Sweet Tea, hot or cold?

Okay so I've mentioned Sweet Tea before, but this time I'm going into detail.
I was on the phone telling my Mom about how very much like the SOUTH it is here, and how when I comment on that fact, people say, 'Weeeelll, noooo, it's not really the South. Well okay I guess kind of, but you're just on the edge of the South. Not like in the heart of the South or the Deep South or anything. Yeah. Just the edge of the South."
To which my Mom replied,
"What EVER. There is no such thing as 'the edge of the south' you are either full in our full out! There is no in between! You're on dry land or you're drowning in the river. Edge of the South? Ha! They are in denial! You are in the South."
Now what on earth does this have to do with Sweet Tea, you ask? I will tell you. Because Sweet Tea is to the South as the Flag is to the United States of America.
So I was talking with a friend who is from Alabama, and I told her what my mom had said about us not being on the edge of the South. She looked at me with shocked horror and indignation and said,
"This is not the South. Any State that does not have a LAW about serving Sweet Tea in all it's restaurants is NOT the South!"
I laughed and was like, 'that's funny Amber' and she looked at me with authentic sobriety and said,
"I'm serious. It is against the law in Alabama to not serve Sweet Tea in our restaurants!"
Okay that's just extreme.
Now you must understand that it cannot be Sweet HOT Tea that we are talking about here. It must be Sweet ICED Tea. You may put some lemon juice in it if you are so inclined, and then you can call it "the champagne of the South." However DO NOT say anything milk or cream in your tea or you will get a 'oh you poor deprived foreigner who doesn't even know how to take your tea' look.
An example would be the other day. I had fifteen minutes between classes, and I was really really tired and rather cold.
(On a side note, whoever runs the temperature control for this facility thinks that we are all going to be Missionaries to Siberia and is trying to acclimate our bodies to extreme temperatures! The classrooms are FREEZING! So we get up early in the morning to go to class and put on sweaters, pants, have our hair down, chunky socks, a few of us have thought of bringing gloves to class. However we're in that building for about three to four hours and so are not around when it heats up to the blazing humid sticky hotness of August that invades the outdoors. So we're trying to convince ourselves that we aren't icicles when we step out the door and are hit with a humid oven blast. It would be one thing if we could dress like it's still technically summer but have a thermos of a hot beverage with us in class, but they want to keep the rugs nice and have banned everything but water in classrooms. *sigh*)
Okay so I was cold and tired. When I was in England several years ago I became acquainted with English Breakfast Tea with sugar and cream and it was one of the best breakfast experiences of my life. They have it at the Cafe here too, however the cafe is across campus. I thought that running might be a good idea, because 1. it would get my blood moving and help me stay awake and warm for the next class and 2. it would help me work off the calories I was about to consume and 3. I didn't know how long the line would be in the Cafe so thought the more time I could save the better it would be.
So I started jogging.
Now, you have to understand, this is a Campus of Southern Bells. Southern Bells do not run if they do not have to. They are still getting over the fact that hoop skirts are out of fashion and ladies can move quicker than a graceful, slow glide without looking uncouth. They CAN go jogging but only for aerobic purposes and in groups or in the gym.
So I caught a few stares as I zipped across campus. I have a friend from Tennessee who was in ROTC all through High School and while he was in a secular college, and almost ran into him.
"Forget something, Rachel?" he asked, laughing.
"Yeah Tea." I called as I continued. I heard him make some sort of "tsch" sound.
Anyway I got my tea and all was good. Until lunch, when I bumped into my Tennessian friend again at the cafeteria.
"So now what did you forget this morning?" he asked.
"Tea. See, I only had a few minutes between classes, but I was really cold and tired, because those classrooms are freezing, so wanted some tea to wake me up, so I was running to get it so I wouldn't be late."
"So you ran all the way there and all the way back. For tea."
"No not all the way back as I didn't want to spill hot liquid on myself."
"Hot liquid? Where'd you get hot liquid? Wait, you got HOT tea?"
Now, first off, I'm kind of wondering why anyone would go get a cold drink to help thaw out from a cold classroom.
Second, the way he said 'hot tea' you'd think I'd said I'd just run to get some Kimchi and Century Eggs from the Korean students 'cause I like it so much.
"Yeah I got HOT tea, remember I was COLD!"
"You drink your tea HOT?"
"Yeah with sugar and milk!"
"You put MILK in your tea?!"
"Well, not if I can get cream."
He kind of backed away from me at that point.

