He’s Always At Work

I have a confession to make. I don’t like hard things. For someone who has long been an avid reader of the Harris twins’ blog The Rebelution and book Do Hard Things, the necessity of such an admission is both humbling and sobering. First, let me say that, as I enjoy a final semester at Erskine and look back on my wonderful years here, it is imminently clear to me how very richly the Lord has blessed me. As a sinful human being, however, I quickly forget my first love, and so, when a painful trial makes an entrance, I often discover just how unsanctified I actually am.

If there’s anything that tends to turn our eyes toward eternity, it is experiencing some sort of acute discomfort or suffering here on this earth. Whether our trial is emotional, physical, spiritual, or relational, a situation that causes us to—at least for a short time—feel that earthly happiness is simply unattainable is an incredibly effective tool that the Lord often uses to cause us to long for heaven. With regard to this truth, Colossians 3:1-4 is a verse I’ve been meditating on lately: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.”

For the believer experiencing a trial of some sort, such verses provide both comfort and great hope. When I find myself responding to hard things with bitterness, asking the Lord, “Why, why?” I know both that He is big enough for me to ask the honest, emotionally raw questions and that such a response, though natural enough, does not honor Him if it’s where I remain. It’s easy to become comfortable and complacent when our lives seem to be going just as we’d planned and we feel fairly in control of our circumstances. Such a state of apathy and illusory self-sufficiency, however, is not one with which the Christian ought ever to be content. We are called to something higher, greater, and richer, by the grace of the One who is faithful never to leave us where we are.

I love this quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s: “Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. The was the proof of His love – that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary’s cross, though ‘legions of angels’ might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us—not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.” How I resonate with her words! I recognize in myself that limited vision of which she speaks, but I am also inexpressibly thankful for the God of comfort who is loving and compassionate, even as He molds and shapes us (II Corinthians 1:3-5).

If It’s That Kind of Day…

Erskine professors are really wonderful. Not only are they excellent teachers and academics, but they also care deeply about Erskine students as individuals. At the risk of sounding like an emotional basket case, let me share two examples from my own experience.

Once last semester, and once this semester, I have—to my dismay, mind you—found myself in tears upon answering a professor who kindly asked how I was doing. Certainly, the usual response when asked, “How are you,” is to smile cheerily and say, “Quite well, thank you!” regardless of how exactly one’s day is going. When, however, a variety of factors and struggles combine to make a person (in this case, me) particularly emotional, a profoundly sincere, “How are you doing?” may be all it takes to unleash the floodgates. Case in point being the two aforementioned conversations, which were not entirely dry-eyed on my part.

Rachel enjoying some pleasure reading before French class begins.

What I so appreciate about my Erskine professors, though, is that, confronted with the admittedly awkward experience of having a student begin to cry while talking to them, they responded with great grace and compassion. I was left without a doubt that, rather than being anxious to extricate themselves from a conversation turned suddenly more serious than they’d anticipated, the professors to whom I was talking truly cared about my well-being as they listened to my sniffled explanation with genuine concern. I love being part of a learning community in which it is safe to have such a meltdown, not only in front of a fellow student, but also in front of a professor. It’s just one of the things that makes Erskine special.

Making Time

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged all semester. On one hand I feel like I have so much to catch you all up on. On the other hand I feel like I should start from now and move on. Either way, I hope you enjoy my little rant for the time being.

Tonight was a long night. But then again it is April. Quite possibly the busiest month for any student at Erskine. Quizzes, papers, tests, projects, presentations, etc. The list could go an and that’s just academic stuff. You can’t forget about the recitals, the convos to frantically attend cause you didn’t realize you have more convos to get before the ear ends, the meetings, etc.

But perhaps the one thing I always tend to forget during this month is the importance of making time for my friends. I try to justify all the work I do and all the things I’m involved in by saying its all preparation for my future, and while that’s true, I can’t help by think of all the little moments I may be missing out on with my friends.

The moral of the story is to make time for people. At the end of the day and after all the homework and meetings, your friends shouldn’t be neglected. People all crave love and attention. Sure it may be selfish, but there are times when someone genuinely needs someone to just be there and listen, someone to give advice, someone to just keep them company. Remember that next time you find yourself busy and swamped with work. Work is a priority but know how to discern when work must be out off for a brief moment with your futuregroundsman or bridesmaid, your future mate, or your future partner in crime at the nursing home you’ll both be in one day. After all, it’s Erskine. What would it be without friends?! They keep us sane!

