If you’re like me, being a college student and having money do not go hand in hand. Money is hard to come by, especially with high tuition prices, car payments, or even having friend groups who like eating out every weekend. Random costs even seem to creep up and we have no idea how to pay for them. It’s even hard to look at your bank account sometimes without stressing about your financial standing. So, where is the silver lining in all of this?

Kathy Caprino of Forbes Magazine writes an article on how college students can be more “financially literate.” Caprino gives seven steps to building better financial stability as a college student. These are extremely simple to understand, and almost every student should be able to achieve these. The most important point I believe Caprino makes is creating a personal budget for yourself. This will lead to a better understanding of financial literacy, which will, in turn, make things easier on the average college student.

Building a personal budget does not take long. I have hands-on experience in not only building my personal budget, but also budgets for friends and family as well. There are three basic categories when it comes to building a budget: figure out your monthly income, decipher all your expenses, and put aside money for future savings. The bottom line is that becoming financially literate is one of the most important objectives as a college student. It doesn’t just affect your current situation; it will continue to be relevant for the rest of your life. This takes patience, discipline, and a desire to plan for a financially stable future.

Whether you have an hourly job or a base salary, your monthly income should be the first step in your financial management. You probably work hard at your job and want to be rewarded with a paycheck at the end of the week. The question is, how do you want to use that paycheck? The next step will allow you to understand the significance of your paycheck and how to disburse it correctly.

Thinking through all your expenses is the next and probably most essential step in becoming financially literate. Personal expenses can include car insurance payments, gas, going out for dinner, etc. This is where you determine what costs are useful to your everyday life, as well as where you figure out costs that can be cut. Important costs to consider are miscellaneous spending, which are costs that are not imperative (unlike car payments or insurance). A great rule to follow is to consider needs over wants. It may be tempting as a college student to go on a shopping spree for the latest styles, go out to eat multiple times a week, or even buy every new iPhone as it’s released. There’s nothing wrong with a splurge occasionally, just if needs are placed above wants. The US News reflects on this very idea. They warn students that they need to budget for travel, food outside of the regular meal plan, and any other extracurricular activities they desire to do in addition to the normal university expenses. College is already expensive, why make it harder by not budgeting for those extra expenses?

Saving can be the most difficult step to follow when it comes to financial management as a college student. We have always been warned to save as much as we can, but it never seems to happen. After seeing your monthly income and figuring out your expenses, take a percentage of the difference and place it into a savings account. Putting away a percentage of your paycheck is a great step in the right direction. Once you get into the habit of saving, your financial management becomes a lot easier and will prepare you for the future. The Balance, an online financial blog, looks at savings differently for college students to regular adults. College students should not look to invest their money into other entities, but rather save for future tuition payments, books, or a financial desire of the student. Saving is extremely important for the success of a college student’s financial management. Without additional funds, you will run out eventually and become stuck in the financial rut that many college students find themselves in today.

I understand that spending money is a part of going to college. You want to have fun and get the whole “college experience.” Budgeting is hard when there are so many areas where money can be spent. However, it is important to budget for this spending, as it can easily get out of hand and will leave you wondering where your money went. Stay disciplined, stay responsible, and stick with your budget as it will allow you to have a more financially stable present and future.

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2014/08/21/7-simple-steps-college-students-should-take-to-build-financial-literacy-and-responsibility/#dfae64325bbe

https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2015/07/16/those-other-college-expenses-you-arent-thinking-about

https://www.thebalance.com/managing-your-money-while-in-college-2385965

There are three things that all people are amongst other things: a sinner, a critic, and a comedian. I came to know the sinner part from my church background, in which one of the first verses I ever adopted into my memory called us all out for being sinners and falling short of the glorious standard set by God (Romans 3:23). The critic part stems from the common saying “opinions are like armpits: everybody has them and some of them stink worse than others”, but the comedian part is said rather tongue-in-cheek as it is something that everyone tries to be in their own particular way. Unfortunately, this does not mean everyone is good at it; just because someone writes a song does not mean it is a good song or that they are a good musician.

When presented with downtime, I tend to entertain myself with either television or movies, and without fail I wish I could do what the people I see on screen are doing. After watching an NBA game, I dream of being Giannis Antetokounmpo. Post-watching a Netflix comedy special, I fanaticize selling out Radio City Music Hall like John Mulaney. I cannot seem to go to a concert without getting caught up in visualizing myself being up there doing what some of my favorite artists do; we desire to do what we see others who we admire are doing, which is only natural.

