dimanche 26 novembre 2006
Graduations galore
It's only the fall semester so far, but I am really excited that five people on my blogroll are all graduating in April 2007! Here's a premature congratulations to Mara, Foreign Guy, Trevor, Kim, and Laura! I think the graduating class just keeps growing year after year. There wasn't a lot of people that I hung out with who graduated with me last year but plenty the year before that and now the year after, how fun :) Just another semester and it'll be convocation time in the spring... what a pleasant thought as we're in the midst of a cold spell right now. Err, just as long as we don't get the horrible blizzard that blindsided us at the convocation in 2003 I suppose!
Libellés : college
lundi 9 octobre 2006
Accumulated papers
Well, I think I've gotten the hang of school now. I've figured out that I need to spend about three times as many hours reading textbooks as I did before in college. And I've also noticed that the lengths of my papers haven't increased... yet. Currently, I'm in the process of sorting through all of my previous papers and school memos, tossing whatever I don't need. It's quite a daunting task; I didn't realize that four years could amount to a shelf full of paper! Maybe I should leave all that work until after the semester's over, so I can actually focus on homework instead ;)
Amidst all this paperwork, I've been thinking about the differences between Bible college and seminary. The biggest one is that there is no longer a "bridal college" mentality, although I did hear one single guy get greeted with "Hey, you getting married yet?" It's funny that when I found a mailbox list from my first year of Bible college and counted all the people that I knew of who got married as a result of going to the school, it was in the 50+ students range (75+ in total if I count those that didn't have a bridal college connection). It's not like that anymore.
Another difference is that most seminary students are older and in the working world, so I only see certain people once a week. There aren't as many full-time students as I thought there would be, so I've only met people in passing apart from the three or four people that are in two or more classes with me. I have incredible awe for people who are able to juggle family, work, school and church responsibilities all at once. I feel terrible because I've had to cut back on some things just to keep up with my courses. I wonder if I should pick up some super-sonic-speed-reading technique, as that would help me greatly!
lundi 1 mai 2006
A non-comprehensive list
I just got back from a really late night dinner with my friends and this is what we ended up chatting about:
You know you're a missions major when you...
- have trouble speaking English because you're mixing it up with the language you're learning
- know someone who is in or has recently been in a country with major political upheaval
- think nothing of owning music in at least five languages, even if you don't understand them
- have read William Carey's "An Enquiry into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens"
- consider potential boy/girlfriends based on which field they're interested in
- know John Piper's mantra by heart
- drop words like modality, apostolic, language acquisition, indigenous, redemptive analogy, nationals, bicultural, tentmaker, ethnography, and mobilization into your conversations
- sing worship songs in English and wonder what it would sound like in a different language
- get into a debate with another missions major over the benefits and problems of short-term missions
- have used a squattie toilet
- fundraise like crazy and are up to your ears in food, crafts, etc.
- frequently mention, "Well in (city/country/etc.), they do things by..."
- tend to bring up Abraham's call in Genesis 12 a tad bit
- can classify whether your missions trip is E-0, E-1, E-2, or E-3 (alternatively P-0, P-1, P-2, P-3)
- wonder which country your professor(s) will be in this time
- get excited over finding a new Christian song that sings about missions because now you have more options than Audio Adrenaline's "Hands and Feet" or MercyMe's "Here Am I" or "Go" for your slideshow presentation
- want another Haystack Prayer Meeting (or Student Volunteer) Movement to happen
- read missionary biographies for fun
- know what truly good coffee tastes like outside of the North American chains because you had the authentic thing in El Salvador, Colombia, etc.
- talk about SIM, SIL, TEAM, GEM, SEND, OMF, NTM, AIM, or IFMA
- refer people to the Joshua Project site on more than one occasion
- take out the Operation World book and pray through it
- have had a chance to practise writing support letters
- hear of a country and think you know of a missionary there
- can pronounce the names of people around the world that no one else can repeat
Note: A lot of these would probably be similar to the experiences of missionary kids. This list isn't definitive but after sitting in a car with four other missions majors tonight, I think we fit into a lot of these :)
dimanche 23 avril 2006
Approaching finish line
In between the last time that I have written and now, I have "graduated" from college! I went through my convocation ceremony and am just wrapping up a couple of things before it is all officially finished. I'm extremely anxious to complete what's left so that I can enjoy this summer fully. But before I get into those things, I'll be heading out this week for a retreat with my best friends to celebrate!
