What Would You Do?

Hello there, are you doing well? Thanks for visiting, and just for a little bit of background: I had this faith-based experience last Thursday. I can't say that I am the strongest Christian (or am even a strong Christian, for that matter), but this little anecdote just really resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you because it presents a challenge for Christians fairly well and I thought it was pretty cool. I'm a part of the Navigators, which under my interpretation is basically a Christian ministry that is focused on sharing God's love with others. The Navigators have a presence on campus, and I attend their Bible study groups and enjoy listening to some of their talks.

Today, I just wanted to share with you about the last session I attended with the Navigators. The topic was basically on being a laborer for Christ, but the speaker surprised us with a common topic that I hadn't seen framed in this manner before.

He asked: "What would you do if Jesus walked right through there and came to this room, right at this very moment?"

This wasn't a rhetorical question, though. He wanted answers. What would you do if Jesus came for a visit? I thought that I would be absolutely shocked, and then fall down to my knees. It sounds somewhat dramatic, but I feel like it's actually the opposite... These actions reflect my brain drawing a complete blank.

Then, the speaker continued on with his hypothetical situation. "Let's say that Jesus walks up to Taylor and says, 'Hey, how you doing, Taylor? I haven't seen you in a while. I was thinking maybe I could buy you some coffee tomorrow morning so we could catch up. Would you like to meet at Starbucks before your classes?' What would you to say to that, Taylor?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Taylor.

What would you do the next day when you saw Taylor after lunch? What would you ask her?

But he wasn't done with this little string of situations and questions yet. "What if the next day, you see Taylor at the dining hall, and ask 'How was it? What did he say? What was he like?' but then Taylor says, 'You know, I was really looking forward to it, but I forgot to set my alarm last night and overslept... Then when I got up, it was already time for class so I just couldn't make it.'"

An awkward silence fell around the room.

He captured the thoughts that were running through most of our minds. "What were you thinking? How could you do that? What's wrong with you?!"

"But you know what," he continued. "This is happening to us. Don't you see that God is inviting you to listen to him every morning? All you have to do is open his Word, and discover all he has to say."

Now is the chance to open up your Bible and spend some quality time with Jesus, the best friend a guy or girl could ever have. I hope this post challenges you to remember that meeting with God doesn't have to be taken for granted.

Take care,
-Riley XO

theheartofpastormatt.wordpress.com 

Top 5 Tips for Sticking to Those Resolutions

Happy New Year! I know I haven't blogged in a while, but with the holidays and personal things I didn't find as much time this winter break to write. I'm sure you guys understand though! It feels great to be back and I have some new ideas for this blog that came with the new year so I look forward to writing to you guys again.

So, I am one of the people who like making resolutions (whether it is a new year or not) because setting goals for myself and being able to see progress towards them helps give me a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment. When my cousin gave me a weekly planner last year for Christmas, my resolution(s) for 2013 was to use it (and to get to college in one piece). Journaling was something I'd stopped since I started blogging and writing stories, but the planner was a good way for me to reflect on my day. So every night, I'd take 5 minutes out to calm down and jot down little events of what had occurred and give thanks for the blessings I had in my life. It didn't seem like an exciting resolution when I made it, but it turned out to make a big difference in my life.

This year, I have quite a few more resolutions:

• Make YouTube videos. [I've been wanting to do this one for three months now, and I'd tried to get started by reading The Little Prince last November. Then I realized that I don't like reading out loud and wanted to find something more, well, me. So I'm going to start with simple vlogs about my life and see if I have time to sit down and make fancier videos in the future.]
• Crochet many hats. 
• Do more community service.
• Start the "Dear Friend" posts on this blog.

What are your resolutions for 2014? Tell me about them in the comments below!

If you don't have a resolution, here is a video that might help you find one:

It seems like many people often set great goals but then end up abandoning them before springtime even comes. But this is the year to succeed! Here are some tips to help you keep on track for your goals of the year.

1. Make it interesting. A common resolution that people set is to go to the gym more. And although this is a really good goal, people still fail to keep going to the gym steadily through the year. So, instead of resolving to just "be more active," try telling yourself instead that you resolve to run a marathon (a little more than 26 miles) by the end of the year or even by the summer of next, or perhaps to learn a new sport. Each of these resolutions involve doing a lot of the same things (eating healthier, cardio and strength training, etc.) but learning how to dance would be a lot easier to do because it's fresh, interesting, and new.
2. Remind yourself how it benefits you. Think of your resolution as a gift to yourself. Sometimes in the short run, it might be difficult to keep going toward your goal, but the benefits are mostly long-term. So think of those long-term benefits!
3. Track your progress. Use a calendar to highlight the successes and failures that may come with your resolution. This way, you can be aware of all the progress you've made.
4. Don't give up when you fail. Remember that there are 365 days in a year--so don't let one day of missing out affect the entire year. If you don't have time today, just remember that tomorrow is a new day.
5. Get some friends involved. Tell your friends about your resolution and give them updates every now and then of how things are going so that you'll have their support. Things are a lot harder to do when you're on your own, so get others involved and enjoy the process that comes with your resolution.

I hope you enjoyed this overdue post and will see you next week!

Take care,

-Riley XO

My Actual November (So Far)

Hey guys. So there is a certain flow to life, and sometimes the flow takes you to a different place than you'd probably expect. This November, I was planning to have more alone time writing a novel and making videos. However, life had its own ideas for me.