For many who grew up in the vastly changing 2000s, Jon Stewart, former host of the 22-time Primetime Emmy award winning satirical news show “The Daily Show”, was the ideal combination of critique and comedy. His satirical style pointed out flaws in logic, execution, and philosophy all while bringing a smile to the audience’s face through laughter rooted in a plethora of comedic genres including observational, insult, and absurdist. Disregarding any political disagreements I may have with Stewart, when I see him roasting politicians without even blatantly calling them out for their hypocrisy, when I see him being a social activist through his comedic commentary, I develop a desire to do what he did on the Daily Show. I believe that many people try to do that too; people try to do what Stewart – one of the most iconic, impactful, and influential voices of the century – did so very well and satirically commented on all manners of culture. Yet, people’s sometimes lame attempt at being Jon Stewart is through memes.

Given the fact that on-campus Liberty students are required to go to Convocation Wednesday and Friday mornings, sometimes the routine of it all becomes mundane, so students have to try to find amusement to keep themselves entertained amidst the required gatherings. Memes are a convenient and often comedic way to do so. LU Memes and The Liberty Way meme account both host a tremendous following and cover everything from odd illustrations Nasser uses and videos of Jerry Falwell Jr. pelvic thrusting hundreds of pounds to frustrations with parking – which I have come to understand on a new level since moving off-campus. But with such a wide array of topics being covered, the memes made pointing out the positives in activities or functions are few and far between, looking like a small hill in the shadow of mountains of pessimism. This is little to no fault of the administrators of the pages, as they merely filter what gets posted on the page and work with what they are sent, but this makes it clear that the content they are sent is mostly on the pessimistic side, proving that students tend to find the negative(s) in things which likely do not deserve an analysis and critique.

Memes have grown in popularity just as social media has over the past decade, with some meme accounts on Instagram having over 16 million followers. In 2015, Max Roser conducted a survey called “Share of the population who think the world is getting better” and only 6% of Americans said that the world seemed to be getting better;  this is with the knowledge that technology, medicine, and many people’s circumstances have improved over the past few decades. While there certainly are things that have not improved, and maybe they have even gotten worse (including that many people do live in very unfortunate circumstances), I believe that there is a definitive connection between the world’s growing pessimism and the increased popularity of memes that tend to be hung up on the negative. I fully acknowledge that ignorance is bliss and through the usage of memes many things have been brought to light that we may not have noticed before, but we may have ran into an indulgence of pointing out the negative and not even acknowledging the presence of the positive.

There is humor to be found in the relatable nature of memes, but what I fear is that memes are changing us slowly and unbeknownst to us, corrupting us into people that cannot enjoy things anymore because we just want to make fun of it, critique it, and devour it to get a cheap laugh and maybe some social media clout. The fear is that we cannot consume and enjoy because we are choking on our pessimistic poison. Do we know how to consume food, entertainment, and every day interactions anymore without feeling the need to dilute them down to a cheap joke? Are we too far gone to ever have childlike wonder and amazement about things but still have the maturity of adults?  Can we enjoy things purely anymore?

We attempt to justify our constant pessimism by defending them as being harmless jokes, blaming our boredom as the reason we can’t help but find the negative in things, and sometimes marking it off as an attempt to socially commentate on something in society. Too often we forget that somebody put work into their craft and, in a sense, when we make fun of someone’s hard work we make fun of them. As Will Rogers once said, “Everything is funny, as long as it’s happening to somebody else”. Granted, a person’s identity should not be solely resting on their work but that does not mean there is an open invite to offer only criticism and never constructive advice. If all you do is point out to the masses that there is a fire but never sound the alarm, grab a hose, or call 9-1-1, you are part of the problem, not the solution.

Social commentary is important as it puts on display parts of something or someone that need improvement, hypocrisy, and injustice that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, which is why comedic commentators like Jon Stewart are important. Yet, there is a time and a place for it and even Jon recognizes that not every subject, not every song, not every pixel on a screen requires a skinning and thrashing; “If we amplify everything we hear nothing.” Continue to make memes, be honest, point out hypocrisy but lovingly and with the hopes that things will improve, laugh at life, find humor in the happenings and idiosyncrasies of the day, but be aware and cautious about the fact that memes may be funny, but they can have the potential to turn you into a pessimist who cannot enjoy things anymore. This is all because you seek to make your own fun out of something that may have already been fun in and of itself. You are given thousands of little choices every day to either look for the small slither of light or point out and exploit the darkness surrounding you; in the words of NEEDTOBREATHE, “Be more heart and less attack”.

