Intern Mondays // What I Wish I Knew as a College Freshman

Have you met the interns yet? They're pretty amazing. The following post is from Becca Pugh, our happy-go-lucky intern from Pittsburgh.

I wish I knew that Eaglebucks were in fact “real” money, not fake like I often told myself. 

I wish I knew that McDonald’s would only be on campus for so long, and that every day should have been a milkshake day (*cries inside*).

I’m just kidding about those previous things, kind of. What I really wish I knew is how much my habits impacted not only my present but also my future. I came into college with less than stellar habits in most arenas of my daily life. My sleeping, eating, exercising, studying and even spiritual habits were sporadic and ruled by every force around me except my own will, especially in my first semester. It was a struggle to try and regulate my schedule and discipline myself in these areas when I was already in the mix of my class and work schedules.

It was also difficult as I was trying to make friends. I’m not much of an initiator, so I try to take every chance to spend time with people when they initiate. That meant I was basically on call for doing whatever whenever, because I wanted to make friends and I wanted to get to know people as much as possible (and a big part of me wanted everyone to like me).

What I didn’t realize as I let my environment around me control me, is that it was slowly affecting different areas of my life. My habits, or lack thereof, were causing my grades to suffer, my mood to swing, my body to get bigger (no lie) and my relationship with God to be minimized to sporadic spiritual experiences. That’s not to say that there wasn’t value in my relationship with God, or that those experiences weren’t valid. I experienced some breakthroughs and growth during that time, but I wasn’t setting myself up for a healthy and vibrant relationship with Him that was consistent.    

In my second semester, I gained some wisdom from my small group leader and felt a deep longing for change. That was a time when I worked on those habits, with equal amounts of determination and a willingness to make mistakes and receive grace. In that second semester, I made some big decisions of obedience that opened doors for God to move in my own life and the lives of my friends. While I’m certainly not the perfect example for healthy habits, the cool thing is that I’ve grown a lot since that time, and the prayer is that I keep growing and learning as the years go on, grateful to God for the progress I’ve made.  

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Intern Mondays // Stress, Anxiety, and My Schedule

Have you met the interns yet? They're pretty amazing. The following post is from Natalie Hill, a recent graduate of American University and one of those people that has a knack for nearly every instrument ever invented.  

Without fail, I always spent the first week of any college break fighting some sort of illness.  During finals week, I would spend countless hours in the library, staying up late and waking up early to write papers and finish presentations and do the readings I had neglected all semester.  I’d stress myself out so much because I was stretching myself so thin.  I wouldn’t  get enough sleep, I wouldn’t eat healthily (if at all), I worked my brain so hard, and I completely filled my schedule with work.  By the time I finished my very last exam or sent in my very last paper, my body would start to shut down.  And a couple hours later, I’d be in bed with a cold.

 I have a feeling I’m not alone in this.  And finals week might be an extreme scenario, but I often catch myself stretching myself way too thin, resulting in stress.  During this first semester as a campus missionary in training, I’ve been learning that my anxiety levels are pretty high, and my coping strategies are pretty low.  There’s a whole new realm of stressors that I face as a full time Chi Alpha intern:  schedule management, finances, issues with students, class work.  It can be really easy for me to fall into anxiety and become overwhelmed, or even paralyzed, by the mountains in front of me.

 But this goes against what we’re told in Scripture.  Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”  Matthew 6:25-33 reminds us that if God provides shelter and provision for a simple sparrow, how much more will He provide for all of our needs?  I know I’m not supposed to worry simply because the Bible tells me not to, but sometimes this seems easier said than done.

 I’ve been learning that I can’t control what happens around me, but I can choose how I respond to it.  Will I absorb the stress or find ways to not let it control me?  Will I let myself be overcome with anxiety, or will I remember God’s promise of provision in my life?  I think there are practical things we can do to push stress and anxiety out of our lives.

