Spring 2020, #3

Hey PIU Students, this is the latest edition of the . . . President to Students  News.   Students Alumni, & Anyone else out there who is reading, As we saw in our opening chapel, The measure of excellence for Paul was doing what God led him to do. It had nothing to do with how he looked compared to others. (2 Corinthians 10:12-13) For him, the pursuit of excellence was a lifelong goal. He kept at it with a single focus. (Philippians 3:8-14) Those who settle for mediocrity won't achieve excellence. In fact, they often don't even rise to the level of being mediocre--middle of the pack. Aim at excellence. Speaking of excellence: This Saturday, several of our students will be attending the training session to be "encouragers" at the Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham, Michael W. Smith, and others. They'll be learning important skills that they can use to point others to faith in Christ. If you would like to join them, please let me or Mama Joyce know. Paul Drake has been encouraging our students toward greater physical fitness for as long as I can remember. He sent me this link to a brief PowerPoint/video, "What Happens When You Start to Exercise?" We'll meet again for our Encouraging Fitness time, 10:00 AM Saturday. Alex Tavarez reminded us to pick up instead of throw down.   Just a few days ago the world was shocked to hear of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and everyone else in the helicopter. Clearly, Kobe had pursued excellence on the basketball court, and from all I have read, he was continuing that pursuit of excellence after his NBA career.  In my nearly seven decades, I've seen a lot of lives that are described by "Could'a, Would'a, Should'a." I could have been a success if I would have done what it takes. I should have done that, but I didn't.  We are here to help you pursue excellence, from keeping our campus community clean, to caring for our health, to doing our very best in our classes, to getting out of bed on Sunday to worship with God's people. Let's do this! The Prez. PS: Don't forget February 6-8 is our Ministry Equipping Conference. It is about Christian Education in the Church. It is stuff you need to know. Pick up brochures in the front office.

Spring 2020, #2

Hey,

I think we had a pretty good first week. Thank you.

We don't have final numbers, yet, but it looks like there are a few more of you. Again, thanks. Students are our best recruiters.

I heard that the Laser-tag event was a lot of fun. It seems like Joshua Combs enjoyed it.

Some items of interest:

• The start to our "encouraging fitness" was small. Those who participated did a 30-minute walk with some picking-up-trash thrown in along the way.
  You can do some research, but it looks like a reasonable target is 30 minutes of aerobic exercise--walking, jogging, biking, etc. 3 times a week.
  Get a partner, encourage one another. Goals are up to you. We'll meet again Saturday at 10:00, for encouragement, planning, and exercise.
• Ministry Equipping Conference is February 6-8. This is an event you should plug into. Get a brochure in the front office.
• Church. Get a ride and go.
• C&G Monday at 10:00.

Live for Jesus, friends.

1/11/2020

Hey PIU Students, this is the latest edition of the . . . President to Students  News.   Students Alumni, & Others who are listening in, I hope you had a good break. While Kathy and I were very busy, we had a good holiday time. Now it is time to get going again. Let's do our best to make the first semester of the "20"s a great one. Here is a bit of a table of contents: A sincere thanks. A warm welcome. Dealing with some false information--a reprint. Making the most of our resources. Two great opportunities next month. Church Other stuff, good stuff, stuff you should read. Sincere Thanks: I mentioned that Kathy and I were very busy. We weren't the only busy ones. A lot of work was done over the break. Much of the work we did caused a mess. As the return of students drew closer, we weren't anywhere near being ready. Thanks to some students who were here during break, or who got back early, for stepping up and getting some good work done. One of our veteran teachers said she had never seen the classrooms look so good. To all who stepped up to help.  THANK YOU. Over break, Alex Tavarez and some friends put in a lot of work upgrading--really completely rebuilding our Wi- Fi network. We'll be having a special time, later, to thank Alex's friends. For now, THANK YOU. WELCOME: Whether you are a student returning from last semester, from a while back, or one of our new students, WELCOME. We are glad you are here. Students, thank you for helping spread the welcome. FALSE INFO. I recently sent a note about some false information that is circulating. Here it is again: There is no doubt that we are living in troubling times. The increasing tension and hostility between the USA and Iran should cause us to pray more. Many of you have loved ones in the military. We pray for them. Pray for leaders. Pray for the people of Iran. Unfortunately, some people have chosen this tense time to spread false information. If you receive an email claiming to be about the US military draft, ignore it. Do not respond to it. If you have questions talk to Alex, Celia, Kathy, Joshua, Delight, or me. The United States does not currently have an active military draft. It would take an action by the US Congress to activate the draft.  Pastor Tom Van Engen, who is well past 18, was in the last batch of Americans to be subject to the draft. It is true that it is mandatory for US citizens to register with the Selective Service (information here). That does not mean that the military draft is ongoing. Since just after Pastor Tom's entrance into the US Army (Thank you, Pastor Tom) the US military has been entirely voluntary (Thanks to all who serve). There is no relationship between filling out a FAFSA form, and being drafted. Again, there is no draft. Please do not pay attention to these rumors and/or lies. Yes, this is a time to pray. We should not fear that which is false. Do not respond to, or pass on this kind of false information. The trouble with Iran is not the only, or even the greatest, threat in the world, today. There are problems around the world, including here in Micronesia. This is the anniversary of the death of 5 young men who were addressing what was and is the world's major problem. It is my prayer that PIU will not cower in fear of falsehood, but will go forth with the truth. Let's live for Jesus and walk in the light of truth. You are welcome to stop by my office to pray for our world. MAKING THE MOST OF WHAT WE HAVE: Here in the islands, it is clear that we need to take care of the world the Lord has entrusted to us. When it comes to these matters, it is easy to just think in terms of government programs and ignore our personal responsibility. Over Christmas break, we installed 4 new toilets in dorm bathrooms. They use less water than the old ones. We also dealt with several leaks. I'll be dealing with one more today. Please do your part by: making sure you turn water, lights, aircons, etc. off when not in use. report leaks, malfunctioning toilets, and electrical problems. Leave the showerheads on. We save water by using them. If they are plugged up, report it. Put trash in containers. Aluminum should go in the containers marked for that.  Pick up trash. Put tools, dishes, pots, pans, and equipment away. One way that PIU continues to function is by cutting down on unneeded expenses. When you help PIU save, it helps you. Next month there are 2 great opportunities: February 6-8 is our Ministry Equipping Conference. It is about Christian Education in the Church. It is stuff you need to know. Pick up brochures in the front office. The Festival of Hope is a Guam-wide, multi-church effort to share the Gospel in Guam. https://www.facebook.com/Gu%C3%A5han-Festival-of-Hope-With-Franklin-Graham-110997613582668/ The big event is February 23. CHURCH, it's not a place you go, it is who God's people are. However, an important part of being the church is going to church. Want a ride? Ask.   Thoughts on church attendance: #1) It is clear, from the actions of the new Jesus followers on the Day of Pentecost, that fellowshipping with God’s people is the natural reaction of a believer. It’s un-natural for a Christian to avoid church. Academic Wisdom: Staying up late and staying in bed, feels good for a time. Failing a class and losing the opportunity of a lifetime lasts for all of life. DON'T WASTE YOUR OPPORTUNITY!           Live for Jesus. HM