So, looking back on 2013, I'm inclined to call it a year of reconciliation for myself. Several very close friendships were restored and my relationship with my dad finally received some important healing. Brian "Head" Welch, from the band Korn, used this term in reference to 2013, and I agreed with his assessment.
I have decided that 2014 is going to be a year of education. Tomorrow, I start an Introduction to Genetics and Evolution class, and Monday I start Dinosaur Paleobiology. Both are online through Coursera.org, a program which partners with major universities around the world to offer a large number of free online classes to anyone. I am very excited to start both classes, and they are both going to help me become more connected with the paleontological field. Until I am able to either find a job in that area or at least take more formal classes to further my education in it, I am planning on continuously taking free online courses of this nature. It will help me stay interested and on track with my life goals.
That being said, if anyone is interested in taking these courses along with me, it IS free, and I would love to discuss them with you!
Peace.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Treasure Hunt!
So, this was an interesting weekend.
First, I have more of an answer to the college ideas I was having earlier this week. I will probably not be pursuing more education just yet, probably not for at least a year. As I researched the colleges I was looking at and tuition fees, I realised I would have to pay a TON more as a non-resident...a status I will not be able to change until I've lived in Colorado for a year. Ick. Even if I was to take community college courses in Colorado Springs instead of going straight to Durango for college, it would still cost me over double the normal cost for residents.
My mom, in her wisdom, also reminded me that after people have finished their first degree and are working full-time jobs (that would be me now...), they have to just take classes when they can and sacrifice their social time after work for study time. I was looking at the situation like I could just go back to school somewhere...but I wouldn't be able to get nearly as much financial aid, and if I'm a full-time student, I just won't be able to pay for college without help or a good job. I still have a lot of growing up to do.
Second, today my roommate Justin took me to something called a "treasure hunt" around MSU campus. Last week, he met a bunch of new people who go to a place called "The Furnace," a little prayer room in a basement on Grand River across from MSU which is dedicated to praying for and evangelising campus, particularly through bringing together the campus ministries and giving them one roof to meet under. Little place with a big mission...I like it.
Anyway, these people are CRAZY about Jesus in a way I haven't seen since I was in Colorado. We met in the prayer room, and the leader(?), Garrett, got things rolling. We asked God to show us what He wanted us to see: names of people, descriptions of people, places, illnesses, and anything else, and wrote everything down that came to mind. Then we compared lists to see if anyone had matching items, separated into two groups, and went to the places we had written down.
Sound silly yet? Well, God did awesome things with this fun little thing.
Among other things, Garrett had written "big wooden doors," I had "across the street," and Justin wrote "MSU Credit Union." Justin was the only one of us who knew that the place he had written down was across the street and had big wooden doors. Ha. The three of us made our own group and went over, looking for people who might match anything on our lists. As we walked around upstairs, Justin approached a fellow who matched a few things he had written, and we followed. He was in a small study group with two others. As it turned out, the guy said he was a Christian, and one of the other students with him was one of the names on Justin's list, as well. We came to find out that this other student was an atheist, and ended up having a really great talk with him about God's love, Christian stewardship, and the Bible. I think all of us (including the atheist) were very surprised to walk away very happy we had talked.
The same student who said he was an atheist also had a problem with his eye which we all prayed for, but didn't see any healing with it at the time. However, Garrett did got a sort of vision from God and saw what it was like to see out of the student's injured eye, and the student confirmed that was indeed what he normally sees. Crazy! I think God is going to move in his heart through all this.
So, with this silly little game we were playing with God (yes, I would call it that; God is our Father, and He does enjoy playing with His children), we got to encourage a few people and even be encouraged by them in return. God was there the whole time, as He always is.
I believe this happens pretty much every Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm. Tomorrow night, they have a big prayer meeting which I'll also be attending. The people I met know God more than I do, and they have joy overflowing, which is pretty hard to find among Christians now. God has already shown a lot to Justin this week when he spent time with them. I think I'll give it a shot and see what God has in store.
Peace.
