Holly: No, we're not about to break out into song here...although who doesn't love Chicago? Anyway, a little off topic here. Happy October, everyone! Is it just me or is 2015 flying right by? It seems like just yesterday we were all digging ourselves out of substantial amounts of white stuff, and now it seems like a distant memory, one I'm sure many of us wouldn't mind forgetting.
Life is pretty swell for us lately. It definitely hasn't come without its share of bumps, but that's another set of stories for another day :) Part of the swellness of life for us is our work, and that's where my story begins...
Today I attended a workshop that catered to, admittedly, mostly Berea faculty, but there were Development staff present, as well as myself and one of my bosses. The topic, along with many other sub-topics, was philanthropic fundraising: identifying donors, relating to donors on a personal level, some strategies, etc etc etc. I won't bore y'all, but one of the "kickers" was sharing stories that inspire. I was seated next to a current Berea professor and we both marveled at the fact that Berea draws in a crowd that has some pretty incredible stories. This professor was telling about a current student of his: how she'd come from a poor family in Alabama, how she'd had numerous travel and internship opportunities, how she was doing "exceptional work" (his words), and that she was working multiple jobs even as a student. And, he concluded, "she's still not done yet." I was immediately struck by something, and I verbalized it almost immediately, "I love this story," I said, "I mean, I could be here all day going on about the professors that inspired me, but it's so cool- the professors are inspired by the students too." He agreed, but then commented that he didn't think that he made an impact on his students- it was the joy of seeing his students thrive and realize their potential that made the difference.
But that's where I [mentally] disagree. If you don't think you've made an impact, or been at least some degree of inspiration, that is not true. For me, anyway. Even with the classes that I absolutely HATED (and there were a few), I still learned something. I was still challenged in some way, be it through an assignment, or even a way of thinking. And with those professors that immediately stick out in my mind having been the most influential to me, both personally and professionally...I could fill volumes. There is something to be said about attending a college in which the opportunity to build a relationship with a professor, both in and out of class, is not only more than just an idea; it's a living, tangible, meaningful reality. From way too many after-class conversations about EVERYTHING, to just learning how to deal with people when they weren't at their best, I graduated from Berea College with more than just a Bachelor's degree.
Kelly: I was sitting in the chair of my department's office, crying. Graduation was 3 months away, and I was dead set in my head that I was going to fail the program in my last semester. I was pouring my heart out, verbalizing feelings of "feeling picked on," like a failure and feeling like I was miles behind my 12 classmates. After I got it all out, she first said that I was past the point of failing. The second thing she said to me I still remember to this day.
"You can do this, and you're going to do this."
So I did. I made it through, graduated, and passed the boards the first time around. I feel like I owe part of my career and the nurse that I am to Berea College. They pushed me and all of us not because they didn't care, but because they did care. I feel like at any other college they would just be like "well too bad" while still taking my money. Now that I'm a working nurse, I find myself hoping that I say or do something to inspire my patients. But 9 times out of 10, it's them who are inspiring me. I have learned so much from these people, because that's who they are before patients, they are people. Just recently, I was thinking about my time at Berea, which is something that I still do from time to time. One professor came to mind, and ironically it wasn't one I had for one of my nursing classes. I took this class with this specific professor on the recommendation of Holly and also, quite frankly, I just needed the filler so the college wouldn't get mad at me and drop me to only part-time status. It turned out to be one of the most challenging, yet fulfilling courses in my time. Completely disregard the fact the professor had bipolar disorder and....yeah.....part of my career goes there too. That class and the teaching and the all of it also spear-headed me to being where I am.
The point I'm trying to make through all of this is that you never know whose lives you are changing, and whose changing your lives. Think of those in your life that have inspired you. Is there a possibility that you've inspired them as well? My answer is probably.
Showing posts with label life-changing places. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life-changing places. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2015
Monday, September 29, 2014
ALEP: More than just a long expected party
Holly and Kelly: I would also add sister bonding, music, weekend, unity and silly things to the labels part of this blog, but the label section cut me off after 200 characters. So much for that. Anyway, YES. This was the weekend of ALEP: A Long Expected Party. Now what was it? Fun, fellowship, geeking out, costumes, music, food, dancing, skits, workshops and PEOPLE. Lots of people! From all over the country and in some parts of the world...mostly Canada. It started this past Wednesday and concluded yesterday, and most people bought passes for the entire couple of days. As for the two of us, because we didn't know what we were going to be doing work wise and schedule wise, we opted for a Saturday day pass (bear in mind, we made these reservations 18 months ago. Not even joking. You wouldn't believe how fast spots filled up) And we're going to try and get some friends to come with us in 2017!!!!
