How to Find (and Keep) Your Momentum

This is a featured post by Reina Villanueva, an ENFP with a love of feta cheese omelettes and Sharpie pens. The thirst for adventure is close to her heart and her bucket list includes someday roping a cow, cliff jumping, and visiting the city of Villanueva de la Reina in Spain (Google it). You can read her blog at marymusingsofamartha.wordpress.com.

Okay. It’s confession time. To be honest guys, I am kind of a geek. Not la “wonk” geek and not an “I love Star Wars” geek (although I do love Star Wars). No, I’m kind of an “I love math and science” geek. I know. I’m sure this level of practicality is rather shocking coming from a film major. But I love understanding how stuff works. I like learning about gravity, light, and even the human eye.

In Four Years

This is a video post by Bethany Turley. She is a senior from Kentucky via Belgium. She’s done spoken word, film, poetry, and music. She’s performed at every Open Mic Night, and she does it all for the glory of God. You can check out her blog at http://bethanytwrites.wordpress.com/.

Your Future Begins Now

This is a featured post by Leah Dunn. She loves photography, her 5 cats, and the Pittsburgh Steelers (actually, anything Pittsburgh). She wishes she could play the piano. She lives for bouji coffee and chocolate chip cookies.

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When I heard about Winter Retreat at the beginning of this semester, going was just a matter of whether or not I had free time. I have been on church retreats and missions trips and have strongly experienced God before, so I figured this time wouldn’t be much different. The Holy Spirit would come, we would feel its power, and we would come back to AU, returning to our normal lives. And I was right.

 

Just kidding. I was dead wrong.

 

Entering American University as a freshman, I planned to keep working hard academically, but I also decided to extend my social life beyond what it had been in high school. As many do, I plugged into the party scene at AU–going to frat parties on weekends, drinking in dorm rooms, and smoking weed in the woods. My life perfectly encapsulated the “work hard, play hard” mindset, as I would be hardworking and devoted to my studies during the week, and drunk and high on the weekends.

 

Not only did I separate my academic and social lives, but I also put my “spiritual life” and my relationship with God in a box. God was saved for Thursday Night Worship and small group meetings on Monday nights. Keeping Him detached from other aspects of my life, including the way I conducted myself on a day-to-day basis, made everything safe. I could do whatever I wanted while also “keeping God happy” by doing Chi Alpha. As long as my two different worlds didn’t intersect, everything was great.

 

This inconsistency bothered me at times. I remember a specific instance where a friend asked me if I was a Christian. I replied, “Yes,” then I left my dorm to go get high. Looking back, I actually have no words for my blatant disrespect towards God. Yet at the time I managed to brush off the occasional guilt and keep my perfectly divided life in tact.

 

This continued into Winter Retreat. I was excited to experience the Holy Spirit, but I still had thoughts about upcoming events like my birthday and St. Patrick’s Day, where I planned to resort to my alternate way of life. (I even considered not going to retreat because of a mixer that was going to happen Saturday night!) But God had drastically different plans, greater than I could’ve imagined. On the Saturday night of retreat, Pastor Brett Fuller talked about Living as an Example,

 

“in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity,” referring to 1 Timothy 4:12.

Expanding upon each of these aspects of true life and relationship with Christ, everything he said convicted me. I kept thinking, “wow, I’m probably not doing this thing right.” I tried brushing off these thoughts as I always have, convincing myself that I could continue to lead this double life–other people did that too, right?

 

A fun fact about God: the seeds he plants in our minds WILL grow. You can’t ignore Him. It’s actually impossible. Just a warning, in case you ever wanted to try.

 

As the Holy Spirit began to work in that hotel reception hall, I decided to release my pride and open myself to what God was trying to tell me. He reminded me of how badly I wanted to fulfill my destiny through Him and do what I was called to do. He then showed me that this was virtually impossible if I planned to continue living my double life. “Who you are today is who you will be tomorrow,” He told me, “and that doesn’t match up with my plan.” …Woah. It hit me like a freight train. How could I stand in services and sing “It will be my joy to say, ‘Your will, your way, always’” if the VERY NEXT DAY I’m knowingly going against His way? Not only does it not match up, but what does it say about my character? I realized that I’ve essentially been living a lie. Wow.

I confided in my small group leader, Sarah, about this revelation and she prayed with me. God then led me to take a humongous leap to writing down a promise to myself and to God–to abstain from the life of partying, drunkenness and getting high in order to pursue God and His plans for me wholly and truthfully. This was HUGE and would change my entire way of living, but God was not letting me away this time. The idea that my present is directly related to my future was hounding at my heart. And it wasn’t the usual “Holy Spirit affair”–messy, emotional, sob-filled. All of it just made sense. And because of that, I chose to trust Him fully.

