Empty Nest Syndrome

Two of my girls are graduating at the end of the semester. I love all the girls I meet with, but my relationship with each is different. There's a special bond that girls tend to have with their first college small group leader because of everything that happens in that transition. I've had these two girls in my group since they were freshmen and it's crazy to think that they're done with college already (I console myself by remembering that they're graduating early). Last night we talked about the things God did in their lives over the last three and a half years. They have changed so much. One of them reminded us that she wasn't a Christian coming into college, but got involved in Chi Alpha because she liked a boy who was a small group leader. She's come a long way... :) I will miss seeing them as much as I do now, but I'm also excited to see who they will be in the years to come.

A Few Thoughts

I was reading a book by a campus minister named Steve Shadrach and came across this quote:

"Students are looking for something bigger and beyond themselves to give their hearts to... Don't challenge students with small dreams... Small challenges receive small commitments, so don't embarrass yourself or the Lord by asking for too little."

I wonder sometimes if I make students feel better about where they are at, or if I challenge them to dig deeper into their faith. I fear that I support the status quo. There's so much I have to learn when it comes to ministry. I guess this makes sense seeing as how I'm only 22. I just hope I have enough persistence to keep growing instead of accepting the status quo in myself as well as others.

Giving Thanks

I had a blast over Thanksgiving visiting my friend Deanna up in New York City. She's studying to be an opera singer and lives on the Upper West Side. It was a good mix of relaxing and exploring the city. We went to a cute tea place with an Alice in Wonderland decor and then I got to indulge in browsing for used books. On Thanksgiving, I got to meet some of Deanna's friends and we managed a full feast--without an oven! We opted to watch the parade on TV, but saw the balloons being blown up the night before. We also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection, strolling through Central Park on the way back. I feel very rested now and ready to tackle the last two weeks of the semester. It also reminded me of how wonderful God's family is--even when I can't be with my own family, God provides friends who fill the void.

Me in Central Park with the city in the background.

A Bit of Fall Fun

One of our student leaders brought a bunch of medium-sized pumpkins back to DC from her home in Pennsylvania. So we had a decorating contest between the small groups. Here are two of them:

A little inappropriate, but probably my favorite of all of them: John the Baptist's head on a platter.


A pretty good rendering of a basketball by one of the guys' groups.

Taking the Plunge

Two of my girls got baptized at their church on Sunday night. I love baptisms. Mine happened when I was 14, right before I started high school. I knew it was an important step to take, but no one told me the experience would make my face hurt from smiling so much afterwards. On Sunday, I saw history repeat itself. These girls were practically glowing. Both of them were a little bit scared beforehand, especially because they would have to talk to a large crowd of people. I met both of them during the first worship service they came to as freshmen and it's striking how much they've grown since that night. Watching them publicly commit to living for Christ and seeing the symbolism of their sins being washed away as they come out of the water was incredible. I cried like a proud mama. It's these moments that make me feel so blessed. I get to witness God's work in people's lives--the high moments are wonderful, but I get to see the struggles in between. Knowing the sacrifices they've made to make it to this point makes the joy of nights like this even sweeter.

Change of Plans

Our Thursday Night Worship service was incredible tonight. It didn't go as planned at all, but sometimes that works out better. The worship leader felt like God was putting some things on his heart for the group, so we ended up extending worship and giving people an opportunity to pray for each other. Mike (the Chi Alpha pastor) spoke briefly and then gave students the chance to share what they were going through. I didn't even pray for anyone tonight. I will be speaking a lot in January and I feel like God is starting to work on those messages already. It was cool though to see students ministering to each other through prayer and really fun to hear their encouragements and exhortations to the group about serving God. I loved the spontaneity and the feeling of being part of a genuine community. What an amazing night.

Daily Bread

I've been fighting with my schedule for a while, trying to find the best time to pray and read the Bible. I especially want to make sure that I'm still pursuing my faith because it's mine and not because it's my job. Last week I finally resolved to go back to doing it first thing in the morning. And I had an amazing week. I had so much more energy and felt centered and focused on what I was doing. Since I'm introverted, spending a lot of time with people usually drains me, but this week I was with people constantly and LOVED it. I had some great conversations with the girls I've been meeting with and even took a tour through part of the White House with two of them :)

A good reminder that getting grace from God at the beginning of each day can make a huge difference in how things go.

Changing the world

A student dropped by the office last week. I hadn't gotten the chance to get to know her very well yet, but she started telling me about her life's ambitions. Right now, she's writing a play about life in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The situation there is pretty bad and she wants more people to know about it. Her dream is to raise her family in Africa while she teaches girls a trade so they don't have to go into prostitution. Many Chi Alpha girls have similar dreams.

I have no desire to live in Africa. But I get to talk with all these amazing girls who are so passionate about helping a continent that is in such great need. Their college experience will shape who they are for the rest of their lives. It's crazy that by working with a relatively small group of students, I can impact the world. But that's what I see in them--the potential to make a difference all over the globe.

"Give up your small ambitions; come with me and save the world." ~ St. Francis Xavier

A Beginning ...

My dad has been telling me for years that I needed to start a blog. Since I'm trying to keep my printed newsletters to one page, I figured this might be a good outlet to share more of what's happening throughout the year for those who might be interested. I'm going to try to keep my posts short, but write more regularly. Here we go!

My new adventure is life in the ministry. It was not what I expected to be called to, but I can't imagine doing anything I would love more. I mostly hang out with college students. Over hazelnut Americanos, Whole Foods' salads, or pancakes I get to hear about what stresses them out, what they're learning about God, and what they dream of doing one day. I can get paid for this? Really? They didn't talk about being a campus missionary during high school career day :)

It's not always easy, but it's worth it. In coming posts, I'll talk more about the moments that make me understand why.