It seems so surreal that today I will be driving onto campus one last time as a student. How many hundreds of times have I done it without thinking? This place has been where I came to learn, work, serve, and goof off with friends but it has also been home. As I spent entire summers in New Orleans and Portland, I always took comfort in knowing I was coming back to the beauty of Lake Johanna (except for that one summer you couldn't go swimming because of the bacteria), the trails on the other side of the baseball fields and library that make it feel like you cannot possibly be a few miles away from 5+ Caribous, the Billy's teppanyaki and the ridiculous line that comes with its presence, and the friendly faces of Barbie, Festus, Dale, and Katie in the cafeteria. When life has been beautifully unpredictable and other kinds of unpredictable, the God-loving and Christ-following community of UNW has been one of the constants the past several years - whether that was to celebrate or cry with me.
It hasn't been without struggle. Classes have stretched me (like Chemistry class second semester of freshman year) and piles of papers to write have gotten to me at times (I had 7 to write during the first 3 weeks of December in addition to projects, exams, readings, and other assignments). Yet it gave me strength to work all day and all night again and again knowing that I was doing all this for the glory of God in order to use this information and these skills for Him. However, the thing that has been the most difficult is the pushback I received as a woman pursuing ministry. I am forever indebted to my best friend for the countless times her sweaters soaked up my tears. I am also forever grateful for my parents who wrote me letters, spoke encouraging words over me, and received my late night phone calls with grace. Professor Payne and James Earley have been two of my greatest supporters at UNW but there have been many others too along the way. My pastor Matt and my entire Story family have been an encouragement more times than I can count as they have helped me understand my gifts and discerned my calling. For all that struggle, I am grateful. Those times proved to be some of the greatest times of growth in my relationship with the Lord and He comforted me beyond measure again and again. So even in the pains of university life as I faced paper after paper after paper and struggled with my place in ministry, I find myself thankful for it all.
The past 4 years and 3 months cannot possibly be described. The reality is I am a very different person than I was when I first stepped onto campus many years ago. I have grown and changed in so many ways through amazing classes, the words of wise and thoughtful professors, chapels that challenged and inspired me, and the experiences of working so much within Local Outreach. Streetlight alone has changed my thinking and my heart in so many ways as I have heard people's heartbreaking stories, shared in their victories, and mourned with them over the loss of one of our beloved sisters. Through UNW's classes, chapels, staff and faculty, and of course my fellow students I have come to know and love Christ more and more everyday.
Even though this is the moment I have been working for, over the last few weeks I have struggled more than I anticipated to leave this all behind me, especially with the large number of lasts that I have experienced. Now, of course, I am a great sentimentalist, so while not all these things are even notable to some, they have been important to me. In the last few weeks, I have had my last praise chapel, last class, last Streetlight, last teppanyaki at the Billy, last Nest ice cream run, last time watching movies in the Stud elevator, last time walking through the Stud to discover you no longer have to go to the store to buy bread, and last time doing a lot of other things.
This afternoon I will be putting on my cap and gown, which has spent most of its time in my possession under the bed because I didn't know what to do with it. These two simple items represent so much. They symbolize a lot of hard work and to me represent the countless ways I have been supported by my parents, other family members, friends, and UNW staff and faculty. They also symbolize a movement from student to alum and represent the end of a significant season of my life and the beginning of a new, unknown one.
In less than 6 hours I will be crossing the main stage in Totino and by the time I will have made it across someone will have put the case which will soon hold my diploma in my hands. The only other time I crossed that stage was two years ago to sing "Jingle Bells" with my Greek class. (That is a story for another time.) I do not know which is a more odd thing to think about.
The whole point of my rambling is this: I will always be grateful for UNW and the impact that it has had on me. Thank you to all who supported me on this journey. Here's to the Lord's faithfulness as we celebrate today and all which it represents. Here's to the promise of the Lord's continued presence in the months and years to come as new experiences and opportunities await.
Showing posts with label future. Show all posts
Showing posts with label future. Show all posts
Friday, December 22, 2017
Sunday, August 9, 2015
9 Things You Should Do Your First Year of College
Since I spent many of my waking hours at college this year, now have many college friends, and by the end of the summer will have taken 12 college courses I figure I am at least semi-qualified to tell you about college. So here are 9 things you should do in college (preferably starting your freshman year)...
1. Get on the professor's good side before you need something
Your professors will have lots of students. If you can stand out in a good way that is very important because when you need something they will be a lot more interested in talking to you and trying to help you. You don't want to need a favor and your professor see you as 'the kid that walks in late every day'. Be respectful and kind. They work hard and deserve the respect. Many are very willing to help you pass the class or help you get that internship but if you never respect them you will have a tough time.
