Nesting in Evanston

Well, I am officially moved in to my new place in Evanston.  And I love it.  Honestly, I thought it would take me awhile to warm up to the area.  As a student at Loyola, I have only known Rogers Park, which is actually in Chicago proper, but as I start this new chapter of my life (as an "adult" with a job, not a student) a slight location change was in order.  Plus I think it'll help me feel less like a college student as I begin my job working primarily with college students.
Anyways, Evanston and my apartment are wonderful.  I am a ten minute walk from downtown Evanston, where I have already enjoyed sitting in numerous coffee shops using the internet (since mine won't be installed until tomorrow) and feeding my caffeine addiction (I am a Starbucks rewards member now).  The area around my apartment is very residential, charming and quaint.  And I am excited to start nesting, making my apartment friendly, inviting, and super cozy.  
Nesting?  In the past four years, whenever I have moved to a new place, changed locations, I have always known the day I was going to leave.  There was always an end date.  And now, there really isn't an end date.  Sure it's a twelve month lease but that can be extended.  To think that I could be in the same place for one whole year, let alone two years, is exciting and comforting to me.  I have been hopping from place to place for awhile now.  And don't get me wrong, I am unbelievably grateful for all the experiences I have had, the people I've met, the places I've seen.  In fact, I am Skyping with my Chilean host family tonight!  However, I am ready to nest.  I wouldn't say "settle down" (too strong of a connotation).  But I am ready to put some nails in the wall, become a "regular" somewhere (probably a coffee shop), and put away my big suitcase for awhile.
I'm sure when I speak with my host family tonight I'll feel that pang of nostalgia and want to hop on the next plane to Santiago.  And I'm sure I'll feel the same way in September when the Guapas and I reunite for a Spain reunion.  But I know that I am exactly where the Lord wants me, doing exactly what He wants me to do.  And I couldn't be more excited.  There are still about two weeks before I step foot on campus to start ministry with Cru, but I am already bathing Loyola in prayer and asking God to bless the next twelve months.  They are going to be a wild and exciting ride, much like my other adventures I'm sure.  Of course I won't be blogging about climbing an active volcano in Chile, eating guinea pig, or trekking to the South American "end of the world," but stay tuned because this year God is going to do big things - bigger than an volcano I've ever climbed.

Am I Really An Adult? Well... It DEPENDS...

I have been a college graduate for a couple months now and I have almost completed Week Two of being twenty-two years of age.  Thus, I have been feeling quite a bit of the "you're an adult now" pressure.  And even before, as I was getting ready to turn twenty-two at the beginning of July lots of people kept telling me to prepare myself because after twenty-one "it's all downhill from there."  Eh, whatever, I thought.  I was excited to turn twenty-two.  Finally I would be "off on my own" and "in charge of my life" (haha), new job, new apartment, new chapter.  Twenty-two was going to be great!  


And then... I turned twenty-two.  I crossed the threshold into "adulthood," so to speak.  My birthday came on a Monday so I spent the "big day" doing work, support raising, running errands, and even had a dinner appointment that evening.  (I did, however, treat myself to Starbucks that afternoon and celebrated with some delicious Samoa Girl Scout Cookie cake that evening.)  I wouldn't say my birthday was a disappointment; it wasn't.  It was just... normal.  No special event, no party, no big get-together.  And life kept going...


And boy did it keep going... The rest of that week was filled with what I like to call "adult stuff" (i.e. signing a lease, renter's insurance, health insurance, car insurance, running errands, appointments etc. etc.)  And I won't lie, I was stressed out.  Insurance alone pushed me to my breaking point time and time again.  What was I doing?!  Seriously, though, what am I doing?!  Instead of being "in charge" of my life, I was more confused than ever.  (Who even really knows the ins and outs of insurance companies anyhow?)  And instead of being excited about being "off on my own," my insides were screaming, "I just want to be a little kid again and eat pigs-in-a-blanket and mac 'n cheese!!!"  


