Back to life: Blog edition

by Lexie Daché

I have to admit, when people ask me my favorite thing about being an RA at Liberty, the answer can easily change based on the week, my mood, my latest conquest and struggle. While my commitment to the position is unwavering, my feelings easily fluctuate. However, there’s one area that’s always positive and always encouraging (yes, just like Christian radio) and that is RA class.

Each leadership position is required to attend a weekly class, and my love of these meetings has grown over time as I’ve transitioned from Prayer Leader to SLD to RA. This past Tuesday in RA class, Danny Lamonte, the director of Resident Assistants and Resident Directors, made the accurate comparison of Liberty and church camp, and titled the lesson "Back to Life." We joked about common church camp experiences, and I laughed with the girls at my table about how my first “relationship” came out of middle school church camp. You won’t be surprised to hear that just like Danny’s personal account, the romance didn’t last past the time our bus pulled back up to the church... and back to life.

            On a serious note, a challenge and lesson coming out of church camp was the mission to not lose heart. I remember reading 2 Corinthians 4:1 while in high school, which says, “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” But even though this verse sounds clear, it’s not easily carried out, which is shown in the life of any student attempting the nearly impossible task of maintaining summer camp momentum.

            In high school, I lost heart post camp pretty drastically. But because of God’s mercy, my story doesn’t stop there. However, now that I’m older and wiser, does this mean I’ve got the act of “taking heart” down? Not at all! I am not shy to share that this is a personal struggle, but something that keeps me going is the one part of this verse that was missing for me in high school, and that is the ministry. The RA ministry is given to me through God’s mercy. Ministry keeps me going because I constantly need the reminder that it’s not all about me, and when I act otherwise, I am asking for exhaustion. But the Lord gives mercy to those who are fulfilling His calling, and carrying out His ministry. This is definitely something to cling to as we try and take heart, even when the time feels like “post summer camp.”

           

Lastly, the RA and SLD teams have been awesome in getting involved with leadership hash tags. If you’ve missed it, check out this week’s: #LUcommUnity and #VisionSLD. Similarly, I’d love to hear your feedback from those of you reading this blog! So answer me this...  

What is your favorite part of your ministry this week?

How have you seen God’s mercies through your ministry?

...also feel free to tweet it out. I'm sure it's not long before the PL hashtag is far outnumbering the RA's and SLD's. 

Lexie is a first year RA on the Hill and treats the RA twitter hash tag like her personal account. She's known to get really cheesy in her blog posts, but refuses to apologize... You can find her being friends with her leadership team and watching cat videos. Recommendations are always welcome. 

Do you ever feel like a freshman? by Lexie Dache

It’s official – OSL is back!  …Not that OSL ever left, but in the last couple days, there has been a resurgence of student leaders on campus. New RA’s landed on Thursday, and returners marched in Sunday. The Reber Thomas was overrun with badges Monday morning as we bonded over required breakfast, and blamed brother dorms for drinking the last cup of coffee.

            As a new RA, I’ve appreciated the extra days reacclimating to Lynchburg. I got to be the first and only one to move into my dorm, spending that first night wide awake with excitement and nerves. My stomach felt the same as it had as a freshman, except this time I thank the Holy Spirit for my adrenaline induced energy, instead of the case of Monster energy drinks I thought was a good idea during freshman week. Just like a freshman, I spent all my free time socializing and then was literally stunned by the silence that met me on my dorm when I returned late at night (but this time, late means 9 pm). Was everyone else hanging out somewhere? Was I the odd one out for being back? Were there other girls in their rooms thinking the same thing as me? This week, I still wondered if I was the only one alone, a question that haunted me as a freshman, except this time around the feelings were fleeting.

            It’s good to look back, especially starting the RA process, and remember the specific highs and lows from freshman year. That’s one of the most special and crucial things about RA’s, SLD’s, and most Prayer Leader’s… we’ve been there. We made that drive to school on move-in day, and though there are many different forms that journey can take (fighting, crying, laughing, screaming, or completely silent), we’ve still taken that path. We showed up, unsure of the future. I have yet to meet an OSL student who arrived with scheduled semesters of their rise from prayer group member to RA. We’ve dealt with uncertainty.  We changed our major, or contemplated it at least. We sorted out expectations, dealing with those that remain unmet, and blown away by experiences that surpassed anything imaginable.

            I’ve learned that some feelings many freshman experience for the first time are staples of life.  They will resurface. Some days we’ll question if we’re alone, if we’re in over our head. We’ll wonder why God brought us here. We’ll wait in expectation for the start of something new, or we’ll feel overwhelmed with the pressure of the situation. The biggest difference between being hit with those thoughts fresh out of high school and now is that when my mind starts going into overdrive with concerns, I can look back on the last two years of living through those worries. I look back and see how God provided, how I wasn’t alone, how He put me in the right place, in His timing, and equipped me for every scary new situation he brought me through.