We arrived Friday night around 7PM and checked into our room. Little did we know that's when the adventure would begin. We stayed in the West Lot Dwelling, which if you've ever been to Shaker Village, you know that....well, it's kind of out there. A mile and a half out there, away from the main part of the village. By the time we arrived it was starting to get dark. We got in the car and drove to the house, couldn't see the sign (which we figured out later that that was it) and then realized maybe we missed it and drove back to the main part of the village. We walked around for over an hour, going into the different houses where people stayed, desperately trying to find our room! Then, it dawned on me, maybe the building we saw the first time was it. So we drove allllllllllllll the way back out there (and it was dark by this point) and went to the first building we found, and sure enough, that was it. Holly's room key had two keys on it and mine only had one; the check in person at the desk said that she didn't need the second key but said to just keep it there so they wouldn't have to worry about it. We got to the West Lot house and the door was locked. I told her "try that other key the desk person said was useless" and sure enough, that spare key opened the side door. Thank GOODNESS we had it, otherwise we would have been stuck. So we moved all our stuff in, got settled and drove BACK to the main area, chilled out at the Dancing Pony, met a few people and that was the end of Friday. There were lots of catchy drinking songs; yes we have videos but they are too big and Blogger doesn't like that.
The big party was at the site where our house was we were staying at, so we took naps! The party site looked pretty much dead-on to Bilbo's birthday party in Fellowship. There was also a Bag End site that was built by two of the coordinators of ALEP. Let me tell you it is a SPOT ON replica (pictured below). Holly also did a Bag End painting about a year ago...it's in our den :)
We arrived Friday night around 7PM and checked into our room. Little did we know that's when the adventure would begin. We stayed in the West Lot Dwelling, which if you've ever been to Shaker Village, you know that....well, it's kind of out there. A mile and a half out there, away from the main part of the village. By the time we arrived it was starting to get dark. We got in the car and drove to the house, couldn't see the sign (which we figured out later that that was it) and then realized maybe we missed it and drove back to the main part of the village. We walked around for over an hour, going into the different houses where people stayed, desperately trying to find our room! Then, it dawned on me, maybe the building we saw the first time was it. So we drove allllllllllllll the way back out there (and it was dark by this point) and went to the first building we found, and sure enough, that was it. Holly's room key had two keys on it and mine only had one; the check in person at the desk said that she didn't need the second key but said to just keep it there so they wouldn't have to worry about it. We got to the West Lot house and the door was locked. I told her "try that other key the desk person said was useless" and sure enough, that spare key opened the side door. Thank GOODNESS we had it, otherwise we would have been stuck. So we moved all our stuff in, got settled and drove BACK to the main area, chilled out at the Dancing Pony, met a few people and that was the end of Friday. There were lots of catchy drinking songs; yes we have videos but they are too big and Blogger doesn't like that.
Saturday was a beautiful day! We got up early and I (Kelly) went downstairs to the kitchen and fumbled around trying to figure out how to use the complimentary coffee maker. It worked, after about 5 minutes of tinkering with it. Once we got to the main village, we just walked around, since nothing started till 10 in the morning and we got up there at like 9ish. It was nice to look around, explore and actually see all the sites in daylight! We ran into a few people we met the night before and bought some cool little trinkets (and I bought an Evenstar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Right before lunch time we went to a workshop by an artist who showcased various paintings and sketches of Middle Earth from the beginning of it until the fourth age (the end of Middle Earth). Oh. My Goodness. Beautiful and stunning artwork....kinda wish we would have snagged some pictures of them. After lunch was a bit of chill time before we decided to join the Hobbit choir. Our selections were May it Be and The Road Goes Ever On, which is from the musical. Yes, there is a LOTR musical and apparently will be world touring next year. Wee.