2. Take the opportunity to talk to people you don't know
There are several hundred to several thousand people on campus. You will not know everyone by week three. I guarantee you that. Even after year three chances are there will still be people in your own class that you don't know. Still, take the time to talk to people you don't know.You could become best friends. Okay, while not extremely likely that will happen with everyone you sit down and talk to you may be surprised to hear the things you have in common. At the very least you will probably have an interesting conversation so take the time to talk to the person you are sitting by at lunch or in class.
3. Go to events
Yes, you are not paying thousands of dollars to go to events. True. But if you are going to be paying thousands of dollars and only get a few years there, make the most of it. Go to football games with friends - even if you hate football. You may not remember the game but you may remember the time you were jumping around cheering for the team and your friend made you fall on the guy in front of you. Go to the band concerts and cheer on your friends. You may not remember the pieces they played but chances are that friend will remember you were there for her. Go to events - if you are lucky you may end up with a new friend or at least some free food. Both are pretty good.
4. Live on campus
5. Join something
When I ask fellow college students what they recommend freshman do I always hear the phrase 'join something'. Join band. Join choir. Join track. Join swing dancing club. Join something. Joining something gives you the chance to get to know people outside people in your major and your hall mates. When I joined a group I honestly feel like I joined a family. So get connected right away by joining a group and be part of something incredible.
Whatever you do, don't buy all your books for the campus bookstore. That is a rookie mistake. Check out all the best textbook sites and see what other prices you can get. Also, another great place to look is down the hall. A lot of students are looking to sell their books back and 90% won't ask nearly as much for them as the campus bookstore. And even if they want to keep their books many will actually just let you borrow them for the semester.
7. Meet with advisers and have a plan
If you know what major you want to pursue and if you have any other plans (like internships you want to do or adding on a minor) then it is a very good idea to meet with your advisers. They know what classes you should be taking and in what order.
8. Talk with juniors and seniors in your major
They know what professors to take and which ones you want to avoid like the plague. They also will know which classes you will need to study for the most and which ones are okay to slack on a bit. Like previously mentioned, you also may be able to borrow or buy some textbooks from them too! (Side note: another great tool to find out which professors are good is ratemyprofessors.com - true, some students have the poorest reasons for rating professors as bad or good but overall it can give you a fair idea of what a professor is like)
9. Enjoy the journey
Above all though, do not let these moments go by you. Don't spend your whole four years wasting time and be preoccupied with other things. Go out on late night adventures with your roommates. Meet new people. Take interesting classes. Enjoy your college experience while you can. You will never forget it.
Monday, June 8, 2015
My Ministry Plans
What I Wanted To Be When I Grew Up
Growing up I wanted to be a teacher. From the first few times Mom or Dad would ask me until 6th grade that was always my answer. Then during 6th and 7th grade I decided I wanted to be a writer. I also always thought it would be really amazing to be a doctor so I could help people but I knew I could never stomach a lot of things doctors must do (so I decided I'd settle for being a doctor in the game of Life).
Ministry and Me
When I started 8th grade I led the Christian Club at my middle school. During that year I fell in love with ministry. I loved teaching, writing sermons, and listening to people who would come to me with problems. Interestingly enough, I realized all the careers I had been interested in previously fit in with ministry. Ministry involves teaching, writing sermons, and helping people. It seemed as though things had just fallen into place. Two years before I had found a great church and for the first time in my life I felt like the messages applied to me and made sense. I went from being distant and unwilling to know more about God to being eager to learn more. That is the difference a good pastor can make. I wanted to be a good pastor who would do for others what my new pastors were doing for me.
New Orleans
The summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school I went on my second mission trip, which was to New Orleans. Going into it I had no idea what to expect or what an impact the trip would have on the course of my life. One morning in late June of 2013 I hopped onto a 15 passenger van and took off on the adventure of a lifetime. During my twelve day trip I interacted with homeless people whose stories affected me, kids whose smiles melted me, and pastors whose visions inspired me. We got to meet a homeless man whose prized possession was his Bible and a group of bikers who go around sharing the Gospel. We saw a church at work changing people's lives and we saw the result of many people's generosity when we saw all the homes that had been built for people who lost theirs in Hurricane Katrina. But I was also met with gift shops which made me want to run out as soon as I walked in and I had to walk down streets knowing that one block over were countless bars and clubs which to people flock to fill up their lives. We had to walk by people on "harmless" voodoo tours which are popular in the city. Our first night in New Orleans we were told by Pastor Byron that New Orleans was a wonderful city but that it became something completely different at night. When I came home I was greatly conflicted by the things I saw. On one hand there was lots of drug dealing, gang activity, crime, drunkenness, and lust. The Devil was at work there - that was for sure. But God was too - there was no doubt about that either. For six months a day would not pass when I wouldn't think of the incredible people I met there and worked with there. Those daily run-ins with the trip in my mind was God planting an idea in my head. I just didn't know it then.