            So wherever you are this semester – still at home, on campus, preparing for your first semester at Liberty, or your last, take inventory of your feelings. Reflect on times you felt like that before, remembering how God brought you through. Be empathetic to those going through those experiences for the first time. Let the familiarity of concerns remind you to praise God for His faithfulness, and trust Him to lead you through this next season.

The Pursit

For most of my blog posts, I find myself scavenging the internet, wandering through blogs of women in ministry, trying to find inspiration. I read incredible story after story, and can’t help but ask God why I don’t get to experience moments like them. I’ve become obsessed with stories; I lie in wait for a good one, waiting around for God to speak to me through the written account of other people’s experiences.


Nothing is different about this blog post. I developed an entire page of quotes and ideas, concepts, connections, and object lessons all provided by strangers who’s personal lives I follow secretly from the safety of my computer screen (hey, they put it out there!). As I prayed for God to allow me to make something original, I was reminded of a quote from my favorite movie… I’m not sure what my audience demographic out here is, but hopefully most of you are familiar with the 90’s classic Never Been Kissed. Nearing the climax of this typical yet timeless chick flick, Drew Barrymore’s character, Josie Grosie Josie Geller says, “Somebody once said, to write well, you have to write what you know. Well, this is what I know…”

So what do I know? After spending two years at the most exciting and largest evangelical Christian university in the world, you would think I’d be able to make some strong self-evaluation or a cohesive statement of lessons learned. At this point, my OSL blog posts have revealed enough about my tendency to get lost in introspection, but I still have a hard time pulling out concrete conclusions.

Even though I’m a communications major, I often find myself struggling to communicate things clearly. This week, I went to lunch with the leader of my upcoming mission’s trip and two other girls from the team. My leader asked me, “What’s something about your life that’s different now than from before you knew Christ?” This isn’t a complicated question; it’s not even that hard, but I think I failed at properly answering. There are plenty of answers that would suffice, and I chose to talk about the difference in my friendships. When I was in high school, I constantly craved deeper relationships, but the more I pursued them in the wrong context, the less connected I felt. At Liberty, things are different. I am constantly blown away by the friendships I’ve developed, and I know that is because they are rooted in Christ. However, my answer came out in a way that worried our leader. He told me to be careful not to be so focused on the people, relationships, environment, and culture. Yes, it’s awesome to have Christian friends at Liberty, but what happens when I’m back in my home environment? Will I adapt to those changes by doing whatever it takes to find a connection?

I didn’t know how to take his observation. I was embarrassed. I immediately got defensive and explained that of course my friendships went deeper because of the outflow of my relationship with the Lord, and it’s been a journey to arrive here. My freshman year involved a limited number of friends as I started seeking after the Lord more on my own, and learned what I needed in my friendships. My leader responded with saying he didn’t doubt my heart (or my salvation), but just wanted to point out what could possibly be a hindrance.

I’ve been replaying that conversation a lot, realizing that what upset me most was that my answer was ambiguous. I look up to this him as a man strong in the Lord, and believe him able to see things with discerning spiritual eyes. I was disappointed with myself, that my response left him questioning Christ’s involvement. My pride was stirred and demanded, “Doesn’t he know that I’m spiritual? I mean, I’m an SLD for goodness sake! Doesn’t that say enough?”

The answer is no. Positions and titles don’t change anything. Being a Liberty student doesn’t mean anything. Tweeting scripture and hanging verses in my dorm room doesn’t make a difference.

His comment doesn’t make me doubt what the Lord has done in my life, because I know the change and sanctification that has taken place. I know that the difference goes beyond my friendships or environment… but this was a reminder to make sure that I’m living out that change as an overflow of the work in my heart. I love taking inventory of all the blessings that come from life in Christ, especially the ones that come in human forms. However, I never want to lose sight of the main thing. I don’t want to let the blessings distract me from the blesser. My relationship with the Lord isn’t defined in the body of Christ, but in Christ himself. My leader encouraged me to spend some quality, one-on-one fellowship time with God, without the distractions of other people. That time ended up being so sweet and humbling.

So often, I seek inspiration in the people around me, but God’s been reminding me that inspiration comes from Him alone. In closing, let’s address the elephant in the room, which is finals and summer fast approaching. I’m being challenged to keep Christ the center of my thoughts, keeping my eyes fixed on Him regardless of my environment. It’s something we can all remember, especially as our surroundings change for a season. I encourage you to reflect on the change the Lord has done in your life, and let that inspire you to keep your eyes fixed on Christ. Our situations change and our time is short, but He is outside of time and space, and remains the same.

