Service/Mission/Leadership Blog

There is one difficult thing about blogging for Judson, and that one thing is one word:

DEADLINES!

They’re especially difficult for me because I’m a slow processor, which is why I’m writing about Judson’s Christian Emphasis Week a few weeks late. This special series of chapel services took place from January 18^th to January 20^th, but I’m just now able to actually write about it. Mark Gignilliat from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham was our speaker, and he shared a series of “lessons” on the Psalms. Judson students studied why Psalm 73 gives God’s children a “Warrant to Complain,” how Psalm 98 is an “Invitation to Praise,” and why Psalm 103 describes how “All of Life is Worship.” It would take three blogs to tell you about all three lessons (and I may just end up writing more than one about this year’s spectacular Christian Emphasis Week), but for now…just think about Psalm 73 and our “Warrant to Complain.”It’s definitely been a few weeks since Judson’s Christian Emphasis Week, but I’m certain that these words of wisdom from the Word are still worth writing and reading.

Have you ever just had one of those days?

You know what I’m talking about. It’s Monday, it’s raining, you’ve overslept, and you “forgot” about the big homework assignments that are due. And what’s even worse than a case of the Mondays is a long string of Mondays that last through Friday or Saturday. You know those weeks when you just can’t get anything right? Maybe you bombed a test on Monday, bounced a few checks on Tuesday, had an argument with your sister on Wednesday, and well…you get my point. The week was terrible. It happens to everyone. And I don’t know about you, but there is only one thing I want to do after such a day or such a week…

WHINE AND COMPLAIN

I’ll rant to my roommate, cry to my boyfriend, or pout to myself. It does really matter when or where…after a terrible day or an even more terrible week…I’ve got to get things off my chest.You’ve been there, right? And thank God for the friends and family who get us through difficult times…

 But why is it that we never consider complaining to God?

Dr. Gignilliat reminded Judson students that this is exactly what God wants us to do…and he also reminded us that we have an example of scripture in Psalm 73, which gives us a “warrant to complain.” The psalmist here is tired. His faith and his life experiences have met in a head-on collision. He’s struggling, and he’s tired of seeing everyone else…well…not struggling. He goes on for about fifteen verses, whining to God about the proud, the rich, and the people who continue in sin but still seem to live in comfort.

"Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease; they increase in riches."

Psalm 73: 12

He even proclaims that his efforts in following God have been useless...talk about some major venting!

"All in vain have I kept my heart clean, and washed my hands in innocence..."

Psalm 73: 13

I can almost imagine this writer as myself, driving all alone on a long dark road, and praying. I often pray when I drive, and I’ll tell God about how hard school is, or how much I hate family drama. I cry about not having “enough” money or more free time. I get frustrated with my own shortcomings and yell at God for not giving me a more supportive dad or for not giving me the capability of efficiently dealing with the emotions that come from feeling neglected. Sometimes I even convince myself that God is neglecting me, and I whine to Him about that.

But eventually, just like the Psalmist, and usually after I’ve finally gotten everything off my chest…

God sends a reminder.

  Somehow, as the passage continues on, the psalmist’s heart is changed, and he is reminded of how great and how good God is.

"Nevertheless, I am continually with you

You hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel

 And afterward you will receive me to glory."

-Psalm 73: 23-24

I don’t know how I’ve so easily bought into what Dr. Gignilliat called “Hallmark Christianity,” with the expectation that everything will be easy, happy, and free. But I am happy that God used Judson’s Christian Emphasis Week speaker to show this Judson girl one beautiful and challenging Biblical truth:

God doesn’t promise us a “perfect anything,” but he does promise us Himself.

"Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever."

-Psalm 73: 25-26

Without Wax,

Sometimes college life is really exciting.

Take last weekend, for example.

Friday night, my boyfriend took me to a monster truck rally. (Believe it or not, I’ve really always wanted to go to one…it’s on my bucket list and everything). It gave me an excuse to wear my cowgirl boots, one of the trucks crashed, and there was one monster truck designed to look like a Ninja Turtle!

Saturday I had the chance to go shopping with my mom and my younger sister, Chloe. She’s going to be in a pageant soon, and we both had a fun time looking at princess dresses ALL DAY LONG. That night I returned to Judson after a steak dinner and spent some time goofing off with my friends.

Other times; however, college life is quite unexciting.

Don’t let those TV shows fool you! Take today, for example. It’s Friday. After a long week of new classes, a new field experience placement, and doing the Insanity Workout for Judson’s aerobics class I’m pretty tired! All in all, the first full week back in school has been fantastic, but you know you’re getting old when you don’t want to do anything but hide in your dorm room, read a good book, and completely ignore the piles of homework covering your desk.

My friends and I often joke about how old lady-ish we’re getting. We’ve just past that “halfway benchmark” of our Judson careers, and we’re not quite as cool as we used to be. 

Or maybe we are. I like to think that the fun has just changed up a bit, but either way…after my professor for Classroom Management asked that we set new goals for the semester (something I’ll definitely want to do with my students someday!)...I still put down, “Have more fun, and get more sleep!”

