Sailing with Dr. Anthony

This past Saturday, instead of staying on campus and doing the same old same old, I had the opportunity to go sailing with Dr. Anthony, the CE department chair.  Myself, and Johnny Vanderwall, another CE freshman, went out with Dr. Anthony and had a great time.  Dr. Anthony’s boat is docked out of San Pedro and we went out and just had a great time sailing out a ways into the ocean and back.  It is so great to be at a university where the faculty really wants to get to know us.  It’s not that they just want to know our names, but they really want to invest in our lives.  After we finished sailing, I went to visit a friend of mine from high school who goes to UCLA and when I told her that I had just come from spending time with my professor, she and her friends flipped.  They said it is a huge deal for the professor to remember your name, and to even talk to the department chair is unheard of.  I’ve got to say, I am really glad that I don’t go there.  This isn’t a bash on UCLA at all (I am a huge Bruin fan), it is just to say that I am so blessed to be at Biola.  There aren’t many other places where professors take such time to really care for their students.  This is truly a wondrous and unique place!

University Day

This past weekend, high schoolers from all over the southland came to Biola to experience what it would be like to be a student here.  A two day, one night stay included visits to classes, cafe food, meet and greets with other potential students and professors, class visits, and of course a Biola experience wouldn’t be complete without MIDNIGHT MADNESS!!!  University Day, which goes from Sunday to Monday was packed this year.  There were so many potential students and their parents that places were crowded to no end, but that is such a great thing because it means there are a lot of people interested in a school with a legacy of teaching the truth of Jesus Christ.  On monday, students were able to come and visit classes.  My Foundations of Ministry class (a great introductory CE class) was packed.  It was great getting to meet potential CE students because I was in their shoes last year.  I remember going to University Day and meeting other potential students, one of whom chose CE as well (but then he switched to Bible at the beginning of the year).  It was exciting to hear these student’s hearts for ministry and the calls that God has put on their hearts.  I really hope to see all of them next year.  I had two students stay with me and even though neither of them are looking to go into CE (well, I guess it’ll be called CM by the time they would get here), they both were especially excited about the possibility of learning solid Biblical truths ad how to live for God in their chosen fields of work.  Biola does such a good job of presenting itself as truly as it can, in that it is a school that puts Christ first in everything because He is really all that matters in this life and the next.

Choices

Choices.  They are interesting things.  They shape us.  They define us.  How amazing is our God, in that He allows us to choose?  I mean, how could a God whose ultimate goal is to have His creations love Him, let us choose whether we want to love Him or hate Him or just ignore Him.  I know the answer to this question, but the concept still blows my mind.  God knew full well that when He gave humanity the ability to choose, that all of us would have the potential to not choose Him.  I cannot imagine the heartbreak that He has when His people choose things that are lesser than Him.  On the other hand, He must feel great joy when His people choose to love Him and place their lives in His hands.

Mormonism & Christianity

So, I’ve just come out of Calvary Chapel after hearing a presentation by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Every month, AS (Associated Students) puts on a seminar about a world religion.  Rather than having faculty teach on the featured belief, they invite members of the religion to speak on it themselves.  Last month, Buddhism was featured and five monks came to campus.  For tonight’s session, four missionaries of the Mormon church came and spoke to a student body of over two hundred.  It was great to hear about the Mormon church from people who are the same age as the rest of us.  I could get into the details of the presentation and the inconsistencies that I see with the Mormon church, but I am just so thankful that I go to a school that would put on such a seminar.  I absolutely love how Biola gives us opportunities to learn about other world views and religions.  Personally, the world religion seminars have strengthened my faith by forcing me to really look at what I believe and take a hard stance on what the Bible says is true.  Next month’s seminar features Scientology and I am most assuredly looking forward to that.

Joshua 1:9

Throughout the first chapter of Joshua, God constantly has to remind Joshua to be “strong and courageous.”  In Joshua 1:9 the Lord declares, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  I think that my transition to college is somewhat like the situation that Joshua was in at the time that God had to remind Joshua of His greatness and His confidence.  Just as Joshua’s role was changing, so is mine.  I absolutely love college, but I would be lying if I said that I did not have any apprehensions or concerns about the upcoming year.  It is definitely a new experience.  I have left all (or most) that is familiar and safe to me and have now ventured off into the new and unknown frontier of college life.  I find myself in a new place with new people.  The comforts of home are gone and I have to remind myself that God is in control.  He wants me here.  It was His design for me to come to this school and to be in this class, and for that I am forever grateful.  He is telling me to “be strong and courageous” because He is “with [me] wherever [I] go.”  I know that this journey has just begun, but I know that Biola is the place for me to be and God is right by my side.

 

Introductions (aka how does one begin a blog?)

So, how does one begin a blog?  Well, since I am new to Biola, you probably do not know who I am, so I will try to introduce myself.  My name is Kevin Zimmerman and I am a freshman Christian Education Ministries major from Victorville, California.  I have two wonderful parents, without whom I don’t know where I would be.  I have one older brother who is currently a junior CE major here at Biola.  Some may say that I am following in his footsteps, but I would beg to differ.  God placed me here for a reason and I am so thankful that he did.  This university is amazing, but I will get into that in another post.  I love playing really any sport, but the one sport that I really enjoy is golf.  I am a die hard Angels fan and I love going to the Big A to watch the boys in action.  There is so much more that I could say about myself, but my overall goal for this blog is transparency, so I know that my heart and who I am will reveal itself in my future writings.  In this blog, It is my desire to share my times here at Biola with you.  My thoughts, prayers, joys, and frustrations will all hopefully make it on this page.  I want to be real with you.  I want you to see Biola and The Christian Education Ministries department for what they really are.  I don’t know how you found this page, or are reading my posts, but I pray that through this blog you will see the great work that God is doing in my life through His word, people, and the institution of Biola University.