This is Jake Blair. Jake is such an example of compassion in my life. The way he seeks others out, not just to know their names but to know their stories, is so special. Being around Jake shows me so much more of who Jesus is, because he loves and cares for everyone so intentionally. I never walk away from a conversation with Jake feeling anything less than fully seen as I am.
“Yo! There’s been so much good poured out in the past year. Something that has held so much truth and value to me that’s so simple, and has become my 2020 motto is that it’s not about how it looks- it’s about what’s on the inside. This can be easily forgotten when we judge a book by its cover. So many unexpected friendships can come from being open and not holding ourselves back from loving others the way we’re called to. Love others, look deeper, be unafraid.”
This is Margaret Timberlake. Margaret fits in the category of ‘people that showed up at exactly the right time.’ She has been a joyful, wise, kind, and consistent friend. She is reliable and easygoing, and has had such a meaningful impact on so many people she has surrounded herself with! I always look forward to seeing this one after a long day.
In this strange season of life we are finding ourselves in, I have noticed that my emotions come in waves. Some days it’s nice to be home with my incredible family & spend time gardening with my mom, working on an insanely large puzzle with my dad, or slacklining outside with my sister, Joanne. These are the moments I crave during the school year when I wish I had more time to spend with my family. Still, like many 20+ year olds right now, I’m having trouble on other days living in my parents house. As days pass it’s hard not to uncover old stressors/struggles that seemed to have melted away when moving out freshman year. Many challenges that I thought I had overcome following highschool have resurfaced. That being said, I have had a lot of time to process these things and look at these old challenges with a fresh & more mature mindset. I think I needed this period of time at home to face some things I was able to leave behind prematurely when moving out after highschool. One thing that has been on my heart lately is that our society today seems to constantly push growth, success, or self betterment in many areas. This push for growth may present itself in the form of academic goals, fitness goals, character goals, and many more. Though these things are so important and necessary for adding value and progress to our lives, I have been reminded recently that goals have a time and a place. Sometimes I have found that I fill my life with goals and markers of success in order to validate myself and my actions. I have found recently that these achievements we are all seeking aren’t meant to be our source of value. This is a lesson I came across in highschool, but needed to rediscover. I have found it more fulfilling recently to think about the process of my life and see all I have accomplished, knowing that I am just as valuable of a person today as I was in my more insecure days of middle school. Meaning, even though I have accomplished a lot since 7th grade, and don’t feel that those accomplishments should determine my value as a person. Recently, I have felt more fulfilled acknowledging that the process of life comes in waves and pressure in the form of self betterment isn’t always what we need to truly grow. I am so grateful for this challenging yet eye opening time, as it has reminded me that true fulfilment isn’t rooted in other people’s love for me, my physical accomplishments, or academic achievements. I have found that in trusting the process of our lives to present us with new and old lessons that we may have forgotten is the most important. It takes the pressure off of the concept of perfection that creeps into my mindset from time to time and allows me to live a more fulfilling life more rooted in gratefulness and being present in the current moment.
This is Tina Rosiles. Tina is an intern for UGA Wesley, an on-campus ministry I am a part of. I heard of Tina as a woman who gives great hugs and has a superpower for getting beneath the surface of those she is around. After knowing Tina for a few months, I can say with confidence both of those statements are true! Tina is raw, real, and unashamed of the Gospel. There is so much to learn from her.
“Feeling pain is a gift, the depths of the pain that we feel opens up our hearts to the possibility of love. The pain that we feel is only a fraction of the love that we can feel. Only by exploring the darkest parts of our hearts will we be opened to the infinite power of our light.”
This is Sarah Cline. I met Sarah almost a year ago, and I am convinced Jesus was smiling down from heaven the first time we talked because only He knew how big of an impact she’d have on my life. Sweet Sarah Cline is a fan of telling things as-is. She is fun, spunky, kind, and a world-changer.
“Sometimes the only thing stopping you from freedom is not forgiving yourself for something you couldn’t control or already have been forgiven for.”
This is Caroline Gray. I worked at Chick-fil-A with Carol for a few years in PTC. Caroline is one of the funniest people I have ever met and yet so willing to go deep for the Lord. Once upon a time I wrote a blog post for her website and now the tables have turned!
Some life advice that I’ve given a few people recently is to avoid living life thinking about what could go wrong. So just because a relationship may end in pain, you shouldn’t shut it down before it starts. And just because a dream may not end up being reality doesn’t mean you shouldn’t chase it. Not only should we not live in fear, there’s no good reason to fear hurt anyway. Suffering almost always teaches us something, so we should view it as an opportunity, not something to be avoided at all costs.
