Brainiacs.

I'm a double major at Trevecca. While my primary major is worship arts, I'm also a psychology major as well. 

This semester, I'm taking Physiological Psychology, a class designed to teach about the physiological roots and causes of behaviour. Our big assignment aside from tests is a presentation on the topic of our choice related to one of the sections of the course. I chose to do mine on a book called The Brain That Changes Itself, by Norman Doidge, M.D. It was recommended by the professor, and I borrowed it from him for a few days and decided just to purchase the book myself for my library.

What I didn't expect was to be so blown away by the concept and implications of this book. As the title indicates, the subject is the ability our brains have to change and fix themselves in ways most people think is impossible, even for adults with brain damage or mental disabilities and illnesses, or the elderly. 

I won't bore you with the technical details, but it's fascinating stuff. I'm only 92 pages into the book (3 chapters), but I can't wait to keep reading.

[side note]

This is a weird phenomenon. I can't remember the last time I read something for a class that I couldn't wait to pick up again.

[end side note]

The most interesting part, to me, is the fact that things we feel are incurable mental illnesses may not all be hopeless causes. Children with learning disabilities may not necessarily have to live with those problems the rest of their lives. Getting old doesn't automatically mean you have to get mentally screwed up.

I tell you all this because I am profoundly impacted by the spiritual implications of all this.

To preface, I will say that one of my favorite quotes of all time is from the book Angels and Demons by Dan Brown: "Religion and science are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand." 

It annoys me when people assume that because science sometimes seems to conflict with our understanding of faith, that science is bad or evil, or that God doesn't use science for His glory. I not only disagree with this, I think that God gave us intelligence to figure out things like how to create medicines that cure or treat diseases, or how to get a man on the moon, and to say that medicine isn't just as much of a miracle as a spontaneously cured sickness is pretty naive. The same goes for those who claim that things like psychology and other kinds of therapy aren't miraculous or glorifying to God. 

God created us with bodies and brains that are constantly changing, adapting, and growing. Sometimes, things go wrong with those brains and bodies. It's irresponsible not to use the knowledge and reasoning power we're graced with by our Creator to figure out how to correct these wrongs. 

And it's so important not to demean or in any way insult scientific methods of bettering our lives, health, and knowledge. There is a point where we as Christians should deal with issues such as the sanctity of life, but that's not the kind of thing I'm referring to here.

If our brain has the ability to re-write its neural pathways to overcome brain damage, I think we can safely say that God is not only creative, but really smart. Why try to put Him in a box?

The evolution of the Christian college student.

Do you ever read Stuff Christians Like?

It's a hilarious blog by Jon Acuff (with one serious post each week) about amusing things that Christians and 'church' people do.

So, before you read on, know that this post is meant to be funny. If I like it enough (or someone else tells me they do), I might even submit to SCL as a guest poster. :)

The evolution of the Christian college student.

Being a Christian college student is quite something apart than being a regular college student. This chasm is further divided when said student also attends a Christian college. Because of this, the way he or she changes during his/her college years will look... different. Below are the various stages in the evolution of the Christian college student.

The Social Butterfly

This is the beginning of freshman year. You know the most important thing is to make as many friends as possible - these will be the people you cry with, and grow spiritually with, and debate whether or not it's okay (read: sinful) to break any of the 1320498234 rules imposed upon you. In this stage, you spend 2 hours getting ready every morning at 6 AM. You'll wear all of your trendiest clothes by the end of the first two weeks, and then after actually doing your laundry in a timely fashion, you will begin that cycle over, mixing and matching until you have the coolest wardrobe of anyone in the freshman class. You make witty remarks in your classes, and make sure everyone has heard the newest song you wrote, which is easy, because you spend a great deal of your time sitting in the quad with your guitar.

The Studious College Kid

In the middle of your second semester of freshman year, you will hear someone in chapel quote Colossians 3:23 ("Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men") and realize that your C- average first semester was a slap in the face to Jesus. Your late nights become study times instead of social interaction, and you begin taking notes in all your classes. Weeks pass, and you realize you have no idea what has happened on Glee (or SportsCenter, if you're a guy) or that Bobby and Missy broke up because Bobby said a swear word. But that doesn’t matter – your homework is for the Lord.