Questioning to Confidence and a New Plan
In January of 2014 I went on the Revolution winter retreat through Eagle Brook. During that time I was struggling with whether God was calling me to be a pastor or if I was calling myself to be a pastor. I loved running Christian Club, leading a small group of middle school girls, and going on mission trips. I loved serving God but the thing is anyone can serve God in their jobs. Was vocational ministry really my calling or did God want me to use a different job to serve Him? I didn't know anymore. But on that retreat I found my answer to that question and the answer to another question I hadn't really thought to ask... For my morning break out session I chose "Leadership/Calling". With the questioning I had been doing lately it seemed like the right place to go. I went and I am so glad I did. Nate, the Student Ministries pastor at the Lino Lakes campus at the time, taught me so many things. Nate said that your calling is to make a difference in the world using the gifts and passions God put inside you. It was then I realized that the God had put in me a passion for ministry and gifts that could help me in ministry like patience, good listening skills, compassion, determination, and wisdom. Nate also said something that gave me peace. He said that there isn't just one career that is right for you. I walked out of that session confident once again that ministry would be an incredible career for me. Later that evening we had a large group session led by the high school teaching pastor Alex. The big question at the end of it was "where is God leading you?" Right then I knew where God was calling me. New Orleans.
The Coming Years
I just completed my Freshman year at UNW a few weeks ago. It will be several more years until I finish my program, a five year program where I will get my bachelor's in Pastoral Ministry and my master's in Divinity, but I am excited for what lies ahead of me. This coming year I will finish up all my remaining general courses and get to start taking ministry courses. Then, with any amount of luck, I will get to do my first internship next summer.
Update (7/23/16): I always assumed that when told me 'New Orleans' that winter night two and a half years ago that He meant I would be there forever. As I sit back here in New Orleans, I wonder whether maybe God meant that I needed to come back here to learn. Being here for the summer has taught me so much and I will never be the same because of it. However, I can't shake the desire to be back home doing ministry in the Twin Cities again. I wonder if maybe God wanted me back in New Orleans for this - to teach me new things about urban ministry and to help me realize my love & passion for the Twin Cities. I don't know this for sure. Maybe I will end up back here long-term. But maybe I will spend a lot more time in the Twin Cities than I ever thought I would. All I know is God has been showing me just how deep my love for home is. No matter what my future holds, I know God goes before me and yet is still with me.
Growing up I wanted to be a teacher. From the first few times Mom or Dad would ask me until 6th grade that was always my answer. Then during 6th and 7th grade I decided I wanted to be a writer. I also always thought it would be really amazing to be a doctor so I could help people but I knew I could never stomach a lot of things doctors must do (so I decided I'd settle for being a doctor in the game of Life).
Ministry and Me
When I started 8th grade I led the Christian Club at my middle school. During that year I fell in love with ministry. I loved teaching, writing sermons, and listening to people who would come to me with problems. Interestingly enough, I realized all the careers I had been interested in previously fit in with ministry. Ministry involves teaching, writing sermons, and helping people. It seemed as though things had just fallen into place. Two years before I had found a great church and for the first time in my life I felt like the messages applied to me and made sense. I went from being distant and unwilling to know more about God to being eager to learn more. That is the difference a good pastor can make. I wanted to be a good pastor who would do for others what my new pastors were doing for me.
New Orleans
The summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school I went on my second mission trip, which was to New Orleans. Going into it I had no idea what to expect or what an impact the trip would have on the course of my life. One morning in late June of 2013 I hopped onto a 15 passenger van and took off on the adventure of a lifetime. During my twelve day trip I interacted with homeless people whose stories affected me, kids whose smiles melted me, and pastors whose visions inspired me. We got to meet a homeless man whose prized possession was his Bible and a group of bikers who go around sharing the Gospel. We saw a church at work changing people's lives and we saw the result of many people's generosity when we saw all the homes that had been built for people who lost theirs in Hurricane Katrina. But I was also met with gift shops which made me want to run out as soon as I walked in and I had to walk down streets knowing that one block over were countless bars and clubs which to people flock to fill up their lives. We had to walk by people on "harmless" voodoo tours which are popular in the city. Our first night in New Orleans we were told by Pastor Byron that New Orleans was a wonderful city but that it became something completely different at night. When I came home I was greatly conflicted by the things I saw. On one hand there was lots of drug dealing, gang activity, crime, drunkenness, and lust. The Devil was at work there - that was for sure. But God was too - there was no doubt about that either. For six months a day would not pass when I wouldn't think of the incredible people I met there and worked with there. Those daily run-ins with the trip in my mind was God planting an idea in my head. I just didn't know it then.