So. I was told that I was doing suprisingly well with the tea for a Northern girl during my first week here. I do LIKE Iced Sweet Tea, but I also like hot English Breakfast tea. Its kind of like, 'Which is better, chocolate chip cookies or chocolate chip cookie dough?"
Sometimes I really want the stuff baked and other times I'm like, whats the point? Just leave out the eggs and call it good. Same with tea. Which is better, hot or cold? I realize this issue is an intergral part of the culture here, kind of like Calvinism vs. Armenianism, however I like both. The only difference is that with tea, when it's winter Hot tea is most decidedly better and when I've been outside in blazing heat cold tea is most decidedly better. However I know there's people who have their daily sweet Iced Tea even in negative 13 degree weather with a windchill of negative 30 degrees, and those who will have hot tea even in 99 degree weather. Just like there are those who will demand that you leave the cookie dough unbaked or those who will pull out the health dictionary and list the evils of uncooked dough and why you MUST cook it. Or why others will stay up until two in the morning dancing with circular reasoning about Calvinist vs. Armenianism.
(incidentally when asked if I'm a Calvinist or Armenian I say 'yes' and sit back and enjoy the show as they come unglued. Just kidding. I don't enjoy watching them come unglued I flee in terror before they try to convert me to one extreeme or another)
So yeah. Anyhoo.
There it is. I kind of had to just get that off my chest. I'm sure I rambled, but I'm equally sure you were laughing somewhere after the beggining and before the end at what I wrote. :-) As long as we're all smiling at the end of it, that's what's important, no?
(at least in the case of Tea.)

More quotes from Professors

This seems to be a popular topic, so probably my next installment will be entitled, "QFP Volume 3" or something like that. Anywayz:


" Most of the professors on this campus require that your assignments be typed. However, for this class, if your handwriting is terrible and your typing is worse, then write it by hand."

~Marsha Omanson, English Professor~

"(The Apostle) Paul didn't sit down with an IBM or an Apple - by the way, Paul would have had a Dell - he didn't sit down with a scroll and map out where he was going before he went on his Missions trips."

~R. Bruce Carlton, Missions professor~

"You all sound like Michael W. Smith and his choir. Michael W. Smith have THE most WUSSY sound I have ever heard in my LIFE! Now sit up straight and sound like an adult choir! You all are adults now, did you know that?"

~Nathan Platt, Choir director and Music Professor~

"Now the first Jewish religious group that we are going to look at that is unique to the New Testament is the Pharisees. (writes "Presbyterians" on whiteboard) Oh I'm sorry, I'm terrible at spelling. (crosses word out and writes 'pharisees' on whiteboard)"

~Dr. Dave Deklavon, professor of New Testament Studes~

"A worldview is a network of related presuppositions that are not verified by natural science, but in terms of which every aspect of experience is interrelated and interpreted."

~Dr. Wellum, professor of Worldviews/Philosophy~

"Some of you guys are called to be a pastor and you haven't dated in three years! Get on it and act normal!"

~Dr David Adams, professor of Christian Education~


In other news, you know you are in Kentucky when the words "dad' and 'died' are pronounced indistinguishably.

~Princess Ouch~

Lessons from Philosophy class

"God has made a cause-and-effect universe; therefore we can find out something about the causes from the effects. But (and the but is very important) it is an open universe because God and man are outside of the uniformity of natural causes. In other words, all that exists is not one big cosmic machine which includes everything. Of course, if a person steps in front of a moving auto, the cause-and-effect universe functions upon him; but God and people are not a part of a total cosmic machine. Things go in a cause-and-effect sequence, but at a point of time the direction may be changed by God or by people. Consequently, there is a place for God, but there is also a proper place for man.
This carries with it something profound - that the machine, whether the cosmic machine or the machines which people make, is neither a master nor a threat - because the machine does not include everything. There is something which is 'outside' of the cosmic machine, and there is a place for man to be man."

