Monthly Archives: March 2013

Recently, while on my way to history class, I spotted a long spiraling line in the court yard. I asked one of the students in line what all the fuss was about. “Commuter lunch,” he replied with a puzzled look on his face. Being that this was my first semester at CBU, I had never heard of such a thing. I politely joined the back of the line, and within five minutes, I was first in line. I timidly walked up to the table and handed the guy wearing the “CBU Crazies” shirt my ID. He asked if I was a commuter, which I confidently replied “yes”. He scanned my ID and handed it back to me. The girl next to him handed me a paper bag with a Chic-fil-A chicken sandwich, condiments, chips, and a bottle of water inside. “Thank you,” I belted out, with a huge grin on my face as I strolled to class.

This is one of my first memorable impressions from CBU. College can be expensive and time consuming to attend. Since day one, I have been overwhelmed by the way CBU “gives back” to each student. CBU is constantly holding free events and special promotions which are geared at building morale and improving student life.

Last semester one of the students here left their iPhone in the restroom, not once, but twice. Some honest students found the phone and turned it in to lost and found twice. This is the type of environment and people I have grown to love while attending CBU. I enjoy walking to and from classes because there is always a smiling face walking by with a perfect greeting. I look forward to the “good mornings, hellos, and “how are you’s” that I receive throughout the day. Good manners, and friendliness are contagious here at CBU, and that is all right with me.

Also, what better way to start a class than with prayer? Many of my instructors lead the class in prayer before classes begin. This is always a plus in my book–I can always use a little help

Midterms are already upon us! That could mean a number of things: spring break is soon to follow, now’s the time to redeem yourself, or summer is that much closer.

There are a few things to keep in mind when preparing for midterms. The first thing is that most professors let us know ahead of time what will be on the exam. Professors tend to take pieces from every chapter or section covered so far and compile it into one test. You may have already noticed that when your professor emphasizes something in class, it probably will be on an exam.

Next, get plenty of sleep! I know that it’s customary to stay up late studying the night before an exam, but this is bad, people! It doesn’t make sense to know the information but not be able to stay awake during the exam. (Trust me, I know these things.) Also, drinking coffee to stay up studying the night before will cause you to crash like the stock market. It’s not worth it. Relax and take a load off. Don’t stress yourself out during midterms. Have you ever heard the phrase “pressure bursts pipes?” No one needs to have a nervous break down over midterms. If you go to class, take good notes, and pay attention, you should be fine. Study your notes periodically leading up to the exam so that the information will be fresh on your mind.

Last but not least, take time out to talk with God. Put your trust in the Lord, continue to study, and you’ll be fine. Don’t ask for miracles because you haven’t studied, and don’t wait until the last minute. This process is called cramming, which can lead to failing, which could lead to a string of unfortunate events.

Happy testing…

Busy, busy, busy. The semester seems to be really flying by right about now. Midterms are quickly approaching, not to mention spring break

With that being said, professors are not messing around. Many are pushing out work assignments as fast as they can think of them. It can be a challenge just to keep up with all the papers and other assignments due. I often find myself going to bed late and rising early to meet deadlines; having a part-time job and other extracurricular activities does not help the situation.

I try to set short term goals in order to motivate me. For example, NBA All Star weekend will be here soon—and that’s only a few weeks from spring break. That’s one hump I have to get over.

If I can just make it to that point in one piece, I’m golden.

To prepare myself for the strenuous days ahead I keep some simple rules in mind: plenty of rest (where possible), exercise, and stay focused. During the semester I get very little sleep at night. To counter this, I take a short nap whenever I can. Also, I try to eat healthy every day to give me the energy I need to drive on. When I have time, which seems to be early in the morning or between classes, I work out. This keeps me in shape and ready to tackle the many tasks ahead from day to day. Finally, I stay focused. I never lose sight of my goals. I am here for a reason. The more I prepare for life and its many challenges, the more adept I will be to overcome.

