by Kim Korinek
I have a friend who collects heart shaped stones. Everywhere she goes, she finds them because she’s keeping an eye out. One can only conclude, the world is full of hearts, both hidden and easy to find. It’s a good lead-in to a story about trusting that love is always there, right?
I was in college, and was bothered by my roommate’s behavior. I think we were a bit tired of each other to begin with and we both had lots of courses and heavy work loads. So it was easy to get annoyed at the slightest offense. She made a few offhand comments and I decided to ignore her for awhile.
Max Warner -The Christian Science Journal, March, 2007
As soon as I received my acceptance letter to college, I began to imagine what my first semester would be like. I saw college as a welcome change of scenery, because of the size of the school (much bigger than my high school), the athletic and academic opportunities, and its geographical location—the college was several hundred miles away from my home in Missouri. I looked forward to instantly making many new and interesting friends, as well as having an awesome season as part of the cross-country running team. I was also excited about being able to study subjects that really interested me and to define a major course of study for myself. I spent the end of my senior year in high school and most of my summer with these thoughts and plans.
When I finally arrived on campus in August to begin cross- country camp a week before classes started, I was thrilled. I felt like I was really growing up. (more…)
Adapted from “Exam Time,” Christian Science Sentinel, 2006
11–20–2006, 04:59 PM
franciscusjuni
So I did sit and eat.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Manchester, UK
I have a big fat chunk of work to be doing—two major essays on areas of literature that are still fairly unfamiliar to me. And that’s in addition to the two research proposals I really need to have produced in the same space of time.
At the start of this semester, this workload would haunt me occasionally, when I wasn’t able to forget about it. Without having the essays completed and in my hands, the idea of doing so seemed like an impossible task! The notion that I simply wouldn’t be able to complete everything satisfactorily, or indeed at all, dogged at me, filling me with no small fear.
So how have I dealt with this? By working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, to make sure I get something done? Nope. (more…)
Paul C. Benjamin Overri - The Christian Science Journal Dec. 2006
IMO State, Nigeria
In 1999, I began my first year at the University of Calabar in Nigeria. At that time cult practices were common in Nigerian universities, and the school I attended had the highest number of students who were involved in a variety of these cults. When the students in cults couldn’t resolve issues through dialogue with other students, they frequently resorted to killing. Because of the brutal killings that had occurred at my school, I was totally engulfed in fear. I felt like I wore fear as my daily uniform. I had been in school only two weeks when I witnessed the killing of a fellow student. Gradually I lost self-confidence, and everything around me felt chaotic.
Though my philosophy that nobody would think evil toward me because I don’t think evil of others gave me courage, I didn’t welcome the idea of looking my fellow students in the face, because I saw 80 percent of the male students as heartless mobsters. Out of fear, I stuck to a rigid daily routine of going from my hostel to the lecture room to the library and then back to the hostel. I felt like a man in bondage. (more…)
Photo and story by John Hunter - The Christian Science Journal Sept. 2006
This summer, I enrolled in an introductory photography course with a focus on infrared and high speed films. I was hesitant at first, since I’d struggled with mechanics and process during my last photo class back in my sophomore year in high school. But this university class was much different. It gave me a fresh perspective on photography. I was excited and involved, turning inspiration and experience into unique and interesting art.
The photo class had me crawling through sewers, climbing buildings, meeting all types of people, and experimenting with all sorts of subject matter. I would often experiment at night, using flashlights or even fireworks as my subjects. I would hop fences or crawl through mud to get to a specific location if it fascinated me. I loved going on these excursions, searching for different perspectives on the typical or mundane. (more…)
Jennifer - The Christian Science Sentinel Nov 27, 2006
I was a freshman on my college swim team, and my coach had determined that I was a distance swimmer. My high-school swimming background hadn’t been very intense—so when I found out I would eventually be swimming the mile, I was stunned. The DePauw Invitational in Indiana was the first time I swam the mile competitively for my college team. I was nervous and scared.
The mile race was held at the break between sessions. That meant that while I was swimming, the rest of the team would be getting ready to go to lunch. Since I was the only woman from my team swimming the mile that day, I started to feel very alone. (more…)
Roger Gordon - Christian Science Sentinel, July 24–31, 2006
We were freshman roommates-and we were complete opposites. Dave drank all the time. I never touched alcohol. Dave played poker as if it were a way of life. I didn’t gamble, and still don’t. Dave went to sleep at 4 a.m. I liked to turn in by midnight. He never mentioned God. I went to church twice a week.I suppose a university with 36,000 students doesn’t have the time to match every single person with the ideal roommate. The housing form I filled out asked only one question: Do you smoke?
Dave (not his real name) didn’t smoke, but he did drink. A lot. And while this bothered me on a personal level, it also had a real impact on our day-to-day living together.
One morning, I woke up to find Dave had thrown up in the middle of the night after he came home drunk. It was a mess. (more…)
By Carol Matthews-Nicoli - Christian Science Sentinel, July 3, 2006
This was it. My moment of truth. Standing in line in the college cafeteria, I stared at the display of ziti and cheese, and waited for an answer to my prayer.
About three weeks before this moment, I’d moved into my dorm room in New York City and waited to meet my new college roommate. Leaving behind all my close relationships at home had seemed the start of a great adventure. But it hadn’t taken long for loneliness to sink in—along with the sudden understanding that it takes a lot of time to make friends as connected as my group back home. When this fear was strongest, I felt relieved knowing there was someone assigned to live with me. At least I wouldn’t be completely alone. (more…)
By Carly Jayne Rullman - Christian Science Sentinel, April 10, 2006
There’s a story my mother once told me called The Devil’s Auction,
which she’d heard somewhere. It goes something like this: The devil was holding an auction to sell off all his implements to the highest bidder. The tools included things like hatred, deceit, jealousy, and revenge.
But there was one special tool he set off to the side. It was a small, wedge-shaped, seemingly harmless tool, and it was more expensive than all the others. Someone asked the devil, What is that . . . and why is it priced so much higher than the other tools?
Ahh . . . that’s discouragement,
the devil replied. With that tool, I can pry my way into a person’s conscience and do just about anything I want.
Then someone asked the devil, Is there anyone this tool will not work on?
Yes . . . a person with a grateful heart.
Jamie Ranson
Reprinted from the March 14, 2005, issue of the CS Sentinel.
Swim practice is going badly for this student — until he takes a deeper spiritual dive and finds buoyancy in God’s care.
(more…)
