Ellie Kipps’s Archive

God’s got this…

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Many of the other bloggers have been talking about just how busy they are, and I 100% agree. As someone who love being academically challenged, I thrive in the demanding pace of my honors classes and my upper divisions. However… there is definitely a point reached (that probably has something to do with learning an extremely difficult language, not sleeping, and drowning in theology along with other life stuff) that you just want to say: I give up, Enough is enough.

I reached this point earlier this week but a blessed blessed thing occured: Study Day, which is a essentially a day off from classes to… well.. study. A lot of students used their ‘Study’ day to pontificate upon and studiously participate in the magical world of Disney (haha…) and some use it for… SHOCKER: Studying. I however used my study day as a much needed sabbath, a time to breathe and reflect and realize that I’m not surrendering the stress of school over to the God who holds All things in His hand. Right now, I’ve been personally going through Foster’s Celebration of Discipline and the coupled book of Spiritual Classics as well as daily devos with Buechner (my favorite theologian), so I spent time in those as well on Study Day. I say all this not in a spirit of flaunting or anything, but more as a reminder that despite the business of life there is first and foremost the priority to God and the priority of honoring Him with rejoicing in the day He has given. And sometimes that means taking a day off (weekends or study day), or if you really can’t manage a whole day, then at least a few hours of intentionally relishing in His goodness and His Word and surrendering over stress.

So life can get (and most likely already is) extremely busy and overwhelming. It is important to remember that, as my youth pastor used to say to me, “God’s got this, you can let go now…”

Peace be with you!

I’ll post a more spunky post soon (I’m going up to High Sierra campus this weekend to check it out as I’m planning on going up there in the Fall of 2010), so I’ll post pictures and stuff from that when I get home!

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…and fire…

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Living in community can be challenging from time to time… it can also include amazing events. This event was not one of them. Haha. Just kidding.

Every monday night my Resident Advisor, Josh Pena (who is great), makes a bonfire by the pool in our firepit and puts out music and smores stuff and hot water. It’s really as simple as that. But it’s great fellowship and a chance to meet neighbors. Unfortunately I’m sick currently and being out by the fire made my voice which is kind of gone weird sounding. Check it out:

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Go Away!

Monday, October 5th, 2009

So I’m sitting here in my lovely apartment after a whirlwind of a weekend. I most definitely didn’t get as much homework as I wanted to get done done… but I had fun, watched four movies (which for me… is ridiculous) but I’m using the excuse that I’m sick. Anyway, I was sitting here, doing a little bit of looking forward and thinking about possible plans for next summer. I’m planning on going to Israel this summer with the School of Theology to study the geographical and historical setting of the bible and take part in an archaeological dig. No big deal.

Wait. What? Rewind. That’s right. Going. to. Israel. To. Do. Summer. School. What?! The thought of it blows my mind. I doubt that the reality of it is even going to hit until I board the plane in June with the group of students and professors.

But I’m also throwing around the possibility of going on a summer missions trip this year, with may term and all, I figured out that I can actually do both. So there is a possibility that about 5 days after May Finals, I get on a plane, fly to Africa, serve there for about 5-6 weeks, come back, debrief for like 4 days, and then take off to Israel. For someone who is an adventure and experience junkie… the thought of this thrills my mind. Then, I’d be returning from Israel mid-July, taking some time off to decompress, packing my trunk, and heading off to Oxford for the fall semester of my junior year. Now I don’t want my reader to get the idea that this is some posh and lavish thing only people with a whole lot of money and their parents paying the whole way can do (because I’m certainly not in that camp).

For missions, you raise the money with your team. For Israel, you work and save and look ahead and say that if this is important enough for you to experience, it is worth taking the hit in finances. For Oxford, you pay the SAME amount for the semester as you would on the normal APU campus, and your scholarships are factored in.

APU has sooooo many possibilities! And those possibilities aren’t just for those fortunate enough to be able to not worry about the expenses. These are real possibilities for every student who comes here. To study abroad and do missions and even maybe get to do summer school in a foreign land (my roommate is thinking about doing summer school in Lithuania this summer). When APU says: GO AWAY! They mean it (in a loving manner of course). This school is about going out, living life in the fullest of the experience and the challenges and encountering God on a daily basis, whether it be here in Azusa, or in Isreal, or Utah, or Mexico, or Africa, or England, or China. Tomorrow is the Focus International Missions Chapel and I’m so excited! One of the main reasons I came to this school is the emphasis that this education, this life, these gifts and stories God has given us aren’t just for us. And that there is a whole wide world out there to explore and serve and get to know and fall in love with and hurt for.

