Take Off Your Mask

I am completely stressed over registering for more units tomorrow... or today, depending on how you look at it. I need at least 6 more units, and all of the classes I was planning on signing up for have closed! I'm all for furlough days and no Friday classes, but this whole no classes are open thing is totally lame! Everyone keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow at 11am, I get into the classes I want/need!

Other than that, today was a pretty good and productive day. I had my last university 102 class, went to lunch at Charlie Brown's with Liz and Kaitlin, then went home to work on my philosophy paper. After finishing 3 1/2 out of the 5 pages, I headed over to Shannon's room for our weekly hang out then met up with Spencer for dinner. Then it was time for Nexus, which was totally amazing!

Robbie, one of the guys who is on Intervarsity staff at SSU and is super nice, spoke tonight about the masks we wear and kingdom community. He talked about how we wear these masks that prevent us from getting close to others and growing in community and fellowship; we also prevent ourselves from being vulnerable before God. I was in awe of how vulnerable Robbie was in front of such a large group of people... He told us about his freshman year of college and the many things he regrets doing, all centered around partying. I have never seen someone (especially a guy) be so open about everything like he was... He cried, which of course made all the girls want to cry too! At the end, he told us to take off our masks and allow ourselves to be vulnerable to God and to work to make ourselves a part of community with fellow Christians. That really resonated with me, the fact that we can sometimes cover up our true selves or let things like sin, regret, or pride get in the way of our relationship with God and other people as well. Robbie's talk just blew me away, and I watched as so many people opened their hearts to God tonight.

After feeling so disconnected from school, my friends here, and out of touch with God this week... Tonight's Nexus just reiterated the idea that God wants us to lay it all before Him and show Him who we really are. It also reminded me how great of friends I have here and the many people I have yet to meet. At our meeting for Urbana tonight, I had so many people I had never met come up to me and ask me if I was "the freshman" going to the conference, because I'm the only underclassmen going. It's just nice to know that by the end of the trip I'll come back knowing that many more people and hopefully feeling more on fire for God than ever! The next few weeks can't come fast enough!


Majesty, majesty, Your grace has found me just as I am... Empty handed but alive in Your hands. Majesty, majesty, forever I am changed by Your love in the presence of Your majesty. Here I stand, humbled by the love that You give. Forgiven so that I can forgive... Here I stand knowing that I’m Your desire; sanctified by glory and fire. And now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine, since You laid down Your life: the greatest sacrifice.