Adventures on the Bus

The Botanical Gardens in D.C.--beautiful, yes?

I rather want to talk about the trip Choraleers took to Charleston yesterday, but in order to give that adventure some context, I think I’d better recount one of the incidents that occurred during tour. You see, as I mentioned in my previous post, the choir went to Washington, D.C. for a Spring Break tour through North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, singing—or at least, attempting to sing…more on that later—in different schools and churches at each stop.

Touring in D.C.

This year, something we did that we’d never done before (at least not during my time in Choraleers) was to sing at different high schools along our tour route. One goal in making these stops was to recruit musically-inclined new choir members, but it also turned out to be a lot of fun to sing in the schools because each of the high school choirs we visited sang for us as well. (Much as we love to sing, it’s always neat to sit back and listen for a change.)

We began tour by performing at the Church of the Holy Comforter in SC on Thursday night and then headed to our next concert in Virginia Friday morning. We hit a bit of a snag Friday afternoon, however, when the bus began to have…issues. Although we had left that morning with several hours to spare, the time remaining before our concert that night began to dwindle rapidly when the bus began to experience mechanical difficulties.

Virginia landscape

Our arrival time of 3 p.m. or so was quickly converted into a hope that we would at least make it to the church in time for dinner. Another unfortunate side effect of the bus’s problems was that the air conditioning soon ceased to work—not particularly pleasant in 75 degree weather when over forty people are on a bus together. I’m normally cold on buses and bring socks and a coat to bundle up in, but by the time we made it to Virginia even I felt as though we were in a sauna. (Not exactly the place one wants to spend her time right before changing into a long formal choir gown.) At one point we even ended up stopped and sitting in the middle of the highway for a bit as cars zoomed past. In the end, though, we made it to our destination unscathed (aside from a bit of perspiration), and we all walked out into the crisp, cool Virginia-countryside air with oos and ahs of pleasure.

Library of Congress

On Saturday, we had a wonderful time exploring D.C. and saw everything from the Botanical Gardens and the Library of Congress to the National Art Gallery and the Holocaust Museum. Then, on Sunday morning, we sang in church services at several different locations and spent the night at the Holiday Inn, little anticipating the rather untoward “adventure” that was to be thrust upon us by circumstance the following day. On Monday morning, thinking the bus was fully repaired and ready to go, we boarded and began to make good time, completing about two-thirds of our journey to Gastonia, NC in only a few hours. After lunch, though, we encountered…a hill. And the bus couldn’t handle it. It coughed and sputtered in a pitiful effort to conquer the sloping incline, but unlike “the little engine that could,” to no avail. Thus, we stopped by the side of the road and begged some water for the overheated vehicle from some kind denizens of a nearby Virginia farmhouse.

Hanging out in Denny's during our unintended detour

We continued on our way, limping along at an average of two minutes between stops. Incidentally, I was actually so exhausted that I stretched across two seats and the isle (where some kind friends, noticing that I looked tired, set me up and handed me a pillow before telling me to sleep) and napped through the series of jerky starts and stops. Unfortunately, after about thirty minutes of this, the bus simply gave out entirely. Left with no other recourse, we stopped at a rest area where we essentially took over the Denny’s restaurant adjacent to a gas station. After about two hours there, our time before the concert was running short, and our director, Dr. Nabholz, decided that we would postpone dinner and sing in our casual clothing instead of changing into concert attire. By the time our replacement bus arrived over an hour later, though, it began to be clear that we simply weren’t going to make it to Gastonia in time for the 7:30
concert.At about 8:40 p.m., we finally made it to the church and were served a scrumptious dinner by the patient 1^st ARP church members waiting for us. Afterwards—singing on a full stomach? Don’t do this at home, kids—we gave an abbreviated concert for the host families before heading home with them for some much-needed rest. (On a side note, does it puzzle anyone else how exhausting sitting on a bus all day can be? I’ve always wondered how sitting still can possibly be so draining.)

Lisa taking a spare moment during on of our gas station stops to get some homework done--yeah, girl!

