Category Archives: Ministry

I’m A Little Triangle

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So I met Tim Keller today.  He’s the pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.  And I finally understand why so many people appreciate his teachings.  Today at work I had a lot of data entry to do, so by the end of the day I had eaten three jelly donuts and listened to three of his free online sermons – talk about feeding yourself both spiritually AND physically.  (Wow, was that remark cheesy or what!?)

No but really, I listened to Christianity and the Creative Age, Arguing About Politics, and Writing From a Christian Worldview.  And wow, it was so refreshing!  Felt like I got transported to a seminary class for the afternoon.

I enjoyed all three sermons, but I found Christianity and the Creative Age to be extra helpful in some areas of personal refinement and acceptance.  The sermon is actually from 2006 but still completely relevant to today.  In fact I didn’t know it was from back then until after I was finished listening.

It was so helpful because I think recently I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself; pressure to succeed and pressure to have everything I want in exactly the way I want it right now; not tomorrow, but now.  Sounds stressful, right?  And I think that a lot of this pressure has come from trying to fit me, Erin: a triangle, into a rectangular box.

Now, the rectangle isn’t a bad shape.  In fact, there are lots of rectangles that I’ve been trying to be like because the rectangles are really good and talented and etc. etc. etc.  However, the triangle is just as good and talented and etc. etc. etc., but it’s just a different shape.  The triangle is meant to be triangle and the rectangle is meant to be a rectangle.  Welcome to pre school Erin - pull up a carpet square for a lesson in Self Acceptance 101.

The sermon covered a lot of ground, but in one part Dr. Keller described the characteristics of creative people and how they can use their creativity to better the Kingdom.  I think that’s where it really clicked.  Because lately I think I’ve been trying to succeed in the same ways the rectangles succeed in, rather than simply asking myself: What do I love to do and how can I use it for the Kingdom? 

Today’s sermon came at the perfect moment because honestly I was getting really tired trying to look like a rectangle all the time.  So today I’m feeling inspired to dream about all the ways that God could use a funky little triangle like myself.

***fyi: Tim Keller never mentions triangles, rectangles or self acceptance in his sermon.  Those were my own brilliant analogies.  His were a bit more refined.

Stuck in Saturday

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I read a great article in Relevant magazine a few weeks ago.  I know I said that Real Simple is my favorite magazine, which it is, but Relevant is my other favorite.  The article was called Stuck In Saturday and ever since I read it it’s been hanging around in my mind.

In summary, the article described how Holy Week teaches us about waiting.  I know Easter has already come and gone, but God doesn’t move according to my calendar so I’m just now realizing some things related to the purpose of the past couple weeks.

In church we focus a lot on what happened on Friday and Sunday because they both represent universe-altering events.  But what often gets overlooked is Saturday.  What was Saturday like for the disciples and those who were closest to Jesus?  Saturday probably wasn’t a very good day – and that’s the understatement of the last two centuries!  And why was Saturday even necessary?  Why didn’t God just raise Jesus on Saturday and spare everyone the pain and disillusionment that Saturday’s waiting brought with it?  Why?

I’ve been wrestling with my own Satuday lately.  That’s why it is 1:30 a.m. and I am still awake on a work night thinking.  Because while there are so many blessings and things going right in my life right now, there are a few blessings-in-the-process where the waiting feels painfully long and drawn out.  Things that are making the water muddy and thick and clouding up my vision for the good things I have.  Things that I’m attempting to face and have faith for.  It’s a slow walk to the alter sometimes, isnt it?

I’m being quite vague about what I’m referring to, I know, but it’s one of those cases where I’ll gladly share the story once I’m on the other side.  In fact , I’m sure I’ll be so eccstatic that I’ll be sharing the story with random strangers and anyone who will listen to me.

Isn’t it beautiful how it always turns out that way?  The Lord tells us that those who hope in Him will not be put to shame.  Saturday will not last forever.  The cycle will come full circle.  Death and mourning are naturally followed by new life and gladness.  Thank you Easter for this lesson.  Lord help me trust you in my Saturday.

Do Not Despise These Small Beginnings

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Last night was the launch date for New Images, the support group/Bible study focused on helping women at Cal Poly overcome issues of body image and eating disorders.  I showed up, but unfortunately nobody else did. 

I really didn’t know what to expect going into last night.  I was prepared to lead a group, but wondered who would have the guts to respond to the flyers.  It’s a quite a large leap for someone to admit to themselves that they need help and then even more of a leap to want to share that realization with other people; especially people you’ve never met before.  Hmm…should have taken that into consideration beforehand? 