Questioning to Confidence and a New Plan
In January of 2014 I went on the Revolution winter retreat through Eagle Brook. During that time I was struggling with whether God was calling me to be a pastor or if I was calling myself to be a pastor. I loved running Christian Club, leading a small group of middle school girls, and going on mission trips. I loved serving God but the thing is anyone can serve God in their jobs. Was vocational ministry really my calling or did God want me to use a different job to serve Him? I didn't know anymore. But on that retreat I found my answer to that question and the answer to another question I hadn't really thought to ask... For my morning break out session I chose "Leadership/Calling". With the questioning I had been doing lately it seemed like the right place to go. I went and I am so glad I did. Nate, the Student Ministries pastor at the Lino Lakes campus at the time, taught me so many things. Nate said that your calling is to make a difference in the world using the gifts and passions God put inside you. It was then I realized that the God had put in me a passion for ministry and gifts that could help me in ministry like patience, good listening skills, compassion, determination, and wisdom. Nate also said something that gave me peace. He said that there isn't just one career that is right for you. I walked out of that session confident once again that ministry would be an incredible career for me. Later that evening we had a large group session led by the high school teaching pastor Alex. The big question at the end of it was "where is God leading you?" Right then I knew where God was calling me. New Orleans.
The Coming Years
I just completed my Freshman year at UNW a few weeks ago. It will be several more years until I finish my program, a five year program where I will get my bachelor's in Pastoral Ministry and my master's in Divinity, but I am excited for what lies ahead of me. This coming year I will finish up all my remaining general courses and get to start taking ministry courses. Then, with any amount of luck, I will get to do my first internship next summer.
Update (7/23/16): I always assumed that when told me 'New Orleans' that winter night two and a half years ago that He meant I would be there forever. As I sit back here in New Orleans, I wonder whether maybe God meant that I needed to come back here to learn. Being here for the summer has taught me so much and I will never be the same because of it. However, I can't shake the desire to be back home doing ministry in the Twin Cities again. I wonder if maybe God wanted me back in New Orleans for this - to teach me new things about urban ministry and to help me realize my love & passion for the Twin Cities. I don't know this for sure. Maybe I will end up back here long-term. But maybe I will spend a lot more time in the Twin Cities than I ever thought I would. All I know is God has been showing me just how deep my love for home is. No matter what my future holds, I know God goes before me and yet is still with me.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
"How I Met Your Mother": a TV Show with Unexpected Depth to it
Although the show has quite a bit of questionable content, there are so many incredible quotes and amazing life lessons to be found in How I Met Your Mother. I wouldn't necessarily promote the show (I have given it up for long periods of time simply because there is a lot of content I don't care for) but I do think you should take a good look at what the show has to say. I think you'll find the lessons to be quite valuable and not present in many shows or movies. This post focuses on just a few of the great lessons taught in How I Met Your Mother.
"If you’re looking for the word that means caring for someone beyond all rationality and wanting them to have everything they want no matter how much it destroys you, it’s love! And when you love someone, you just don’t stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes, or call you crazy, even then, especially then!" - Ted Mosby, Season 9: Episode 17
No where else have I seen such an accurate description for love. There are so many different kinds of love and I think this one quote covers them all. When you truly love someone you don't think of yourself as much as you think of them and their happiness. Love is irrational that way. Don't agree with that definition of love? Well, maybe you aren't looking at the right places. As humans we can't love people properly. We sin and we make mistakes. But Jesus showed us love in the perfect form. Jesus showed us love that is irrational. It didn't make sense for Jesus to love us but that didn't stop him. Jesus paid the price for us because he wanted it all for us even though it cost him greatly. And Jesus never stopped loving us - not ever. Jesus taught us about love originally but How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) reprises that teaching and teaches all people what love truly should be like.
"Because sometimes even if you know how something’s gonna end that doesn't mean you can’t enjoy the ride." - Ted Mosby, Season 2: Episode 14
Life is often unpredictable but sometimes it is not. We know that certain things will come to an end. We know on our freshman year of college that four years from now it will all be over. We could choose to not engage with it because it will be over eventually. That certainly is an easier route. It hurts less to do that. But just because something will end doesn't mean we can't enjoy the time we have with it. Life is better when you engage in it and HIMYM teaches us that.
