Plans

When I didn't get into Appalachian State University, I was crushed.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do or where I would go to school.  As I was telling my boss all this she looked at me and said "Just remember, God has a plan, even when we can't see it."  It took me by surprise.  I left her office feeling just a tiny bit better than I did when I first went in.

As the semester is drawing to an end, I can't help but be reminded of that quote.  For some of us, graduation is just a few short days away.  For others of us a semester or two away.  With every passing day it seems as if the pressure to have a "plan" increases.  Right now I am trying to decide which graduate program I want to attend and where I want to be after I graduate from Montreat. It can be very frustrating not to know what comes next.  

Just like my boss said, God has a plan, I just can't see it right now.  There might be a reason he doesn't want me to see his plan right now.  It's not the right time.  God's timing is perfect.  He knows exactly what our lives look like before we were even born.  How amazing is that!  It's just a matter of faith.  Having faith in knowing God's plan is the plan that is best for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

God wants the best for us.  He knows what lies up ahead of us.  All we need to do is have faith and know that God is taking care of us and has us in the palm of our hands.  One thing is for sure: even if our plans fall through, God won't.  He will be there no matter what.

Is it too hard?

A year or so ago I was at church listening to a sermon.  I hate to say this but I was kind of nodding off to sleep in the middle of the sermon.  Until something he said woke me up and grabbed my attention.

He said "God will ask you to do something that is too hard for you."  The whole congregation fell silent.  You could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet.  I'm sure I was thinking what everybody else was thinking 'You're a pastor.  You're not supposed to say that.  That's so discouraging.'  We made judgment before he finished his thought.  He continued with "But he will never ask you to do something that he can't do."  For the rest of the service I sat and contemplated what this meant.

At first I didn't understand this.  Why would God give me something that is too hard for me to do?  That would mean that I would fail and disappoint him.  Why would he do something like that?  Then I realized something.  He will ask me to do things that are too hard for me.  But only so I can rely on Him for his strength to accomplish it.  2 Corinthians 12:9 says this "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  It's comforting to know that no matter how weak I am, God is always stronger than my weaknesses.  

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My son, my precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." -Anonymous
Sometimes in life we wonder why we can't feel God. Especially when we are going through something difficult. It is in those moments that he has us in his arms, carrying us through whatever we are facing.

Run

Who runs?  Everybody runs.  Well, not everybody is a track star but we all run.  What are we running from? Perhaps the more important question is: who are we running to?

It was my junior year in college and I was sitting in a biology lab.  Not my favorite place to be. Our professor always did a devotional with us each class period.  She told us how she struggled to find a devotion for this particular week.  So she just put on her itunes and asked God to show her what she needed to teach us.  The song Run Baby Run came on by Jason Upton.  The lyrics are as follows:

I?ve been calling you to go to the city
I?ve been watching you every day
Now I?m paying for a one way ticket
for a ship that sails the opposite way

And you laugh and you cry
and you live and you die
cause you don?t really know who you are
all alone in this world
orphan boy, orphan girl
cause you don?t really know who you are

Run baby run
my hands release you
baby run baby run
just as fast as you can
run till your legs lead your heart to the real truth
you?re my daughter, my son,
so run baby run baby run

Hear me laughing as you run from your calling
see me crying, see me crying in the storms that rage
one way or another, you will be going
to obey is such an easier way 

While she played the song for us she asked us to think about the meaning of the words and the impact it has on our life.  All I could do was sit there and allow my eyes to fill with tears.  I was the runner.  She pulled me aside after class to make sure I was okay and we talked for a bit.  I was running from God.  Not even knowing the direction I was headed.  Not long after I heard that song, I knew what I had to do.  I began to talk to God and let him in on what was going on. Once I did that, I stopped running.

Everybody is running from something or someone.  The question though is who are you running to? Is it God?  Is it man?  Is it materialistic?  Whatever it is, God already knows and he cares.  Stop running.  Turn around and run to him because he's the only one that will run to you.

Life is like a paperclip

Life is like a paperclip.  Yes.  Like a paperclip.  When a paperclip is bought at the store, it's in the perfect little package.  Perfect in shape and color.  There is nothing flawed about it.  However, the paperclip will not stay in that form.  Somebody will bend it out of shape just for the amusement of it.  You can try and bend the paperclip back into the original position but it's very difficult.  It can be done though.  It just takes some time and patience.