So all in all, last night was a starting point, I believe.  Hopefully just a launching pad for new approaches. 

In fact, I think  I already have a new approach that includes developing a website over the summer and instead of inviting people to come to a group, the flyers would encourage people to visit the website.  From there, people could find all sorts of content, local resources and could choose to contact me if they wanted to personally meet up up to talk.  That might be a more comfortable road for people to walk. 

Anyway, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad that no one came.  There are so many people that I know would benefit from this, even just statistically speaking; people who are craving freedom from the burdens they carry.  However, last night  I was reminded of a scripture that proved reassuring,

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, (Zechariah 4:10)

So I won’t argue with that.

New Everything

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Week one of Jon-goes-back-to-school is quickly coming to a close.  He likes Cal Poly.  Cal Poly likes him.  It’s all good.

I have spent my week working odd hours during the radio station’s semi-annual fundraising drive.  I wake up at 4:30am, head to work by 5:30, take a four hour lunch break in the middle of the day, and then head back to work until 6:30pm.  Afterwards, I head home to watch an epidsode of Lost to relax.  Well, kind of of, because I’m only on episode 5 and so far Lost is awesome, but it isn’t the most relaxing show.  Then once the clock strikes 9:00pm I try to convince my body that it’s really midnight so that I can go to sleep.  So since nothing feels normal this week I suppose it makes it easier to embrace all the changes happening.

However, the four hour lunch breaks couldn’t have come at a better time.  I have been using them as my opportunity to also make my way over to Cal Poly.  Why?  Because speaking of “new,” I am starting a new group called New Images.  It’s something God put on my heart last year, but it took me a while to follow through with my plans.  Why again?  Because I didn’t know if anyone would come…and that scared me.  And then I mustered up a little bit of faith and I became afraid that too many people would come…and that also scared me.  And now I don’t know what to expect, but I do know that God has prompted me to do this.  So I’m gonna ”walk the pipeline.”

One of my all-time favorite sermons is called Rescue The Dying and it’s by a man named Ron Hutchcraft.  I’ve never been able to find it online, but I do have an mp3 version of it so if you would like me to email it to you,  just let me know.  In short, he talks about how in order to reach the best “views” or high points with God, we must take risks, face our fears and basically “walk the pipeline”, which is a beam that stretches across a dangerous crevass.  He also illustrates how as Christians we are in a metaphorical lifeboat (gotta love Titanic references) and we must go back for those who are still in the water.

And that’s what I’m attempting to do.  God has brought me through a lot, and yet I need to remember those who still may be struggling.  After embracing my life, my security in Christ, and my healing, I need to turn my lifeboat around and go back to fill it with souls.

I had a great revelation yesterday, by the way.  I read chapter  5 in Radical.  I felt silly and relieved.  I wished I would have read chapter 5 sooner.  But regardless, I was relieved because I was reminded of the simplicity of what God is really asking me to do: regardless of where I live, whether I work or I’m a full-time mom, and whatever my life circumstances, as a follower of Jesus my job is to make disciples of all nations.  How?  By giving away my life, my love, my time, my money, my friendship, and the Word of God to those around me.  Simple.  Well, impossible in my own strength and efforts, but simple and possible with the Holy Spirit.

I don’t need a fancy approach.  I don’t need a new strategy all the time.  Because there’s nothing new under the sun.  I just need to live out the simple truths that I know.  Sometimes I think I get consumed with what I need to do for God, rather than living a rich life, full of love and with room for other people.  Six years ago I got the word “Grace” tatooed on my left wrist, and a lot of times it serves as a reminder to chill out, embrace where God has me right now, and search for that ever-so-precious state: contentment.

So anyway, with this New Images group I’m praying: Lord, please run this group.  Do what you want with it.  I’ll show up, but let this come out of a place in my heart that isn’t full of anxiety or approval,  just love for you and other people.   

So, like I mentioned,  I’ve been showing up to campus to pass out flyers in hopes that they might fall into the right hands.  And when I’m done, I’ve been meeting up with my cute husband in the UU so that I can drive him across town to work.  I recently bought him some new clothes.  I think they make him look young, hip and like every other guy walking around campus.  I didn’t want him to look married and 27, but in my opinion he’s sportin’ married and 23…okay maybe 24.

Answering To The Call

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***This photo is of Kevin & Kristi Kneeshaw of Campus Crusade for Christ and their family.