The big party was at the site where our house was we were staying at, so we took naps! The party site looked pretty much dead-on to Bilbo's birthday party in Fellowship. There was also a Bag End site that was built by two of the coordinators of ALEP. Let me tell you it is a SPOT ON replica (pictured below). Holly also did a Bag End painting about a year ago...it's in our den :)
So anyway, thus the party began. It was all outside and there were tables and chairs set up under lights and paper lanterns. Like I said, it looked exactly like Hobbiton. We were joined at a table with the only person we knew at the time and met lots of other awesome people! What was so interesting was that we were some of the youngest attendees, with the exception of a few families who brought their young children. At this party, there was AWESOME food, music (major kudos to the Great Hobbit Jam Band) and a HILARIOUS skit near the end. I would post my video, but Lord of the peepers took over and its sound quality is a bit rubbish, but I still have it for my enjoyment. Holly has a video as well, but its watchers may endure a grand mal seizure in an attempt to view it. Anyway, after the sun went down it got a bit chilly but there were gracious individuals who were warm hearted...and also had a few matches to spare for some lanterns that had tea lights in them. After a final parting song, we made our way back to the Dancing Pony again where we chatted, nibbled and had some lovely tea and used our new tea pots. Then it turned into a mini bar where a bit of drunken foolishness occurred and we left. This was at about 1AM and we got back to our room and craaaaaaaaashed.
Sunday was very lovely. We arose a bit early, packed up our room and drove to the main village again. Debbie, who we knew and goes to our church and told us about this in the first place, led a mini church service so to speak. None of us were expecting a good turnout but actually about 20 people showed up! We sang, prayed and Debbie shared a devotional that she wrote, and it was lovely. After mini church, we stayed around for a bit and watched a fan made movie called The Hunt for Gollum. For being done by fans, it was really well done! The cinematography was stunning! Then we drove home, and on the way home my GPS got a bit wonky and we ended up driving through Danville. It was a nice detour to say the least. So there you have it. ALEP in a nut shell. Overall, the time was too short. It was too fast. We met a lot of awesome people, some only briefly, but there is no doubt we will meet again. It was more than just a bunch of costumes, dancing and food. It was a retreat, so to speak. A revamping of it all, not necessarily an escape, but a respite. It was different and special. And on that note, we will close with this:
I (Holly) wrote this in my journal last night, and I think it captures the spirit and mentality of the weekend perfectly. Until 2017...
I met so many wonderful people, all from such vast and different walks of life. And yet, despite our differences, backgrounds, characters of choice, we were all bonded and united by this one love of this brilliant soul and his magical world that will forever captivate us...I pray for a continued, prolonged sense of wonder, that we will establish our own Shires, wherever we may be, and that we will never, ever lose sight of not only the time spent together this weekend, but of the One who made it all possible in the first place.
Friday, April 19, 2013
30 Days of Writing: How important you think education is
Holly: You've probably heard the saying "knowledge is power." I find it to be true. Not literal, brain-esque power. There are thousands of people around the world who want to attend school but simply can't. I'm thankful each day for my Berea College education. I wish all young women my age could have had the college experience I did. Sure, I gained textbook knowledge, I learned how to write a decent paper, but I learned so much more than that: how to be independent, how to think critically and for myself, how to manage my time (sort of?), how to ask for help, how to properly communicate with people different from me...the list goes on. Education helps you to gain and recognize the potential you have. It becomes a part of something that's bigger than yourself. It drives you, gives you something to work for. At least it did for me. Like I said, my Berea College education is worth a lot more than the piece of paper hanging up in my living room.
Do I think it'll give you a leg up in the world? Maybe. I suppose it depends on where you end up. Do I think all who are able should go to college? Yes. But it's your choice. I just think any education, especially college, teaches things about yourself that a mere job or other life experiences can't. Education also opens doors: if I never went to high school, I never would have gone on my mission trip five years ago. If I never went to college, I never would have been able to study abroad. Because of those two educations, I saw parts of the world that I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Yes, school is difficult, yes, it is stressful and time consuming, but I would go back in a second if I could.
Kelly: Though I think education is very important, I feel that it is a choice of the individual. People argue that good jobs require a college degree, and while I agree in part to that I have friends who are doing fine in the world without one. I'm not going to sit here and force feed some "you need to go to college" to my future children if I have any; I will leave the choice to them. I will strongly encourage going to college, because in my opinion I think it makes you a better person. At least it did for me. For me, I'm going to not only talk about why I think education is important, rather why I think a Berea education is important and the impact it has had on me.
