Philadelphia Biblical University: Janice

"I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing."

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:45:29 -0500

Two things this week I want to specifically mention, folks. 1. This past Wednesday was a special day as we had a site visitor come on behalf of the accreditation body for our Social Work program. It was kind of.. no, VERY awesome because it also happened that the visit fell on a day where it was academic chapel, so our entire major gathered and we were given the opportunity to speak with her as she asked us questions about our journeys as individuals in the program/field as well as a collective group. I've known the Social Work majors to be ridiculously cool and all, but I was impressed with the eloquence and passion many of my peers spoke with that day. CAREER FAIR also took place on Wednesday! The school I intern at was also in attendance among many other vendors, and I had a great time just walking around and being able to talk with various representatives from different organizations/companies/etc. It really gives you a good idea of what is out there and oh man, the possibilities and opportunities are endless. Love it, love it, love it. Speaking of love... after all was said and done, four of us went out to eat Korean food at the local H-mart (a Korean grocery store). Before: After: 2. I went to see "The Importance of Being Earnest" tonight and let me tell you that this is without a doubt, the most amusing play I have seen at PBU, hands down. Rachel and I had gone to see it (and also work the refreshment table during intermission!) and we were cracking up the entire time to the point where we ended up hitting each other because we could hardly contain our amusement :P THIS IS DEFINITELY A PERFORMANCE YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS. IF I HAD THE TIME THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT I WOULD GO SEE IT AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT AND THE NIGHT AFTER THAT AS WELL, THAT IS HOW GOOD IT IS. Performance dates: 11/19, 11/20, 11/21~ at 7:30pm

Now you see what I'm talking about.

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:52:43 -0500

To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left Now kick, now kick, now kick, now kick Now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself Dear Prospective Student, As you may or may not know, there are a handful of us within the Admissions department here at PBU known as "telecounselors" -- our job is to call and touch base with you, answering any questions you may have about PBU and/or telling you more about the enrollment process here. We have great conversations every night and love it when we actually get a hold of you, but once in awhile we need a break and just have the need to... rock out. See for yourself. I present to you what Neema calls the "7:30 stretch" (a play on "7th inning stretch")

You raise me up.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:33:27 -0500

Oh, it's been one of those weeks. Yes... one of THOSE weeks. I take comfort in the fact that I'm not the only one who feels this way though, it seems to have been a rather long week for many people :P This song helped make this week a little more bearable, however. It's by one of my favorite female artists and I seriously waited years for her to finally debut. All I can say now is that it was well worth the wait! The Worldview Conference is also taking place this weekend! I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm excited for it this year more than I have any other year. I just get the feeling that it's going to be something that will really impact me and meet me where I'm at... and Dr. Williams (the University president) will also be speaking during one of the parallel sessions and you KNOW it's going to be good :D I think as I dragged my feet through this week, I truly realized what a good support system I have at PBU. I mean, I'm technically only on campus one day a week, but even at work last night I was tired and on the verge of being majorly cranky -- but the friends I work with were just so lovely and encouraging and by the end of my shift I was a hundred times more cheerful than I had been when I first came in. It's almost a shame how I haven't realized until recently just how much I miss being on-campus... but being away and thrown into an entirely different setting has taught me so much, that I think that when I do end up bumming around on campus every day next semester, that I'll have more to offer. I'm not sure if I can smile any more than I do now, but I don't think it would hurt to try... Dear God, Thank you for consistently showing me grace and for getting me through a week that has proved to be challenging, and for holding onto me during times where I could have fallen over. Never stop being awesome.

IWG

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:57:59 -0500

Despite the fact that times are dark with swine flu running rampant and our economy still being.. what it is, something amazing and wonderful took place the other day -- I got to see Starfield in concert :D They are currently on their "Reign in Us" tour and one of their stops was Horsham, PA at Yuong Sang Presbyterian Church! They actually performed here about two years ago as well, and yes, Horsham is a totally random location and the band members even discussed that amongst themselves while on stage. At one point they even made up a song on the spot about Mennonites and Koreans in Pennsylvania and the crowd was dying with laughter~ they were fantastic and lovely and humorous and I still can't get over the fact that they were RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME. I was breathing the same air as them! Anyway, I attempted to take a couple videos without falling over from excitement or tumbling off the balcony -- and the quality isn't perfect, but that's perfectly alright, it shows that they were THERE and that's all that matters in my book at the present time^^

Where there is a pro.. ask if he's a wrestler!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:57:38 -0500