~Francis Schaeffer~

"Man by the Fall fell at the same time from his state of innocence and from his dominion over creation. Both of these losses, however, can even in this life be in some parts repaired; the former by religion and faith, the latter by the arts and science."

~Sir Francis Bacon~

"I cannot believe that God plays dice with the cosmos"

~Albert Einstein~

"Oh God in heaven, have mercy on us. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, pray for your people, deliver us at the right time, preserve in us the right, true Christian faith, gather your widely scattered sheep by your voice, which is called the Word of God in Scripture. Help us that we might recognize this your voice and would not follow another tempting call, that would only be human imagination, so that we might never leave you, Lord Jesus Christ!
... Oh God! You have never burdened a people so horribly with human laws as we are under the Roman chair, who desire daily to be free Christians, redeemed by your blood. Oh highest, heavenly Father! Pour into our hearts by your son Jesus Christ such light, that we might recognize which messenger we are constrained to obey, so that we might reject the burden of the others in good conscience and be able to serve you, eternal heavenly Father, with a glad and cheerful heart."

~Albrecht Durer~

"The Bible makes plain that there should be effects in society from the preaching of the Gospel, and voices were raised to emphasize this fact and lives were given to illustrate it."

~Francis Shaeffer~

"Christianity is the immortal seed of freedom of the world."

~Alexandre Vinet~

"To conclude, therefore, let no man out of weak conceit of sobriety, or in ill applied moderation, think or maintain, that a man can search too far or be too well studied in the book of God's Word, or the book of God's Works."

~Sir Francis Bacon~

Interesting Perspective

My Missions professor split us into small groups today at the beginning of class and gave each of us a copy of this quote:

"Mission must never have first place in the church's life. The church is to have but one Lord - one passion - the One in whom all the fullness of God dwells, who has reconciled all things to himself. If the church today is in need of a conversion, it is always and only to Jesus Christ. We must say an emphatic "NO" to lesser gods who clamor for our allegiance, and a living and joyous "YES" to the One in whom all creation is summed up. It is insufficient to proclaim that the church of God has a mission in the world. Rather, the God of mission has a church in the world. Grasp this inversion of subject and object, and participation in God's mission will become a joyous, life-giving privilege. Miss it, and mission involvement will eventually degenerate into a wearisome, overwhelming duty."
~Tim Dearborn~

The first sentance turned me off at first, but the last two sentances made me think maybe the author has a point. Missions is inseperable from the heart of God. However, some people do find ways to take God out of Missions. If our focus, then, is solely on God, than our desire and ability to do Missions will follow by default. However, if we put the focus on Missions, than works and legalism threaten to take over our view and we loose sight of the whole point of Christianity - relationship with God.

So our small group had fun figuring that out and discussing it, and then the entire class had a good time discussing it too.

I like my Missions Professor :-)

~Princess Ouch~

First week of College

Met all my professors this week. I think I am really going to enjoy this semester! The following are some quotes to introduce you to the type of people I will be learning from for the next three months:

"I am going over to the Seminary tomorrow, to put the fear of God and red ink into all those Seminary students who think they know everything about writing a paper. So, there will be no class for you tomorrow. We'll meet as usual on Thursday though. You may spend your day off writing a paper for me."
~Marsha Omanson, English Professor for both Boyce College and Southern Seminary~

"You're from New Jersey? They let you out?"
~R. Bruce Carlton, Head of the International Missions Department and Professor for Boyce College~

"Do NOT go to bed early, do NOT socialize, get to know each other and bond with your dormmates, do NOT get a head start on homework. Go to the lounge and WATCH THE OLYMPICS! It comes ONCE every four years, people!"
~Nathan Platt, Assistant professor of Music Ministry and worship, Professor leading Boyce Choral~

