The Campus Survival Guide: Representing Christ Well on Campus

By Paul Buchanan and Paula Miller

The Campus Survival Guide, from the editors of the popular Student to Student and Campus Voices books, features sixty student essays on topics ranging from communion sacraments to super heroes. Like its popular predecessors in the series, each devotional includes a list of Scripture readings for the week, along with a companion article offering helpful, humorous, or inspirational information. Articles coincide with events commonly occurring during the academic year, with seasonal entries focusing on holidays, semester exams, spring breaks, and summer vacations. A perfect gift to keep Christian college students focused on what matters most!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781441265920

Paul Buchanan

Paul Buchanan earned a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Southern California and an MFA in fiction writing from Chapman University. He teaches and writes in the Los Angeles area.

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Buchanan

Trust Fall

Courtney Bishop, Lee University

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

PSALM 121:1–4, NLT

I tentatively climbed to the top of the platform and peered over the six-foot drop. There stood two lines of teenagers, arms extended, peering up at me. I took a ragged breath, stepped to the edge, and turned my back to them. Then, I fell.

This was my first experience with a trust fall. I was at a high school camp, and it was definitely a challenge. Giving up control, falling into the (feeble) arms of my peers, trusting them to catch me—all this was contrary to my character. I like to know exactly what is going to happen next, and there was too much uncertainty in this thing called a trust fall. I was not a fan.

Little did I know that this would not be my last trust fall—though not all of them would involve literally falling from a raised platform. College, as I would soon discover, is one huge trust fall. The uncertainties began the day I stepped into my dorm room. What classes should I take? Had I chosen the right major? Was my roommate going to be sane? How was I ever going to meet friends here? The most glaring question—the one I danced around: What am I going to do after college?

I was hit with countless uncertainties that first year. It was daunting. As far as I could tell, everyone else had it together. They seemed to know what they wanted to major in and what they wanted to do with their lives—and I simply didn't. All the uncertainties and questions became overwhelming.

It was time for me to learn to trust God. After all, He made me. Not only did He make me, but He also made everything else. The same God who crafted those majestic mountains watches over me! He is obviously a capable God; His amazing creation is daily proof of His power. This omnipotent God promised to watch over me wherever I go. That promise includes college.

So there I sat: a freshman in college, clueless about what to major in or where to go after college, overwhelmed by all the unknowns in my life. I had to let go—to relinquish control and trust my Father. I had to step to the edge, turn around, and fall into His powerful arms. He catches me every time.

May you take that trust fall into the powerful, loving arms of God. May you trust in Him. May you remember that no matter how far the fall appears, He will always catch you.

A Little Danger Can Be Healthy

Ryan Simmons

In the early twentieth century, famed British explorer Ernest Shackleton aimed to reach the South Pole, a feat that had never before been attempted. Shackleton posted advertisements in several British papers. Despite the warnings he gave about the cold, the weeks of complete darkness, the distance of several hundred miles, and the complete lack of Antarctic maps, more than 5,000 men—and at least three women—applied to go with him on his expedition.

Can you imagine twenty-first-century individuals responding that way—especially if there were no monetary benefit to compensate for the physical and emotional strain of such a dangerous challenge?

God often requires those who follow Him to take on dangerous or mysterious missions. In Genesis 12:1, God tells a 75-year-old Abraham, Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. Shortly after the birth of Christ, an angel appears to Joseph and says, Get up…take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him (Matthew 2:13).

This was dangerous stuff, traveling to an unknown land without maps or specific expectations. Yet this was healthy danger—the kind of risk-taking that tested faith and made history.

So think and pray about the possibility that a little danger or a little mystery may be what God is calling you to experience after the school year finishes. God may be putting a challenge—one that requires faith that He knows exactly what He is doing—right in your lap. The outcome is unknown, but as with Abraham and Joseph, God will be your flagship on these great, even perilous, journeys.

As for Mr. Shackleton, he made it farther into the interior of Antarctica than any explorer before him had done. He did not lose a single member of his expedition—even after ice packs crushed his ship, leading to a desperate rescue mission by lifeboat across stormy Antarctic waters.

Five Possible Expeditions

Counseling at summer camp

Inner-city street witnessing

Taking a short-term mission trip to another country

Donating your time and special skills to a local non-profit organization

Taking a financial risk by committing monthly support for a needy child

Sources

1. Robert B. Stephenson, Shackleton Quote $100 Contest, The Antarctic Circle, December 1, 2007. http://www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm(accessed March 2011).

2. Beau Riffenburgh, Shackleton's Forgotten Expedition: The Voyage of the Nimrod (New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005).

The First Day

Jessica Prichard, California State University, Fullerton

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9–10

My first day at a four—year university was terrifying. Being a transfer student from a community college, I had been dreaming of the day I would get to set foot on the huge campus, and I prayed I would have the courage to talk to at least one of the 33,000 other students attending Cal State Fullerton. Being shy and awkward, I felt this was a moderately ambitious goal.

The moment I stepped into my first class and took a seat, a girl sat down next to me. Hi! she said brightly. My name's Vanessa. Didn't I see you at Transfer Orientation?

I said hello back and nodded in response to her question. I couldn't believe it: My first class hadn't even started, and I'd already accomplished the goal that had kept my stomach churning all morning. Vanessa and I talked about our classes and goals. We both wanted to be teachers, and it turned out we had three classes together. I could not believe how quickly I was getting to know this person I had met only 10 minutes before.

