Journey to Emmaus

Christianity and Yoga

2009-02-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

I want to please the Lord more than anything else in life! That is why I study and pray and apply His principles to my marriage and my parenting; I live consciously with a desire to live under God's approval. So, when there are things in my life that just can't be put into a check yes or check no box it drives me CRAZY!!!
Which is why I am perplexed by the following: I teach yoga classes - among other fitness classes - but yoga is the exercise format that has its roots among the monks of Hinduism. I wrestle with my place as an instructor for two reasons. One - I love it! It is the best form of low impact exercise around. It tones, tightens, and strengthens. It helps with balance, it improves core strength, and it leaves you with an exercise rush. The other reason I wrestle with my profession is because it can open doors for non-Christians or even weak Christians to new age doctrine.
I don't teach my class with any meditation, nor do we do mantras or chanting - in fact I have never been to a yoga class that has done those things as all my exposure is through fitness clubs where the spiritual aspect is not included. I wish I could call my class something other than yoga and have it still include all the benefits of yoga.
I like to think that I stand in the place of instructors who would come in and encourage "self as god-ism" but then I wonder if people coming to my classes - and liking them - would also make them curious and therefore pursue the spiritualistic side. UGH!!!
What is God saying to me about it?
I am not sure. He's not telling me to leave - that I am sure of - but I feel a stirring toward something and perhaps it is to teach a form of yoga that honors God. He is the God of redemption - perhaps that fitness of yoga can be redeemed for his people....
Honestly, I don't know what to do except wait for Him to lead me somewhere.

An Eternal Perspective

2009-02-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

Ever since God opened my eyes to the fact that we are created beings that will live with eternity written on their hearts, my life has never been the same. Knowing that my journey won't end when I die is really an incredible thing.
Here's the thing: when I was first married I remember praying and asking Jesus to withold His return to earth until I have lived a long life, raised my children, and see my grandchildren. I was mortified by the idea of Heaven and I didn't want to get there any sooner than necessary. I mean, I was thankful that I wasn't going to end up in hell since I had trusted Jesus for salvation; but I had been raised with the notion that we would get to heaven and sit at Jesus' feet and worship Him for eternity....boring!
I was mortified by that I would miss out on all the fun, nostalgic, and memorable things one can experience on earth. Unlike John the revelator who said "Come Lord Jesus!" I was saying "Stay a while longer Jesus!"
So, when did the change come? Well, I felt ignorant about what the bible says about heaven, as I had always taken what was told me about heaven as truth. So I began to study. Then we joined a church that teaches the bible as opposed to the churches that wax eloquent for an hour and you leave stupider.
What I began to learn was incredible! In a nutshell the Bible teaches very little about heaven, but it teaches an enourmous, enormous amount about Jesus' coming kingdom right here on earth. Seriously, once I began to recognize bible "lingo" and to see that lingo in the context of the kingdom I was like Whoa!! how come I never got this before! I can't wait to relay all that I have learned on this blog, but - dude - it's gonna take a while.

Life is a journey!

2009-02-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

I have discovered something recently; and by recently I mean that it has been in the works since last summer when I began a bible study written by Beth Moore. Her study was on the Psalms of Ascent - basically the psalms that talk about the Jews journey to Jerusalem and the spiritual implications therein. In the Psalms the traveling Jews acknowledge that they are living in foreign lands and are waiting for their journey to end so they can be home.
I realized that this life is a journey; it is not the end destination! If this were "it" and this was all I have to look forward to, then the longing for more wouldn't make sense to me. There is more beyond this life here on earth and the journey that we take on this earth has implications that last beyond this day, this time. You see, on the way to Jerusalem if a person fell and broke their ankle it was not instantaneously healed the moment he entered the gates of the holy city. So too the choices we make now will bear their consequences later. The life I am learning to live is called a kingdom living life.
I know this sounds a little freaky, perhaps a little 'woo-hoo' but there is so much to learn about this journey. I have called my blog "Journey to Emmaus" because after the resurrection of Christ two men, followers of Jesus, were travelling to a town called Emmaus and along the way they met a stranger - it was Jesus, but strangely they did not recognize him. As they were sharing their grief over the death of their leader, and their confusion over his death, the Lord began to teach them about how He is the Word of God, cover to cover. When they reached Emmaus they dined with their teacher and when he broke bread they recognized Jesus for who he was - and their life was never the same!
I want to know Jesus, and His word - cover to cover - in such a way that it changes my life and I will never be the same. This is my journey to understanding and intimacy and change. A change that will effect my eternity and my life here and now.