Some Socratic Teaching

Someone once asked “are you going to be a people pleaser or a God pleaser?” Sometimes this is one of the most difficult things to distinguish. People have decided what God likes, people have interpreted the Bible. But what if us being a God pleaser is what the general “Christian people” disagree with? How are we supposed to deal with this?

How can we say that one person is allowed to be God’s spokesperson? How do we know? God appointed Elijah as his prophet, along with Moses and a handful of other prophets. In this day and age when so many are self-proclaimed prophets, when you could say a bunch of things that could be interpreted in so many different ways, how are you supposed to know that this person is full of the Holy Spirit? When do you know that God is the One you’re pleasing and not the majority?

One year later..

This is an update for those of you who have been asking for a new blog post :).

I’m no longer in Europe. I know it’s been a ridiculously long time since I’ve actually posted something but it’s been a busy year. I moved back to the United States in July of last year. It was a whirlwind of adventure trying to figure out where I was going to live for the school year. I needed to get back to school, but my parents had moved back to Washington so living in Twin Falls wasn’t going to work out very well. I eventually landed on living in Moscow and attending the University of Idaho. I am in love with this town. The small, quaint, “hippie-town” is so welcoming and comfortable to live in. The community is full of unique people I have come to know simply through observation. For example, “the hobbit man” is an elderly man with leathery skin who walks through town with his walking stick, a worn hat and occasionally his young grandson. Friendship square is full of Farmer’s Market customers each Saturday morning and the Co-op is the health food store, full with aromas of patchouli and fresh baked goods.

Climbing is a new hobby I’ve picked up. My boyfriend, Erik, has been climbing for years and before we started dating he taught me how to climb at the University rock wall. Since then I have invested in my own pair of shoes and a harness. While I can make it half way up the tower without a moment of fear, the second half usually has me stopping for a second while my imagination likes to play itself out. I must pause, take a deep breath and remember that as long as I have complete trust in my belayer (Erik) I will be perfectly safe. I enjoy the strength I feel while scaling large rock columns.

I have been exploring my future career options. Education is what I’ve always thought I would do since I couldn’t think of anything else. It seemed like the best decision. However, since I’ve made specific dietary decisions (becoming a vegan vegetarian, eating non-processed, organic foods) it made me very interested in what constitutes a healthy diet. I’ve always thought of this simply as a hobby, but when I did some research I realized I could obtain a Nutrition degree here at the University in the same time it would take me to complete my teaching degree. While I love children, I want to spend my life helping people learn how to have healthier eating habits.

While being in Moscow I have really connected with the part of me who loves the earth. I so enjoy being surrounded by gorgeous rolling green hills, with flowers and so much rain creates a tantalizing smell. I’m also able to enjoy some of the freshest foods possible because of so many local farmers. I can spend time biking around the countryside or in a yoga class. My joy for the outdoors, food and connecting with myself is all met here. I am so blessed.