Living Now as if Then: Thoughts from Nahum

August 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is re-posted with permission from Dr. George Snyder, Davis College’s Hebrew professor. Visit his blog here.

I just completed eight weeks with my Sunday school class on Nahum; they seemed to enjoy the study. So what is a Christian supposed to get out of the vitriolic  message of this 7th century prophet, as he rails against the current evil empire? Several thoughts come to mind, but one stands out. Nahum, as with all of Israel’s prophets (there is an exception or two), was not sent to Nineveh to deliver his message, but to Judah itself. Thus, his was not a word of warning, but one of hope. “Assyria, you are about to let my people go; thus says yhwh.”

How then was Judah to receive this word from their God? After all, their nation was vassal to Nineveh: a heavy tax burden was due every year, a rather large Assyrian idol occupied a central place in the temple, and a constant flow of foreign traders, soldiers, and politicians traveled through, often stopping to ensure that Judahites understood who was in control — of everything.

This, more than anything else, defines God’s relationship with his people; it’s one of promise, the fulfillment of which yet lies over the horizon. God could get rid of Assyria at anytime, either miraculously via cosmic events or through normal, divinely controlled, political events.

But then if he always acted on his people’s demand, who would be God?

Rather he has chosen to speak the future, while calling upon his people to live in the present having to realize that the God who would deliver them is more than capable of taking care of them until that deliverance occurs.

In other words: God wanted them, he wants us, to (learn to) live well in an ugly world. Yes, Jesus will soon return, but in the meantime, live with full assurance that he is in absolute control of the mess that we call this life. Live now as if then.

Filed Under: Bible, Binghamton NY, Christianity, College, Devotional, Theology Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Musings on “Biblical” Leadership

August 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We teach an introductory course called Biblical Concepts of Leadership at Davis College, all the while acknowledging that the Bible is not meant as a textbook on leadership per se. Indeed, the self-attesting purpose of Scripture is “ . . . to make [us] wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). That’s it. God gave us the Bible because we’ve all sinned, severed ourselves from Him, and now we need to be made right with Him. If anything, and with more than a little irony, the Bible is a primer on how to follow, not how to lead.

Still, the Bible is applicable to the study of leadership, as to all things: “All Scripture is . . . useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16). It’s like a “halo” effect—as Scripture addresses our sanctification, it begins to impact most everything we do, including the ways we lead. Leadership will have been done well when it has been carried out by righteous people gifted and/or trained to lead, and who do so as a good work for God alone.

Biblical Leadership

So as we engage in leadership studies at Davis, we look to the Scriptures more for application than for any kind of directive. Few if any Bible passages serve as “proof texts” on leadership, as giving God’s direct and final word on that subject. Instead, we must do the hard work of contextualizing a given text to our role as leaders, building bridges from the Bible story to our story, moving from the general (e.g., righteousness) to the particular (righteous leadership). Outside the pastoral epistles, at least, we mind patterns of leadership more than precepts.

Of course, there are good and bad examples of leadership in the Bible. Invariably, we find ourselves disagreeing over the rightness or wrongness of the choices made by otherwise exemplary men or women of God. That is why some of us, upon reading the story of Gideon, will set out “fleeces” as a way of arriving at key decisions, and others of us will not. And maybe that is okay. Perhaps we are allowed to lead differently, in step with our individual giftedness, in keeping with the measure of faith God has bestowed upon us, and in view of the situation for which we must lead. At least I’d like to think that’s how it works. What are your thoughts?

Dr. Charles J. Colton lectures in Systematic Theology and New Testament at Davis College in Johnson City, New York, where he also chairs the Organizational Leadership Program. He is a member of the Main Street Baptist Church in Binghamton, New York, and is the author of Core Christianity: The Tie That Binds.