Here’s to a wonderfully uneventful Friday night at Judson…

Born to be wild - live to outgrow it.
- Lao Tzu

Without Wax,

Spring semester brings you four months closer to summer than you were during the fall, and it gives you a chance to hit the gym (free of cost to Judson students) after all the fudge and hot chocolate your grandmother insisted that you eat while home for the holidays.

  Classes resumed on January 6^th, and I moved in on the 5^th with the rest of the Judson girls…but I haven’t had any classes yet. Education classes don’t meet on Fridays, the aerobics class I signed up for to get a P.E. credit decided not to start for another week, and class was canceled today (Monday) due to the threat of winter weather.

  I’m sad to say that it did not snow here…because Judson is just beautiful when she’s covered in a blanket of white, but I’m pretty thankful for the extra day to relax before it’s back to the daily routine. 

All in all life back at Judson has been pretty chill for me since last Wednesday, but one pretty incredible thing did happen.

I went to the business office after lunch on Thursday to validate, which means I had to pay my bill and pick up my new schedule. Now…the ladies in Judson’s business office are some of the sweetest and most pleasant people I’ve ever met. But let’s face the facts: It’s their job to take my money, and I don’t have any. So…visits with them usually aren’t too pleasant. I usually just set up a payment plan, say a prayer, and leave feeling very frustrated and defeated.

But not this semester!

 I went in last week, asked to validate, and Judson’s accountant handed me a class schedule and a very generous voucher to be used in the campus bookstore.

When I asked her how much I owe, she told me that it had already been taken care of and reassured me that the book voucher could be used for next semester if I’d already gotten books for this year’s classes.

I was too shocked to ask questions, and she filed my bill away before I had the chance to ask to look at it.

“Did I get another grant? Did the cost of room and board go down? I don’t have to pay for books next semester?”

Later that day, I called my mom to ask her if she’d taken care of my bill, and she hadn’t.

I thought about going back to the office to do a bit of investigation…I really wanted to know how this happened! I felt like Pip in Great Expectations, and I had to write old Miss Havisham a thank-you note!  But an older, wiser friend of mine advised me to just let it be and be thankful. I don’t know if more loan money came in or if some sweet old lady from church or a loving friend or family member called in and paid my bill…but I am thankful. Finding a steady job in Marion is tough…especially when you have to take a full load of classes almost every semester to graduate on time. And since I’d already bought books for this semester, I won’t have to worry at all about the expense of books during my last semester of classes next year before student teaching begins. I am thankful to whoever has helped me in such a great way, and I’m most thankful for God’s perpetual provision.

It’s good to be off to a worry-free start to yet another semester at Judson!

Without Wax,

Twas the night before finals

And all through the dorm

Lights could be seen twinkling; this was far from the norm

Textbooks were scattered all over the rooms

In hopes that ideas for papers soon would abloom

Judson girls were crouched over laptops, not warm in their beds

But visions of sleep still danced in their heads

My roommate with coffee, and I with my Redbull

Had just been rekindled, and escaped from sleep’s lull

Then out from the hallway, we heard such a noise!

Whose are those deep voices, could it be boys!

Out of the doorway, like Sandra Fowler we flew

If only she were here, we’d know what to do

There couldn’t be boys!

Not at this all-girls’ school

Any man to step foot on the premises must be a fool

With ninja-like skills we snuck down the hall

Pausing along the way, so he wouldn’t see us at all

When, to our sleep-deprived eyes, what should appear?

But the ghost of Christmas to Come, with information about our future careers!

He held file after file showcasing lives to come

Even I’ll admit, he had no system…the files were all random

But he told us his name and asked us to wait

Our study guides were still waiting, but this was our future, and we took the bait

He flipped through his papers, so quickly they came

All he had to do was call each of our names

“Let’s see, here’s Bethany, and Holly Beth too!

Audra, and Kezia…we’ve got the whole crew!”

We were enthralled by his magic

But the precious time we were losing still seemed most tragic

Then as dry leaves before the hurricane fly

The Christmas ghost threw the files up in to the sky

And down to the floor the folders, they flew

With bonus materials about what to study for finals too!

And then, with jingling, we heard sounds of hope

The Christmas ghost gave us advice on how to cope

So we drew in our heads, we turned right around

He opened his mouth, but without any sound

He picked up his papers and put them away

“But what about the advice,” we said, “We need you to stay!”

He filled up our backpacks, for every exam, he gave us a book

He didn’t need to speak; this was all that it took

His eyes, they did sparkle, he looked so merry

But we didn’t share his joy…finals are scary!

He handed over the bags like a wonderful gift

But the package was so heavy that we needed a lift

The nice ghost carried the packages to our rooms

Knowing that with the right materials we’d be studying soon

So we got back to studying, with new motivation

We set up our books and computers, and we each had a station

With a wink of his eye, and a twist of his head

This jolly man assured us we had nothing to dread

We didn’t even speak for the rest of the night, but went straight to our work

The Christmas ghost smiled, then left with a jerk

He waved goodbye, and he wished us good luck

And reminded us to keep studying, even if we get stuck

But I heard him exclaim, as he drifted out of sight,

"Happy Finals to all, and to all a good-night."