Response to this: The pros and cons of Philadelphia Biblical University. How do I even begin to answer such a question? Therefore I have compiled a list for your reading pleasure! I purposely did not specify whether or not something was a pro or a con -- something I learned early on is that it is easy to hate something but love it so much at the same time, and what one man may consider junk is the most precious treasure to another. When you come to PBU certain things are to be expected: 1. People hear that you attend a "Bible school" and will instinctively ask you if you plan on becoming a pastor. 2. If you answered "no" to the above, they will hesitate for a split second and then ask if not a pastor, then do you want to become a nun? 3. The fact that you are majoring in Biblical Studies may cause one of two typical reactions: they will either believe you to know it all or become suspicious and attempt to question on how extensive your knowledge really is. 4. The campus is fairly smaller than those of other Universities -- whether you plan to or not, there will come a point where you will have a general idea of exactly who belongs on your campus. 5. You may end up in what people lovingly dub the "Christian bubble". This is something that could potentially hinder you from remembering that a different reality awaits outside the boundaries of PBU, but at the same time you are in an environment that will allow you to grow and excel in your walk of faith. 6. If you live on-campus, you must have a meal plan. 7. Curfew, which once existed for all students, is now only applicable to freshman. The rules state that freshmen must be in their dorms by 1am. 8. We have a dress-code: we ask you to dress modestly. 9. Chapel is mandatory for all students. You are given 9 skips without having to worry about the consequences. 10. Many classes start off with a word of prayer. You may be asked if you have any prayer requests. 11. Parking spots are plentiful but you are restricted as to where you can park. 12. Langhorne Station (SEPTA) is literally a five minute walk from campus. PBU is a mere half hour away from center city, Philadelphia. Hopping into the city at any given moment is an option. 13. The professors will know who you are. There is no hiding from them, you WILL be a name and not just an ID number.

Meet me halfway?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:39:23 -0500

This week shouldn't feel so long, seeing as how we returned from fall break and classes resumed on Wednesday.. but here I am already anticipating the weekend! Fall break was a much needed time of rest and catching up, and you could have caught me at any given time over the long weekend lounging around in my pjs while hunched over a laptop :D Well, despite the fact that I saw quite a few faces over fall break and "re-acquainted" myself with friends I have not seen as often this semester due to my placement (speaking of which, I have this amusing video of a few of us doing karaoke that I'm still contemplating putting up~) at one point today I decided that a catch-up session was needed and so Rachel and I met up after we were both done for the day. We went and tried out this new Chinese restaurant that we had heard good reviews about, and you know, there was a perfectly good reason as to why they have raving reviews. The food was amazing and there was so much of it that we had the rest packed to-go and we're thinking that we'll eat the leftovers tomorrow! It was just really nice being able to see a familiar face again and unwind over dinner. One thing that I really appreciate about the friendship that Rachel and I share is how we are able to be unbearably honest with one another about what is going on in our lives, both the good, the bad, and even the downright horribly ugly when it comes up. Regardless of what we are talking about it's never left at just sharing a story and that's the end of that -- but we can rely on each other to help process and really see the situation for what it's worth. It's something I am so grateful for, and she, among others, is the kind of friend I have found at PBU! Others often ask if Rachel and I are "best friends" and people are genuinely surprised when they find out that she and I actually befriended one another at PBU about four years ago. Truly God brings people into our lives that make it so that we are never quite the same person we were before them. After dinner Rachel and I took the liberty to go visit the pet store. There, I fell in love with a 9-week old puppy. Take a look! (but if you fall in love too I cannot take any responsibility for such)

Cause when the roof cave in and the truth came out

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:31:22 -0500

DEAR EVERYONE, HAPPY CHUSEOK! TODAY IS KOREAN THANKSGIVING AND ALSO CRIMSON CELEBRATION (HOMECOMING) :D Usually my extended family gathers for Chuseok, but this year it was just not possible as we are presently scattered all over the place. My mother called this morning to wish me a Happy Chuseok though, and after we hung up I went out and bought some songpyun -- a kind of rice cake that is typically consumed during Korean Thanksgiving~ Many Korean celebrities also dress in the traditional Korean clothing called hanbok and express their Chuseok greetings to their fans~ as an example and for your viewing pleasure I have selected the following! First we have a newer girl group, courtesy of SME, called f(x): Then we have Yunho (leader/singer/rapper of renowned Korean boyband, TVXQ) who recently made his acting debut alongside the beautiful actress, Ara: Last but not least, and not having anything to do with hanboks in particular, we have 2NE1. In this video they cover "Last Farewell", a song by their senior and male counterparts, Big Bang: Oh, and homecoming was fun too! It was supposed to rain and be all disgusting out today, but after a quick rainshower the sun came out and it hit 77 degrees~ it was lovely weather for a lovely time, and I ate a snowcone. Cherry, if you must know.. courtesy of MuKappa. I also gave a tour earlier this morning, and two prospective students gave their best hit(s) at the car bash. It was really funny because I kept thinking of how maybe when they returned home later today, other family members or friends might ask "So what did you do at PBU?" and their answer would be something like "Got a tour.. and smashed a car. Yeah."