APU understands that adventure and a broadening of horizons and experiencing God and new cultures is essential to the spiritual growth of Christian who are in this world, but not of it, and that’s something I absolutely, 100% love about this school.

So Go away! And See and serve the World!

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catching your breath.

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Hey guys. This semester has been a whirlwind and it just began… I can’t believe September is almost over already! I’m excited about what I’m learning, but I’m not going to lie and say that it is by any means easy. I’m challenged each and every day in all my classes to think deeper, comprehend bigger concepts, and write more eloquently than ever before. I told one of my profs “my brain hurts”, and her response (a bit to my chagrin): “Good! Your brain SHOULD hurt!” Due to the stress and craziness of moving in and getting settled, starting classes, learning Hebrew (which, let me tell you, is an awesome language… but ridiculously hard), writing paper after paper…. I haven’t been doing a great job of slowing down, taking time to process and be with God and thank Him for the blessing that is this amazing education.

That mindset changed last thursday, when I attended my favorite and most cherished chapel time: liturgical chapel. Something I love about APU is that they are non-denominational and they allow students to be exposed to new kinds of worship styles and experiences they might have not ever gotten to experience outside of their home church/life. They also provide places of worship that are familiar and for me, liturgical chapel, which is strange to a lot of people, is my preferred style of worship and reflection due partly from my upbringing and partly because I’m a history and theology nerd. Anyway, Liturgical Chapel is a great place to slow down and realize that God is first, not my studies or my social life, but Him. It is a place to be poured into by the Spirit, and in a prayerful consideration, and respect of the traditions of the earliest church part take in the Eucharist as well as other actions of ancient Christian worship such as anointing, communal creedance, etc.

Regardless of your feelings of High vs. Low Church tradition, or even your personal views on the Lord’s Supper, I dare all students to try out a Liturgical Chapel at least once, going into with an open heart and mind and a willingness to try something a little different. I sometimes will spend 2 hours in liturgical chapel, even though you are dismissed after one hour, to take the time and space to mediate on my heart and what God is working on in me. Since thursday I’ve been trying to be more intentional about a silly phrase, but meaningful none the less: catching my breath.

The word for sprit can also mean wind or breath. As in God breathed on man. This image has been in my mind since Thursday of God breathing into my life despite me being winded from running like crazy with my schedule and school and social life. I must take the time to stop running, and catch my breath, or perhaps receive the Breath of Life God is Breathing into me. Tonight that manifested itself in a way of taking time to work out, something that I love to do. In the middle of running very hard, I was counting my breathes to my pace and I found myself feeling a sense of peace, a sense of rejuvenation despite the fact my to-do list can’t be contained on a single page, and that as I’m trying to be intentional about taking the time to catch my breathe, He is working amidst the stress and challenges of being a full-time honors student.

So tonight, if this catches you, if you are tired and weary and stressed out and overwhelmed with work or school or some other life circumstance… take time to catch your breath. Do something that is completely against your to-do list: take a walk, listen to music, read a non-school book (or better yet scripture), go for a run, bake a cake, or sit in the silence with the Lord your God who loves you and is breathing into your life.

Breath.

Breath.

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encouragement.

Friday, September 25th, 2009

If you’ve been looking at APU for much time, you’ll probably have heard/seen the phrase: God First, and perhaps have also heard about the four cornerstones that this university finds it’s strength and mission within. I hope that throughout this year I’ll explore these four cornerstones in depth and let you see how APU truly embraces them and demonstrates their importance in the everyday workings of this amazing place I call home.

The four cornerstones are: CHRIST, SCHOLARSHIP, COMMUNITY, SERVICE. To see more detail check out this page.

Today I experienced two of these cornerstones through a conversation with a professor today that really encouraged me. I know it might sound like one of those “get-ya-in-the-door, but not really true” admission statements that a lot of schools use (which actually I’ve never found to be true with APU… they are pretty great at being honest with you)…. but nevertheless: Professors REALLY REALLY REALLY care and love and pray for and are there for their students. Whether it be encouraging one in the their faith, their homework, their future planning, their life struggles, or whatever, honestly, professors are the core of this university.

……That shouldn’t sound funny, but it does……. probably because there is SO much going on at APU, so many rad things, that sometimes I think we forget what we are really here for. APU is a lot of fun, a great place to make friends for life, to play sports, or sing in amazingly talented choirs. But we are here to, first and foremost serve God by pursuing excellence (not in a worldly sense though) in our studies. Professors are the life-blood of this university, they are the people who serve us students day to day by walking us forward into a greater awareness and a greater knowledge of the world around us and of ourselves.