-Lexie Dache

Your Next Roommate Won't Be Rebecca Black--by Mike Wynn

 The world has changed since I last posted on this blog, and we have all been affected. Through the wonders of Youtube, the amazing Rebecca Black has graced us with the song of our generation, Friday. Seeing as this blog is posted on a Friday, I can only hope that my words can briefly override the repetition of this lyrical masterpiece taking place within your head right now. But why fight against it, when I can work with it?! Thus, through the assistance of Miss Black's song, I want to help you find your roommate for next year.

Gotta have my bowl; gotta have cereal

Do you like to share? Of course not! Who does? As you look for that next roommate, you've got to be on the lookout for the mooch. The mooch is that person who is either always begging to use your stuff or, even worse, using it without asking. If his bowl is dirty, he is gonna take yours. If his is cereal is gone, you better kiss those Lucky Charms goodbye. If his undergarments need washed . . . I hope you get the picture.

Gotta make my mind up. Which seat can I take?

Room setup can make or break a school year. You need a roommate who gets this. For example, the average student thinks it is best to put the desks against the wall. FALSE! It is best to put desks back-to-back, so that when you feel lonely, all you have to do is look up. That's minimal neck strain for maximum human interaction . . . BAM!

Partyin', partyin' (YEAH!)

This is the best part of the song. It's because the interaction between the soloist and the choir demonstrate the truest bonds of friendship. Will your roommate have your back? You better know the answer to this question if a cougar attacks.

Fun, fun, fun, fun

Nobody ever says, "I want to room with Eleanor Roosevelt," because he would be the most boring roommate ever. When you look up from back-to-back desks and your eyes meet, you will either see soulless desperation or the fire of life. I hope you choose a roommate who has the fire. If you choose the right roommate, then one day you could feel just as cool as that random guy who raps in the music video.

By Mike Wynn

Mike Wynn is a Resident Director for the Office of Student Leadership. He is also the star of The Mr Wynn Show. If you would like to contact Mike about this post, you can do so through his blog: http://themrwynnshow.blogspot.com.

The Pursuit, Part VIII by Andrew Butler

At the end of March my friend approached me. He asked me if I was interested in reading 1 Peter every day for the month of April – this piqued my interest. I committed. At this point I’m almost a week in – and I’m loving it. Meditation is taking on a whole new meaning. I’m learning to live and breathe the Word of God. I don’t think I’ll ever look at 1 Peter the same after this month. I’ve chosen a few of my favorite verses to include here – this month, I encourage you dive deep into Scripture. You won’t regret it.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1:3-5)

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” (1:22-23)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (2:9)

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (2:16)

“…shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (5:2-4)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (5:6-11)

The Pursuit, Part VII by Leslie Wood

Hello again blog friends!

I can’t believe another month has come and gone?!? It won’t be long before we’re all packing up our dorm rooms and saying goodbye to our beloved friends to head home for 3 months of summer! I’m sure you are all looking forward to that! Only 21 days of class before finals. Can you believe that?!?!?

As I was thinking about this post and what I wanted to say I kept thinking about how this blog is supposed to show you how RAs and SLDs are normal students. The more I tried to come up with something creative for this post, the more my mind went blank. The truth is, just like every student on this campus, I feel like all my professors put papers and tests in the same week. I think they do it for fun, so they can stand back and laugh at us running around frantically scrambling to finish their assignments.

It’s weeks like this that I think we all wish the semester was over or that it was at least warm outside. This cold dreary weather makes everyone stir crazy!

Though I know we are all looking forward to this semester being over, next year has already begun! I’m sure if you’ve been to Jazzman’s anytime in the last month, you’ve noticed various interviews taking place. For the past 6 weeks OSL has been putting together their team of RAs, SLDs, and PLs for next year. It’s been fun to meet with a lot of amazing students and hear about the hearts they have for the students on this campus.

This past Tuesday night OSL hosted their annual Leadership Fair. All the RA’s and SLD’s for next year set up tables advertising their hall and all approved Prayer Leaders come and set up interviews. It was a lot of fun to see how everyone set up their table and what kind of free food was being offered. Everything from pancakes, to cookies, to cupcakes, and brownies, potential Prayer Leaders left with full stomachs and a few interviews set up as well. For those of you who missed it, trust me when I say that we have an incredible group of student leaders in place for next year. I’m excited about all that God will do next year through the halls on this campus.

As we look ahead to next year, we are still in this year. There is still much to be done this semester, so as I look ahead in excitement, I have to stay focused on this year.  I encourage you to do the same. As excited as some of you are about summer break coming, stay focused on this year and finish strong!!

Have such a good week blog readers!