Different from Our Expectations

At the regional speech and debate tournament in May the tournament director read a letter from a person who had judged at the tournament. In the letter the judge had written (among other things) that he had come to the tournament expecting a bunch of unruly teenagers, and been surprised by the professionalism and maturity that the competitors had.

Sometimes in life we expect one thing, wish for one thing or want one thing and God gives us something completely different. At the beginning of this year I wasn't expecting to go to nationals, and if I went to nationals I figured would probably go in debate because I hadn't a chance in speech. Well, whadya know, I made it to nationals. Three guesses what I qualified in. Yup, speech and my dramatic interp at that. Me, the girl who was not meant to do well in all types of speech, especially the interps. God sure has a sense of humor, and He is also very good.

But apart from just debate, there have been other areas in my life where I have expected or wanted a particular thing and God has surprised me with something else. Something that I have realized is better. One area of this is my college. This year I applied for two colleges, Hillsdale and the UNO. I really really wanted to go to Hillsdale. It was a good college, I knew I would be challenged there, I could get a good scholarship and I already knew a bunch of people going there. I didn't get in, I got into UNO instead. A college I only applied to after I found out I wasn't going to Hillsdale so that I wouldn't be stuck taking classes at a community college.

But looking at things now, I am very glad I'm not going to Hillsdale this year. Yes the school is good, but the classes are hard, and I don't know if I would have been ready for them. Yes there was a good scholarship, but I'm able to go to UNO pretty much for free and I won't have to take out any loans. Yes I have friends going there, but I now get to stay home with my family and friends here. I can still work with the debate club, judge tournaments and get used to taking college classes without having to go so far from home. I still want to try and transfer to Hillsdale after I finish this year at UNO and I really hope I get in. But I know if I don't, it will be for the best.

So yes, sometimes in life we get what we don't expect and because God is in control it is often better. The judge who wrote the letter had gone to the tournament expecting normal teenagers, and he was surprised for the better. He also wrote that he had gone simply expecting to judge a couple of rounds, but he came away with a conviction to go back to church and re-explore the Christianity he had abandoned. Sometimes what is better, is different from our expectations.

-Nat

Scientist Discover the “Narnia Effect”

By Natalie Schneider

May 6, 2011

Have you ever sat in class and felt like it lasted longer than the specified hour? Do you remember how when you go shopping time always seems to move faster outside of than inside? Well, according to a recent discovery made by scientist you might not be so off on how different the time seems to be.

Scientist discovered what they are dubbing as the “Narnia effect.” It appears that in certain areas, time is actually warped and activities that take place in that area actually move slower or faster than activities that take place outside of it. “It is actually quite spectacular,” Dr. Braden Harm, one of the scientists who discovered this, stated. “For some reason certain events and locations will attract this phenomenon, and time will actually become distorted.” The areas that attract this singularity that have been identified so far are shopping centers, class rooms and debate tournaments. This discovery is being touted by some as one of the greatest discoveries of all time. Dr. Steven Evens, another scientist working on the project, stated. “If we can harness this we can use it to put terminal patients in stasis until a cure can be discovered. Or even travel through time.”

Some people still remain skeptical concerning the validity of these findings. Dr. Jeckle Hyde Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland is a vocal critic of these findings, “The idea that time could be warped like that is just plain ridiculous. We all know that it is just our imagination,” Hyde stated. “We already know that time is relative,” Dr. Harm responded. “So this theory is not that big of a leap from that. Besides, all of our experiments support our findings.”

Regardless of the accuracy of these findings, this revelation has caused quite a stir around the world. Some people have become strongly critical of the project, claiming that it is dangerous if the wrong people acquired it. The Lead Center for Time Travel Discovery (LCTTD), the organization that discovered the phenomenon, has come under heavy fire from activist groups. Mary Little, leader of People Against Time Travel (PATT), organized a protest outside of LCTTD headquarters stating, “These actions are foolish and wrong, we should not be allowing them to try and gain power of time. This will lead to the destruction of our world as we know it.” They have also received criticism from the Vulcan Science Directorate who has already “determined that time travel is impossible.”

The controversy that has surrounding LCTTD has led to some private donors removing their support from the organization. But despite all of the trouble Frank Furrter, spokesman for LCTTD stated that they will, “stand firm behind their discovery” and not “simply push it aside because there is some opposition. All of the great scientific discoveries met with opposition  and if those people gave up too, we would still think the earth rested on the back of a turtle.”