1st World Problems

Last week, the alarm clock on my iPhone went off at 6:30am. I had to get up, go to work as a substitute teacher, and it was cold! I was grumpy and tired. Every so often the heater in my house kicks off and doesn't work, so I have to go and flip the switch on the furnace and wait for it to kick in. Needless to say, getting out of a warm bed to walk across the house and flip the switch was not the best way to start the morning for me. I'm not a fan of mornings, and I'm not a fan of the cold. I stop by my coffee maker, which can make a whole pot or a single cup, and made myself a nice cup of coffee. Later that day, I went to my actual job. By the time I got home, I was tired and wanted a shower. I was in the shower and it finally occurred to me, I have warm running water. Everything else, the cold house, the early alarm, those are 1st world problems. Let me explain - a 1st world problem is just a problem that people in developed countries, such as the USA, would have. You may have heard some... "My job uses IBM Lotus Notes as our emailing client." "I leaned a bit too much forward and the toilet flushed automatically before I was finished." "I heard a good song but it had no lyrics so I can't google it." In my case: "the alarm on my iPhone went off too early and I had to flip a switch to get my heat back on." Kinda pathetic (if not somewhat humorous) when we think about it. If our biggest problem is that our email client is Lotus Notes or we can't google a song (or our iPhone goes off) we don't really have a problem. The way I see it, many people have never used email, wouldn't need to google a song, and certainly have no use for an iPhone. These are people who still need to be reached for God, and using these gadgets isn't going to reach them. On the other hand, if we're going to be ambassadors for Christ, if we're going to reach those in the United States, we need to be relevant. We need to understand and embrace our 1st world problems. We need to embrace the people who share in these problems with us. We can't be so far removed from the culture around us that we aren't making an impact in the lives of those we come into contact with. The people in 3rd world countries don't need google, but they do need Jesus. People in 1st world countries need google...and Jesus.

It's Fall Y'all!!

The air is becoming crisp, the leaves are changing their colors, and the smell of pumpkin pie is in the air. It's that season right before the hustle and bustle of Christmas and the New Year. I love this time of year as the seasons are changing! I am about halfway through my junior year here at Point. That means it's about time for me to make plans for the changes I will encounter once I leave here. For me, those changes include seminary. I've had the pleasure of speaking to many of my professors on which seminary they would choose (not surprisingly they pretty much all recommend their alma mater - go figure, lol). I've gained valuable insight and now it's time for me to start visiting and talking to the schools. We recently had a graduate school fair here on campus, I was able to talk to several schools and narrow down my choice. It was an exciting time to be able to speak directly to the representatives who can help tell you more about their school. All in all, I have to make a choice and it has been narrowed down to two schools. I feel comfortable either way. I believe that the foundation I've received can only be built upon. I'm excited for the future. I'm excited to see where God leads me. We all know the familiar passage from Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" During my first class at Point, I received a t-shirt with that passage on it. Little did I know just what God had planned for me. Three years later God's plan is still in action. Being an adult going back to school is hard, but the key is letting God do the planning. Once we settle in and follow him, we can only prosper.

The Wall

One of the great things about Point is the Access Chapels. They are short, sweet, and to the point. For adults who have already had a long day it's nice to hear something that not only is relatable, but uplifting (and quick). This past Thursday Prof. Lee Reese spoke to us about the wall. As a junior, I completely related to what he was saying. I've been in school for 2 years now, the class work, homework, and group projects have taken their toll on me. If I never have to do a group project again it would be too soon. I have often thought about throwing my books out the window. I have hit the proverbial wall.

Prof. Reese reminded us of Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." He then gave us three tips:
-remind yourself God brought you here
-remind God that He brought you here
-don't become a whiner!

I know, I find myself occasionally whining about the work. Maybe more than occasionally... But as Prof. Reese said and what I will continue to remind myself "Keep your eyes on the finish line. God called you. This is Kingdom work." He was so right. Point is preparing us for Kingdom work. It may be hard, it may take time, but in the end, we will be equipped to go where God leads us.

Spring has Sprung!

I'm not sure about you, but this spring is flying by for me! I have officially completed all of my courses to obtain my Associate of Arts degree. The graduation tests have been taken, the cap and gown ordered. I'm really very excited about the whole process. On one hand, I realize that I am still in classes and will be continuing on for a couple of more years (then more tests and another cap and gown) but this is the first time since 1995 that I've worn these types of garments. I was a bit torn at first as to whether I would walk or not. I haven't completed my time at Point University, but I have accomplished something that took me many years to get around to doing. I talked to some of my classmates and professors and the consensus is that we should celebrate what we have accomplished, even if it is not the Bachelors degree just yet. It is still an important stepping stone. I just can't wait to experience this accomplishment with some of my family and the friends that I have made in my first two years at Point.