We are like paperclips in God's eyes.  When we are born, we are perfect.  Not a scratch to our name.  As we go through life though, we get scratches, bumps, and bruises.  When we head into our teen/early adult years that is when we start to "bend out of shape."  We hang with the wrong crowd.  Do and say the wrong things.  We get into bad habits.  Pretty soon we can't even recognize who we are.  This is where God comes in and picks us up and holds us in his arms.  He molds us "back into shape."  To our original condition.  

God may let us wander down a path or two that's off course, but he will always bring us back to where we started.  God is good and he loves his children.  There is nothing we can do or say that will keep his love from us.  He will do whatever it takes to "bend us back into shape."

Can You Hear Me Now??

Can you hear me now? Ok. Good. How about now? Good. Can you hear me now? This catchy phrase was coined by the Verizon Wireless phone company. This is there slogan. Being able to communicate with people is important. Text messages and phone calls are used to send messages. However, sometime the signal is bad and the messages don't go through and the calls get dropped. This can also be true of the Christian life.

How many times when we pray to God and ask 'Can you hear me?' Our prayers feel like they're not even getting past the ceiling. We ask God 'Why aren't you answering?' 'Can you not hear me?'

This can be a very frustrating experience. Humanly, we can relate this to two friends sitting in a room together. Friend A is telling friend B about how horrible her day was and everything that went wrong. When she is finished talking, friend B looks up and says 'Oh I'm sorry. Did you say something?' The good news is: God isn't like that!

God does hear us. He just wants us to be quiet. Isaiah 65:24 says this "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear." God knows what we are going to say before we say it. And he knows how long we will talk to him about it too. God wants us to take a moment to stop asking the questions of 'Can you hear me? and Why aren't you answering?' to sit and listen in quiet. Perhaps the reason we can't hear him is because we ourselves are not quiet enough to hear him. God is listening. Are you?

Finals

Ahh the week of finals.  There is no feeling quite like it in the world.  The rushing around trying to cram every piece of information from the whole semester into a study session.  The stress of trying to raise grades by the letter.  Not to mention the focus of thinking about getting home to see family and friends for the holidays.  If you also add in trying to make last minute plans with friends before the break plus the above mentioned, you have a recipe for stress.

This is exactly what I am experiencing this week.  My grades in my classes are teetering between two letter grades.  The exams will be the deciding factor.  I want to do my best.  Therefore, I am extremely stressed on making sure that the grade on my finals cause my overall all grade to go up a letter grade.  Then I got a devotional email from my mom.

The opening to the devotional was this verse: "But you will not even need to fight.  Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory.  He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!" 2 Chronicles 20:17  I was stuck on this verse for awhile.  I kept reading it and rereading it. Then I realized something.

I have no need to worry about my finals.  God is going to be with me no matter what.  In the end it won't matter what I made on my finals.  My finals do not and will not determine my entrance into the kingdom of Heaven.  So, I am no longer worried about my finals.  I know God is with me and will supply my needs.  His word says: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26  If I were to take on these exams in my own strength, it would be impossible.  But because I have God on my side, these exams are not impossible.  God is with me.

Silent Night

Silent Night.  An all-time favorite Christmas carol.  So simple yet so impactful.  Well, I used to enjoy that song every year at Christmas.  I would hear it sung at church countless times as well as when the carols at the stores would sing it.  This Christmas is different though.

In October of 2007 my Grammy passed away.  We were very very close.  That Christmas was slightly difficult but looking back I do not think that I totally processed her not being there at Christmas.  Our family had gone non-stop since her death.  Having people come over bringing dinners.  Visiting extended family for Thanksgiving.  Finals coming up.  It all happened so quickly. Hearing the song Silent Night that Christmas really did not affect me that much.  However, this Christmas is different.  Every time I hear that song, I think of my Grammy.  It's harder this year.  I hear the song and I remember her.  It was her favorite Christmas song.  I can still hear the faint sound of her voice singing it.  

I've gotten to the point to where I have asked many questions and even allowing myself to get angry.  I ask the question 'why?'  Then God showed me something.  The night my Grammy passed away was in fact a silent night.  At least in our hearts and minds.  When she passed away, it began a long journey.  A journey that will never end.  However, the night she passed away, there was a place where it wasn't a silent night.  Heaven.  The angels in heaven were rejoicing and welcoming her home with open arms.  Jesus was there at the gate to meet her.  