I think this year, as the third week of classes starts up, I’ve started to realize the treasure and blessing God has given me by the men and women who teach here, who teach me, who challenge me to become something great, who push me to discover the potential they see. Today, I had a chat with a prof today after class, and through his honest words and wise encouragements, I was encouraged to realize my potential in writing, and making a life out of that potential. My freshman year wouldn’t have been the richly challenging experience it was without these professors, these people who are SO willing to walk alongside you. Every staff member here fully admits to being a follower of Christ as a requirement of working at APU and to live that out in their studies, in their classes, and in their conversations. The true TALENT and GENIUS we have at this school is astounding, and the fact that these BRILLIANT people are so willing to encourage and support and fight for their students is truly a testament to the unique attitude and environment that is APU.

I know this blog was a long one about something maybe you aren’t super interested in, because it is a lot of fun to look at all the other things APU offers, like amazing community, crazy study abroad opportunities, and a seriously awesome athletic program. But know that in the end, you are coming to APU for the University part, for the learning  (not that that can’t be fun… just see my post on my hebrew class) and also know that here at APU you’ll find professors who are not only leaders in their field of study, but who care (I mean seriously care) about their students and are excited about them excelling and learning and loving their studies just as much as they do.

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YHWH YIREH.

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

This year I’m studying the very different, decently difficult language of Ancient and Modern Hebrew with one of my favorite professors, Dr. Smoak. I took Dr. Smoak last year for  Exodus/Deuteronomy Honors (he teaches honors and non-honors sections… so take him either way! I got my roommate into his class and she loves it! The man is brilliant, talented, and hilarious!… okay, back to blogging)… and I learned so much from his class that I just couldn’t imagine not taking him again, so when I heard he was getting the chance to teach Hebrew at APU, which he has taught for years at UCLA, I jumped at the chance… honestly, not really knowing what I was getting into.

I have Hebrew today, and I woke up this morning full of excitement that today meant another day of throwing myself at this challenging language and hoping I make it through the other side. Doing my Hebrew homework has made me laugh at myself (just try to make the Hebrew ח and not laugh), but has also made me realize the beauty in learning things that are far outside my comfort zone, and far outside the realm of what I’m ‘good’ at. It has also been a worshipful practice, which sounds weird because it is homework and homework can never be anything more than homework, right? Wrong. I’m learning the language of God’s chosen people, a language that was used in some form or variation to write nearly all of the Holy Scriptures, the language that was on Moses’ tablets and passed down from generation to generation through the mouths and hearts of God’s beloved Israel. The language is so intertwined with the Law that it cannot be separated, so by knowing the language you have an understanding of the Law (which is something entirely confusing until you really study Leviticus and Deuteronomy, which you’ll do if you take Smoak’s class or any other Exodus/Deuteronomy class).

This semester I’ve already been challenged and it hasn’t been comfortable. God is changing my heart to pursue obedience rather than perfection, and oddly enough, stumbling over those letters of the Hebrew alphabet (the Hebrew word for alphabet… interesting similarity, huh?) has made me understand a little more of what God is doing in my heart. And upon my heart the Hebrew words have been inscribed: YHWH YIREH (transliterated, of course), which means basically: God will provide. He will provide me with challenges and ways to persevere, with friendships and community, with love and grace and mercy and His inexplicable peace. He is teaching me, through struggling with a language I do not get, that He is more than enough and that He is the only Rock upon which I can stand in victory over sin. But I’m not there yet, I’m not standing in victory, and even if I do get there, there is a great chance I’ll stumble or trip over my own foot or something, and He is teaching me that that’s okay too. That He is enough to get me there and get me through and that He takes great joy in taking care of His beloved when they lay their hearts at His feet.

So whatever it is this morning, whether money struggles or family issues or an overwhelming workload, take the time today be with your Creator, your Savior, and maybe just surrender a little bit of the stress and the worry or the pain or even, maybe, surrender to Him the joy you might be feeling today as well (which is an interesting theology that I might talk about later). And if you don’t even know what surrendering looks like, smile, because honestly, I don’t exactly know either, but it is something like laughing at yourself for making a silly ch- sound in Hebrew and knowing that despite the obvious, God has got this under His control.

I pray a blessing over your day as you walk alongside your Loving God, even if you don’t realize He is there.

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