In almost 2 weeks, I'll be graduating from this place. Since I was 18 years old, I have called Berea my home, and still continue to do so. I've known I wanted to go into nursing since I was probably around 14 or 15, but little did I know how much of a challenge it would bring me. And yes, I have been challenged greatly, but I'm better for it. There have been times where Berea has completely knocked me down flat on my face. I remember one time last spring, sitting up late on my computer researching the process of changing to an independent major. I had a backup plan; I was certain that nursing wasn't going to work. But one of the major parts of me nearly completing my journey at Berea has been my walk with God. God has moved mountains for me to finish here, and I would not be where I am without Him. Berea is a unique and special place in my opinion, and it's by His grace that I ended up here. Sometimes I think about where I would have possibly ended up if I didn't end up here; probably still at home or close to home. I'd probably have my ADN degree and working somewhere around there...who knows? Not that I'd be miserable, but I know that my experiences would have been a lot different. Like going abroad; would I have had the opportunity to do that? I don't know.
Yes, this road has been long, tough and very VERY difficult. I have no regrets though. None. I wouldn't trade my education here at Berea for ANYTHING, and it saddens me that some did not have the same positive outcomes and experiences that I did. I will walk across that stage knowing that I did my best, I trusted God and I came out a better, stronger and wiser person.
Do I think it'll give you a leg up in the world? Maybe. I suppose it depends on where you end up. Do I think all who are able should go to college? Yes. But it's your choice. I just think any education, especially college, teaches things about yourself that a mere job or other life experiences can't. Education also opens doors: if I never went to high school, I never would have gone on my mission trip five years ago. If I never went to college, I never would have been able to study abroad. Because of those two educations, I saw parts of the world that I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Yes, school is difficult, yes, it is stressful and time consuming, but I would go back in a second if I could.
Kelly: Though I think education is very important, I feel that it is a choice of the individual. People argue that good jobs require a college degree, and while I agree in part to that I have friends who are doing fine in the world without one. I'm not going to sit here and force feed some "you need to go to college" to my future children if I have any; I will leave the choice to them. I will strongly encourage going to college, because in my opinion I think it makes you a better person. At least it did for me. For me, I'm going to not only talk about why I think education is important, rather why I think a Berea education is important and the impact it has had on me.
In almost 2 weeks, I'll be graduating from this place. Since I was 18 years old, I have called Berea my home, and still continue to do so. I've known I wanted to go into nursing since I was probably around 14 or 15, but little did I know how much of a challenge it would bring me. And yes, I have been challenged greatly, but I'm better for it. There have been times where Berea has completely knocked me down flat on my face. I remember one time last spring, sitting up late on my computer researching the process of changing to an independent major. I had a backup plan; I was certain that nursing wasn't going to work. But one of the major parts of me nearly completing my journey at Berea has been my walk with God. God has moved mountains for me to finish here, and I would not be where I am without Him. Berea is a unique and special place in my opinion, and it's by His grace that I ended up here. Sometimes I think about where I would have possibly ended up if I didn't end up here; probably still at home or close to home. I'd probably have my ADN degree and working somewhere around there...who knows? Not that I'd be miserable, but I know that my experiences would have been a lot different. Like going abroad; would I have had the opportunity to do that? I don't know.
Yes, this road has been long, tough and very VERY difficult. I have no regrets though. None. I wouldn't trade my education here at Berea for ANYTHING, and it saddens me that some did not have the same positive outcomes and experiences that I did. I will walk across that stage knowing that I did my best, I trusted God and I came out a better, stronger and wiser person.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Miss Independent?
Kelly: On Thursday, as on typical Berea Thursdays, I attended the opening convocation of the semester. As a tradition, the President opens. Well, ever since July, the college has had a new President. Dr. Roelof's convo was AWESOME. It was simply titled "Why Berea?" As I was listening and after it was over, it gave me the opportunity to reflect on why I went to Berea. I would need like a zillion blog posts to answer that question, but for the content of tonight's blog I'm going to focus on one key part of why I went to Berea. Simple; when I first thought about coming all I wanted to do was be more independent. I WANTED to be away from home, just to experience it. And it did. Berea has taught me independence and then some. Ever since May, I have really had to hone in on those independence skills.