"The littlest thing can cause a ripple effect that changes your life." - Ted Mosby, Season 2: Episode 15
It is amazing to me looking back at my life how one person, one conversation, one place can so drastically alter the course of my life. For instance, six years ago I met a girl named Zoe. She told me about Eagle Brook Church (EBC). At the time my family was looking for a new church so we went for Christmas services. We continued going there and have been attending there for over five years. It was because of EBC that I became a follower of Christ, decided to pursue a degree in pastoral ministry, first stepped onto the UNW campus, joined youth group, led a small group of middle school girls, and have gone on two out of my three mission trips. Zoe led me to EBC and that has changed my life dramatically. From where we are standing we often cannot see how our current actions will affect our future but looking back we can better realize the effects of our actions.This show reminds us of that.
"Look, you can’t design your life like a building. It doesn't work that way. You just have to live it… and it’ll design itself." - Lily Aldrin, Season 4: Episode 24
As much as we try to plan out our lives for ourselves things never look how we think they will - whether that is for better or for worse. People come into our lives and change things. Opportunities come into our lives and change things. Disaster comes into our lives and change things. We can't write in pen in our planners because when it comes down to it things will change. We just have to trust that everything will be alright in the end and learn to take things as they come. How I Met Your Mother is a show filled with the unexpected and none of their lives go exactly as planned.
"You can’t just skip ahead to where you think your life should be." - Lily Aldrin, Season 5: Episode 20
We often get to places in our lives that we just want to skip. For instance in the show Ted often wants to skip the 'looking for someone amazing' part and just get to the 'found someone amazing' part. As a romantic, I often identify with Ted. But that's not how it works. We have to experience the scars and the waiting in order to truly appreciate the 'someone amazing' when they come around. This rings true for everything in life I think. I used to have thoughts about what it will be like when I finally get to move to New Orleans but if I just skipped to that part of my life I would miss out on the amazing college experience I am getting now at UNW. We can't spend our time wanting to skip parts of our lives because you never know what you may be missing. So rather then spending your time waiting, engage in your life now. You may find it to be the best time of your life simply because you changed your attitude towards it. So many people need to hear this and so I think HIMYM really does well to talk about it.
"The future is scary but you can’t just run back to the past because it’s familiar." - Robin Scherbatsky, Season 6: Episode 24
Looking towards the unknown can be frightening. The past is familiar. That's why we turn to it. But that is often not good for us. No matter how hard it is we have to keep moving forward and not look back towards the past simply because it is comfortable. You never know what beautiful thing could be waiting for you in your future. How I Met Your Mother reminds us to keep looking towards the future and to lean in to the unknown.
"If you’re not scared, you’re not taking a chance. And if you’re not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing?" - Ted Mosby, Season 5: Episode 1
Life involves risk. A lot of people are scared of risk because they cling to the times when they took a risk and things didn't work out but the best things in life often come out of us taking a risk. Asking that girl / boy out, applying for that job, going to that college, going on that trip, etc. Everything worth having is worth taking a risk for. It may not always work out but at least you tried. Sirius Black once said "what is life without a little risk?" How I Met Your Mother tells us it is okay to be scared and that we must take chances.
"Whatever you do in this life, it's not legendary, unless your friends are there to see it." - Barney Stinson, Season 9: Episode 17
Friends make life complicated but they also make it more meaningful. You can be successful in the world's eyes but if you don't have people who you care about you there when you do something amazing then it isn't worth much. HIMYM showed the value of friendship throughout the series and what we learn in the series can be summed up pretty well in this one sentence.
Additional Quotes
"So really the biggest mistake would be not to make that mistake, because then you’ll go your whole life not knowing if something was a mistake or not." - Lily Aldrin, Season 1: Episode 21
"We gotta wait for the real thing, no matter how tough it gets" - Ted Mosby, Season 7: Episode 11
"The great moments of your life won’t necessarily be the things you do; they’ll also be the things that happen to you." - Ted Mosby, Season 4: Episode 22
"We spend so much effort trying to keep parts of our lives hidden, even from our closest friends, that in those rare times when we do open up, it's amazing how minor those secrets all end up being." - Ted Mosby, Season 1: Episode 15
"If you’re looking for the word that means caring for someone beyond all rationality and wanting them to have everything they want no matter how much it destroys you, it’s love! And when you love someone, you just don’t stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes, or call you crazy, even then, especially then!" - Ted Mosby, Season 9: Episode 17
No where else have I seen such an accurate description for love. There are so many different kinds of love and I think this one quote covers them all. When you truly love someone you don't think of yourself as much as you think of them and their happiness. Love is irrational that way. Don't agree with that definition of love? Well, maybe you aren't looking at the right places. As humans we can't love people properly. We sin and we make mistakes. But Jesus showed us love in the perfect form. Jesus showed us love that is irrational. It didn't make sense for Jesus to love us but that didn't stop him. Jesus paid the price for us because he wanted it all for us even though it cost him greatly. And Jesus never stopped loving us - not ever. Jesus taught us about love originally but How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) reprises that teaching and teaches all people what love truly should be like.
