Week in Review: September 24-30

Last week, in my last blog, I forgot to mention another reason why I feel led to major in Biblical and Theological Studies, in addition to the fact that God is infinite, so I can forever learn more about Him. I have a love for learning. However, whenever it comes time to review what I have learned for tests and quizzes, the task is not very enjoyable. I guess that means I like gathering new information, but not re-reading it. Yet, when it comes to anything having to do with the Bible, I enjoy reviewing the material. Also, in a way, the material can be new to me every time, even if I have read a passage of Scripture over and over again. This is because "the word of God is living and active" (Hebrews 4:12).

Last Sunday, I went on a walk on the trail that circles campus, and I talked to God as I walked. As I was talking with Him, suddenly God told me, "You know, Leah, your dad really knows how to love people. Just think of everything he does for people. You need to work on loving people as much as you love me." I just thought that it was really cool that God spoke to me like that. In fact, God amazes me whenever He speaks to me. I'll be praying out loud about an issue, and then all of a sudden, it will hit me. If you have ever experienced this, then you know what I mean.

Words I learned this week: contiguous, pro bono, shoehorn, redlining, faux pas, flaccid, aliquot, natter, histrionic, desultory, interdigitate  

"Give me one pure and holy passion, and give me one magnificent obsession. Give me one glorious ambition for my life: To know and follow hard after You."

"This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing You, my Lord. Lead me on and I will run after You. Lead me on and I will run after You."

Please pray for me this week-- that God will work in my life and continue to transform me more into His image. I feel that He is at work in me, and I trust that one day it will be brought to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Also, feel free to share with me how God is working in your own life. You can share with me both the ups and the downs, because this life is definitely full of both.

Week in Review: September 17-23

Hello all,

This weekend I went on a retreat, called Breakaway, at New Life Ranch, a Christian camp located in Colcord, Oklahoma. It was a total blast! The theme of the weekend was wrestling with God and what that looks like. The lives of Jacob and Joseph were examined. I learned that wrestling with God is healthy. It's good to deal with questions that we may have concerning distressing situations, but it seems like we always ask why: Why, Lord? Why is this happening? Instead, we ought to ask the question, "Who are you, God?" He answers. All throughout Scripture, there are descriptions of who God is. Psalm 68:5 says, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Another common description of who God is is found in Psalm 103:8-13: "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him." And there are a whole lot more that I encourage you to discover and reflect on.

I feel like I may have finally decided on what I am going to major in, although I've changed so many times before, so I wonder if this is really what I'm going to do. Nevertheless, I have peace about the decision. I had always known that I was going to major in Biblical and Theological Studies. Over the summer, as I was trying to fall asleep one night, I was thinking about majors and careers and the different talents and abilities that God has given me. One of the things that I love to do is learn. God reminded me of how He is infinite, so I could spend the rest of my life trying to learn about Him, and I would still not know everything there is to know about Him. Well, there are also other fields that seem to have a great deal of information, like science. Yet, I thought to myself, I don't really want to go into a field where things are constantly changing. I heard a voice, not audible, but a voice, nonetheless, that said, "I the Lord do not change" (Malachi 3:6). So I knew for sure that I would major in Biblical and Theological Studies, but I also figured that I would not go into that as a career, so I continued my search for a second major. A lot of options passed through my mind: Biology, Exercise Studies, Family and Human Services, Child and Family Studies, Youth Ministries, Intercultural Studies. Too many options to choose from! Let me just say that it is amazing what God may do and whom He may use to speak to us about certain things. Last Sunday, I had a conversation with a good friend about the topic of what I was going to major in. For what seemed like the millionth time, I had to answer, "I don't know." At the end of the conversation though, I had walked away with this basic thought: There are things that I can do with a Biblical and Theological Studies major, but the standard of living may be less. Then, on Thursday, I was eating lunch with a group of people, and the subject of majors came up, and one of my friends remarked, "Just do Bible." That conversation again got me thinking about my future. By the next morning, I had come to the decision that I would major in Biblical and Theological Studies only and that I would take other classes that match my other interests depending on what fits into my schedule. I am at peace with the situation, but, like I said before, I am not 100% certain because it has already changed like 10 times. I still don't know what I will do with such a major, but I'm sure that God will show me in due time.