So while we were here on Earth experiencing a silent night, Heaven was experiencing a joyous night.  Sometimes things aren't always what we seem.  God will make a way to comfort us even in the most tragic situations.  So now when I hear that song, I don't think of a silent night.  I think of a joyous night!

The Good Through The Bad

Its the week before finals and my roommate and I decided we wanted to rearrange our room. However, she wasn't here when I rearranged but we talked about how we wanted the room and that's how I arranged it. When she got back later, she really didn't say a lot. I could tell by the look on her face. The room was still messy with clothes, books, and other things scattered everywhere. It was 11:30 pm. I was tired and cranky and I honestly did not feel like moving anything else. So we talked about the room and the layout and how else we could do it to where we were both satisfied with it. By the time we figured it out, it was 12:00 am. We both had 8:00 classes. We began to move. It was a bit challenging because we had to move stuff all over the room just to settle in a tiny piece of furniture. Once we got all the furniture in place, we still had a HUGE mess to clean up. By this time it was 1:00 am. Neither one of us got to bed before 2:00 am.

I know this probably sounds like a way for me to vent off my frustrations. However, I realized that God is like this sometimes. Like the roommate that changes their mind. My roommate wanted to move the furniture around until she found just the right layout for the room. God is like that too. He puts us in situations that frustrates us, challenge us, and even encourage us. When we first go through those situations, we are not able to see the good that will come out of it. We become focused on the problem instead of the solution. We become tired and aggravated just like I did with my roommate. God is patient though. He knows the good that will come out of situation. Just like my roommate knew the room would look amazing in this layout.

The next time I find myself in a challenging situation, I need to look to God to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ministry Across the Curriculum

The other day I read an article entitled "A New Rallying Cry" by Howard Culbertson. I found this article to take a very interesting viewpoint on the integration of faith and learning.

Culbertson's view on integration of faith and learning is basically that professors and teachers can not integrate faith into every single subject. He used math as an example. There are very few mathematical examples in the Bible. When a teacher teaches the multiplication tables, she could integrate how Jesus taught to forgive 70 times 7. However, when the teacher begins to teach algebra, there are no biblical examples of this in the Bible that can be used. In other subjects though, there are biblical examples that can be used. Culbertson's point was that faith can not be integrated into every subject therefore by the time students graduate they are not even aware of the college's faith based slogan. Let alone knowing that they don't know how to integrate faith into learning. The author of this article proposes a different way to integrate faith and learning. He calls it Ministry Across the Curriculum. Culbertson says, "It would make people think of hands-on, field ministry involvements by all students and faculty." Professors and teachers would not necessarily integrate faith into the classroom as much as they would set an example through their actions and words.

As a student, I can see both perspectives on the integration of faith and learning. Coming from a Christian college where the professors do speak about God and faith in the classroom and relate it to what we are learning, I find it to be very useful and helpful. I appreciate the fact that the professors are not ashamed to openly share their faith with the students. I also think that sometimes faith can be best shown through actions. I agree that faith does not always have to be spoken about in a classroom. However, my only concern with this approach is that it will become more and more less common to speak about one's faith in the classroom and it will eventually become obsolete. I do like the approach though of acting on one's faith. That can also speak volumes. Regardless of how a college or university decides to integrate faith and learning, one thing is for sure and that's faith needs to be integrated somehow and someway with learning.

http://online.montreat.edu/file.php/318/A_New_Rallying_Cry_Howard_Culbertson_Southern_Nazarene_University.pdf

Integration Isn't Just For Faith

In a recent article that I read entitled "Defining the Integration of Faith and Learning" by Robert Harris, it speaks about what integration actually is and how it relates to faith and learning.

"Every time we learn something, we engage in the process of integrating knowledge, for integration is the process of connecting knowledge with knowledge-connecting facts, ideas, and other information together in a way that unifies them." - Robert Harris

Everybody integrates knowledge at some point everyday. We may not even mean to do it. It just comes naturally. It would only seem natural that faith is integrated with learning as well.

Harris lists five assumptions to integrating faith and learning. One of these assumptions is that truth is the most important goal of learning. No matter what you learn, when you do learn, you want to learn the truth. A kindergarten teacher does not teach her students that 2+2=5. That is wrong. Untrue. 2+2=4 That is the truth. If a student doesn't learn that then they will have difficulty in all other types of math simply because they didn't know the truth and were not taught. The same goes for the integration of faith and learning. If people are not taught the importance of their faith and how to apply it to what they learn, then they will have nothing to base their knowledge on because God is truth and truth is God.

