April 13th, 2010 by Karissa Craft
As I sit back and reflect on my freshman year, I realize two things. Class and dorm life is a lot of fun, and the people here are extremely friendly and personal too.
I thought classes would be easy; its my freshman year. How hard could they be? Well, they weren’t hard, but it was challenging to stay organized. I thought I was organized in high school when I had at least 7 classes. Now I have five.
I’m not going to lie, its hard to stay organized with all the work you need for the week. I found it easier when I got a planner where I could write everything down. Then after I was done with classes I could sit down and go down the list of assignments and cross them off as I completed them.
Dorm life, I would have to say is one of the most interesting things about staying at college. There will be those quiet afternoons and evenings but at night the dorm comes alive (at least in my dorm). During the day the dorm is quiet and peaceful (perfect time to get all your work done), then after curfew when everyone is in the dorm….we start to have some fun. Okay, it doesn’t always happen that way. I enjoy playing Phase 10 and Dutch Blitz during the afternoons with some of the girls and a few guys. During the spring-like weather we have been having, we enjoy sitting outside doing homework together with some socializing.
I cannot express how many caring and friendly people we have on this campus. The teachers not only teach you the information you need to learn, but they take time to get to know you and to make sure you understand the material being taught. The students as a whole are like a family in some ways. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t get a hello passing by a student, whether we’re friends or not. Along with being friendly, the students are very accepting. Coming from a public school this really impressed me. Instead of ignoring what you are saying, they sit down and talk to you and direct you in a godly way. This also goes for the faculty on campus.
This year has been an amazing life-changing experience. When you’re unsure about visiting a college, just remember dorm life is where the fun is!
Tags: Classes, Dorm Life, Dutch Blitz, Freshman year, Organization, People, Phase 10, Reflections, Socilization, Students, Teachers
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April 12th, 2010 by Catie Prinzing
Yesterday it hit me that I was halfway done with my college career. The truth is: I don’t want it to be over. Living in a dorm full of girls that truly care about me, attending class and chapel where the truth is spoken in love, interacting with professors who know their stuff and want to share it with me … I couldn’t dream up a more perfect environment.
Sure it comes with its share of difficulties. Who wants a 6:30 shower slot after late nights writing term papers on books you barely skimmed? But it comes with the territory. I like to think that it’s all a part of the memorable experience, and it definitely builds character. Somehow I managed to cram a shocking amount of memories into my four semesters here. Prayer nights after curfew, intramural victories, dorm bonfires, and my share of campus socials are what make the college experience exceptional.
And I don’t want to leave!
Selfishly, I want to stay here as long as possible and just be fed the truth of God’s Word and fellowship with others who love Him. Actually starting the ministry I came to prepare for? Now that’s seems scary.
My thoughts shift back to high school. I felt almost the exact same way. I didn’t want to leave my friends and familiar surroundings, yet God provided and proved that His plan was better than mine. How many times do I hear that message, and fail to remember when life gets scary? His plan is better than mine.
I don’t know how God wants me to serve Him when I leave here, but I can be assured that wherever He puts me, it’s going to be fantastic. So, bring on those last two years of school… I can’t wait to see what I get to do next.
Tags: bonfires, College Life, dorm, intramural sports, Ministry, term papers, Trust
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April 12th, 2010 by Jamie Knowles
I was really inspired a week or so ago. The President for W.A.R. (Women At Risk International) spoke to the student body, and I was amazed by what I heard. I decided to get involved.
Women At Risk is collecting banquet dresses to send overseas to give to the women over there. Therefore, I am going to collect as many banquet dresses as I can by August 20, 2010.
My goal is 50 banquet dresses and I have 3 already.
I am so excited about this. This is the first time since I have come to BBC where I felt like I needed to do something to help a ministry. I want to get involved in this ministry, and I hope you do to. This ministry is trying to save women who are being trafficked all over the world for money and sex. This Christian program is looking for people to help fight the crime of trafficking by getting involved.
If you wish to help, look on facebook for the group I will be starting to get the word out about the ministry. The group is called Dresses For War. I have no clue what picture I will have, but just look for my name. There you will find ways that you can help me reach my goal and more information on W.A.R. itself.
Tags: Ministry, Opportunity, Spiritual Growth
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April 12th, 2010 by Karissa Craft
I would say death is one of the hardest things anyone will have to go through.
“Why does God let bad things happen in the world?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions when death is involved. According to explorefaith.com, one of the most important things we need to remember is “God allows ‘bad’ things to happen; God does not cause them to happen.”
When I think of “bad things,” I think death. When death occurs I start questioning, as most of us do. We do not trust God or believe that He is the one who gave us life and allowed someone we love to die. So we start believing what Satan tells us; we start believing the lies.
