Hey y'all! Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while. I've been super busy with school, Cru, church, & hanging out with friends, but I'm back & I'm gonna try to post at least once a week. Today's topic is a littler more serious than most. At my college last week, there was a gun threat written on the walls of one of the bathrooms in a building on campus (I'll post a link to the article explianing the threat more). The message on the bathroom stall said, "BRINGING GUN TO HERE 2-11-15 DEAD STUDENTS". I've always seen it on t.v. but never would have thought that it could happen at EKU. Before this I had felt very safe on campus, even while walking in the dark on the way back from class or Bible Study. This threat though has made me very anxious and scared. I'm scared that I will be blind-sided & shot at. Even worse, I'm scared that others could be injured or killed. We don't know who wrote the threat or who is being targeted. The campus has cops patroling the whole campus, but that still doesn't ease my fear. It all goes back to my post about my worst fears. Not knowing what will happen is part of my fear of the unknown. No one knows how to react to the situation. This could be real, or it could be a host. They could be targeting a religion, race, gender, sorority/fraternity, or just randomly. My only saving grace is that I have a relationship with God, & I know I'm going to Heaven. But what does that mean for those who haven't been saved? They could be shot & killed & never have the opportunity to hear the Gospel & accept it. I wish that I could be more bold to share my faith in public & to reach others, but my fear always keeps me from speaking up. Another thing that scares me about this whole situation is that campus is not closed, but some people will still be going to class or just walking out & about. I think that it was smart not to close, but they send updates that could very well be reaching any of the shooters, which could make them decide to change the day & time of the shootings. There's also the thoughts of being scared for no reason, or not being more cautious of what could happen. The whole thing just rubs me the wrong way & makes me way more uncomfortable than I should be. It's all in God's hands what happens though & all I can do is pray for safety. That's all I have for this week y'all. Keep our campus in your prayers this week.
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
Link to article: http://www.lex18.com/story/28068389/eku-official-reveal-graffiti-threat
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Out of My Mind Series #4: Connor Franta
WARNING: The following post is going to be very controversial. These are my own thoughts and ideas, but I am in no way saying that they are right. Read at your own risk.
Hey yall! So if you're a huge fan of Connor Franta, like me, you'll know that Connor posted a video yesterday about him confessing that he's gay. For me, I way sad for 2 reasons: 1) I'm super attracted to him! (which my roommate pointed out several times yesterday, LOW BLOW!) and 2) According to the Bible, he will not be allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven when he dies (1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 6:9), which he said in a video that he is not religious so that wouldn't matter to him. I am still a fan of him no matter what though, and he is still one of my favorite Youtubers. The thing that made me mad was that several people were saying, "this goes against my religion." I don't like that people use that line as a way of saying that they do not support Connor's sexuality. I am not saying that I support it either, but I still love and respect Connor as a human and as a Youtuber. As a Christian, instead of saying that it's against your religion, we should be showing Connor God's love! That's what the Bible tells us to do. Jesus himself hung out with people like Connor all the time. He hung out with the sexually immoral, the tax collectors, the murderers, the idolators, etc. Basically, Jesus didn't just spend time with other Christians. He reached out to sinners and non-Christians and showed them the love of Christ. Christians are meant to hate the sin not the sinner. With comments that are clearing sounding like you are hating on Connor because he confirmed he was gay, that is sending vibes that you don't like him anymore because of one video. In reality, if you actually watch Connor's videos, this news shouldn't come as a shock to anyone (including myself). I think somewhere inside I wanted to make him out to be my dream guy. The perfect guy for me. Deep down though, I knew that we had more in common than I wanted to believe. I don't look at him any less than I did though. I'm sure that when Troye Sivan made his coming out video, people gave him the same reaction too. I love Troye as well, but I'm not gonna look at anyone who is gay any less than I would someone who is straight. I cannot control what they say or do or feel. The only person who is in control of that is God. So, all I can do is love that person the same way that God does, with an endless love. It's like the Bible story of the adultress who was sentenced to be stoned. Jesus said, "Whoever is without sin cast the first stone." Nobody could throw the stone, because nobody is perfect, except Jesus. In this whole debate, Connor being gay is on the same level to God as if I were to lie to someone. Sin is sin, but none of us are perfect. We have no right to judge. I have always lived by the philosophy of, "hate the sin not the sinner." This is one of those times when that reigns true. I'll still continue to love Connor and his videos. He's still one of my favorite people on YouTube. Nothing will change that. I believe that true Christians would feel the same. I have friends who are gay, and I still love them the same as I did before. I will still show them the Gospel, but I can't force them to believe until they let Jesus into their hearts and are willing to change for Him. I can only be the seed that shows them the way. I know that a lot of people may not agree with me, but that's okay. The series that I started on this blog is about getting out my feelings and turning them into blogs. This is one of the many things that has been swirling around in my head this week. In conclusion, remember the words of John 3:16-17: "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that we might be saved through him."