Libellés : college
mercredi 15 mars 2006
The rest for now
I forgot to mention that I didn't intend on coming back to my Christian college for my third year (hence the graduation). I had applied to a different school to learn videography but missed the very last step of the process, ending up on the waiting list instead. I was filled with both disappointment and yet a strange sense of joy that God had closed the door and it was then that I knew I would be returning for a third year.
With a major I was now content in, I jumped into it wholeheartedly. I became a student leader for one of the mission teams, and I went to Montreal for the first time. I guess if I had gone to the other school, I would have missed out on knowing an amazing group of people this side of the country. I'm glad it didn't work out that way :)
Now that I'm in my fourth year, it has been such an adventure! I entered into an intensive missions training program and became very good friends with my cohort. We are presently all over the world and within a few weeks, will be reuniting again. And if I can complete all of my courses in time, I will be finished with my program. I still get a kick out of what God has done within such a short time span but how much an impact it has had on me.
High school me and almost finished college me - what a picture! And in a few months, I will be entering grad school. I found a funny sticker that says this:
I feel like I'm putting myself into a perpetual state of studenthood, and am a little worried for when that ride will be over. But I am confident that God will continue to guide and lead me, and take me through all sorts of experiences. Honestly though, I am ready for a break this summer before I return to school. I need it for my sanity!
mardi 14 mars 2006
Turning back
As my friends around the world and I get ready to settle into our last month of cross-cultural fun, I've been reflecting on these last few years at college. I never would have guessed at how God brought me from high school to where I am today. In fact, I didn't even expect to attend a Christian college! All I remember from then was a yearning to learn even more about Jesus and how I figured that spending a year deep in the Bible and with other Christians would feed my soul so much. And it has - immensely.
After my first year, I wasn't quite sure what to do so I stuck around for a second year. This was the first time that I changed my major; I was now in youth ministry. I loved working with the kids from my church and being a part of their lives for three years. I didn't think I was called to be a youth pastor so I was left with a slight nagging feeling of what I could really do with my degree. At that time, my two loves were youth ministry and videography (it's really reflected in the beginning of my blog).
During my second year, I had to take another missions course in order to graduate with my diploma. That was around the same time that I was thinking about switching majors and upon going through the list of programs at my school, I told my friends, "I will never be a missions major." This was uttered in the same breath as other programs which honestly, I would never be caught dead in. But I love how God has a sense of humour....
That missions class changed my life forever! It was then that I accidentally learned the name of the Chinese language that I speak and felt that God had really placed a burden on my heart for what I was learning in that course. I knew I had found my place and so right after I graduated, I quickly switched my major again.
And now I have to go, so the story will continue at a later time :)
vendredi 17 février 2006
Self-explanatory
I have to convince my school to let me graduate.
Libellés : college
lundi 17 octobre 2005
Flurry of activities
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of homework, work, and various errands. But I've survived the completion of one class, and I'm now ready to tackle the next five I have on my plate. One is causing me a lot of grief because I expected it to be relatively easy to finish up, but a mistake my prof has made means it is going to take me at least three times longer to fix things. Sigh.
I had a great birthday celebration this weekend though and bought some used books to add to my growing collection. I also watched one of the most exciting hockey games ever (Battle of Alberta) and I was able to see the strangest turn of events during that power play in the third period. It's funny how fast weekends fly by, yet some weeks seem to stretch out for so long. I would venture to say there is some universal axiom that the things you enjoy doing the most have the shortest duration and the things you don't have the longest. Actually, that's much too pessimistic - perhaps it's more about what I need to do to change this myself :)
Libellés : college
lundi 10 octobre 2005
Special potpourri
Kyle has just let me know about the newly released Google Reader, which is similar to Bloglines but probably has more features to it. I currently use Bloglines and will likely switch to the Reader but if people don't syndicate their sites, I can't read those posts (hint, hint).