"Because sometimes even if you know how something’s gonna end that doesn't mean you can’t enjoy the ride." - Ted Mosby, Season 2: Episode 14
Life is often unpredictable but sometimes it is not. We know that certain things will come to an end. We know on our freshman year of college that four years from now it will all be over. We could choose to not engage with it because it will be over eventually. That certainly is an easier route. It hurts less to do that. But just because something will end doesn't mean we can't enjoy the time we have with it. Life is better when you engage in it and HIMYM teaches us that.
"The littlest thing can cause a ripple effect that changes your life." - Ted Mosby, Season 2: Episode 15
It is amazing to me looking back at my life how one person, one conversation, one place can so drastically alter the course of my life. For instance, six years ago I met a girl named Zoe. She told me about Eagle Brook Church (EBC). At the time my family was looking for a new church so we went for Christmas services. We continued going there and have been attending there for over five years. It was because of EBC that I became a follower of Christ, decided to pursue a degree in pastoral ministry, first stepped onto the UNW campus, joined youth group, led a small group of middle school girls, and have gone on two out of my three mission trips. Zoe led me to EBC and that has changed my life dramatically. From where we are standing we often cannot see how our current actions will affect our future but looking back we can better realize the effects of our actions.This show reminds us of that.
"Look, you can’t design your life like a building. It doesn't work that way. You just have to live it… and it’ll design itself." - Lily Aldrin, Season 4: Episode 24
As much as we try to plan out our lives for ourselves things never look how we think they will - whether that is for better or for worse. People come into our lives and change things. Opportunities come into our lives and change things. Disaster comes into our lives and change things. We can't write in pen in our planners because when it comes down to it things will change. We just have to trust that everything will be alright in the end and learn to take things as they come. How I Met Your Mother is a show filled with the unexpected and none of their lives go exactly as planned.
"You can’t just skip ahead to where you think your life should be." - Lily Aldrin, Season 5: Episode 20
We often get to places in our lives that we just want to skip. For instance in the show Ted often wants to skip the 'looking for someone amazing' part and just get to the 'found someone amazing' part. As a romantic, I often identify with Ted. But that's not how it works. We have to experience the scars and the waiting in order to truly appreciate the 'someone amazing' when they come around. This rings true for everything in life I think. I used to have thoughts about what it will be like when I finally get to move to New Orleans but if I just skipped to that part of my life I would miss out on the amazing college experience I am getting now at UNW. We can't spend our time wanting to skip parts of our lives because you never know what you may be missing. So rather then spending your time waiting, engage in your life now. You may find it to be the best time of your life simply because you changed your attitude towards it. So many people need to hear this and so I think HIMYM really does well to talk about it.
"The future is scary but you can’t just run back to the past because it’s familiar." - Robin Scherbatsky, Season 6: Episode 24
Looking towards the unknown can be frightening. The past is familiar. That's why we turn to it. But that is often not good for us. No matter how hard it is we have to keep moving forward and not look back towards the past simply because it is comfortable. You never know what beautiful thing could be waiting for you in your future. How I Met Your Mother reminds us to keep looking towards the future and to lean in to the unknown.
"If you’re not scared, you’re not taking a chance. And if you’re not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing?" - Ted Mosby, Season 5: Episode 1
Life involves risk. A lot of people are scared of risk because they cling to the times when they took a risk and things didn't work out but the best things in life often come out of us taking a risk. Asking that girl / boy out, applying for that job, going to that college, going on that trip, etc. Everything worth having is worth taking a risk for. It may not always work out but at least you tried. Sirius Black once said "what is life without a little risk?" How I Met Your Mother tells us it is okay to be scared and that we must take chances.
"Whatever you do in this life, it's not legendary, unless your friends are there to see it." - Barney Stinson, Season 9: Episode 17
Friends make life complicated but they also make it more meaningful. You can be successful in the world's eyes but if you don't have people who you care about you there when you do something amazing then it isn't worth much. HIMYM showed the value of friendship throughout the series and what we learn in the series can be summed up pretty well in this one sentence.
Additional Quotes
"So really the biggest mistake would be not to make that mistake, because then you’ll go your whole life not knowing if something was a mistake or not." - Lily Aldrin, Season 1: Episode 21
"We gotta wait for the real thing, no matter how tough it gets" - Ted Mosby, Season 7: Episode 11
"The great moments of your life won’t necessarily be the things you do; they’ll also be the things that happen to you." - Ted Mosby, Season 4: Episode 22
"We spend so much effort trying to keep parts of our lives hidden, even from our closest friends, that in those rare times when we do open up, it's amazing how minor those secrets all end up being." - Ted Mosby, Season 1: Episode 15
Thursday, April 2, 2015
This World Is Not My Home
This world is broken. Very few will argue that it is not. There's war, drug addiction, hunger, divorce, unhappiness, death, pain, cancer, and so much more. I would not want my life in this world to be it. Sure, there's a lot of wonderful things in life but I still wouldn't want this life to be my entire existence. And I don't believe it is. I believe in heaven. In the Bible, it says that all who believe in Jesus Christ will go there and there we will meet the one who created us and loves us. In Philippians 3:20 it says our citizenship is in heaven. This means that heaven is our final destination, our true home. Billy Graham once said it this way: "My home is heaven. I'm just traveling through this world".
