Beautiful Outlaw

"Finally! Jesus as He really was. And is." On Thursday (Oct 13), we attended John Eldredge's 'Beautiful Outlaw' tour as he stopped in Santa Ana to promote his new book, encouraging Christians (and non-Christians) to see the true heart of our Savior. We are reminded that Christ was - and is - a real person, fully human as he walked the earth and was a man that had a specific personality. It was great to be reminded that Christianity isn't about religion, it's about a relationship with a man that was a human with emotions and unique characteristics. Unfortunately, so many get lost in the religion of things that people tend to get lost in the incorrect, earthly portrayal of Christ and therefore this distorts how we perceive Him. Most importantly, Eldredge shows us how the New Testament exists specifically for two main reasons: first and obvious, for the gospel. But secondly and equally as imperative, the NT provides us with so many rich stories that displays the playful, generous, honest, cunning, beautiful and perfect outlaw that Christ was and is. Below is the link to the article published through ASSIST News:

The Apple Shuffle

The best part of an FML moment? Everybody else gets to laugh at your stupidity.

This morning, I woke up to a very swollen face. My lips looked like an Angelina Jolie stunt gone terribly wrong. I was too depressed and irritated - not to mention ashamed - to accompany my husband, David, to church. So he left, making sure to place 'My Utmost for His Highest' at my feet as he slipped out the door, all the while holding back a smile at my poor attitude.

After devotions, I tossed Wallflowers on Pandora and settled behind the computer to work on an ongoing entrepreneurial project (yep, selling books on ebay). Before I became too immersed, I realized that I needed my cell phone for some information. It was a simple frustration at first, my runaway iPhone. But soon I was tossing blankets, pillows, clothes, and shoes; scouring drawers and retracing previous steps throughout the house. For me, one of the most frustrating feelings is losing an object: keys, purse, wallet...ugh, phone.

Somewhere during this entire fifteen minute pillage, Pandora decided that 'Here in Pleasantville' would be the song of choice. I cursed the Pandora music gods.

Fed up, I stomped to the kitchen to retrieve the house's land line (why I hadn't done this earlier I truly beyond my comprehension) and punched my own digits as I shuffled back to my room. Jakob Dylan's beautifully whiny voice faded as my ringtone took over. Yes, my phone was mocking me the entire time, loyally doing exactly what I had told it to do just minutes before. The best part? I had skipped a song DURING my search...skipped a song...touching my phone. Good Lord.

This reminded me of another technology blunder I had made during a road trip from Roswell, New Mexico back to Cali. For the first two hours of the journey, I was struggling to follow a story on audio book. I mean, really struggling to follow what seemed like quite a convoluted plot. Well, it took me not a few minutes, but a few hours to figure out that my iPod was on shuffle.

Maybe I shouldn't be operating Apple products.

You may be wondering what the moral of the story is. Well, technology makes you stupid, stupid. (Okay maybe just some of us.)

Events like these make me think of how - plainly put - stupid we all can be. But I don't mean dumb little blunders that make you laugh and look around to make sure nobody was around to witness, but how our mind struggles at times to grasp the big picture. In this economy I am struggling to find work, and this is my current tunnel vision. Like this morning's fiasco, I am apt to curse and allow frustration to take over when instead I should take a moment, pray, and think. The Lord was trying to tell me this morning: "Hey, chill; relax. It will come. An answer is there. Why don't you look at Me first so I can clear your head?"

Luke 11 reminds us of a simple promise that God gave us: "What Father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Basically, we humans are stupid and evil to the core, yet we know how to bless others; logic follows that God knows best how to bless us.

This morning I asked God to bless me with a job so I can bless my family; this morning I asked God to keep me faithful in all my tasks; this morning I asked for God for the desires of my heart. These are all good things to keep in conversation with our Father, but it is also important to not get tunnel vision on what we think we need. It will come. An answer is there. He will provide. A little faith goes a long way.

Cliches aside, it is difficult - no, impossible - to see the big picture if your mind is on shuffle like an audio book on an Apple product. Which, of course, is how finite minds are without an infinite power to point out that we are on shuffle in the first place.

And folks, I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any more cliche than that.