This morning I had the opportunity to sit in on a meeting and devotional time with the President of HCJB Global, Wayne Peterson.  I’ve been hearing a lot obout this worldwide ministry lately seeing as after reading the book Radical by David Platt, my boss at the radio station, the Executive Director, decided to lay down his role here at K-LIFE FM to move to Colorado Springs to work for HCJB.  So I will be getting a new person to report to and my boss and his wife will be helping plant Gospel-preaching Christian radio stations all around the world, specifically in places where less than 2% of the populatoin is Christian.     

This morning at the meeting, Wayne shared a few stories about what’s happening around the world in places like Nepal, Indonesia, Central Asia, Northern Africa and the like.  I was captivated by what he was saying as he explained the present condition of specific locations, but also the fact that the Church is growing below the radar in many areas.

Then I got to work, sat down at my desk and heard my phone chime over and over as thirteen new Twitter update texts poured in from Paul Washer, who is currently overseas preaching the Gospel. (If you would like to get Paul’s tweets sent to your phone you can choose to follow him on Twitter and then click the little phone icon just to the right of the “Follow” button.)   Paul happens to be in one of the places I heard about this morning and his updates did a funny thing to my heart that I’m still trying to decipher. 

I don’t know about you, but doesn’t the mission of Jesus to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10) and to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark16:15) twist your heart up so tight that you can barely breathe?  Doesn’t that call make you sick to your stomach as you plan your next trip to Disneyland?  Doesn’t it cause your life to flash before your eyes as you imagine yourself actually considering your life worth nothing, heading out into the wilderness and climbing to the heighest heights with God for His glory?

Jon and I had a tearful conversation a couple weeks ago.  It was a Saturday morning before we headed out for Adopt-A-Block and I was reading a chapter in Radical in the big chair in our living room while Jon was skimming the paper.  And it hit me.  I was reading about how this one retired couple decided to use their retirement to feed hungry people in Africa versus moving into a gated community and playing golf every afternoon.  And like I said, it hit me.  Because it was cool that that specific couple had decided to sacrifice their comfort in retirement to serve others, but the thought that struck me was:

I hope it doesn’t take me until I’m retired to sacrifice everything to serve Him.

That’s a scary thought, right?  That maybe forty years from now I will finally detach myself enough from my stuff, my ambitions, my life-securing, life-building tactics in order to answer to the call, so to speak.

I keep wrestling with this topic lately, if you couldn’t tell, because I’m excited about what God is doing in my life in the here and now and I can feel Him growing me in deep, meaningful ways.  Yet in my heart of hearts I’m seeking to know, really know, whether I am truly living out the call of Jesus in my life as fully as God would have me to.  It’s scary.  Because contrary to popular new-age belief, we only get one life to use to make much of Him.  That’s it.  And when it’s all said and done we will stand before the King of all Kings to give him a report about our lives.  What did we do with all that he gave us?  (Matthew 25) 

Anyhow, I’m not sure how and where God will direct my steps in the coming days and years.  I’m not sure if I will continue to serve Him here in the US, somewhere else, or both.  But I am praying today that He would do whatever necessary to help me to embrace his Word, build my life upon it and make me ready to respond at any moment to his call; whether it be reaching out in friendship to my neighbor a few doors down or whether it means buying a one-way ticket to Nepal or a similarly remote place that I cant locate on a map.

Below are Paul Washer’s tweets from this morning.  I hope you like them.  Or better yet, I hope the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart through them like He did to mine.         

“I was in Lucknow India last week and in Nepal this week.  Right now I am in Pokhara, Nepal.  Tomorrow we head to Kathmadu. 

The conference in Lucknow was a blessing.  I preached eleven times to many hungry missionaries.  God seemed to help and I was filled with joy. 

God has given me a heart for India & Nepal.  I am also burdened for Tibet, China and Mongolia.  We must reach these peoples with the Gospel. 

After Lucknow, we met with our new missionaries in Nepal  What a joy!  Some are mountain men.  They remind me of my beloved Peruvians. 

I preached 12 times in Nepal and the men were very receptive. More explanation and illustration was needed, but God was faithful in helping.

In both places, I preached on the Gospel, true conversion, biblical assurance, and the minister’s family. 

Yesterday, Matt and I went looking for tigers on an elephant.  It was an adventure.  I am both disappointed and glad that we found no tigers.

I witnessed to a Sikh this evening.  I had no idea how he would respond, but he listened until another came into the room.