The major thing that happened was that I became the vice president of the residence hall council here. Since I'm responsible for keeping track of what happens in meetings and watching the budget, I now have to attend  three meetings a week and spend more time planning fun events for the hall. It is definitely a job that I enjoy, but it also makes it difficult to write a novel because the meetings essentially consumes the time that I had originally allotted for writing and making videos.

Two other changes occurred: 1) I joined a peer educators program that basically is about promoting healthy lifestyles on campus, and 2) my friend and I started a tae kwon do club for the campus. I'm really passionate about these new activities because they involve helping the people around me, and sharing the confidence, strength, and discipline that comes with martial arts.

brainerd.com

I feel guilty for failing to write the novel and devote time to making videos because I was really looking forward to it, and I know that you guys were too. Monday was the last day for the leadership workshop that I was participating in, so hopefully I'll be able to use that time slot to film. I found some issues with editing with my first video, and I want to make the next video better, so it may take a while for me to complete it. But thank you so much to the people who have been hanging in there and supporting me through the process. I appreciate it bunches!

That being said, I am about to start a post that's all about getting ready for finals. This is going to be a hectic time of year, so I'm going to share my little survival tips for making it through, getting the best grade possible while staying sane and balanced. It will hopefully be up for this coming Tuesday!

So there is just a quick update for you guys on what's been going on in my life. How has your month been going so far? Let me know in the comments!

-Riley XO

Surviving the First Weeks of College

Hello everyone! It's been quite a while since I've been able to sit down and write a nice long post, but I have finished most of my other work beforehand so that I could finally take some time out and update you about what I've been up to lately, which is something that is only fair since you guys showed so much support during the series Get Ready For College With Me.

Just thought this was a cool pic from yuzmerkle.com

A former Astronomy teacher said that there's not really that big of a difference between classes in high school and classes in college. I actually agree with him on this one. University professors aren't more brilliant or enlightening by any drastic measure. Each one has their own style, and some styles are better than others, just like high school teachers. With that said, my classes aren't too bad this semester; my most challenging class would have to be Calc II just because the pace is pretty intense (I do think it's worth it, though!).

Even though the classes themselves aren't that different, it doesn't mean that a lot of other things have changed.

The biggest adjustment I had to make was moving from a quiet home in the suburbs to a dorm that's right by a street in the city. Living here, there isn't much of an option to be antisocial and stay cooped up at home playing video games. There're usually people getting food together, wanting to do homework, wanting to go to other places on campus--most of the first friends I made are the ones that live with me because I see them every day. I also find myself going out now that the excuse of having a long drive has been eliminated--our campus is a relatively small one, so everything is within walking distance and I've had so much fun going to sports games, attending Christian events, visiting friends, and hitting the gym.

However, living in the dorms also has its cons because I found myself downscaling starting from all the space I could ever want within my parents' house to this:

Plus a wardrobe for my clothes.

So although there's an entire campus at my fingertips and my roommate is extremely considerate and sweet, my actual personal space is basically limited to my bed and desk. For me it's definitely a fair trade so far, though.

I've also found my personality changing due to the new environment. It is so much easier to make friends in college because you move from a place where everyone knew each other to a place where no one knows each other yet, so in general people are extremely open to one another. I have met more people than I could count within these first few weeks, and it's been an absolute blessing. I've also prayed to find some good friends and I'm starting to find those, too. 

My biggest advice to anyone who's struggling to make friends freshman year is to throw self-consciousness out the window and start saying "hi" to people. I actually went door to door through my entire hall introducing myself when I ran for a position in the inter-residence hall government. Although I didn't win, a majority of the people in my hall--from all five floors--recognize my name and face. At first, starting conversations takes some effort and courage, but eventually it becomes natural and people will start approaching you in return. (I'm planning to write a post about this sometime in the upcoming weeks, so please subscribe to see tips for making new friends even as an introvert!)

The second major change that I've experienced is that there are significant breaks in between classes. This presents opportunities to socialize, do work, take naps, and in my case blog. I am still deciding what clubs I can join and hopefully find a chance to start doing research with faculty, so I haven't made a handy dandy daily schedule yet, but hopefully that will come soon. Freshmen find themselves with a lot of spare time, but once they start getting involved on campus life picks up quickly. It's a process, but it's starting to happen for me, so I'm very excited about this year. Plus, being involved is another easy way to make friends on campus that have similar interests to you.

As far as the rest of my college experience up to this date goes...

I'm a part of a service community, and this semester I will be working with refugees, helping them learn English and possibly setting up new apartments for families to move into. I am so excited to be a part of this! My dorm also has a community time every Sunday evening, and last time we broke up into small groups and shared our stories. I basically shared the story that you guys know, and included all the inspirations for this blog. It helped me form connections with other people because each of their stories are also so unique and empowering to hear.

I've also enjoyed emailing and writing letters to my friends every week and reading about their new adventures. The people in my life are such a blessing, and right now I'm just so happy that I chose to come to this particular university. I hope that your experiences also feel full and special, too. I would love to hear about your lives, so please feel free to comment or send me an email at smilesnomatter@gmail.com!

That's all I have to tell you guys in this post. Thank you for visiting today and I hope you have a fantastic week!
-Riley XO