The Cool Sophomore

Sophomore year begins, and (after the loneliest and most boring summer of your life) you realize that studies must be balanced out for time with your friends. While you are still rather immature (especially when you complain about your class load - just ask any senior), you start to come into your own and loosen up a little. This is probably the time you will begin using more colorful words in your vocabulary and do a little experimental drinking (the likelihood of that second part goes up when you go to a school that strictly prohibits this). It is the carefree and slightly rebellious attitude of this stage that leads to the next, 

The Annoying Couple

You meet the man or woman of your dreams. They make gooey eyes at you every 1.039 seconds, until you gradually forget that you ever had any other friends, and can't be within 30 feet of each without at least holding hands. Everyone in your vicinity turns away from your vomit-inducing ways and wait for you to finally, finally have your first fight. As the school year comes to a close, you will most likely be caught in every meal time crying because you can't face the thought of 4 months apart. By this time, you've both gained at least 20 pounds. You'll definitely be married by the end of next year.

The Philosophical Guru

During the first two weeks of junior year, you realize the person you're supposed to be in love with is kind of weird. After an awkward breakup, you hear a professor mention something about Descartes or Aristotle or some other dead guy, and your view of the world dramatically changes. Forget fixing your hair or caring about your clothes - by this time, you've stopped doing laundry very often, and start re-wearing your comfy pair of torn-up jeans, v-necks, and the athletic shorts you now own in every color. You can't make it through a class (or lunch, for that matter), without starting some obnoxious debate about something no one wants to talk about.

The Frazzled Almost-Graduate

At some point, you see that no one cares about most of what you've been so stressed out about. Some spiritual experience begins to make you realize that maybe, it is important to take some things on faith and stop worrying all the time. However, that's really hard, because you're being faced with 18 hours of classes that feel like it might as well be a thousand, with all the reading and homework you're supposed to be doing. You probably start dating again, but you don't go insane this time, because you've now got your career to worry about. Eventually, you even begin to try fixing your hair and wearing acceptable clothing, in case you ever want to get a good job recommendation from a prof. Every time someone asks you, "What are you going to do when you graduate," you politely smile (remember, they could help you find your first good job) and respond with an, "I'm not exactly sure yet," all the while wishing you could scream and pull your hair from your head because the thought of graduation is petrifying. Between working nights making minimum wage somewhere (or, if you're lucky, in the school cafeteria), homework, your significant other, and cracking open your Bible on occasion, you've no longer got any time to think about much else.

The I've-Got-It-All-Together Graduate

Somehow, the second you graduate, everything seems to come together. You'll probably work at a boring office job for a few months while waiting for your first "real job" to pan out, but you got married in May, so that occupies a lot of your time now. The slower pace of your life and the little bit of money you now have allowed you to re-work your wardrobe into something reasonable. Oh, and all of your friends still in college hate you every time they see you update your Facebook page.

Do you know any Christian college students?

Perspective.

I have learned a lot about myself over the past several months. 

I have conquered some of my inner demons, and I have suffered some of the most devastating letdowns in my life to this point. I have begun to learn how to overcome some self-esteem problems that were getting to the point of being internally debilitating, and I am struggling to resolve some other issues in my life that seem impossible.

Throughout all of this, I have become even better at self-analysis.

Which is great.

Except sometimes, my emotions completely overwhelm me. I am aware of those emotions, and I could explain them to you in detail.

However, explaining my emotions to you doesn't seem to get me anywhere. Because, even though my counselor tells me that, "Emotions will always trump logical thought," I know that doesn't mean it's intelligent to let feelings control my life.

I'm going to let you in on something.

Sometimes, I'm not a happily married person. I am married to one of the gentlest, kindest, most loving men on the planet, and he is good to me. But marriage is hard work a lot of the time, and I'm human, and selfish, and stupid sometimes. 

There are days (especially when I feel entirely overwhelmed and hopeless) that I get angry at God for letting me be frustrated with my marriage. These days are horrible, and I don't like the feeling that my life isn't the way I want it to be. It's mostly irrational and silly, but emotions seriously do overpower me at times.

This brings me to the point of this post - perspective.

I heard something on Sunday at All School Praise & Worship (a Welcome Week event at Trevecca) about a guy that spent the past summer in Bulgaria. At one point, he mentioned something about sex trafficking. He said that there are girls at 14 who have been sold to men as sex slaves and forced to marry them.

You know what God whispered in my ear, right then?