I think its very important that God's truth is the basis for every other kind of knowledge. Otherwise, the other knowledge will make sense but there will always be a piece missing from the puzzle. That piece is the knowledge of God's truth and knowing for a fact that it is the ultimate truth.

I will leave with a quote from J.P. Moreland who says this "In conceptual integration,one's theological beliefs are blended and unified with propositions judged to be justifiably believed as true from other sources into a coherent, intellectually satisfying world view."

www.virtualsalt.com/int/intdef.pdf

Why Is It So Important?

I never really understood the importance of integrating faith with the learning experience. In my mind, it was just another thing to talk about and to learn about. That was until I got to Montreat College. I began to understand the importance of faith and learning mixed together. However, it wasn't until recently that I read an article entitled "The Integration of Faith and Learning" by Robert Harris, that I really began to grasp and understand the importance of having a faith based learning system.

Who's responsibility is it to integrate faith and learning? This was a question that was raised in Harris's article. It struck me because this is something that I have never thought about before. First of all, it is the universities's and colleges's responsibilities to take on this role. Many students are afraid to integrate their faith with their learning for various reasons. Harris states: "If we want our students to love truth and pursue it freely, we must liberate them from this fear of learning by showing them that learning can strengthen and extend their faith."

However, it is also the student's responsibility to put what they have learned into practice. Meaning, when the professors show the students how to incorporate their faith with their learning, they need to do it. It will ultimately cause the students to become stronger in their faith so when they are faced with questions of postmodernism and things of that sort, they will be able to stand strong in their faith and know what they believe.

As a student, I find this article to be very much encouraging. There are times when I wonder if my belief in God is strong enough and if I'm learning all that I possible can. Through reading this article I have learned that integrating faith into learning is a process and takes time. There will be days when I will get discouraged and that's okay. There will be days when I'm encouraged and that's okay too. The main thing is to keep God in the center of everything you do because without him, it's nothing.

Jesus says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. -Matthew 22:37-38

http://www.virtualsalt.com/integrat.htm

Integrating Faith and Learning

I recently read an article that spoke about the integration of faith and learning in colleges and universities.  It was quite interesting.

The article entitled "Integrating Faith and Learning in Higher Education," by David Dockery, had some very interesting points.  I have never gone to a Christian school until I attended Montreat College last fall.  I never realized how important it is to have the integration of faith in the learning/education atmosphere.  It struck me that in Dockery's article it is mentioned that "The integration of faith and learning is at the essence of authentic Christian higher education and should be wholeheartedly implemented across the campus and across the curriculum.  This was once the goal of  almost every college in America."  Sadly, this is not the case today in the majority of colleges and universities across the United States.

Coming from a Christian College myself, I am able to see the importance of the integration of faith into learning.  I think its important to see how your faith ties into what you are learning in the classroom.  To be honest, there have been classes I have taken that I thought 'man, this class has nothing to do with God.'  Throughout the semester though, my professor slowly showed us how God and our faith in him related to that class and what we were learning.  Most colleges today do not value the integration of faith and learning.  They put an emphasis on athletics and test scores.  They push their students to be the best.  But for what?  For who?  T.S. Eliot says this about the integration of faith and learning "The purpose of a Christian education would not be merely to make men and women pious Christians: a system which aimed too rigidly at this end alone would become only obscurantist.  A Christian education must primarily teach people to be able to think in Christian categories."

The integration of faith and learning teaches students to think about topics and ideas from a Christian perspective.  I know just in my short time at Montreat my thinking has changed.  In a good way.  I think about situations and raise questions based on my beliefs.  I am able to incorporate my faith with what I am learning in the classroom.  To me that is a very valuable thing.  I am very grateful that God has provided me a way to attend a school that values the Christian faith enough to incorporate into the classroom lectures and to see it lived out everyday.

http://www.uu.edu/dockery/092000-erlc.htm

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for sharing. Thanksgiving is a time for family. Thanksgiving is a time for giving.

I usually do one of two things on Thanksgiving day. I am either up in Pittsburgh, PA with my family visiting my mom's side of the family or I am at my Grandma's house in my hometown having dinner with my extended family. Every Thanksgiving at my Grandma's house there is at least one person that would be invited that either didn't have a family to spend the holiday with or someone who just wanted to be around friends. This Thanksgiving I put into action what I had learned all these years.

