Archive for January, 2010

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Intersections

Kevin Mannoia Monday, January 25th, 2010

Ahead is an intersection with a signal light. Four roads converge at one place. As you approach the intersection, you have options. Not only can you choose one of the multiple roads to take from that intersection, but you also have the option of how you approach the intersection. You can come at it with fear and uncertainty – wondering what road to take and what problems each will lead you to; or you can come at it with anticipation – looking forward to the new opportunities and freshness represented by those four choices. How you approach the intersections of your life depends upon the condition of your life. If you’re alone, driving forward to achieve some personal agenda, every intersection will be a possible threat. That puts you in a condition of fear – what will trip me up? What problems will I have to solve? Will I be delayed? On the other hand, if you are in the company of the Holy Spirit who is helping you follow a call of God within you, every intersection becomes an exhilarating moment – what new opportunities will this bring me? How will the challenges help me grow? How will God impact my life through this? Every intersection in your life gives you options. Chief among them is how you approach. Open your life to the companionship and forming presence of Jesus Christ.

If you have any prayer requests, please send them to me and I’ll be sure our Prayer Partners pray for you.

ALSO – Check out SoulQuest on:

FACEBOOK at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=208575491132

TWITTER at: http://twitter.com/apusoulquest

Blessings,

Kevin

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Another week into the present…

Staphon Thursday, January 21st, 2010

First day of the new semester!

My clothes are lain out nicely.

The clock strikes 6:15 and yells at me to wake up.

I roll out of bed, ninja style of course (the whole reason for having my bed on the floor) and Karate chop it to shut up!

What… woozy… I sit back down.

Sore throat…

Why won’t air move through my nose…

Oh no… I’m sick, for the 3rd day in a row. I thought I had nixed this. I took nyquil all week!

Welp, not time to dwell on that.

15 minutes later, I’m out the door and on the way to the weight room.

I lift.

I get dressed for class.

I leave my car on west and trolly over to East for class.

Psych of Personality. Looks fun! Hi Amanda, Hi Pera, Hi Mike! I know three people in here!

I get back on the trolly. CHAPEL! Hi Terry Franson!

Next Class, Intermediate Algebra! Booooo! Oh well, had to take a Math class at some point…

*Pause!*

OK, so a word to the wise, TAKE YOUR MATH CLASS EARLY! Even if your last class was geometry and it was Sophomore year of high school, you are still more in tune with Math than you think and it can only get worse! TAKE YOUR MATH CLASS EARLY! DON’T WAIT TILL YOUR SENIOR YEAR!

*Resume*

Its noon! Practice in an hour. Drive back to my apt, and walk over to the track.

First practice equals: HILLS*!!!

*The hills workout is where we head up Grand Avenue into a residential area who’s streets are, you guessed it, on a hill. We run up, we walk down, we run farther, we walk down, we run faster, we walk down, we do this over and over according to how hard the workout is for that day. It can be one of the most grueling workouts on the APU Track and Field Team, complete with throwing up in gutters on occasion.

We are done by 3:30pm. Dinner! I head to the Den! Mmmm, Western Burger!

4:15pm now, Time for Abnormal Psych Class. Hi Mandy, Hi Quesso (Formerly Known as Alyssa), Hi Jonathan. This should be a fun class too!

1.5 hours pass. Class is over! time for work!

I head into the office! EXPLOSION! EVERYONE GOT A NEW COMPUTER OR XBOX OR PS3 FOR CHRISTMAS! Oh my gosh! This is insane! So much to do!

I stay till 9.

Time for Senior Chapel.

What… we are playing Board games? Way to end a long day!

New episode of Legend Of the Seeker was last night! Karl and Blair want to watch. So do I… I’m tired though… but, its only 10…

LETS DO IT!

11pm. Time for bed.

6:15, the Alarm goes off. WHAT! but.. but.. but… why?

The rest of the week was not as bad, it got easier, being sick did not help as much, but 11 days later, and only my throat is irritated, so we are off to an almost cured Staphon.

