One of my favorite parts of my job is receiving text messages from students that sharing something encouraging that God has been showing them.
Here are the highlights from the past week:
1. "So I'm sitting here soaking a hangnail in water for 15 minutes and I stumbled upon Habakkuk 3:17-19. Pretty tiiight!"
2. "Guess what? My friend Megan is interested in doing a GIG with me! She lives on the second floor."
3. A series of 5 texts from the same student - "Andrea! I forgot to share the hugest God moment I had this weekend w/ Chi O! :) He is working! Showed me what he's up to because I was not feeling very invested in it. :) But a Chi O Bible study in the future is a definite idea I have been thinking about a bunch these past few days. Except I am not mentioning it yet to anyone in Chi O...just in my head. :) Thank u for your prayers!"
I seriously have the best job in the world!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
pointing to jesus
I was recently given the opportunity to preach at my church in St. Louis, Community Covenant Church. The message was the same one that I shared at our first MOmentum gathering at the beginning of the semester.
I am realizing more and more how much life I find in pointing people to Jesus! Just last weekend I met a Muslim post-doc research fellow who is working at Wash U's med school. He was curious about the work I do with students and curious about Jesus, so we're meeting for lunch on Sunday to talk more about his questions. Pray that he would continue to be open to learning more about Jesus.
I am realizing more and more how much life I find in pointing people to Jesus! Just last weekend I met a Muslim post-doc research fellow who is working at Wash U's med school. He was curious about the work I do with students and curious about Jesus, so we're meeting for lunch on Sunday to talk more about his questions. Pray that he would continue to be open to learning more about Jesus.
no secrets
The secrets we displayed were anonymously shared by Wash U students.
MOmentum has been an incredible experience for staff and students alike. Our staff team has worked together to put on top-notch training experiences and students have stepped up in big ways in order to take risks that point their friends toward Jesus.
On Sunday night 25 InterVarsity students from ACF, Harambee and Wash U Christian Fellowship gathered to learn how to lead people through the No Secrets proxé station. We spent a week collecting secrets from Wash U students and then we displayed them on campus Monday and Tuesday along with a three-paneled display board where students could respond to questions about secrets and Jesus. We trained the InterVarsity students on leading someone through the questions on the display board and we helped them think through sharing the story of Jesus interacting with the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
We had some great conversations about Jesus as we applied what we learned in the next two days. Several people heard the Gospel and others were challenged by Jesus' response to the woman in John 8 and how it differed from their expectations. I think that all of us involved also realized that many of our friends on campus are walking around carrying painful secrets. The number of secret cards on display that confessed loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts was staggering.
Pray for Wash U and pray for us as we invited our friends to know the hope that only Jesus provides.
IV students leading their peers through questions about secrets and Jesus.
Staff partnership is fun! Kale and I are ready to paint a mattress for another proxé station.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
creativity matters
I've been published in a fun, new e-book called Creative Matters. You can download it for FREE here. You can check out the fantastic folk who are publishing it here.
All of this energy focused on creativity has me wondering how to empower the students I work with to embrace the way God has wired them to create.
All of this energy focused on creativity has me wondering how to empower the students I work with to embrace the way God has wired them to create.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
created to create
We are smack dab in the middle of Spring Break! While many Wash U students have fled en masse to (hopefully) sunny locations from coast to coast, I've been handed the incredible opportunity to do some freelance writing work with Clark.
In a brainstorming session yesterday afternoon I found myself feeling pretty darn humbled by the sheer amount of talent, insight, and outside-of-the-box thinking going on in the room.
So here I sit in suburban Atlanta, playing around with words on my computer screen, and pondering the gift of the Story that begins with a Creator who called creation into being with his words.
In a brainstorming session yesterday afternoon I found myself feeling pretty darn humbled by the sheer amount of talent, insight, and outside-of-the-box thinking going on in the room.
So here I sit in suburban Atlanta, playing around with words on my computer screen, and pondering the gift of the Story that begins with a Creator who called creation into being with his words.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
GIGapalooza
GIGs are the buzz around these parts. What's a GIG? I am oh-so-glad you asked.
A GIG is essentially a small group for folks who are curious about Jesus. We invite our curious friends to look at a story about Jesus from Scripture, we ask our questions in a safe environment, and we apply what we're discovering.
This past Sunday evening our second all MOmentum training was all about GIGs. We were challenged to set up a GIG with at least one friend within 48 hours.
Damion, one of my WUCF students, approached me after the group was dismissed. "I don't think I can do this," he said.
"Yes, you can, Damion. We're going to lead a GIG together and we're going to invite people together," I replied.
Pray that our friends on campus meet Jesus in a powerful way as they encounter him in Scripture.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
future
The mystery man's name is Ben.
Are you a sucker for a good story? I sure am.
Once upon a time over six years ago Ben and I met when we were both InterVarsity interns in different regions. I harbored a crush for the duration of our 10-day intern trek, but only confessed as much to my journal. We said "hi" to each other at Urbana 06 and then he said "hi" again via facebook after I met one of his co-workers in July 2009. His Urbana 09 staff role landed him in a morning Bible study two rooms down from where I was teaching mine. We kept running into each other. Imagine that! Conversations grew longer and the rest, as we often say, is history.
Now that you have a bit of the scoop on our past I want to fill you on our future. After a year of making a long-distance relationship thrive we're ready to be in the same place and begin our life together. The first decision in that process involves whether we want to start that life in St. Louis or in Corvallis, Oregon where he's on staff at Oregon State University. We've got great ministry options in both locations, which makes the decision more challenging in some ways. While we haven't landed on anything solid yet, I am happy to report that the decision-making process has been a truly healthy and mostly peaceful one - considering my propensity for anxiety. I'll add that to the list of redemptive characteristics that continue to mark our relationship.
It was so fun to watch him gain the approval of my family and some dear friends when we spent time in Arizona in December. In particular my two nieces, who are remarkably good judges of character, were quite taken with him. Does convincing them that his thumb is detachable count as a form of bribery?
I find myself reveling in the goodness of this gift.
Once upon a time over six years ago Ben and I met when we were both InterVarsity interns in different regions. I harbored a crush for the duration of our 10-day intern trek, but only confessed as much to my journal. We said "hi" to each other at Urbana 06 and then he said "hi" again via facebook after I met one of his co-workers in July 2009. His Urbana 09 staff role landed him in a morning Bible study two rooms down from where I was teaching mine. We kept running into each other. Imagine that! Conversations grew longer and the rest, as we often say, is history.
Now that you have a bit of the scoop on our past I want to fill you on our future. After a year of making a long-distance relationship thrive we're ready to be in the same place and begin our life together. The first decision in that process involves whether we want to start that life in St. Louis or in Corvallis, Oregon where he's on staff at Oregon State University. We've got great ministry options in both locations, which makes the decision more challenging in some ways. While we haven't landed on anything solid yet, I am happy to report that the decision-making process has been a truly healthy and mostly peaceful one - considering my propensity for anxiety. I'll add that to the list of redemptive characteristics that continue to mark our relationship.
It was so fun to watch him gain the approval of my family and some dear friends when we spent time in Arizona in December. In particular my two nieces, who are remarkably good judges of character, were quite taken with him. Does convincing them that his thumb is detachable count as a form of bribery?
I find myself reveling in the goodness of this gift.
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