[CCF]CCF Winter Break
Monday, December 12, 2022Hey all!
Hope people are enjoying the start of winter break! 3 things on my mind currently.
- Fall term reflection: I'll open up a zoom room on Friday (~7:30 PT, TBD) for anyone who would like to talk / reflect upon how fall term went. Things you've learned, things you'll want to keep going into winter/spring term, things you'll not want to keep, goals, etc.
- Winter break reading: Jerry, Eileen, and I are planning on reading Is Atheism Dead? by Eric Metaxas recommended by a mentor from Gracepoint Church. I haven't read it so I can't say anything about it, but I've heard quite a few good things about it and it's very, very new (published 1.25 years ago). If you would like, get the book, read along with us, and maybe we'll have a discussion on it before school. Briefly from the table of contents, it'll be about the origins of the universe, the origins of life, Biblical archaelogy in the OT & NT, and a conversation on atheism from the Christian perspective. It's <$13 if you can get it on kindle.
- Council meeting: @Council members: we should meet sometime between now and 3rd week of winter term (or whichever week things start to get rough) to talk about plans for 2023. Not setting up anything now, but just wanted to put my intentions on the radar.
I know a lot of us are grinders and will be full-send grinding winter term, but speaking from my own perspective, I think it's good every once in a while, (i.e. now during winter break) to take a step back, re-examine where things are going, ask how the time spent (4 years is a good chunk of life) fits into the grander picture, and make a tentative plan going forward on how to approach the new year. At least personally, I feel like the incredibly fast-paced environment at Caltech has a way of driving me to focus only on the upcoming deadlines and what other things I can do outside of academics to "keep up" in order to get an internship for the next summer / secure work after college. This pressure feels great when everything is going the right way, but often is the case when it doesn't and then it becomes this really dangerous and crippling anxiety. Maybe this is something you can relate to. If you're like me and find it really hard to trust God about the future, I'm afraid I don't have an answer for us but can only say that I'm in the same boat and that even people who saw Jesus faced unbelief (see Mark 9:14-29). I will continue to pray for all of us at CCF before winter term starts, and if you would like prayer for anything specific, feel free to let me know so I can have something specific to pray for.
If I don't see you, merry Christmas and happy New Year. Enjoy this time with your family, and if you are able, do something to show your love for them.
Blessings,
Victor Li