Academic Day!

Early last week my school gave us a day off. However, we still were given plenty to do instead of going to classes. We were required to attend at least two different sessions of an academic conference. Now, before last week I was not certain to what an academic conference was or what was in store for me. With that said, I still signed up for the conferences that I assumed would be best fit for me. After going to them, I believe I made the right decisions. Out of about the ten or so congruent sessions that were offered I attended two. The first session I went to was called "Doubt: What to do with our Uncertainties". Although, I do wish I got a little more out of this session then I did, I still found it to be wildly worthwhile. The next session I went to, and the one I felt suited me well, was "Success in the Purchase Driven Life". The past year or so, I have been truly trying to limit my spending. Not necessarily to save money, although one could argue that saving money is a great reason to limit spending, but I did it more for myself. I like to think of myself as a low-maintenance person; I don't need all that much to get by. At the same time, I look at all the "stuff" I own and I wonder why I have so much. As a college student there are certain things that I need. I need a cell phone to call home every now and again, I need a laptop to complete homework on time and to email professors, and of course I need a coffee maker so I can have to energy to stay up late and wake up early to finish all that said homework. However, do I need an i-Phone, a Mac Book Pro, and a Keurig coffee maker? No, of course I don't, but I own those things nonetheless. After listening to a lecture about how rich we, as Americans, all really are; it truly makes me think. How lucky are we to be born where we were, to have the life we do now, to be able to go to school, drive in cars, have health care, and be literate? I have been blessed, and it is something I take for granted every single day. I hate myself for it.

Dead Sea Scrolls

Do you know what the Dead Sea Scrolls are? Well, you should by now if you are a student at RWC. Simply, they are scrolls of all books of the Bible (excluding Ester). In, fact the are the oldest copy yet to be discovered. They were found in the 1950's in multiple caves in Qumran.

Okay, by now you probably think I am trying to bore you to death but I promise this will get interesting. These scrolls weren't originally found by some archeologist or anything, the first one was found by some random kid! Cool huh? Imagine yourself as a ten year old child discovering something hidden in a cave. He didn't originally know what it was, but honestly, I probably wouldn't either. This kid takes the piece of leather to a shoe maker to try to get some shoes out of the deal. Luckily, this shoe maker also knows his antiques and he could tell that this wasn't something he should be making a pair of sneakers out of. Good for him, right? This shoemaker apparently knew all the right people to call and eventually the rest of the scrolls were discovered.

I learned this in New Testament last week. We learned about the Dead Sea Scrolls in Old Testament too, so my original reaction when I saw it on the syllabus was "great... this again?"But I was completely different. The way my New Testament Professor lectured on this topic kept me (and my classmates?) so intrigued. Granted, my Old Testament Professor did teach us well, I just guess I didn't retain as much information on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even though in the long run it is the same information, it doesn't always seem as such. Isn't funny how two teachers can teach the same thing so differently? 

I don't know how I found this but I was reading through some blogs and I found an art blog with an entry on the Dead Sea Scrolls... I thought that was rather cool because I have never really stopped to think and realize that I guess that is what they could be considered not only historical and Biblical pieces but also- art. 

Another "fun fact"-

Not only were the scrolls in an ancient language, but all of the words were connected. There were no spaces between words, no line breaks, and no punctuation. SOCOULDYOUIMAGINEREADINGANINTIREBOOK THATWASWRITENLIKETHIS Oh yeah, it was all in caps too 

P.S. Nicole- You did an amazing job on your Dead Sea Scroll presentation last semester  :)

Slang is going to be the death of me...

I don't know about you... but when I hear something said over and over again I begin to pick up on it. I try to speak proper English as often as I can but sometimes it just doesn't work. As I have mentioned in previous blog entries, I am taking a Shakespeare on Film course.  On top of that I am attempting to read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte' (attempting being the key word). So, recently I have found myself thinking in this old time English.

If you have known me long enough you will remember me going through my Dukes of Hazard faze. Guess what, I may be going through that again. This weekend I watched 4 hours of the second season. And enjoyed every second of it! Writing an essay right after that was not a good idea to say the least. I was re-reading it the next day...and I realized that I had written the entire paper in southern slang. I had fun translating what I wrote.

Adding on to this mess, today was my first day of OPE's. Now, don't take any of what I am about to say the wrong way because I have a feeling I am going to fall in love with my placement. But, my placement is to an inner-city school. And well, we all know the slang that students use in city schools. Frankly, people use slang everywhere, but it is particularly noticeable in city schools.

