Crazy Disciple

Crazy Disciple: The Mission to Paris

Welcome to CrazyDisciple.com!   If this is your first time here, you are definitely going to want to subscribe to my RSS feed.  My name is Scott, l'Apotre Fou or The CrazyDisciple, and this is the 'joint' where I lay it all out, and write about what's going on in this crazy world.  You will see a lot of writing about my time in Paris, the journey, the struggles, the battles, and the victories of trying to share a message of faith, hope and love with an entire country.  You will also find a lot of writing about being a believer in a modern world, and my personal efforts to make an impact.   I can't claim that everything I say on here is right, or even that smart, but I can assure you that it is always coming from a place of authenticity and a desire to find truth in my own journey with God.   I encourage you to come along and enjoy the spectacle...   heck, even participate, comment, and chime in.  Your voice is important here. So, have a look around and come back often!  Comment, read, discuss, and most of all... enjoy!   -Scott

Happy 4th!!!

 

Ok, yeah… you have probably seen this picture on my blog before, I shot it about two years ago at the 4th of July festivities on Grand Lake.   This is the gorgeous view from my Dad’s lake house.   I will certainly miss being there this year, as I know it will be ANOTHER great year, with great fireworks, and great fun.   None the less, I will do my best to find a way to celebrate in my own way here in France.   I may be the ONLY person shooting off fireworks, but what the heck, I hear French prisons aren’t THAT bad…   LOL, Happy 4th everyone!  

Summer in Paris

 

I thought it might be interesting to share some little facts about summer in Paris with all of my friends from back in the states.  While it is not ground-breaking information, there are some interesting little differences between here and home that make it quite special.   For instance, it is now 10:52 PM and the sky is still a little light.   We have a considerable amount of sunlight well past ten o’clock, and the sun comes up around 5:40 am.   The last few days have been the warmest I have seen yet, with temperatures averaging in the mid to upper 80’s.  For the next week however, temperatures are forecasted to be in the low to mid 70’s all week for highs, and dipping down to the upper 50’s for lows.   All of this with gorgeous sunshine!  

With the last few days being rather hot, I have really noticed that this city is just not designed for the heat like we have back home.   No one, or very few people have air conditioning.  I have spotted on multiple occasions, homeless people sitting nearly naked in the streets…  women, and men both.   One woman, seen just this evening as I walked back from the supermarket, was only covering herself in a dirty bed sheet, wrapped around her body like a bath towel.   I got the impression that this was all she had on, and didn’t really even care who noticed.   Her sore-laden, white back was covered in dirt and splotches of what one could only guess was sunburn.  Admittedly, I can understand wanting to shed clothing in this heat, but to not have a private place to do it must be a horrible feeling.

As I type this, today’s heat (88 degree high) is dwindling away, but the remnants of it still linger inside of most of our apartments.   Even though I have the entire east wall of this flat opened, and circulating air, it is still hot… and a bit humid as well.   However, the current temperature of 78 will be as hot as it gets for the next 24 hours with a slight cool front moving in tomorrow with the famous Parisian rain.

I have heard it said that summer is the most beautiful time to be in Paris, and that she comes out in all of her glory at this time.   I can see how someone might say that, but the truth is that I miss the cold and damp winter, it just seems to match the atmosphere here better.   Paris just feels so much more like Paris when you have on a scarf, a long coat, and the only decision to be made is whether or not to wear gloves.  It’s all short sleeves and capri pants now (very few people here wear shorts, even the men wear capris; but not me!)  Still, Paris is something special.  

I do miss home though, especially with the 4th of July coming this weekend, it just wont be the same, being away from the brown and red lakes of Oklahoma.  Thankfully, the Seine is pretty murky…   But I would NEVER swim in it!

Instruction Manual for Life

I saw this video today on another blog that had posted it a couple of months back; I thought it deserved to be re-examined.   I am fighting urges to interpret the video for you, there is some looseness and ambiguity that I think invites us to our own interpretation, our own journey with some interesting truths.  It’s an eight minute video, and it may make you angry, it may make you confused, or it may make you feel “not alone.”  I challenge you to watch it, and even talk about it here through the comments, or invite others to watch it with you…   I would certainly be curious to hear what your experiences are.  Enjoy!

Jesus’ power of Death

This video was posted on Eric Bryant’s blog today, he is one of the Pastors of Mosaic, an amazing church in Los Angeles.   They are doing a series right now on the seven miracles of Jesus in the book of John, and this last weekend was the final installment of the series, with Jesus’ power over death.  Anyway, all of that background to tell you why you have to watch this video, it is flippin AMAZING.  This is how they started the service off, with an incredible dance and production element to introduce an amazing topic.  I just sat there with my jaw dropped as I watched it…  truly incredible.   Take seven minutes out of your day and watch this, with the sound ON… WHOA.  Awesome job guys!

STRETCH could be read as… OUCH

It seems there is a lot of stretching going on right now, in both my life, and in the lives around me.   It’s almost like God is putting many of us on the potter’s wheel at the same time, and posing that age-old question, “do you really want to grow?”