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LAUNCH! Dual Enrollment: Savings for Parents, Success for Students

July 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Davis College offers creative dual enrollment opportunities for students.If you are the parent of a high school sophomore, junior or senior, you are probably navigating through ways to help your soon-to-be college student afford a solid education. For those of you with a few years left to map out a successful strategy, dual enrollment may be something you will want to consider.

Dual enrollment college courses help high school students (homeschool, public or private school) gain a solid foundation for college success. At the same time students are taking college level courses, parents usually see significant savings in the cost they pay for accredited Christian college courses. It is a win-win opportunity for parents to launch their children into a successful college experience while minding the checkbook along with the worldview their student/s will be taught from.

So how does the dual enrollment process work?

Dual Enrollment is defined on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_enrollment) as:

“Dual enrollment is advantageous to students because it allows them to get a head start on their college careers. In some cases, the student may even be able to attain an Associate of Arts or equivalent degree shortly before or after their high school graduation. Furthermore, participation in dual enrollment may ease the transition from high school to college by giving students a sense of what college academics are like. In addition, dual enrollment may be a cost-efficient way for students to accumulate college credits because courses are often paid for and taken through the local high school.” (Read the entire definition here)

Davis College provides a couple of creative ways for families to benefit from dual enrollment.

1. Teaching Sites: A number of Christian high schools in our region offer accredited Davis College courses to their students. The curriculum complements the goals of the school, since Davis College courses are taught from a biblical worldview, and meets the needs of students desiring accredited college courses that they can transfer to Davis College. Most Christian high schools partnering with Davis College will offer one or two courses in the Fall and Spring semesters.

2. LAUNCH! Dual Enrollment: LAUNCH! is a program Davis College offers to high school juniors and seniors. Beginning the summer of their sophomore high school year, students can take courses through their senior year that will allow them to finish their first year of college, while completing high school graduation requirements.

At Davis College, the cost for high school juniors and seniors taking accredited courses online is reduced to only $550 per course, a 51% discount off the regular cost. High school students taking courses on our main campus pay only $325 per accredited course, a 73% discount off the regular cost.

In summary, the LAUNCH! Dual Enrollment program at Davis College offers the following benefits for high school students and their parents:

  • Accredited college courses offered at highly discounted rates for high school students enrolled online or on campus at Davis College.
  • Credits are valid towards high school graduation, and for transfer to Davis College. (You may also choose to transfer credits to another college of your choice  – just be sure to verify with your high school and college to ensure they will accept transfer credits.)
  • Parents save a significant amount of money.
  • Students LAUNCH! into college with courses completed through this convenient, affordable and student-friendly dual enrollment option.

Ready to learn more? Visit www.davisny.edu/launch for program schedule and details or call 1.877.WHYDC4U (1.877.949.3248).

Filed Under: Bible, Binghamton, Christianity, College, Homeschool, Innovation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Demonstrating “Employability” in an Interview

June 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
tips to dress for successI mentioned Employ-ability in my last blog post. I said: “Employ-ability covers a range of interview issues – like how to dress (modestly and professionally), when to show up (a smidge early), how to interact (person-ably and consistently), and so forth. I’ve found that most college grads gain these skills through their various collegiate interactions, yet some don’t.”  So let’s break this down a little bit:

How should we dress for an interview?

This is a tough one in today’s “dress-down” work world.  You don’t want to over-dress yet you want to present a professional image.  The best way to know what a company expects of a professionally dressed employee is to ask.  If you can ask someone that works there what the dress norms are that is ideal, but if not ask the person who invites you to the interview.  Something like:  “I want to be sure to dress professionally for this interview and there are so many definitions of that in today’s workforce? Can you tell me what most people wear to work there at your company?” Then dress UP one level for your interview.

Prepare what you are going to wear in advance – not the night before – because what you have in mind to wear might not be in the condition you last remember it or it may not fit as well as it used to.  Be sure what you wear is comfortable – but not too comfortable.