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
Hey yall! So if you're a huge fan of Connor Franta, like me, you'll know that Connor posted a video yesterday about him confessing that he's gay. For me, I way sad for 2 reasons: 1) I'm super attracted to him! (which my roommate pointed out several times yesterday, LOW BLOW!) and 2) According to the Bible, he will not be allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven when he dies (1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 6:9), which he said in a video that he is not religious so that wouldn't matter to him. I am still a fan of him no matter what though, and he is still one of my favorite Youtubers. The thing that made me mad was that several people were saying, "this goes against my religion." I don't like that people use that line as a way of saying that they do not support Connor's sexuality. I am not saying that I support it either, but I still love and respect Connor as a human and as a Youtuber. As a Christian, instead of saying that it's against your religion, we should be showing Connor God's love! That's what the Bible tells us to do. Jesus himself hung out with people like Connor all the time. He hung out with the sexually immoral, the tax collectors, the murderers, the idolators, etc. Basically, Jesus didn't just spend time with other Christians. He reached out to sinners and non-Christians and showed them the love of Christ. Christians are meant to hate the sin not the sinner. With comments that are clearing sounding like you are hating on Connor because he confirmed he was gay, that is sending vibes that you don't like him anymore because of one video. In reality, if you actually watch Connor's videos, this news shouldn't come as a shock to anyone (including myself). I think somewhere inside I wanted to make him out to be my dream guy. The perfect guy for me. Deep down though, I knew that we had more in common than I wanted to believe. I don't look at him any less than I did though. I'm sure that when Troye Sivan made his coming out video, people gave him the same reaction too. I love Troye as well, but I'm not gonna look at anyone who is gay any less than I would someone who is straight. I cannot control what they say or do or feel. The only person who is in control of that is God. So, all I can do is love that person the same way that God does, with an endless love. It's like the Bible story of the adultress who was sentenced to be stoned. Jesus said, "Whoever is without sin cast the first stone." Nobody could throw the stone, because nobody is perfect, except Jesus. In this whole debate, Connor being gay is on the same level to God as if I were to lie to someone. Sin is sin, but none of us are perfect. We have no right to judge. I have always lived by the philosophy of, "hate the sin not the sinner." This is one of those times when that reigns true. I'll still continue to love Connor and his videos. He's still one of my favorite people on YouTube. Nothing will change that. I believe that true Christians would feel the same. I have friends who are gay, and I still love them the same as I did before. I will still show them the Gospel, but I can't force them to believe until they let Jesus into their hearts and are willing to change for Him. I can only be the seed that shows them the way. I know that a lot of people may not agree with me, but that's okay. The series that I started on this blog is about getting out my feelings and turning them into blogs. This is one of the many things that has been swirling around in my head this week. In conclusion, remember the words of John 3:16-17: "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that we might be saved through him."
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
Friday, November 28, 2014
Out of My Mind Series #3 - Fears
Hey y'all! Happy belated Thanksgiving! Hope you're stuffed full of food & remember what you're truly thankful for. This post is about a topic that is the opposite of being thankful. I got to thinking about it after watching this week's O2L videos. That subject is fear. That got me thinking about what I truly fear. Here's the list:
- Spiders - The includes spiders of ALL sizes! If I even see a tiny one I will completely freak out. It's gotten better as I've gotten older, but I am the poster child for aracnidphobia. The thought of the concept of the movie "Eight Legged Freaks" is my worst nightmare! I can't even watch the scenes in the second Harry Potter movie with all of the spiders without covering my eyes or skipping that part. The closest I've gotten to watching anything with a spider in it is "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch" (I think that's the name of it. It's a kids show.) I was barely able to watch "Charlotte's Web." (Don't get me started on spider webs.)