A friend of mine used to go to Montreat but transferred to a Music Business school in Minnesota this fall. My friends and I of course miss her terribly. When we found out that she only had two days for Thanksgiving and couldn't go home to her family, we knew what we wanted to do. Each one of us talked to our families to make sure it would be alright if we spent the Thanksgiving with our friend. They were all okay with it. So we all bought tickets to Minnesota for Thanksgiving.

Once we got to Minnesota, we went shopping for groceries and a turkey. We decided to make Thanksgiving dinner on our own. It was quite interesting. We had alot of fun doing it though. I learned one very important lesson through all this that I wasn't expecting to learn.

While eating lots of great food and finding good sales the day after Thanksgiving, that's not what Thanksgiving is about. It's about spending quality time with family and friends. It's about sharing the holidays with those that can't be with their families. It's not about how much food you have, but about spending time with those you love.

I am so thankful for my friends and family that God has blessed me with. My family and friends have taught me this valuable lesson on what it really means to have Thanksgiving and to be thankful. This has been thus far the best Thanksgiving ever!

Lot Ministry

This Fall Montreat College hosted their first ever film festival. The festival began by the college hosting movie nights. The films included iron man, shawshank redemption along with others. The students had the option of participating in the film festival not only by attending the films and discussing them afterwards but also by creating their own film and entering it in a student film contest at the end of the week.

My friends and I decided to accept the challenge. The film had to include three things: a spatula, the line of "I wouldn't do that if I were you.", and the theme of devotion. We got to work right away. We sat down and started coming up with plots. These plots ranged from two friends having an argument to a runner trying to finish a race. It was getting late and we were running out of ideas fast. We were all tired and were coming up with crazy plots. We decided to pray. We asked God to show us what he wanted us to do with this film and how he wanted it used.

Not even five minutes later we came up with the idea to do a documentary on LOT ministry. LOT ministry is a ministry that provides breakfast to the homeless on Saturday mornings in a church parking lot. No matter how cold it is or how wet it was, these people had breakfast on Saturday mornings. This ministry is devouted to helping the homeless and showing Jesus's love to them. We contacted the man in charge and he was more than willing to come let us do a documentary on the ministry. Below is a link to see the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yUXUWIyzZo
Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives we are not able to see the hurt and need in other's lives. By going out early in the morning, and I do mean early, I was able to gain a new perspective of life. Homeless people are people too. Sometimes I am not able to get beyond the title of "homeless" to see them as people. This experience changed that.

God has called us to serve him as well as others. I Peter 4:10 says "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." This experience has changed my life for the better and has opened my eyes to see people as God sees them.

Unexpected Places

Have you ever had one of those days where you didn't know why you felt the way that you did? Nothing to pin point. You just felt blah. But when you really got down to it, you realized what was making the day so bad. Once you realized that, all you wanted to do was talk about it? That happened to me today.

I was able to sleep in so that was a blessing in and of itself. Nothing went wrong and nobody said or did anything to upset me. Towards the end of the day I began getting very irritable and cranky. Part of the problem was that I was hungry. Even after I was full, I could not shake this feeling. I had to meet with one of my classmates to go over statistic homework which I was not looking forward to simply because I hadn't done it yet.

We actually ended up not even talking about our statistics homework for the first hour we met. We had a deep meaningful conversation instead. When I found out I had to take a statistics course my initial thought was 'Why?' All I can say is that God has reasons for things. He provides for us in ways that we sometimes don't understand and we don't see.

When my classmate came in and we started talking, I needed that. As time ticked on though, I was worried and concerned about getting the homework done. I soon realized though that not only did she need to talk but I also needed to talk as well. This was God's way of providing an outlet for me. I didn't ask him to and I wasn't going to. He just showed up unexpectedly.

If I had not taken this statistic's class, I would not have had this opportunity. In the midst of our human nature of questioning 'Why' he has a rhyme and reason behind everything. The reason for being in this class I believe could just simply be to have this much needed conversation with a classmate. The thing is though: my eyes had to be open to the unexpected as well as my heart.

Slow Fade

The other day a friend of mine asked me to make a CD for her. I didn't mind. It was mostly some casting crowns songs and a few other various songs. I've heard all of these songs before. Not really thinking much about them until now that is.