Women:  In a nut shell – dress modestly and err on the conservative side.  You may want to put your hair up if it is long, so that the interviewer can see your face.  I like pants suits because you don’t have to worry about how short your skirt is or getting a run in your stockings.  Wear flats or heels, whatever you are more comfortable in and whatever is going to be a good fit for the organization and type of work you are interviewing for.  Show NO cleavage.  Wear a little make-up:  just enough to demonstrate that you put some thought into your appearance, and not so much that they would not recognize you without it.

Men: In a nutshell – dress professionally and err on the conservative side.  Even if you are interviewing for a construction position it is better to over dress yet be realistic.  You can always take off the tie or the coat if you wear a suit.  If you are a person that sweats a lot under pressure take that into consideration when choosing what you wear.

Smell nice but don’t have your nice smell be the strongest impression that you leave.  The best bet for this is to put your “scent” on several hours before the interview begins.

If you are traveling a distance for your interview, it’s a good idea to wear different clothes for the trip and then stop somewhere close to your destination and change.  You’ll be more comfortable for the  trip and the possibility for mishaps narrows.  Just be sure to figure the time to change into your schedule.

Who knew there was so much to know about dressing for employ-ability in an interview? Yet I’ve probably only answered half of the questions I’ve gotten on this topic over the past 10 years.

JoAnne Casterlin is an Adjunct Professor at Davis College in Career Development. She is an active career and life coach who has worked in Career Development for over 10 years. JoAnne seeks to encourage others facing life transitions and challenges through coaching, blogging, and sharing her testimony. She speaks on the theme of “Authentic, Abiding and Abundant Christian Living” and focuses on helping women of all ages to better handle life changes, break free from adversity and experience spiritual growth with grace, courage and wisdom.

JoAnne can be reached by email at jcasterlin@davisny.edu. Visit her blog at http://stillnessandmotion.blogspot.com/
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7 Ways to Help To Prevent Burn Out

June 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
how to prevent burning out at your job

Photo via RELEVANT Magazine

A recent article from Relevant Magazine highlighted an issue that is prevalent among many students and young professionals (even the not so young professionals): burn out.

It’s important to not only be aware of the risk to burning out (whether that be at school, work, or other personal projects or passions in your life) but it’s also important to know the signs so you can avoid it.

According to the article (which has 10 tips), here are the first seven tips to help you avoid overworking and burning out:
1. Get the rhythm right. It’s actually prayer, play and work. Did you notice I inverted the order? Priorities make all the difference.

2. Put God first and foremost in everything. If I continually invited Him into every aspect of my life, I would have no reason to stress. When the stress comes, remember to focus on the fact that your Father is in control and wants the best for you. Ask him to come first in your life and ask him to take control of your stress.

3. Allow God to defend you. God is my defender. I don’t need to justify myself to anyone. He’ll do it for me or kindly correct me depending on the circumstances.

4. People who believe they can sleep when they’re dead never really get to fully experience life. Don’t fool yourself, sleep is so important. Even if you can function on four hours of sleep, it doesn’t mean that you can live your best life the next day. Sleep so you can live and worship God with the life you live.

5. Rest is a form of worship. Enjoy free time. Enjoy opportunities to exercise, appreciate nature, play a musical instrument, write, hang out with friends, read and just explore God’s creation. “Rest is about trusting God enough to take the time to appreciate His blessings.”

6. Turn off the technology. Let’s be honest, do you need Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and three email accounts pushed to your iPhone every five minutes? We tend to idolize technology. What if you spent that time with God and the people God put in your life? Try it out.

