Words of Wisdom (or Experience) Part 1

This is my last week as a member of the student body of Purdue University, and America. I have been through a lot in my 4... (or make that 5) years of college. Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my life here in West Lafayette and how it could have been different or it could have changed. It is a sobering thought that in 3 week's time I will really really be out on my own in the real world. So basically each day this week, I will try to leave you all with some story or something I have learned that you can use (if you like) in your own life. I know that I was totally unprepared to come to college. Maybe I have suffered some so you can suffer less by learning from my mistakes... But in any case, God is in control of everything anyway...

Sunday (Church/Group Fellowship)
In case any of you dont know, I grew up as a Christian in a Christian home (something for which I thank God every chance I get). This meant going to church every Sunday whether or not I wanted to. But most of the time, I wanted to go. Coming to college opens up a whole new world of decision making. You have more freedoms as you temporarily move out of your parent's home in search of higher education.

When you think of Sunday, you most often think of a day of rest or of church or my personal favorite: naps! Well for my first year or so on campus, my thoughts on Sunday mornings were about sleep and recovering from the previous night's gaming escapades (Halo 2 being the game of choice). I never went out and did anything bad or anything, but I never really went to church on Sundays either during my freshman year.

This is especially shocking since I had gone my entire life as long as I can remember before college, and I thought I was a good Christian and stuff, but I guess when I got to Purdue, a whole different game for my faith began. I was somewhat out from under my parent's protection now. Part of the reason that I never went to church in Lafayette during my freshman year was I didn't have transportation and I didn't have friends to take me to church or didn't know where any churches were. This, however, is no acceptable excuse.

I really believe part of the reason I had such a hard time with my first two years, was that I didn't find solid Christian fellowship in a group on campus or at a church for about a year and a half or so. The devil was free to launch attack after attack with little to no resistance on my part. And of course, he did.

I forget exactly what the statistic is, but there is a large percentage of students that go off to college and lose track of their faith that they grew up with. I guess I was one of those people. I kinda lost track of it.

I suppose one piece of advice from this stuff is to GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNINGS!!!!!

It doesn't matter where you go or who you go with. It is so important to surround yourself with other people that believe in the same Awesome, Wonderful, Powerful, Mighty God that you or I do. I also highly recommend trying to go every Sunday and not skipping because once you skip once, it is always easier to skip the next time. I think the devil does a good job of facilitating that for us, and we need to throw that back in his face.

My entire life turned around after I found a church to go to and some fellowship on campus. I found other believers that I felt like I could be myself around. People that actually accepted me for who I was, the broken soul I was carrying around. I happened to run into a couple of solid guys representing Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and God used them to change my life forever (there may possibly be more on that later in the week...).

God never left me the entire time I was wavering during my freshman year. Of course, he promises this numerous times in his word... (Deuteronomy 31:8 says: The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.)

The other piece of advice: FIND FELLOWSHIP WITH LIKE-MINDED BELIEVERS!!!!!

This is also Biblical... (Heb 10:24-25 says: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another --and all the more as you see the Day approaching.)

See! The second piece of advice isn't even my idea...

If you have fellowship with like minded believers, that love and value you as a person and friend (or even family :) ), it is a never-ending source of encouragement that is always reliable. How can you beat that?

Had I known these two things, or had access to them during my freshman year, I might be a different person today.

Well I guess I should stop for now and save some of this for the rest of the week...