Sources

https://www.rd.com/advice/work-career/jon-stewart-quotes/

https://ourworldindata.org/motivation

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/will_rogers_164648?src=t_humor

https://genius.com/Needtobreathe-more-heart-less-attack-lyrics

The start of a new semester is upon us and thousands are flooding into Lynchburg for college. Before leaving Lynchburg for the summer, maybe you were questioning whether you should keep going to the church you are going to in Lynchburg or not, maybe you were church hopping in hopes of finding one that made you feel like you were at home, or maybe you have not been going to church at all, relying on podcasts and a Shane & Shane playlist for a church experience. If you are an incoming freshmen, the search for a church to plug into, belong to, and serve with can be a daunting task as your church will hopefully shape, mold, and encourage your walk with the Lord. Regardless of what state of your academic career you are in, the search for a church to go to is important. Through this post, I hope to highlight things to look for in a church and things to seek bringing about within your current church body.

You Need To Be Going To Church

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul gives us qualifications for overseers and deacons and in 2 Timothy 5 he gives us instructions for the church. Hebrews 10:24-25 literally states “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” All of these passages and more point to the fact that churches are within God’s divine design – from the actual gathering of believers to those in positions of leadership over that body of believers – and He emphasizes the importance of being a part of a church, with fellow members of the Church. If you are a believer, neglecting gathering together in a body of believers is bluntly unwise, foolish, and unsafe. With all that being said, your search for a good church should be at the forefront of your priorities if you are not in one, so take this seriously.

What To Look For, What To Avoid

Though hilarious, it is sad that a lot of people approach finding a church with the pettiness John Crist satirically displays in his videos Church Hunters: Episodes 1 and 2.¹ We far too often go to church sorely mistaken into thinking that it is about us when in reality, the epicenter of the church is God; it is not about us dressing up nice, sharing social niceties, taking pictures in our outfits to display on social media afterwards, getting a cup of coffee, enjoying a concert, hearing a lecture, and leaving feeling better about ourselves, so if you are going to church wanting comfort in the sense of luxury and ease, entertainment, or to just get your religion in for the week, sadly you are doing it wrong.

It is not that nice clothes, coffee, and quality musicianship are bad things, it is just that we all too often make church about ourselves, our comfortability, entertainment, and interests, and not about God, with the ultimate goal of each Sunday leaving church in awe of God, challenged by His Word, and praying for God to search and know us and to lead us in the way everlasting as Psalm 139 says. Church should be a place where we are bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), helping each other overcome doubt (John 20:26-31), praising together (Psalm 147-150), having hard conversations rooted in scriptural truth (Ephesians 4:25-27), encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:25), holding each other accountable (Galatians 6:1-5), discipling one another (Matthew 28:19-20), and doing life with one another (James 5:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). If your motivations behind church fit within the comfort zone, this may be a wake-up call for you to search that much more for a church that strives to be what a church is supposed to be.

Note that I did not say find a perfect church, because you are not going to; as Hank Hanegraaff once said, “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it; you’ll ruin it.”² You cannot find a perfect church congregation because we are imperfect people in a sinful world, but what you can do is look to see if they match up with biblical descriptions of a good church. 1 Timothy and other passages thankfully give us a few descriptions:

Do they pray? 1 Timothy 2 starts by Paul urging “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people”. Well, that’s an easy enough instruction. Does the church you are looking at dedicate themselves to prayer, to fasting? Do they take time before God seriously or is it a secondary focus for them? Where there is prayer there is a deepened community and if their prayer is rooted in the right motives, that is also where you will see God all the more in your daily life as you trust all the more in His all-knowing way and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Do they worship? Oftentimes throughout 1 Timothy, Paul would mention God or Jesus and add an extra nugget in there about them (i.e. “God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (6:17) “he who is blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords (6:15), “… we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (4:10)) and this is a form of worship. John Piper once said, “True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things,”³ and Paul is treasuring God above all else with these compliments and praises within his speech. This speaks to the importance of worship, to be mindful to put God above all things, including ourselves; a church should worship, but it should be worship of God not ourselves.

Do they live out what they teach? In Paul’s list of qualifications for an overseer and for a deacon in 1 Timothy 3, he notes how they should be the husband of one wife (3:2,12), manage their household and children well (3:4,12), and a variety of other things. The main point of it all being that they should be setting the example, putting into action what they are being taught, being a doer of the word and not a hearer only (James 1:22), and that should be modeled within the church as well, or at the very least an effort should be put towards it. No church member will get it perfect; as Billy Sunday once said, “Hypocrites in the Church? Yes, and in the lodge and at the home. Don’t hunt through the Church for a hypocrite. Go home and look in the mirror. Hypocrites? Yes. See that you make the number one less.”⁴

