Lasagna

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I tried a new italian restaurant in town.  It was nice.  It was nice to be out together without the kids and just enjoy a good meal and conversation with eachother.  That in and of itself probably made the food taste better but the food we had was spectacular.  We started with fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Then we ordered a tomato caprese' salad.  Fresh mozzarella, garden fresh tomatos, pesto sauce, fresh basil and a balsamic reduction sauce drizzeled over top.  Wow!  For the main course I had linguine with shrimp and scallops, in a lemon,butter and white wine sauce and speckeled with capers.  It was delicious!  Charlene ordered the lasagna.  This is not the kind of lasagna you get in the frozen isle of the store.  It was fresh.  Ground beef, sweet italian sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, perfectly cooked pasta and a roma tomato sauce with chunks of fresh tomato and basil.  I stole a bite and it was best lasagna I've ever tasted!

The meal left us happy.  We were satisfied.... content but at the same time longing for more.  We were wishing our stomachs could hold more.  Most of the way home in fact, we talked about what a perfect a meal it was.  I made a statement that I wished dinner could be like that all of time.

Dinner.  It's kind of a funny thing.  It can be so good at times and then other times just be so ordinary, so blah.  A few nights ago I got home late and there was nothing much to eat.  My family had already eaten and they just assumed I would grab something out.  I settled for a few stale potato chips and a bowl of cereal with blueberries on top!

Okay, allow me to make my point.  Our relationship with Jesus is meant to be extravagant. It is meant to be like the fine italian dinner that leaves you satisfied and craving for more.  But I think most of us experience that kind of relationship about as often as I go out for a fine dining experience.  Fairly seldom.  Instead we keep settling for Top Ramen, cereal with blueberries, or lasagna from a box, and we wonder why our souls are longing and our hunger never satisfied.

We need to discover Jesus on a new level.  We need to discover Him as He really is.  He is the thing we are searching for, the very breath we need for our survival. I fear we have grown numb to the affect of Jesus.  We need to know Him.  To know Him is to Love Him.

I'm really excited for a new book coming out this October.  You know by now that Jeff and I have learned a lot through the ministry of John Eldredge.  I have been around John enough to know that this man walks with God. He is a wise sage and when he has something to write about, I try and read it.  His new book coming out in October is called "Beautiful Outlaw."  This book is going to reveal a lot about Jesus, and it is going to take your breath away.  If you are like me and you've slowly grown numb to Jesus, to his personality, his love, his devotion, his strength and courage then I think this book is going to get you fired up again! 

May you come and reveal your true self, Jesus.  It is your true self that we so desperately need.

The link below should take you to a trailer for "Beautiful Outlaw".

http://updates.ransomedheart.com/beautifuloutlaw/