- The unknown - This may be a bit irrational, but there's something about the unknown that freaks me out. I'm 22 now & will graduate from college with my bachelor's degree in elementary education, but I don't know if I really wanna teach kids for the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong, I like kids, but the thought of tons of kids relying on me to teach them what they need to know scared me. I'm not really a planner, but I like to have at least an outline of what could happen, & if it happens it happens. The fear of the unknown brings me to my next fear...
- Being alone forever - This is another one of those things where I'm 22, & I see everyone around me either getting into relationships, getting engaged, getting married, or having kids. In the south, it's uncommon for me to not at be dating a guy by now. It's even worse being a Christian, where young marriage is very common. The thought of being that crazy cat (or dog) lady is a scary thought for me! I just saw 2 of my close friends get engaged this weekend, & I'm completely happy for them, but it also made me scared that I could never have that. I know it's not up to me to decide who I'll date or marry or when, but I can't help but be scared of being alone.
- Getting into a wreck - I usually only think about this when I'm in the car. I've been pretty close to getting in an accident, but it scares the crap out of me to think that my car could be hit & no one would know what happened to me. This fear is more about others than me. I don't want to worry my friends or family. I always think of what could happen if I'm in the middle of nowhere & be in a fatal accident.
- Scary movies - This is the last one I'll talk about. I'm a huge scaredy cat when it comes to scary movies. I cover my eyes when I think something scary will happen. I jump easily. My friends make fun of me. It's not cool!
That's all for this post. Have a great week! Happy Thanksgiving!
Live for God & Love for Music!
- Patience <3 =)
Friday, November 7, 2014
Out of My Mind Series #2 - Who would you be?
Hey yall! Welcome back to another edition of my "Out of My Mind Series". This week I've been thinking about my brother. No, I'm not talking about my step-brother Jimbob. I'm talking about my biological brother, Tommy. Some things you should know before I begin: 1. His full name was Thomas Leon Cox (my dad and grandpa's middle names); 2. He passed away when he was 15 days old from Crib Death; 3. He was older than me; 4. He would have been 27; 5. One of my really good friends has the same birthday as he did (July 30); & 6. Most people don't even know I have a brother. Like I said before, I've been thinking a lot like him. What would he look like? Would we have been close? Would he have gone to college? Would he have any talents? Would he have the Cox eyes? Would he look more like my mom or my dad? Several things to think about. Here's how I picture him:
He would be pretty attractive, and my friends would have the hugest crush on him. He would play soccer or football, but in his spare time he would play in a band. He would have had dark brown hair & hazel eyes (like most of my family). We would've been really close, like the siblings you see on tv that are practically best friends. He would've been popular but still talked to everyone and never singled anyone out. He would have an awesome fiance'/wife who all of us would get along with. He would've had some rocky teenage years but would've matured a lot once he got to college. I think he would've went to either EKU or UK and would've been a part of Cru (just like me). Professors and teachers would have loved him. If he was anything like the rest of our family, I bet he also would have been stubborn as a mule. His friends would also be my friends, for the most part. He would have traveled the world by now doing mission trips. His major would be criminal justice. We would bond over music. He would love to dance but be the worst dancer ever. He would have been a huge comic nerd and would geek out with me over superheros. His favorite superhero would be Iron Man. I would go to his apartment every week, with some of my friends, and watch The Walking Dead (yet another thing we would geek out over). He would work at Office Depot in the printing center, part time. He would be in grad school while he was working. He would have dressed like a hipster, hung out at hipster coffee shops, and listened to hipster bands.
I'm sure there is more that I can think of, but that's all of the characteristics I can think of for now. It's weird to think of what life would have been like if my brother were still alive. I wonder if I would be the same person or totally different?
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend, & I'll talk to ya next post!
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
He would be pretty attractive, and my friends would have the hugest crush on him. He would play soccer or football, but in his spare time he would play in a band. He would have had dark brown hair & hazel eyes (like most of my family). We would've been really close, like the siblings you see on tv that are practically best friends. He would've been popular but still talked to everyone and never singled anyone out. He would have an awesome fiance'/wife who all of us would get along with. He would've had some rocky teenage years but would've matured a lot once he got to college. I think he would've went to either EKU or UK and would've been a part of Cru (just like me). Professors and teachers would have loved him. If he was anything like the rest of our family, I bet he also would have been stubborn as a mule. His friends would also be my friends, for the most part. He would have traveled the world by now doing mission trips. His major would be criminal justice. We would bond over music. He would love to dance but be the worst dancer ever. He would have been a huge comic nerd and would geek out with me over superheros. His favorite superhero would be Iron Man. I would go to his apartment every week, with some of my friends, and watch The Walking Dead (yet another thing we would geek out over). He would work at Office Depot in the printing center, part time. He would be in grad school while he was working. He would have dressed like a hipster, hung out at hipster coffee shops, and listened to hipster bands.