As you all know, Holly and I have had our own place since May. The wonderful times have lapped the somewhat stressful, but at times it has not been easy. We have had our share of struggles and have wondered how we're going to make it till next month at times. But for the most part, things have been really good. Only by the grace of God in my opinion. Anyway, Berea basically gave me a job and my own dorm and said "here's a roof over your head. Here's a job. Here's a full course load. Manage your time, manage your money and don't get kicked out. And we'll give you a good education." Wow. Honestly, a pretty good trade off if you ask me. And ever since we've had issues around our place, we've been the ones to take care of them, well, because we have to. Otherwise they won't get resolved. Yeah being on my own has been awesome but there is no more hand holding. So I will close with this; to those of you who are thinking about moving out and being on your own...think about it at first. REALLY think about it. Where Holly and I are now took MONTHS of careful planning. Also, be willing to make those financial sacrifices, because my goodness they WILL happen. And don't rush! It may sound like a good idea in your head, but don't wait until it's too late before you realize that you're not going to be able to handle it. But remember; decisions like this are never easy. And Holly and I realize we are not alone, which has made this so much more easier to handle.
Holly: Yeah...the months of planning, that's not an exaggeration, either. I think it was back in November of 2011 that we started looking at places. We were calling places by February. In making a big step such as moving out of your parent's house, if you want it, you have to want it bad enough to take the initiative and put in the work and effort. Going back on the subject of Berea, I also learned that if you want to leave something there, if you want to make something of yourself there, you also have to do just that: take the initiative and put in the work and effort.
Dr. Roelof's convo, in the grand scheme of things, honestly really didn't apply to me, but I walked away inspired and challenged as well. What Berea taught me in terms of being independent and having pride in my work has really shaped me into propelling forward as an adult. There really is no room for hand holding. If things go screwy, Mommy and Daddy can't bail you out. Sometimes I still struggle with that. But at the same time, Mommy and Daddy aren't watching your every move. If you want to go on a shopping spree, then by all means. If you want to sleep until noon every day, more power to you. If you want to go 3 weeks without doing laundry........well, ok? Anyway, being on your own literally means being on your own. You have the power to make decisions...
But I must also add, being on your own does give you the power to make decisions, but please exercise caution, because it is a GREAT deal of power and responsibility. Proceed with caution. It can be toxic, and a lot of things can go wrong very quickly. You are responsible for you now. Remember that if you're borderlining about taking the leap into independence.
As you all know, Holly and I have had our own place since May. The wonderful times have lapped the somewhat stressful, but at times it has not been easy. We have had our share of struggles and have wondered how we're going to make it till next month at times. But for the most part, things have been really good. Only by the grace of God in my opinion. Anyway, Berea basically gave me a job and my own dorm and said "here's a roof over your head. Here's a job. Here's a full course load. Manage your time, manage your money and don't get kicked out. And we'll give you a good education." Wow. Honestly, a pretty good trade off if you ask me. And ever since we've had issues around our place, we've been the ones to take care of them, well, because we have to. Otherwise they won't get resolved. Yeah being on my own has been awesome but there is no more hand holding. So I will close with this; to those of you who are thinking about moving out and being on your own...think about it at first. REALLY think about it. Where Holly and I are now took MONTHS of careful planning. Also, be willing to make those financial sacrifices, because my goodness they WILL happen. And don't rush! It may sound like a good idea in your head, but don't wait until it's too late before you realize that you're not going to be able to handle it. But remember; decisions like this are never easy. And Holly and I realize we are not alone, which has made this so much more easier to handle.
Holly: Yeah...the months of planning, that's not an exaggeration, either. I think it was back in November of 2011 that we started looking at places. We were calling places by February. In making a big step such as moving out of your parent's house, if you want it, you have to want it bad enough to take the initiative and put in the work and effort. Going back on the subject of Berea, I also learned that if you want to leave something there, if you want to make something of yourself there, you also have to do just that: take the initiative and put in the work and effort.
Dr. Roelof's convo, in the grand scheme of things, honestly really didn't apply to me, but I walked away inspired and challenged as well. What Berea taught me in terms of being independent and having pride in my work has really shaped me into propelling forward as an adult. There really is no room for hand holding. If things go screwy, Mommy and Daddy can't bail you out. Sometimes I still struggle with that. But at the same time, Mommy and Daddy aren't watching your every move. If you want to go on a shopping spree, then by all means. If you want to sleep until noon every day, more power to you. If you want to go 3 weeks without doing laundry........well, ok? Anyway, being on your own literally means being on your own. You have the power to make decisions...
