JMU As A Sophomore

First Sunday back at Aletheia Church was amazing.

God is such a perfect timer :) While walking with my roommate and one of my suitemates this morning to my car to head to Aletheia we passed a freshman guy, bible in hand, walking toward the bus stop. So I asked where he was going, and before I could realize what sweet work God had just done, there we all were. All FOUR of us were heading to Aletheia. This past week during my quiet times I've asked God to use me in every single possible way He can this semester to reach out to freshman - making them welcome, loving on them, and witnessing. Well He clearly showed me He was listening this morning.

My blog hasn't been updated in a while, sorry for that. Being back at JMU has been quite an exciting experience. Actually, almost too exciting. I have been focusing on so many other things and sort of put God in the back of my mind the first few days.

Helping freshman move in Tuesday and Wednesday was a great experience. All the "thank you's" I got made it all worth it. Everyone was so thankful that we were there and willing to help them. The backache and the sore calves were so worth that :)

So as I said, God wasn't getting the attention He deserved from me the first few days. Friday is when He showed me that I needed to take Him out of my pocket and put Him back in my heart. I went with a group of friends up to a place called Reddish Knob to watch the sunset. Sitting there watching the sun go down, looking down on the beautiful Shenandoah Valley made me realize how unimportant I am. I was looking out over this beautiful creation, this vast stretch of mountains and there I was worrying more about myself all week rather than thanking God for everything He has done for me.


Watching the sun go down, praising God was probably one of the most joyful things I have done in a really long time. Don't get me wrong, worshiping God every Sunday at church is amazing as well, but this was something more. I was there. Looking out at His wondrous creation, realizing how small I was, but knowing that He loves me enough to sacrifice His only Son in order for me to have eternal life is just so incomprehensible.

It was so reassuring. Knowing that I'm loved, I'm saved, I'm free and nothing can take that away from me was the best thing God could've showed me before this semester starts. No matter what happens this semester, I know He is with me, holding my hand the whole way. I've learned to trust Him no matter the trial or the outcome. I've been clinging to this passage for some time now...and regardless of what I read during my quiet time, I somehow always end up flipping to it.

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
-Jeremiah 17:5-8

Trusting God is vital when it comes to strengthening a relationship with Him.