Growing in many respects requires this sort of stretching, this time when we are almost forced into shapes and positions that feel rather uncomfortable, and certainly unnatural.  I keep finding myself repeating the verse that “God works through ALL things for the good of those who love him and work according to His purpose.”  Wow, I find a lot of peace in that right now.   I probably need to meditate on that one for an hour each day… lol

So, by now you are wondering what it is that is stretching me, or us, or the world around me…  well, I can’t really say yet, as so much of it is still in this position of flux, but trust (just as I am) that God is at work, and the outcome (whatever it may be) is going to be INTENSLY COOL!  We just may not realize it yet…   But I pray (as I find myself doing a LOT lately) that God’s fingerprint continues to be apparent and that we all continue to look for it.  

Stretch-away!

Michael Jackson dead at 50... life is so short

As I prepared to go to bed tonight, I saw the rumble begin on Twitter that Michael Jackson had died.  It was interesting to see the story develop and talked about in real time while each of the individual news agencies confirmed the sad truth.  When it is all said and done however, the unfortunate reality is that we have lost one of the greatest musical talents of all time. 

I am reminded as I contemplate the realization of his death that life is so short; it can be gone in just an instant...   For most of you reading this, there will undoubtedly already be a vast number of honorary blog postings, and memorial TV shows, and news reports, and who knows what else that have already taken place.   For me however, the news has now been out for about thirty minutes, and I am just sad.   It's just a sad sad day for the world.   I will be praying for his kids, and for his family...  

Tonight, as I go to sleep... I choose to remember the Michael of old, the one who was in the Wiz, the one who put out "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" and who even filled dancefloors for me as a DJ many years after his stardom truly hit.  My friend William Jones said tonight on Facebook that Michael will forever be in our hearts, and he is right.   But he will also forever be in our iPods, CD Players, and hopefully ears...   Blessings to you Michael, I hope that you are headed to see our creator.  

What kind of future do we want to create?

In my morning reading, I stumbled across this blog post from the Origins Project, written by Erwin McManus.  It's entitled "Living Wide Awake", and as always, I found many pieces of amazing food for thought here.   The one quote that really caught my eye, and heart, is this:

"Can the Church become the greatest humanitarian movement on the planet? Can we become the epicenter of human creativity, innovation and compassion? Can we create humanity’s next great culture? We think to ask what kind of church we should become is not only the wrong question, it is boring. We should be asking… what kind of future do we want to create?"

(read the full post here)

This is a question that I find myself leaning into more-and-more as I stretch towards the next step in my journey with God.   I had never seen it put so eloquently however.   This concept goes far beyond the church, it goes to the very core of all of our directives and invites an intentionality about shaping our own stories.   Whether we are focusing on our spiritual life, our relationships, our companies or our existence, we have the ability and gift to choose our futures.  Sure, there will be wrong turns, and speed bumps, but that is the beauty of the journey.  

Not as common as I thought

I really believed that I would be seeing photoshoots like this all the
time here in Paris, but this is the first one I have seen in nine
months! It was cool though, and this girl is like 8 feet tall! The
best part was seeing the gear that the photographer was using, and
drooling... Maybe someday I'll have those $4000 lenses... Eek!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday!  For those of you who don't know, my dad's name is Larry Mocha, and he is a small-businessman and an advocate for small business in Tulsa, where I am from.   It's been really incredible to see how his life has evolved and changed over the years, and to see how he has stepped into his passions and roles.

Not only is he the President and CEO of APSCO, Inc., but he is also a powerful voice for business and for fellow business owners.  He has found his call in life as a person who fights for the rights of others, and for the livelihood of his employees, friends and colleagues.   His journey into these places in life has served as quite an inspiration into my own. 

However, more than all of the things he does, and all of the ways he works to affect the world, he is first-and-foremost my dad.   It's a pretty incredible thing to share time with him and to talk about both of our journeys.   I wish that today I could be there and give him a big hug, but it will just have to wait a couple of months.   In the meantime however, I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and that I love you Dad.   See you soon!

Finally getting this health system figured out

While Tulsa isn't exactly the "country" it is considerably different than Paris, especially in air quality.   One of the biggest difficulties I have had since spring has started is difficulty in breathing.  My asthma has been the worst it has ever been, and as of two days ago, I was completely out of asthma medicine. 

So today, feeling confident in my French skills, and in my ability to act like an ignorant tourist, I went to the local pharmacy to ask for some help with getting a replacement inhaler.  Nothing fancy, just a little Primatine mist, which will forever remind me of my father.   Anyway, I was shocked to find out that there were no over-the-counter asthma medicines available in France.   WHAT?   So the pharmacist recommended that I go see a doctor, and by some magic circumstance there was a doctor just down that same street that would see people without an appointment.   So, I went!

Entering into the doctors office is nothing like going to the doctor in the states.  These offices are made out of simple apartments, with one bedroom being the waiting room, and another bedroom being the doctors office.   It was interesting to say the least, but as I sat there (with no receptionist greeting me) I kept practicing in my mind how to tell this doctor in French what exactly was wrong with me.   As soon as he walked in the waiting room, I blurted out in my favorite American accent, "Parlez-vous Anglais?"  (Do you speak English?) 

Thankfully, he DID.  So after a short exam and my explanation of my symptoms he giggled and said that the pollution in the Parisian warm air was what was causing so many flair ups.   He suggested a much stronger steroid medication and even gave me two months worth of the medicine for no cost.  I then paid the 30 euros for an uninsured doctors visit, and was on my way.  

As I walked back to my flat with a little more air than normal, I thought to myself... "wow, I may actually be getting this whole health system figured out." It only took me nine months and several failures to get there, but hey... that is half of the fun!