Life Lately

Oh gracious, this semester has become a busy one. As many of you may know, I’ve given up social media during the day…but that has not made my schedule any less hectic. Honestly, I’m happy I've made that commitment because I am starting to realize how unnecessary all of it is. Anywho, I decided to stop by and give you a glimpse of my life lately. Whelp, here goes:

My Valentine’s creations this year {please note the corny card I made….that’s what happens when I’m dating a math major}

~My weekend consisting of crafting some sweet jerseys for my friends’ intramural basketball team
~Part of my morning routine, cereal & a to-do list
~Rocking my new mustard pants…I’m in love
~New running shoes, which have been put to good use this week
~De-licioussssss cupcakes that my suitemate brought back from her trip home. So so good!!!

And last, but definitely not least, this past Friday at InterVarsity we listened to my friend give her testimony about how she’s been transformed in college. Afterward, we invited everyone up to write how they want to be transformed. Here are the cool responses we got!


I hope you all had a swell Thursday!

Here’s to a New Semester…

Hey friends, I realize it’s been over a week since I’ve written, so I guess I should start by confirming my existence :P I am, in fact, alive. Between visiting friends in Syracuse last week, InterVarsity Eboard meetings on the weekend, and starting class this week, I have been quite busy…in the best sense of the word.

I am currently on day 4 of the spring semester, and I can honestly say I can already feel its going to be a good one. My classes are all a little tough, but all very interesting. My favorite part so far? Getting to sleep in until 9 each morning (and having at least an hour and a half before class). Trust me, after having four 8:30s last semester, this is quite a treat! I love that I can wake up slowly, eat breakfast, and sip tea while I spend time with the Father. It is the best way to start my day.

As I mentioned before, I spent a good chunk of my last two weeks with my fellow Eboard members planning for our fellowship’s semester. I want to start by first thanking each of you who prayed for us as we planned together. It was a lot of work for sure, but God really met me in some sweet ways. I am already seeing what it means to be humbled in leadership, and He is truly beginning to grow me. Besides talking logistics, we were able really focus our vision for the semester. We are so excited to see how God is going to work specifically through small groups to bring more students on Binghamton’s campus to know His redeeming love. Specifically, we prayed hard about a number of students we want to come to know Him in these next months, and we are excited to see 7 meet and accept Jesus. This is more than a number, it is 7 people’s lives transformed by the grace that surpasses all understanding!

I ask for continued prayer for InterVarsity in these months. This Friday is our general interest meeting, where we will hopefully meet many new faces! During the semester, we will be reading through Ecclesiastes in small groups and also focusing on a series about being “radical” in response to the way Jesus lived. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for our fellowship and for me!
Well, its about time for me to head off to orgo, so I figured I leave you with my life through Instagram (@serogers22) these past two weeks. Enjoy!

Great Expectations

My car is packed and I’m gathering the last few things in my room; its official, I’m saying goodbye to my home again until Easter. While school doesn’t start for me until January 28th, I have quite a busy week in upstate New York. This weekend I will be away at a leadership retreat in Saratoga, then I’m making a quick pit stop in Syracuse to visit some wonderful people, and by this time Thursday, I will be all settled into my dorm room at Binghamton.

This coming semester, I have the amazing opportunity to serve on the executive board of my campus’s chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for receiving the position. I am working alongside four other students as we help plan the semester for our fellowship. Specifically, my job is to coordinate the weekly Friday night meetings we hold for a large number of students. Over break I’ve been getting in contact with speakers and all that good stuff in preparation for the spring semester. But this weekend and next weekend, I will be doing a lot of planning with our Eboard as we vision cast for how to grow our fellowship in Christ. We know that God has great things planned for our campus, and I truly believe that we can see lives transformed by His love this coming year.

So friends, I ask for prayer as we are at the retreat this weekend (and our meetings next weekend). Prayer that God will reveal to us the ways He wants our fellowship to work and grow. Prayer that we submit willingly to the ways God is going to mold us and the rest of our chapter. And prayer for my campus. That they return this semester with a curiosity and yearning to know Christ on a deep and personal level.