At the end of the day, as I was heading towards my car, I got a text:

Gr8 2 meet u Jessica! So glad I found some1 so

nice the first day! CU Thursday!

]

I closed my phone and walked to my car in a daze. It's always been hard for me to make friends; I couldn't believe how lucky I was.

As I drove home, I thought of the sleepless night before. I'd kept praying that God would help me do the thing I find most difficult: to be outgoing, to strike up a new friendship. As God so often does, He brought me what He knew I couldn't go get on my own.

Now, I have a great group of friends who all share the same beliefs (and study habits). It's always been hard for me to trust God completely, but He keeps reminding me, with every new provision and encouragement, that He is trustworthy.

Sure—fire Conversation Starters

Have trouble striking up conversations with strangers? Here are some solid—gold first lines that are sure to get a discussion going:

I'm sorry, did you drop this $100 bill?

Are you Team Jacob or Team Edward?

How do you write zero in Roman numerals?

My psychiatrist says I won't need Petey if I meet some real people.

You gonna finish that sandwich?

You might have seen me on America's Most Wanted.

My high school class voted me most likely to be wrong.

I'm studying cosmetology to prepare for a career at NASA.

Do you know any good conversation starters? I want to talk to that guy over there.

I Have the Power!

Charlie McCoin, Spring Arbor University

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

ROMANS 8:11

Every guy's dream, at some point, is to be a superhero. My favorite has always been He-Man from the Masters of the Universe series. When Prince Adam of Eternia pulled out that magic sword and held it straight above his head, he could shout with confidence, By the power of Grayskull, I have the Power! He transformed from a normal bystander to the powerful He-Man, who unleashed cosmic awesomeness! He could stomp out the evil ruler, Skeletor, and protect the castle of Grayskull.

In many ways, I still want to be He-Man. He exemplifies pretty much everything I'm not. I'm not buff or tough. I envy those who show stoic strength and live carefree lives. For me, fear lurks around every corner. I worry. As a student, I worry over assignments, grades and deadlines. I worry about my family and my future retirement, even though that's 50 years away. Then there are the what ifs. What if I contract some unknown deadly disease and die alone? What if God forgets me? When I am paralyzed by such worry and fear, I forfeit the peace God promises. When I'm lost, scared and hopeless, I can feel small and forgotten. That's when I wish I had superpowers and a magic sword.

But the good news is that none of us really needs superpowers or a magic sword! We already have all the power we need in God and the Bible—the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). No matter where we are, we have a direct connection with the Master of the Universe. The very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the Spirit that lives in us. With God's power, we are unstoppable, and we're afforded the peace only God can give.

I am taking steps to deal with my obsessive worry. When those fears grip me, I tell myself to make a list of all the times God has failed me. So far, there's nothing on that list. The true Master of the Universe continues to care for me!

Dear Master, let me fully live in Your Spirit, who gives me life. No matter what happens or comes my way, allow me to stand firmly in the face of evil and say in confidence, God is my strength! Amen.

The League of Unorthodox Gentlemen

Sure, when we play the superpower game, everyone wants to fly or be invisible, but here are some literary superheroes who possess superpowers that are most often overlooked:

• Uncle Sam—ability to harness the power of people's belief in American ideals

• Man-Bat—the ability to use echolocation

• Matter-Eater Lad—the ability to consume anything without ill effect

• Medusa—prehensile hair

• Nitro—the ability to detonate one's body and reconstitute it later

• Cypher—the ability to understand any language

• Professor X—the ability to create or erase other people's memories

• Geo-Force—the ability to manipulate gravity

• Ray—the ability to harness solar energy

• Longshot—the ability to affect probability

• Floronic Man—the ability to animate plant life

• Hydro-Man—the ability to turn one's body into a liquid

Nervous? Don't Be!

Victoria Jean Clare, Lee University

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

COLOSSIANS 3:23

It was the night of the children's show at church. Our day camp had worked hard all week to make this show happen, and we were all electrified. I had the biggest role, and I could feel a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. That's when our director said something that would come back to me much later: Don't be nervous, guys, she told us. Nervousness is selfishness, and this show is for the Lord.

How often do we obsess about what other people think? When we do work, we do it for ourselves and for other people. But, as Paul writes, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23). So much of the time, I find myself doing the opposite: I get nervous and wonder, What will they think of me? Usually I don't stop to ask myself, What will God think of me? I'd like to think I'm a good Christian, but I often forget to work for God. I need to remember who created me and for whom I need to be working.

We all get caught up in the glamour of popularity. Even at a Christian university, we are anxious to be tapped for a Greek club, accepted into the premier choir, or just liked by everyone in class. On my first day of school, was I praising God for the opportunities He'd blessed me with? Unfortunately, no. I was stressing over what would be the best outfit to wear. I was just too nervous about others' opinions to think about God.

Nervous. There's that word again. I have to keep reminding myself of what my director told us all those years ago: Nervousness is selfishness. That first day on campus, my nervousness made me forget, for just a little while, how God had blessed me and brought me to this school.

I'd like to encourage you to join me as we work for the Lord. I want us all to try to remember that when we do anything in this life, it is to be done in praise to our Creator. Nothing needs to be approved of by other people, and everything needs to give praise to God in heaven.

How to Avoid Looking Nervous

Erin Conn

1. Avoid high-pitched giggling unless you are cute enough to get away with it. If you have to ask if you're cute enough, the answer