Anyways, happy Canadian Thanksgiving today! I've been doing homework these past few hours and I still have mounds left that will be due at the end of the week. After these assignments are done, I am finished one entire course! Even though module classes are intense, it's such a nice feeling to know that it only takes a few weeks to complete it rather than four months. I'm also working on my application for seminary, and it feels like high school all over again. I had forgotten how much schools ask about you, and how many references are needed in order for your application to be processed. I still say university was way easier to get into :)
Libellés : college
mardi 4 octobre 2005
Breathing out
I still feel like 'decompressing' from both my intensive class last week and work on top of that. But hooray, happy October!
Libellés : college
vendredi 16 septembre 2005
Temporary break
My current lax attitude.
But the incredibly good news is that I don't have exams at all this year :)
Because I'm not actually in classes until the end of the month, I've been treating this time as an extended summer. Of course, my summers are always packed with work and various responsibilities, which is exactly what I'm going through now. This is the only day I have off in my week and rather than lazing about doing nothing, I need to do my distance ed course. This explains why my recaps of my days aren't terribly exciting. Another reason might be that I have to journal as a requirement for my program, and by the time I get online - all inspiration has left me.
However, I am going to the Calgary International Film Festival next week and watching my friends and coworkers star / produce / etc. in a movie being played there. I'm also getting together with my missions trip friends and helping coach this year's missions leaders at the college. I'm excited about being in a supporting role, and the people who are missions leaders are already my close friends. What a dream job!
Even if my time is sparse, I have to admit that I love what I'm involved in this semester. And that is such a blessing.
Libellés : college
mardi 13 septembre 2005
Mid-month musings
I just received an email from a close friend in Montréal, and it is unbelievable how much this form of communication has soothed my soul and brought encouragement (merci!). This reminds me, I should update on how things are going for January in Montréal. Well, plans are going steadily for my practicum next semester, but it's difficult because I don't know many of the details yet and I think a lot of the things I may end up having to arrange myself. This on top of everything else right now is going to be hard but I know that all the pieces will come together. At this point, the biggest pieces are accommodation and work. Where I will be living and where I will be interning, those sort of things pretty much. Still waiting on Him!
I'm having a blast in my semester so far getting to know my cohort better. It is so affirming being with a group of people who are like-mindedly passionate about missions! One of the difficulties in just knowing that other people are in your major but not having all of your classes with them is that you don't get a deeper look at what makes their heart beat and how God has wired them for a specific culture. It is great that among us, we have people working with ethnic groups that cover Asia, Western Europe, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, North America, and Africa!
Another benefit to being in a cohort this semester is that we all get so much time to interact personally with our profs. I mean, I actually have to bring in a copy of my schedule for class next week so that they can critique it and advise me on better time management (yes!). I love that it's not just academic material that is emphasized, but rather how we're integrating this with our field experience and our own daily lives. It's challenging because this program is stretching me in every which way - mentally, spiritually, and pretty soon physically.
Right now, my language learning is starting to get exciting. It's strange, but I'm at the point where I need to be watching French TV almost daily now. I caught a documentary on the Québécois view of churches the other night, and today I heard someone sing "Jean Batailleur" on some soap opera. I've been watching my movies in French (I love Warner Brothers because they dub in Québec!) and listening to my accumulating collection of French worship music and songs that my friends have recorded. I don't have any formal guidelines in structuring the way I'm learning so it's great that I get to add whatever I think will help. I've never had this much freedom before in tailor-making my college courses, but I hope I end up tailoring it right! :)
Libellés : college
vendredi 9 septembre 2005
Firsts and lasts
Well, I feel like I now have one foot in the door of the work world and one foot in the college world, and it's a strange place to be in. I sometimes get the thought that I'm being half-devoted to each world, that rather than pouring my energy directly into one place it's being split between both. When I'm on a roll with work-related things, I want to forget that I'm still a student and that I have assignments due, and vice versa with school. In a way, I'm facing the lasts of school this year and the firsts of work. It's exciting to know that I'm nearly done but there's so much to do before getting there!
