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It's Hard to Say Goodbye

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Thank You and Goodbye After working in campus ministry for the last 10 months, I have decided through much prayer and conversation, that I will not continue in campus ministry after this month. While I have decided not to stay, these last ten months have given me a wider and deeper view of the story of God and my place within that story. I just wanted to take some time to let all of you know that I am extremely thankful and grateful to have been able to serve you at UTD this year. To all of my donors and those who have prayed for me along the way, thank you for working alongside me this year in campus ministry. You are the reasons I was able to work with hundreds of college students and get to show them a God who loves and cares for them. There were so many students this year who were able to learn about God and come into a community that loves them and will help them continue to grow in their faith. I am genuinely honored and grateful for all that God has done at UTD, and you all p
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I'm Not Sure What to Say

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As someone who is rarely quiet, I find myself more and more not knowing exactly what to say. Often I search for the right words. The words that will fix everything. The words that will explain. The words that will correct the wrongs I have created or experienced. But there are no magic words for every situation, and sometimes it isn't words that we need at all. In class this month we talked about silence and solitude, and we have been trying to practice these things. I sat down just to try and practice silence before God for 10 minutes, and let me tell you it was HARD. It was hard for me to just be still and be quiet. And as I ponder and process the situation I find myself apart of, I can't help but think God is using this to help me slow down and trust in him. I don't need to talk, I just need to listen. I don't need to explain, comfort, or fix anything. I just need to approach God, be with him, and listen. A friend reminded me of this Psalm during this time, and it ha
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Don't Believe Everything You Think

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    When I was in sixth grade I had a teacher named Mrs. Burgess, and she was one of the best teachers I ever had. Anytime someone made a wayward comment or had a "brain fart" she would just look at them and say, "T-H-I-N-K". In her room these five letters were in big, bold print on the wall and sometimes instead of saying them out loud she would just point to them with that strict teacher look in her eyes. I remember being so challenged by her. Everyone always wanted to tell me what to think, and they rarely challenged me to think for myself. This was the first year that I was challenged to take my own thoughts and ideas and test them for myself. I will forever be grateful for this lesson. Thank you Mrs. Burgess! But with all that said, there is a very scary side to me thinking completely for myself. It means that I get to try to define the truth for myself, my emotions influence my thinking, and my previous knowledge and experiences infect the new ideas that
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Renewing the Good News

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One day a group of friends heard that Jesus had come to their village to heal. They were overjoyed because their friend had been unable to walk for so long due to being paralyzed. They worked quickly to gather their friend, and carried him all the way to town to just get close enough for Jesus to heal him. But once they got there they realized it would be harder than they had originally thought. Many others had gathered to hear and see Jesus, and the friends could not make it through. So with sweat on their brows, and their muscles growing weaker they stopped to make a new plan. They knew they couldn’t miss this chance. They knew Jesus was the only one who had this authority, and they had to persevere for their friend. So they rearranged and climbed up to the roof with one hand on the wall and the other holding their friend. After so much toil they reached the roof and began digging violently to make an opening large enough for their friend to fit through. They couldn't stop.
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New Year, Same God

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New Year, Same God   I used to think that it was ludicrous that God is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow. I used to see that as a weakness. How could a God like that not change and grow over time? But my thinking was confined and ignorant. God does not change, and that is an excellent thing. God is not a human. God does not need to change because he is perfect. He is love, grace, and mercy. This is such good news to me because it means I can trust God. He will be there. He won't change. He will never leave me or forsake me. So I go into this new year knowing that it will be another year that I can trust in God's goodness and grace. And even when I don't choose him, even when I fail at my new year resolutions, there he will be waiting for me to come back to him. 2019 Highlights 2019 was a year full of new life and growth. I started the year out as an elementary school teacher in the special education department, and ended as a campus minister at UTD. I was b
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This is My Father's World

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 This is my Father's world, And to my listening ears All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas-- His hand the wonders wrought.  This is my Father's world: The birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker's praise. This is my Father's world: He shines in all that's fair; In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere. This is my Father's world: O let me ne'er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet. This is my Father's world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!  -Maltbie Davenport Babcock This month I have learned so much about God's faithfulness to his people. After reading through the Old Testament this semester, it is clear that this is God's world and he has a plan fo
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A New Creation

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"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,  the new creation  has come:The old has gone, the new is here!   All this is from God,  who reconciled us to himself through Christ  and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:   that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.   We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,  as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."- 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)      Think about something old that you or your family has always had. Maybe your thinking of a quilt, or a clock, or some sort of family heirloom. When you look at it, it makes you think about all of the things it has been through. Being owned by multiple people, used in a variety of ways, and aged with time. This item may not be as attractive as it once was. It's colors may have faded, it may no longer be of necessary use. My
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