What’s their theology? You cannot rely on your pastor for all of your theology; they can guide you through things, give wise counsel, but check things out for yourself. You have a Bible, read it yourself to check to see what you truly believe but listen to wise counsel (Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, 19:20-21). Examine whether a church is holding “…to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God…” (1 Timothy 1:10-11) and determine whether they are preaching the true Gospel and not a false-hope giving, gross distortion of the Gospel like the Word of Faith Movement’s Prosperity Gospel (which you can learn more about the dangers of by watching “American Gospel: In Christ Alone”). You do not have to agree with everything the church you are checking out believes in theologically. In fact, if you are purposely seeking out individuals that believe everything you do as well then all you are doing is seeking affirmation and comfortability; you should be challenged by your church and different opinions, but the gauge by which you measure what is being said must be scripture and not personal opinion.

The Congregation

Just about everywhere you go there are multiple generations, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic classes within that area, and your church should reflect that; it is not a sin to have a church made up primarily of one socioeconomic group or one race, but we should recognize that heaven will contain “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…” (Revelation 7:9, ESV). If there’s nothing but white people in the area you live in, do not feel like you are failing miserably because there are no other races within your church congregation, but if other races or generations are never sought out or people of other ethnicities being within your church congregation makes you uncomfortable, that screams that there needs to be some study of scripture, hard conversations with a mentor, and prayer for that anti-gospel disposition you hold in your heart, as the Gospel goes beyond all boundaries (Acts 10:34-35).

It would be wise to look for multiple generations within a church you are looking at as well. 2 Timothy begins with Paul acknowledging that he sees the same sincere faith that was in Timothy’s grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice in Timothy (1:5). Proverbs 16:31 notes “gray hair is a crown of glory”; this denotes how there is encouragement to be had from the elderly, those who have been running the race for a while, who have walked the path before you, who hold so much wisdom from life experiences and decades of studying the word. While we should not be despised for our youth (1 Timothy 4:12), it is sort of hard for someone only a few years older than you to give you the kind of advice that a person twice your age could – experience often cultivates wisdom.

Final Thoughts

If you are at a church and you feel a conviction about not leaving the church but want to make a change within it to have it exemplify biblical models of what a church should look like, then that is a worthwhile mission. Be the change you wish to see within the church (looking to scripture as the model for what it should look like to begin with; there is a need for people to go into spaces and influence things for the better, undoubtedly). Start by talking with your pastor and the elders about what you see your church lacking and go from there; if there is an absolute refusal on their part to change and that is not based in scripture, after a fair amount of time, it may be time to consider actually leaving but never have them leave your prayers.

Lynchburg has a myriad of churches to choose from with a variety of denominations, preferences, settings, and styles, but regardless of the church you end up at be faithful and active, a doer rather than just a hearer, a student, a listener, a disciple maker, a server, an ambassador for Christ, and an imitator of Him while you are there and beyond.

Sources

¹https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT70cA-7qMk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2FrYWub95o

²http://www.quotehd.com/quotes/hank-hanegraaff-quote-if-you-find-a-perfect-church-dont-join-it-youll-ruin

³https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-worship

⁴ https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/billy_sunday_183041?src=t_church

Unfortunately, we have a major bummer of an announcement to make. Due to another mandatory obligation on COIN’s behalf the same day as Block Party, they have cancelled their performance here for that day. We are extremely disappointed, as we know all of you probably are, and we wish the outcome could be different. The good news is that we do have another artist announcement coming very soon, so be sure to check our social media to stay up to date. Again, we’re so disappointed, but we hope you all understand that we did everything we could to make this work.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or took a hiatus from the internet and people this past month, you know the third season of Stranger Things came out on the Fourth of July. According to Netflix, I, along with almost 41 million other accounts watched at least some of show in the first four days it was released (there were 824,000 accounts that binged the entire season opening day).

Since July of 2016, Stranger Things has left a Mind Flayer sized dent in pop-culture immediately after the release of each season. This lasts for maybe a month before it’s in the rearview mirror, but that speaks more to our hyper speed consumer culture than it does to the success of the series. It’s tough to get people’s attention for five seconds these days, let alone a couple weeks, so why are people giving their attention to Stranger Things 3?

There are plenty of reasons why people watch Stranger Things, though the biggest reason is probably being able to understand memes on Twitter or follow a conversation with a group of friends – everyone else is watching it. I admit, I felt the need to watch it quickly as soon as I started seeing spoiler-level tweets. This might be a good time to let you know that this post contains spoilers for Stranger Things 3!

I believe, along with my fellow colleagues at Student Activities, that we should actively engage with the cultural products we consume through thinking, writing and conversation. Over the past couple weeks I have thought about which parts of season three of Stranger Things connected with me the most, and drew me in beyond just the cultural hype of the show itself.