How do we correct this problem? One thing I realized is the problem will not go away unless you want it to go away. This is hard for most of us to do after losing a loved one. Its hard for us to remember that God’s timing is always right, and we need to accept that.
When we have accepted the fact that we have a problem, then we need to seek God, seek His comfort. We may find His comfort in other people, or we may find it sitting alone in a room. I know I’ve found it both ways.
When we have found God’s comfort, we need to start learning to move on in God’s direction. I believe guidance is harder to find. We need to read the Bible and seek God’s will in our prayers and daily lives.
After we have accomplished these three things, we should be on our way to serving Christ with the memory of those we love.
Tags: bad things, Bible, comfort, death, guidance, lies, prayers, Questions, www.explorefaith.com
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April 8th, 2010 by Dan Nichols
David Crowder*Band is my favorite “Christian” group in the music industry. They’ve popularized this song, and I hope it’s an encouragement to you:
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so…
So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean we’re all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way…
That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves
Tags: David Crowder*Band, How He Loves
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April 8th, 2010 by Jamie Knowles
Have you ever had a class that talked about things you thought you would forget about, but you thought back on it after the class was over? It’s second semester, and today I started thinking about the American Literature class I took last semester.
We had been reading a good number of works from Nathanial Hawthorne, such as “The Blithdale Romance,” and “The Minister’s Black Veil”.
Most of Hawthorne’s writing is about sin and, more specifically, secret sin. Like in “The Minister’s Black Veil,” we all wear invisible veils that hide the sin within. We think because others do not know about this sin, no one knows. We forget there is one that will always know – one that will see beyond the veil that we put on in hopes no one will find out.
I never thought Literature would impact me as much as it did this year. The class has challenged me to think deep and more biblically than I could ever imagine. My teacher, Dr. Hicks, challenged my thought process almost to the extreme, and I loved it.
It is my hope you to will find a class that will challenge your thinking in ways you could never imagine just as I did.
Have a wonderful unveiled day,
Jamie ~ Proverbs 14:15
Tags: American Literature, BBC Classes, Classes, Professors
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April 7th, 2010 by Dan Nichols
Most of us who grew up in church heard many sermons on Revelation 3:15-16 where God tells the church of Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth!”
What most of us didn’t grow up hearing in many sermons is verse 17 where God continues to tell the Laodiceans, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have aquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” This well-known lukewarm warning passage is not specifically addressing the casual nature of teens or the tension of not “being on fire for God.”
This passage is about MATERIALISM.
Our American materialism penetrates our hearts and presuppositions more than we could ever imagine or care to discover. In light of the true context for this familiar passage of the Bible, we need to examine just how far materialism penetrates our hearts and just how deeply we trust in possessions rather than God. A lukewarm spiritual life is one characterized by a love of money and possessions. A lukewarm spiritual life is not characterized by ownership of many possessions – but instead a love for them that trumps our devotion and relationship with God.
Tags: Lukewarm, Materialism, Revelation
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April 7th, 2010 by Karissa Craft
I had the awesome opportunity to go on a trip to the Appalachian Mountains for Spring Break. I assumed it was just going to be one of those hiking trips that wouldn’t really change me or challenge me at all. I was wrong!
I learned something I already knew. I’ve known about the passage in Luke that talks about taking up your cross and denying yourself. I never really studied it or applied it at all until now. This passage has become more to me then just taking up your cross and denying yourself, its become a way of life (Luke 9:18-27).
In reality we all need to study what this passage is saying. We need to understand that no matter what is going on in life we need to deny ourselves and acknowledge what God wants for us that day, that moment. I realized on this trip I am very selfish, like a lot of us are, and I need to remember every day that I need to deny those selfish feelings and think of others. Another thing I realized was I like to be in control and know what’s going to happen. A lot of us do. Again we need to remember that God has it all planned out. We need to leave it to him and stop worrying about it.
Tags: Interesting, Life, Luke 9, Selfishness, Trust
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April 6th, 2010 by Dan Nichols
Social justice comes from the very heart of God.
Psalm 82:3-4 says, “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
This isn’t a simple proof-text. Just read the Bible from beginning to end and you will see a loving God who cares for the needy, rescues those in suffering, and will eventually restore all injustices that transpired on earth. One of the most humanitarian-minded individuals of our modern world put it this way:
God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.
Last week, BBC was very grateful to host the president of Women At Risk International, Becky McDonald. According to their mission statement, Women At Risk International “unites and educates women to create circles of protection and hope around women at risk through culturally sensitive, value-added intervention projects.”
Women at Risk International is on the front-lines of social justice. They are rescuing women from sexual trafficking. They are giving these women a trade so they can eventually support themselves. They are challenging us who are not on the front-lines to play a part in what God is doing through their efforts.
Learn more at http://www.warinternational.com.
Tags: God's Heart, Sexual Trafficking, Social Justice, Women at Risk International
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