"I enjoy discussion in my class. But we don't want to chase too many rabbit trails. The reason why is the Gospels end with the Ressurection. So we need to get through this material and end the semester with the end of the Gospels. This is so that we don't leave Jesus in the grave like the Liberals do."
~Dr. Dave Deklavon, Dean for Academic Administration and Professor of New Testament Studies.~

"There is a group of people anxiously waiting for you to finish your training so that you can minister to them."
~Dr. David Adams, professor of Youth Ministry and my professor for Introduction to Christian Education.~

" 'There is not one square inch in the whole domain of human existance where Christ, who is the sovereign of all, does not say, "This is Mine." ' "
~Professor Wellum, quoting Abraham Cuyper, the former Prime Minister of Holland, in Worldviews class.~

So there you have it. usually I try to describe people, but I think the above introduces them adequately enough. Don't you agree?

~Princess Ouch~

Textbooks

English Composition 1 with professor Marsha Omanson

"Student's Book of College English: Rhetoric, Readings, Handbook, Eleventh Edition"
By David Skwire and Harvey S. Wiener
A compilation of hoops they expect college students to jump through to prove they can accurately use the English Tongue.
$82.67
"A Manual for Writers: Of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago style for students and Researchers, Seventh Edition"
By Kate L. Turabian, Revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams and the University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff.
"The standard for generations of students and their teachers, revised for a new age." quoth the back cover.
My interpretation: 'How to write a paper for dummies, only in complicated English so you don't feel like a dummy while reading it."
$13.60

Introduction to Christian Missions with Professor Richard Bruce Carlton

"From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, Second Edition"
By Ruth A. Tucker
"The story of missions is the story of heavenly purposes fulfilled through human hands. (this book) traces 2,000 years of missions, from the days of the early church to the present. Uncovering the realities of missions work, this popular volume deals frankly with the complex individuals who helped spread Christianity throughout the world." quoth the back cover.
My interpretatio: I'm gonna flippin' LOVE this class!!
$23.09
"Changing the face of World Missions: Engaging Contemporary Issues and Trends"
By Michael Pocock, Gailyn Van Rheenen, and Douglas McConnell
"(This book) explores twelve significant trends, including globalization, changing demographics, the rise of postmodernism, the shift from Christendom to global Christianity, and the impact of technology on society and missions. Each chapter identifies and evaluates a trend, examines it in light of Scripture, and proposes a practical response. The text is enhanced by numerous sidebars and case studies to foster both individual and group reflection and discussion."
My interpretation: If they say anything against using computer graphics to embellish promotional movies for Mission Agencies, I'm gonna play 'devil's advocate' in class. Bwahaha.
$17.49
"Amazing Grace: Lessons on Church-Planting Movements from Cambodia"
By Bruce Carlton
I think the title is pretty explanitory. I just hope he doesn't sound like one of those missionaries from the 1800's where everything is saintly wonderful or martyrly terrible. Oh wait, I'm talking about my professor here.... :-D
$19.96

New Testament Survey 1 with Professor David DeKlavon

"Jesus and the Gospels: and Introductio nand Survey"
By Craig L. Blomberg
"This remarkably compendious survey of the Gospels, their background, their composition and their contents, and of the Jesus whose life and teaching they present is written with such clarity, simplicity and balance that it will at once take its place as a basic textbook for university and college courses in New Testament studies. For years I have longed for one book that would provide students with what they need in first and second-year classes on the life and teaching of Jeus. Now they have it!" ~Professor I. Howard Marshall, University of Aberdeen~
My interpretation: Well, having gone through the Gospel of John with David E. Nehring now and again, I don't expect to be drastically impressed, but it looks like it could be an interesting book.
$24.49
"Hammond Atlas of the Bible Lands"
Do you REALLY need a write up on what this book is about? Problem is this thing is barely a centimeter thick. How come Dad's is two inches thick? Hmm? Ah well. It will save my back when carrying it to class. Yay!
$7.96