Despite the show being set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s, it was easy for me to connect with the characters because they were facing the same reality we all eventually have to – growing up. Don’t get me wrong, I loved watching the rat/human flesh monster (excuse me while I throw up again) in battle with our favorite heroes of Hawkins as much as the next person, it was just easier for me to connect to the realistic parts of the story.

It is sad to watch Mike and Lucas fight with Will about whether they should be talking about love interests or playing Dungeons and Dragons, because I know how real and scary it can feel to grow apart from your childhood best friends due to conflicting interests. I can feel Steve’s anxiety about not knowing what to do with his life after high school, because it’s something I had to deal with in mine. I know what it’s like to lose somebody you love without ever really showing it until it’s too late, like with Max losing Billy.

Stranger Things 3 has so many subtle moments throughout the season that bring up memories in my life when I felt joy, heartbreak, loved or afraid. I feel connected to the show because I see it mirroring my own childhood/young adult life in so many different ways.

It’s important to remember how far we have come and how much we have grown to give us the perseverance needed for continual growth and development into the best possible versions of ourselves we can be. Hop says it best in his tear-filled letter to El,

“So you know what? Keep on growing up, kid. Don’t let me stop you. Make mistakes, learn from ’em, and when life hurts you – because it will – remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you’re out of that cave.”

Pieces of culture like Stranger Things 3 hold so much truth you can find and connect to if they are not passively consumed. Think about it, talk about it, write about it, just please do something with the culture you’re absorbing. Trust me, it will help you grow.

Sources

https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/netflix-claims-record-viewership-for-stranger-things-3.html

I know what you’re thinking. “PLEASE don’t remind me that classes are starting in two weeks.” And trust me, I am not gleaming with joy about getting back into the habit of classes and studying just like anyone else. But with thousands of residential students, finding an open spot to study can be quite the journey. So to help save you from walking around aimlessly, I wanted to make a list of some great spots to study, so you aren’t worried about finding a spot to sit, so you can crank out your 3 discussion boards that are due in an hour (we’ve all been there). Obviously, the library can be a great place to study. With multiple floors with different levels of allowed noise and socializing, the library can be a great place to work on group projects or to spend time alone studying. But while there is a lot of options to sit and a Starbucks inside of it, the library can still be full quiet a lot when you go. To be able to get your ideal spot, you have to go to the library at a time when isn’t it busy like a Saturday, but since I know you may not want to be working on a Saturday, let’s look at some of the other spots that many people don’t take advantage of.

1. Liberty Mountain Snowflex Lodge

This has been one of the places I’ve always liked to go. It’s not too far from main campus, and the lodge usually is pretty empty. You also have a great view of Lynchburg from the top of the mountain. During the warmer days of school, you can sit outside on the upper deck as well.

2. Science Building

The Science Building is one of the easiest places to access. It’s located right in between the library and the rot. There are plenty of tables to sit at, and comfortable chairs throughout all the floors. The best part is you don’t have to worry about a lot of people after classes let out.

3. Montview Student Union

This is one of the best places to study if you don’t mind background noise. When I choose to do homework here, I usually do busy work like discussion boards or other weekly assignments. It’s a great place to be able to socialize and eat lunch with friends while still being productive.

4. The Commuter Lounge

While this is only available to off-campus students, I had to include it. While the area is small, the room and aesthetic are great. There are plenty of couches, table, and bar seating available, and they have free coffee available. Who can go wrong with free coffee!!

5. School of Business

Even though I have not spent a lot of time studying in here yet, I got the chance to see the inside of the building, and it was amazing. The building has so many open areas and seating available. I think this will be a great spot to study by yourself or with others because of its wide, open areas.

I encourage you to take advantage of all these spaces that are right on campus. They’re easily accessible for students and offer great alternative spots to the packed library, and who knows, you may just find your new favorite place to spend your time studying!

Whether it’s the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Enneagram, we have all heard of personality tests. Personality tests have become a popular facet of culture, and Annie Paul, a writer for NPR, says that personality tests’ popularity is at an all-time high. It’s not surprising that these tests have become so popular. After all, they can help an individual understand more about who they are and how they function, and they make for great talking points in conversation- especially when we get to just talk about ourselves. But with countless social media profiles, articles, podcasts, videos, and other media forms, we may want to step back and rethink how we are using these tests. It’s fun to talk about our findings with friends, but we have to make sure that our identity is not found in our declared personality types.