I'm sure there is more that I can think of, but that's all of the characteristics I can think of for now. It's weird to think of what life would have been like if my brother were still alive. I wonder if I would be the same person or totally different?
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend, & I'll talk to ya next post!
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Out of My Mind Series - #1
Hey yall! I read a book for my LIB 301S class last week called "Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper. The book is about a 10 year old named Melody who has cerebral palsy and has to be in a wheelchair and cannot talk. She has all of these thoughts in her mind that she cannot vocally express. She only has her communication board that she has to point at the words that have been given to her and hope that people know what she means, which is hard sometimes because the only fully functioning thing about her hands are her thumbs, so she has to use those to point to things.
This book and concept got me to thinking how lucky I am to be able to speak and type. The use of words are important. Unfortunately for Melody, she was super smart and had several great thoughts that nobody would be able to fully know. That's why I wanted to start a series called the "Out of My Mind Series" where I just say what's on my mind. I've learned from experience that holding things in without processing through it somehow and getting it off your mind is the worst. Then the thoughts get deeper and you start to lose your mind because you have no way of letting go. I encourage you all to find some way of getting "out of your mind" and releasing the inner thoughts you have. For me, it's easiest to type them all out. So here we go!
The first thing that has been a constant thought in my mind is: guys suck! Dealing with personal guy issues is the worst, but when it's happening to not only you but also two of your suitemates, it's a problem. You get this idea of a guy, who shows a lot of interest in you, then for no reason at all, cuts you off. It's like running a race and having to drop out 2 inches from the finish line. It sucks!!!! In my case, I was "the other girl." When I first heard this, it was from a good friend of mine who is best friends with the guy that I like. He told me that they had talked and he's liked me since last semester. Last semester?! Are you kidding me?! Why didn't you freaking do something about it last semester when you started to have feelings for me? But the killer part is that there was another girl in the picture that he had wanted to go after who, in my friend's words, was "out of his league." That should have been my first sign to abort mission and back out, but I thought that I was still in the running, so I continued to pursue whatever chance I had at this relationship thing. Things were going great! He was being intentional about hanging out. He wanted to sit by me at events with Cru. He started going to my church and wanted me to save him a seat. We would Facebook message and Snapchat each other all the time. I thought that was a sure sign. Then, I started getting impatient because he still hadn't said anything to me. So, I asked my friend if he would mind talking to him and seeing where we stood as far as if anything was going to happen. He finally had lunch with him, and reported back. The response was not what I was hoping for. Apparently, there was a new girl on his radar (different from the "out of his league" girl) & I was pushed so far out of his mind that he said he didn't like me anymore & only saw me as a friend. That hurt a ton! To make things worse though is what happened next. At Cru that same week, this guy has the nerve to message me again to ask me to save him a seat. At this point I couldn't say no there wasn't any room because when I finally got the message he was walking into the room & would have been able to see me. So I unwillingly saved him a seat beside me. At this point, I was trying not to show how hurt I was or that I even knew what had was said between him & my friend. After Cru, he walked with me (by ourselves) to go get food before everyone else went. We sat with one of my other friends, & he was still being super flirty with me. My girl brain did one of those things where I was hoping that my friend had lied to me about what was said & I had a little hope. Well, one of my suitemates/best friend saw that I was sitting with him & was talking to him & started giving me the stank eye from another table. I had told her what had happened & she was beyond ticked at this guy, who happens to be friends with all of us. After he left, I was talking with some of my friends who knew the situation & was really questioning things. The hurt was there & was coming on strong. Another friend was dealing with other boy issues & needed some fresh air to clear her head so I went with her. At that moment, I decided to message him & find out the truth for myself. I figured that if I got confirmation from him about things then I would be satisfied. I was wrong. The message I got back said that he was sorry if he came off as flirty, but he only saw me as a friend. My heart officially tore in 2 pieces & it took all of me to wait until I got back to my dorm to keep from crying my eyes out. It's been about a week & a half now & things haven't slacked up. Some days are easier than other, but every time I see him my chest gets tight & I feel as though I want to cry or scream or something to release the tension. He still talks to me like he did before. He still continues to go to my church. It's the hardest thing ever to see him everywhere & pretend as though things are okay when in reality it's the excact opposite. I know it sounds stupid to be caught up about a guy so much that I didn't even date, but it doesn't mean the pain hurts any less. I have trust issues with guys anyway because of things in my past & this was just the icing on the cake. I know that there are still some good guys out there somewhere, but being 22 years old & still incredibly single makes me wonder if there is. Being so close to finally being in a relationship & then having that pulled out from under you is not a great feeling at all. I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but when I get time alone to myself even for a few minutes my mind begins to spiral back & think of the pain I'm feeling. I'm learning slowly to give my trust over to God & let him decide how I should deal with this, but my mind is doesn't fully know what that looks like. I would like to think that I have & then the memories come back & I'm back at square one with being stuck in my head & needing to write out how I'm feeling & what I'm thinking. That's the fun task. Yay being a girl!