I recently saw the first trailer of the movie "Paper Towns". It's based on a novel by John Green. I read it a few months ago and I am so excited for the movie this summer. I have seen the trailer at least four times and I have watched all other "Paper Towns" content along with it too. Similarly, our time on Earth is just the trailer of a movie we are anxiously awaiting (the one difference is that the movie will never disappoint).
Our time on Earth is like the monorail ride to a line-free Disney World. Or the dinner salad before a 5 course meal. Or the car ride to an endless Tenth Avenue North concert. In short, our time on Earth is just the beginning of our eternities. And when you are a follower of Jesus it only gets better from there.
Heaven is going to be incredible. But it hasn't always been an option for sinners like us. Jesus paid the price for our sins so we could spend our eternities with God. That's what we celebrate during the Easter season - the price Jesus paid and the gift we received because of it. Heaven is an incredible gift. In fact, it is our true home.
Extra
"Where I Belong" by Switchfoot
"Where I Belong"
Feeling like a refugee
Like it don't belong to me
The colors flash across the sky
This air feels strange to me
Feeling like a tragedy
I take a deep breath and close my eyes
One last time
One last time
Storms on the wasteland
Dark clouds on the plains again
We were born into the fight
But I'm not sentimental
This skin and bones is a rental
And no one makes it out alive
Until I die I'll sing these songs
On the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
Where the weak are finally strong
Where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
Feels like we're just waiting, waiting
While our hearts are just breaking, breaking
Feels like we've been fighting against the tide
I wanna see the earth start shaking
I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside
Until I die I'll sing these songs
On the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
Where the weak are finally strong
Where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
This body's not my own
This world is not my own
But I still can hear the sound
Of my heart beating out
So let's go boys, play it loud
On the final day I die
I want to hold my head up high
I want to tell You that I tried
To live it like a song
And when I reach the other side
I want to look You in the eye
And know that I've arrived
In a world where I belong
In a world where I belong
In a world where I belong
Where I belong
Where I belong
Where I belong
Where I belong
I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now
Forever now
Forever
I still believe in us together
You and I we're here together now
Together now
Forever now
Forever now
Forever now
Forever
Forever
Monday, March 30, 2015
5 Reasons Doing PSEO Was One of the Best Decisions I've Ever Made
1. Escape from high schoolHaving to ask to go to the bathroom, being forced to get up at 6:30 a.m., only having one choice for lunch, getting in trouble with your parents if you skip class, and riding the bus with thirteen year olds. That's high school, not college. In college you can usually get up and leave class no questions asked, you can sleep in until 30 minutes before the earliest class you scheduled for yourself, there is a multitude of lunch options, you could never go to class and your parents would never be called, and seeing people under the age of 18 at school is very rare. There are so many freedoms available in college that it makes high school look like prison. (Read my post about reasons college is better than high school.) And if your 4 year sentence could be lifted 2 years early then why not take it?
2. Exposure to college atmosphere
Not only do you get to escape the boredom of high school, but you get the rare opportunity to see what college is like before you are thrown into it with no idea what you are doing. PSEO provides a more gentle transition. You get to see what college professors are like, get your textbooks, experience daytime college life, roam a college campus, do college level work, and meet college students. But at the same time you don't have to worry about paying for it all, you don't have roommate troubles (unless you live on campus), you can take a reduced load without risking not graduating on time, you can keep your ties to your high school friends, and you have your parents to help you along the way. Then when the time comes for you to actually go off the college you may very well be a pro (especially if you end up going to the college you took PSEO classes at).
