Cedars, January 2018

January 2018 3 What do you hope for your 2018? Clara Costello Junior class Women’s Ministry Leader AJ Sherrill once said that “spiritual formation is a lifelong pursuit. Although there are moments of profound, instantaneous breakthrough, most spiritual formation is incremental, resulting from long commitment to practice.” Recently, I have been learning what it means to practice the way of Jesus, namely, being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what He did. In 2018, I hope to grow in each of these ways. First, I’m praying that my practice of the spiritual disciplines would be more deeply and richly impactful. May my meditations on the scriptures be sweeter, my prayers more closely aligned with the heart of God, my heart more broken over sin, and my joy abounding in the glories of Christ. The more I time I spend with Jesus, the more I can become like Him. Abiding in the vine equips me to walk in a way that is worthy of the gospel. Finally, doing what He did: I pray that as the character and love of Christ overflows into my life, the activities I pursue would ascribe glory to His name. The in-workings of grace should be made manifest in the out-workings of thankfulness, joy, and service of others. I pray that I think of myself less and consider others more important than myself, bear sufferings with an eternal perspective, and proclaim more fully that to live is Christ, and to die is gain. May I more readily die to myself, willingly take up my cross, and faithfully follow after Him daily. Just Sayin’ ... Alex Hentschel How To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions I t’s New Year’s Season — a time of new beginnings, hopes and the dreaded resolutions list. There are a few types of resolu- tion-makers. There’s “The Super Generalizer,” whose resolu- tions include vague statements that sound achievable, but aren’t without a specific plan, like “Be More Positive” and “Enjoy Life.” Conversely, there’s “The Weirdly Specif- ic,” which include things like “Wake Up At 6:30 on Weekdays, 7:13 on Weekends, All Naps Must Be Less Than 25 Minutes” and “Make Paella Once AMonth.” Regard- less of which category you fall into, unless you’re extremely disciplined, you’re going to have a lot of trouble keeping your res- olutions. I’ve compiled a list of the most common resolutions, along with a more achievable alternative. Your resolution: work out more. Alternatives: Duct tape yourself to a running treadmill while you’re sleeping — the back and forth movement of your prone body will burn a few calories, probably, and the skid marks on your face will be worth it; take the slightly longer route around the lake to whatever class you’re walking to and feel overly proud of yourself; register for PACL again so you are literally forced to work out more. Your resolution: Drink more water. Alternative: If the taste of water disgusts you, drink La Croix. Tasty needlessly expensive French hipster soda! Probably better than drinking Dr Pepper ... probably. Your resolution: Get good grades/a 4.0. Alternative: Drop out of school. You’ll be getting better grades because you won’t be getting any grades at all. Woohoo! (Just kidding. Please don’t expel me.) Your resolution: Save money. Alternative: Spend just as much, but take on a second job, get extremely burned out, have a mental breakdown on top of your massive pile of cash. Your resolution: Eat healthier. Alternatives: When you go to McDonalds in the middle of the night in a thick fog of self-loathing, order a dollar-menu cheeseburger instead of a Big Mac; only eat ramen for two out of three of your meals; go on a hunger strike against a cause of your choosing. Your resolution: Find love. Alternative: Fall in love with Jesus! He’ll never leave you nor forsake you nor leave you crying in the Taco Bell parking lot at 3 a.m. Your resolution: Find a more fulfilling job. Alternative: Come work for Cedars! You get to talk to so many cool people. You get paid to write cool stuff. Please. We need you. We’re desperate. Please. Your resolution: Take a trip. Alternative: Trips are expensive. Go to a Starbucks that you’ve never been to before. Your resolution: Pay off some debt. Alternative: You’re a college student. This resolution is a joke. Wait 5 years, then try this resolution again. Your resolution: Make more friends. Alternative: You don’t need other people. Alone time is the best time. When you really need other people, head to a coffee shop. That way you can still be alone but be near other people. Your resolution: Read your Bible. Alternative: There’s no alternative to reading your Bible. Sorry. All in all, New Year’s resolutions are a good way to be disap- pointed in yourself. Try these more attainable goals and feel so much more fulfilled! Or, better yet, don’t make resolutions at all — you can goal-set any time of the year, and this tired tradition is just a way to feel disappointed. Alexandria Hentschel is a sophomore International Studies and Spanish double major and the Off-Campus news editor for Ce- dars. She enjoys old books, strong coffee, and honest debate. Websclusives @ ReadCedars.com P hoto Christmas Highlights 2017 See some of the highlights of the Christmas festivities that took place on campus.