Have a blessed week!

Week in Review: September 10-16

Hello all!

On Monday night, I had a breakdown. I know what caused it, but I do not know exactly the events that led up to it or even what I was upset about. God had been telling me that He wanted me to change the way that I approached homework. I had been preparing two hours for every hour that was spent in class, which is the recommended amount. Yet, God was telling me that He wanted me to do homework on just a completion basis. Well, once I'm set in my ways, I'm set in my ways. I don't think I'm stubborn in a lot of things, but the things that I am stubborn about, I am extremely stubborn about. Even so, God did get ahold of me through the meltdown, and I finally conceded. I am learning that this completion approach to homework allows me more time to form friendships with other people as I am walking along the quad or in Mayfield. It allows me the flexibility to stop and pay attention to the needs of someone other than myself. Finally, it allows God to form and shape me in other areas of life, which are just as important, if not more.

On Wednesday, as I was walking back to my dorm after lunch, I passed by a portion of the quad that had leaves scattered across it, and it was just beautiful. It was so amazing that I had to just stand there for a minute and admire God's creation.

Another thing that I thought was cool this week was what happened on Thursday morning. Sometimes God will tell me to sing a certain song to Him as I'm walking from place to place around campus. The song that He gave me to sing as I was walking back to Mayfield after eating breakfast happened to be one of the songs that we sang in chapel later that morning. I love it when things like that happen!

Words I learned this week: arcane, soporific, prandial, panoply, jaded

Blessings!

Leah

Week in Review: September 3-9

Hello everyone! Even though it was a four-day week in terms of classes, it still felt extremely long. I found myself saying, "Is it the weekend yet?" Finally, Saturday arrived-- the day of the Honors mentor/freshmen retreat. We went to Camp Siloam. It was a fun time with food, finger-painting, water games, small-group discussions, and rest! The topic that was explored was peace. More specifically, we examined peace in the context of silence and surrender before God. It was great to get to know a lot of the freshmen, and it was, overall, a fun time. This week, I realized a connection between the process of learning and sanctification. When someone learns something new, pretty soon other information is added on to that, and it seems to build. Often times, previous knowledge may be out-dated or perhaps people just "watered-down" the actual facts in order to explain something in a simpler way. Thus, some knowledge is removed, and some may be added in. Overall, it seems that learning is very much a process of refinement, much like sanctification is. As God molds us more into His image, certain habits and acts of the sinful nature are taken out. Simultaneously, God is also at work incorporating the fruit of the Spirit into our lives. Words I learned this week: quotidian, protean Have a blessed week! Leah

Back to school!

Hello all! I'm back at John Brown! I absolutely love being back, and I feel like this has become my home! On Sunday, August 19, my dad and I left Howell, MI at 4:00 a.m. We got to our hotel near Siloam Springs at about 5 p.m (6 p.m. Michigan time). It was a really long drive, but it was uneventful, which is good. Nothing horrible happened while we were on the road. Praise God for that! On Monday, August 20, we moved all of my stuff into my dorm room. I am in the same residence, Mayfield, as well as the same hall as last year, Up New, as well as in the same room, #76. Woot! Woot! There are a lot of new people on my hall, so it will be fun to get to know them this semester. On Tuesday, August 21, my dad and I drove around in Bentonville for a bit before taking him to the airport (XNA) to fly back home. After that, I drove back to JBU and finished unpacking a lot of my stuff. Classes started on Wednesday, August 22. Here is what my schedule looks like this semester: Monday/Wednesday: 9:00-9:50 General Chemistry I 10:00-10:50 Cell Biology 11:00-11:50 Introduction to Family Science 2:30-3:45 Christian Leadership and Service Tuesday: 8:30-10:20 Cell Biology: Lab 10:30-11:15 Chapel 12:50-2:40 General Chemistry I: Lab Thursday: 10:30-11:15 Chapel Friday: 9:00-9:50 General Chemistry I 10:00-10:50 Cell Biology I 11:00-11:50 Introduction to Family Science In addition to classes, I also have work-study at the Boys and Girls Club in the afternoons about three days a week. I am also being an Honors mentor. The activities for this have not started yet, but they will soon, and I'm so excited! I feel like I have already learned a lot in the first 1.5 weeks of classes. I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of the semester! Have a great week! I know that many of my Michigan friends are starting up school on Tuesday, so God blessing's to you in your academic studies! Always remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing (other than, "My parents are making me").

