Lenten Articles
       
   
       
  WARNING: God may be closer than what appears in this mirror.
                       (or The day I had to take my car into the shop.)

Matthew 28:19-21:
  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Unknown to me, the battery on my car was not being recharged as I drove. On the way home from work the battery light came on. And I had been using the lights, radio and air-conditioning! I made it home from work, but after calling my mechanic, I knew I now had to drive it to him in Dundee for repair. I did not know if it would make it all the way to Dundee.

I told my husband to follow me. We started out on Michigan Avenue together, but traffic conditions separated us. As I turned onto US-23 I felt very alone. I could not see Rene in my rearview mirror.

Well, my mind began to ruminate on the worst case scenarios. I had to drive with the windows down or I'd roast. (It was that week during that terrible heat wave last August.) But if I ran out of juice, the power windows would not be able to close. I would have to coast to the side of the expressway and sit there with my windows rolled down! What would happen if I was left along side the road with the windows open? Someone could get me! What if I made it to Dundee, and the windows wouldn't close - my car would be in Juckette's Shop lot downtown with the windows open -- all night -- in the middle of town and it could "get got"! Yikes!

Just as I was foolishly raising my own blood pressure, all of a sudden, in the midst of my frenzied worrying, I saw the most blessed sight in the world. Near Milan, I saw a little red Ford Ranger going as fast as it could come up behind me. It was Rene. I instantaneously completely relaxed because I knew that no matter what happened, Rene would be with me and know what to do. I would be safe.

Just then God spoke, "What about me?" God spoke to my heart and said that He had ALWAYS been right there. Well, after feeling a little guilty, me being a Christian and worrying right in the presence of God, but then I got a real peace . . . and continued the trip and did not have one single problem. I drove from Clinton to Saline with the radio, lights and air on and then to Dundee with the windows down - safe and sound. And in Dundee I got the power windows to roll up again. Everything went fine, although I do wish that God could have done something about the repair bill. :-)

Message for that day: God is with us and loves us even more than our husbands. Trust Him too, even when you can't see Him in your rearview mirror. God is with us on this journey.

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Cooking Lessons
(or Honesty is the Best Policy)

2 Corinthians 4:1-3 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-13 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

I was making chocolate chip cookies with Rene, and we had to decide whether or not to put nuts into the batter. I knew he liked nuts, but to tell the truth I'm not crazy about nuts in cookies. I'm one of those "purists." Chocolate chip cookies are to be made one way, but in deference to him, I said, "Put them in." Well, as we were eating one. Rene commented, "We really needed more nuts." I casually mentioned that I didn't really care for what was in there already. What happened next was at best "a God sighting" and at least a golden teachable moment.

Rene then said, "Well why didn't you tell me?! I could have cut the batter in half, put none in yours and had more in mine. I wish you had been honest."

I too wish I had been honest and right away. I thought I was doing the right thing by letting Rene have his nuts, but it would have been better for all involved if I had made my true wishes known.

Sometime we don't share our true feelings because we have a limited view of the situation and believe that we have only two options or worse yet, only one way to go. We forget about the reservoir of ideas that reside around us in the minds of others. We limit the Holy Spirit in our lives and rob ourselves of God's BEST when we don't trust that God can meet our needs even through each other.

My suggestion is that if the demands and pressures of life weigh you down - it is the best time to be honest with each other, and get into "super-(insert title here)" mode -- not so self-sacrificing (thereby adding to the demands and pressure in your life). Make your true wishes known and then really expect God to work it out, and possibly bless you through others . . . and happy cookie baking!

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It's cold outside! (Dress appropriately!)
(Read Ephesians 6:10 through 18)

When I was younger . . . a long time ago . . . way back - when there was no McDonald's in Dundee (and the earth was still cooling), girls were not allowed to where slacks in school and therefore the walk to school in late fall and winter was either a chilling experience (in our dresses and skirts and bare legs) or a fashion police nightmare (all manner of leg coverings under skirts and dresses).

To avoid this patched together look you could choose the uni-color - the old faithful - snow suit into which your loving mother would stuff you - dress and all. Numbness in your fingers and toes was usually due to lack of circulation rather than temperature. The early morning weekday gatherings at the elementary school doors resembled a Michelin Man Convention more that of children waiting for the school doors to open.

