Brother Juniper

I have just stumbled across "brother juniper" cartoons.   Apparently Brother Juniper was an actual friar and one of the first to join the order of saint Francis.   He has been called a fool for Christ and the jester of the courts of the Lord.   Juniper had been commanded to quit giving parts of his clothing to the half-naked people he met on the road. Desiring to obey his superior, Juniper once told a man in need that he couldn’t give the man his tunic, but he wouldn’t prevent the man from taking it either. In time, the friars learned not to leave anything lying around, for Juniper would probably give it away. May we all be so foolish for Christ that we would give away the shirt off of our backs.    I like this posted cartoon because it fits our society today.   When we are offended we are quick to protest and boycott,  but slow to pray.   I think that is because if we were to pray about it we must be open to possibly being wrong.   When we protest we assume we are right.   I pray that God will give me the grace and humility to pray before I act.

Pride

The Lord detest all the proud of heart.  Be Sure of this: they will not go unpunished.
                 Proverbs 16:5
Pride is a dangerous thing, it pits us against each other by displaying why we are different.  Which usually has an "I'm better than you" connotation.  You hear all the time we should celebrate our differences but why not celebrate how we are the same?  
Before Christ religions were pretty much separated by ethnicity.   One of the beautiful things about Christ kingdom is that it is for all the world.   Believers of all ethnicities united in Christ.  When we identify our selves by something else other than Christ it causes conflict.   Whether you are white,  black,  latino, or asian you are Christian first. 
Let's put out identities in Christ first before ethnicity or sexual preference.  
Below I included some pictures to show the ridiculousness of pride.   Notice the black,  whites, and latinos seem to be raising their first at one another.
Much love
Dustin. 

The Strong Tower of Beard Health

As a barber with a large beard I get questions about beard health everyday.   Usually from people looking for some kind of magic elixir to rub on their faces that will make their beard grow healthy,  full,  and over night.   Well as G.K. Chesterton aptly said.
"No one ever grew a beard in a moment of passion."
Growing a beard is a commitment and growing a healthy beard requires a commitment to health.   The two time winning beard champion of the world Jack Passion has a mantra that rings true.
"Healthy man,  healthy beard"
So what are the building blocks to healthy facial follicles?
Growing up we have all seen the "food pyramid" well if anybody ever followed that guideline strictly they would be dead in a week (no water in the pyramid).  Well with beard growing we will build a nutrient tower.   The more of these nutrient blocks you use the stronger the tower The healthier the beard.
The foundation of our tower is made of two key ingredients, water and protein.  Hair is 97% protein and if you are dehydrated your entire body will not function properly.   If you do nothing else for the health of your beard this foundation will give a pretty good start.   Everything after that is fine tuning.
The next level of the tower is your omega fatty acids.  Your hair is 97% protein, well the other 3% is fatty acids.   Salmon is an excellent source of both nutrients,  but personally I feel sardines are a much better fish for overall hair growth.   Pound for pound sardines have more omegas and protein,  plus they contain vitamin D and other trace minerals like calcium.   They can look a little off putting but taste great.   Find a quality brand, I prefer King Oscar,  you can always trust a company with a bearded royal as their logo right? 
Another excellent beard growing food is walnuts.   Not only are they a good source out protein and the only nut with a significant amount of fatty acids.   They contain vitamin E and biotin.  Biotin being the next block of our tower side by side with zinc.  
A deficiency in zinc can lead to dry itchy skin and hair loss.   3 ounces of oysters provides nearly 500% of your daily value of zinc.
The next level of our tower of Beard is beta-carotene which your body metabolizes as vitamin A.  Your body's cells cannot function without this and it helps to produce the oils that will sustain your hair,  preventing beard itch and dandruff.   When looking for success of beta-carotene look for your orange fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes,  carrots,  mangos,  and cantaloupe.
In the last level of our tower we will put iron.   Iron is essential because it carries oxygen to your hair follicles and a lack of iron can cause hair loss.   Good sources of iron would include eggs and red meat.  
With just these nutrients you will be looking at a top notch beard,  but what good is a tower without a few soldiers guarding from the top.   Vitamin C, vitamin B-5, and vitamin D will make up our special forces trifecta to round out the tower of Beardiness.  Vitamin C increases blood flow to the capillaries that feed your hair follicles.   Vitamin B-5 or pantothenic acid is a hair friendly protein found in most hair products.  Vitamin D has also been linked to hair health,  though we are not entirely sure why.
Commit yourselves to eating a variety of these foods abs you will be getting a luxurious man mane of a beard in no time.   Keep bearding my friends.
Much Love
Dustin

Disciple or Believer? And what is the difference?