That was enough overload for one post. I'm going to try to do a lot more like this. If you read up to this point, you're awesome! I hope you have a great week & I challenge you to do your own form of releasing your thoughts, whether that is in writing or making a video, I would love to see them! Send me a link. You could even do it privately for yourself, like a diary of some sort just for you to look back on & learn from it later. I'll talk to yall next post.
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
This book and concept got me to thinking how lucky I am to be able to speak and type. The use of words are important. Unfortunately for Melody, she was super smart and had several great thoughts that nobody would be able to fully know. That's why I wanted to start a series called the "Out of My Mind Series" where I just say what's on my mind. I've learned from experience that holding things in without processing through it somehow and getting it off your mind is the worst. Then the thoughts get deeper and you start to lose your mind because you have no way of letting go. I encourage you all to find some way of getting "out of your mind" and releasing the inner thoughts you have. For me, it's easiest to type them all out. So here we go!
The first thing that has been a constant thought in my mind is: guys suck! Dealing with personal guy issues is the worst, but when it's happening to not only you but also two of your suitemates, it's a problem. You get this idea of a guy, who shows a lot of interest in you, then for no reason at all, cuts you off. It's like running a race and having to drop out 2 inches from the finish line. It sucks!!!! In my case, I was "the other girl." When I first heard this, it was from a good friend of mine who is best friends with the guy that I like. He told me that they had talked and he's liked me since last semester. Last semester?! Are you kidding me?! Why didn't you freaking do something about it last semester when you started to have feelings for me? But the killer part is that there was another girl in the picture that he had wanted to go after who, in my friend's words, was "out of his league." That should have been my first sign to abort mission and back out, but I thought that I was still in the running, so I continued to pursue whatever chance I had at this relationship thing. Things were going great! He was being intentional about hanging out. He wanted to sit by me at events with Cru. He started going to my church and wanted me to save him a seat. We would Facebook message and Snapchat each other all the time. I thought that was a sure sign. Then, I started getting impatient because he still hadn't said anything to me. So, I asked my friend if he would mind talking to him and seeing where we stood as far as if anything was going to happen. He finally had lunch with him, and reported back. The response was not what I was hoping for. Apparently, there was a new girl on his radar (different from the "out of his league" girl) & I was pushed so far out of his mind that he said he didn't like me anymore & only saw me as a friend. That hurt a ton! To make things worse though is what happened next. At Cru that same week, this guy has the nerve to message me again to ask me to save him a seat. At this point I couldn't say no there wasn't any room because when I finally got the message he was walking into the room & would have been able to see me. So I unwillingly saved him a seat beside me. At this point, I was trying not to show how hurt I was or that I even knew what had was said between him & my friend. After Cru, he walked with me (by ourselves) to go get food before everyone else went. We sat with one of my other friends, & he was still being super flirty with me. My girl brain did one of those things where I was hoping that my friend had lied to me about what was said & I had a little hope. Well, one of my suitemates/best friend saw that I was sitting with him & was talking to him & started giving me the stank eye from another table. I had told her what had happened & she was beyond ticked at this guy, who happens to be friends with all of us. After he left, I was talking with some of my friends who knew the situation & was really questioning things. The hurt was there & was coming on strong. Another friend was dealing with other boy issues & needed some fresh air to clear her head so I went with her. At that moment, I decided to message him & find out the truth for myself. I figured that if I got confirmation from him about things then I would be satisfied. I was wrong. The message I got back said that he was sorry if he came off as flirty, but he only saw me as a friend. My heart officially tore in 2 pieces & it took all of me to wait until I got back to my dorm to keep from crying my eyes out. It's been about a week & a half now & things haven't slacked up. Some days are easier than other, but every time I see him my chest gets tight & I feel as though