I wish I was 20 years old and could throw my life away in these mountains.  I pray that God might raise up young preachers to go forth. 

Why do so many young men spend time blogging about theological nuances while the world dies without the Gospel?  Why?

The kingdom needs men who rely upon only a few simple weapons: Bold preaching of the Gospel, intercessory prayer, and sacrificial love.

Please pray about Asia, the Middle East, and the 10/40 Window.  They present an opportunity to live and die for something eternal.” 

I beg you to pray about going to the places where there is no Gospel witness, but only if you have a Gospel witness.”

 Side note: I’m not opposed to Disney Land.  I don’t think it’s bad.  I just think God is trying to get through to me lately about certain things.  Please enjoy fun times at Disney Land as you see fit.  :)

We Need Each Other

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I’m getting rocked by this short video from Tom Demaree, founder of RU4One.   Tom and his wife, Deanna, stopped by Mercy Church a few months back during their stay on the Central Coast and brought with them a fresh conviction about repentance and unity amongst churches. 

This video clip from Tom talks about how we need each other; need friendship; how it’s essential and precious despite what our individualistic culture tells us.  It’s a message that sounds simple, but in actuality, is a lot more difficult to live out than it initially sounds. 

I don’t have much else to say about this video because you just have to watch it.

The New Look For Saturday Mornings

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For a while now Saturday mornings have been the kind where we sleep in, sip our coffee a little slower, Jon does some paper reading while I do some coupon clipping and we simply enjoy the fact that have nowhere to rush off to.  I love this about Saturday mornings, but I also love the new agenda for them that began this weekend. 

To make a long story short I go to a church called Mercy Church in San Luis Obispo, California.  It’s great.  I have great friends there and it seems like people are always ready and willing to try something new in hopes that we might be able to show some people God’s love.  

So this weekend we began something new called Adopt-A-Block, a ministry idea that we adopted from a church serving L.A. called the Dream Center.  To put it very simply this activity consists of going to a specific block, but in our case a low-income apartment complex full of families and some student housing that is the temporary home to Cal Poly University students, knocking on their doors and then offering some ways that we can make their lives a little easier. 

In L.A. the Dream Center does everything from providing free babysitting, food and useful things like cribs or toothbrushes and they do it on a massive scale because at this point the city so appreciates what they’re doing for families that businesses all over town give stuff to the Dream Center so that they can continue to give it away to people in need.  Awesome. 

As for us in San Luis Obispo we are starting a bit smaller, this week offering a free bag of food to the families and some home-made cookies and scantrons to the college students.  But the challenge and the key to this ministry is that the point is to go back to that same block every single Saturday, knock on the same doors and continue to meet whatever needs we can while also continuing to build relationships with those people.  The commitment is long term. 

And it’s cool because in my heart this all lines up with the things God has been teaching me lately: Mostly that sometimes the things that feel like sacrifice, like giving up a relaxing Saturday morning in order to get out of my house and out of my comfort zone and into some people’s lives, isn’t really sacrifice at all but rather it’s the very purpose for which the Lord saved me.  It’s been a vast reality that I’ve been facing lately.  You know, trying to pull my head out of my own little life and troubles and worries and start living like I picture Jesus would want me to. 

So I think this is just the start.  And I’m excited to be sharing some of the great stories that emerge from these Saturday mornings.

Meet Brother Paul

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About six months ago my husband introduced me to a man named Paul Washer.  It was an informal meeting and actually it was in my car.  Paul talked and I intently listened to what he had to say.  I found him refreshingly straightforward and knowledgeable about the Word of God.  And he was intense!  Like a coach before the championship game, he preached as if everything was riding on this final sermon.

Soon after that first meeting I hung out with Paul again where he preached to a youth conference (and to me) about what real Christianity was meant to look like, and it hurt.  It hurt really bad.  And that’s when I decided that me and Paul, we were going to be great friends.

During that time Paul attacked my interests, my motives, my lifestyle and basically he attacked me.  Which is why I was so grateful.

Brother Paul preaches a message that is widely dismissed by American Christianity but that others like Francis Chan, David Platt and I believe George Mueller if he were still alive today, stand up for as being the true gospel.  A gospel that states that we are wretched and He is the only source of good.  We are God-haters and yet He desires to save us for his purposes.  Versus that increasingly popular teaching about positive self thinking and living your best life now that draws thousands of Americans to a fancy church every Sunday to hear a motivational speech with a Bible verse tagged onto it for credibility.