7. It’s okay to say “No.” There is freedom in admitting you can’t do everything. Make sure to check out the entire article for the other five tips. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/features/29439-quit-working-so-hard

How else can you faithfully work hard but not burn out?
Filed Under: Christianity, College, Post-College Life Tagged With: , , , , ,

Internships that Impact Lives – Sara Petzke, Class of 2012, Christian Counseling Program

June 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“We wanted to get the whole family involved at our Dessert Celebration this year, so we created the Kids Program, which was a huge success with almost 30 kids in attendance! Our goal was to inspire the next generation to promote a culture of life, and to teach them that every life matters to God. During the lesson the kids heard about baby Moses and how God valued his life. They learned that every person’s life is important and to care about others. They also played fun team-building games, decorated a flower pot and potted a crocus and enjoyed delicious cupcakes! Everyone had a great time and left ready to Inspire Life!” – Written by Sarah Petzke
Sara Petzke

Sara Petzke

Sara Petzke has been our student intern this spring. As a senior counseling student at Davis College, she fulfilled her requirements serving as an intern for 80 hours at Life Choices Center. Her main task was to develop and oversee the new Kids Program at the Dessert Celebration. Sara researched ideas to use with the kids for games and a Bible lesson. While not very familiar with working with kids, Sara does like to plan things, and had a lot of fun with this event! As much as she likes to plan, Sara’s time at Life Choices Center has taught her to be flexible as different circumstances can come up.

She was able to sit in on pregnancy tests with clients and even ultrasounds! One of Sara’s favorite moments during her internship was when one ultrasound client saw her baby on the monitor and informed us, “Well, you just saved a life!” We were glad that Sara had the opportunity to Inspire Life with us and wish her well as she graduates! – Life Choices Center

Learn more about the Davis College Christian Counseling Program Here: http://davisny.edu/FutureStudents/AcademicPrograms/CounselingConcentration.aspx

About Life Choices Center:
Life Choices Center is a non-profit, privately funded pregnancy resource center that helps people before, during, and after an unplanned pregnancy.

Whether it’s a free pregnancy test, a shoulder to cry on, helping someone make a plan to break tough news to their parents, after-abortion support, parenting classes, free diapers, or adoption support, Life Choices Center is there to help however they can.

Life Choices Center is located at 93 Oak St. across from Binghamton High School. You can visit them online at http://www.lifechoicescenter.org, or “Like” their page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LifeChoicesCenter.
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Top Five Interviewing Tips for New (or not so new) Grads | Part Two

May 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
top 5 interview tips for college gradsEarlier this week, we introduced to you the TOP TWO tips for new (or not so new) graduates going into job interviews. Here’s a look at the next three tips to help college students, recent graduates and newly (or not so newly) unemployed people get that job.

#3 – Be PREPARED. – There is much more to being prepared for interviewing  then this, yet many people don’t consider these so I can’t in good conscience leave them out:  bringing a copy of your resume and cover letter in a portfolio or a folder and a piece of paper and a pen.  This will help but what will set you apart are the questions that you practiced answering and the questions that you prepare to ask in the interview.  Yes I did say practice answering questions. There are thousands of resources on the internet for commonly asked interview questions – find some reputable ones and thoughtfully answer them before you begin interviewing.  Unless you’ve aced every interview you’ve ever had you will benefit from this practice time.  Even more important though is preparing more than a handful of strong questions to ask your interviewer at some point during the interview.  These should not be questions about money or benefits or what you might gain from the job.  They should be questions that demonstrate that you are also focused on best fit and that you are hoping to find out as much about them and the job through the interview process as they are about you.

#4 – Be EMPLOYABLE. – Employers are not only looking for the person with the best skill set they also looking for someone who is going to represent their company well.  Employ-ability covers a range of interview issues – like how to dress (modestly and professionally), when to show up (a smidge early), how to interact (person-ably and consistently), and so forth. I’ve found that most college grads gain these skills through their various collegiate interactions, yet some don’t.  I guess another blog post is in order for this topic. Less obviously, I want to share what get’s interviewers hung up and what can de-rail an otherwise successful job search for some people.  Distraction. Distraction is an interview killer and it can create in the interviewer’s mind a doubt about employ-ability and, more importantly longevity.  If an interviewer is distracted by the interviewee’s appearance, fidgeting, stammering or inability to understand or answer her questions she will wonder if you will be a good fit for ANY job, no matter your skills and knowledge.  You need to be sure to eliminate ALL distractions.

