Palm Beach Atlantic University Student Blogs

Lately history has been a big theme in my conversations.

May it be traditions, old buildings, significant works of art, innovative music, stories, pictures, late 90’s technology all seems to have a common theme: it is important to preserve that and be proud of it!

I have been playing with slides from the mid 90’s, laptops from like 1980-something, and Polaroid Cameras… these are the beginning of digital cameras, mac-books, projectors, HDtv, and iPods. Things move, progress, evolve and mature, but the new things does not mean that we can forget the old ones.

Buildings are being remodeled at PBA. Some will eventually be taken down, others will be built. Change is a natural thing to happen, but we need to remember where we came from. We need to remember the context in which this university was created and came to life.

It’s not only about PBA, or technology. Change happens everywhere. For instance, as Christians we have progressed from a life that was full of sin and impurities. All that is in the past, but we cannot forget from where God saved us from. We need to remember to be thankful, and never go back there again.

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Change sucks. I am petrified of change. In a way, I am comfortable where I am. I can breathe easy. I can relax, and be unstressed and just enjoy. Why should things change? It seems that things are not only changing for me, but for others who are close to me. The question here is why?

I once heard an amazing man who I respect and admire talk about a “machete”, which is basically a big ol’ knife used to do agricultural labor. These tend to be long and with a very sharp edge. They are used for very hard labor, so the material should be resistant. At the same time, it should be flexible enough to not break upon impact. The best machete can be grabbed at the sharpest tip and bent towards the handle without the blade snapping in half. This is a useful machete; one that will withstand the labor and bounce back from the hardest stroke.

But a machete does not just turn out to be like that. The material that makes up the blade is not like that at first, it needs to be purified and molded towards that perfect state. The only way this metal blade will mold and behave according to the desired purpose is through being put to the fire. The refiner will heat the blade until it is burning red, to then proceed to hammer it to make the blade thin and flexible. The refiner will then let it cool and then test the flexibility of the blade. If it does not bend like the refiner wants, the process will be repeated. It will burn again. It will get hammered again. This will happen continuously until it bends. The result is a perfect blade, specifically made to fulfill its purpose. 

Zechariah 13:9 “This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ”

We are burned and hammered to fulfill our purpose. And God does not want to harm us, but allow us to be that perfect blade He can use to it’s maximum potential. Why change? I would answer my own question by saying that this change will make me the perfect blade. It is so hard and scary to deal with change, but it is a step forward to becoming more like Christ. God will lovingly burn, hammer, and bend. Let me assure you that after it is over your heart will sing: “the Lord is my God.”

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Hey there! I have a couple of pics and random happenings with you.
First, a few weeks back my two best friends from HS came to visit me. We did everything together back in Guatemala, but since we graduated all 3 of us had not been together at the same [...] Continue Reading…

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