All in all, I try to always remember California Baptist University’s motto, “Live your purpose.” Failure is not an option for me, and it should not be for you. Always remember that God put each and every one of us here for a reason.

The semester glass is half empty with summer quickly approaching. In today’s society, American men and women are held to unbelievably high standards. The bar is even higher for people here in California. Thank goodness we don’t have that problem here at CBU, right? Wrong.

Movies, books, magazines, pop culture and the media paint pictures of the ideal human figure. Men are supposed to be at least 5’10 with hard rock abs and a strong jaw line. Women should be tall, bronze and able to hula hoop through a Cheerio. These are all opinions, and, although they may be widespread, they are not laws. There is no publication that states that you have to be a certain height, weight, or have a particular body type to be attractive or accepted.

No one is perfect, only God! With that being said, we need to accept things that we cannot change. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I have to lose this weight before summer” or “I have to get my sexy back.” I never knew sexy was missing. At times we all get caught up in worldly things or themes but we must remember that our mission has nothing to do with our looks. I am 5’7 and will not be growing any in the foreseeable future. I have reluctantly accepted this fact, and I am fine with it. I work out often, because I enjoy it and it keeps me healthy.

God created us all in his image. Everyone is unique on purpose which is what makes us truly special. Let’s think about this for a moment. How would you feel if there were 25,000 other yous walking around earth? The funny thing is that our differences tie us together.

Consider the times we’ve read about those models people admire who aren’t happy with themselves. A documentary in one of my classes also pointed out that a lot of the images we see are corrected in Photoshop. Those six-pack abs that you so desperately want may actually be airbrushed on a computer before finally being printed or posted to your favorite website.

Don’t compare yourself to the images you see in today’s media. Strive to be the best you can be. That’s what God wants us to do.

A lot of people think that Christians are stiff and pushy. The fact is, a lot of us may be pushy or even direct, but I think we still know how to have fun. As Christians, we are taught that we must share the good news with the masses. There are a lot of untapped souls in the world that have not heard about Christ. This is why we send missionaries out into the world and why we witness to others. The word of God must reach everyone.

On the other hand, we still have to find outlets and ways to cope with the weight of our day-to-day responsibilities. This doesn’t mean that we have to go out and do something we might regret in the morning. I simply mean have fun. How we do it will be a witness to those around us.

There are many ways to enjoy yourself without “losing your religion.” It might be cracking open that book you’ve been dying to read. Nature is a beautiful amenity to behold–plus it’s free. Go skiing, hiking, swimming or just take a long walk. I personally love the outdoors and playing sports. I try to find time in between studying to go for a run or throw some chicken breasts on the grill. Fellowshipping with others is also a way to have a good time.

As we prepare to go on Spring Break, I hope you’ll remember to relax and have fun. I certainly intend to!

UnChristian. Hypocrites. Old-fashioned. Judgmental.

These are just a few of the labels that Christians are given by unbelievers. The labels seem harsh to Christians, and we tend to respond to them with a quick rebuttal of “They don’t really know Christians then!” However, it should make us question why we have such a bad rap with the unbelieving community.

These thoughts arose because of a book that I am reading currently called “UnChristian” by David Kinnaman. It is a good read, especially because it is filled with research from the Barna Group, an organization of Christian researchers. The Barna Group has done extensive research of Christianity from the eyes of non-believers of Christianity. They have been able to see what keeps people from the church and taints the religion of Christianity for them.

The main complaint of non-believers is that Christianity is unchristian. Ghandi is quoted for saying, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”

But how exactly are we different than Christ?

We have all heard the claims that Christians are judgmental and hypocritical. There are things that push non-believers away from Christianity that we might not be aware of.

This past week, California Baptist University had the privilege of having Ralph Winter speak on our campus for chapel and for a special lecture. He is a Christian producer in Hollywood who spoke to the problem that Christians have — poor storytelling.