To sum this up: Sometime soon I may seem like I just stepped out of southern slum in the late 1500's. Just saying...

Someone isn't Having a Good Week...

That someone may or may not be me...

I discovered something new about myself on Monday. I am not supposed to be writing papers in APA. My major calls for MLA. Somewhere last semester I am positive I was told that all of my work should be handed in APA format, which, by the way was completely new to me. I had never even heard of APA before last semester. So, I had a blast teaching myself how to properly write APA. Well, I handed in two papers in on Monday...

My first professor (Principles of Speech) decided it would be fun (for him) to separate the class into goats and sheep. Sheep being the students who did what they were supposed to, goats being the students who were completely off track. Guess which farm animal I was...

My second professor (Writing and Research) was nice about it and told me it was a mistake that people with my major make often. She told me that it was fine as is and from this point on write all of my papers in MLA.

And oh yeah, that first professor who made the Biblical reference to Sheep and goats... handed the goats back their papers. I had a good Monday. And to add to the stress of my week we were told about an impromptu speech that we will have to have ready for Wednesday (today). It isn't really an impromptu though, at least I don't consider it to be. We can write about whatever we want- it is supposed to be a speech to amuse. It is an impromptu in the matter that our professor chooses people to deliver their speech at random. However, word on the street was that he asks for volunteers on the first day.

So, Tuesday night I got cracking on this speech. I wrote, edited, and prepared for what could and should have been the best speech ever delivered. Well, in my opinion at least. I was pumped for class. Legit, I don't think I have ever been this excited to go to a class. Guess who didn't give their speech today...

I am a master at complaining. It is a talent a have practiced often the past few years. In fact, I am so good at it that even if I had the best day of my life, there would be something I could complain about. With that said, I am going to start looking on the bright side of things.

Reasons to Look on the "Bright Side":
1: My Speech Professor is giving me a second chance to make the paper better
2: Only one student in Principles of speech actually did what they were supposed to
3: MLA is easier then APA- it was 1 semester, there are at least 7 more
4: No one gave their speech today- more time to prepare? Ehh... Probably not.
5: Only 1 more day! No Friday classes for Megan this week :)

Christmas Eve 2009

I was excited this year when my Youth Minister asked me to be her liturgist for Christmas Eve. I figured because I was going off to college that it would be time to pass the torch on. I believe that this was my fourth time saying the Christmas Eve prayers for the 5:00 service. And I felt honored that I got to write and read the prayer...

"Dear Lord,

As we sit in this meetinghouse, as we bow our heads, as we fold our hands, we are remembering your Son, our savior, Jesus Christ. Who on this day was born, giving us a new beginning and a fresh start.

We are remembering baby Jesus tonight, like we ought to every night and everyday. However, help us to continue this remembrance all the way to next Christmas instead of just until tomorrow. Please help us to forget, for just a moment, all of the chaos that will be happening in the morning and to simply focus on your grace.

Be with us in the morning, oh Lord, as we open gifts, and as we watch others open the gifts we gave them. Shine a light on us that will remind us of the best gift ever given. The birth of your son Jesus.

The way we celebrate Christmas has changed over the years. We get into the Christmas sprit by shopping, decorating the tree, the house, the car, and well everything. We celebrate Christmas by trying to find that perfect gift. But deep down, Lord, we all know that that perfect gift has already been given. Your son gave Himself, to us.

As we drive home tonight, let us all keep in our prayers those who will not be spending this holiday season with their loved ones. To those overseas fighting for our country, to the lonely, to the sick, to the hungry, to the thirsty, to the poor. Those are the people who Jesus came for; those are the people he was born for.

As we leave here tonight give us the realization that consumerism is not Christmas and that Christ is Christmas.

Dear Lord, thank you for all and everything you have given to us, for your son Jesus Christ who taught us to pray…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen."

On Christmas Eve my mother, grandmother and I all went to the 9:00 Service together. And at the 11:00 service my mother and I lit the advent candles together. My mother has always been involved in the church. For the past ten years she has been volunteering in the baby nursery. It seems a bit strange to me- but as soon as a left for school she has became even more and more involved. It is almost like she is making up for me not being there...? She is great.

Starting Over.

I am not quite sure where I have been the past couple of months. Well, yes I do but everyone else may not. However, I will try to get things up to speed.