You are so gorgeous.

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:22:11 -0500

Alright, readers of the world. As you may or may not know.. guess who's coming to PBU today?! I'll give you a hint -- his name starts with "T" and ends in "-im Hawkins" :D AND I'M SEEING HIM TONIGHT! This is like Mr. Groves coming to PBU all over again, I'm hyped~ tickets to his show(s) tonight are pretty much sold out, and even landing a ticket to see him was miraculous. I had a connection who hooked me up and ohhh I am so excited. I watched a few of his clips on YouTube and afterward I contemplated doing facial exercises before going to see him tonight because I seriously think I'll be cracking up the whole time -- and having a cramp in my face from laughing too hard would be just.. silly. It's amazing how some of these big named people end up coming to PBU. When I first came here I never imagined I'd see half these people here on my campus. I think my first recollection of someone relatively well-known was Michael Card, and I almost fell out of my seat from shock because I had his CD back home and it was something like "HEY YOU'RE THE FACE ON THE CD THAT I HAVE. AWESOME." With that said, right now I'm using a Mac.. and it is seriously the hardest thing to figure out. There's a picture on the desktop I want to upload but can't find what would be the equivalent to the paint program. There's iPhoto but my Windows-biased brain doesn't comprehend the purpose for it and it's really quite sad. (Side note: I was just told that Macs are far superior and that they're known for their paint program? WELL SHOW IT TO ME! Please.) Anyway, the picture I WANT and eventually will update later to show is a picture of the BJ's gas station, which is where I have pumped my gas every single time since having to do it on my own. It might have something to do with the fact that it's considerably cheaper since I have a BJ's membership, or maybe it's because it's where I learned to pump gas from my dear, dear friend -- and now I'm secretly convinced that I won't be able to pump gas anywhere else :P The point of this entry actually nothing to do with anything I rambled on about above. Well, maybe except my excitement over TIM HAWKINS COMING TONIGHT! Okay, so today I wanted to talk about compliments and how to handle them. One thing that I've encountered over the course of my lifetime (the longest 22 years I've ever experienced.. haha) is people's unwillingness to accept compliments. If the compliments are a little more subdued like "Oh, I like your shirt today!" then there is a more immediate response of "Thanks!" but anything beyond that people start to blush and brush if off. Why? I find myself doing that at times too, someone will pay me a ridiculously lovely compliment and I'll dismiss it quickly. Which is not a good thing because I get frustrated when I compliment others and they refuse to acknowledge what I said -- and maybe they do it to seem more humble or maybe they do it because they don't think I'm being sincere. I haven't quite figured it out yet. Maybe this is something I need to set by example. When compliments come my way I will receive them in a manner which I would deem gracious and accepting~ and then can only hope then when I return the favor they will mimic my example :) ..not that I receive compliments every day or anything of that sort? EDIT. Even if I did not take this picture myself, I swear that it looks exactly like the BJ's I pump my gas at. Note the line of cars, it's always there.. all the more reason to feel awkward when I get in and out of my car half a dozen times or so.

DIARY OF A JERSEY GIRL. PART I.