 

In another humongous leap and release of pride, I shared my step towards a drug and alcohol-free future with the entire AU Chi Alpha group at retreat…talk about nerve-wracking! But the support, love, and prayers I received in return overwhelmed me and gave me the first sense of true community I have felt since coming to AU. You can’t define “blessed” until you’ve experienced being blessed.

 

Back in real life, I already find myself facing pressures of my oh-so-recent past. God keeps reminding me, however, that I have the most reliable support in not only in Him, but in AUXA. He’s been so good to me, and I know that will continue.

 

Do you believe the same? Do you believe that God is working in you RIGHT NOW to shape your mind, heart, soul, and very being for the plans he has in store for your future? Ask God how He is preparing you, or what you need to change in order for Him to work in you. 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11)

A Letter to My Fellow Chi Alphans

This is a featured post from Brittany Zielske. She is a senior majoring in Communication Studies whose laugh is infectious. Although you may be tempted to, don’t ever call her Rebecca Black, the last person that did that was named Frank. Yeah, we don’t remember a Frank either.

To all the wonderful people who have called themselves Chi Alphans during the last four years: 

I’m sorry if this letter gets really sappy. I’ve already cried six times trying to write it, so just bear with me. 

I have spent weeks (seriously) trying to come up with the best way to tell you goodbye, and I have realized only one thing: I don’t know how to tell you goodbye. I have no idea what it is supposed to look like to leave the community that introduced me to the love of my life and cried with me in my suffering and delighted in my triumphs and absolutely transformed my soul. I only know that, despite how painful and scary the thought of leaving you is, I have an overwhelming peace because I know that we’re all chasing Jesus and you taught me that He is worth more than anything. And that means there is comfort and security in goodbye because goodbye is what has to happen for us all to have the fullness of Him we were made for. 

That said, there are two things I want to tell you as I leave. 

First of all, thank you. Thank you for being present in my life day in and day out for four years. Thank you for wanting me to know Jesus, even when that meant giving up your own time or comfort. Thank you for loving me when I hurt you. Thank you for always rejoicing in my triumphs. Thank you for being a safe place to succeed and a safe place to fail. Thank you for showing me what the body of Christ really means. 

Second, you have been an amazing teacher. You have taught me more about God’s grace and following Jesus and loving others than a book ever could. As I’ve been reflecting on the time I’ve spent with you, I realized there are three major things that I positively would not have learned without you, and each one of them has changed my life. Some are things you’ve told me directly, and all are things you have taught me by the way you do life together.

These things you’ve taught me are by no means things I’ve mastered. I still fail at putting them into practice daily. But, because of your presence in my life, I get to live the rest of my life chasing after these truths and watching Jesus work out the details the way only He can. 

1) True healing happens in community.

Men’s Retreat Reflections: The Importance of Community

This is a featured post from Jared Hutchins. He studied abroad in Chile and has been known to spoof Jersey Shore and cuddle dinosaurs in the middle of the desert. You can read his personal blog at When I Look At The World.

I have always thought of myself as a solitary person.  In fact, I often take pride in the idea that I can live without people.  Autonomy is a desirable trait, though often it is nearly the end and means of my existence.  I will even embarrassingly admit that not two hours before writing this I was looking up monasteries and planning alife of hermitage, away from all human contact.

Despite entertaining these thoughts, there are some things I cannot deny, no matter how creative my imagination is.  One of these is the undeniable role of community in the Christian life.

I wish I could adequately express in blog format men’s retreat, the tangible sense of community in the air, and the camaraderie that springs from huddling for warmth in a national park. As anyone in community knows, community is only understood when it is experienced; no simple words can sum up the transforming power of walking together toward the goal, which is Christ.

Why Do You Believe In God?

This is a featured post from Anna Beatty. She is both smart and quirky,a combination that is hard to come by. Case and point: she quotes Soren Kirkegard in one breath and Mr. Darcy in the next. Although she may not know how to Dougie, she can teach you how to worship. You can read her personal blog at annaindeutschland.wordpress.com.

 

This Thursday Mike, Logan, and Blane answered questions that American University students had submitted about God, life, and everything as the first part in the Ask series. Taking the time to cover each question thoughtfully, they provided us with answers that both satisfied and spurred us on to find our own answers. If you missed it, you should listen to the podcast, but here are the questions that were discussed:

Why do you believe in God?

Why is there pain?

What does “Hosanna” mean and where does it come from?

Do good people go to hell?

How do we discern God’s will for us?

How can we distinguish God’s will from Satan’s attack?

While each of the answers the panel discussed brought up great points to consider, the first question cannot be answered purely theologically.

Why do you believe in God?

Mike explained that he had grown up in a Christian household and had later personally experienced God. Logan shared how friends in college had shared the love of Christ with her through relationships. Blane talked about finding his belief in God to be backed in truth and having been posed the question “Would your life be different if you weren’t Christian?”