As I said, personality tests can be great tools for self-growth and can help us understand how to better relate and interact with others, but there are also some cautions we should take to help us truly grow. As many of you know, the Enneagram has been all the buzz recently when it comes to personality tests, and the Enneagram is a great tool. It has helped me have a better understanding of myself, and I think it can be very helpful for everyone using it. However, it seems to me that the Enneagram has become somewhat misused by people. People have begun to become so attached with their number, and they have begun to identify themselves as that number. Instead of using their number to help grow, they used their number as an excuse for the way they act. People can also begin to act more and more like the number they identify with, doing things that purposely align with their number. We shouldn’t be too surprised that people gravitate towards this behavior. Inverse says, “People tend to believe they have a “true” and revealing self, hidden somewhere deep within, so it’s natural that assessments claiming to unveil it will be appealing.” We want to identify with something because we believe that it gives us a more complete understanding of ourselves, but I think this behavior is actually detrimental towards our growth. Trying to find our identity in personality tests will not lead us to personal growth; it will lead us to more questions instead of less.

As a Christian, I believe that our identity is ultimately found in Christ. Galatians 2:20 talks about how it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us. The best place to seek more about your identity and purpose is the Bible. If you’re a Christian, God has given you identity in Him! I’m not saying that you should stop using personality tests intended for personal growth, but I do think there is a limitation to these tests. If we start finding our identity in these tests, we lose focus of our true identity. We’re focusing more on ourselves and who WE think we are. We begin to distance ourselves from our identity in Christ.

I truly think personality tests like the Enneagram are amazing tools, and I have used it to help me understand more about myself, but I have also caught myself using this test as my identity and blaming the way I acted on my type. As you take these self-evaluating tests and study them, don’t lose sight of your identity in Christ. You must keep Christ at the core of your identity and view these self-evaluations as an accessory to self-growth – not a necessity. When we prioritize our identity in Christ, we will find more growth and progress.

Here are some of the articles I referenced when researching. I also attached some studies about how personal bias can affect the way we test. The next time you think of yourself in terms of a number or a grouping of letters, ask yourself – where does my identity truly lie?

Sources

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/10/what-personality-tests-really-deliver

https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0615-personality-tests.aspx

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/25/483108905/personality-tests-are-popular-but-do-they-capture-the-real-you

https://www.inverse.com/article/49267-what-personality-tests-really-tell-you-about-yourself

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431200-800-how-we-represent-ourselves-can-distort-our-identity/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781118133880.hop210004

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292719778_Assessing_response_distortion_in_personality_tests_A_review_of_research_designs_and_analytic_strategies

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/why-do-we-need-personality-tests-tell-us-who-we-ncna914371

Sometimes it’s fun to go all out on a meal, but for most college students this is just not possible. Whether it’s a lack of time or money, there are often a hundred reasons we feel limited in our dining options. While this may be true to a degree, we shouldn’t have to sacrifice flavor for finances. That’s why I am all about finding cheap, quick, and tasty alternatives to classic meals. With it being a hundred degrees in Lynchburg right now, something cool and light seems to be the right move. Enter the chicken salad sandwich.

As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat, but we aren’t skinning a cat we are making a sandwich and I am going to tell you how I make mine. Starting with the chicken; grab yourself a rotisserie chicken. Some use canned chicken – which is just wrong. It maybe saves you a dollar, its dry, and flavorless. Do yourself a favor and get the tasty chicken. Chop up the chicken to your preferred texture, I like to get some chunks in every bite so I cut about half the chicken to about the size of half a grape and the rest pretty fine to help with texture. Next, you’ll need your binding agent. I use plain Greek yogurt rather than mayonnaise, mainly because I don’t like mayonnaise and it makes for a lighter salad. Throw in two small packs of yogurt, you might have to adjust based on the size of the bird but this is a good starting point. Add a hefty pour of olive oil to help bring moisture and lighten the mixture up a bit. Mix it up and check consistency. I used to cry if my sandwich fell apart, and I’ve only grown up a little since those days so finding the consistency that will help it say together is deeply important to me. This is where you can mess around with adding more yogurt and oil to get to that perfect level of moisture. Salt and pepper liberally, chop and add a handful of fresh dill – I don’t want huge pieces of dill in there so I chop pretty finely. I buy these in the small containers and use the whole thing. Roughly chop up a quarter cup of almonds and add them along with a half cup of halved red grapes, this will give the salad a juicy sweet flavor with a nice crunch. Mix this all up and you have yourself a fun little chicken salad.