First, I have more of an answer to the college ideas I was having earlier this week. I will probably not be pursuing more education just yet, probably not for at least a year. As I researched the colleges I was looking at and tuition fees, I realised I would have to pay a TON more as a non-resident...a status I will not be able to change until I've lived in Colorado for a year. Ick. Even if I was to take community college courses in Colorado Springs instead of going straight to Durango for college, it would still cost me over double the normal cost for residents.
My mom, in her wisdom, also reminded me that after people have finished their first degree and are working full-time jobs (that would be me now...), they have to just take classes when they can and sacrifice their social time after work for study time. I was looking at the situation like I could just go back to school somewhere...but I wouldn't be able to get nearly as much financial aid, and if I'm a full-time student, I just won't be able to pay for college without help or a good job. I still have a lot of growing up to do.
Second, today my roommate Justin took me to something called a "treasure hunt" around MSU campus. Last week, he met a bunch of new people who go to a place called "The Furnace," a little prayer room in a basement on Grand River across from MSU which is dedicated to praying for and evangelising campus, particularly through bringing together the campus ministries and giving them one roof to meet under. Little place with a big mission...I like it.
Anyway, these people are CRAZY about Jesus in a way I haven't seen since I was in Colorado. We met in the prayer room, and the leader(?), Garrett, got things rolling. We asked God to show us what He wanted us to see: names of people, descriptions of people, places, illnesses, and anything else, and wrote everything down that came to mind. Then we compared lists to see if anyone had matching items, separated into two groups, and went to the places we had written down.
Sound silly yet? Well, God did awesome things with this fun little thing.
Among other things, Garrett had written "big wooden doors," I had "across the street," and Justin wrote "MSU Credit Union." Justin was the only one of us who knew that the place he had written down was across the street and had big wooden doors. Ha. The three of us made our own group and went over, looking for people who might match anything on our lists. As we walked around upstairs, Justin approached a fellow who matched a few things he had written, and we followed. He was in a small study group with two others. As it turned out, the guy said he was a Christian, and one of the other students with him was one of the names on Justin's list, as well. We came to find out that this other student was an atheist, and ended up having a really great talk with him about God's love, Christian stewardship, and the Bible. I think all of us (including the atheist) were very surprised to walk away very happy we had talked.
The same student who said he was an atheist also had a problem with his eye which we all prayed for, but didn't see any healing with it at the time. However, Garrett did got a sort of vision from God and saw what it was like to see out of the student's injured eye, and the student confirmed that was indeed what he normally sees. Crazy! I think God is going to move in his heart through all this.
So, with this silly little game we were playing with God (yes, I would call it that; God is our Father, and He does enjoy playing with His children), we got to encourage a few people and even be encouraged by them in return. God was there the whole time, as He always is.
I believe this happens pretty much every Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm. Tomorrow night, they have a big prayer meeting which I'll also be attending. The people I met know God more than I do, and they have joy overflowing, which is pretty hard to find among Christians now. God has already shown a lot to Justin this week when he spent time with them. I think I'll give it a shot and see what God has in store.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I think I need professional help...
So, I haven't posted in a while. That's ok. My new job is going very well, and I've been getting closer to God together with my roommate Justin. God has taught us so much by making us live together, haha.
Life is generally going quite well. I'm still working on saving money for the big move this summer. I'm moving home from Lansing by the end of this month. My family and close friends are supportive of all this, which is great. I'm trying to learn Irish, practicing guitar and singing all the time...the usual.
However, I recently caught a bad bug...one that I've had before, and one that I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully get rid of. It's the "Man, I really wish I had a geology degree" bug. Since as far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a geologist, specifically a paleontologist. Jurassic Park is my favorite movie ever (Dr. Grant, naturally, being my favorite character). I never got out of the dinosaur phase. If you know me or have read this blog for a while, you probably know that I tried going back to school last year in hopes that I could eventually get a degree in geology or some kind of wildlife science...and if you knew all that, you also know that I didn't follow through with it. I realised that it was better to get a job right now and save money. Glad I made that choice, but I still can hardly stop thinking about pursuing more education eventually.