When Jesus preached it hurt.  People walked away.  And he didn’t apologize for it.  Of course those who were truly hungry for the truth and for purity stayed and were blessed, but those who were just “checking him out” quickly realized the dire price to pay to follow him simply wasn’t worth it.

Now, I’m not a masochist.  I don’t enjoy enduring pain or criticism or someone telling me that I’m wrong.  But the Bible says that “the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Meaning that the Word of God will offend us, cut us and basically hit us where it hurts as it seeks to put to death the desires of the flesh and make us more pure and righteous so we can embrace the Holy Spirit.

The Bible also states that “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses,” (Proverbs 27:6).  God is merciful and gracious and He gives us what we do not deserve: a new life in Jesus Christ.  Because he loves us,  in his own timing, he will continue to expose our darkest places so that as we experience a greater measure our wretchedness and sin, we experience a greater measure of his goodness all the more.

So I respect Paul Washer and the people who are preaching a message that isn’t popular.  Men who are not trying to draw a crowd but who seek Christ above all else and fervently pray that His Kingdom would come.

It’s convicting to even write this actually.  Makes me think I need to spend some time today in a closet with God getting some things in order.  But that’s what good preaching will do.  It will drive you into a secret place with God.  It will make you realize your utter inability to please God by anything you do in your own strength.  It will not kiss you all over and tell you you’re lovely and that you need not burden yourself with the responsibility of the Kingdom.

If you’re not sure you’re ready to dive into a whole hour with Paul, here’s his testimony.  It’s amazing.  It’s only fifteen minutes long.

Paul was saved in college and ministered as a missionary in Peru for 10 years, during which time he founded the HeartCry Missionary Society to support Peruvian church planters. HeartCry’s work now supports over 100 indigenous missionaries in over 20 countries throughout Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.  And like George Mueller, HeartCry has never asked for a penny of support.  They believe that every need of their ministry will be obtained through prayer.  And it has.

But I suggest you jump into a few sessions with Paul every now and then as a means to examine yourself according to the scriptures.  That’s what I’m going to do today.  Especially today, because Japan doesn’t need our sympathy.  The world needs praying, God-believing, followers of Jesus Christ who are ready to show his love and compassion and the glorious truth to anyone in need.

Visit Sermon Audio to view the archive of Paul Washer sermons.

Practice What You Preach

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I walked into work on Wednesday with a few butterflies hanging out in my tummy.  Because no matter how many times you’ve done it before and no matter how old you are, sharing your faith with complete strangers is always weird. It’s usually the right thing to do, but it’s weird.  Or at least it always feels that way in the beginning. 

After reading my latest blog post, my friend Carrie called me and said she’d been feeling the same way about the need to actually get out there with people to share the gospel too.  So she asked if I wanted to go to campus on my lunch break sometime this week to try and talk to people.  Gulp.  Number one rule of writing things that other people see:  somehow, by someone, you will be held accountable to live out what you write about.  This is also a good reason to write in the first place because it gets you to publicly follow through on some of the deepest desires being cultivated in your heart. 

But that morning while sitting at my desk, waiting for Carrie to pick me up at 10:30am, I followed a rabbit hole of thoughts through my mind. “What’s my approach today? What questions should I ask?  Should I find a natural way to start a conversation or should I just be up front about it?  I didn’t take a shower this morning…should I really be sharing my faith today if I didn’t even take a shower?  Am I dressed right?  Should I try and look a little more like a college student or is the more mature look the way to go?  What’s more relatable?  What’s more relevant?  I’m not even in college anymore…is this even legal?”    

It’s funny how some things never change because I think I’ve had this same conversation with myself many, many times including the first time I ever went witnessing in the dorms my freshman year of college…except back then, each thought was followed by a few more exclamation marks.  Truth be told that for the most part, sharing the gospel for me during my freshman and sophomore years, consisted of me standing awkwardly close to my upperclassmen friend Liz or mentor Megan as they knocked on a door and then did the talking.  I think I probably watched them engage someone in a spiritual conversation at least twenty-five times before I ever even had the guts to be the one to knock on the door of someone’s room. 

Then somewhere along the way, after seeing it modeled so many times, I began to think that I might be able to do what I saw them do.  I’m not sure how many times I actually shared the gospel in college.  Sometimes I felt pridefully-good about myself when it seemed like I was doing it more than others around me, but in the end, all I wished is that I would have done it way more than I actually did.  Because what were the things that got in the way sometimes?  Persecution, threats, and scary demonic attacks?  No, not really.  More like my fear.  My schedule.  My homework.  My laziness.  My complacency.  My friends.  My selfishness. Me, me, ME!    