I want to cry or scream or something to release the tension. He still talks to me like he did before. He still continues to go to my church. It's the hardest thing ever to see him everywhere & pretend as though things are okay when in reality it's the excact opposite. I know it sounds stupid to be caught up about a guy so much that I didn't even date, but it doesn't mean the pain hurts any less. I have trust issues with guys anyway because of things in my past & this was just the icing on the cake. I know that there are still some good guys out there somewhere, but being 22 years old & still incredibly single makes me wonder if there is. Being so close to finally being in a relationship & then having that pulled out from under you is not a great feeling at all. I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but when I get time alone to myself even for a few minutes my mind begins to spiral back & think of the pain I'm feeling. I'm learning slowly to give my trust over to God & let him decide how I should deal with this, but my mind is doesn't fully know what that looks like. I would like to think that I have & then the memories come back & I'm back at square one with being stuck in my head & needing to write out how I'm feeling & what I'm thinking. That's the fun task. Yay being a girl!
That was enough overload for one post. I'm going to try to do a lot more like this. If you read up to this point, you're awesome! I hope you have a great week & I challenge you to do your own form of releasing your thoughts, whether that is in writing or making a video, I would love to see them! Send me a link. You could even do it privately for yourself, like a diary of some sort just for you to look back on & learn from it later. I'll talk to yall next post.
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
A Semester of Experiences
Hey y'all! I have been so freaking busy these past few weeks since school started back. I'm leading a Bible Study with Lindsey Carr (which is amazing!). I've been getting more into my major classes. I went through a moment of confusion about my major. I've been up to my neck in homework. I've had plans change at the last minute. I've dealt (& am still dealing) with a passive aggressive suitemate. I've dealt (& am again still dealing) with awesome suitemates. All around, it's been a semester full of new experiences so far. I'm learning more about myself than I have any other semester. It's hard, but I know that God is working it all out for His plan. I complain a lot about how tough it is, even though I know that someone else is dealing with a much tougher situation than I am. I should feel privileged that I get to live the crazy awesome life that I live. I wouldn't trade it for anything! I wouldn't be anywhere though without God and the support of my family and friends alongside me. They keep me humbled and make me realize that it's stupid to grumble about the smallest things (just read the book of Numbers in the Bible). I have also learned so many things just by being a part of Cru and a member of Ashland. God has placed these two things in my life for a greater way that is going to better His kingdom. I've already seen the outcome of Him placing me as a Bible Study leader. Two of our Bible Study girls have given their lives to Christ! Praise God! It's a beautiful transformation to see lives changed like that. Now, I am about to head to my 3rd Fall Getaway with a group of my own Bible Study girls. My first time was my sophomore year with my Bible Study leaders, Sam and Sarah. Since then I have went as a new student, team leader, & now a Bible Study leader. This is where I met a lot of people I am now friends with and where I got closer to my Bible Study. I hope it's the same for everyone else who is going for the first time! Fall Getaway is such a vital experience in Cru, in my opinion, and it's where you really make connections. I almost didn't go my sophomore year when I transferred, but I am so glad that I did. I'm truly blessed to say that I get to share the same experiences with my best friend and roommate since my second semester of sophomore year, Felisha! We started this journey into Cru together and have experienced most of the same things together, just in different ways. I love being able to see how far we have come in the almost 3 years we've been here. Well I think I've babbled on long enough.
Here's a list of 10 songs I have been listening to recently (in no particular order):
Here's a list of 10 songs I have been listening to recently (in no particular order):
- "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainer
- "Chandelier" by Sia
- "Classic" by MKTO
- "Uno Uno Seis" by Andy Mineo
- "Tell Her You Love Her" by Echosmith
- "Habits" by Tove Lo
- "Amnesia" by 5 Seconds of Summer
- "Terenife Sea" by Ed Sheeran
- "Boom Clap" by Charlie XCX
- "Dance With Me Tonight" by Olly Murs
Hope ya'll have a great week! I'll be back with another post sometime.