But I must also add, being on your own does give you the power to make decisions, but please exercise caution, because it is a GREAT deal of power and responsibility. Proceed with caution. It can be toxic, and a lot of things can go wrong very quickly. You are responsible for you now. Remember that if you're borderlining about taking the leap into independence.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Journey Begins...
Kelly: When I first started college at Berea, I had this big dream to go back home, live in the city and work at a big hospital. It's funny to me how plans can change over a course of time. If I were a freshman and someone told me I would end up wanting to live in Berea, I would have told them they were crazy.
Now I'm the crazy one. lol
With Holly graduating in a few months and me still continuing my education, we sat down over Christmas break and had a few conversations. We had both been entertaining the idea of staying in the area and me living off campus during my last year in school. Talked about it to the folks, and they were on board with the idea. Talked with some friends, and they were on board with the idea too. So the research began. Last semester Holly and I started looking up various apartments and writing down their phone numbers so we could contact them. The contacting started today...
...two voicemails were left. I was an idiot and left the notebook with all the numbers written down at school...in my desk. I went into the shower this morning and when I came out sis told me nobody answered. Guess they were busy with lunch. Holly just now got off the phone with one of our potential living spaces.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A PLACE NEXT TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holly: *gah* *spaz* *panic* *holycrapisthisreallyhappening*
YES. YES IT IS!
This is the best spring break ever!!!!!!!!!! :D And the lady sounds so nice and the apartments look so nice too! :)
Like Kelly, I never imagined living somewhere like Berea. I had plans to become a small animal vet and move to the Carolinas (our family goes to North Myrtle Beach every year and there's a vet clinic nearby. I would always say, I'm going to work there!). But plans change. Big time. As my education has progressed, I've come to the realization that maybe my heart belongs elsewhere, not in vet medicine. I mean, it's always there, and perhaps my plans will change again. But let's just be frank: if I were to apply for vet school right now, they'd take one look at my application and throw it away. So where I'll be, I don't know. But I'd say that God is turning the tables in our favor so far! :) And as it stands, I can't imagine being anywhere else other than Berea!!
Stay tuned!
Now I'm the crazy one. lol
With Holly graduating in a few months and me still continuing my education, we sat down over Christmas break and had a few conversations. We had both been entertaining the idea of staying in the area and me living off campus during my last year in school. Talked about it to the folks, and they were on board with the idea. Talked with some friends, and they were on board with the idea too. So the research began. Last semester Holly and I started looking up various apartments and writing down their phone numbers so we could contact them. The contacting started today...
...two voicemails were left. I was an idiot and left the notebook with all the numbers written down at school...in my desk. I went into the shower this morning and when I came out sis told me nobody answered. Guess they were busy with lunch. Holly just now got off the phone with one of our potential living spaces.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A PLACE NEXT TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holly: *gah* *spaz* *panic* *holycrapisthisreallyhappening*
YES. YES IT IS!
This is the best spring break ever!!!!!!!!!! :D And the lady sounds so nice and the apartments look so nice too! :)
Like Kelly, I never imagined living somewhere like Berea. I had plans to become a small animal vet and move to the Carolinas (our family goes to North Myrtle Beach every year and there's a vet clinic nearby. I would always say, I'm going to work there!). But plans change. Big time. As my education has progressed, I've come to the realization that maybe my heart belongs elsewhere, not in vet medicine. I mean, it's always there, and perhaps my plans will change again. But let's just be frank: if I were to apply for vet school right now, they'd take one look at my application and throw it away. So where I'll be, I don't know. But I'd say that God is turning the tables in our favor so far! :) And as it stands, I can't imagine being anywhere else other than Berea!!
Stay tuned!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Phony Cabbage
Kelly: Happy Friday readers!!!! It's raining here today, and I had to get a flu shot this morning! And it didn't hurt as much as the last time I got one, which is good. Now I have a cool superhero band-aid (thank you Holly's roomie!!) ^__^ Anyway, the theme of this blog is not about shots and superhero sterile strips, rather our lovely church, Berea Baptist. I started attending a little over three years ago when I was a first year student at Berea. I went with a friend of mine who's aunt went there when she was a student at Berea. So we walked into the sanctuary and I even remember the first thing I said when I walked in..."there's a lot of people here." Ok, church background; my church at home on a good day has 25, maybe 30 people. Berea Baptist on a good day has about 300 people! So yeah, I thought that was a lot of people. Anyway, the service went on and that was it. I fell in love with EVERYTHING about it; the music (very contemporary), the people, the sermon and the pastor!