A few more "minor" breakdowns later and I was on my knees (again) at the feet of Jesus.  As the overwhelming and seemingly constant waves of adulthood washed over me again and again, my heart was able to find peace.  Peace in who Christ is and in His promises to us, His beloved.  Promises to protect us, to guide us, to not give us more than we can handle, and to be with us through it all.  It is oftentimes beyond difficult not to give in to the chaos and not to let our circumstances consume us, but instead be consumed by Jesus.  We must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:2)


But, wait, I'm not even to the best part yet... 


So then, yesterday, I go to check the mail and in our mailbox is a package addressed to "Sarah Routh, or current resident of..."  Hmmm what could this be?  So I opened it... and inside was a pair of Depends.  Yes, those Depends, the adult diaper kind.  A week after my 22nd birthday I receive a free trial pair of Depends.  Of course I had a good chuckle while wondering how this even happened.  Later I was asking myself what the "universe" might be trying to tell me, when a friend offered some solid insight:  "Pretty sure it's telling you to not take life too seriously.  Laugh so hard you pee yourself, you'll be safe."  As I thought about that, he couldn't have been more right.  This whole adulthood thing is overrated and I was taking it far too seriously.  Luckily, receiving a pair of Depends really set me straight and gave me some perspective. 


So the takeaway?  Put on your adult diaper, enjoy life, and laugh so hard you pee yourself.  Well... at least that's what I'm going to do :) 

How Can We Not LIVE For The One Who DIED For Us?

For the past few weeks, I have been doing a study of the book of Romans, a book so legit I can hardly put it down!  Anyways, I finally made it to chapter eight this morning, which, if you've ever read Romans, you will know is a chapter in which Paul (the author) completely slam dunks it and eloquently proclaims truth after truth.  It is amazing.  So I read through chapter eight and then listened to a podcast by John Piper called The Mighty & Merciful Message of Romans 1-8, which more-or-less summarizes the first eight chapters.  After listening to the sermon, I was just overcome by what a big deal this is!  I mean, seriously, think about this with me for a moment...

I don't think any sane human being would deny that our world is (slightly) messed up.  There is pain.  There is suffering.  There is injustice.  There is greed.  There is MURDER, for goodness sake.  We live in a broken and fallen world because we are broken and fallen.  That wasn't God's design.  That isn't God's design.  He created us to be perfect and righteous.  He created us to enjoy the fullness of all He has given us in His creation and enjoy the fullness of being in a perfect relationship with Him.  However, we messed up.  And thus mankind began the impossible process of trying to get right with God.  We can't.  There is NO WAY.  We cannot do enough good to ever make up for all the wrong we have done.  It is impossible.

DOOMED?

One might think... but that is where the beauty of the Gospel comes in.  We could never get right with God so God gets right with us.  John 3:16 (a verse many of us memorized as children) puts it quite simply:  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  

Because God knew we could never make up for all the bad, He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to this earth to live a perfect and blameless life in order to ultimately die the most excruciating death on the cross and bear the wrath of God (i.e. take all our wrongdoings on His shoulders) for us.  He died for us.  Let that sink in a moment.  (Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13)  He wiped our slates clean with His last breath.  But He didn't stop there.  Jesus conquered death when He rose from the dead three days later.  Death could not hold Him.

Romans 3:22-24 says this:  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Wow... that is it.  That is the key.  We don't have to do anything to earn God's love because it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith - and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boat.  (Ephesians 2:8)  

Not only that, but nothing can separate us from His love, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.  (Romans 8:38-39)  

Awesome, right?  Oh yeah :) 

But we can't just "know this in our heads."  We must believe it in our hearts AND we must live it out in our actions and through our lives.  Jesus clearly said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and FOLLOW ME."  "Follow me" is an action, not a thought nor a belief.  It requires doing something.  And the sad thing is that many people think following Jesus and/or Christianity is boring and dull and sucks the fun out of life.  Ha.  If they only knew... following Jesus is the ultimate.  There is nothing more satisfying.  There is nothing more fulfilling.  Nothing will bring you more joy and peace.  Nothing.  

So how can we not LIVE for the ONE who DIED for us?