Keeping up with the News

As college students, we have very busy schedules. Every minute there is something new begging for our attention and sleep is typically the first thing we put to the wayside. With all of the classes, homework, jobs, sports, intra-murals, ministries, and other commitments it becomes easy to become completely engulfed in what is immediately going on around you. The danger with this is that we manage to completely lose touch with the outside world and major events that are going on around us. The biggest example recently has been what is going on in Syria.

As Syria continued in their two year long civil war, around 1,046 Syrians were killed with chemical warfare, over 400 of which were children. Obviously everyone was very upset about this and attempted to figure out what should be done. The U.S. almost took action but was able to make a deal with the help of Russia avoiding a war.  Here is an article that explains in more detail what happened in Syria and why we almost went to war, much better than I ever could: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/29/9-questions-about-syria-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/.

So, in the midst of a possible war, over a thousand innocent people had been killed and a great majority of students here had no idea that anything was even happening.  I understand that news is not always the most uplifting thing, but it is so important to understand what is taking place in the world around us. Having such a busy schedule makes it near impossible to sit down and physically watch the news, but there are many other ways to keep track of what is going on! With smart phones it is easy to download free news apps, such as the BBC world news, and receive notifications when major events take place. Although I appreciate my BBC app, my favorite way to keep in touch with what is going on is through the Wall Street Journal, located in our very own library.

YES! The library has newspapers that are updated daily, four of them to be exact. These newspapers are located in the lobby on a wooden display case. From local to world news, you can sit and glance through all they have to offer. Some articles are more lighthearted, but they also contain crucial information about the intense situations that are going on across the globe. I encourage you to use these newspapers while you have them at your disposal. Once you graduate these newspapers don’t come cheap. Seize the opportunity you have now. As you read pray for those who are suffering, and pray for our leaders as they make difficult decisions.

~Leia Brunette

Global Missions Week.

Revelation 7:9-10

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,  “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

           
While listening to Dr. Joshua Bogunjoko speak in Chapel yesterday, I was marveling at the expanse of the Global church and rejoicing at the thought of worshipping with believers from around the world before the throne of God.  Global Missions Week is one of my favorite weeks.  I love hearing what God is doing around the world both through the speaker and the missions representatives.  God has been teaching me recently the importance of missions, but not missions in the traditional sense (going overseas to serve Him).  Rather, He has been showing me how much of a mission field is right around us, here in Langhorne and in any community.  He has also been showing me the power of prayer, and one of my favorite books relating prayer to the global community is Operation World (located both in the reference section: BV2050 .M35 2010 and on the main floor BV2050 .J63 2001 and BV4811 .J596 1993 – these three call numbers are three different editions).  Operation World presents a brief synopsis of a country and then provides prayer concerns for that country.  Looking through the different editions from 1993 to 2010, it is amazing to see how God has answered prayers over the years.  I challenge you to come and look at Operation World or the other books about missions that we have on display in the library lobby.  What mission field is God calling you to?

~Allison Beyer

Completing the Course

The end of the semester is finally here! The final challenge awaiting all of the students is finals week. There is something about finals week that is just so, well, final. To put it simply, finals week is the culmination of all of the hard work that has been done all semester long. For each class, it comes down to one final paper. What better place to write your final papers then the library? To help the student body, the library is staying open until 12 AM from Sunday to Tuesday.

This week will be a little hectic for the library since everyone is finishing up with books that they checked out. For final papers, the library has an immense selection of books for students to use as resources. I am working on a final paper for my New Testament class, and I have selected a number of helpful books to guide my argument. I have chosen eight commentaries that I thought would be helpful. The BIB REF section on the lower floor of the library includes many commentaries and books on Hebrew and Greek translations. I may use some of these books as well, however books from the BIB REF section may not be checked out.

The paper concerns I Corinthians 8-11 and the idea of food that is sacrificed to idols. I cannot say anymore in regards to this paper because I have not started it. However, the idea of food sacrificed to idols has appeared in other places in the New Testament (Romans 14-15 and Revelation 2 for example). For other classes, the final may come down to one more class presentation. The computer labs on the lower and upper level of the library supply the sufficient technology for students to use on their presentations. If any of the students need any help with operating one of the systems or finding resources, there will normally be a student worker in the computer lab on the lower floor. Perhaps some of the finals next week are exams (possibly cumulative). The librarians and sometimes student workers work hard trying to keep the library a quiet and productive environment for people to do their work. The student can even isolate himself from everyone by going to one of the small cubicles in the library to try to concentrate on studying for his exam.

The library will also provide students with coffee and hot chocolate so that they may take a short break. Truly the library is prepared to help students get through finals week. The remaining question is this: are the students prepared to finish this semester strong? The final grades on Self-Service represent a semester’s worth of hard work, or maybe not so hard work…

-Daniel Wright aka Superfly

Porcelain Lives

There’s nothing more beautiful than watching the sun rise above the horizon early in the morning. As it slowly peeks above the horizon and seeps between the branches of the trees, the warmth it sheds is enough to warm every passer by’s shivering hands.

This semester I’ve had the joy of watching the sun rise as I walk to work in the library early in the morning . It’s been something that has brought joy and warmth to my heart and my hands on cold wintry rainy mornings.

As I ponder the little  joys in life, like the rising sun, I thought about our porcelain lives, so fragile and frail… only one crashing wave away from being shattered to peices. Yet with every day I wake and watch the sunrise, I somehow manage to take it for granted. With every breath, I fail to realize His grace in giving me yet another moment.

Another moment to breathe,
to see,
to dream,
to hope,
to grow in godliness,
to smile,
to be His,
to live a Holy life,
and to Love in obedience to His command.

It’s so easy to get distracted by the grandeur of this world and all it has to offer, and I am not immune. But I wonder…what would it look like, if every porcelain life lived wholly dedicated to His purposes? What would my life look like if in light of my hopes and dreams,  I let His light shine the way and change the path where He sees fit?
Maybe a porcelain life isn’t that bad after all. If it’s shattered by a crashing wave of reality, all it’s pieces will rest in the hand of the one who molded it to be in the first place.

C.T Studd put it this way:
Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
…
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

~In Honor of the Life of Dr. Hsu, a loved professor at PBU, who went home to be with Jesus on Decemer 2, 2011. Thank you for letting your Porcelain life shine His light in everything you did. You will be missed by many, but the legacy that He has formed in you, will continue to live on. ~

1 Thessalonians 4: 13: – 18
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that , we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

~Grace Suliman

Welcome to the library blog

Everybody blogs. Some people blog without ever realizing that they are blogging. It is to be expected that in a society that runs on instant communication, most Americans are connected to the internet 24/7. With the increasing affordability of mobile devices — iPhones, Blackberrys, Palm pilots and other PDAs — one can access information such as sports scores, movie times, or directions to avoid an accident up ahead with the touch of a button. Now it is rare to meet a college student who does not have a Facebook or MySpace page.

With this in mind Masland Library has decided to provide information to the students via this format as much possible. Therefore the library created this blog as a place in which the librarians can share with you pertinent information and other items of interest.

This blog is only one of several new tools that the library will explore. The library will cooperate with faculty members via wiki to introduce you to study guides, research aids, and databases unique to subject matters of interest to each of the schools of the University.

Welcome back. Please keep an eye on this page for more postings. We also solicit your comments. Have a great semester.

~LAS