3. Money, money, money
Sticker price, tuition at my school (University of Northwestern - St. Paul) is $28,390. Look, I don't have that kind of money in my change jar or even in my savings account (17 years of birthday money, 1 year of PCA work, and 2 years of tutoring people in math don't get you that much). Multiply that by the 5 years it'll take me to get my bachelor's in pastoral ministry and my master's of divinity degree and you'll get... a heart attack. That's not even including room and board, meal plans, parking permits, dorm furnishings, or textbooks. College is expensive. This isn't news. Getting in anywhere from a semester to a year of free college can save you tons of money. Also, if it convinces you to do PSEO you can make yourself your parent's new favorite child (I know I am #1 now. That's a joke - anyone who knows me knows I am an only child.). Put it into perspective... even $30,000 saved in tuition is huge. With that money you could buy a brand new Dodge Challenger or 42 Samsung 1080p HD LED 50" Smart TVs or over 6 thousand venti White Chocolate Mochas from Starbucks or 25,000 tacos from Taco Bell or sponsor 3 children (from the time they are born to the time they become adults) through Compassion and give them nearly $100 every Christmas. I'm telling you PSEO can save you SO much money.4. Chance to start working towards your future
If you are anything like you me you hate the idea of wasting your valuable time learning calculus. I am an impatient person and I'll bet you are too. Personally, I want to go out into the world and start a church. I want to lead people to Christ and I want to do it now. I need to educated and prepared but that doesn't have to wait until I am almost 19. I am doing it all now so I will have a master's degree and be ready to start proclaiming the name of Jesus for a living when I am 21. Whatever your dream is, you can start working towards it up to 2 years sooner by doing PSEO.
If there is a certain college you want to go to, doing PSEO there will give you a good idea if it is truly the place for you. Before you move in and start paying tuition for something you may not like, PSEO gives you the opportunity to try a college out with only a semester commitment. If it isn't for you, then move on to another college.
Note to those who have been scared of PSEO because of their schools...
A majority of schools see you as money. You are worth several thousand dollars of funding. If you choose to do PSEO, they get very little money for you. This is why so many teachers and administrators try to scare students away from PSEO. They want their money. Sure, some students do best in high school but if you have the support of your parents, you are informed, and you are willing to work then don't let anyone try and stop you from saving yourself that cash, testing out those waters, fleeing high school, entering college life, and working towards your dreams!
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The Dangers of Trying to Read and Reach Ahead
“We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.”
― Bill Watterson
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”
― Henry David Thoreau
― Bill Watterson
Lewis, a young orphan inventor, is close to giving up on his invention. Little does he know that his invention will lead to more inventions and his work will change the world. Because he is on the brink of giving up, a young boy his age comes from the future in order to convince him to keep working on it. On this journey, he of course wants to know about his own future.
This is not an uncommon desire. Most of us dream and hope about our own futures. Especially people my age. We want to know where we are supposed to go to college, what to major in, who we are going to marry, what career we should pursue, where we should live, how much to spend on a car, and well, everything else. We are curious and we want to know what our lives will be like. Thinking ahead seems like a really good idea and people are generally applauded for thinking about their futures. And they should be. Having a plan for the future is admirable. But how much of our futures should we be reading ahead on?
There is no certain percentage of your time or a magical number of minutes a day you should or should not spend thinking about your future but you should remember to keep in mind the disadvantages to spending your present living in the future.
I have many dreams for my future. I look forward to someday leading people to Christ, starting a church, living in New Orleans, getting married, and raising a family. Some days I just want to be 30 already and get a move on my life. But then I stop and I think. What could I miss out on if I skipped to being 30? I would miss so much.
If we live in the future, we will miss out on our present. We cannot live our lives thinking "if only I had this I would be happy". Psalm 118:24 says "this is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it". We say carpe diem (seize the day) but how many of us do? It's easy to slip into a dreamlike state and walk around and think about how great life'll be someday. What's hard is living in the moment because there are problems in our present. There's struggles in every season of our lives. They are always different but they are always there. News flash: your life you won't be perfect when you graduate high school, go to college, get married, have kids, get a promotion, or buy a new house. There will always be struggles. When we picture the future we don't tend to picture the obstacles. We don't think about the stress having kids would bring - only what a joy they would be. We don't think about the struggles of living away from home - only what freedom it would bring.
But guess what, there aren't just struggles in every season of our lives. There are also great strengths in every season. When we are in our dorms crying because we have got so much work we are growing and more importantly, we are also forced to rely on God's strength and not our own. When we get a job and are the low man on the totem pole we are able to gain new respect for those people and work harder towards our goals. With everything we do we are able to grow from it in some way and we are always able to lean on God's strength through hard times.
What I want you to know today is this: God has a beautiful story written for you but He isn't going to let you see it. It's better that way. Trust Him on that. And although its good to do some planning about your future it is more important to appreciate and live in the season you are currently in in your life. And when you find yourself longing for another's life season remember that there are struggles in their season too. You only see their fruit. Very rarely do you see the fight they went through to make it all happen. Embrace the good things happening in your life now and don't forget to seize the day.
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”
― Henry David Thoreau
A lot of the ideas and phrases in my post were from a wonderful sermon by Steven Furtick. I would encourage you to listen to it. You can find it here: http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/times-and-seasons
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