Things that have happened since 11.06.2009:

- I got a new MacBook Pro... I love it!

- Thanksgiving. I got to go home and see people I haven't seen in a while

- Raised money for mission trip to Mexico thanks

- Christmas Break:

- Worked (a lot)

- Got my grades back

- Foundations of Education B+

- Philosophy an Ethical Issues A

- Old Testament A

- Principles of Writing A-

- First Year Seminar A

- Sorry I thought I deserved bragging rights :)

-Those who knew me in high school know why

- Christmas Eve Church Services

- I was liturgist at the 5:00 service again!

- Christmas

- I got really amazing gifts from my mom. Even after I told her that I didn't need any new things- she had already given me enough :)

- Spent time with my family and all my little cousins

- Cracked the screen of my iPhone

- Favorite part of break was hanging out with all my friends again!

- Back to school

- Found out I got off of "Provisional Status" and could take a full course schedule

My Classes:

- Exception People- EDU 190

- Principles of Speech- CMC 102

- New Testament- BIB 102

- Writing & Research- CMP 102

- Principles of Education- EDU 302

- Shakespeare on Film- LIT 312

- Notified that I made the Deans list last semester! Woot woot!

So... that is the summary of my life for the past two months or so. My game plan is to do just as well as I did last semester. Maybe better? Part of this plan means staying on top of this blog. As you can tell, I really like lists. I make "to-do" lists like it is my job. In fact, I have them posted all across my desk and in all the corners of my room. I can finally cross something off a list.

I can't say much about the other things though...

Strange Feeling...

I grew up in a public school system. Coming from this sort of setting I am used to my peers being from different faith backgrounds. Many of my friends from back home have views separate from mine. I have friends who are atheists, family members who are Buddhist, and a very good friend who is Jewish. Their religion, beliefs, and their customs do not change how I think of them in any way. Excluding the few kids in my youth group, all of my friends are Catholic.

Roberts Wesleyan likes to say that they accept people of all faith backgrounds here. However, I have not met many non-Christians that go to this school. During one of the first weeks of school one of my new friends said that they have never met a Jewish person. I was in shock, complete shock. I could not comprehend how she could live in this country, go to a public school, and never meet a Jewish person. I have noticed that many people here are quite open with their faith, others tend to shy away from it. 

I am not used to being around people who are so intense about their faith. In my group of friends I was always considered the "church girl". Although I am strong in my faith, being around the people here makes me feel a little out of place. It isn’t in anyway steering me away from being a Christian. I like to think that this school is strengthening it. However, even though it is towards the end of the first semester it still seems a little strange. 

Christmas is Coming...

Believe it or not, that time of the year is approaching quickly. It is just around the corner, a mere 49 days away. As everyone starts to prepare for Christmas this year I ask you all to remember this one question... What is Christmas? I am asking anyone who is reading this to watch this video before they start making wish-lists and going overboard at the mall.

As much as I would like to pretend that I don't, I know that I fall into that category of "x-mas shop-a-holic" After watching this video I thought back to last year and realized how much of what I bought really didn't mean all that much. The gift that mattered the most was the donation of my time to others. The season of advent is all about giving. But has anyone ever stopped to think about whether or not we are giving the right thing? The people at adventconspiracy.org did. And guess what... most of us are not giving the right thing.

And so the countdown begins... 49 days. Welcome to the season. But just ask yourself... is this the season of spending and shopping? Or is this the season of love and worship?

Not Sure What to Think...

For my First-Year-Seminar class we are asked to write small personal responses to certain topics. I found this one to be “interesting” for lack of a better word. The one thing that really bugs me about this topic is the way it was worded. I feel that many people who attended this school are very “anti- every other religion but theirs.”

The question was: Your new roommates, friends, and even your professors probably do not share your theological background. "How are you responding to those around you who come from different Christian traditions -- or who, in fact, may not be people of faith?" Does this statement mean that everyone who does not have a Christian faith has no faith at all?

I wasn’t sure so I guess I sort of ignored the fact it pissed me off and just wrote this:

I grew up in a public school system. Coming from this sort of setting I am used to my peers being from different faith backgrounds. Many of my friends from back home have views separate from mine. I have friends who are atheists, family members who are Buddhist, and a very good friend who is Jewish. Their religion, beliefs, and their customs do not change how I think of them in any way. Excluding the few kids in my youth group, all of my friends are Catholic.