"how fortunate you are to have had the choice to marry whomever and whenever you pleased. how blessed you are to be in a relationship that is both consensual and fulfilling, with a man who desperately cares for you, and would never take advantage of you as a person or treat you like an object."

Whoa.

In an instant, my complaints suddenly seemed childish and immensely selfish.

Does it really matter that I am not happy every day, 100% of the time?

Does it really matter that I am restricted from certain selfish actions based on what my faith says is right and wrong?

Does it really matter that my selfish needs are so insurmountably absurd that they can never be fully met...

...when across the world, there are women - 

who will never know what true love feels like.

who will never know the gentle touch of a husband who wants nothing but to be everything she needs.

who will spend their entire lives unable to make even one personal decision.

who will be objectified, abused, raped, molested, disfigured, and even killed, for no other reason, than that they are female.

Thus: perspective.

Are there selfish motives in your life that could be remedied with a bit of the right perspective?

Homosexuality. Go.

Step 1: Watch this video. (do your best to ignore the little pieces of commentary posted on the video, so that you can form your own opinions)

Step 2: Tell me what you think about it. Is it truth, is it hate, is it dumb, is it smart?

Oh no... she's up.

"Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
- 2 Timothy 3:12

I have grown a lot over the last month. Through the help of some awesome friends, a school counselor, a committed husband, and quite a few intense worship services, I feel like I'm healing from the pain of... well... a lot of things I've been holding onto.

Amen.

I want to be the kind of woman that wakes up in the morning and the devil says, "Oh no, she's up."

[I love that saying.]

But seriously. I decided recently that it was all or nothing, in or out, Heaven or bust, if you will. You see, the only way to be really fulfilled by a life with Christ is to give yourself over to Him completely. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to happen that often. I know a lot of people (myself, included, at different points in my life) that call themselves "Christians" but don't act like Christ in, well, pretty much any way.

I know a lot of people who care more about the way someone on a church platform is dressed than by how much they love Jesus.

I know a lot of people who feel awkward if you bring Jesus up in an average conversation that doesn't take place at church.

I know a lot of people who think the way to be a follower of Christ is to follow all of the "do not's," like do not drink, do not smoke, do not have sex outside of marriage, do not swear, do not lie, do not steal, do not cheat, (and the list goes on).

All of those things are good things - they're Biblical rules for how we really should not conduct ourselves in life.

But what about all of the DO's?

We leave those poor little do's out quite a bit.

For example: 

"Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching." - 2 Timothy 4:2

"[May] supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions..." - 1 Timothy 2:1-2a

"Putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger... Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear...be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 4:24-5:2 (sections)

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." - Ephesians 6:1

"Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women." - Ephesians 6:7

"Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 2:1-5

I could find many more verses like these, but you get the point, I'm sure.

Now, before you stop reading because you think I'm Jesus juking you (please click here if you don't know what a Jesus juke is), please understand that I have no problem having average conversations that don't mention Jesus. I also want to have fun and laugh and sometimes just be a goofball - I'm not advocating that we spend 100% of our lives being overly serious and contemplative.

However, I feel like we have a problem in mainstream Christianity, and that problem is that we've convinced ourselves that life filled with Christ is the same as life without Him, except that we follow some don't rules and go to church on Sunday.

But it is SO much more awesome than that.

[side note]

It took me (and it is still taking me) a long time, and a grueling process of constant surrender to even begin to understand or truly believe what I'm about to say. It's a daily thing, and it's not easy. This is as much for me as it is for anyone else.

[end side note]

Life with Christ is about living each day as a selfless, loving person, intent on proclaiming the message of Jesus in every situation. It's about being so in love with your Saviour that it doesn't matter what people say about you anymore, because all things are but loss for the sake of knowing Him. It's about having freedom from the chains of sin, self-doubt, lust, anger, selfishness, self-pity, materialism, fear, and pain and living in the knowledge that you are a beloved child of the Most High King.

I'm just sayin'... that sounds pretty sweet to me.

So what happened? When did it become normal to feel awkward when people bring up real, deep, faith issues if it's outside of a small group or church context? Why is it okay to hold onto anger, gossip, and slothfulness instead of living in the freedom that Christ offers?

When did we decide it was too much of a sacrifice to be persecuted for the sake of the cross that we decided to conduct our lives in a way that garners us the least amount of ridicule?

And how can we change that?