As I reflect on those days, what is blatantly clear is that my mom wanted me to be protected from the elements - the weather and the dangers it posed. She always sent me out from her care prepared with lunches, completed homework and proper clothing (as much as was in her power - and it was easier the younger we were.)

God also has the heart of a mother. He looks out over the spiritual climate of this season and wishes us to be protected too. In Ephesians 6:10 through 18 Paul lists our necessary garments:
A belt of truth - What holds you together? God's Word or do you depend on something else?
The breastplate of righteousness - How do you guard your heart?
Feet shod with the gospel of peace - What do your foot prints look like? When you pass by what is left behind?
Shield of faith - Is it faith . . . and if so, how quickly does your faith intercept the incoming barrage of arrows?
Helmet of salvation - What protects your thoughts and mind as well as tells others whose team you're on?
Sword of the spirit - which is the Word of God - In an age of information overload, can the inner voice of the Holy Spirit and your knowledge of the Word guide your judgment? What helps you make sense of it all?

As fall arrives and you bundle up outings, let dressing in your coats and sweaters become reminders to put on your spiritual clothing too! Let us not forget our armor. Kid tested and Mother approved!

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Naming The Terms

Jairus' Daughter Raised -- Matt 9: 18-19 or Mark: 5: 22-24 or Luke 8: 41-42
The Afflicted Woman Healed -- Matt. 9: 20-22 or Mark: 5: 25-34 or Luke 8: 43-48
The Centurian's Servant Healed -- Matt. 8: 5-13 or Luke 7: 2-10

Jairus stated, "Come and lay thy hand upon her, and she will live . . . "
The Afflicted Woman thought, "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole . . . "
The Centurion answered, " . . . but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed, for I am a man under authority . . ."

Each of the above experienced the power of Jesus in their lives. The question for the day is, "In what ways are we willing to free the power of God in our lives?" We know that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, but where is our comfort level? Must he be present physically with us for us to believe in miracles, or can we like the Centurion believe that he must only "speak the word"? He has already "spoken the word"! In John 10:10 Jesus says: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Prepare to tap the resurrection power of Christ in the days that lie ahead!

He is risen!

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MARCH 4, 1999
You Can Learn A Lot From A Squirrel

But ask now the beast, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
-- Job 12: 7 &8

Spring is not only a time for natural birth, but spiritual rebirth. As we approach this season I hope this story will encourage your heart and enable you to better spread the Good News.

In 1993, my husband and I joined a group called "Friends of Wildlife." Two animal-loving, tender-hearted students with flexible schedules and helpless baby animals were a natural match.

How the organization worked was when people in the community found an injured or abandoned animal, they'd call the Humane Society or a participating veterinarian and then those organizations would call "rehabilitators" on a list. The listed person picked up the animal and took it home to care for it until it was returned to the wild when it was healed or grown. We "specialized" in squirrels (we lived on campus and these animals were small enough to hide from university officials), so we were on the "squirrel list." This is how Matilda entered our lives.

She was a tiny wisp of brown fur that would fit in the palm of your hand. She had been found tangled in a chain link fence. Immediately we followed procedures taught to us by our organization leader.

1. Check the animal for visible injuries.
We did. She had a broken leg.
2. Check for dehydration.
When we pinched up her skin it just stayed up and did not spring back. She was badly dehydrated.
3. After the above assessment the next most vital thing is warmth. Check temperature.
She was cold to the touch, and visibly congested. She had difficulty breathing.

For the next 24 hours we had our work cut out for us. My husband immediately went to our organization leader and picked up some antibiotics for her, and luckily Meijer is a 24-hour store so he also bought some fruit flavored Pedialyte.

The most important thing was to get her warmed up, even before the antibiotics and Pedialyte. The best way to warm her was to put her in a mitten or sock in the bottom of a box that was half on and half off of a heating pad turned on low. She could then regulate her own temperature. She'd start on the heated side, but would be able to crawl onto the unheated side if she got too warm. This would not work because she needed moist air to breath and the heat in a box was dry. On to Plan B, we put her in the bathroom and kept the room steamy hot with the hot shower and vaporizer. We tried to sleep, but I was up checking on her all night. In the middle of the night when she was warmer, I gave her the liquid and the antibiotics. She was a tough little thing, still breathing and warmer in the morning.

