Beth Born

20 questions Name: Beth Born.
Title: Associate Dean, Residence Life.
Education: BA, Psychology, Biola University; MS, Christian Counseling, Philadelphia Biblical University.
At Biola since: 2003.
StrengthsFinder top five? Woo, Strategic, Learner, Communication, Connectedness.

1. What do you do in your job (briefly)? Oversee Residence Life. Manage and care for the RDs. Work with Student Care. Have lots of meetings. Work on policies and procedures for ResLife.

2. The five (or so) most influential books you've read:

Living Above the Level of Mediocrity by Charles Swindoll
The Four Loves by CS Lewis
Hearing God by Peter Lord
Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis
Christy by Catherine Marshall

3. An influential person in your life/hero/best example of love? I would have to say that my family have all taken turns being great examples of love. They have saved me, humbled me, loved me, and corrected me.

4. Why are you at Biola? I believe in Biola. I love the mission of equipping students in both mind and character to impact the world for Jesus. That is something I can put my whole self behind.

5. A guilty pleasure: Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, Cheap shoes

6. Can you share your testimony in 200 words or less? I was converted at the age of 5 when I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart. I did this with both of my parents. However, I believe my rededication at the age of 13 was more significant in my ownership of my relationship with Christ. I felt convicted at winter camp and submitted again to being a follower of Jesus. I am soo grateful I was separated from my friends (for talking) during the session – so I would listen and hear both the speaker and ultimately the Holy Spirit. I believe this was a critical point in my life and that God intervened at a time when I needed to be grounded before entering high school. It has made all the difference.

7. If God put you completely in charge of creating Heaven, what would it be like? Well, I am simply not as creative as our God. So, I would probably just copy him or have something like 2 Yosemites. There would be a lot of outdoor areas - green fields that go on for miles. We would have lots of time to walk and talk with people. Enjoy being, listening. Honestly – I will happily settle with the earth and humans restored to Eden, without our groaning. I am overwhelmed at that thought.

8. What movie/TV/book have you seen in the last year that you wish all your friends could see? A book you would insist your children read? The Shack really impacted me. Controversy or not, there is a lot of truth about God that made me feel humbled and cared for deeply. As far as my children go – I want to raise them on Little House on the Prairie – I think the truths and principles there are awesome. Cheesy some say, but I don’t care – I love it!

9. If you could relive any part of your life, what part would it be, and why? I’m not sure I would. There is pain I would avoid or lessons I wish I learned quicker. But, I think the process is where we are truly formed. So, I’ll take it all – the good and the bad. God redeems.

10. What is the most difficult choice you’ve ever had to make? What made it difficult? What factors helped you make that choice? I think moving away from my family and friends to go to Philadelphia. I wanted to live in another part of the country, work and go to school. I thought it would be a fun risk and change of pace. But, I was scared of the unknown and even more scared of the loneliness I knew I would face. I think I was able to make the choice because people supported me. And, I knew it was a good risk to take.

11. What is the most risky thing you want to try doing? I think I would go live in a foreign country for awhile. I imagine myself in Costa Rica or something like that – living with the people and learning the language. I really would like to be fluent in Spanish.

12. What are five things you are most thankful for in your life right now?

My boyfriend,Todd.
My girlfriends who listen to me and support me.
The movement and comfort of the Spirit in my soul.
My home off campus.
My ipod.

13. In difficult times, who would you most want praying for you? I would take anyone who is earnest and loves God. I would want someone who loves me too. I suppose someone who is righteous – since their prayer “availeth much”.

14. What was the greatest peer pressure you felt as a teen/college student? I think it must have been in high school. I think the pressure to figure out what choices to make morally and sexually.

15. Do you think it is possible to live with no regrets? No. I think we are sinful and fallen. I think mistakes are a necessary part of life. If we try to live with no regrets (which was my motto for awhile), I think we tend to try to perfect our lives without God. So, I don’t say that is my goal anymore.

16. What is your definition of success? Do you consider yourself to be successful? I think knowing God and honoring Him above all is success. Then, I think it is giving and receiving love from others. I would also say that it is living fully in who God has called us to be – going where we think He is leading and changing when He changes the message. In some regard, I think I am successful. But, it others ways, I am totally aware of selfishness, self-protection and fear that keep me from living boldy and trusting God’s voice.

17. How much is your self-worth and identity determined by your job and your success at it? Honestly, I don’t know. Sometimes I think it is in its right place. Other times, I care a great deal about doing really well and not letting anyone down. I am still trying to figure out what it looks like to want to do well, pour yourself into something, and only take from it what is good. I think it is a lifelong journey.

18. What are the most important things you look for when choosing a church? If people seem to be alive and in honest, authentic and loving relationships. I also look for sound biblical teaching. Like anyone, I prefer the worship I prefer. But, I think that comes and goes and we can train ourselves to worship even in a poorly done service. So ultimately, love and teaching are the essentials to me.

19. What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? That is hard. I think I am going to choose something between entering the Yosemite Valley, looking out the window of a plane and seeing the sunset with a layer of clouds below you, and lastly looking at one of my nieces or nephews at birth.

20. What are the 3 questions you most want to ask God?

Why did you allow Satan to rebel?
Why did you choose me and not someone else – I can’t comprehend what you meant by only choosing some of us.
When did you really intervene in my life to protect me or save me and I didn’t have any clue?

21. In what areas of your life is it most difficult to trust God? My future and the unknown. It is sooo hard to believe at these moments that He will do good to me and that I will be able to handle whatever comes. I often doubt both He and myself in our ability to handle what is unknown.

22. What does contentment mean to you? How close are you to that, now? Contentment seems to be gratitiude and acceptance of your circumstances. I think it is very difficult to accept from God’s hand what is happening in our internal and external worlds. I like to fix and problem solve – so I think contentment looks a little less active and compulsive than I am sometimes. How close? Well, I can say that I am closer than I have been in several years. What I do know is that I prefer contentment – it is easier to walk with a settled heart rather than one that is fighting. But, it take surrender to walk with that type of a heart.