Women: Be Ye the Pursued, Not the Pursuer

If there is one lesson that I have learned (and I have learned a lot, such as that hair dryers are not clothes dryers), it is that women are supposed to be pursued when it comes to "love" relationships between males and females. (I'm not sure if that is the best terminology to use, so if you can think of something better, then please suggest something.) As is the case with many lessons in life, experience always seems to be a good teacher. I can recount four instances (perhaps there is more that I cannot remember) where I have the been the pursuer, rather than the pursued. Two instances were with males older than me; the other two were with men younger than me. No matter the case, there has always been a bit of hurt afterwards. Fortunately for me though, each male that I have pursued has gently told me that he does not reciprocate my interest (more like infatuation) in him. The Lord has been gracious to me in that way. He has been so gracious! It overwhelms me to think about. For the longest time, I had always known that the woman was supposed to be pursued by the man, but I never knew why; I always just thought that it was just some sort of societal rule. However, after the third instance, I learned that the rule has its roots in the Bible. Ephesians 5:23 says that the husband is "the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church." I guess that I had known that verse before, but I had never realized its implications in terms of dating. A wise person told me that the man had to take leadership early on in the relationship, or he might have difficulty taking on headship later. I found that this made sense. Even so, yet again I became the pursuer, and that did not end well (for me, at least). You see, it never does end well when the woman is the pursuer. Rather, she is to be the pursued. I'd like to just add a few other related tips that I have learned over the years: 1. Don't say it online if you wouldn't say it in person. 2. Don't use male friends as confidants. It creates a false sense of intimacy because, as women, we feel close when we connect emotionally. Males are completely different (in general), and they feel close based on physical touch. Be discreet about what you share. Always be asking yourself, "Is it really necessary for me to be telling this to him? Is there someone better with whom I could share it?" If you must tell someone, first of all, be sure that you've told God already, and then tell a trusted female friend. 3. Watch your curiosity. With every crush that you have, there comes a myriad of questions, "Does he like me? Does he like me as a friend, or might he have feelings for me that surpass friendship?" It is natural for you to want to learn everything you can about him, but, many times, it is better to let information come out naturally, rather than you stalking his facebook page, and then freaking him out with how much you know about him. Always ask yourself, "Do I really need to know about this right now?" Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, the answer is "no." I hope that this information will be helpful to young women and that they will be pursued when it comes to relationships, rather than the pursuer, just as I am currently patiently waiting to be pursued, just as my heavenly Father pursues me with love. If you have any other tips when it comes to relationships, feel free to share!

JBU: Head, Heart, Hand

    In the fall of 2012, I will be a sophomore at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Currently, I am undecided about what I am going to major in. There are so many different career options and things that I am passionate about. It also does not help that I am an innately indecisive person. I can picture myself working in the foster care system. I can see myself being a doctor or a missionary or perhaps a combination of both (which would enable me to possibly use my steadily-progressing Spanish capabilities). I also imagine myself teaching the Bible at a Christian university. Fortunately, I have about a year left before I actually need to choose a major.
    Even though I do not yet know what career path I will pursue, I can still rest-assured that I will have an awesome, holistic education because of John Brown University’s catchy motto: “head, heart, hand.” “Head” refers to the mind, or the ability to think. “Heart” refers to a person’s inner being or soul, and “hand” delineates the physical body. Thus, John Brown University’s goal, unlike other colleges which often focus more on the “head” aspect of a person, is to develop the whole person. This is done through challenging academic classes (head), chapels that draw people near to God (heart), and opportunities to serve in ministries, internships, and work-study positions (hand).
    Thus, even though I do not know specifically right now whether I will be a doctor, missionary, teacher, or foster care worker, I trust that I will be thoroughly equipped in whatever field that God calls me to in the end. Even though I do not know whether I will work with mentally and physically disabled people or teach college students the Word of God, I do have no doubts that John Brown University will provide me with an education that will give me an edge over the people who have only developed in terms of their head. I will be more than that. I will have developed holistically according to John Brown University’s motto of “head, heart, and hand.” This scholarship is sponsored by CenturyLinkQuote.com.