Its interesting every new semester, how long it takes to get acclimated to a new schedule. It takes about 2 weeks to get used to in my experience. No one really know’s their Professors, everyone is figuring out routes to get around the day, strategies, but thats what’s fun, at least for me, who’s strength is strategy.

Lets see what this week has in store for me!

…Is that El Niño!?

TO BE CONTINUED…

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no place like home.

Ellie Kipps Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

When you are an english literature major, little things like fascinating words and retellings of ancient stories can just about make your day.

When you are a biblical studies major, little things like word studies and new readings of ancient stories can just about make your day.

So now you see why I became both. This semester, like last semester, is already proving to be incredibly daunting and epically exciting. My days are mostly made up of studying intense literature and scripture, dappled with hebrew here and there. And I really could care less what anyone calls me coughnerdcough, I love it. I love school. And any of my readers know that.

But beyond school *I know…. I didn’t quite believe such a thing could exist EITHER!*, I love my home, here at Azusa Pacific University. Way back in my first or second post on this blog, I made a little film showing my roommates. My good friend and last-semester roommate, Rachel, decided that for her the best route was to transfer to another school in order to be educated in a very specific branch of academic: sign language linguistics. So Stephanie and I were curious to see if we’d be getting to get another roommate, and what she’d be like and all that jazz. Turns out we got one! Her name is Michelle and she’s a brilliant theatre major wanting to go into psychology. So our little home is complete again.

And when the days are long (as being a double major, they can often be despite loving what I’m studying), I love love love to just come home to my little apartment and be with my amazing roommates. Living with someone who you wouldn’t, especially when we decided last year to room together, name as your best friend, but a person that you get along with and you just enjoy their company, has been so so so good.

Stephanie and I have grown close in a very different way this past year, and even now I almost feel like our relationship encompasses more than a friendship, because when we meet together in our home there is no pressure to be anything, no need to plan fun activities, or anything. It is just being, studying, cooking, living around each other. We’ve gotten to know the littlest quirks of our personalities and how to laugh about them. We have learned together how we work best, what we need from each other on good and bad days, how to care for one another deeply, but also have our ‘own’ lives. Unspokenly we miss each other, need each other, and actually despite all the little random arguments and frustrations that crop up when you are living in tight quarters with another person, we really like being together. There is no pressure to go out of our way to hang out, but we want to. And that’s just a kind of joy that I’ve never really experienced before.

So some of you may be worried about your dorm assignments for your freshman year, and I’m not going to say that it is perfect. But I can say that you will find your way, that even if your roommate freshman year and you don’t mesh perfectly, you might find that you learn really important lessons from that experience and that maybe your next-dorm room over neighbor will become what Steph and I have become for eachother (Steph was my next door neighbor freshman year, curiously enough :P). And maybe in your sophomore, junior, or senior year, you’ll find yourself standing in your apartment feeling like, for this moment, there really is no place like home.

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When God’s Grace is Not Enough.

Kevin Mannoia Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

The Haitian people are in deep need. Can you imagine if we simply said that “God’s grace will be enough for them” and left it at that? In a case like this we are compelled to become the expression of God’s grace – a touch, presence, a word, food, generosity. In reality there may be many people around you – or you may be that person – who is in need. It may not be as visible, but it may be equally hurtful. For that person knowing that God’s grace is available to them is nice. But it still may not be enough. You may be the one who should become the expression of God’s grace to them. Perhaps a hand on the shoulder; a word of affirmation; looking them directly in the eye with a kind expression; or simply presence. It may sound heretical, but sometimes God’s grace is not enough. What is needed most is another person who becomes God’s grace incarnate – God’s hands and feet. That may be your calling this week. Don’t overlook the moment.

I trust you will take advantage of the SoulQuest chaplains and the Fellowships planned for you. If you are not sure when they meet or who the Chaplain in your location is, feel free to contact your program office or email me.

And of course, if you have any prayer requests, please send them to me. Our Prayer Partners pray for you each day.