I have great expectations for these next few days, and I thank you in advance for your prayers!

Worthy Export

Currently many of my friends are joined by over 16,000 other students from around the globe at InterVaristy’s Urbana 2012. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Urbana is a global missions conference held every three years that engages students in a multicultural setting on how to bring God’s kingdom here on the earth. I am so excited for the experiences they are having, and I cannot wait to hear about it from all of my sweet friends who are being met by God in some pretty cool ways.

Although I was unable to attend this year, I have been following along with the live feed (you should check it out!). God has already been challenging me as the speakers delve through the gospel of Luke. The first night Calisto Odede, a pastor from Kenya, spoke on Luke 4:16-30, when Jesus was rejected in Nazareth. Some of Calisto’s words really gripped me:

“Many of us would rather go to total strangers and share with them about our faith and Jesus Christ rather than turn to our friends, to our colleagues, and our family members where we are known. We’d rather keep quiet about Jesus Christ. Not so with Jesus. Well if you cannot share it with people who are nearby, you cannot share it with people far off. If it is not good enough for local consumption, it is not good enough for export!”

Woah. Prior to hearing this, I was putting away laundry while listening to the message. But then I stopped. Literally. I  stood there, rewound the video, and let those words resonate. I felt convicted.

I have always struggled with this aspect of outreach. Even in my youth group, this was the common theme among us. We hated sharing the gospel with the people who knew us best. But Jesus, He knew this to be true. Verse 24 says “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in His hometown.” But that didn’t stop Jesus. He revealed Himself as Christ, as the fulfillment of all the prophecies. He told them what He had to tell, and He told them what they needed to hear.

Our excuses are always the same. “They’ll judge me” or “I’ll lose friends” or “They won’t care”. but honestly, when did it become okay to write our our friends’ need for a savior? They are just as broken as we are. Why would we want to keep them from true peace, from true joy?

Jesus was literally thrown out of His hometown for speaking truth, but He did not back down. He embodied the truest example of missional living: unadulterated selfless passion for people. And He calls us to do the same. To live dangerously. To live uncomfortably. To live missionally. What would it look like if we stopped caring about our image, and started caring about the image of God? What if we saw the value in what we are consuming from Him, and had the courage to export His truth?

This is what I’m praying over today.

On Leading

During my time here at Binghamton, I can humbly say I am learning what it means to be a leader. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve as a small group leader for almost two semesters now and God has definitely been teaching me a lot.

It is important to vision cast. Vision casting gives purpose to your actions, reminding you of God’s will behind it all. As a small group leader, it can be easy for me to get caught up in the planning. To focus on making “good conversation” flow during bible study or to come up with a creative application response. But that’s not the point. A small group needs to be community. One that promotes deep, vulnerable conversation and equips its members to live missionally. I so easily consume myself with the minor details that I lose sight of that purpose. But without vision, we lose focus on God’s will for our time. Furthermore, if God’s will is not been done, the vision needs to be reassessed.

We are not called to lead alone. God made us relational people for a reason, we are not called to ministry alone. Both semesters I’ve been a leader, I’ve had a co-leader with me. This is by far the most wonderful thing that could have happened to me! Having a partner in crime helps in so many ways. My first semester as a leader, my co-leader Winnie mentored me in how to lead small group. She taught me how to facilitate discussion and challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. This semester, I am paired up with my friend Sasha. She balances me out so well. We are able to bounce ideas off of each other and share the work that goes into planning and facilitating. It has also been so beneficial to fellowship with the other small group leaders in IV. We can come together and share our joys and burdens, what works and doesn’t work, and ultimately build community with each other as we grow together.

Things will go against your plan. This is by far the most difficult thing I am coming to terms with. It is taking a lot of time for me to truly comprehend that God’s plan does not always match up to my own. Some weeks our small group has low attendance, sometimes Sasha and I struggle to facilitate deep conversation, some planning sessions take way longer than expected. But that’s okay. It’s more than okay, because God works in all situations. He is not limited by my idea of a good small group. Ultimately, His will is being done.