In light of this experience, though, when Dr. Nabholz announced a couple of weeks ago that we would be riding a bus to and from Charleston on April 13^th, there were quite a lot of playful groans and joking expressions of premonition. I am happy to announce, however, that the trip yesterday didn’t involve a single bus mishap. Hurrah!The next day, another delightfully glitch-free bus came to take us home, and we finished out the tour without further bus difficulties. And that was our adventure. It certainly made for some Choraleers bonding time, if not for a particularly comfortable ride. As G.K. Chesterton once noted, “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” Nevertheless, I must confess that I am more or less liable to take this maxim truly to heart depending on how sleepy and hungry I am. In which case, I suppose, an inconvenient adventure becomes an opportunity for character building. We had some great conversations on the bus, at any rate.

Choraleers On the Move

A couple of weekends ago I went on my first Choraleers mini-tour since my return from Spain. I wasn’t exactly sure how the trip would be, since I’m still getting to know the freshmen in the group (who are wonderful, by the way) and was, *cough*, less than certain of all my notes. On Saturday afternoon, we embarked on our drive to August, Georgia, where we rehearsed at a couple of different churches and were treated to dinner by one of the host churches.

Next, we were assigned our roommates and families for our home-stays—one of the best parts of Choraleers mini-tours. Every home-stay has been different for me, and I’ve actually ended up in a couple of mansions (no, I’m not kidding—if ten girls all have their own bedrooms,  the home qualifies as a mansion) during past trips. Whatever the size of the house, though, it’s always fun to get to know different people from the congregations of the churches where we’re singing. During this most recent trip, I had the pleasure of staying with an Erskine alumna and her sweet family. We enjoyed talking about all kinds of topics over a plate of delicious cookies, but when we landed on the subject of Erskine—which involved our friend’s reminiscences about her time as a Choraleer—we just couldn’t stop talking. We had such fun–even getting to flip through old Erskine yearbooks together– that it was quite late before my fellow Choraleer and I finally realized that we’d better head to bed if we were going to be ready for our early morning performance! Despite our less-than-optimal amount of sleep, our Sunday performances—two in the morning and one in the evening—went well, and the trip in general was great fun.

Being in Choraleers has been one of my absolute favorite parts of my experience at Erskine. Honestly, I didn’t realized how much I’d missed singing with the amazing group that makes up the “Choraleer family” until I came back from Spain and felt a though a vital part of my life that had been missing was suddenly restored. What a joy it is to sing—especially once you know the notes—and what a blessing it is to be able to sing to God’s glory with good friends! We also have an amazing new director this semester, Dr. Nabholz. It’s been a lot of fun learning his directing style and seeing the musical effects of the techniques he’s teaching us.

Friends and I on Choraleers tour at Universal Studios (not where we performed...but a lot of fun) in Orlando my freshman year.

Speaking of which, I was incredibly excited recently when, in preparation for our Spring Break tour to Washington, D.C., Dr. Nabholz had us split up into mixed formation during rehearsal. This mixing of the sections resulted in my being flanked by a tenor and a bass, with a soprano directly behind me. Wow, was it amazing to hear the way all the parts meld together! It’s one thing to be in one’s own section, with a somewhat foggy idea of what each other part sounds like—but to hear the subtle contours of each other musical line? That transforms a “piece” into true music. Of course, I may, *cough*, have noted—no pun intended—that I perhaps don’t know all my notes as well as I ought. Gone is the wiggle room of being able to listen the person next to you when you’re no longer in sections. Which means someone will be frequenting the practice rooms quite a bit between now and our departure for tour. D.C., here we come!

Just One Reason Erskine is Special…

In the nearby village of Elche, Spain…in a bookstore. You can always spot a humanities major.

If you’re either around college-age or have a student who’s beginning to look at schools, you’ve probably spent at least some time researching and visiting different universities, weighing the respective pros and cons of the institutions that interest you. One factor which I know I took into account when I was looking at schools is the difference in the number of resources found at a large university as opposed to a smaller one. I worried that, were I to go to a small college, I would be missing out if I didn’t have access to everything made available by a large university. Certainly, such a wealth of resources—primarily in the form of enormous libraries—is an extremely valuable asset. What I’ve found since coming to Erskine, however, is that, thanks to incredible librarians and a well-oiled interlibrary loan system, I never have trouble obtaining exactly the resources I need, no matter how specific or obscure the topic I’m researching.