It's funny how God brings us to unexpected things in life. Even a few months ago, I never could have pictured doing what I'm doing right now. I'm constantly amazed at what He has brought me through and how He has orchestrated even the most minute detail to produce something He has intended for me all along. For example, one of my friends was sharing part of her testimony today and she spoke exactly on the lines of what I ended up writing my thesis paper about last month. It was confirmation to me that what I had written was on a necessary topic, and it also showed me that the months I spent in worry about my research topic beforehand was not necessary. I just love the way God's nudging comes through even in the smallest moments :)
Lately, it's been pretty hard expressing my thoughts in words. I usually turn to writing as a form of solace but I've been getting more and more distracted. This may be one of the few times that I've written a longer composition than usual (non-sequential but still lengthy). Regarding the distractions, I'm happy that I finally recognized my need to say no. I've been keeping a list in my agenda of all the things I've declined and it's liberating to pull it out and see what I don't have to worry about. It's so easy for me to forget that when busyness gets in the way of worshipping God, that it has become an idol that has to be abolished. I need to relinquish the satisfaction I derive from being way too swamped for my own good. My heart needs to first rest in Christ.
This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls...."
- Jeremiah 6:16
Libellés : college
mardi 6 septembre 2005
Impenderus semesterus
So earlier in my posts when I semi-boasted about my unstructured semester, I didn't realize that I was actually setting myself up for disaster. I think I've taken on too much at this point, and I keep getting bombarded with more things to do. I've been meaning to read this book that people have recommended to me, but I've yet to carve out the time to do that. I think when others hear that I'm only in class for a few weeks this semester, they assume that I have the rest of the time off (which I did for a while as well). If only that were true :) Instead, I'll be spending the rest of the time working and reading, neither of which I'm complaining about, but they are definitely time-consuming.
I've learned to say no to two things already, but still they come! If I'm going to survive the next few months, I'm going to have to stop giving in to so many requests. One of my friends had a quote that she lived by which said, "I don't have to do everything that I'm capable of," something I need to learn as well. Well, now that school and work are in session, I'll have to see how God helps me to manage it all one day at a time. That might be what He's teaching me right now..
Libellés : college
mardi 23 août 2005
167 footnotes later
I just finished my thesis paper :) It feels so surreal to have finished the biggest paper of my academic career! Also, the print preview picture (I am incredibly obsessed with that little feature) only shows my paper in single-space; it's actually supposed to be double-spaced. I know it's not a dissertation or anything but at this point, I am just deliriously happy that it's almost over. I have tons of editing left but I am relieved that I don't have to pull any more all-nighters. Ahhhh, there it is, even looking at it makes me smile!! Alright now I'm heading off to work, with no sleep as usual. I actually spent the last fifteen hours writing straight through. I'm going to be a tad looney today, especially with an office meeting in less than two hours!
dimanche 21 août 2005
Spaghetti thoughts
I am about halfway through my paper, hooray! And I have the rest of today to get it finished before I submit my rough draft tomorrow. Even though it looks extremely daunting, I keep telling myself it's possible. Maybe it would be more possible if I got off the internet though :)
I just heard from some friends in Montréal, and knowing that I'll be back in school pretty soon means that I'm closer to seeing them all again. I'm hoping that I'll get to spend more time this semester learning French though. It is cool to think that I am able to understand more today than I did a year ago, especially since I can now watch French TV without feeling too miserable about my lack of understanding. It's amazing how much a language can leave you if you don't work on it. I've retained some vocabulary but grammar is pretty much out the door. I hope I don't lose my other languages when I live in Montréal next year.