While this may not seem to be a big issue, it is a great departure from the author of our faith, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was an amazing storyteller. On many mountaintops and in many cities, Jesus Christ reached masses by his stories and parables. Not only were his stories captivating, but they were current with the times that he lived in. He spoke of a shepherd who lost one of his 99 sheep, how the shepherd dropped everything to find that one sheep and how he rejoiced when he found the one, lost sheep.  This story was relatable to listeners because they were people who made their living raising sheep and working with livestock.

I think many non-believers see Christians as out of touch with the times. We are to be in the world, but not of it. Therefore, we must be aware of the times if we are going to reach out to those who are in the world. We must be able to speak to non-Christians in a manner that relates to the times today, not only the people of Israel thousands of years ago.  We must produce media like music, movies and art that relates to the times today and inspires others toward Christ.

Students at California Baptist University have a great opportunity in Southern California. There are many non-believers in the area who are waiting to be reached. This also means that we have a great responsibility at CBU to reach out to non-believers.  But to do this, we must not be unchristian. We must be Christ-followers and Christ-imitators. We must be like our Jesus.

I would like to take up a little bit of time to talk about the importance of being genuine. Allowing yourself to be completely raw and real with someone really opens the relationship up to honesty and productive growth. Sometimes, this growth has to come out of a not-so-pretty period of time, but sharing something honest and uninhibited with another person creates a closer bond and leads to faster edification.

Allow me to provide an example of how one shared, honest experience can bring two individuals closer in a very short period of time.

If you have been around with me long enough, you will recall quite clearly my fear of – no, despise for– insects. I’m not entirely sure what brought this fear about or why it is so deep-rooted, but I know for a fact that when I see a bug larger than a few centimeters, I transform into a useless bundle of terror. So buckle up, readers, here comes the second written segment of my ongoing battle with the insects.

My roommate Molly and I were having a leisurely Saturday morning. We slept in, made coffee and tea, and bummed around in the living room until the early afternoon with the screen door open to enjoy the mild weather. Oh, the joys of college life in Southern California. At the point when we finally decided to start being productive, Molly left the living room briefly to grab one of her textbooks while I scrolled through a syllabus on my laptop. Unbeknownst to me, something terrible was about to go down.

When Molly reentered the room, I heard the sudden halt in her footsteps and a sharp intake of breath before hearing the dreaded phrase, “What… is… THAT?” I slowly raised my eyes from my computer screen to fixate on a two-inch dark blob of matter that had materialized in the middle of our living room floor. Fear welled up inside me before rolling up my throat and bursting out of my mouth:

“COCKROACH!”

Okay, full disclosure, this was not actually a cockroach. CBU maintains the campus very well, so our apartment was never actually under threat of infestation. This beast was actually just a ginormous beetle from Hades that had wandered in from our open door when we weren’t watching. I in my terror, however, did not care to differentiate between the species of insect and merely attributed a name to it in a moment of sheer panic and frazzled senses.

What happened next is purely a battle between human and nature. Molly, as it turns out, was almost as afraid of the thing as I was. She was able to think fast and throw a little cup over it before it could run away, leaving it temporarily trapped in the middle of our floor. What ensued shortly thereafter included a lot of babbling, shouting, deliberating, and yes, even a little bit of crying.

Molly and I did not know what to do with this giant beast in our apartment! We eventually came up with a master plan of attack: call every male we know and ask them for help. Unfortunately, no one was available at the time. After further minutes of panic and deliberation, we decided that there was no other way to go about this, and we had to battle the thing ourselves.

After the whole event with the beetle, Molly and I sat on our couch, severely shaken but laughing constantly at the fact that we were able to tame the beast. This was a serious coming of age moment, you see, and we got to share it with each other and recount it to others.

When Molly and I battled with the beast, we were not worried about our behavior. Our reactions were perfectly honest (if even slightly dramatic), but they were uninhibited. This is how everyone should be more often with each other. We should act in honesty and share our genuine fears, concerns, and eventual triumphs. A large part of college life includes finding like-minded individuals who you can grow with and learn from, and this process is helped along by honesty.