If I could sum leadership up in one word I would say humbling. I have been humbled when my plans do not work. I have been humbled when I am reminded to refocus on God’s vision over my own. I have been humbled in realizing I can’t and shouldn’t lead alone. But all in all, leadership has grown and challenged me to rely more on God. It challenges me to live transparently for God in everything I do. I am learning to let God equip me for His kingdom work.

Expedition

As I mentioned before, I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend InterVarsity’s annual fall conference Expedition. The weekend was filled with goofy friends, matching pj’s, late night drug store runs, lots of laughter, and God. Meeting me right where I needed Him most.

It. Was. Awesome.

I participated in the prayer track, and I can honestly say I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew I’d be taking away new insight on my prayer life, but I definitely wasn’t expecting the ways God challenged me.

First, He challenged me to reevaluate how I pray. As an extravert, I constantly feel the need to fill the silences. I can easily be that person who rambles in their prayer….but that’s just no good! In fact, Matthew 6:7 speaks blatantly against that. In my track, we learned how to pray in agreement. now, I had done it before, but never properly. But after this weekend, I really see the power in keeping your words few and affirming each other’s prayers. Silence is also becoming more prevalent in my personal prayer. I’m learning (and struggling) to allow God to fill my time instead of just talking at Him….it is a conversation after all!

Second, and one of my favorite aspects of the weekend, was learning about ninja prayer. (Just saying it makes me smile!) Confused? Ninja prayer is where you go into situation, maybe a public place like a café, and pray over your surroundings. You observe the environment, listen in creep on conversations, and pray. The purpose of ninja prayer, or stealthy intercession, is to come in, pray, and leave without people knowing. Its not about you, but totally about the people around you. We had the opportunity to pray over a couple other tracks at the conference, and boy was it powerful! There’s something so wonderful about being completely selfless in your prayer. Coming back to campus, I’ve been excited to try this in the cafes, dining halls, and even in church. It is so easy yet so impactful. Think about it, God has sovereignty over every situation…even the ones we aren’t fully connected with!

Finally, God met me on such a personal level. As I mentioned here, I was convicted on one speaker’s talk on rest, and how I fail to do it. But beyond that, God revealed to me ways that I was still broken and hiding from Him. You see, God had been putting my one friend on my heart a lot lately. I had felt this pull to talk with her for a few weeks and we finally got to hang out at Expedition. I went into the conversation thinking God wanted to use me to encourage her and be there for her, but boy did I underestimate His plans. Our conversation opened up things within me that I hadn’t told anyone. Brokenness I had kept to myself because I didn’t think anyone could relate. But to my amazement, Katie was in the same boat. We talked and cried (well, I cried) and prayed for each other. I left feeling refreshed and free. I have a peace that was from truly handing these things over to Him. I am so joyful that God brought Katie & I together that weekend, because I know for sure it was not by accident. He is just so good.

Anywho, I figured I couldn’t end this post without some pictures of my weekend at Expedition!



Late night snack run…complete with mini Ben & Jerry’s // Maggie and I with our amazing pajamas // post-Expedition Chipotle // Piggyback ride // Katie & I debriefing our fellowship on the prayer track

All of the Binghamton IVCF who went…I love these people so much!

Rest

As I contemplated what to write about in this post, I became overwhelmed with the possible ideas. My heart is so full and I have so much good stuff to share, but somehow I don’t think writing a novel of a blog post is ideal. So I’m starting here. I’m starting with rest. The concept of rest has been strong on my heart recently. Why? Because I don’t do it. I was asked about two weeks ago what I do to rest. My answer: I go be by myself. As soon as the words left my mouth, it hit me. I don’t rest. In fact, since the beginning of the semester, I hadn’t spent any time alone besides when I slept at night or the occasional time I studied alone (study parties have become a habit this semester). Even my quiet times have been a quick morning routine in my bedroom while my roommate is still asleep. I felt convicted by this realization. but also very conflicted. I’m a major extrovert! I hate being alone. I feed off of people’s energy. I feel a strong pull to community. And honestly, I suffer from major FOMO (fear of missing out). But as I pondered the thought, I realized how truly exhausted I was. I felt mentally and physically drained, and frankly…spiritually discouraged. Talking it out with my friend, I realized my feelings of inadequacy in leadership or inability to fruitfully pour into my friends intentionally all comes back to how empty I’ve made myself. I hadn’t allowed myself to be filled. That night, after that conversation, I rested. I apologized to a friend who I promised to hang out with, telling her I needed to just have some time for myself. I went to my room, laid down, prayed, and cleared my head. The result was overwhelming, I felt refreshed.

