More Thoughts on Tangled...

So, I just realized that Flynn's plan the entire time was to get chased by the guards (at the beginning). His plan was to betray the Stabbington Brothers so he could make off with the crown. Why else would he have commented on the guard's sneeze? Notice, he says "Ahhh, alone at last" when he gets inside Rapunzel's tower. That is how much of a bad guy he was... At the beginning of the movie he is a debase, self-serving, selfish rogue but at the end, he comes to understand that life isn't about himself. His realization culminates in him sacrificing his own so that #Rapunzel can live hers free of bondage under Mother Gothel. See? #Disney shows us that no one is too far gone. Is it as good of an example as King Manasseh or the Apostle Paul? Absolutely not. But I think it's a good example.

Lessons from Thor (i wasn't sure what else to call it)

I thought you dead./ Did you mourn?/ We all did. Our father.../ YOUR father! He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?/ We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?/ I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss, I who was and should be king!/ So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? No, the Earth is under MY protection, Loki!/ [laughs] And you're doing a marvelous job with that! The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you ideally threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?/ You think yourself above them?/ Well, yes./ Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. A throne would suit you ill./ I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odin's Son, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it.../ Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?/ I AM a king!/ NOT HERE! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream!... You come home.

I love the heart of Thor. He continually extends reconciliation to Loki. His heart is for his brother to repent. No matter what Loki does. Even in Thor: The Dark World, after he says, "KNOW that WHEN you betray me, I will kill you," he says, "I wish I could trust you." After everything that happened, after Loki killed him, he still forgives. While on Pinterest the other day, I saw something that I thought was quite profound. It said, "Watching Thor, I find it sad that Loki spends so much time wallowing in the fact that he's not Odin's favorite, but he completely misses the fact that he's Thor's favorite." It's most obvious when Loki dies*, Thor's grief is real and heart-rending.

Similarly, I think we, as Christians, spend much of our lives wanting to be popular or the cool friend or the favorite, and we miss the fact that Jesus is there loving us... Even after we killed Him. Sure, I may be stretching the example, but I hope you get the point. Jesus wants us to "give up our poisonous dreams" and come back to Him. To what matters. *side note: Yes, he didn't die and I was so upset that Loki didn't ACTUALLY die. He died so well. There was reconciliation. There was closure. Aaaaand they had to screw it up by letting him live

The Past Few Weeks...

I really need to get better at writing posts more often. I've been super busy of late, so my apologies for the three of you who want me to write more. I've started college and, between school and work, I don't have a lot of free time. The free time that I do have I am using to hang out with my friends. So, what has happened in the weeks of no posts? Frozen happened. Yeah, that was a great movie...

After several long years of hardship, my church shut its doors. I said this about it on Facebook... "It's weird to think that I've been on this amazing journey with the congregation of Peninsula Household of Faith for a decade. It was sunny for three years and then came this massive storm. It's been a long seven years of turmoil, pain, and rainy days, but it has definitely been worth it. I would like to publicly thank my Dad and Mom and Mr. and Mrs. Barrueto for leading the church through the trials of life. You were left with a battered and sinking ship, but you didn't bail. You nursed it along to its destination and, although it is time to retire the vessel, you didn't let the storm beat you. Thank you. To my friends who stayed true through it all, you don't know how much you mean to me. I will never leave you guys because you never left me. Lastly, thank you Jesus for being my strength and shield, my rock and my comforter. I know you've got fabulous plans and I know that there will be tougher storms, but you know what? I never heard You say that it would be easy. I definitely know that You said it will be worth it. I look forward to what You have next. Goodbye PHF, you will live forever in my memories." If you want to hear the full story (or what I know of it) just message me on Facebook and ask, but that's all I am going to say about it here. Where to next? Well, it appears we're going to start going to Mars Hill: Tacoma... (w00t!!!) They opened at the beginning of this year. It's pretty dope. I'm excited to see where God's going to take me this year. :) Also, I'm not even a big football fan, but the SEAHAWKS WON THE SUPERBOWL! And that's pretty exciting too. Ciao! Simeon.