Once warmer, and breathing a little easier, we had to address the dehydration. In the morning we fed her two more eye droppers of the liquid. She needed more, but with something in her belly and being warmer after such a rough night - she slept.

The antibiotics were working well. We could take her out of the bathroom. She now could be put in "the box." But she'd have none of this. I'd put her down and she'd cry. So, the next best thing was to "wear her." Realistically the human body temperature is not high enough to warm a baby animal, but I wore her under my clothes and kept her near my heart and she slept happily unnoticed by everyone. We also fed her Pedialyte for that entire day until her skin sprung back a little. Then it was time for food. When the stores opened we went to the pet store for kitten formula.

Her first meal, her evening meal, was diluted kitten formula. The next meal in the morning of her third day was less diluted and the third meal was full strength formula. She wanted to eat four times a day but slept through the night. (Did I mention we had to stimulate her to "go" and clean her up after she did.)

Within 48 hours she was stronger, warm, and hydrated, and it was time for a trip to the Doctor. There her leg was set and put in a cast. A kind doctor treated her for free.

The next two months were a great joy. She grew and healed and played and invaded our entire family's hearts. She went from formula to yogurt, baby food and canned fruits. (René gave her far too many sweets.) Too soon she went from applesauce and canned corn to hard kernel corn, sunflower seeds, nuts and "regular adult squirrel food." (Did I mention searching the campus for maple tree "helicopters"?)

Her favorite play companion (besides my husband) was a cardboard paper towel roll.

Toilet training just sort of happened. She wanted to go out, but just because that was not an issue, don't think it was all fun and games. She would get under our bed covers and tickle our toes when she thought it was time to get up to eat and play (early!). She also liked to chew on sticks and we had little pieces of chewed sticks all over our kitchen floor. She also needed to learn that furniture was not a big stick. And once her cast was removed, she was a much better climber and my hanging plants suffered greatly.

We took her outside to teach her about other squirrels, trees, and other people and we were amazed at her reaction. She trusted only us and was very cautious and mature. When ever she got scared while outside she would run to our apartment door or up our legs and onto our shoulders. She knew who loved her and where the "safe place" was. Eventually she was able to be released back into her natural environment. I cried a lot letting her go.

She was successful, but quite a commitment of time and work . . . and she was just a squirrel. As I reflect on her short time with us, God spoke to my heart the following: How we treated Matilda is how we should treat those people that God brings into our lives that He wants to bring into his family. So how should we do that?

1. Do not be discouraged by the way they look. Matilda was a mess. She was young, cold, dehydrated, injured and sick. Our group leader did not give her much hope. But do not let something like reality rob you of your faith . . . the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

2. Top priority is getting them "warm" A relationship and lots of love precedes anything else. Bring them into your home and family whether natural or church family. Wear them close to your heart. Spend time with them. Commit to their spiritual survival.

3. Next address dehydration. The word of God is often spoke of as life giving water. Give them "Pedialyte" - the sweet water. Tell them God loves them and prove it to them with the Word of God as well as your loving care. Remember that Romans 2:4 says it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance.

4. A trip to "the Doctor" was necessary. There are needs that they will have that you can't meet, but after giving basic life support, introduce them to Jesus, the Great Physician. Remember what Isaiah 61 1 through 3 prophetically says of him.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prisons to them that are bound; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the plantings of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Jesus is the still the answer. Trust that He picks up where our abilities leave off.

5. In addition to water, Matilda needed food, and at this stage is a lot easier to digest. Young Christians need food too. Food is the teaching that accompanies the Bread of Life. After meeting Jesus, they need to be taught how to live for him. But use caution, if you feed a cold baby squirrel it will die. It's body can not digest food and keep warm blood to its vital organs. It stresses the system, therefore something that is meant to give life can actually kill. If there is not a good relationship, if the person is not "warmed up," telling them how Jesus wants them to live will kill them.

6. Finally you've got to provide the ongoing support needed for healing and growth. Tough love accompanied playing with Matilda. We gave medicine as well as treats. It was a lot of work to provide for her needs and clean up all of the messes she made. Becoming a "spiritual parent" is also a demanding job. Be prepared to lose sleep, be it due to prayer for them or by being with them through the many human struggles faced on this journey.

7. Last, take comfort and joy realizing it is all worth it when you let them go as adults capable of feeding themselves and raising their own young. Listen to the words of Paul in I Thessalonians 2:19 &20: For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.