Now that we have the body, we need a vessel. I am a light rye guy but if that’s not your thing then use whatever bread you prefer, but don’t say I didn’t try to show you the way. This chicken salad and bread is definitely good enough to stand alone on bread, but adding some lettuce and red onion is a nice touch. If you want to impress you can quick pickle a red onion (add quarter cup sugar, a few teaspoons salt, half cup rice vinegar, three cloves of chopped garlic, in a large mason jar and shake to mix, slice onion in thin rings and add, top off with water and let that sit for about an hour. They’ll last a couple weeks in the fridge and are good on almost everything).

If you go all out and get all these ingredients this will cost right at $15 dollars and will make a week’s worth of lunches. It’s about $3 per sandwich and takes about 15 minutes to make, not to mention it’s a killer sandwich and great for hot weather days. Cooking affordably doesn’t have to sacrifice flavor, give this sandwich a try and you’ll see that I speak the truth.

INGREDIENTS

            1 Rotisserie Chicken

            2 Individual Greek Yogurt Packs

            1 Red Onion

            1 Package Fresh Dill

            Rye Bread or bread of choice

Olive Oil

            Salt

            Pepper

            Roasted Almonds

            Red Grapes

If you’re like most college students, life is pretty hectic. You’re going to school, working a job or involved in a club, and meeting new faces everyday – all while trying to figure out which degree to acquire because you’re spending thousands of dollars to be here. And if you’re like me, you’ve started answering the question “How are you?” by saying “I’m just really busy” more times than you respond with “good.” I’ve noticed that I’m not the only person doing this. I’ve had countless conversations with people where the “busyness” of our lives is the whole duration of the conversation. So, why are we so infatuated with proclaiming our busyness?

Ernst & Young, one of the largest professional services firms in the world, conducted a poll survey in 2018 where they surveyed 9,700 workers from 8 different countries about their work-life balance. 33% said that balancing work and life is becoming more and more challenging. They also found that the challenges are mostly affecting younger generations the most – not our parents. Their work is growing from just a part of their life, and it is becoming their life. According to BBC, busyness has become a badge of honor in culture. Inc.com says that American culture has turned “I’m busy” into telling people “I’m important.”  People have glorified being busy and linked being busy with being valuable, but when we give the list of things that are making us busy, we’re actually hurting our relationships and potential opportunities in the workplace.

While the list of endless busyness is appealing in our own minds, others could care less according to BBC. There’s a paradox when it comes to discussing how busy we are. On one hand, we want to talk about how busy we are and how we are always on the go, but on the other hand, we don’t enjoy when others spend our time discussing how busy they always are instead of enjoying one another’s presence. While we think that discussing our busy lives shows how valuable and important we are, it does the opposite, and this is true in relationships and in the workplace. When we say we’re always busy, we may actually be sending a couple different messages we aren’t meaning to. For example, it may seem like we’re unavailable or that we don’t know how to manage ourselves and our time. Busyness is essentially having a lot of priorities in your life that require your time and attention.

So, when our busy lives become the frequent excuse we use for not being able to hang out and grab a coffee with a friend, it sends the message, “I have a lot of priorities, and these priorities are more important” according to BBC.  That’s a big yikes. Hopefully, this isn’t the message we want to send to each other, but it can still be what people hear. Constant busyness can also affect our jobs. Inc.com says there is a common misconception of busyness, meaning the “hardest working”. Sometimes, this can be the case, but bosses may not always see it this way. Depending on your job and workload, your super busy schedules can send the message that you have a poor grasp of time management and are not able to keep up for the job.

It’s no question we are busy. Everyone has their own life with their own plethora of responsibilities. “I’m busy” has lost its original meaning. Now, it can mean apathetic, irresponsible, or even self-conceited. When asked how you are, try avoiding even using the word busy or any synonym for it. Instead, be creative and personal. Talk about something that you’re excited to take a part of or the plans that you have. These articles below also explain the “I’m busy” phrase and ways to avoid it.

Sources

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170222-this-is-what-you-really-mean-when-you-say-im-busy

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/science-confirms-it-talking-about-how-busy-you-are-is-a-humble-brag.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/05/why-you-should-stop-telling-people-youre-so-busy.html

https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Global_generations_study/$FILE/EY-global-generations-a-global-study-on-work-life-challenges-across-generations.pdf

Gluten, dairy, pine nuts, tree nuts, sugar, carbs, legumes, vegetables… If you had to guess how many of these food groups are “bad” for you, would you be able to? Your first thought may be sugar, and that’s most likely because it’s an easy target to villainize. But there are good sugars, like the kind in the antioxidant-filled berries, local honey that can help your allergies, and bananas packed with potassium. Let’s move on to carbs, which seems to be the ultimate no-no in today’s society. Sure, white bread and pasta shouldn’t be eaten at every meal, but did you know that carbs are in vegetables, oats, fruit and legumes? Carbs can even be found in some types of dairy! But is that a good or bad thing, because we’re suddenly realizing the “dairy” we grew up with (like American cheese) isn’t really a whole food at all. With all of these new food findings, how can we know what is good and bad? And what if the whole issue isn’t about the health side of it – what if we all just want to be individuals, and picking apart food is the easiest way to get there?