#5 – Be PROACTIVE. – This is pivotal both before and at the close of the interview.  When they call to invite you to the interview be sure to ask the pertinent questions that will help you prepare for the interview, like who you will be interviewing with (including names and titles), for how long, in what format, and what is the company’s dress code.  Ideally you should be asking some of these questions of the individual with whom you’ve been networking with about the opportunity but if you must wait and ask these questions of the person who calls you to invite you to the interview then do it.   The rule of thumb when asking questions before, during or after an interview is that they be relevant, respectful or relational, as your goal is to identify and demonstrate best fit.   Never leave an interview without the capability of following up in some way and be sure to have the right contact information to send a thank you note.  Most importantly the questions that you ask at the end of the interview are either going to set you apart from other candidates or not. Be sure you are prepared to show your uniqueness either at the close of the interview or with your follow up activities. This requires proactive questions and behaviors that will make the interviewer want to maintain a relationship with you once the interview is over.

JoAnne Casterlin is an Adjunct Professor at Davis College in Career Development. She is an active career and life coach who has worked in Career Development for over 10 years. JoAnne seeks to encourage others facing life transitions and challenges through coaching, blogging, and sharing her testimony. She speaks on the theme of “Authentic, Abiding and Abundant Christian Living” and focuses on helping women of all ages to better handle life changes, break free from adversity and experience spiritual growth with grace, courage and wisdom.

 

JoAnne can be reached by email at jcasterlin@davisny.edu. Visit her blog at http://stillnessandmotion.blogspot.com/
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Top Five Interviewing Tips for New (or not so new) Grads

May 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
After conducting 100s of interviews and 1,000s of resume reviews in my various roles as an HR professional, technical recruiter, career consultant and college professor, it still amazes me the misinformed pre-conceptions that job seekers have about interviews. I got to thinking about the number of mock interviews that I’ve conducted over the past four years at Davis College for the Career Development course and I realized that there were some definite threads of wisdom that we share in the mock interview debrief that any job seeker could benefit from.

#1 – Be REAL. Think “Express” vs. “Impress” – I know this seems backwards to most people. The reality is that the interviewer is likely going to see right through your attempts to impress. Now, I’m not advocating being lazy or unprepared. Just be real. A lot of interviewers get hung up and nervous because they are “being judged”. They try to use words and phrases that are not normal language for them and they spend too much energy trying to impress that they lose their opportunity to express who they are.  The interviewer is looking for insight about who you are and looking to confirm what you say you know and can do for them. The interview is the time for expression of who you are without being self promotional. Using phrases like – “I’ve been recognized for…” or “I’ve been told that I…” helps you to share who you are without an attitude of arrogance.  Being genuine will help you to express who you are and will organically demonstrate your uniqueness to the interviewer.

#2 – Be AWARE. – No, I didn’t say beware. I said be A-ware, of yourself, the interviewer, the organization and the job that you are interviewing for. Get informed first and foremost about your product – YOU – and how you are a good fit for the company and job you are interviewing for. This takes a level of self awareness and maybe even some self-assessment so that you can know your knowledge, abilities, skills and traits well enough to communicate them to a complete stranger in an unfamiliar environment. Be aware of who your interviewer is – preferably before the interview begins. This helps you to better relate to him or her and create a relationship that could help you with this opportunity or one down the road. Research the organization and the job that you are interviewing for long before the interview so that you can prepare questions that are intelligent and thought provoking and that demonstrate your fit for the organization. Dig as deep as you can so you can help the interviewer see who you are and what you can do for them if they add you to their payroll.

Check back on Friday for tips 3-5!

