For the past four weeks, I have been at New Staff Training with Cru in Daytona Beach, FL. It has seriously been incredible. I have fallen deeper in love with Jesus because of the knowledge I am learning about who He is. Two of the four weeks, we took two accelerated seminary classes, and as fast paced as they were, I absolutely loved them. It makes me even more curious of if someday God will lead me to get a Masters of Divinity. How cool would that be?! It has definitely been a desire of mine for at least seven years, and I've been praying a lot over the last six months about what it would look like to study Biblical Counseling. One thing I know for sure, God has it all worked out, and I'm excited to follow Him day by day wherever He may lead me. I have ideas of where that me be, but one thing I know about my Father is that He constantly surprises me and takes me places I never could have imagined.
One place He is taking me is to the University of Southern California (USC). When I received this news, I was beyond ecstatic. God had been placing this university on my heart for a while. A few months ago, I started praying about where He would send me. I knew that He was calling me to stay involved in Greek ministry (sororities and fraternities), so I prayed about schools where there was a big Greek presence. I came up with a short list, and USC was dead last. As I prayed about it, every week I felt like God was telling me to move USC up my list. Essentially, He was telling me that USC was where He wanted me. I had reservations about Him sending me there, but I truly am willing to go wherever He sends me, so I listened to Him and kept moving USC up my list. Eventually, it became my first choice.
This was a hard decision for me because my heart was still at Sac State. Last August, I came back from summer project confident that the Lord was not calling me to Sac State, but after being back on campus, having so many people I love and admire ask me to stay, and my sister and her family (army family) moving back to the Sacramento area (after seven years away), I was slowly starting to wonder if I hadn't actually heard from God. I started trying to convince myself that Sac State is where I was suppose to remain, but something didn't feel right. After a month of trying to convince myself that God wanted me at Sac State, I realized that I was people pleasing and that just because my sister's family was back, didn't mean that I was suppose to stay. GOD'S CALLING ON MY LIFE IS BIGGER THAN MY COMFORT! It was at this time that I started praying about other schools, and God started showing me that He wanted me at USC.
Honestly, when you join staff with Cru, you don't have that much say in where your first assignment is. Because of this, I sent in my preferences but knew that God would direct me exactly where He wanted me. When I got to New Staff Training, I had a really great conversation with the woman that decided my placement. We talked a lot about my preferences and Sac State. After that conversation, I thought for sure I was going to be placed at Sac State, but a few days later, I was surprised and excited to hear that my first placement was going to be USC. I seriously couldn't believe that I had been hearing correctly from the Lord. How amazing is that?! He seriously, constantly brings me to my knees in awe of Him.
I am still so excited to be going to USC, but this means my Sac State chapter is over and that saddens me. I love my community in Sacramento so much. I made amazing friends there, and I truly feel like that is where my family is. I think I expected to be back there, and most of my friends expected it too. I am sad to leave them, but so excited to see how God uses each one of them to expand His kingdom. Sac State will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always look back at my time there as some of the best years of my life (at this point, they actually are the best years of my life).
A verse I have committed to memory and will be praying everyday while I raise my initial support and report to USC is:
Deuteronomy 39:6
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
Please be praying that God will provide all of my financial support swiftly so I can report to USC by their fall semester, which starts in August. God is faithful, and He has been nothing but faithful to me. I trust Him entirely, and I am so excited to start this amazing new adventure!
John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."