Are you a disciple of Jesus or a believer?
You believe that there is one God.  You do well.   Even the demons believe- and tremble!  But do you want to know o foolish man,  that faith without works is dead?
                    James 2:19-20
Is belief enough? 
I am sure with that question
John 3:16 comes to mind and you may answer with a resounding "yes!".   However,  Jesus along with the writers of the new testament made it clear that with this new found belief there should be a new found way to live life.
So the question of our belief should be framed as such. 
    "So you know Jesus or do you know about Jesus?"
You probably know that Jesus was a man who live in 1st century Judaea, born in Bethlehem,  and crucified in his thirties.   But,  do you believe that His death was the atoning sacrifice for your sin?  Do you believe that Jesus is the one and only door to heaven?  Is Jesus the
authority over your life?   If you truly believe that He is the only hope for salvation and you have been saved truly,  then this should be evident in your life.
     But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,  peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.  Against such there is no law.
                  Galatians 5:22-23
Jesus pointed out to us in his parable of the good Samaritan that mercy was so much more than pity.   Mercy demands action and that to love our neighbor was more than just a feeling.   We are to show live to our neighbors (everybody) actively.
So what is a disciple?  It is one who had decided to give everything to Jesus by making Him the supreme authority in their life.
It is important to note that Jesus' last command before he ascended into heaven was to go and make disciples of all nations.   (See Matthew 28).  Disciples,  not believers. 
The famed evangelist Oswald Chambers said it best
Our work behind where God's grace has laid the foundation;  we are not to save souls but to disciple them. Salvation and sanctification are the work of God's sovereign grace; our work as his disciples is to disciple lives until they are wholly yielded to God.  (My utmost for His highest)
So what is holding you back from being a disciple?  What are you holding back from God?   Are you willing to submit to Christ's authority?  Are you willing to follow Jesus,  or do you just believe in Him?
Much love
Dustin.

Ageism in America

Why are we so afraid to grow old?  In a way,  we are all ageist.   As a barber in a small town the majority of my clients are 65+ some more virile than others all usually dealing with some type of ailment.   But, what concerns me is the amount of older gentlemen trying in futility to look younger.  
I guess I shouldn't really be surprised since the days of the teen heart throb much of western society has devoted all of its time and effort into fighting off grey hairs and holding on to cherub faces, but to me this obsession for youth has come to an all time high in the past 20 years or so.  
Silicon valley has ushered in a wave of technology parallel only to the industrial revolution.   The speed of microchip advancement has become so rapid that much of the older generation is being left behind, and the younger people of society are not seeing the value of those who are thoroughly experienced in this thing called life.  
At best we ridicule our elders and poke fun at their frailty, at worst we send them off to a home and do our best to forget about them.   Granted some of the older generation needs more medical care  than your average person can provide and need 24 hour monitoring and a rest home is the best place for them.  
With all of this said, I guess what I would really like to see is our older generation rise up and take its dignity back, because nothing says "I am no longer relevant the way I am" than trying to be something you are not.  Look at each grey hair as a badge of honor for a life all lived, because after all "grey hair is a crown of glory attained by a righteous life" proverbs 16:34
Respect your elders.
Live long and prosper.

Much love.
Dustin

An introduction

The content of this blog is not written to purposely entertain or enrich you.  It is simply a way for me to organize my thoughts and vent my ideas and opinions.   However,  if you are reading this blog I do hope that you find it entertaining and enriching.   There are a few topics that you may expect me to write about.  
Jesus, more than a philosopher,  more than a revolutionary,  the alpha and omega the Lord of all creation and the Lord of my life.  Expect me to criticize Americanized Christianity and typical "church" culture.   Expect me to share my endeavors and the endeavors of those around me of spreading the gospel.   Expect me to diligently rebuke worldly culture and exhort Kingdom Culture.  
My wife,  Jesus being the most important in my life,  my wife is the second, she is a godly woman and an inspiration to me.   She makes me a better person, and occasionally I like to brag about her.
My children,  I have a son who is nearly two and another baby on the way.  Beautiful chaos is sure to follow.  Also,  my wife and I are licensed foster parents.  Prior to my eldest's birth we fostered 3 children,  sang at the time of this writing we are waiting for another placement.
Men's grooming, I am a professional barber and most of this blog will be written in my barbershop via mobile phone.   I cut men and boys hair only.   I also do straight razor shaves,  and think the styles becoming popular today are ridiculous.
Beards, this  deserves its own topic separate from grooming, aside from the care and maintenance of.   To me the beard is about principal.   Culture is constantly trying to feminize men and I pray that men will embrace their God given masculinity.   Being masculine does not make you a brute and being a brute does not make you masculine. As random as I tend to be I'm sure there will be other topics and sub topics but this should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Much Love
Dustin