Casting Crowns sings a song called Slow Fade. The lyrics are as follows:

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

What choice am I making? What choice are you making? Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we will ever have. But sometimes we don't view it like that. We put other things before God. Friends, school, activities, TV shows, etc tends to all come before God. Not intentionally though. The thing is though that the more unaware we become that we are putting these things before God, the more we are slowly fading away from him. We have to be so careful what we see and do. It only takes one time. Then the slow fade begins. The good news is that he's not fading away from us. He sees us even if we can't seem him. We are human so it is bound to happen that we will slowly fade away. But it is our responsibility to make sure that we don't fade so far away that God is just a distant image that we can no longer see.

Isn't God Funny?

Do you ever wonder where God is? Why you can't feel him? Is it me or does he seem to disappear especially on the days when we need him the most? We throw up our hands and say 'Why God Why? Where are you? Don't you know that I need you?'

Yesterday I asked these questions and many more. It was a terrible day. I didn't get enough sleep to start off with. Feelings of stress and being overwhelmed engulfed my entire being. I couldn't think straight. I was short with everybody I came into contact with. Especially my friends. I was trying to study for three tests that I had in the next three days. The last tests for those classes for the semester with the exception of the final. I also had alot on my mind that I was thinking about too. Then I realized somehow, that I had yet another test to take. I scrambled to my computer to take the test. I studied but you would not have even guessed that from my score. That pushed me over the edge. Right as I was getting ready to explode, there was a knock on my door. They were looking for my roommate. After small talk they left. Except for one. She looked me right in the eye and asked if I was okay. I snapped back with "NO I'M NOT OKAY!!" When the last word left my mouth, my eyes began to flood with liquid.

My friend came to my side to try and calm me down. I eventually calmed down and was able to get my studying done. That's all I did last night. Throughout the night I continued to ask God where he was and why hadn't he revealed himself to me. I mean, I needed him. Then this morning I realized something.

God did reveal himself to me. Not the way I wanted or even anticipated. In a way I would not think of him revealing himself. Through my friends. I believe that God can use people to comfort others. Last night the same friend that I snapped at came to my room to share the following with me: "Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee; all things are passings, God never changeth! Patient sndurance attaineth to all things; who God possesseth in nothing is wanting; alone God sufficeth." She also gave me another one that read as follows: "Calm me, O Lord, as You stilled the storm. Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm. Let all the tumult within me cease. Enfold me, Lord, in Your peace. Father, bless the work that is done and the work that is to be. Father, bless the servant that I am and the servant that I will be." I had to let those sink in for a moment or two.

Later that night I received a text message from another friend. The moment I received it was a moment that I was on the verge of tears simply because of how stressed out I was. The text was simple and its message was "I love you." Right before I went to bed I checked my email and received an email from an admissions staff. The email left me encouraged.

My point is, is that sometimes we call on God and expect him to come to us in a certain way. But he's God. He's unexpected. He gave me the encouragement and comfort I needed through my friends. Sometimes God's funny in the way he works, but he works.

Answers To Prayer

Once I got accepted to Montreat College I was really excited and felt as if a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Everything fell into place: the financial aid, scheduling, everything. This only made me more certain that this is where God wanted me.

Probably by late June early July I began to realize something. I was leaving everything and everybody I had known for 21 years and moving somewhere where I knew nobody. I hadn't a single friend at Montreat. So every morning as I got ready for my day I prayed this prayer:



" Father God, You know what I need. You know what I want. I want friends like on the show "Friends." Just a group that is close to one another and is there for one another no matter what. Father, send me the friends I need. But help me to be a friend that someone else needs. Father, I'm scared. I haven't left this town and ventured off on my own at all. You're in control. You know what is going to happen. I don't. So please Father, send me the friends that I need and that need me."



Before I left for school, someone told me not to come home until fall break because if I did, then I would want to stay home and end up coming home every weekend. I wouldn't establish myself. When I got to school I realized I wasn't going to be able to wait until fall break to go home. It was September and I was planning on going home one particular weekend. Also during that weekend, the school was doing SALT which is a ministry opportunity to get students involved in the community. That same weekend was the weekend I planned on going home. My RA at the time asked me if I wanted to go see a Shakespheare play that Friday night. My initial thought was 'Man, I want to go home.' I decided to be social and I would just go home on Saturday. The play was ok. When we got back she asked me if I would go to SALT with her the following morning. I hesitated but said yes. I was determined I could stay until fall break.