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:39:42 -0500

ALLOW ME TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE, BUT A VIDEO WILL HAVE TO WAIT. BUT I NEED TO SHARE THIS.. THIS BURDEN ON MY HEART WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT. Okay, so for those of you who don't know -- I'm from Jersey. Born and raised a Jersey girl. Now, when you think of people from Jersey, what is one of the FIRST things you think of? We don't pump our own gas. I've had people laugh when I tell them that, and their laugh implies something along the lines of "Stop being silly, what do you mean, you don't pump your own gas..?" I mean exactly what I said -- I don't pump my own gas. Never have and never planned to, until this year when I realized that having my car with me meant I'd have to learn how to do so otherwise I wouldn't be using my car much at all. Oh, fantastic. I've driven around with my friends before and seen them pump their own gas, but it never really interested me. But when the realization hit that this is something that I need to be interested in, and fast, I called upon one of my good friends to aid me in my predicament. So my friend, Rachel, who is also a blogger and I went to educate myself on the art of pumping gas. Actually, she wanted to record me attempting to do so and post it on HER blog -- but I really didn't want the public humiliation. Anyway, so we went and she slowly walked me through the process.. which I still deem unnecessarily long (but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do). A full tank of gas lasts me about a week, with all the driving around I do.. so the next time I needed gas I immediately dialed Rachel's number and begged her to come with me once more. I think that by this point she has tagged along a handful of times, but oh, she has been perfectly lovely about it. Besides giggling when I get awkward and ask her which way I'm to twist the cap to get it off. I mention all of this because I went to go pump my own gas ON MY OWN for the first time ever yesterday. It started off okay, I got the cap off without much of a problem and successfully swiped my card and all of that. Then I stuck the nozzle into the gas.. compartment.. and it wasn't too horrible at all until the gentleman at the next pump asked for my assistance regarding something that had nothing to do with the actual pumping itself. So I got sidetracked. In the end, I got in and out of my car a grand total of seven or eight times, one of them to grab the receipt I had forgotten I requested. Needless to say, I left the gas station feeling a tad foolish and unhappy, contemplating the illogical-ness of pumping one's own gas. Then I decided that I will become an ambassador of good will and aid those future Jersey folks that I know will end up at PBU one day with their cars and teach them how to pump their own gas (I mean, once I am able to successfully do it on my own without too much mishap). I will not laugh at them, nor will I rebuke them when they need moral support for the first several times. So for all you Jersey people who have humored the idea of pumping gas before but never got around to it and have dreams of attending University in the good ol' state of Pennsylvania -- I will help you. Come to PBU, come to me! We will be victorious together at the gas pump.. then run back to Jersey and process the entire experience at a diner while eating cheese fries. Because that is what we DO.

"Something something sapphire blue."

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:27:08 -0500

I was going to post a video blog, but after several attempts last night I realized that I look waaay too tired to be showing my face like that :P so, dear readers, you will have to wait until I am a bit more rested. This week has been amazing. First off, let me just announce that I love my Practice III and Seminar and Field III class (technically they're two separate classes, but the way it works out it's more like one 7-hour class with the professors switching in and out). Two of my most beloved professors are teaching these classes, which is an automatic bonus, and I adore my fellow peers. No, really. They're a fantastic bunch and I'm comfortable around them to the point where I just can't stop talking, only to later reflect on what exactly I shared earlier that day and end up facepalming out of embarrassment. Anyway, they're fantastic and lovely and I could not ask for better friends to share my placement journey with! I say this because the other day I was telling someone how when I first came to PBU, that I had this I-don't-need-any-more-friends attitude, and how I quickly came to the conclusion that I could not be any more wrong. Being a transfer and already having what I had deemed "enough" friends back home and at my previous University had me thinking I could function perfectly well for the remainder of my college career here without anyone, and being where I'm at now.. and just knowing how much I enjoy the company and presence of my peers.. well, I feel a bit foolish. Okay, fine. I feel a LOT foolish. But Jesus still loves me :D

Mirotic

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:15:40 -0500

Oh my goodness! I just stumbled through the door! After braving this crazy weather! ...but thank you, Lord, for the rain. It looks like I won't need to get my car washed after all :D My second week of placement is officially over. Even though it's only been a week since last week (that makes sense, right?) I feel strangely different about all of it. I think the fact that it is a four day placement had me nervous and so last week I was very quiet and hung back a lot. I felt kind of out of place because I was the "new kid" and didn't have any relationships with anyone there, leaving me to do a lot more observing and listening than anything. But this week? Well, not that the verbal floodgates opened and I'm suddenly best friends with everyone, but things have a taken a turn for the better. I have interacted a lot more with the faculty and staff as well as the students and even made a "connection" with one student in particular. It's all very exciting! I feel more comfortable where I'm at, not just as an intern but as a part of the school and just.. in my skin, overall. You think that just because you went through high school that you know all about it, but what I've really learned is that I know nothing. It's been an ever-surprising but pleasant experience, revisiting the high school years through the eyes of the students around me. Some things never change: like the groups of friends, the cafeteria food and having to get to class on-time.. but other things are constantly shifting and mysterious. Go figure. God has taught me a lot about peace these past two weeks, as I hear and see crazy things all around me. He's reminded me that to help someone, you truly have to love them first. It's too easy to blame the kids and shake them until they want to give up their old habits because they're too annoyed to put up with you any longer (as if it were that easy), but the more I get to know the students the clearer it becomes to me that they are each unique and amazing individuals with stories of their own. I love it, I really do.

