Family Friday #2 More at the Start

I went to Biola in 1977 after I graduated from Edison High School. It was not my first choice AT ALL! A bit full of myself because of my high academic record and standing in the class I really wanted to go to UCLA and study languages. Biola didn’t have a Spanish or linguistics major at the time. It is important to note that my parents told me I had to live in a dorm when I went to college and that I would have to go to a christian school my first year. I applied at Westmont, which is where my best friend Julie was going, but I got more scholarship money from Biola so I decided to go there. My plan was to only go to this ridiculous strict college for one year to appease my parents and then transfer to study what and where I wanted.

Jim and I met in 1977 and we became friends because of band. If my dad had not said anything to Mr. Lutke or if I had decided not to stay at Biola, my life story would be very different! Instead, I made friends, changed my major to missions with a minor in Spanish, relished the Bible classes,  and the rest is history! I eventually changed my major again to Christian Education, but will always regret that I ignored the faint longing in my heart to study nursing. My mom was a nurse and I wanted to be one too until later in high school when we were not getting along so well and I decided at the time that I didn’t want to be anything like her. (What a dumb kid!)

Jim was a music major,  who had also not planned to be at Biola and he was a commuter student so he pretty much lived in the music building, Crowell Hall. His plan was to go to Pepperdine and then become a band director like Mr Currier (his junior high band director),  and jazz performer (He played trombone). But the cost of a private college education kept him at UCLA (University of Cerritos left on Alondra – aka Cerritos College) and then he got an anonymous gift and ended up at Biola. He documents that event in the book College Faith (vol 3)

​

 

Once at Biola, with the internship in worship ministry at Downey First Baptist, Jim had changed his focus from education to worship ministry. By the time Jim graduated from Biola he had switched from music ministry to children/youth ministry for a career choice. It is fascinating to have perspective. Where would all the fun be if everything was structured and there was not a yielded listening to God’s Spirit directing our lives?!

We started dating in 1979 and married in 1980.