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Thank you for visiting
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ATTENTION
URGENT
NOTICE
GUESTBOOK
DISCONTINUATION
With deep regret we find
ourselves with no other choice than to discontinue our
guestbook service. While we do indeed value every
visitor to our website, we must establish boundaries to
protect our integrity. The guestbook has compromised our
integrity through commercial links promoting sales,
thereby giving the impression that we endorse commercial
products and services. While many of these can be useful
and good, they do not represent our purposes for the existence
of our website. Please bear with us in this hard
decision. Even though a few make correct use of the
guestbook and we appreciate all relevent and useful comments,
we have no other choice in this
matter.
However, may we suggest
that you make use of the e-mail to replace the
guestbook to correspond with
us?
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Forward
Students, this page,
dedicated to you and your interests, concerns and needs, will
provide you with thoughts, information and tools to help you
navigate toward discoveries that can help you in reaching your
goals. Not only do we seek to include the college
student, but focus on various levels of background, including
young elementary students, junior high students and high
school students.
This page will
continue to grow over time and may never reach
completion. We seek to be sensitive to your questions
and needs and will continue to provide reflection upon
comments and questions brought to us through
our e-mail.
We therefore encourage your interaction with us.
What Many College Students
Face
So, some of us have
just graduated from high school and consider a college
(university) education. What should we
expect?
Many of us come from a
Christian background and perhaps experience floods of
apprehension with respect to a totally new, alien environment
awaiting us on campus. We may feel that we could fall
into the abyss of assaults that would leave us vulnerable to
humiliation concerning our Christian
values.
However, as we reflect upon these insecure feelings, we may
well find that the unknown always poses certain risks. That is
normal. We may feel ill equipped to fend for ourselves among
the giants of intellectual prowess on the campus. And so we
are!
That conclusion should not be a signal to quit, but a call
to arms. While we within ourselves could never debate or
tangle with those who may have mastered the art of
making fools of others, we do have recourse.
What the world does not have, we do!
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have
peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NKJV)
"And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you
free." (John 8:32 NKJV)
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6 NKJV)
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the
light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
it [i.e., could not defend itself against the light]. (John
1:4-5)
We are children of light (the truth). Therefore, where
truth prevails, we find ourselves liberated. But that same
truth exposes the darkness of those who rebel against truth.
They may resent the presentation of the truth. However,
ultimately we shall prevail, because ultimately truth
(Christ) will overcome.
Yet, it may well be helpful for us who consider entering
the collegiate life to prepare ourselves in advance.
Not every school generates a hostile environment for the
dedicated Christian. We may wish to consider the advantages of
choosing a Christian university where Christian companionship
and common interest and goals provide a friendly environment
in which to pursue our goals.
However, such an option may not be open for our
consideration, simply because the Christian schools do not
receive government funding and tuition may be too prohibitive
for us even to consider. Or the Christian schools may not
offer the essential courses to secure our goals. Or we may not
be able to qualify due to the high standard imposed for
acceptance. Even scholarships may not be offered or very
difficult to come by.
On the other hand, maybe we embrace the challenge to
confront the secular institutions by God’s grace and to plant
a light into the dense darkness and hostile headquarters of
anti-Christian propaganda. Just maybe we do understand that,
while we can surely fail miserably, we do not look to
ourselves to succeed, but to God Who can certainly express
Himself through us to make a difference. In this light, we
do not go to establish elegance in debate, but to demonstrate
genuine light through our lives and speech and character,
revealing the power beyond us.
As a rule, debate reflects the purpose of winning,
rarely communication. To gain the upper hand in debate
embellishes the ego at the expense of the opponent(s).
Therefore, debate’s purpose simply establishes in the
mind of the debater his own personal worth in
establishing himself as superior in skill to the other
debater(s).
Having observed this aspect, there indeed can be a healthy
discussion in which truth becomes the guiding light
wherein genuine communication becomes the sole
end. Unlike normal debating, these dialogues seek the
communication of truth as a radiating and overriding
principle. Hence, the separate parties engaging in the pursuit
enter with an open mind, willing to examine all facets and
avenues possible and coming to decisions with the greatest
possible light. Such open searching grows out of genuine
respect and love for even those proposing an opposing
view. Even when we ourselves have every confidence we are
right, we share with those on the opposite end with the same
open mind to truth as we expect them to do with us.
Moreover, as candidates for advanced academic pursuits,
perhaps we should set our scope for the long haul, preparing
step by step in the admonition of the Lord. Therefore, we
should live one day at a time, trusting the Lord for the
future as we prepare through our trust in Him (see Seeking
Answers?).
Therefore, I [Jesus] say to you, do not worry [be anxious or apprehensive] about your
life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your
body, what you will put on [clothing]. Is not the life more than
food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25
NKJV)
The whole point regards trusting
God, never relying solely upon our
resources, except to acknowledge that God provides those
resources. Even so, neither are we asked to
place on blinders with respect to the future (see the parable
of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30— each receiver had
the responsibility and was definitely held accountable for
investment toward future
profits).
Nevertheless, we must
walk with God moment by moment where we
are, not where we will
be in the future. Although we do make provisions
and plans under the lordship of Christ, we must at the same
moment leave the disposition of the future in Christ
and for Him.
This principle applies equally to our
educational pursuits. God opens doors. God closes doors. He
sees the future and works toward that future, but the nature
of our future rests in the character of the present moment
(see utilitarianism).
Since God exercises total authority and
remains in control, nothing can happen apart from His
expressed will, His permissive will or His own jurisdiction
(see Romans 8:22-39). In this light even those things which
seem to militate against us, even our suffering and
disappointments, even our unfulfilled yearnings, our
loneliness or anything else reflect God’s purpose and
love. We need not always see the meaning in the movement of
God’s hand, but we can find assurance and confidence in our
union with God’s heart! He’s working everything out for
His own purpose, which will be to our ultimate fulfillment and
joy. We do not always need to see or understand the
whys and wherefores (the book of Job illustrates this
principle),
As long as our minds stay focused on God, we can
find security and peace that will never be touched nor
undermined by world criticism or action against us (see Isaiah
26:3).
Thus, we have established the framework through which God
can lead us to fruitful conclusions. Consequently, we may
easily perceive that our source of strength and resolve must
not find roots within us, within our circumstances, within our
resources, but in God alone. The very center verse of the
whole Bible (see Center of the
Bible) probably reveals the center of God’s
will:
It is better to trust in
the LORD than to put confidence in princes [or humanity]
(Psalm 118:9).
Note: This page
is in the process of being set up, but will continue to grow
over time. Hopefully, it will never cease to grow.
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