Roberts Wesleyan likes to say that they accept people of all faith backgrounds here. However, I would love to meet a non-Christian that goes to this school. During one of the first weeks of school one of my new friends said that they have never met a Jewish person. I was in shock, complete shock. I could not comprehend how she could live in this country, go to a public school, and never meet a Jewish person.

I have noticed that many people here are quite open with their faith, others tend to shy away from it. I am not used to being around people who are so intense about their faith. In my group of friends I was always considered the church girl. Although I am strong in my faith, being around the people here, I feel a little out of place. It isn’t in anyway steering me away from being a Christian. In fact, I think it is making my faith even stronger then it was before.

Heart & Soul Service Project

Last Sunday was one of the first service projects that I took part in since being at school. It was a program that is run through the Heart and Soul Church (a church in inner-city Rochester). This program gets a group of people together and delivers bags of groceries to needy families in

homes surrounding the church. Along with giving the family groceries the group also offers word of prayer. Most of these families are not actually members of the church, but sometimes the visits once a month will eventually create a strong bond and these families may start going to the church.

I have never been involved in a service project quite like this before. Although I have compared this project to the Midnight Run on more then one occasion. I felt almost awkward walking up to people’s houses asking

them if they could use some grocerys. I know that they were on a list because they have presented the need, but it still felt odd.

This was the first time I have ever flat out asked a person “is there anything I can pray for you about?” that was a new experience for me. All but one of the five houses we went to said that they were okay and that they did not need any prayers for the day. Even though they said this, I still prayed for them.

I learned something new about myself. I never realized that I was such an observant person. I noticed small details about the house and even the person. None of those houses were in that great of condition yet many of them still had notices up that they had a security system inside. I don’t want to be judgmentally in anyway, but I am not entirely sure if there really was. I also noticed most of the houses had someone in them wearing a work shirt (Wegman’s, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, etc.).

I have not been doing as much work in the community as I thought I would be since I have been at school. Lately I have been tied up with midterms, essays galore, issues with friends (I will probably explain this in another journal entry) and obviously the new adjustment to college life in general. I hope to soon become a part of the service group called “In Jesus’ Name” that frequently goes out into inner-city Rochester to feed the less fortunate.

My Letter to my Church

Since I have been at school I have tried to stay in touch with people from back home; including the congregation I have been a part of for the past eighteen years...

Last week sometime my minister from my home church asked me to write a paragraph that talked about how growing up in that church led me towards ministry. She said that it would tie into her sermon really well.

I started writing it in the mind set that I would only be writing a paragraph. It ended up being longer then both her and I expected. When I told her it was about a page she said she may end up just taking bits and pieces and paraphrasing it. I didn't have a problem with this...

About an hour after I emailed to her, I got a call. She said that there was only one thing she had a problem with; she wasn't sure she would be able to read it without crying. She had then told me how she loved it and she was planning on reading it "as is".

"This church has always been my second home. I was always a Sunday school go-er. Even though I wasn’t too thrilled to be dragged to church on Sunday mornings by my mother (in fact, I hated it). Along with this I was also an avid middle school youth group attendee. Although church was not “my thing” yet, I liked being a part of it all. Something changed my freshmen year of high school. This transformation began for me on the first day of confirmation when I began to learn about all the things I never paid attention to in Sunday school (funny how I ended up to be a Sunday school teacher huh?). When I started going to full church services I started to feel a part of the community our church holds.

I have never considered myself confident enough to get up and speak in front of a large group. Well, all of you changed that for me the first time I was liturgist. I thought I was terrible up there, but everyone came up to me afterwards and told me that I did great. Thank you for giving me this confidence. From the first mission trip I took part in to Abbeville Louisiana all the way to the most recent trip to Ecuador, this congregation has stood by me, stood by everyone. You all thanked me, and prayed for me. Thank you for keeping me going. You have entrusted so much in me, to teach you children, to serve you communion, and to serve others with along side you. I feel that all of that trust you gave to me created my most powerful trusts in God. Thank you for everything.

Part of me thought that I shouldn’t go there, that I couldn’t have possibly been called into ministry at such a young age. The following day, I heard this for the first time “I think divinity school my be somewhere in your future.” I smiled, laughed, and sort of shrugged and said something nonchalant like “Haha I’m not sure.” Shortly there after I got more and more questions and statements similar to the first. To be perfectly honest I am not quite sure why I never gave an honest response. It may have been because I am scared of disappointment. Not only in myself, but I was afraid to disappoint all of you.