Why do you believe in God?

It seems like a simple enough question. But as a Christian who grew up in church, it was hardly something the people closest to me had questioned. As a friend to non-Christians, though, it’s my responsibility to be able to answer it. If I’m going to ask someone to believe in God, a literally life-changing belief to have, I better have a darn good reason for believing in Him myself.

I really identified with the panelists. I grew up in a Christian house. I came to college struggling to decide if I thought Jesus was real and found the answer in the love my small group members shared with me. God has spoken to me. But no one else can tell you why you believe in God. You have to answer that question on your own.

Why do I believe in God?

community |kəˈmyoōnitē|

This is a featured post from Emma Uebele. Emma is from Portland, Oregon but found herself studying far from home last semester  in Haifa, Israel. With a love for covering everything with chocolate and a reputation for being one of the biggest Noah and the Whale fans, she epitmozes the word spunk. You can read her personal blog at euebele.blogspot.com. 

you can live without it.

it’s possible.

many do.

and they survive.

 

but what is on the other side? what is it we were created for?

solitude? never. not even in the garden.

 

but between solitude and community lies a swath of lukewarm mediocrity.

just because you are not alone, you are not necessarily part of a community. a fellowship. a family.

community is depth. it is commitment,  transparency, and vulnerability.

A Jesus Style Fraternity

This is a featured post by Blane Young. He’s a man that few adjectives can do justice to. He enjoys #hashtags, free meal swipes, and awkward icebreakers. But in the words of Lauren Moore, there is only one word to truly describe Blane…”WARHORSE!!!!”  Check out his personal blog at blaneyoung.com.

[This post is a part of the new series, resource fridays]

We talked about it a little bit last night, but it can be so easy to forget that our community exists for people that aren’t here yet. Sometimes, I think that we forget because for reasons that could be seen as positive. We are having so much fun,  we feel that God is moving in our lives in a big way or even because we are experiencing something like this for the first time in our lives. Many of us have experienced enough hardship in the relational area, myself included, that when it is going well we lose sight of the mission.  

As I look back to when I was an undergrad, I remember the fraternities at the University of Alabama. How could I not forget? On campus of 24,000+, 1 in 4 students were involved in a fraternity or sorority and that did not include honor societies and professional clubs.  

I just remember how the pledges had to do so much to serve the members. They would be required to drive their brothers to class and drop them off at the door, cleanup after parties and do all of the housekeeping. This took hours upon hours every week!  

And one day, I realized that community, the way that Jesus desires it, exists in a similar way but the serving goes in the opposite direction.

B90X: The Bible in 90 Days

A featured post from Will Hea. As a recent AU grad, he has not only been graced with a job, but his very own office. Hailing from Colorado, the frisbee capital of the country, you can catch him on the field hucking a frisbee faster than a bullet. Connect with him on Facebook, or email him at wh4089a@student.americna.edu about interest in B90X.

 “No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles lettres of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? With such venom and skepticism? With such thoroughness and erudition? Upon every chapter, line and tenet?”

-Bernard Ramm

I am a Christian but I have never read the Bible in its entirety.  
Even though I know it holds all of God’s necessary teachings for my life, I’ve still found ways to avoid it.  In order to rectify this, members of my small group and I will undertake reading the entire Bible in 90 days (about 15 pages per day).   The daily reading schedule is available as a foldable bookmark here. The goal of this Bible study is not to dive deep into the Bible, but to instead provide context for worship and small group.

Anyone is welcome to join us!  We will be meeting every Friday beginning on February 19th at 11 am (location to be determined) for about a half hour.  If you are interested, please e-mail me at wh4089a@student.american.edu to allow me to find an appropriately sized space for the weekly meetings. 

What Does It Mean To Follow Jesus?

This is a featured post from Logan Oyler. She graduated from UVA and is now a nurse. When she’s not busy saving babies, she’s known to camp out at the Dav to offer a listening ear. She has taught many what it means to follow Jesus through Discipleship Group the past 2 years, and invites you to join her again this semester. You can connect with her on Facebook.

 

I came into college with this question in mind. I grew up going to church with my family and I had begun to develop a relationship with Jesus. I read the Bible sometimes and prayed. But, I wasn’t really sure of what it meant to follow Jesus or how to do it. But, I wanted to find out. I tried a few different Christian fellowships before stumbling upon Chi Alpha. That first night, as we entered into worship, I knew deep down that I was in the right place and this was the community for me. I watched people worship and really praise the Lord and I saw something different in them. I prayed, “Lord, I want to be like these people. I want to know You like they know You.” These people were following Jesus with their lives and it showed. Over the next four years, through the community of Chi Alpha, I learned what it meant to follow Jesus with my life and how to do it.

When I graduated and moved to DC I realized just how formative and crucial those years were.