It’s no coincidence that Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” Matthew 9:37-38.  It’s so easy to show up to church.  But it’s really difficult to work in the harvest field.  I knew a guy in college who worked during harvest time on his father’s wheat farm.  And leading up to that season he talked about it like he was going off to boot camp.  “It’s so hard,” he said.  “The days are long and every night when you go to bed you practically collapse because you’re so tired from working all day.”  But the Bible says that “There’s a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun” Ecclesiastes 3:1.  And there’s a great reward for those who sow spiritual seeds in the name of God because a man will reap what he sows. 

So Carrie and I went to campus and after we prayed we walked around and ended up talking to a handful of students.  Some wanted to talk and others shut us down almost instantly, but that part is not important.  Because you don’t go out to do God’s work in order to produce any specific kind of results.  You go because you love God, you love people, and you go because “blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him” Psalm 128:1. 

And we both prayed that this convinction would take an even deeper root in our hearts and that it would continue to lead us back to the campus time and time again.

My Heart Screams Evangelism

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 My Heart Screams Evangelism

The most exhilarating thing I ever did in college was to share the gospel. While many people find their excitement in the parties and the thrill of escaping responsibility and reality a few nights a week, I’m happy to say that the most adventurous, thrilling, heart thumping, living on the edge experiences I had during my college career were the times when I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat and dared to share the truth about God with someone around me. This isn’t to say that I never found myself held hostage by sin and wrong choices during those four years of intense identity formation, but those reckless choices proved to be dulling dead ends compared the the elation of being used by God.

I’ve been thinking a lot about student evangelism and the college campus lately. Daydreaming, actually, is a more accurate depiction of what’s really been going on. You see, for the past two years I have been working at a small, local non-profit Christian radio station on the Central Coast. I work with seven other Christians and we hear testimonies all the time from our listeners telling us how much the music we play helps them through their days and in their walks with God. And that’s pretty cool, I must agree. I have my own desk, with my own computer and from there I create all sorts of different newsletters and emails, I answer phone calls and attend meetings, I plan upcoming events and offer new ideas for growth. And I daydream. I sit at my desk and I daydream about the college campus just a couple miles down the road.

During my four years at Washington State University I was involved with an organization called Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). And they, along with the Lord of course, are the ones to blame for my daydreaming. The things that I learned and experienced and were challenged to adopt into my style of living are as much a part of me still as my left foot is. And over the past couple years since college, God’s plan for my life has moved me from Washington to California, it’s found me a dreamy husband, and it’s introduced me to some incredible people all while my life has continued to transform more and more into the character and life of Christ.

So while by God’s grace my life has continued to progress, there’s still something about being on a college campus that gets me high so to speak.

In an article by Campus Crusade that I read during my freshman year of college I learned that, “Most people who become Christians do so before the age of 22. College students are at a crossroads, and many belief systems are competing for their allegiance. While they’re in this stage of life, we need to make Jesus Christ an option for them.” And in another paragraph of the article I learned that, “As you begin a ministry on campus, evangelism is what will set it apart. It will make the difference between a maintenance ministry and a thriving one like we see in the Book of Acts. It would be tempting to build a ministry solely through the gathering of Christians. While fellowship is vital, it does not encompass everything Jesus cam to do: to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).”

Evangelism does something to a person. It doesn’t matter your default personality setting, whether you’re naturally loud or shy. Whether you like public speaking or hate it. Evangelism, for every Christian, is the key to being unlocked from a boring, middle of the road Christianity, and into an exciting adventure of trusting God and living out His purposes in our lives. I’m convinced of it now more than ever as I sit at my cubicle, with only Christians in the building and with my little bamboo plant as my sole source of company and the object of my preaching. It’s boring.

The opportunities that Christian students have on their campuses is a once-in-a-lifetime golden window. After college, former students may have the opportunity to help lead or support a college ministry, but if you’re fortunate enough to go to college, you only get one shot at influencing other college students with the gospel from that angle, on the ground level, in the thick of a very important time in people’s lives.

Even now, drawing closer to three years since I graduated, the challenge I received as a college freshman is still ringing true to my ears and begging me to rearrange my life:  “Build now, so as to leave a legacy.”

So as of late, in my prayers I’ve begun to ask my Heavenly Father for  new opportunities in evangelism. I want to spend my days at the heart of one of the most influential centers of the world once again, the college campus.

 Romans 1 :16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”