I kind of feel like an addict...except it's to learning, not an illegal substance.
It's very likely that I will end up in a city called Durango. My new friend Andrew will be moving there once he graduates from Charis Bible College next year, and since my goal is to start an outdoor discipleship ministry with him, I don't see why I wouldn't also move there. My plan was originally to move to Colorado Springs from Michigan, then go to Durango whenever he did. However, I found a place called Fort Lewis College in Durango which looks like it has an amazing geology program, and it's really tempting me to just move straight there. Andrew would be able to help me find a place to stay, so that's not a huge issue. The real issue is whether or not I should try to go back to school...again.
Your prayers and advice are appreciated.
Peace.
Life is generally going quite well. I'm still working on saving money for the big move this summer. I'm moving home from Lansing by the end of this month. My family and close friends are supportive of all this, which is great. I'm trying to learn Irish, practicing guitar and singing all the time...the usual.
However, I recently caught a bad bug...one that I've had before, and one that I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully get rid of. It's the "Man, I really wish I had a geology degree" bug. Since as far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a geologist, specifically a paleontologist. Jurassic Park is my favorite movie ever (Dr. Grant, naturally, being my favorite character). I never got out of the dinosaur phase. If you know me or have read this blog for a while, you probably know that I tried going back to school last year in hopes that I could eventually get a degree in geology or some kind of wildlife science...and if you knew all that, you also know that I didn't follow through with it. I realised that it was better to get a job right now and save money. Glad I made that choice, but I still can hardly stop thinking about pursuing more education eventually.
I kind of feel like an addict...except it's to learning, not an illegal substance.
It's very likely that I will end up in a city called Durango. My new friend Andrew will be moving there once he graduates from Charis Bible College next year, and since my goal is to start an outdoor discipleship ministry with him, I don't see why I wouldn't also move there. My plan was originally to move to Colorado Springs from Michigan, then go to Durango whenever he did. However, I found a place called Fort Lewis College in Durango which looks like it has an amazing geology program, and it's really tempting me to just move straight there. Andrew would be able to help me find a place to stay, so that's not a huge issue. The real issue is whether or not I should try to go back to school...again.
Your prayers and advice are appreciated.
Peace.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Resentment
So, this post is somewhat of an update on what God has been showing me lately, and somewhat of an apology to those who follow my blog. I've been reading through a book called "God Guy," which has been great so far. Just the other day I went through a section which talked about how the God Guy (that is, the guy who's all about God) shouldn't have resentment toward others. I'm kind of tempted to just block-quote the whole section here because it's so good...but I won't. In this section, the author points toward the book of Colossians, chapter three.
"Make allowance for each others' faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Col. 3:13, NLT
Among other passages the author used, this one really convicted me of how I've been resentful of certain people...and organisations. You can probably guess one of them based on previous posts.
I promised I would be done saying things about Spring Arbor University, but I have one final thing to add to everything I've said previously:
I'm sorry you've all had to read about my bitterness toward them for various reasons...and, with God's help, I've decided to get over it. I let my anger about certain issues control me and keep me from growing closer to God in my life.
Those of you who attend/did attend SAU, please pray for them with me. Pray that new students will find God during their time there and that the administration would seek God's will. Pray for Ron Kopicko and Chuck Webb. Pray for the professors and other staff.
If I can request this too, ask God to help me grow in love.
Peace.
"Make allowance for each others' faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Col. 3:13, NLT
Among other passages the author used, this one really convicted me of how I've been resentful of certain people...and organisations. You can probably guess one of them based on previous posts.
I promised I would be done saying things about Spring Arbor University, but I have one final thing to add to everything I've said previously:
I'm sorry you've all had to read about my bitterness toward them for various reasons...and, with God's help, I've decided to get over it. I let my anger about certain issues control me and keep me from growing closer to God in my life.
Those of you who attend/did attend SAU, please pray for them with me. Pray that new students will find God during their time there and that the administration would seek God's will. Pray for Ron Kopicko and Chuck Webb. Pray for the professors and other staff.