SALT went great! As we headed back to campus we got into a deep discussion. I'm not normally open to people I don't know too well. She had been going to Montreat for a good year before I came in the fall. Throughout our conversation we both found out that we both prayed for the same thing over the summer. Ever since then we have and still are very close friends.


God has blessed me with AMAZING friends. I could not ask for better friends. They are all gifts from God and answers to prayer. The best thing is that we are all different but we all bring something very unique to the group. I thank God for these girls everyday. If any of my friends are reading this: I love you and thank God for the blessing that you are in my life.

From Appalachian To Montreat

It was December of 2006.  I was graduating from my community college in May 2007 with an Associates degree in Early Childhood.  All my life everyone had told me 'You have so much potential!'  Although I didn't believe it until now.  I knew that I was supposed to go to a four year college.  The problem was, I wasn't sure where.  Everyone I worked with and had contact with had gone to Appalachian State University.  The majority of my graduating high school class went to Appalachian.  Automatically, I assumed that's where I was meant to go.  I had prayed about just going on to a four year college.  I felt God telling me to go.   So I applied to Appalachian.  

I scheduled a tour of the campus.  My boss and her family were going to take me but their little girl got sick.  My parents ended up taking me along with my sister and a family friend.  When we got there, it was 10:00 in the morning and 15 degrees outside.  No snow though.  We went on the tour and the campus was bigger than what I could have anticipated.  The dorms were co-ed which I didn't like at all.  During the tour I had a weird feeling and I wasn't quite sure what it was or where it came from. 

Through lunch, I put on a mask.  Meaning, that even though I wasn't 100% sure if that's where I was meant to go that I acted and pretended like it was.  My Mom kept telling me that she didn't have a good feeling about me going to Appalachian.  Once we left the restraunt we went over to a Christian bookstore.  It was made out of this gorgeous wood.  They sold your typical bookstore things but their specialty was in wood carvings and pictures.  There were wood plaques all over the store with Bible verses engraved in them.  My Mom called me over to where she was and pointed to a verse that read "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." -Proverbs 16:9  I took one look at it and said "Ok.  Whatever Mom."  I turned and walked away.

Two weeks passed by.  I received a letter in the mail.  The return address label read: Appalachian State University.  This was it!  My letter of freedom.  My potential would finally be reached!  All I had to do now was open the letter.  My excitement was building. I opened the envelope and took out the carefully folded letter.  As I read it, my dreams came to a hault.  I didn't get in.  They wanted me to have an additional 15 credit hours on top of the degree I would have in May.  This would not work.  It would take me twice as long to get to Appalachian.  

I was MAD at God.  All I could ask him was "Why God Why?"  It was March.  No school would be accepting applicants this late.  Throughout this whole process of when I first started to look at schools, my Mom told me to look into Montreat College.  I looked but they didn't have what I thought I needed.  So I disregarded them.  When I didn't get in to Appalachian, my Mom started talking about Montreat again.  To the point that it was annoying.  So finally, just to appease her, I made an appointment to have a campus tour of Montreat. 

We drove up to Montreat on a Saturday morning.  I was still very angry with God.  To the point that on the way up to Montreat I made a deal with him that nobody else knew about besides me and God.  I told him that if this is the school I was really meant to be at, to show me a sign.  But not just any sign.  Something white.  We pulled into the campus, and it was snowing.  I told God that didn't count because it wasn't sticking to the ground.  In my mind, nothing was going to happen.  I was still too angry with God over my rejection to Appalachian.  Montreat is much more expensive than Appalachian.  Why would I even go here for that very reason?  I muddled through the tour only answering and asking questions when necessary.  I liked the stone buildings though. Every building was built out of stone.  Even the dorms.  The tour was ending and I hadn't seen any kind of sign at all.  In my mind, this place was out.  Then it happened.  My tour guide walked us down to Lake Susan.  In the middle of the lake was a single white swan staring directly at me.  At that moment I knew.  An overwhelming peace surrounded. I knew this was it.  

A few weeks later I got a letter that had Montreat College printed on the outside envelope.  I was afraid to open the letter.  I didn't know what would be inside.  I carefully opened the envelope and took out the letter.  I opened the letter slowly, with caution like something was going to jump out at me or something.  The first line read : "CONGRATULATIONS!  You have been accepted to Montreat College."