Worldviews 1 with professor Stephan Wellum

"Life's Ultimate Questions: An Introductio nto Philosophy"
By Ronald H. Nash
"(this book) is unique among introductory philosophy textbooks. By synthesizing three distinct approaches - TOPICAL, HISTORICAL, and WORLDVIEW/CONCEPTUAL systems - it affords students a breadth and depth of perspective previously unavailable in standard introductory texts.
Part ONE, Six Conceptual Systems, explores the philosophies of:
Naturalism Plotinus
Plato Augustine
Aristotle Aquinas
Part TWO, Important Problems in Philosophy, sheds light on:
The Law of Noncontradiction
Possible Words
Epistemology 1: Whatever Happened to Truth?
Epistemology 2: A Tale of Two Systems
Epistemology 3: Reformed Epistemology
God 1: The Existence of God
God 2: The Nature of God
Metaphysics: Some Questions about Interterminism
Ethics 1: The Downward Path
Ethics 2: The Upwards Path
Human Nature: The Mind-Body Problem and Survival After Death" Quoth back cover
My interpretation: "The Truth Project" on steroids. This will be interesting!
$23.09

"How should we then live? : The rise and decline of Western Thought and Culture. L'Abrie 50th Anniversary Edition"
Francis A. Schaeffer
"In this brilliant book (the author) analyzed the reasons for modern society's state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative: lving by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God's revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible's Morals, values, and meaning." quoth back cover
My interpretation: I've been meaning to read this book for about five or six years... yay! Can I give it out as medical perscription to some extended family members of mine to provoke interesting table discussion over Thanksgiving Turkey? hehehe
$13.99

"The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, Fourth Edition."
By James W. Sire
"In Clear, readable prose, (the author) explains the basics of Christian theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheistic monism, New Age philosophy and postmodernism. In an increasingly pluralistic academic environment, the ability to understand and evaluate various worldviews is vitally important." Quoth back cover
My interpretation: Now I just need to read "the falacy detective' and a logic course, and I should be pretty much unlivable-with by the end of this semester. What with my natural tendancy to start debates and all that... Kidding! Well, sorta...
$11.90

Introduction to Christian Education with Professor David Adams

"Comeback Churches: How 300 churches turned around and yours can too."
By Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson
"The Congregant's conern matches reliable data that shows the North American church is, in fact, shrinking. The general adult population of the United States may have grown by a predictable 15% in recent years, but the number of unchrched adults has also, meanwhile, increased by a more shocking 92% (Source: The Barna Group).
Perhaps you've noticed: Large Church buildings that were filled in the 1950's and 60's now hold a fractio nof their capacity. And recent research suggests that the perceived church growth of the 1970's, 80's and 90's had more to do with a redistributio nof believers tthan reaching the unchurched.
Overall, our churches are stagnant, in need of a return to healthy evangelistic growth.
Leading missiologist Ed Stetzer sheds new light on a crucial issue in (this book). Coauthored with Pastor Mike Dodson, their exceptionally researched book reports on more than 300 formerly declining congregations across ten different denominations, ringing the bell about what it takes today to revitalize a weakened body of believers." quoth cover flap.
My interpretation: Wow. I thought Christian education was more like teaching your kids from a Christian worldview.... ah well. It will be a good class. :-)
$12.59

"Simple Church: Returning to God's process for making Disciples."
By Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger.
"The Simple Revolutio has begun. From the design of the ipod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world. They can change the church as well.
Simple Church calls Christians to make a clear return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No elaborate, multi-level out-reach strategies required.
Based on new case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom S. rainer and Eric Geiger prove the process for making disciples is quite often too complex. Simple Churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking four concepts to heart:
Clarity > Movement > Alignment > Focus
Each idea is closely examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify." Quoth back cover.
My interpretation: Can I bring some Howard Morgan stuff to class with me too? I want to compare!!
$13.99


Total spent today on books for the entire semester was: $264.82.
Wisdom and knowledge to be gained this semseter: Priceless.