If I can request this too, ask God to help me grow in love.
Peace.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Westward 2011, Day 10
So, we're in the middle of Nebraska today.
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
There really is nothing going on here. Seriously. It's not all cornfields...but it is all bland. We have made good progress because of this, though. High speed limits with no interesting places to stop make for fast travel. Tomorrow, we expect to be just over the border of Illinois, meaning we will probably be back home by Tuesday night. Crazy.
No pictures today, either. Hope you weren't actually expecting some exciting ones from today. I might have some tomorrow.
If you read my last post, you know I'm considering a more ecology-focused major rather than geology after I graduate from the Arb. I was looking stuff up last night about undergraduate and graduate programs at Michigan State University and University of Montana. I've been doing a lot of thinking today about it and have been talking with my mom about it as well. UM has both wildlife biology undergrad and grad programs, and an honors option for the undergrad program. Plus, it's in Montana. MSU has an excellent-looking environmental biology/zoology undergrad program, but doesn't really have the kind of grad programs I would want to major in.
I was also thinking about what I WANT to do versus what I SHOULD do, especially regarding where I'm currently at in life. I think God has brought me to the church I'm at for a reason. I've practically promised my help to them already, and if I ran to Montana next year instead of staying here, I would feel like I'm abandoning them. I'm also in a decent place financially, even after I graduate from the Arb. I'm getting quite a bit of financial aid, and going back to school won't put me hundreds of thousands into debt. Staying in Lansing for a while will also give me more time to look for a decent job and keep it for a while, which would be nice.
A lot to think about. I'm praying about it, and I would ask you again to do the same if you would. Thank you.
Peace.
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
There really is nothing going on here. Seriously. It's not all cornfields...but it is all bland. We have made good progress because of this, though. High speed limits with no interesting places to stop make for fast travel. Tomorrow, we expect to be just over the border of Illinois, meaning we will probably be back home by Tuesday night. Crazy.
No pictures today, either. Hope you weren't actually expecting some exciting ones from today. I might have some tomorrow.
If you read my last post, you know I'm considering a more ecology-focused major rather than geology after I graduate from the Arb. I was looking stuff up last night about undergraduate and graduate programs at Michigan State University and University of Montana. I've been doing a lot of thinking today about it and have been talking with my mom about it as well. UM has both wildlife biology undergrad and grad programs, and an honors option for the undergrad program. Plus, it's in Montana. MSU has an excellent-looking environmental biology/zoology undergrad program, but doesn't really have the kind of grad programs I would want to major in.
I was also thinking about what I WANT to do versus what I SHOULD do, especially regarding where I'm currently at in life. I think God has brought me to the church I'm at for a reason. I've practically promised my help to them already, and if I ran to Montana next year instead of staying here, I would feel like I'm abandoning them. I'm also in a decent place financially, even after I graduate from the Arb. I'm getting quite a bit of financial aid, and going back to school won't put me hundreds of thousands into debt. Staying in Lansing for a while will also give me more time to look for a decent job and keep it for a while, which would be nice.
A lot to think about. I'm praying about it, and I would ask you again to do the same if you would. Thank you.
Peace.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Westward 2011, Day 9
So, I don't have any pictures today. Sorry in advance. However, today was sweet, and I wish my camera was good enough to take pictures of what we saw.
The day started at 4:30am when my mom's alarm went off in the motel room. Ick. We got picked up for a sunrise wildlife tour at about 5:50am. Within the first two hours we saw six moose. Six. That is a lot of moosen. Two cows each with a calf, one other cow, and a big ol' bull. One of the cows with a calf was actually walking along a river grazing with her calf roughly fifty yards away from us. It was awesome. Various sections of that river were where we saw all six of the moose, actually, and not very far away from each other.
Moose are freaking huge. The bull was about six feet at the shoulder, to give you an idea. Dark brown fur, long legs, and a goofy, but friendly, face. Our guide was telling us (and we witnessed this to be true) for such a large animal, they could somehow simply disappear into the foliage and be completely lost from sight in a matter of seconds. I commented, "It's probably because they're one with the shadows."
