Salvation is a Life

I started reading The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard this last week. I have been in search of understanding what makes the Christian life so much different from the non-Christian. Yes, I know that I believe in the redemptive work of Christ that saves me from my sins and gives me the gift of eternal life with Him, but how is my day-to-day life is different from just another "good-acting" person I pass on the street, work with, or am friends with? When we were in high school we were asked what our "life verse" was...maybe to put in a profile at graduation? I can't remember, anyway, I chose Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spirtual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." That seems about right...in response to the mercy of God (saving us through the sacrifice of His Son) we give our lives to him as a sacrifice. We seek to be transformed by Christ, not conforming to the way the world lives around us. It sounds so nice and simple as I type these sentences...but that is not how it plays out in daily life. I want to know how to take this mental picture of Christianity and translate it to be played out by my life, my body, my day-to-day actions. I understand that due to my upbringing in a Christian home and Church attendance I have morals and values that guide me to do the "right" thing, but it doesn't feel like that comes from a well-spring of life flowing out of me from Christ...it feels more like my mind telling my body what is expected of me based on external factors and expectations. However, that feeling is just a feeling and there are times when I feel God working in me, through me, doing things I wouldn't do without his power, grace or love, but those times aren't often enough for my contentment. I want to be a Christian who understands how to live this short life on earth to the fullest. I want people to see that my "good" deeds come from something besides my own moral code. I want to be continually transformed into Christ's likeness so that God may do his work through me here on earth.

It comes down to learning how to live the Christian life...not just an experience that seals your eternal life, but a life that means something in the Kingdom of God.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

"God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life." 1 John 5:11-12

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:10

So I will continue to seek and understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ with my body, not just my mind. Hopefully, my commitment to this journey will not be fleeting...as intentions are one thing, but follow through is another. Something I am working on this new year.

Here are some of the thoughts from the chapter that I liked...

• "...the secret of the easy yoke is immersing and persisting in the overall style of life that characterized Jesus." p. 28
• "...we tend to think of the body and its functions as only a hindrance to our spiritual calling, with no positive role in our redemption or in our participation in the government of God." p.30
• "To withhold our bodies from religion is to exclude religion from our lives." p.31
• "Spirituality in human beings is not an extra or "superior" mode of existence. It's not a hidden stream of separate reality, a separate life running parallel to our bodily existence. It does not consist of special 'inward' acts even though it has an inner aspect. It is rather, a relationship of our embodied selves to God that has the natural and irrepressable effect of making us alive to the Kingdom of God - here and now in the material world." p. 31
• "Through what is in reality an astonishing lack of faith, the church removes itself from the substance of life. Powerless over life, it stands to one side, and God is left without a dwelling place through which he could effectively occupy the world in the manner he intends." p.30
• "The message of Jesus himself and of the early disciples was not just one of the forgiveness of sins, but rather was one of newness of life..." p.36
• "The resurrection was a cosmic event only because it validated the reality and indestructability of what Jesus had preached and exemplified before his death-the enduring reality and openness of God's Kingdom...the Kingdom would go on." p.37
• "...the idea of redemption as the impartation of a life provides a totally different framework of understanding...that life will be poised to become a life of the same quality as Christ's, because it indeed is Christ's. He really does live on in us. The incarnation continues." p.38

tutta bella

tutta bella - all beautiful

I can say this much is true. The night was all beautiful...neapolitan pizza, a salad with excessive balls of mozarella, great company and conversation, and an amazing espresso with a hint of nutella! so beautiful.

I can't believe I leave for 3 months in less than a week. It was so good to spend time talking tonight with Sarah, not necessarily about trip stuff, but just life stuff. I so appreciate her listening ear especially when I'm talking out things I'm processing in life. I so treasure the community that I'm in and will miss my friends the next few months, but Christmas will be here before we know it...once September hits it's all downhill!

I'm loving...

sipping Good Earth on the porch

listening to rodrigo y gabriela

and the favorite quote of the day from my micro prof...