I sincerely hope that it doesn’t ever take a terrifying insect to bring you to a realization of the importance of honesty. I do know, however, that all shared experiences lead to new levels of bonding, and ultimately make memories that will last long after college ends. I know for a fact that I won’t be forgetting this adventure!

What you’re about to read may be slightly haphazard, with thoughts flowing into other thoughts without finishing the first, disorganized and not in chronological order, but my brain just can’t make any sense of this. But first, a little history.

Coming to college, I had no idea what to expect. My family doesn’t have a whole long line of college graduates or attendees for that matter, so besides what friends said about it, I really didn’t know what my college career was going to look like. I came to school with my childhood best friend of 15 years, deciding not to live together for obvious reasons (which included still wanting to be friends by the time college was over with fully intact bodies), but ended up in the same building as each other. She had met a nice girl at a “Get to Know CBUers in Your Area” dinner in our hometown and decided that night to sign up to be roommates. On move-in day, Carley’s roommate Kylie and I exchanged the traditional how-do-you-do’s, and went along our business. With freshman orientation coming up and positively not knowing anyone except Carley and Kylie, we stuck together like lint to corduroy pants. In the middle of orientation, Kylie and I had a private conversation about our lives, our backgrounds, and future dreams, and from that point, I literally knew my life would never progress from dawn to dusk without including her.

Is it weird? To you – maybe. To us – absolutely not.

I’ve read books, seen countless movies, even heard stories of best friends, bosom friends, kindred spirits – whatever you want to call them, but Kylie and I can’t compare our friendship to them. The closest thing we can think of to sum up our friendship is sisterhood. I can hardly put into sufficient words the kind of relationship we have. From freshman orientation on, we were inseparable. Every day, without question, we had meals together, random late-night escapades to In-n-Out or McDonald’s, countless thought-provoking conversations, and more laughs than I had ever experienced in my entire life. We knew each other better than ourselves, could read any emotion or mood with one flash of it across the face, practiced how to push the others’ buttons, and imagined the course of the other’s life together. The whole beginning of our friendship was the happiest we had both been in years, experiencing joy beyond words and knowing that what we were building would last a lifetime.

That summer, after shooting hoops at Kylie’s house (more like her shooting hoops, and me rebounding for her since I am completely uncoordinated at basketball), we sat on the pavement and talked until the wee hours of the morning – about God and faith, who we were and were becoming, and just marveling at the coincidence of our friendship (what coincidence; more like providential). Kylie asked me, “Abigail, why is it we are from the same hometown, my family knows your family. We are so incredibly close – why do all these things line up?” As if I already knew the answer, I replied, “Because I feel like something is going to happen and I’m really going to need you there.” We both pondered the idea, and within a matter of minutes, we were on to the next subject as we always did.

Months flew by; full of surprises, boys, jobs, as well as incredible difficulties like any other friendship or relationship, but the bond between us grew stronger even as we began to loosen the chokehold grip we had on each other. Our schedules grew packed with obligations and responsibilities and priorities, and our friendship merged from happy-go-lucky-don’t-leave-without-me friends to I-will-be-here-when-you-get-home sisters. The Christmas after our profound “Why” conversation, my dad became fatally sick with a blood clot that lead to infections, which eventually took his life 7 months later. With no mother or father, you can imagine the role Kylie and her sweet mother more than willingly took on. As Kylie grieved over the sickness and loss of her own adopted father, she consoled me in my oblivion and numbness more than anyone else possibly could. She gave me a tongue when I couldn’t speak, feet when I lacked motivation, and a heart of flesh when mine turned to stone. How? God provided her with the strength I suppose; there is no other explanation for it. Months after Dad’s death, I recalled the almost-forgotten conversation with her and we shared a laugh over the amazing sovereignty of God’s plan. Funnier still (at least to us), I moved into Kylie’s sister’s old bedroom in her home in Modesto this last summer and adopted her mother as a mother figure in my life. We figured that it was more convenient that way; we didn’t have to go any further than step over her old, wizened dog that laid guard outside of our rooms to talk to each other. We also live together here at CBU – separate rooms of course, so we don’t lose nights of sleep to unexpected and in-depth conversations or pull each other’s hair out in frustration. We decided that even with the many events in life we had already shared together, there was nothing more that we wanted than to live life next to our sister in every season.