JoAnne Casterlin is an Adjunct Professor at Davis College in Career Development. She is an active career and life coach who has worked in Career Development for over 10 years. JoAnne seeks to encourage others facing life transitions and challenges through coaching, blogging, and sharing her testimony. She speaks on the theme of “Authentic, Abiding and Abundant Christian Living” and focuses on helping women of all ages to better handle life changes, break free from adversity and experience spiritual growth with grace, courage and wisdom.

JoAnne can be reached by email at jcasterlin@davisny.edu. Visit her blog at http://stillnessandmotion.blogspot.com/
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The How, When and Where of Handing Down our Faith

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This is a guest post by Tim and Tami Thurber
_____________________
“…you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.” Deut. 6:7 NET[1]As a Church and as parents, we are failing.

Christians are doctrinally illiterate. In 2002 the Barna group found that 52% of evangelicals say there is no original sin. That same study revealed that 46% of Protestants say truth is not found in the Bible, but through logic, human reasoning, and personal experience.[2] Unfortunately, we cannot expect that in the last ten years the numbers have gotten better!

What is the cause of this? There are many factors, but the majority of the blame must fall on parents. At least, that is where God puts the blame. God wants parents to hand down their faith and beliefs to their children. Deuteronomy 6:7 gives us guidance for this handing down.

This verse begins by saying that parents should teach their children God’s commands. Whatever God has revealed to us through Scripture, we must make sure our children know. The word in Deuteronomy 6:7 translated “teach” means to “engrave.” We are to be intentional about making sure our children know who God is and what he has done. Being intentional means we must plan and make time for this instruction. This may mean that we sacrifice other things, even some hobbies we enjoy or value, in order to make sure that this teaching time happens. There are many ways to teach Christian beliefs to our children. Some of them involve using tools, such as the family devotional, Handing It Down, that we wrote.

But being intentional about handing down our beliefs is not the only way we teach our children. Deuteronomy 6:7 goes on to say that we are to speak to our children when we are at home and as we walk along the road, as we lie down and as we get up. Speaking to our children about God involves taking the opportunities outside of intentional teaching times to talk about our beliefs. When we are at home, we might use a household chore to pass on the belief that we are to do everything for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31) When we are traveling to the store or school or on vacation we might use a child’s delight at a flower, tree, or cloud to exclaim over God’s creativity and wisdom.

We are also to speak as we lie down and as we get up. We speak to our children about God in the morning, evening, and every time in between. God wants us to be ready all the time to speak to our children about him.

As we become more intentional about teaching our children, and take advantage of the spontaneous opportunities that come, we can stem the tide of biblical illiteracy.

About Tim and Tami Thurber:

Tim and Tami Thurber are adjunct professors at Davis College. They co-authored a book titled, “Handing it Down: Teaching Your Children the Basic Truths of Faith.” This book is a family devotional designed to help lead the next generations into a deeper understanding of the truths of Christianity. This easy-to-read, insightful book covers deep theological topics without drowning the reader. The Thurber’s believe it’s time that we teach our children WHAT we believe and WHY we believe it – not just how to live it.

“Finally a tool for parents to teach their children ‘what we believe’ in a systematic yet creative and interesting manner. In an age of Biblical and doctrinal illiteracy, the Thurber’s have hit a home run.” – Chip Ingram, Senior Pastor, Venture Christian Church, Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge.

Order the book on Amazon at http://amzn.com/0982577370 or directly from Tim and Tami at http://tthurber.com.

[1] Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://bible.orgAll rights reserved.[2]

The Barna Group, “Americans Draw Theological Beliefs From Diverse Points of View,”  http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/82-americans-draw-theological-beliefs-from-diverse-points-of-view?q=original+sin, (accessed May 2, 2012).

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Staying Healthy on Campus

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Dorms are much like sardine cans – packing in a lot of people into a relatively small amount of space. All that proximity can pretty easily lead to sicknesses that spread through entire halls. Take a look at the graphic below and learn how to better protect yourself against some common ailments. This is especially important during finals week when more people are studying together and stress is at its highest levels. To make the graphic bigger, just click on it.

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