This past weekend, I went to InterVarsity’s Expedition Conference (more on that later!). I was so excited for the intentional time I would have to with people in my fellowship. We stayed up late each night playing games…resulting in about 9 hours of sleep for me total for the weekend. Don’t get me wrong I LOVED the time I spent with my friends, but I totally threw this rest thing out the window. The irony is that I even told friends who felt bad about going to bed early that it was ok if they were tired, that they needed rest. Silly Sarah, why didn’t you take your own advice?! God challenged me immensely this past weekend, He really identified areas of my life that I needed to give up to Him. But the real kicker came in our last session before we left. The speaker prepared a lesson to help send us back to our campus, full of God’s power and strength. The topic: rest. Woah. It was like the message was written right to me. Jon spoke about the importance of rest in our lives. How God gives sleep to those He loves (Psalm 127:2). He talked about how we need to be restored. That we need to intentionally make time to fill ourselves up in a stress free way. Why? Because God can’t use us if we are to weak to see where He is calling us. There is no shame in needed to be alone and rest, it’s required. We can’t pour into others until we, ourselves, are filled.

This morning, I woke up knowing I needed to rest today. I needed to overcome the stress of homework & midterms…through God’s peace. As I returned from my morning class, preparing for a quick nap, I received this text from my friend Amy: I couldn’t have gotten this text at a better time. I love how God used her to remind me of this truth. (Also, check out her post on rest)

Dear friends, where are you right now with God? With life in general? Are you overwhelmed with stress from school, work, or relationships? Are you feeling stretched too thin by a need to always be active? God does not call us to more than we can handle. He calls us to rest, in Him and His power. My hope is that you can be encouraged today to say no to the clutter in your life and truly humble yourself to His grace. It is okay to be tired, just embrace it :)

Rest well today!

Pray Big and Pray Bold

Right now, my bed is covered in laundry and my duffle bag is sitting out on my floor. Tomorrow is road trip time! This weekend, I am heading up to Syracuse with my Intervarsity brothers and sisters from all around upstate New York. Why, you ask? For Expedition! It’s our annual fall conference, and to say I’m excited is an understatement. I’m especially excited for the track I chose: Prayer Summit. I knew when signing up for the conference that God was really putting prayer on my heart.  I look forward to building relationships with the people in my IV chapter, and I cannot wait to fellowship with other college believers. But most of all, I am excited to be challenged with my prayer life.

As I talked about here in this post, God has been challenging me to grow in boldness with my prayer life. I have been learning so much about the importance of daily time with my Father, but I still find myself struggling to pray. To pray like I mean it. To pray like God will provide. To pray boldly.

I was on Facebook today and my friend posted this video about prayer. (Isn’t it funny how God works?) As I watched the message, I felt God beginning to prepare my heart and mind for His work this weekend. God is so good people!

Enjoy…this is some pretty sweet stuff!

I am entering this weekend full of joy and readiness to see how God is going to meet me, and every other student there, in big ways. I’m hyped :)

Birthday Shenanigans

Well, I’ve successfully made it to my nineteenth year. After all of my birthday madness on Wednesday, I can honestly say I’ve never felt so loved! So many people here at school helped to make my day so special.