During the summer season, as the earth comes to life, so let your hope for the lost, lonely and needy. Allow God to enlarge your capacity to reach out and love those not yet a part of the family of God.

He is risen!

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In Remembrance of Me

Do this in remembrance of me . . . Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:15-20, John 13: 14-17

Everyone wants to have a good memory . . . and to be remembered. It's natural and particularly human, and we go to great extremes to make it so. Americans have created a billion dollar natural food supplement market to relieve what we jokingly call "senior moments" and we have whole libraries filled with biographies and autobiographies. We produce documentary films. We keep diaries and journals and take pictures and video every moment of our lives. We even have a craft dedicated to "scrap-booking." AND we collect mounds of "personal artifacts" that we hope to disperse upon our deaths to be lovingly treasured in our absence by our relatives.

I admit it. Although I'm not taking Ginko yet, I buy most of my organic groceries from either the local farmer's market or Whole Food's Market. (Although I want to go to Heaven, I'd like to get there after a long and healthy life.) I'm also the archivist of the Crombez and Cooley lives. AND I do collect all kinds of things. I brought a ton of stuff home from Korea. I have never thrown out a book or teaching supply. I have a 35 year- old mug collection. I also collect oil lamps. (I know you're wondering where I keep all of this in a single-wide trailer :-) Then there is my music (from classical art song to a rock 'n roll record collection and of course my original songs)! And instruments! And seeds! Well, you get the picture.

After I'm gone, I'd love for my nieces and nephews to look through my things and get a sense of what was important to me and that this knowledge would impact and/or translate into their lives. My experiences in Korea were life changing for travel broadens one's horizons and opens one's mind. Books need no justification. Teaching supplies are connected to nurturing natural curiosity and the importance of education. My mug collection can relate the entire journey of my life, not just my physical travels. My oil lamps remind me to have oil in my lamp even if the bridegroom tarries (Matt. 25:1-13). My collection of music and instruments detail my personal walk with the Lord . . . especially my own songs. And my seeds (for next year's garden and flower beds) reveal that in the inner most depth of my being I believe that when you pull up the grass and dig in the earth you handle the very heart of God. I really hope my family members will remember that whether in a padded pew or plowed pasture there is nothing sweeter than the presence of God. But I don't know if they'll "get" this message. (They might if they read this . . . ) But Jesus had a better idea.

In the scriptures above, He took a familiar ritual, the Passover meal, and gave it new meaning. He did not give them a thing. He gave them something to DO . . . Holy Communion. There is an old Chinese proverb in the teaching community that says, I hear and I forget . . . I do and I understand. Jesus was a great teacher. DO this in remembrance of me. He walked them through the steps.

I recall a discussion in the Disciple I class where it was agreed that contemplation during Communion brings tears to the eyes when one realizes the love that brought not only Jesus to Calvary but us to Him. After 2,000 years this simple holy act still carries great power.

This is the kind of legacy I'd like to leave. Having the group of people that loved me prompted to do a healing and cleansing act when they recall my life. Maybe I should get rid of my stuff and start to DO with my nieces and nephews . . . walk them through loving acts. Then maybe they will be the hands of our Lord in the earth when they think of me.

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THE PARABLE OF HOME REMODELING
(Or once you start you can't stop, or
improvement of any type costs time, energy and money)

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
-- Phillipians 3:13 & 14

There was a man who had a wife. They lived in a very old trailer because they were poor students. After graduation they both got jobs and the wife said, "I know that we have not saved enough to buy a "real" house, but isn't there something we can do with this trailer?" The husband had noticed that the toilet in the front bathroom was leaning so he said, "I will pull out the stool and replace the wax ring and re-set the toilet." This made the man's wife very happy.

Once the stool was out, the man observed that the wax ring was only part of the problem, the floor was also rotten. There was a leak under the tub that was rotting the floor. The man said, "I will pull out the tub, fix the leak, replace the subfloor and put everything back." Once the tub was out the man noticed that the wall board was just regular plaster board and it too had deteriorated with the moisture. The wife said, "Honey since the bathroom is completely empty why not remodel and have a bathroom that we can really enjoy?" The wife picked out wallpaper, molding and tile with delight.