I want to take a minute to offer up my deepest condolences to those of you who actually do have a food allergy. As a passionate bread connoisseur, I can’t imagine not being able to go to a restaurant and never having to think about every menu item in depth, making sure my health won’t be compromised by a mere crumb. For those of you who have a peanut allergy – we see you and we hear you. Seriously, these allergies are not to be messed with or made fun of, and I would like to apologize to those of you who are now the brunt of a lot of “Millennial” jokes just because you actually do have a serious allergy. I think I’m still more sorry that you can’t eat bread, dairy, peanuts, etc. than I am anything else, though.

And with that apology, another quick point to make is that dieting is a socioeconomic issue. The access you have to certain food labels such as organic, non-GMO, etc. is completely based on class, and if you have financial access to eat all organic foods, consider yourself lucky. This doesn’t happen for everyone. There is a journal entry in the US National Library of Medicine that states, “One likely contributor to the socioeconomic patterning in healthy diets is the cost of food: less nutritious, energy-dense foods are often cheaper sources of calories, and higher diet quality has been associated with higher diet cost.” Many people don’t get to pick and choose what foods they can put in a negative light. If you can, that isn’t a bad thing, but it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone has that luxury.

Now that we’ve cleared those subtopics up, I want to get back to the issue at hand, which is that a lot of Millennials are claiming food allergies and/or sensitivities when they don’t actually exist. Popular Science claims, “Although one in five people surveyed reported having an allergy, only about one in 10 actually does.”

Why would anyone want to be allergic or sensitive to a food when they aren’t really?! I have a few of my own ideas for why that may be:

1. It’s a lot easier to cut out a whole group of food than it is to pursue a holistic, healthy lifestyle.

Why else would trends like Whole30, Keto, Paleo and more be as popular as they are? The Whole30 has been attempted by many of my friends, and the few that are strong and brave actually finish it. Because honestly – it’s kind of the worst! Having a limited number of foods and beverages you can intake isn’t necessarily fun. Yet, being on the Whole30 is enticing because you know you will lose weight from it and eat healthier; all your parameters are set for you. This seems to be much easier than having an open-ended food intake and saying you’re wanting to eat healthy foods. Why not just cut out the bad ones entirely? The problem in most cases, though, is that these elimination diets are not sustainable over time.

2. It’s trendy to have an allergy or sensitivity.

Need I say more? You know that having issues with certain food groups is very “in” right now – it’s what Regina George would do in 2019, probably with carbs and sugar, maybe even with dairy.

3. You’ve convinced yourself the said food group is making you sicker.

And that very well may be true! This website can give you some assistance while you’re trying to figure out what’s going on in your body every time you eat pizza.

4. You want to be set apart from everyone else…

…which is kind of the whole point of this blog post. If you’re the only one in your friend group that has a dairy sensitivity, your pals probably know that they have to be pretty creative with dessert when you’re around. It’s something that makes you set apart from everyone. It gives you a new part of your identity. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does make you think about why you’ve decided to give up meat lately.

It isn’t outlandish to use food as an identity marker – food has actually been a huge piece of our identities since we were born. Food ties cultures together in a way not much else can. If you’re not from Philadelphia, what was the first thing you knew about the city? For me, being from Florida, it was cheesesteaks. The first aspect of San Diego I knew was that it houses some amazing Mexican restaurants. Every city, state and country is comprised of restaurants that make the environment what it is. When you think about the world in that perspective, you begin to feel much more connected to those geographical spots you aren’t familiar with at all.

Choosing to be gluten, dairy, nut, or carb-free doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong, but we will encourage you to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need even though you’ve cut out a food group that supplies them. Do your research so that every time you sit down for a meal, you know what you’re getting out of it. And if you realize most of what’s on your plate doesn’t harbor many nutrients, maybe swap out a side in order to get what you need. Listen to your body and learn from it.

And when it comes to individualism, you are an individual regardless of your food preferences. Food can bring community, but it doesn’t have to define you (unless you’re a chef, then maybe it does a little bit). At the end of the day, food is your loyal, life-giving friend – so treat it like one.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4910945/

https://www.popsci.com/allergies-food-intolerances-differences/

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/millennials-kraft-american-cheese-sales-decline

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263965.php