"we are just a big bag of juicy goodies"

quality

slow down

Not like I really need to slow down anymore...school has been out for almost a month, I only have microbiology 3 days a week and the rest of the time I hang out, workout, read, study, bake...pretty much heaven. But then in the slow down there is anticipation for the rush to come. This time the rush is unknown. I don't know what to expect once I stop getting paychecks from the school, finish my class and am working part-time at the salon. what next I ask?

For the moment I am going to listen to my Missy Higgins station on Pandora and bake some Maple Oat Scones (a recipe I've wanted to try for ages now!). Sounds like a good short term solution/distraction from thinking about the unknown to come...

change

At least once a year I change the layout of my bedroom. My mom can attest to this...as a child I was constantly wanting to move my bed and furniture and of course couldn't do it myself. The upside of all of this shuffling around is that junk gets thrown out and dust bunnies vacuumed. So, today was that day of the year. I'm blaming it on long days and iced coffee after dinner...I had just enough motivation and energy to flip my bed around swap my dresser and keyboard and throw a bit of junk out in the freshly emptied garbage can...and boy does it feel good! I'm not so satisfied with the placement of the keyboard, but my coat rack is a bit of an obstacle. Next I am going to add some new picture frames. I put up two today - a double picture frame with a sunset on the farm and picture of the barn, the other a view of the beach and a handful of shells. The coffee buzz isn't gone maybe I'll study some vocab for the GRE...

highlights of today

90 degree weather

starting antibiotics

ferry rides

new DMB album

afternoon nap

dinner with parents

baking lemon cookies

summer storm

sleeping with the window open

procrastinator

You'd think I would want to pack. That I would be excited to get everything ready to go for the trip tomorrow. But no, it's the last thing I am motivated to do...instead I would rather workout, listen to Coldplay, dink around on facebook...clean. All things of no importance to my trip to the Dominican. Why is that? Why do I procrastinate? I mean I understand not wanting to grade papers (which I also have to do tonight), but that is just dreadful in comparison to packing. Maybe packing uses too much brain power that has been zapped out of me by the events of the day...teaching cellular respiration (10th graders don't do well with complex chemical reactions), staying patient when kids are loud and obnoxious, answering questions, packing team supplies, making decisions about JSB, giving awards out at the MS bball banquet, calling the credit card company, taking cash out, teaching about malaria and other vector diseases, wondering if my parents are worried about me...maybe I should just sit and rest for a minute...no, I think I'll go for a swim...it always gets done in the long run.

baskin robbins

Setting: Baskin Robbins on a quiet night. Alicia and I are browsing the ice cream selection. Family of 4 (with one on the way) walk into the store. Kid yelling obnoxiously about what he wants...then sits at a table. Mom and Dad and little brother are looking at ice cream. Meanwhile, I order my double scoop coffee and pistachio ice cream cone and begin to pay...while sneaking a bite

Kid at Table: "Dad, dad! That person over there is eating not at a table."
Bekah: glances over at the boy (embarrassed?)
Dad: looks at me then looks back at kid
Kid: "And Dad, that person is eating a double cone."
Bekah: "uuhhh..."
Alicia: laughing
Pregnant mom: laughing
Kid: so confused...why is everyong laughing?
Bekah: "I am so sorry...I am not setting a good example"

Alicia and I leave the store laughing as the boys wave goodbye through the window.

Funny...

life - the sweetest thing

Yesterday was such an amazing day. My favorite days - I wake up, clean a little, drink a homemade latte, wear sweats, get a massage, make a delicious salad, a friend visits, get dressed up in a fancy dress, celebrate a new marriage, enjoy old and missed friends, drink a cup of coffee, go to the Nectar, meet new friends and dance the night away. Life doesn't get any sweeter than this!

maybe I caught the bouqeut...yikes!

tangerine sunrise

The sunrise this morning was a beautiful shade of tangerine. I googled seattle sunrise and found a couple pictures the are similar to the view on the way into work this morning! enjoy!

deliciousness

Last night I was lucky enough to have dinner at Etta's, a Tom Douglas restaurant, that is participating in the dine around seattle deal for the month of March - 30 restaurants serve a 3 course menu for $30.