God has put me on a longer path; I am first majoring in Education, because I feel as I was called to teach. And although I am not taking the direct path to ministry, I know that this congregation is here for me. After all, you are my second family. And if it wasn’t for you, I know I would not be where I am today."

Sunday morning (afternoon) when I woke up:

-Missed call and voicemail from my gramma at 8:24

-Missed call and voicemail from my mom's cell at 11:16

-Missed call and voicemail from home (a.k.a mom) at 12:12

They were very curious why I did not tell them not to go to church, because my grandmother almost didn't. My mom also told me how many people from the congregation that the letter affected. It feels weird not being there to be able to talk to them and to tell them all these things myself, but I am glad my words got to them in another way...

I Got In!!

I am very excited because last week I went to the first mandatory meeting for the mission trip to Mexico in February. Oh how I miss mandatory meetings (not really). This Wednesday will be the second meeting where the participants, all nine of us, will be bringing a letter that we wrote to send to family members and friends. In these letters we will be asking for money, some like to refer to them as donations to make it sound better. I am going to try to send a copy of this letter to my home church to see if anyone from my congregation would like to donate anything. I say this, but at the same time I feel weird asking because that congregation has supported me so much in the past and I feel strange asking for their support for a non-"that church" sponsored trip (if that made sense to anyone).

Anyways... I also put up a small decorated box (that is very pretty) in the kitchen on my floor. There are 22 girls that live on my floor so that kitchen gets quite a few people going in and out of it often. They all seem to be excited for me and were up for donating their daily spare change to the cause. I appreciate all of the donations I have gotten from them so far. And hopefully the donations I haven't gotten yet...haha. Every penny counts :)

Oh yeah... I almost forgot.

(please read in a cute baby voice)

Mommy... I love you, I am going to Mexico. Call me after you read this :)

The Next Many Years of my Life...

My mom finds it amusing how much of my life I have planned out. It isn’t that I have my life planned out year-by-year or anything; it is more of multiple years grouped together. After, graduation I plan on joined the Peace Corps (click here to read more!). Once my 27-month life changing experience is over I will hopefully begin my teaching career. A goal in my life is to someday teach back at my high school. However, I would enjoy starting out teaching somewhere down south. I have visited the south numerous times and that is somewhere I could definitely see myself living. If you know me well, you clearly know why I am saying this. And many people have expressed to me that it isn’t very difficult to get a teaching job down south with a New York state education.

Eventually…I am going to seminary. I was called into ministry, but I know He has other things in planned for my life before I get to that point. I want to go to Yale Seminary in New Haven, Connecticut. When I become a minister I would love to find a church near my hometown.

I realize that these are kind of different and spread out goals but this will basically be my life. Obviously, there is much wiggle room for certain things. You know, things like marriage, children, and the whole starting a family thing. But I do truly want to raise my children close to the area I was raised.

Viva el Mexico

My school offers awesome mission trip opportunities. Hopefully I will be able to take advantage of this and become a part of one of the many students setting off this year to various locations. Some of these places include, Ireland, New Orleans, Rochester, El Savidor, and Mexico. I want to embark on the missions trip to Mexico. I feel as if this trip would be best for my skills and influence me the greatest ways.

I added this to my application when I was asked if I had participated in church activities before. I hope it wasn't over kill:

My home church is the First Congregational Church of Branford Connecticut. I was involved with almost every program that was offered. I was (up until I left for school) a deacon since a got confirmed my freshmen year. And I have been teaching Sunday school to the 1^st graders for the past 4 years. I volunteered in the church office on a regular basis and I was often the liturgist on Sunday mornings. For longer then I can remember I have been going to my church’s VBS and once I got into high school I became a counselor. Last year I become the group leader of the 2^nd graders, and I plan on doing this again next summer.

Each summer my church youth group embarks on a mission’s trip. The past four years I have traveled to Abbeville Louisiana twice, to Harlan Kentucky, and to Portland Maine. All of these mission trips were construction-based trips. In Maine last year, my best friend and I led the construction crew. This up coming summer the trip is going to be to New Orleans, Louisiana. I am on the small list of returning graduates who are planning on going on that trip and I can’t wait.

