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Chapel Yesterday was really good. Adam Davidson, the former worship arts pastor for SAFMC came to speak and was one of the funniest speakers we have had this year. He did an impersonation of Ron Kopicko that was spot on. Pastor Davidson is at least six foot 4 and probably twice the size and half the age of Ron, which made the impersonation that even funnier.

Some chapel speakers try too hard to make the students laugh but it was evident that Pastor Davidson is just a genuinely funny guy. I have noticed that usually those that actually understand the culture of SAU tend to be much funnier because they can poke fun at Spring Arbor culture and tradition like Adam did.

The message was based on learning/appreciating the love that God has for us. Often times we hear such negative messages on sin and it is important to understand that God loves us and accepts our flaws. His message tied in partially to what my Uncle Mark, Senior Pastor of SAFMC talked about on Sunday which I thought was also kind of cool.

Basically what I got out of the sermons is that if we can not ever appreciate or accept God’s love for us than we can not love others in the way that God loves us.

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Chapel is usually the same format every week, first a scramble for the latecomers to find an open seat, next Chapel Band leads the school in worship and then a speaker will speak and conclude the service with a prayer. The Talents for Christ chapels are a great way to mix up that typical chapel routine and allows for some entertaining performances. It is enjoyable to see people showcase their talent because a lot of the time I have no idea that people who I see everyday around campus have any musical or theatrical talent. God blesses all of us in different areas and that is awesome to see unfold on stage. The acts were quite diverse this semester and included poems, dances, music and monologues. Also, Wednesday featured performances from the Jazz Band, Gospel Choir and many others from the music department. The margin for error is so much higher once nerves kick (I know this from experience) so it is especially impressive to see some people perform so comfortably. But at the same time it is entertaining because the margin for error is so much higher so there are bound to be mistakes, which keeps things interesting. This is the first Talents For Christ that I have ever attended but I am already looking forward to the next one.

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Every year Spring Arbor puts on a Senior Expedition event, which is a time for high school seniors to stay overnight and visit the campus. The best part about this is that the kids get a real look into the college life because they stay overnight in the dorms. Four guys from my high school came and stayed with me this year. It was a blast getting to see them and we had a great time hanging out and exploring the campus. All four of them stayed on the floor in my dorm room, which was definitely a tight squeeze considering usually each college student is supposed to only house one or two seniors. Unfortunately, I had two back to back early classes on the next day along with a big test so it was a rough trying to wake up the next morning on time, because we stayed up way too late. The seniors got a chance to tour the campus as well as go to the campus chapel service, which got roasting hot with all the extra bodies in the sanctuary. When deciding on which school to go to, it is important to visit the campus ahead of time (which is what most people do). But what is even more important is spending time with the college students that actually go to the school, because they will give you so much more information then any pamphlet or letter in the mail would about the University. That is why Senior Expedition is such a great idea here at Spring Arbor, because the interaction with the campus is much more genuine than it would be to just visit for an afternoon. The community is a large part of the education at Spring Arbor and that is hard to appreciate without spending time in the dorms and going to campus events.

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My housemates and I with our shirts supporting Kathryn.

This past Wednesday, we had three student speakers share their testimonies during chapel. This was a really cool opportunity for these students to share their journeys with the rest of the student body. After an amazing time of worship, David Owsley, Kathryn Bristor, and Cheyenne Martinez-Trevino took the time to share their stories.

My housemates and I have been waiting for this chapel for weeks and were extremely excited to support these students. One of my roommates used to be Kathryn’s roommate so we couldn’t wait to support her when she spoke! As a house, we decided to make t-shirts for her which included bible verses and quotes on the back.

Kathryn is in the process of writing a book about her journey of medical complications the Lord has brought her through and she provided a devotional (that she wrote) for the entire student body! This devotional is called “Hope as an Anchor for the Soul: A 30 Day Walk with the Lord Through the Valleys, Trials and Testings of Life and Faith.” Kathryn compiled thoughts from her journal and prepared a 30 day devotional filled with insight and scripture. According to Kathryn, “my prayer is that these devotional thoughts will bring you, as the book of Hebrews says, “hope as an anchor for the soul.”

Quotes and Scripture

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Wednesdays chapel this week absolutely touched my heart. I’ve always enjoyed the fact that Spring Arbor University encourages students to engage in worship every week. This week, in particular, were three student speakers. David, Kathryn and Chyenne opened up their hearts this week and shared their testimonies while encouraging the student body, and reminding us how awesome God is.

As I sat in chapel, the dominant thing that ran through my mind was “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). I really don’t believe that I truly understood what that piece of Scripture meant until recently. Sometimes when I find myself in a testy trial or tribulation, I often try to lean on what I know and attempt to figure stuff out on my own accord. But the marvelous thing about coming to the realization of this is that the thoughts and ways of God should be the main focus. Having that faith, reliance, and dependency on God is what helps in the midst of any obstacle. He is the way, the truth, and the light. Understanding that just makes my heart smile because when no one else is in your corner, God will always be there. Have faith and believe!!

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Psalm 27:14

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:14 NIV

This morning during chapel, Anna Wilkinson (Resident Director of Gainey Hall), gave a message on waiting. Right now, many of you (including myself), may feel like you are in a time of waiting… waiting to graduate, waiting to start the summer, waiting to start a job or internship, waiting to get married, or waiting to start dating. Even though the subject of our waiting may be different, we are all waiting for something.

My question for you is, “What are you doing in your time of waiting?” During times of waiting, it is easy to become lazy and complacent. Rather, I encourage you to “be strong and take heart” as you wait for the Lord. Be proactive and don’t give up! Finish strong and patiently wait for the Lord’s timing. I admit, this is NOT usually easy. However, it is not impossible either.

Another version of Psalm 27:14 reads like this: “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” NLT

This week, I encourage you to take a moment and evaluate what you’re waiting for. Do you feel anxious? Are you waiting patiently? In either circumstance, I recommend that you bring your concerns and desires to the Lord. He loves to hear from you and he wants you to trust him with your future in your time of waiting. God bless!

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