Each day, I feel like Kylie and I grow and change into different people from when we first met, but the tears, words of consolation, shared and discovered dreams, and the everyday presence we feel continues to confirm the fact that our friendship is real – that it’s not something we have imagined ourselves or controlled, nor could we if we had tried. Even with most emotions and thoughts unspoken, time spent apart, and the priority of other friends, there is no other earthly friendship we can think of that compares to the overwhelming bond-beyond-blood we share.

Kylie tells me often that she had prayed fervently for a best friend since she her parents’ divorce when she was 12. I had no idea I needed a best friend until I met her.

Henry, Ronald, Sheila, Andrew, Larry, Doug, Donny, Paige.

Our campus focuses on equipping students to go out to the nations and proclaim the word of God and demonstrate the love the Lord shows to us each day through service.

With a myriad of international options to partake in from CBU’s globally minded mobilization projects, I often lose sight of the desperate need of proclamation in our own country, state and community. As I leave Target or Starbucks just down the street from our campus bubble, undoubtedly I can spot a man or woman with a cardboard sign begging for money and food.

I have been questioning myself recently, “If I have been given my daily bread, what is stopping me from sharing?” Each of us have experienced alienation for some reason or another, with no sight of help on the way, and I thought that if I can give something of mine to someone who desperately needs it, I know the Holy Spirit will guide me to the one wanting.

Monday afternoon, my boyfriend Chris and I decided we would go to Brisco’s Cafe, our favorite on-campus eatery. We swiped our meal cards twice each to gather four, full-sized lunches stocked with sandwiches, water bottles, chips and fruit. From there we went to one of the busiest parts of Riverside to give them to men and women asking for food or money on the streets. We prayed silently as we drove down Magnolia Avenue towards the Tyler Galleria for God to provide us with his Spirit to present the right words to the people who needed them the most. Within 45 minutes we found eight people in a distance of one block. We parked and gently approached each of the people, inquiring if they would like some food. As we realized we only had 4 lunches, we decided to assemble 4 more bags of food from a restaurant down the street to offer to anyone else we saw.

First was Henry, an ex-demolition contractor who suffered extreme loss that admittedly affected his ability to think clearly. He had been left to the streets to fend for himself. Ronald, Sheila and Andrew followed him. The three are from Orange and find solace in each others’ friendships. Then there was Larry, a preacher’s son who did not agree with his father’s teachings and ultimately chose a homeless lifestyle. There was Doug, and then Donny came next. Donny was known for being “the old grouch,” a nickname coined by his Orange County folk. However, he turned out to be quite pleasant and welcoming to Chris one-on-one. Finally there was Paige, a girl in her early twenties whose quiet tears were not missed as she resumed her place in front of Target.

We asked each person if they had religious beliefs of any kind. Five out of the eight claimed Jesus Christ as their savior, and we prayed as a small group with them. Clasping hands together as we bowed our heads brought a stark realization to Chris and I that these men and women truly were children of God.

Eight people in one block. If each one of us from CBU — 6,000 students strong — would venture out to our local neighborhoods with two Brisco’s meals in our hands and a heart of compassion, 12,000 impoverished people would be fed and befriended in our area alone.

Several chapel speakers have recently said the Riverside area should be drastically transformed because of the students attending CBU. Are we contributing to the community around us? Or could 6,000 pairs of hands better extend beyond the four corners of CBU?