~Princess Ouch~

Hearing God

"We'll be learning about hearing the Voice of God. And I know a lot of people get all freaked out about that, that they go,
"Well how do I know it's not my imagination?"
You know what? There's only one way you're gonna find out. By obeying what you're hearing, and watching what God does.
Because we are disciples of the Kingdom of God, and the essence of discipleship is training, and the essence of training is making mistakes.
The problem with you and I and the Spirit of Religion, in the Abberant Religion of Christianity, is that nobody is allowed to make mistakes! We have to have 'perfect services'!
(I'm gonna step on some sacred cows now. Moo! Pull that tail!) Listen, we have all been infected with certain Spirits that have just run rife in the Church. And what has happened in the Abberant Religion of Christianity is that it's all about Sunday Morning, and having services that we go to.
That is not what the Bible teaches us. The Bible teaches us about having a relationship with God.
So what happened historically is that instead of being in a community that gives everyone permission to make mistakes so that we can learn and grow in the gifts and callings on our lives, we're moved away from that and had everyone come to a building on a certain hour where a certain service is preformed by selected elected people who, depending on the kind of cohersion that's going on wears certain costumes....
So we have services that are well defined and well scripted, so that the Church becomes a Theater. It's not a place where discipleship is made, it's a place where people are entertained! Because "We've got to keep the people happy!"
So they'll keep coming and keep putting their money in.
Authentic Biblical Religion is not about entertaining you and I.
It's not about keeping you and I happy.
It's not about taking our money.
What it is about is this:
What is the word of the Lord to you,
what are you doing about it,
and how can we help each other grow in that word?"

~Howard Morgan~

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

~Rumi~

The South

Okay. I grew up in what we'll call "The West." Then my family and I moved to what we'll call "The FAR North." Now I find myself in what we'll call "The South."
Technically it's not the South. It's technically still the midwest. In fact, the Great Lakes are only about a 6 hour drive from here. However, anyplace that puts such a ridiculously HIGH emphasis in making sure Iced Sweet Tea is accessable wherever one goes is, in my book, The South.
Another thing, vowels are three to five consonants here. That is most definately a Southern thing.
None of this is said in criticism, however I just wish someone had pulled me aside when I signed up for this and said, "oh and by the way dear. You will stand out with your foreign accent when you get there, so consider yourself officially heads-upped."
The weirdest thing so far has been these bizzare creatures who inhabit the basement I'm sleeping in. Technically they are crickets, but they look like some odd mixture of Daddy Long-Leg spiders, Crawdads, and Grasshoppers. So far they haven't made much noise that I can tell, they just pair up and hang out near the foot of my bed or the suitcase. I don't mind insects, as long as I know they won't end up crawling on my face while I'm sleeping or crunching under my feet if I have to get up during the night. Hehehe.
Right-o. Well, I have just about gotten the application for on-campus jobs filled out. This will be interesting, as most of my work experiance of the last five years has either been in coffee-shop-type-things or Homeschool groups. Hehe. But there's always plenty of coffee shops on and off campuses. Hehehe.
Ciao for now,
~Princess Ouch

First Post

Well, I had a blog on here before. Like two years ago. And I was trying to just use that one. But apparently the computer didn't think I should. So now I'm starting a whole new blog. Wahoo. :-)

Not sure exactly what will end up on here, probably a bit of everything : sermons, video's, funnies, newsletters, wacky pictures, etc. Am going to try and keep all drastically specific and personal information off of here, due to the fact that I've known police officers or know people who know police officers who like to tell you horror stories about posting too much information on the web. And listening to said stories did an effective job of traumitizing me!

Oh, one more thing: I reserve the right to misspell words and be grammatically incorrect. Just so you know. It's not that I can't spell, it's that I write quickly and this isn't a test essay. So there. If you want proper spelling and the King's English, go read Websters. ;-)

That's all for now. :-)

~Princess Ouch