Spiritual multiplication. This is one of those "Cru terms" that has simply become part of my vocabulary over the past three years (yeah, I'm finishing my third year of college ... when did I get this old?). My favorite thing about the end of every semester is the spiritual multiplication "demonstration" at Cru. The graduating seniors stand up - anyone who has been directly impacted by them stands up - then, anyone who has been directly impacted by the new people standing proceed to stand up. Typically by this point, the whole room is standing, and tonight was no exception. Being involved in such an amazing movement over the past three years has been such a blessing in my life. I can't believe I only have one more year ... in 12 months, I will be the graduating senior standing up in the first group ... and over the course of the next year, I want to let God use me to impact this campus, this world, for Him.
Saying goodbye to people over the course of the next week and a half is going to suck. Everyone is heading their separate ways for the summer, and some of the people I've become closest with over the past three years are graduating and will not be returning to GV in the fall. While I am so excited for them to enter the next stage of their life, next year will be weird without them here. However, I am discovering that there is an amazing group of underclassmen - people who have become some of my close friends this year - people who I hope will make next year even more awesome than this year (which, let's be honest, it's going to be hard to top). I have been blessed with such an amazing community, and even though it is difficult that it is constantly changing, I love it. I love seeing the impact people have in my life, and hopefully being able to pass that impact on to others. Spiritual multiplication, people. It's pretty cool.
I don't know ... I should be working on my research proposal that is due before I have class in T-Minus 10 hours ... but I just needed to get a few thoughts out.
To the homework I go...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
What A Week.
Wow.
What a week.
This week has been my calm before the storm. The peace before the madness of finals. And I've enjoyed every single second of it. Well, maybe not the time spent in class... but everything else has been awesome. Spending time relaxing with my roommates. Sitting on the porch 3 different afternoons, soaking in some Vitamin D while digging into God's Word. Having dinner with three different friends, two of whom I rarely get to see. Watching TV. It has been such a refreshing week. And it is exactly what I've needed before the craziness of the next 12 days ensues.
The highlights of this week, aside from the stuff mentioned above? God has been rocking my world - in a good way :)
1. Tuesday night I had dinner with my small group leader from high school. A woman who has known me and been living life with me since I was 14. How crazy is that? God is so good and I am so thankful that she is a part of my life.
2. I'm reading Crazy Love. And it is awesome; it slaps you in the face pretty much every other page. But it is so good. Favorite quote from this week - "Most of our thoughts are centered on the money we want to make, the school we want to attend, the body we aspire to have, the spouse we want to marry, the kind of person we want to become... But the fact is that nothing should concern us more than our relationship with God; it's about eternity, and nothing compares with that." Why do I love this? Because this is me - in a nutshell. I'm worried about student loans, and therefore think about how much money I can make some day. I want to go to physical therapy school - I've been "school shopping" aka website stalking for months, looking into different programs. I freak out about my grades so that I can hopefully get into said programs. But in the grand scheme of things, why does any of it matter? God should be my primary focus, and everything else will fall into place.
3. The whole - focus on God - idea was reiterated tonight at Cru. A few things stuck out to me. First, my plans are crap compared to God's. So I want to stay here at GV for their DPT program... cool. But what does God have in store? Who knows? I sure don't. Another thing - "I don't ask God to open doors, but I do ask him to close them." Wow. How often do I blow past opportunities because I don't see the open door? I'm waiting for God to open different doors, when what he wants for me may very well be right there waiting. And if it's not supposed to be, he can close that door. The final thing that stuck out was a question posed at the end ... after an awesome message, describing God a couple dozen ways including "slow to anger, transcending all understanding, gracious, merciful, etc etc etc" ... Is this the God we are showing to people? How are we representing Christ? I've heard it said so often that "You may be the only taste of Jesus they will ever get." Yikes. What am I making Jesus look like? What a reality check.
So yeah, everything is good. But, it is 1am, and I need to get some SLEEP!
What a week.
This week has been my calm before the storm. The peace before the madness of finals. And I've enjoyed every single second of it. Well, maybe not the time spent in class... but everything else has been awesome. Spending time relaxing with my roommates. Sitting on the porch 3 different afternoons, soaking in some Vitamin D while digging into God's Word. Having dinner with three different friends, two of whom I rarely get to see. Watching TV. It has been such a refreshing week. And it is exactly what I've needed before the craziness of the next 12 days ensues.
The highlights of this week, aside from the stuff mentioned above? God has been rocking my world - in a good way :)
1. Tuesday night I had dinner with my small group leader from high school. A woman who has known me and been living life with me since I was 14. How crazy is that? God is so good and I am so thankful that she is a part of my life.