My day started out in a way I could have never imagined. At midnight, I was in my room doing homework and my friend Travis called me to tell me that he had someone leave me a present outside of my suite. I walk out of my room to find all of my suitemates and my friend Kristen in the common room waiting for me with cupcakes! Then, my suitemate Shannon told me to go outside. I open the door to my common room to find 30 of my closest friends waiting outside in the hall. 30!!! Even some of my off campus friends! To say I was overwhelmed in that moment is an understatement. Everyone starting singing and I was given a Burger King crown and a cake. You see, my friends from my building have a tradition to surprise people at midnight on their birthday, and we always do the same thing for my friends in InterVarsity…but I didn’t expect both groups to surprise me! It was so crazy. We couldn’t even fit everyone in my room!

Oh & I got caked….three times.

My breakfast: a cupcake of course. My friend surprised me in the afternoon by taking me off campus to show me this amazing view of a valley! It was breath-taking! After my last class of the day, my friend Kristen and I went to Starbucks for some coffee to catch up. I even bought some pumpkin spice Via’s…so good. When I got back to campus, I found my common room decorated by my suitemates.

Throughout the day, I came across random notes people wrote to me :) Finally, I ended the night with a surprise piñata! That sucker was tough to kill!

Between the loving phone calls from home and all of the amazing ways I was surprised throughout the day, I truly felt loved. God has blessed me with so many wonderful people here and I am so grateful. I wouldn’t want to start my nineteenth year any other way, and I’m excited to see God’s plans for me this year!

iPhone Happenings

This week has been very interesting. A little hectic, but I’m starting to get back into the swing of things here at school. Here’s my week in pictures:

Remember when I said I would never be a fashion blogger? Well the full-length mirror in my dorm room is causing my narcissism to kick in. Whoops :p
Don’t judge me…


Top: New Student Outreach for InterVarsity in my housing community // #SheReadsTruth on lies // A beautiful sky between storms
Bottom: Boston crème cupcakes from this recipe. They were so good! // My gorgeous friend Kristen after I helped her get all dolled up for a date night with her boyfriend // Learning about intentional friendships


Top: Banner at the InterVarsity general interest meeting…we had 160 people come! Praise God :) // Late-night Denny’s after InterVaristy // Wegman’s run (two of the girl’s first time)
Bottom: My suite’s newly painted door brick // Walk in integrity // Birthday package of goodies from my parents!


Top: I got a new clear case to put scrapbook paper in // Necklace from my momma
bottom: Fighting pride // Birthday nails


Well, that’s all my iPhone has to say. Have a wonderful week!

Intentional Friendships

I’ve been gearing up to write this post for almost a week now, and the longer I’ve put it off, the more God has been showing me about its importance. I’m not exactly where to begin. God has been revealing to me the importance of true friendships through His Word and the words & actions of my friends so much this week! But I guess I will try to sum this up the best I can.

On Friday, I read Proverbs 27 for my #SheReadsTruth devotional. Two verses grabbed me. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” & “the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” These words humbled me and truly made me think about the relationships I invest my time in. Are they earnest? Or am I hiding my love? True love for a friend is wanting the best for them, and that sometimes means telling them the hard truth. The nasty stuff that sucks to talk about. Friends need to be willing to confront one another when they are going down a path that is destructive. I need to be willing to have the awkward conversations that may save someone I love from getting hurt. And, as the prideful person I am, I need to be receptive to the loving rebuke of those who care about me. Earnest friendship is not superficial. It digs down deep to the core. The good and bad.

On Saturday, I had my first InterVarsity small group leaders’ meeting of the semester. Again, this idea of intentionality came up. As we discussed the vision for our groups this semester, we focused a lot on the strong relationship building we want to see. These relationships require time. They require vulnerability. They require challenging each other beyond complacency. My hope is that intentional friendships are born here. That we can ask tough questions, be brutally honest with each other, and encourage each other to show God in everything we do. 

The sermon I heard at church on Sunday was on the mission on the church. We focused a lot on relationship-building.

God was really trying to tell me something. But the most powerful ways He spoke to me have occurred in the past 24 hours. God showed it to me.