There is another missions trip that my church is involved in, along with a few other churches in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This mission’s trip is an abroad trip to Guaquyule Ecuador. This summer will be the 12^th trip and will be my 4^th time participating. Like the youth group mission trip, this is a construction-based missions. However, this is a different kind of construction in a much different environment. We work long hours in sometimes harsh tempters and the work can be very strenuous. Moving hundreds of cinder blocks and mixing tons of cement is not an easy task. I am sure the work I have done in Ecuador will easily relate to the work being done in Mexico. Although this mission’s trip is about building homes, it is aloes about building relations. We work along side the Ecuadorians and build a bond with each other that I am sure is stronger then the walls we build. Spreading Gods love, one cinder block at a time.

Future Travels!

I have wanted to go into the Peace Corps for longer then I can remember. I originally wanted to go before college, but I decided that wouldn’t be ideal. My best friend told me that she feels she was also called to the Peace Corps. We share the same dream of being sent somewhere in Africa together. But at the same time we realize we will be sent to the area that needs our individual skills the most.

When I was younger all my friends ever would talk about is how they wanted to go to Europe. They wanted to go shopping in Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. I always felt left out because I had never had the urge to travel there. Of course, it would lovely to travel there someday. However, it is and has always been my dream to go to Australia. One of the many things I was looking for when applying to schools was a good study abroad program. I am glad that I found that here at Roberts Wesleyan College.

Hopefully I will be able to study abroad to Australia next year. That is something I have always wanted to do. I feel that I will be able to learn and study a lot there. I believe that it will help my growth not only academically, but also spiritually.

Lying- because God told us not to...

Is it okay to lie? Philosophers have different views about this. Some, like Immanuel Kant, believe that it is intrinsically wrong to lie. Others, like John Stuart Mill, believe that lying can be justified by the good consequences it could bring.

According to deontological ethics (Kant), lying would violate a duty we uphold by being human. To be morally correct and truthful to oneself and others. The "duty" is to consider the facts. Looking at the consequences that it may bring is not an option. Even if the lie we tell could harm someone, it would be morally incorrect not to.

Now, utilitarianism (Mill), is the opposite. This ethical view wants the consequences to be throughly thought about. If something grand is going to occur, then the lie may be worth something. When I say grand, I don't mean for the person who is telling the lie. I am not saying go ahead and lie your way around and and up getting a pony. What this means is that the lie is justifiable if it can alter or impact (or save) a persons life in a positive way.

Never lying, or only lying to save a person from death would be a difficult task for many. Little lies are told daily. Is teaching your child to believe in Santa Clause a lie? What about the Easter Bunny? Tooth Fairy? "Does this dress make me look fat...?" What would you say?

So...Who is right? As a Christian, I should know wrong from right. But do I? I have heard many stories where someone does an unmoral act because God told them to do so. Would they have done this unmoral act otherwise? Who knows.

THINKING God told us to do something doesn't ALWAYS justify doing it...

Internet& Ethics...

Last week sometime the assignment in my Phil& Ethics class was to listen to a podcast on NRP. This specific podcast was about a high school administrator looking through facebook and stumbling across some picture of his students (athletes) at a party. The athletes had signed an agreement that if they were to be caught at a party were there was drinking then there would be serious consequences.

After listening to the podcast we were to write a response giving our own moral and ethical views on the topic of internet privacy. To explain what we thought the administration should have done. And to talk about whether or not there was something ethically wrong about schools looking on facebook.

These are my thoughts...

Facebook is not only for high school students. It was originally created for college students, as a way to stay in touch with their friends from back home. It slowly began expanding into high schools and even into middle schools. Now, just as many adults have facebooks as students do. Anyone can choose to have a profile and ask to become friends with who ever they would like to. Also, anyone has the ability to deny a friend request or even completely block a user. A student could put their profile on private so only friends can see it.

Unfortunately, sometimes things get seen by the wrong people. I have the perfect example of this. I have hosted over a dozen parties at my house. None of these parties had any alcohol or drugs at them; I would never be able to do that to my mother. My Halloween party that I had my junior year got a little crazy. There were about twenty to thirty of my friends there. We were all in costumes, so more then the normal amounts of pictures were taken. Like me, all of my friends are loud, and obnoxious, and somehow this always shows in pictures. One of the teachers at my school got a hold of these pictures by using her daughter’s facebook. This teacher assumed that there was alcohol at my house so she was going to report all of the kids in the pictures to administration. It all got sorted out soon after that and everything turned out fine.