GUESS WHERE I AM

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:49:54 -0500

(Answer: definitely not Telecounseling!) So, this song -- I've been listening to it on repeat for the past two days straight. No lie. So this semester I'm doing my Social Work 4-day placement. Basically this means I'm on-campus on Mondays for classes, but on Tuesdays through Fridays I'm out in the field. Being the best intern, ever.. I'm placed at an alternative school, and even though I've only been there for a few days I'm enjoying what I've experienced so far. Today was a little quiet but I was able to spend quality time observing pretty much everything, which I think will ultimately be beneficial. I like watching people interact with one another and get a better understanding of the dynamics of their relationship, and no, I'm not creepy about it either :P Anyway, most of the time I end up returning to campus after placement lets out so I haven't had the opportunity to miss anyone or anything yet~ haha. I'm super tired though, can't deny that.. just gotta get into the swing of things, I suppose. I'm a million times grateful that I've finally made it this far and for this experience.. in the mornings I drag myself out of bed but I always think to myself that I am so fortunate that God has brought me to this exact moment in time..

Even Dumbledore appreciated socks.

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:50:26 -0500

Last Sunday it POURED and I could have swam across the church parking lot to get to the college house. While the feeling of your clothes sticking to you like a second layer of skin is not fun in the least, this had allowed for our college group to get creative-ish. We moved the portable heater into the kitchen and crowded around it, until we realized we had more people than we had room around the heater. So we turned on the oven (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, KIDS) and propped it open, and pretty soon the kitchen was super toasty and we even had our socks "hung out to dry"~ it was after all this happened I remembered that there was a dryer in the basement, it's just that it didn't occur to us to use it because no one ever goes down there. So we gathered everyone's socks and threw them in along with a handful of dryer sheets! We were barefoot and cold (the pastors made us leave the kitchen -after turning everything off- to hold bible study in the sun room) but then half way through one of the boys went down and grabbed our socks out of the dryers. I'm telling you, dry socks makes everything 1Ox more bearable. When I woke up this morning it was raining again and my first thought was to grab an extra pair of socks and stick it in my bag. Lesson learned! This picture of my nephew & niece was posted just the other day -- What cuties. Now, after reading this entry... guess what I'm going to buy them for Christmas? ;)

Sunny Days & Rain

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:18:30 -0500

In a little over a week I head back to good ol' PBU for my final year of University (well, hopefully). For some reason this crucial bit of information has made me a little nervous for what's to come, even though I know it's going to be an awesome year :D It all started the other day when my best friend was over and we were yakking away (as usual) and the subject of life post-graduation came up. Now, we're both going to be in college past the standard four years, and so dreaming of a future that doesn't revolve around exams, papers, and finals is crazy talk. Especially since we also have plans on going to grad school, so throw in a few more years there! While we are thankful that we don't have to be out in this economy at the moment since it's kind of scary and unstable, we are both slightly distressed at how the state of the economy might be when we finally do enter the "real world" and have to live in it. Thus we concluded that staying in school (going to go get our masters, doctorate, etc) is definitely an option! I just may end up being super knowledgeable and no one will ever get to know because I'll still be in school somewhere doing something.. But really, we're looking forward to joining our peers one day out there in the real world. Braving the dangers of.. you know, filing taxes and stuff. Allllll of that. One day!

It's July!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:34:00 -0500

DEAR PBU BLOG READERS OF THE WORLD: Hello (: I seriously cannot believe July is almost over. I don't know where it went! I was sitting in summer classes one moment, then POOF~ I have less than a month before academic life starts up again. On the brighter side of things: I'm doing my 4-day placement this fall semester! Not gonna lie, I'm expecting great things from this experience.. even if I'm not exactly sure what to expect :P the past couple of days had me running around trying to get the necessary paperwork done and it's been absolutely hectic. (Not that I mind, I like having reasons to drive around) Amidst the chaos, I'm finishing up this book called "Brother One Cell" by Cullen Thomas. It's about this guy, pretty much fresh out of college who goes to teach English in Korea.. and then gets busted because the police nab him picking up a package he sent to himself from the Philippines containing a no-no substance. That and he was working illegally. I know, I know -- it sounds like an odd book to read, but it's terribly fascinating. The author decided against using formal romanization and wrote the Korean language (in English) as he, a foreigner, heard it and that also gives this book a unique perspective. I've decided that I really don't ever want to go to prison. As if someone ever really wants to.