Last night, I was doing homework with two friends. My friend Dennis asked me a simple question about how something was going. I, surprising myself, answered a honest answer about what I was struggling with. This led into a long conversation where I poured myself out to them about what I’ve been working through the past few months. Pain and brokenness I was too afraid to talk about. Aching that I hid from my friends because I didn’t want to deal with it. But God did want to deal with it. He wants to heal it. God has been challenging me to open up and be honest about these struggles, but I keep fighting Him. My two friends did the best thing they could in the situation. They listened. They listened while I opened up about my pain and confusion and everything I was dealing with. They comforted me as my emotions swirled up and emptied out. They offered me biblical truth that spoke deep into my core. Their friendship to me was apparent in this moment. They were earnest.

This morning, moments before I sat down to type out this post, God showed me intentional friendship yet again. My sweet friend Amy texted me, out of the blue, with this:It literally brought tears to my eyes as I realized how much I needed to read those words in that moment. How much I needed that reminder to be bold today. I texted Amy back with words of gratitude for how necessary her text was. She responded by saying she “had this weird urge to text me that.” God is good. He spoke through Amy to encourage and empower me. He has given me an intentional friend in her. Amy is an earnest friend.
This are only two examples of the many true friends God has placed in my life. They are a reminder of the kind of friend I need to be. I need to be intentional. I need to not be afraid to confront the yucky stuff. I need to love. Genuinely.

Friday’s Letters: Move In Edition

Hello lovelies! I’m all moved in at school & I’m loving being back. I decided my letters this week would be related to my past couple of days back at Bing.

Dear Dorm Room, I am so happy to have you all organized…I think you’ll be a good home for the year.


Dear Freshmen, Welcome to Binghamton!! I hope your move yesterday wasn’t too stressful.

Dear Agitated Freshmen Parents, I really wish you hadn’t gotten so angry with us Welcome Back Crew members. We were there yesterday to help, not get yelled at because you couldn’t get the carts fast enough.

That being said…Dear Happy Freshmen Parents, I’m so glad there were so many of you yesterday. I love helping you and your kids move in, you made my day very joyful!

Dear Suitemates, thank goodness you’re moving in today…this suite is too big for just me!

Dear Friends, I am so so hyped to see you all this weekend, I’ve missed you.

Dear tea, You were the perfect way to de-stress after 9 hours of moving people in.


Dear God, I am so excited to see what you have planned for this semester. I pray that you introduce a lot of new students to Intervarsity this weekend at University Fest & next week at New Student Outreach events. I can’t wait to connect with more students excited about You!

My Friday will be spent giving freshmen class tours and reconnecting with my friends, I hope your day is just as exciting!!! :)

iPhone Happenings

So as I looked through my iPhone pictures from the last week, I came to the conclusion that I may, in fact, be a crazy cat lady….I take way too many pictures of my kitties. No worries people, this time next week I will be settling into my dorm and you will be free of cat pictures until at least Thanksgiving! Speaking of which…ONE WEEK UNTIL I’M BACK AT SCHOOL!!!!! Can you tell I’m excited? I am so ready to see how God is going to use me this year!

Well, here is my week according to my iPhone…
Top: More amazing cookie butter…I’m addicted people! // A rare moment when both cats are together in harmony // She’s addicted to sinks apparently
Middle: My mom left this bottom shelf bare just for the cat…when I walk by, the bookshelf meows at me // Suspicious… // The Intervarsity pamphlets I got on my visit to Binghamton back in April 2011. I am so thankful I met people from the fellowship then because I immediately got connected with them last fall when I moved on campus. I am so blessed by the friendships I’ve built in that ministry!
Bottom: Some wonderful Proverbs truths #SheReadsTruth // Feeling fancy because I curled my hair // Pulled out my watercolors this week


Top: Making bracelets // Cat distractions from responding to blog emails // Late night tea
Middle: Felt like Scar the other morning when I woke up (I wonder what I do in my sleep) // “Do you believe in yourself?” // Froyo addiction
Bottom: My friend Julie at I found the cutest weirdest outfits possible at Kohl’s…seriously who buys this stuff?!!