I don’t think that it was right for the administration to suspend the athletes for being at a party just based on pictures. Just like what happened with my party, no one really knows what is going on unless the person was there to witness it. Even though there was drinking going on at this party there was no evidence that they were drinking.

With facebook becoming larger and larger, I wish that students would understand that nothing is really private. There are ways to hide things, but not everything. I am friends with my boss, my minister, and with many of my high school teachers on facebook. I know that they can see anything that I post, because of this I am conscientious of what I put online.

Perceptions and exceptions...

To be perfectly honest, my perceptions of college were crazy frat parties and staying up all night drinking. But those weren’t at all my perceptions of the school I knew I was going to. Coming here I knew I wouldn’t be getting the typical college experience that I thought I would be. Or the college experiences all my friends from home are telling me stories about already. I knew that I was coming to a school where I would be surrounded by people who can inspire others, and who can be inspired by the Lord.

College is going to be hard. Especially for someone like me, who procrastinates more then she gets her work done early. Someone who watched ten out of the thirteen-hour marathon of NCIS today (I had three hours of class). However, so far, I think I am doing pretty well. I love all of my classes and I am having fun with the assignments. I enjoy reading and writing about my faith and the journey I am embarking on.

I love my friends, and I truly miss them. I will never be able to have the type a relationships I have with my friends from home with anyone from this school. I realized that before I decided to come to this school. But I can say this much, I wasn’t expecting to be able to become so close with so many of the girls on my floor as fast as I did. Actually, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I didn’t think they would like or be able to handle my sarcasm, but trust me, they through it right back at me. I was also I little afraid that I would be far too eccentric for anyone who wasn’t used to me to be able to handle. I was wrong there too. I wont go as far as saying they are crazier then I am, but I will say they are darn close.

Devotional...

I wrote a devotional today. For those who aren't aware, a devotional can be considered a really really mini sermon. Taking a verse or two from the Bible, and relating it to everyday life. I used one of my favorite verses...

For my First Year Sem class, each student has to give a devotional at least once. I volunteered to go first in my class. It was either because I was really excited to write it, or because I wanted to get it over with. I am still not sure...

I chose Galatians 5:14 because of how many "neighbors" we as college students now have...

It reads, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself”

We all come from different sized families, some from a family of 11, some from a family of 2. But we are all new to the college experience. Some of us are getting to knowing what its like to live, and share a room with another person for the first time. We are all getting used to this person and hopefully all getting a long. And the thing is, that it’s not just that one person we are getting used to, but a whole group of people, those people that live on your floor and down the hall. They are you neighbors. And they might, if they haven’t already, become like your family. Putting a large group of people together can sometimes end poorly. The chance of everyone liking everyone is slim. What this passage teaches me is to be kind and courteous to all and to show them the love and respect of hope to get in return.

Love your neighbor as yourself… Or my translation…love your floor mates as yourself…

My First Thoughts...

First year seminar is one of the GED courses that freshmen are required to take at my school. Our first assignment was to write a journal entry that described our best experience at school so far. I didn't have an experience that triumphed over others, so I wrote about the most recent moment that truly meant something to me.

I don’t have an outstanding best moment here at school, at least not yet. There are a few smaller things that do come to my mind. One of them occurred just a few hours ago. The girls on my floor noticed that I dyed my hair yesterday. They most likely noticed this because I made the entire hallway smell like a chem. lab. Needing a quick trip to Wal-Mart I asked two of my floor mates to come along for the ride. While we were there they bought hair dye, and asked me if I would dye their hair for them. I was pleased to hear them ask that because it not only made me feel needed, but wanted. And up until that point I didn’t feel like I was fitting in. On our drive back to school, acting completely like my normal self, one of the two girls said to me “Megan, you are the coolest person I know. You are just so crazy all the time. I love it.” No one has really said that to me before. I know I am who I am, and I would always be myself. Even if someone were to come along and tell me the complete opposite than this girl did. But it just truly feels nice to get a complement like that. That is why I came to a Christian school.

In the reader (our class book) it tells me that this is the time for me to go out and meet the world. I am not to carry God around like a “security blanket”, to only drag around when I need it. God is with me all the time. He led me on my journey to college, and he will stay by my side no matter what I am going through. Even though I have hair dying parties instead of working on homework assignments and readings, I am still walking humbly with my God.