Last time I was there I ordered an heirloom tomato salad and the crab, but I have to say the second time around was much more delicious and a much better deal.

For the starter I had the Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup. The main entree was Etta’s Rub with Love Wild Coho Salmon with Cornbread Pudding and Grilled Shiitake Relish...of course I went for the salmon. Dessert was amazing, banana cream pie. I don't usually go for cream pies, but was told that Etta's has the best around and it was true!

It was such a treat...if only I could afford to eat out like this every week...but then again I would be spoiled and it wouldn't be a luxury anymore.

home

yummy cinnamon roll recipe from Bon Appétit


Home...it's safe, comfortable, relaxing...a place where I have no committments other than to enjoy time with family. Who knows what that will look like. Maybe it's talking, watching a basketball game, drinking lattes, playing the Wii, going for a digestive walk. Whatever it is, it takes me out of my life in Seattle and transports me to a simpler setting where life slows down and rest ensues. This last weekend I went home and my roommates and I spent time at Malia's house and in the morning went to my house for breakfast. It was a short visit, but was so home. My dad made lattes, my mom made homemade cinnamon rolls and eggs (like joe's scramble from portage bay)...so mom. It was good to be taken care of...the love of parents is forever unconditional.

"Happiness is like a butterfly: The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder"

~Henry David Thoreau

Spinning

I have been afraid of spinning my whole gym career. Whenever I would walk by a class in session all I saw was pain on the faces of the cyclists...sweat and pain. Why would I want to subject myself to such torture? And the class instructor always looked psycho...smiling and laughing and yelling to work harder and pedal faster. On the plus, the music was always seemed fun and motivating. So after watching from a distance on my own stationary bike and a motivating conversation with my hair stylist, I decided I would overcome my fear of spinning and check it out. I figured it would be easier if I had another first timer with me, so I invited my roommate Sarah, and much to my surprise she said yes! Saturday morning came too quickly and I was worried the class would fill up so we got to the gym 20 minutes early...lucky because they actually take reservations for the class 30 minutes beforehand, it is that popular.

The class was everything I thought it would be...grueling, sweat, burn, tears, laughter...and really good music. The instructor found out it was our first time and so she would always yell, "how are my new girls in the back doing?" and everyone cheered for us at the end of the class...my guess is because we didn't walk out? So an hour later I was drenched in sweat, out of water with a sore butt. But I did it and it felt so good I'll probably do it again...in fact this Tuesday there's another class! It was fun exercising with a group of people again...kind of like a team where we were encouraging each other on and pushing each other to finish. Definitely my kind of workout...to bad it took me so long to check it out.

A secret note...

A student passed this note onto me today...they didn't know who made it. Such an encouragement.

Stress

Life is messy...

I'm trying to be okay with that fact of life today. Life is not orderly, predictable, or controlled. It is hectic, unreasonable, and unexpected. I'd like to think that I handle stress fairly well, but today I have done a poor job and it's not even noon. I have to believe that out of the messiness that causes stress there is good to come, either I will be changed in the process or someone else will be changed. Without that hope, it's pointless.

thankful

There is so much to be thankful for, number one being the beautiful sunshine we are getting here in Seattle. It's amazing how much my mood improves when the sun is out. I just came in from a jog as the sun was setting over the Olympic mountains and was so perfectly at peace with the day. Now on to finishing invitations and writing finals! but with a thankful heart.


This is a picture from December, the day of the Jingle Bell Run/Walk...the beautiful sunrise was captured from the Sarah's car as we were driving past greenlake.

Green bug in the VW

yes...ironic I know, but there was a green bug in the green bug today