In the process of replacing the subfloor, the man noticed that the deteriorated floor went out into the foyer. The man and wife decided that it was cost effective to just replace the floor and tile the foyer by the front door with the same materials and tile as was to be used in the bathroom. This made the wife very, very happy!

Once the wet and deteriorated floor was up in the foyer, there remained a question, "How could moisture from the bathroom get all the way out here?" Then the man's investigation revealed another leak. This leak was in the front wall by the front door, where rain was getting in though the siding next to the front door's light fixture and running down undetected between the wall and under the flooring. This made the man very sad.

The man said, "I will pull off the interior wall paneling and wallboard, replace the insulation, caulk around the siding and otherwise seal the leak." Once the wood paneling was off from the walls, the wife noticed that there was plaster wall board underneath it. She said, "Wouldn't this small trailer look lighter, bigger and brighter if that fake wood paneling was off the walls and we just painted the wall board?" Since paint was a relatively small investment for such a drastic difference the man and wife decided to remove the paneling and paint the walls. This made the wife very, very, very happy.

Once the paneling was off, the man saw huge gaps between the walls and windows. The man also discovered more leaks, more rotten wood and deteriorated wallboard. This made the man very, very sad, but this discovery did answer the question concerning the high winter heating bills. The man then spent the next month researching window options. To save money, the man removed the old windows, and after the new windows were installed at an exceptionally good price, the man installed the molding. The woman was very, very, very, very happy with her new windows!

To make a long parable shorter, they continue to work on their home. The work is not finished. The molding is not up. The painting is not done. The finishing touches are a long way off. The wife is happy, but impatient and the man is no longer sad, but tired.

The man and wife are Christians in the walk of faith. Home remodeling is like the couple's spiritual walk with the Lord. First the Holy Spirit reveals something is amiss to the couple and the couple begins to address it. But one bit of progress or enlightenment leads to the knowledge of deficiencies in other areas adjacent to the first. Life with God is a continuous growth process where one never "arrives," but the labor is not in vain because each "project" does bring greater functionality and beauty to the couple's life. And unlike the wife, God is infinite in patience and wisdom to gently lead the couple to maturity in their marriage, ministry and movement toward the character of the Master Carpenter . . . And there is a home in Heaven that awaits them that will never have leaks!

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"THE ROCK STORY"

Psalm 61:1-3 From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

My husband, Rene, and I had just returned home from errands and a trip to the grocery store, when as we were getting out of our car, we heard some young voice screaming our names. It was the little neighbor girl from the house at the end of our street. She seemed wildly excited about something! She was running right down the middle of our narrow street! When she was close enough to us to be sure we could hear her, she exclaimed, "I won second prize!" Now, not wanting to seem "too busy" like most every adult we know (except grandparents) we asked her to explain.

She had entered a photography contest held at the local elementary school and had won second prize. Now, this doesn't seem too special at first, except . . . the photo she entered was a picture of the rock at the edge of our driveway!
I have tripped over that rock! I've kicked that rock by accident and had to straighten it numerous times! I've cursed the weeds that I pull out from around it! BUT, I've never seen it as worthy of a photo OR worthy of award!

When this excited student ran back to her home to get the winning mounted photo, (in her excitement she forgot to bring it to us) I began to speculate as to what could possibly be special about a picture of my rock. When I saw the photo, I saw it was taken the perspective of a bird flying over . . . from directly overhead. It was strangely flattened. The focal point was my odd shaped rock but it was surrounded by the many textures that converge at the corner of our driveway . . . rock, blacktop, cement sidewalk, and struggling weeds. It was an interesting photo that caused the eye to move about it and take in all of the subtle variations of tan and gray as well as the different grains and conditions of the components. It was complex in composition.

I wish it hadn't taken a child with a camera to point out the artistry of God and man around me. Maybe I should take the time to more closely examine how a shadow falls across a chair, or the beauty in the variegated colors in the fabric folds of my living room draperies, or the music in the rhythm and pitch of my home appliances. I should take a minute to enjoy the transformation of leaves before a spring storm into "tree spangles" or the incredible variety of life found in a single square foot of my emerging flowerbed.

