jolt out of orbit

I've heard it said before that humanity loves to root for the Underdog, innately though, we want to win. So at the moment when said Underdog is looking like they may not get that "W", we jump off the Underdog bandwagon and hold on tight to the competitor about to finish the game carrying that "W".
Why? Nobody likes to be wrong, nobody likes to be the one that picked the wrong guy, nobody wants to stand behind the "loser". Our pride is at stake, our ability to predict the future and have all the answers is riding on who crosses that finish line first, or who Katniss will truly end up with.
We know that we can't fully put our confidence in either of those players... but we still try. We buy the foam finger, we get the signed poster, we save all our concert tickets, we cherish our collectors item clock [that we would NEVER dream of making it on History channel's Pawn Stars because we would NEVER be able to part with our precious], we make shrines out of cut-out magazine photos and plaster a picture collage on our laptop wallpaper. All in hopes that we picked the one, the one that won't ever let us down. We're proud, we're uncertain and that's why we so easily switch sides. We cheer our team when they're up and jeer them when they miss a field goal or 3 pointer. We want to win, we want to KNOW who is GOING to win in the end.
And this doesn't apply to just sports, there are many different examples of Underdog stories in different contexts. Why do you think everyone reads the spoiler alerts for The Bachelorette? And I mean, really, are you REALLY Team Jacob or Team Gale or Team Ron Weasley or whoever... You pledge devotion to a "team" but inside you want to win, so your loyalty transitions from the "Underdog" to who really is going to get the girl, because let's face it, if they're going to end up together, you at least have to be counted as one that supported that.
We love to say we're all for the Underdog, we gush with the inspiration we get from the Underdog's story, and the truth is, we all want to have a winning Underdog story. A come-from-nothing-to-something. But when we put our confidence in someone, some sport, some team, some job, some character in a movie or book, some ____________, we'll never have an underdog story, we'll never even be able to understand what it takes to overcome, to persevere. We need to slip the pin back in that grenade. When we experience a jolt out of the orbit we're in, we can see our one true, successful Underdog-the story we've been craving,  the "team" we can put our faith, confidence, hope, everything behind. Only when we look at Jesus' work on the cross will we be able to accept what an underdog story we have. Only when we accept His love and saving sacrifice will we be able to grasp that we are, in fact, successful underdogs.

Bottom line: your underdog "W" is only possible with Jesus

Salzy Baby

It's bittersweet not being able to sleep... bitter because I really enjoy sleep, but sweet because I was thinking about how my beautiful, dear sista got herself hitched yesterday... and if anyone deserves to be the happiest girl in the world, it's my Salzy.

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Julie Salzma--wait, no that's Larame as of today! :)

Salz, you blasted into my life with a punch and whisked away with the same force. From the instant, we were friends and I've never met someone who was so much as like me as you are. In a world where there is so much "good" ministry, we discovered our hearts beat for the exact same thing. From XTerra's to crab legs to painful pasts to healing in Haiti-God gave me a soul sister with you. We're living-out-of-a-backpack, random-wild adventures, noisy-busy-always-laughing nerds.  We're storytellers, you with photos and videos, me more with words and conversation. And as we shared OUR stories, I knew you had been where I had been and I understood exactly where you had been. I remember standing on the Hasting's deck in the frigid air around a not-so-burning fire that with Gibson hunting around for random stray mammals that are only found out there in the deep of Mt. Washington and diving deep into how God transformed our lives. I remember you telling me about Fanfan and-there wasn't too much to be said then-but you fully surrendered to God's timing and trusted Him for His best for you.

Salz, you taught me more than Pro-Presenter, you taught me to never stop embracing life. That no matter what season I'm in, to live in it as if it's the best part of the journey thus far. You helped pry the vault away from my shattered heart and heard God's grace in listening to the details of the chaos that was my life (still is, but now it's a beautiful chaos:P) and then you weaved together a beautiful display that exalts God's grace in my sphere of brokenness.

I thank God for you Julie, and I thank God that you follow and trust Him and that you shine that Light no matter what you're going through. I thank God that He brought you and Fanfan together, miles and countries and cultures apart, to work for His Kingdom together. You together are proof that God truly is good and that nothing is impossible in Jesus.  I wish you two nothing but joy as you serve our Savior in convenant. I love you Salzy!