Identitiy Crisis

In Genesis 1:27 we read that God created mankind in His image. In the Book of Psalm we read the different ways that God knows us. He knows how we were formed (Ps 103:14), how He formed the hearts of everyone (Ps 33:15), and how He sees and hears everything (Ps 94:9). In Isaiah 49 we read how God called Isaiah before he was born and named him in his mother's womb. Armed with this knowledge and so many other examples in the Bible, I think it's safe to say that God had His plan mapped out for us from before we were born. He knows who we are and who we are supposed to be.
This is where is gets a little muddled up. At some point during high school, or maybe even during middle school or early adulthood we decide what our identity is. We decide how to label ourselves. If you look at my twitter bio it says I'm a wife, a mother, a teacher, a student, and a lover of Jesus. Sounds pretty good right? Well thinking about it further, I disagree. Who I identify myself with should first be a Christian. If God formed me, then He has a plan for me, and my identity should be with Him. I was given the blessing of being a wife and mother from God, a teacher and student - also gifts from Him. Why did I not say Christian first and foremost? Why do many Christians do the same thing? I think it's time we look a little more at our priorities, and college is a wonderful place to do that.
When we attend a Christian-based college, we start to see ourselves a little clearer, especially when we grab on to what God is wanting from us. We make friends, we learn about the world, and about God's word. We are able to spend more time with Him to truly understand how our identity is formed in Him. For traditional students, you may get this understanding a little sooner than those of us who waited many years to go to college. But if I take away just 1 thing from my college experience, I can say that I learned my personal identity in Christ.

Back to the Grind!!

The holidays are officially over, and it's back to life as normal (well, as normal as possible). This semester I decided to add an additional online class to my already full schedule. This extra class just so happened to fall during the holidays. Seemed like a good idea, no? Let me just come out and say it, not the best idea I've ever had. It's not because it was too much to handle, it just that this particular class required a lot of papers (A LOT)! So taking two classes, one of which required 3 papers, the other required 1. That's basically a paper a week for us ACCESS students. Not too bad as I'm certain that the traditional students probably have even more than that, but being an adult, with children, church responsibilities, as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years just added a whole new level of crazy to it. Taking time off to enjoy the holidays meant paying dearly for it later. All in all, I'm not unhappy I took the extra class; I'll do it again, but I'll not be planning it around Christmas for sure!
On another happy note, in a few days I will be taking my last official Associate's Degree class. By the end of the semester I will be working on my Bachelor's Degree. I can't believe my time is almost halfway over. I've met some really great people and made some new friends along the way. I'm looking forward to the next couple of years.

Class on Halloween!?!

I'll be the first to admit, I did not want to go to class last night. However, barring an emergency, as an Access student, we must be at class. I reluctantly went, hoping the professor would let us leave early so I could have some peace and quiet at home (I have two daughters, 11 and 3, peace and quiet is a luxury). We're not going to mention the fact that I was not thrilled with this class, it's a requirement, but that doesn't mean I have to love it.
I get to class, already ready for 10pm, and the most amazing thing happens..my professor has the most inspiring, uplifting, informative teaching for the night. I was actually happy that I went. I think I really do like the class, not because the textbook reading is inspiring, it's the professor. I didn't want the class to end, it was just so good! He is one of so many Point professors I've had which really inspire me. I know, it's kind of cliche talking about how good the teachers are when writing on a school blog, so I'll be real, some are not so great (very very few!!). Really though, I'm amazed not only in the amount of knowledge they possess, but in the passion that comes from them for what they're teaching. I've been fortunate enough to learn from Dr. Carey (wow!), Mr. Huxford (also amazing!), my humanities professor Anthony Neal (who knows something about everything!) and currently Gordon Griffin, who's teaching me Basic Christian Doctrine. That's just a few of many that have left an impression. My only sadness is that I only get 5 weeks with them. Hopefully, as I continue my journey, I will get to learn more from them.

So excited!

I am new to the blog, so please allow me a moment to introduce myself. My name is Stacie. I am currently a Sophomore at Point University. I am pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Christian Ministries in the Access program. I am a youth leader/pastor/director - whatever you want to call me at my church. It has been such a crazy fun journey getting here. I have to say, most of the teachers are really amazing and I've learned so much. The school is really striving to make us adults feel like part of the college experience. We have chapel services, prayer groups, opportunities to travel abroad, and even more on the horizon. I know this is starting to sound like an ad for the school, and I promise in the future to limit myself to telling you about the issues we face as adults in college. But for now, my advice is, if you're on the fence, go ahead and take the plunge - it's really worth it!