Am I just too busy to see Him in it? I overlook it, because I dismiss it as the ordinary. No time for the ordinary. But isn't my life a string of "the ordinary" and if I'm not aware, am I not missing a part of life? A part of God's "still small voice"?
You may be tripping over award winning photos yourself so let's recommit ourselves to taking the time - even though we are overwhelmed by demands already - to enjoying the everyday delights of the Lord as seen in nature as well as our man-made environment. Don't dismiss a thing . . . Instead don't miss a thing! Jesus is the Rock. Have you've seen Him lately?

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Making Memories (as well as messes)
Luke 10:40-42
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

As you may already know, my mother (Mary Lou Cooley) and I have decorated many cakes together. The most recent cake was my niece Tara's wedding cake completed last December. It was during this cake decorating marathon that I got a new positive outlook on seemingly negative events.

In the past three years, our team became a trio . . . I roped Rene into helping too! Rene seemed well suited for mixing cake batter, so that was his job. He has had a lot of advanced math, so we gave him the job of tripling all of the batter ingredients. The bottom layers of Tara's wedding cake (the ones that sit on the table) were 14 inches in diameter. Each layer took the equivalent of three regular cakes.

We had a regular assembly line. I was washing, greasing and flouring pans, and inserting the wax paper in the bottoms of the pans. Then I'd hand the pans to Rene and he'd pour in his mixed batter. My mom then would wrap the little wet wraps around the edges of the pan to keep the edges cool while the center baked. It was also her job was also to get the air bubbles out of the batter and do the final check on the level of batter in the pan. All was quiet on the wedding cake front.

Then havoc struck. (To fully appreciate the following events you must realize that it is Christmas Eve and all stores are closed. And of course the next day is Christmas and all stores are closed. Yes, my niece got married over the holidays.)
My husband was mixing a 14-inch layer in the mixing bowl and left it unattended to go put the beaters in the sink for washing - when to our horror and surprise - we watched the mixing bowl full of three cake mixes slide off from under the mixer and onto the kitchen floor!

Cake batter was on the kitchen chair, and the coats on the back of the kitchen chair. It was all over the floor. It was on the wall and wastebasket. It went everywhere. What a mess. What a waste. What a setback.
Instead of getting upset, my mom just stood there surveying the mess and had this gracious response, "We're making memories."

(Of course Rene cleaned up the mess.) But it was nice to know I'm not too old to learn from my mom . . . and stores do open eventually . . . and everything got re-bought and re-baked and it all worked out.

Do you think God cares if your "batter ends up on the floor"? Or is the real value just in being with you - together - through the messes and "making memories"? Mary chose what was better, being with Jesus. Have you and your Savior made any memories lately?

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Top 10 Pieces of Advice for College . . . by Lora Crombez © 2000
(In no particular order)

1. Do it in 4 years - You can't live on fast food and caffeine after age 25! (About then, sleep deprivation begins to take     its toll too!)

2. Get to know the department secretaries - befriend them- they really wield the power - and they know how to cut red     tape or create it!

3. Get everything in writing from the university and NEVER give anyone your original or last copy of anything - don't     trust anyone behind a financial aid or records counter.

4. Beer kills brain cells - you have none to spare - exams are coming - fight the urge to celebrate BEFORE the holidays.

5. Never eat a big meal, especially one with a lot of protein within two hours of a major test - you will rob your brain of     needed blood. It will all be in your stomach helping to digest food. (I read this in a magazine and vowed never to do it     and I think it helped me to think clearer.)

6. Don't ask your best fiend or girl/boy friend (or even your mother) to proof your papers after 2:00 a.m. the morning     they are due. The relationship will never be the same afterwards.

7. If you seek campus "wildlife," feed the campus squirrels, they are the only "wildlife" of which your mother would     approve.

8. Follow these 7 keys to academic success:
  1. Attend class every time.
  2. Take the best notes you can.
  3. Get in a good study group.
  4. Use your professor's office hours if needed.
  5. Read all of the text as assigned.
  6. Do all - and hand in all - assignments.
  7. Pray a short, but calming prayer before exams . . . If you've done 1-6, then you've done your part - expect God to       do His. (I practiced these and graduated with a 3.97. My PE requirement of bowling kept me from a 4.0 - even       God couldn't help me with bowling! :)

  9. Call your mom or dad even when you don't need anything - or on second thought don't do it - they might think       you've become ill or are in REAL trouble. Ignore them so they won't worry.

10. Pray - talk to God even when you don't need anything - He loves you too, but he knows you're not ill or in trouble,       so go ahead and make His day!

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