OCD, A Fine Frenzy, and Romans

Hah. This is a mental disorder poster by British designer Patrick Smith. You can find more here.

Now that more people are using the Internet, a lot of people have been blogging. And the more people who blog, the more instances they blog about the same things. Sometimes I wonder if people who are reading mine think that I have been reading theirs if I happen to mention the same things. I wouldn't know. But it is definitely a possibility. For example, two of my friends discussed marriage within one or two days of each other. Maybe there is the confounding variable that many people in college tend to think about marriage. I guess it doesn't really matter too much unless all my friends suddenly start talking about mental disorder posters from Design Milk.

This is a quote straight from YouTube. I know, I'm getting good sources. "...the boys picked the rotten apples at the bottom because they were too lazy to climb the top." The quote is referencing a song, "You Picked Me" by A Fine Frenzy. It's sweet.

My friend let me borrow her copy of The Reason for God by Tim Keller. I have not finished reading it yet. It isn't going to completely sway you in any one direction but it shows that some really difficult questions (such as why God allows suffering, why there is a Hell, why Christianity and not another religion, etc.) actually have answers, and he offers his answers! It's kind of a relief to read things like this. He mentions CS Lewis quite a bit, so if you've read Mere Christianity, you'll probably feel pretty well-read throughout the first few chapters.

These verses in particular have been on my mind for a few weeks. You know how the newer Windows OS's have Sticky Notes (By the way, Ctrl+Shift+> and Ctrl+Shift+< changes the font size.)? When I see something interesting or someone tells me something worth sticking on my computer, I use that. You can tell I really like Romans.

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29.
...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Romans 9:3.

QA for Cornell 2015

A friend got into Cornell University (Congratulations!) and had a few questions for me. I'd like to share them with other potential pre-freshmen. Let me know if you have any other questions about anything.

My best advice is to physically visit the schools that accepted you.

1. Is being in Cornell kinda isolated? I heard from someone that the town of Ithaca is kinda boring by itself.
It is physically isolated but there are constantly buses that go to NYC. Ithaca isn't actually boring once you learn more about it. Think of Duke... it's in Durham, where I hear it is pretty dangerous. Ithaca has a great farmer's market, everyone seems to good about the environment, there are beautiful gorges and waterfalls on campus, there are definitely things to do, and Cornell has SO much going on that even if you're too lazy to walk off campus, you'll always find things. For example, there are more clubs at Cornell than I have heard of at other schools. Like 1000 or something, maybe a little less (800-ish? but still a lot I'm guessing) registered officially. It is good to get away, but I think that getting away is more about leaving the bubble that is Cornell if you let it become monotonous and study all the time.

2. Is the workload impossible? I heard Cornell was pretty intense.
It is very intense, especially if you are an engineer or architect. But you can do it. I studied for one and a half days on a linear algebra test that had a mean of a 74 and I got a 99. I'm not a genius, no matter what compliments you kindly throw at me. There will always be someone who beats you, but if you work hard, you will be okay. Also keep in mind that a B average at Cornell is much more impressive than an A average elsewhere. Thousands of kids just like you have gone through Cornell and definitely graduated. You will learn how to make time for things you enjoy, and find that you enjoy so much more than you realized.

3. How is the weather? haha.
It's not very good. But the amazing thing is, whenever it gets over 50 degrees or is sunny for a day (or a few days in a row), suddenly everyone is like :D :D :D at you. This is actually significant because I always got the gut feeling that people at Cornell (staff and students) are extremely kind. For example, if you walk along and realize you need a dollar, suddenly three people will stop what they are doing and try to help you. This didn't happen to me but I was one of the three people who stopped. It's moments like these that you end up just expecting to see. Going back to weather: I thought it would be SO COLD after I got back from winter break, but it hasn't been bad at all. I'm not kidding, you're going to step into 30 degree weather and seriously not find it too cold. And when it is sunny, whether I am here or in Florida? I have absolutely never APPRECIATED the sun this much in my life. So I think it's good to go through "bad" weather for a few years. You'll see. But it is sunny sometimes.

4. What's your favorite thing about Cornell?
The people. Everyone finds people who connect with them. You know how if you meet someone and you get the feeling that you could be their best friend? I've made a lot of close friends and it hasn't been a year. Almost everyone (except Hotelies) has a hefty workload so you can all complain together. But that isn't the best part. People here are helping me in so many ways. I have friends who see God pursuing me, and know that He will reveal Himself to me. Or friends who rejected MIT and Caltech to come here because they felt better and happier here. And all these friends are so different (Cornell has really diverse people compared to other schools that I've visited). Keeping this in mind, you are going to change so much in these few years. Wouldn't you want the people who surround you to be this kind, interesting and giving? And wouldn't you want to help mold them?

5. Least favorite?
Feeling like I just tried really hard on an essay and realizing it wasn't good enough to get an A. I might get my first B in a class this semester.
Okay, I'm kind of kidding. It really isn't in terms of letter grades. Sometimes I personally feel terrible when I face my limitations. But limitations come in different levels, not just with school.
I think the number one thing that people are unhappy about is the work load. But then I think, why not be pushed? I don't want to be a wimp and go to Brown. (No offense.) The time is going by so quickly, anyway.
I think the things that disappoint me are often things that you would see at any school. Like if I see one of my friends crying, at first I feel like the whole world is unfair. (And then you think about things like Romans 8:28 and you're like ... oh-wait-a-moment. All is not lost! There is always hope! Let's keep going!) But a friend crying doesn't really have much to do with the school. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.