one on one

it's a big part of what i do (though i have to be reminded it's not my only responsibility).

i have the priviledge, joy, sorrow, annoyance, etc. of meeting with college girls who are trying to figure out what it means to live their life in this world. they have problems with roommates, boyfriends, sorority sisters, parents, teachers, friends, really with anyone who has a pulse. and that's only where it starts.

what am i to do as i listen to these girls? they really don't want to know what i think or what advice i have for them. they don't want to hear how i can identify with them or how i've been there too. they don't really even want me to cry with them.

they want to be known.

and most of the time, they don't even know it. they are unaware of this deep yearning inside to be known. and i've been there, too. i know what it means to feel like no one around knows me...they may know things about me, but they fail to know me, really know me. yet this is normal. this is the longing of our hearts, this is our humanity. we were created to be in relationship--in community--and so this deep yearning makes perfect sense. but they also don't know that they're trying to fill this through relationships with their boyfriends; through their intensely busy schedule; through their academic work; through their social activities; through their identity as being in greek life, the honors college, a pre-med major, an athlete, a non-conformist, a super-christian; through their desire to escape from their thoughts that tell them they're just not good enough.

they hear but don't believe that Jesus knows them. He knows her name. He knows her desires. He knows her struggles. He knows her sin. He knows her ambitions. He knows her fears. He knows her pain. He knows her laugh. He knows her tears. He knows her disappointments. He knows her joys. He knows her doubts. He knows her deepest secrets. He knows her idols. He knows her gods. He knows her.

what a comfort. scary, though it may be, that Jesus actually knows me and these girls i'm just trying to love on.

so what do i actually do when i meet with these girls? i try to point her back to the only One who can put her together again. i'm pointing her back to reality, to the One who created her and knows her. trying to get her to quit looking at herself and to behold her Savior. He is her only hope. and He fills her every longing.

that's why i'm here.

hebrews

we had our first small group Bible study on hebrews this past monday. i really enjoyed being in dialogue with the girls--we had someone from each year, freshman through senior, which was encouraging to me. and i wasn't expecting all of them to jump in and contribute something to the discussion, as i know there are some who are still seeing where they fit in. so i was surprised that when our time came to a close, i realized that each girl had added a comment or question or observation.

please continue to be praying for these girls as we read through and consider God's Word. these girls come from all different backgrounds, so pray that their unity in Christ will overstep their boundaries they have as they look different, are involved in different things, and are going through different stages of life (an 18-year old in-coming freshman is thinking about and struggling with different things than a 22-year old senior whose trying to figure out what their next step in life will be) but they have been willing to share their thoughts and ideas and be generally well received from the group.

and please continue to pray for me that my identity and my view of the success/failure of the group will not rise nor fall based on the numbers who come, on the discussion had, nor on the presence or lack of keen insights i share.

thank you for your prayers and support!

bookshelf

so, here it is, our bookshelf. all of our walls are white, so i wanted something to add more color. and green it is. actually, it's called guacamole. though, now looking at a picture of it, i think the books add more color than the bookcase, but i like it.

we spent some time yesterday unloading boxes of books, so our office area is getting a bit less cluttered and looking more like an office/practice room. i'll be thankful when it's complete.

a brief summer update

summer conference -- ruf's national conference at laguna beach, florida -- was wonderful. there were over 900 students during the two weeks where their typical day looked like: breakfast; 2 seminar classes taught by campus ministers from all over the country on various topics from christianity and the arts to idolatry to evangelism to justification and everything in between; lunch; free time on the beautiful beaches of florida; dinner; a large group worship time of music and preaching by either Jeff Hatton, the pastor of redeemer PCA in waco, texas, or Rich Lambert, the pastor of new saint peters PCA in dallas; ending with small groups and a bit more free time. what a great time of fellowship and growth!

alex and i married in june and moved to waco, texas, mid-july after honeymooning and spending time with family. we have been settling in since -- our current project is building and painting a bookshelf to house all of our books.

because of our marriage, my work with ruf has transferred me from texas a&m to baylor university, my alma mater. the ruf staff at baylor includes the new campus minister Shaynor Newsome, previously the campus minister at new mexico state, and Tyler Hall, who has been working with baylor's ruf for the past year (he and i will be doing similar jobs -- though i will be directing my attention towards the girls and he towards the guys.) we are very excited about this upcoming fall, which is fast approaching.
- freshmen move in this wednesday and thursday
- our leadership retreat is from thursday to saturday
- we have a church fair for the freshmen on saturday
- classes begin the next monday (august 24)
- Shaynor, Tyler, and I will be on campus passing out water bottles and telling people about ruf the first week
- ruf's first large group is next wednesday (august 26)

please visit baylor ruf's website for more information: www.baylor.ruf.org

thank you for your continued prayer and support!

frozen custard

i'm within the final three weeks now at texas a&m and am amazed how quickly this semester has passed. and i know how these next 17 days will go by.

i was reminded today why i am here. i am an ear to listen, a hug to give, a marker to point to our Lord Jesus Christ. i don't have all of the answers, nor the wisdom, for these girls' problems. i am a fellow traveller who has come alongside to walk with them through the dark muck of sin that pulls upon them during their college years. i am to point them away from themselves that they may behold One who is greater than they, that they may be able to continue to walk, and to get back up when they fall, though covered with that sticky, smelly muck. i wish i could continue walking through that muck with these girls at a&m for another year, but i know i am being called away from bryan/college station that i would marry. and i look forward to that day.

and i know the muck in the lives of the girls at baylor university, in waco, texas, is just as prevalent, sticky, smelly, and burdensome as it is here. and so i look to keep on travelling until i meet with those girls at baylor that i may walk with them, beside them, in the muck that is our sin.

but until that day...

would you please pray that i will keep my eyes upon Jesus my Saviour that i would continue to work where He has called me this day.

would you please pray for these girls and guys at texas a&m -- they are hurting, they are burdened.

would you rejoice with me at the faithful work the Lord Jesus continues to do in these students' hearts and lives! i have been so encouraged to see the change that has happened even over the past eight months in their understanding of who they are and who God is.

about the title: i am pleased to know i have converted one of my girls to frozen custard : ) yum.