In the midst of my busy schedule, rest is essential.  It’s important to find ways to recharge, to do things that are for me.  Personally, this might mean spending a day exploring the city or eating good food or writing new music or reading Steinbeck.  It means spending time with people who energize me and let me rest when I’m around them.  It means putting up boundaries when it comes to spending time with students or thinking about work-related things.  And it means observing a Sabbath, a day of resting in God’s presence and refocusing on who He is in my life.  

I’ve found that when I give myself time in my schedule to rest, I’m more equipped to be able to do my job well.  Rest is our way of recharging with God so we remember that He’s the source of energy speaking and working through us in the first place.

What's Love Got to Do With it?

Christmas seems to have become a polarizing event within our culture. People either love Christmas with an undying passion tied to childhood memories and traditions, or rage against the commercialism and over-extended celebration of the holiday.

As Christians we discuss the "true meaning" of Christmas: Jesus' birth into the world, Emmanuel, God with us. Or perhaps we take on a more cynical view and bring up the pagan origins of the Christmas tree, or the fact that Jesus was almost definitely not born on December 25th. 

Spiritually Christmas is about more than Jesus' birth: it's about his death and resurrection as well. It is an epic moment in the drama of eternity that we see spelled out across the entire Bible.

Christmas is also an important point for many college students. For those that have plugged in with a Chi Alpha community on campus, this is their first time to be away for longer than a few days. Some students are going home to families who do not follow Christ; others will have to face decisions about whether they will fall into old patterns or not. Christmas is generally viewed as a time to be together with family, but it can be hard for students who have just learned to survive on their own to reenter into the family dynamic on a daily basis.

This doesn't mean Christmas isn't an exciting time for most students. New situations allow us to learn new things, and enjoying the company of our family while processing a new, personalized view of Jesus can be a wonderful time of growth.

All of us understand the frustrations of coming together with those we love over the holidays. While they are the people we care most about in the world, they also tend to be the ones who drive us crazy.

This is where the message of Christmas is essential. Christmas is about the love of God shown to us by the gift of Jesus. We emulate that by giving each other gifts. However God did not simply gift wrap a box and drop it down to earth. Jesus, who was in very nature God, shed his rights as God and became human. The story of Christmas is a story of giving everything. A story of sacrifice and devotion. It's a story of the God of the universe becoming something weak, poor, and insignificant in the eyes of men.

This is the gift we need to remember as we look towards Christmas. By all means, buy your brother that PS4 or your grandma some new slippers, but then think about adding in some gifts of humility, meekness, and honor. Offer to do the dishes while everyone else watches the new movie. Bite your tongue and turn the other cheek when your uncle makes a comment about how much you earn. Look around the room and remember that everyone there is a child of God, and he held nothing back from his children when he sent Jesus that first Christmas.

Instead of just thinking about what you can give away under the tree this year, find some gifts you can start giving the moment your family comes in the door. As you begin to see them as God does, don't be afraid to take a moment and treasure up what God has done among you in the last year. That's what Mary did on the first Christmas, and just like her we have the opportunity to incarnate love into the world. Let's do it.

Free Resource Friday - 1 Day Only || Restart Devo (eBook)

We search the web high and low to bring you quality resources at the wonderful cost of $0. Yeah, we try to be awesome.

Today's Free Resource >> Restart Devo (e-book)

It's Black Friday, which means there are crazy deals everywhere, but we thought you might enjoy getting this fabulous resource completely free!

Restart is a 30-day devotional designed to refresh your relationship with God and give you a new perspective on life. Written by Blane and Hannah Young, who work on staff with Chi Alpha at American University, Restart is a great book that is accessible and helpful to a student in junior high or a professional in the working world, and everyone in between.

Every day Blane or Hannah shares a thought on a different facet of life with God, based off a passage of scripture. Every entry also shares ideas for meditation and journaling. Whether you are starting from scratch, need a change of pace in your routine, or are just looking for your next devotional book, you should take the chance to grab Restart for free! You can also request multiple download codes to share with your family and friends.

To get your digital copy, just go to the following form and fill out your information -> http://bit.ly/1c548Fe

You'll receive an e-mail on Monday, December 2nd with your download code(s).

This deal is only good today, so get it while it's there!