desires.

Who knows where I will be in a few months. I just hope that it’s not here b/c I feel caged in this small town.  But I want to do something that I can cross off my bucket-list that I will not only remember, but change me and my direction for the rest of my life.

Oh, how my heart burns with passion for this exciting next chapter where ever it leads.

God bless

-Josh

Testing the waters

So I am still getting used to everything in the new little world. I have mostly been customizing my profile and just starting to really get what I want here. But I’m still learning so please give me a break for at least another 3 years or so..

While I’m still in the building stages of this I will start writing to get something out there about myself and the life that God has gifted me with. I am a Christian, not perfect, but someone who desires more of him and to learn more about him and to give him my utmost, because he loves me and he simply deserves nothing short of that.

I only hope that you enjoy my blog and if nothing else, learn about God right along side of me

-Josh