Today, I saw a bit of the flip-side of the research process that I’ve become familiar with at Erskine when I made my first foray into the world of researching at a large university. Before I comment on this experience, I should note that I don’t mean in any way to disparage the University of Alicante by doing so—I am greatly enjoying my classes at the university, and all of my experiences and professors thus far have been excellent! It’s just that, my time in the library this morning helped me see that “the grass is always greener” is an adage because we often don’t fully appreciate the good things we have. You see, when I walked into the huge, multi-level library and saw the shelves upon shelves of books, I was enchanted. Had I gone to a huge school, such copious amounts of resources might have been at my fingertips as well. (Of course, such resources are at my fingertips within three to five days of requesting them from WorldCat…but the green monster is rare
ly logical.) I then commenced searching for books on the topics on which I plan to write my final essays. And gracious, I couldn’t seem to find anything. This was probably at least partly due to my unfamiliarity with the system of book cataloguing used in Spain (which, like measurements, temperature, and classroom numbers, is completely different from that used in the US). Nevertheless, I was quite disheartened to discover that the books I needed were scattered all throughout the vast library building and that some apparently weren’t even in the same building where I was seated. Sigh.

Inside the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid

So I did what I usually do when I’m confused (which, of course, happens only *cough* very rarely): I asked for help. Walking up to one of the librarians, I was met with what can only be described as something of a grimace. She explained—in rapid Spanish—where I could find the list of books I’d compiled and seemed quite annoyed when asked for further clarification on where the basement and the Law Library were. Later, after I finally wandered back to the front desk on that particular floor, I asked the other librarian on duty if I could check my books out then. Only, as I quailed a bit under his scowl, my Spanish vocabulary seemed to vaporize, and I stumbled over my words a bit before being told, rather gruffly, that I could check books out on the first floor. All that to say, the librarians were reasonably cordial, if not friendly, and answered my questions. But as I walked out of the library thinking that I would prefer to just do my research online, I couldn’t hel
p but think how spoiled I am to walk into McCain Library in Due West and to unfailingly be given swift, one-on-one assistance by one of Erskine’s well-versed keepers-of-the-books (surely “librarian” is too mundane a name for such an important job?). I’m not sure that the contrast between that possibility of “being a number” at a large university and the personal, close-knit-community feel I’ve come to enjoy at Erskine have ever seemed quite so stark to me. That’s not in any way to say that one can’t thrive in either a small-school or large-school setting or that each type of school doesn’t have its charms… I just happen to really appreciate my Erskine family and am thankful that God has placed me in it!

View of the beach beside my house in Alicante

In the end, when I arrived back at my piso (apartment) and attempted to use the online Erskine journal database, I discovered to my consternation that I couldn’t seem to log onto the website. Of course, considering that there are a number of US websites that are not accessible from overseas, I wasn’t particularly surprised, but I figured I would email one of the librarians at Erskine to ask about my difficulty. I also mentioned, in my query, the topics I was attempting to research. And what do you think I found in my inbox only hours later? The news that the aforementioned librarian had entered my student ID into the system and that I should now have access to Erskine’s databases AND (get this), a flood of academic articles on the topics I had mentioned in passing. Wow. All the way from Spain, I felt so blessed. And now, I’ve got some reading to do.

Preparing for the Holidays

School work seems to get harder as the holidays round the corner. I guess this is because all I can think about it turkey, ham, Christmas trees, and football. Therefore, as the weeks near Thanksgiving break, I feel like I am racing to the finish line. During this time and the holiday fever that can get to us all, it is important, however, to remember the purpose behind the holidays. Aside from the family time and great food that accompany them, it is important to remember and serve others during this special time of year.

As I am doing my teaching field experience in a second grade classroom this semester, it is a requirement that we implement a service learning unit with our students. This involves teaching students about service in connection with the traditional academic subjects through the implementation of a service project. Because so many of my children have indicated ways they like to directly help others, we decided to serve others through Operation Christmas Child. This program supported by Samaritan’s Purse assists children in need at Christmastime by proving shoeboxes full of toys and necessities to them during the holidays. Ranging from over sixty different countries, this program truly shows how one person can make a difference.