Blessings on you,
Kevin

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Message to Faculty and Staff Related to the Earthquake in Haiti

Christian Brazo Thursday, January 14th, 2010

[This is an email sent to Azusa Pacific students this afternoon from Rev. Kevin Manonia, graduate and faculty chaplain]

Dear Faculty and Staff Members,

Many of you are deeply concerned for the people of Haiti and brothers and sisters in Christ there who are both suffering the devastation and also trying to respond to significant and urgent needs. Please continue to pray. Each of you has some particular interest through your church or some relationship there. Now is the time for intentional intercession.

Even amidst the current economic pressure around us, some of you may also feel a desire to give to the relief efforts there. Certainly many of your churches and denominations are already mobilizing to help meet needs in Haiti. As well, APU is making channels available to help with that effort. In an effort to keep our efforts coordinated for immediate giving, APU is making available two opportunities:
a.    You can attend chapel tomorrow and next Wednesday, where you will have opportunity to give.

b.    You can make a contribution through www.haitihopefund.org.

In order to be as responsible as possible with the funds collected from both options, we will partner with Christian University of North Haiti in support of their direct efforts for relief. APU has relational connections there and we have confidence that our gifts will be wisely used.

Some of you may already be thinking about traveling to Haiti. While your heart may compel you to do so, now may not be the best time. We are already considering plans to focus the efforts of many within our community through partnerships with our supporting denominations whose networks in Haiti are well established through churches, orphanages, and hospitals. As national leaders and governmental initiatives help to meet the immediate need, the time will come for teams focused on recovery initiatives in the weeks, months, and even years to come.

Thanks for your compassionate care and prayer for the painful circumstances so many people are struggling with in Haiti.

May God be close to the grieving people, and the hurting nation.

Kevin

Rev. Kevin Manonia, graduate and faculty chaplain

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APU Response to Haiti [Email to Students]

Christian Brazo Thursday, January 14th, 2010

[This is an email sent to Azusa Pacific students this morning from Matt Browning, associate vice president for internationalization]

Dear Students,

I want to share with you APU’s initial plans to respond to the disaster in Haiti.  I know many of you are concerned and are asking about how to help. I am thrilled that your heart for God’s world is stirred.

We want be as strategic as possible with how we might offer financial help immediately to the people of Haiti. While there are many reputable organizations we could give money to, I feel compelled to help a specific organization we have a relationship with and trust. I believe that this helps us be the best stewards we can be, while allowing us to empower people who already know how to help in the ways they think are best.

We plan to work with the Christian University of North Haiti. I have been to the university, Dr. Wallace has consulted for the school, APU uses the campus as a site for Haitian graduate students to take APU courses, an APU faculty member is related to the president, and our Focus International mission teams have served there for the last few years. While they are located in Limbe, in Northern Haiti, and not necessarily close to Port Au Prince, they have many faculty, staff, and students that are from the immediate and surrounding areas most affected. They have not heard from some of the people related to the university.

We are planning to receive money from anyone that wants to give during chapel tomorrow and next Wednesday. There will be people ready to collect money at the end of both chapels. I want you to know we have a three-layered process to be responsible and accountable with this money. Each bucket of money will always have at least two people with it, it will be counted with three staff present in the room, the money will be recorded, and the money will be re-checked as it is deposited at the APU Cashier’s Office. We will also inform the community of how much is raised and when it will be sent to the school in Haiti. We will work with the Haiti Hope Fund to get your money to Haiti as soon as possible.

Please, please, please only give money if you are able to. I absolutely will not beg you to give or put out the “just give up a cup of coffee a day” line. Many in our community are financially challenged right now, and I understand that. There is no pressure or guilt here at all, just a planned-out way for you to help if you want to.

Lastly, some of you may be wondering if we should “Go Away” and actually go to Haiti right now to help. I have been to Port Au Prince several times and my heart is broken for what I am seeing in neighborhoods I have hung out in.  My heart says “go help,” but my brain says that this is not the time. There are professionals and governments that need to be there now. If, in a few months or beyond, it makes sense for some from our community to go, we will make those arrangements and ask for your help.

I know you are already praying for the people of Haiti. I am thankful for your prayers and thankful that we have a God that desperately loves the people of Haiti.

Matt

Matt Browning, associate vice president for internationalization

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