Shortly after attending, I decided I wanted to contribute more to the church because it brought me such great joy every time I go (and it still does!!!!). My sister, the pastor and I had a series of talks about what it means to become a member, so we did and enjoyed those talks. Then, on May 3, 2009, we made it church official and became members. And I've never been the same ever since.
Fast forward to...today. I'm a member of the worship choir (which is super fun) and I still attend every Sunday, or at least try to. Seriously, I get sad if I don't go to church, and in 2 weeks I'll have to miss church, but that's ok because it's for a happy occasion!!!!!!!! :] In addition, this year, the church introduced a new college student ministry specifically for meeting the needs of fine individuals such as us. So last night, there was a cereal and game night. What happened was I was only planning on staying maybe an hour...needless to say I didn't get into my room until 10:15 last night! Good times though, and I love my church and church family. I'll let Holly explain more about last night. Cheers!
P.S. look out for a new blog post from MY blog...coming tonight. :]
Holly: Ohhh...the joys of Apples to Apples. It was probably the most fun I've ever had playing that game (and I've played it more times than I can count)! Memorable combinations included "sensitive firestorms", "magical toasters" and "phony cabbage."
But in all seriousness, being a member of Berea Baptist has completely transformed who I am as a person. Never have I been exposed to a place so welcoming, so loving, so WILLING to hang out with stressed-out college students. It's rare as someone my age to not only consider the pastor like a second father, but also a dear friend. You know it's also a good church when your relatively-not-really Christian parents say that if they lived in Berea they would attend!!! And that's saying something! It really is a unique special place that is very close to me.
Anyway, I'm really hungry, and food circus gets insane right around 11:45, so early lunch it is for sis and I. Oh, and on a seemingly random note, I only have one class today. Hooray for science profs going on a retreat!!!! Which they completely deserve, by the way. Ok, lunch! Cheers and blessings to all! :)
P.S. 8 MORE WEEKS UNTIL COLIN AND BRAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shortly after attending, I decided I wanted to contribute more to the church because it brought me such great joy every time I go (and it still does!!!!). My sister, the pastor and I had a series of talks about what it means to become a member, so we did and enjoyed those talks. Then, on May 3, 2009, we made it church official and became members. And I've never been the same ever since.
Fast forward to...today. I'm a member of the worship choir (which is super fun) and I still attend every Sunday, or at least try to. Seriously, I get sad if I don't go to church, and in 2 weeks I'll have to miss church, but that's ok because it's for a happy occasion!!!!!!!! :] In addition, this year, the church introduced a new college student ministry specifically for meeting the needs of fine individuals such as us. So last night, there was a cereal and game night. What happened was I was only planning on staying maybe an hour...needless to say I didn't get into my room until 10:15 last night! Good times though, and I love my church and church family. I'll let Holly explain more about last night. Cheers!
P.S. look out for a new blog post from MY blog...coming tonight. :]
Holly: Ohhh...the joys of Apples to Apples. It was probably the most fun I've ever had playing that game (and I've played it more times than I can count)! Memorable combinations included "sensitive firestorms", "magical toasters" and "phony cabbage."
But in all seriousness, being a member of Berea Baptist has completely transformed who I am as a person. Never have I been exposed to a place so welcoming, so loving, so WILLING to hang out with stressed-out college students. It's rare as someone my age to not only consider the pastor like a second father, but also a dear friend. You know it's also a good church when your relatively-not-really Christian parents say that if they lived in Berea they would attend!!! And that's saying something! It really is a unique special place that is very close to me.
Anyway, I'm really hungry, and food circus gets insane right around 11:45, so early lunch it is for sis and I. Oh, and on a seemingly random note, I only have one class today. Hooray for science profs going on a retreat!!!! Which they completely deserve, by the way. Ok, lunch! Cheers and blessings to all! :)
P.S. 8 MORE WEEKS UNTIL COLIN AND BRAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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