Reflecting on my Year

Today, I decided to take my nature walk, in my favorite type of weather: rainy, cold, overcast weather. Rain is so calming to me, and therefore I decided that in taking my walk, I would be more apt to concentrate on thinking about who I was and where I would be going. Along the way, I took photographs to as to depict what I was feeling or thinking about at various moments during my walk. I soon realized that I try to go through life on fast-forward- I accomplish a task and don't take the time to look at how I got there. Now was my time slow down and see the little things that create such beautiful pictures of God's creation.

In the first photograph, I see the crack in the road and realize that my life can never be perfect, even though I desire everything to go my way- it just doesn't happen like that! The second snapshot represents where I am going- I am on a road to success, and even though I may not know what is around the corner, I still keep on traveling. The next moment that I captured depicts a type of beauty that I never realized before- the marriage of man made with nature. The next two photos allowed me to see how intricate so many things are; many times I bypass these images without even looking.

This was a great opportunity for me to get away from my busy life and to focus on what the next chapter in my life will be. I know that looking deeply into God's creation like I did has given me a renewed confidence to pursue each task with the idea in mind that I am glorifying God, and through Him I can do anything that I set my mind to.

Bringing Positivity to My Community

A smile is truly a powerful thing. It is a contagious symbol of happiness that can change someone's attitude and feelings for a moment. However, our society has become more of an exclusive community where friends are kept close, and strangers are ignored. This weekend, I am going to change that... at least in West Seattle. On Saturday, Hanna and I plan to create "happy notes" (messages on post-its) to stick on cars, the windows of stores, and maybe even on people. I know it will be a fun and rewarding project, as not only are we able to be creative, but we will make West Seattlites feel good about themselves. I mean, who wouldn't want to be told "you are special!" or "have an amazing day" by someone else?
Many people fall into a routine that many times does not include reaching out to others. With this project I want to show people the power of a smile, and how a confidence-boosting message can inspire someone to bring positivity to their community.

Fighting My Own Battles

When I take a step back at look at what experiences have shaped who I am, I find that in some respects, when I struggle or triumph, I am similar to Beowulf. While my life might not be an epic adventure with soldiers, legendary Geats or ugly creatures that rival today's science fiction creatures in the media, I do feel like I am constantly in the middle of the action. I face challenges every day because I push myself, and it is in my competitive nature to achieve perfection in all that I set out to do.
The "monsters" that I battle are represented by my academic challenges through taking Running Start classes and choosing the right college, and also by my personal struggle to prove myself to others by doing what is thought to be impossible. While I would like to say that I am fearless, and I take on challenges with my bear hands in true Beowulf style, I often fall short of this and end up hiding from my monsters, much like the soldiers in Herot. I feel that I have put it upon myself to be perfect, and in doing so, I have lost sight of my purpose- to reach my God-given potential by embracing who I am, so that I can make an impact on the world.
However, I know that I can never fully achieve the impossible alone, and thus I must put on my chain-mail shirt of support from my family, woven together by my strong faith in Jesus Christ. With this support system in place, I am able to see my self-worth, which is what drives me to overcome my "monsters", my daily challenges. It is reassuring to know that I don't have to be the strongest or the smartest person in order to pull my dreams within reach. I have found that the realization that you can do anything is key to destroying any sense of discouragement that prevents you from embracing opportunity.
I am proud to conclude that I am not like Beowulf. I may face challenges as he does, but I don't gloat in my superior ability. Instead, I look to my support system for guidance and the assurance that "I can do it". I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and because of my desire to conquer my personal challenges, I can be brilliantly victorious.

Haley's Personality Test Results

I am a "ISTJ". That means that I am 67% introverted, 1% sensing, 1% thinking and 78% judging.

Having taken the Meyers-Brigs test, I can say that now I know much more about my personality type. The test was right about me when it catagorized me as introverted, sensing, thinking and judging. However, I am almost equally split between sensing and intuitive, as well as between thinking and sensing. By taking this test, I have confirmed many things about who I am. True to the results, I take a step-by-step apprach to solving problems, I work well with organized rules and formulas, and I am constantly thinking about what I can do to improve things. I am tactful, good at listening and very dependable.
However, I did question the generalization that ISTJ's are "frustrated with the inconsistencies of others" as the results proposed. I know that this isn't true for me, becuase I see my successes as more interesting to me than judging the successes (or lack thereof) of other people. This was a great opportunity for me to look closely at who I am as a unique individual.

Questionable Salvation?

Exploring the nature of an evasive and infinitely meaningful attribute such as salvation with a limited, narrow-minded brain will only lead to confusion. However, it is because of human nature that individuals seek answers to the difficult questions that may be out of the realm of comprehension. Speaking in theological terms, salvation is what results from being saved from the reality of sin. This spiritual rescue from sin's captivity was brought to the world with the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, according to the Christian religion. Thus, a population consumed with sin was given a second chance to recognize their faults and seek redemption from the eternally powerful creator, God. Additionally, those who accept that Christ had indeed paid the ultimate price in dying for a corrupt people are promised salvation from sin, which translates to eternal life in Heaven when Christ returns to judge the world. For morally upstanding Christian followers, the concept of salvation, while reassuring, may not be fully understood, because it requires faith and is not a tangible object. However, the knowledge that God has given his followers eternal life if they choose to believe without seeing is what unites Christians all around the world. While it is important that supporters of the Christian faith gather together to worship their Heavenly Father, the choice to believe that salvation was made a reality when Jesus took on the sins of the world truly is a personal decision that everyone must make.

As compelling as the story of Christianity is, the idea of redemption from sin and becoming a disciple of Christ has warranted debate and controversy on the subject. Although believers are expected to be a light for Christ and should live as morally upright as possible, their flawed human nature will prevent any achievement of perfection as long as they live on earth. Now, the idea of salvation comes into play, as it has been established that no one will ever be perfect, and thus would have to be redeemed by an entity that is perfect. Due to the fact that salvation is not considered to be the concrete results of a simple formula that humans can understand, the Christian church has argued over if salvation is absolute for an individual who will ultimately be subject to sin. In an effort to give credence to the idea that once a sinner is saved, he will never lose his salvation, noted theologian Michael J. Penfold observes that "...the Bible is clear that when God justifies a sinner, He clears his guilt, past, present and future. The sinner is declared righteous on the basis of the propitiatory and substitutionary death of Christ" (1). Within Penfold's statement lies the key argument for upholding salvation as a gift that, once received, can never be revoked, as he states that Jesus's blood has paid for sins that have not yet been recognized. However, Penfold's case for salvation being permanent is one opinion, and does not represent the ideas of the entire Christian population. As the church has never come to an agreement about this facet of salvation, the question still remains: Can we, as followers of Jesus Christ, loose the salvation given to us by God?

Haley's Test Blog

This summer, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with my youth group to San Francisco and Oakland. Our goal was to reach out to a judged and forgotten population- people of the streets. This trip made me realize that I have so much to give to people who may not be living to their fullest potential.

Also, we had the chance to eat at different ethnic restaurants each night, so that we could experience the culture of San Francisco. One night, we had "soul food"--waffles with fried chicken on top! I had such a great time on this trip, and through all my experiences, I learned so much about myself.