And on a disconnected thought, I don't think I could stand it if I went to a church that used The Message as the Bible. Sure, it can be a good paraphrase of the Bible, but it is not the Bible. Some interesting thoughts have been brought up about this, so it looks like others out there are challenging its use. I have a New Testament copy which I got for $2, but I have never used it in devotional reading. I think I used it a couple of times when I worked with youth, trying to find an easier way to communicate certain thoughts, but I would find it hard to use on a continual basis. I'm glad it's there as a tool but I have hesitations about making it widespread within churches. Thoughts?
Libellés : books, college, French
dimanche 7 août 2005
Streaming consciousness
My circadian rhythm is completely off-kilter right now. I couldn't get to sleep until 8:30 this morning only to wake up at 2:30 this afternoon, and now I am trying to go through all the books that I have left to read. I can't believe that after this paper is done (when will that day come?!), I am one class closer to graduating!
I'm so looking forward to this upcoming semester: I only have a distance ed course, two modular classes, one weekend seminar, and half of a field ed course to do, on top of a part-time job. But that means I am in class for 12 days during the whole four months! And after that, it's beautiful Montréal and one last paper about my experience there :) Nothing like extrinsic motivation to get me going right now!
Libellés : college
mardi 2 août 2005
My present plight
Today's PhD
Thankfully, my advisor/prof is not as intimidating although I did have a meeting where I showed up with nothing :) My problem at this point is probably not the lack of research but rather too much! Is that even considered a bad thing? I've picked an interesting topic but everywhere I turn, I find more sources that I want to use. At this point, I have 22 articles, 24 internet files, and 38 books. I tell you, if you ever need me to help you find information for a paper, I have no problem doing that. Ahh, maybe that's why I work in a library. So now I just need to somehow put my thoughts together and get a paper going, eek!
News of the day:
- Plane crash at Pearson International Airport: a miracle that everyone survived, praise God
- Citytv taking over A-Channel: not quite as substantial a news item but now the 'A' is gone
- 80s night on Canadian Idol: just to round it out; fun show and I thought Melissa did a great job finishing it up
Libellés : college
mardi 12 juillet 2005
All work and no school
Although my summer job is not what I had originally expected, it seems to get better everyday. I'm currently working at my church as an assistant, which sounds so vague but I can't think of what else to call myself. So these past weeks, I've been learning the ropes and getting myself oriented with all of the processes that take place. This means that getting started on my research is incredibly difficult! I'm going to be in so much trouble - I think my advisor is going to come down on me for not having begun yet!
I spent some time with one of my friends earlier today, and something we're both learning right now is waiting upon God. There's this quote that we both have in mind which goes along the lines of: "If I had known how good it was going to be, I would have trusted God more." That is such a difficult concept but we're intent on following what God has planned for us, even if it means we're uncertain of what's to come. I feel like I am in such a transition time, without any clue of what's going on. However, in the midst of this confusion, I have decided on which seminary to attend. That's practically a no-brainer because my city only has one :) At least I have some destination, which will motivate me to complete this year well. Or I hope to, since I seem to get graduitis.*
*The strange disorder which manifests itself in the last semester of the last remaining year of a school program where grades are not at the expected level and academic interests fall drastically. This has been evidenced in my life twice: 1) Last semester of grade twelve, I received my first B in high school in calculus class because I no longer paid attention and since I graduated already (and really, when that happens it doesn't matter what you do). 2) This past semester at college (because it was my last time in a classroom setting), I received three A minuses which has not happened since my first semester in college. Qu'une horreur! Whatever, I'm a geek that notices things like this ;)
Libellés : college
jeudi 7 juillet 2005
Busyness ahead
I have been completely swamped this week with work, school, meetings, and general schedule-fillers. I didn't expect this much, but I should know that when you work in a church, things will always inevitably pile up and overwhelm you. Thankfully, I have all day tomorrow to sit down and go through my first round of research. I am going to have music blaring all day as I sit down and read the numerous books and articles I've collected over the past year. One of my friends spent two years on his thesis - I have (less than) two months to attempt the same feat. Ahhh!
Anyways, this picture of Montréal reminds me of when I didn't have to worry about so much. Just got to spend time with friends and enjoy their company :)