2. I'm reading Crazy Love. And it is awesome; it slaps you in the face pretty much every other page. But it is so good. Favorite quote from this week - "Most of our thoughts are centered on the money we want to make, the school we want to attend, the body we aspire to have, the spouse we want to marry, the kind of person we want to become... But the fact is that nothing should concern us more than our relationship with God; it's about eternity, and nothing compares with that." Why do I love this? Because this is me - in a nutshell. I'm worried about student loans, and therefore think about how much money I can make some day. I want to go to physical therapy school - I've been "school shopping" aka website stalking for months, looking into different programs. I freak out about my grades so that I can hopefully get into said programs. But in the grand scheme of things, why does any of it matter? God should be my primary focus, and everything else will fall into place.
3. The whole - focus on God - idea was reiterated tonight at Cru. A few things stuck out to me. First, my plans are crap compared to God's. So I want to stay here at GV for their DPT program... cool. But what does God have in store? Who knows? I sure don't. Another thing - "I don't ask God to open doors, but I do ask him to close them." Wow. How often do I blow past opportunities because I don't see the open door? I'm waiting for God to open different doors, when what he wants for me may very well be right there waiting. And if it's not supposed to be, he can close that door. The final thing that stuck out was a question posed at the end ... after an awesome message, describing God a couple dozen ways including "slow to anger, transcending all understanding, gracious, merciful, etc etc etc" ... Is this the God we are showing to people? How are we representing Christ? I've heard it said so often that "You may be the only taste of Jesus they will ever get." Yikes. What am I making Jesus look like? What a reality check.
So yeah, everything is good. But, it is 1am, and I need to get some SLEEP!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Peace.
Micah 5:5.
Jesus is our peace.
How cool is it to stop and let that soak in?
Today was Cru's annual women's conference. Our theme this year was Oasis, and we talked about our peace coming from Christ and being able to rest in the arms of the Father. This theme coincides so well with my life over the past few months. Even though it hasn't always been obvious, God is teaching me so much about peace. I used to stress so so so much about grades, money, friendships, my future... and I still do to an extent - I'm not perfect, and I won't pretend to be. But this semester has been beyond amazing - I've stayed on top of my school work, had a minimal number of freak-outs about my GPA, and rather than wishing I was hanging out with people more, I am doing it. Over the past three months, I have been able to live life with some pretty amazing friends - making meals together, baking cookies, staying up late chatting about life, and just having fun. In case other people are slow to figure this out like I was - relationships are way cooler than stressing about grades. Don't get me wrong, you can't blow off classes and stop doing your homework, but there is something wonderful about finding balance, and it is so refreshing to have it in my life. God has just given me this awesome peace that HE is in control - not me. And with that perspective, everything just seems to fall into place. God is good.
What else is new? This girl is pretty much home free with the exception of finals. Along with the women's conference, this weekend consisted of no schoolwork, three movies, baking baking baking, an a cappella concert, welcoming a friend home from a three month study abroad trip, catching up with some friends from spring break, and enjoying this beautiful 82 degree day. I'm going to say it one more time, God is good.
Jesus is our peace.
How cool is it to stop and let that soak in?
Today was Cru's annual women's conference. Our theme this year was Oasis, and we talked about our peace coming from Christ and being able to rest in the arms of the Father. This theme coincides so well with my life over the past few months. Even though it hasn't always been obvious, God is teaching me so much about peace. I used to stress so so so much about grades, money, friendships, my future... and I still do to an extent - I'm not perfect, and I won't pretend to be. But this semester has been beyond amazing - I've stayed on top of my school work, had a minimal number of freak-outs about my GPA, and rather than wishing I was hanging out with people more, I am doing it. Over the past three months, I have been able to live life with some pretty amazing friends - making meals together, baking cookies, staying up late chatting about life, and just having fun. In case other people are slow to figure this out like I was - relationships are way cooler than stressing about grades. Don't get me wrong, you can't blow off classes and stop doing your homework, but there is something wonderful about finding balance, and it is so refreshing to have it in my life. God has just given me this awesome peace that HE is in control - not me. And with that perspective, everything just seems to fall into place. God is good.
What else is new? This girl is pretty much home free with the exception of finals. Along with the women's conference, this weekend consisted of no schoolwork, three movies, baking baking baking, an a cappella concert, welcoming a friend home from a three month study abroad trip, catching up with some friends from spring break, and enjoying this beautiful 82 degree day. I'm going to say it one more time, God is good.
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