As I taught the students about the different countries, about sending money to help with shipping, and how to write letters to send in the boxes, I think they taught me just as much about compassion. These young second graders served as a great reminder of the simplicity of life and how a smile can brighten one’s day. These sweet children offered gifts from their own hearts, and often their own closets, as their way of contributing to the project. Often bringing in items that could not be sent, such as a VHS tape of Old Yeller, I assured them that I would find a place to donate their gifts. This students did not think twice about offering of themselves which is something that us adults could use a reminder of sometimes. As these children expressed their joy in serving because they could help others who are in need, I could not help but smile. Aside from explaining to a few why Santa couldn’t provide all of the things the children needed, this project proved to be a s
imple success with the students. I thank them for reminding ME how wonderful it can feel to serve others by giving of ourselves. Therefore, I challenge you this holiday season to find a way to help another, either through a special gift, or a simple smile.

Time for Senior Seminar

                I cannot believe that almost four years have flown by!  I have been working so hard the past few weeks to complete my Senior Seminar presentation.  I am chemistry major so; we also have to complete a Junior Seminar which includes a presentation and a paper.  I chose to keep the same topic from my Junior Seminar for my Senior Seminar.  My topic for my seminar is the use of Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide Receptor Anatagonists to treat migraines.  I know this sounds like a complicated topic but, it is very interesting!  The seminar classes that Erskine offers for selected majors are very helpful when you are preparing for the next step.  Whether that next step is a career or graduate school, you will have to give a presentation or speak in front of a group of your peers and superiors at some point.  These classes help students become more comfortable with their public speaking abilities.  My Senior Seminar pres
entation went great! I am so glad that it is over and now I only have to finish the paper portion!  This is a picture of the CGRP receptor which was the basis of my presentation.

It’s Homecoming

I love Homecoming!!  It’s so exciting to see all of my friends that have graduated and are back at Erskine for a visit.  The homecoming festivities began with the Homecoming parade at twelve o’clock.  I was on the Homecoming court as a senior class representative so; I was able to ride in Erskine’s Model “A” driven by Buddy Ferguson.  The presentation of Homecoming Court was done during the half-time portion of the men’s soccer game.  I was so excited that my parents were able to come and be a part of my last Homecoming!  The representatives from each class filed onto the field and waited to hear the announcement of the Homecoming Queen.  Julia Price was named second runner-up, Amanda Reavis first runner-up, and I won Homecoming Queen!  I was so surprised!!  I was so excited and happy that I had won!  I have included some pictures of me with my friends and family at Homecoming!

My friends and I at Homecoming

                After homecoming I had to rush over to Bowie Arts Center for my big event of the semester, Fall Fest.  As chair of the Erskine Entertainment Board it was my job to make sure each person on the board knew their tasks for the day to make the event a success.  First, we had to meet to set up the lights and sound with the crew from Custom Audio.  This was an intense process and required most of the board to help lift and unpack.  When the stage was set, the bands began to arrive.  Sequoyah Prep School was first to arrive and they began a sound check to make sure everything was ready for the concert.  After our other band Prettier than Matt completed their sound check, the bands were fed and the gate was opened for students.  SCA had provided pumpkins for students to carve while they listened to the concert.  My friends printed out pumpkin carving templates and you can see them carving their pumpkins in one of my pictures!  Mario also made h
is famous homemade hot chocolate and apple cider to keep everyone warm.  I have included a picture of Mario with his family who came to help him distribute the drinks to the students!  Everyone loves to see Mario at an event because he is such a great cook!!  Prettier than Matt which features an alumni, Jessica Skinner, was first to perform.  She played some original material mixed with cover songs.  The students seemed to really enjoy her music!  I have included a clip of her singing “Hey Soul Sister” by Train if you click on the Prettier Than Matt link at the bottom of the page.  Everyone was excited for Sequoyah Prep School, the headlining band!  They had so much energy on stage and got the crowd off their feet!  All in all it was a great night! Such a busy day but well worth all work everyone put into Homecoming and Fall Fest!!  I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Mario and his family

My friends carving their pumpkin

Prettier Than Matt

The Stand Out

What should you do if you want to be eye-catching in Spain? Forget the miniskirt–just don your tie-dyed volunteer shirt from the 2011 Erskine Orientation, and you’ll have people gawking at you all down the esplanade.

I guess tie-dye isn’t common in Spain?