Top: New nail polishes // Bleaching my hair for the pink dye // Apparently my friend lived with geese :p
Middle: Julie & Me with our pink hair // Yummy chicken salad lettuce wraps // Came across these verses twice this week…God is calling me to be humble.
Bottom: Bath & Body Works makes the cutest things // Proverbs 15- watching my words // Eeeeee she’s so cute, I'm going to miss her cuddling with me at school :(


Well that’s all my iPhone had to say. This next week is going to be filled with last-minute errands, packing, and savoring my last moments with family & friends before I trek back up to New York.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Friday’s Letters

Linking up again with Ashley @ Adventures of Newlyweds:

Dear Stella (my car), Why did you decide to not start this week?! I miss you, please get fixed soon.

Poor Stella getting towed 

Dear Nectarines, you’re my favorite.

Dear Shopping, I love you, especially with friends.

Dear Ariel, thanks again for the nomination the other day.

Dear Blog Friends, I’m so happy I’m meeting more you you. You gals are pretty sweet.

Dear Calc, You know I’m not liking you right now, I’m sure you don’t like me much either…but we just have one more week together. Let’s stick it out.

This happened. For about 20 minutes...she's needy

Dear Kitties, thanks for so much cuddling this week…even when I was trying to do work.

mmmmmmm

Dear Candles, I had forgotten how wonderful you are, oh how I’m going to miss you when I’m back in my dorm.

 Dear SUNY Buffalo Chapter of Intervarsity, Praise God! I am so glad the student board reinstated your charter.

Dear #SheReadsTruth, I’m loving this Proverbs study.

Dear God, thank you for you grace. I am learning to crave your wisdom alone.

Three

Three weeks. Just three weeks (and a day…technicalities) stand between me and my return to Binghamton. I am excited & anxious to return. I get to move in two days early to help move in the freshmen (which means I get to pick my side of the room!! Yay!) I am so excited to help move these guys in, but its hard to believe I was in their shoes last year. Well, this past week, a lot of things have been reminding me of my return. Yesterday, I spent a lot of time thinking about this coming school year.

I got an email from housing talking about move in day. I also started messaged my suitemates on Facebook about what we are bringing. I have a confession to make, I am nervous about my housing this year. I am living with five girls I have never lived with before. Don’t get me wrong, they are all so nice and seem wonderful, but this is totally out of my comfort zone. Three of them lived in a triple last year and the other two were roommates in another building. This makes me the odd girl out. That scares me. It also scares me that I don’t know my roommate very well. I just really hope she likes me (is that lame?) I am scared about being “the Christian girl” in my suite. I know that God has put me in this suite for a reason. I know He has plans for me there, but I feel timid about sharing my faith & living it out with them. He has been teaching me a lot about boldness, but it is a long process.

Don’t worry, I also mentioned I was excited…because boy am I!! I am involved with my campus’s Intervarsity, and this year I will be a small group leader! I trained as one last semester, but now it’s that real deal. I’m kind of really pumped. Last night, my co-leader Sasha and I got to video chat and catch up. Talking to her and discussing the goals we have got me so so hyped!! I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to pour into my peers lives and build a community beyond a weekly bible study. I am especially looking forward to the incoming freshmen who will be checking IV out. We have the opportunity to grow friendships and intentional relationships…and that is awesome, but also a great accountability tool. I hope that it drives me to be genuine with my faith in my daily life. I hope I can lead well and lead humbly through this opportunity. I know God has a plan, but it continually fascinates me that He wants to use me, my strengths, and my weakness in that plan.

I feel silly that I am so eager to live out my faith with one group but not that other. It’s crazy that I think I can live a dual-life at school, although last year I kind of did. This year is different. I know now that I need to give God my all. I am so thankful that God has really met me where I am this summer. He has been stretching me and teaching me to rely on Him…and boy do I need it! This semester, I will have a heavy course load, a lot of IV involvement, and I need to remember to be intentional with people. I could easily get overwhelmed, but I am hopeful, even through my fears, that God is good. I cannot wait to see how He plans to teach me and mold me through this semester.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Only 22 more days!!!!!!!!!!!

Via