Live for God & Love for Music!
-Patience <3 =)
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
"Its a small world after all"
The words that make up the title of this post are the words my really good friend from Summer Project, Evan, texted me after I had a really weird but pretty cool incident. I was watching a Youtube video that Joey Gatto posted the other day. The video was Joey interviewing a homeless man, who was obviously on some kind of drugs, in Union Square Park in New York. I commented on the video that the homeless man reminded me of a homeless guy we met in New York named Chilligan, who also just happened to be in Union Square Park when we met him. Another viewer replied to my comment that he actually knew Chilligan. Woah! How crazy is that?! I replied how crazy that was that he actually knew the very man that I just met in June while doing evangelism with some of my friends on project. The guy replied back that he has actually known Chilligan for about a year, & Chilligan's been helping him with a project he's doing about the homeless youth in NYC. Insane! I texted all of my friends that were with me when we had initially ran into Chilligan & his girlfriend, Maggie, back in June. Evan had just happened to text me after the second reply from the stranger & commented back, "Its a small world after all". My mind is blown! When I think of that phrase, I think back to the ride at Disney World & the song that went along with it that people usually get fed up with after a while. But on this day it made me realize that the world seems big to us, but to God it's small in comparison to Him & his majesty. I was also reminded of this today when I was walking around campus. EKU isn't the biggest campus, but I never would have expected that I would run into so many people that I have met since being here & someone who could potentially be a new friend. First, I was sitting at a table outside of where we eat at after lunch waiting on my friend Lindsey. All of a sudden I'm looking down at my phone & I hear this freshman girl walk up to the table I was sitting at & asked if she could sit down. I agreed & texted Lindsey where I was & that I was sitting with a girl when she got there. There had been a miscommunication in the meeting up, but that gave me the opportunity to talk to this girl. She told me she was a freshman & hadn't made very many friends. So, I asked if she was involved in anything outside of classes or if she went to church. She said she was part of NOVA (first generartion college students) & that she didn't have a religion. She had Christian friends & wanted to believe in Jesus, but the lack of physical proof was holding her back from believing. We discussed that you can't force someone to believe; they have to receive it on their own. She also mentioned that she hadn't really talked about religion since her freshman year of high school. At first, I thought she was gonna push me away once I started talking about God, but she was open to listen & even agreed to try to come to a Cru meeting. God really opened a door for opportunity! I wish I had been able to invite her to Bible Study & get her phone number, but she had to rush off to class before I got the chance. She did thank me for talking to her & said she hoped to see me again. I just pray that she genuinely meant what she said. So after that, I decided to chill in Starbucks until my class started. As soon as I walked in, there sat my friends, Ben & Kayla, & a guy who's in Ben's Bible Study. It was great to sit down for a bit & talk to Kayla, who I hadn't gotten to see in what seemed like forever, & catch up with how Ben's semester had been going so far since we hardly had time to just sit down & talk. While I was talking with them, my friend Lauren showed up for a bit & chatted about her day. After Kayla, Ben, Lauren, & the guy from Ben's Bible Study, Mac, left, I was about to leave when my friend Rachel popped in, & we also got to talk for a bit about how our summers were & how the semester was going so far for both of us. Lindsey also appeared while I was talking to Rachel, because she was meeting up with one of our Bible Study girls to talk more about Cru & Bible Study & other things to get to know her more. I finally left Starbucks around 3pm, after being there for about an hour. Once again, on my way to class, I ran into my friend (& Rachel's roommate), Natasha. We talked for a short bit about the class she got out of & the class I was going too (2 different classes). I walked to my class after that, & didn't run into anyone else...until I saw my friend Gina as I was leaving the bathroom after class. Thinking back to my sophomore year when I transferred to now, it's amazing to see how many connections I have made through God & Cru. I came in barely knowing anyone, & now I feel like I can't go anywhere without recognizing at least one person. I am truly blessed! It really is "a small world after all"!
Live for God & Love for Jesus!
-Patience <3 =)
Live for God & Love for Jesus!
-Patience <3 =)
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