EVERYTHING FINALLY MAKES SENSE.
Anyway, along the same river we saw a long-tailed weasel as well. He ran up the river bank, stopped at the edge, and gave us this look like:
O.O
OMG PEOPLE
Then he ran away. lol. Later on the trip we saw more bison and pronghorn, along with a Swainson's Hawk with intermediate plumage. Sorry...the excessive bird info will not stop.
To be honest, the trip would've been pretty lame had the guide not had a really charismatic personality and been very intelligent. She was extremely knowledgeable regarding almost every animal we saw (minus the small birds) and actually provided us with a good historical look at Jackson Hole as well. We also got on the topic of how she was affiliated with the Teton Science School, which provides the tours, and got a glimpse of her life story, which was nothing short of epic. Trapping animals for research in Yellowstone National Park...working for federal and state agencies in ecology jobs...living in the woods for extended periods of time...driving around to new places and new job opportunities when one would expire.
Let's just say...I'm glad I haven't officially set myself on geology this spring just yet. Both geology and ecology are areas which God has given me a huge passion for. I'm going to be praying about which direction God wants me to take at this point...but I know He's given me these passions for a reason, and I also know that "all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Personally, I currently think I am more prepared to go into an ecology-type field. I have a strong desire to see us use our natural resources more wisely and become better stewards of Creation. Maybe I should go save the whales. I don't know.
I would appreciate your prayers about this issue. If you read my "Schooling and Goals" post before you read this one, you can probably already tell I need the prayers, ha. Prayer is a good thing. I'd appreciate them in general. There's a lot going on with my family, too. Thank you.
Peace.
The day started at 4:30am when my mom's alarm went off in the motel room. Ick. We got picked up for a sunrise wildlife tour at about 5:50am. Within the first two hours we saw six moose. Six. That is a lot of moosen. Two cows each with a calf, one other cow, and a big ol' bull. One of the cows with a calf was actually walking along a river grazing with her calf roughly fifty yards away from us. It was awesome. Various sections of that river were where we saw all six of the moose, actually, and not very far away from each other.
Moose are freaking huge. The bull was about six feet at the shoulder, to give you an idea. Dark brown fur, long legs, and a goofy, but friendly, face. Our guide was telling us (and we witnessed this to be true) for such a large animal, they could somehow simply disappear into the foliage and be completely lost from sight in a matter of seconds. I commented, "It's probably because they're one with the shadows."
EVERYTHING FINALLY MAKES SENSE.
Anyway, along the same river we saw a long-tailed weasel as well. He ran up the river bank, stopped at the edge, and gave us this look like:
O.O
OMG PEOPLE
Then he ran away. lol. Later on the trip we saw more bison and pronghorn, along with a Swainson's Hawk with intermediate plumage. Sorry...the excessive bird info will not stop.
To be honest, the trip would've been pretty lame had the guide not had a really charismatic personality and been very intelligent. She was extremely knowledgeable regarding almost every animal we saw (minus the small birds) and actually provided us with a good historical look at Jackson Hole as well. We also got on the topic of how she was affiliated with the Teton Science School, which provides the tours, and got a glimpse of her life story, which was nothing short of epic. Trapping animals for research in Yellowstone National Park...working for federal and state agencies in ecology jobs...living in the woods for extended periods of time...driving around to new places and new job opportunities when one would expire.
Let's just say...I'm glad I haven't officially set myself on geology this spring just yet. Both geology and ecology are areas which God has given me a huge passion for. I'm going to be praying about which direction God wants me to take at this point...but I know He's given me these passions for a reason, and I also know that "all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Personally, I currently think I am more prepared to go into an ecology-type field. I have a strong desire to see us use our natural resources more wisely and become better stewards of Creation. Maybe I should go save the whales. I don't know.
I would appreciate your prayers about this issue. If you read my "Schooling and Goals" post before you read this one, you can probably already tell I need the prayers, ha. Prayer is a good thing. I'd appreciate them in general. There's a lot going on with my family, too. Thank you.
Peace.
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