Archive - 2017

Let’s admit it. Too many of us let our grades define us. Yes, you know who you are. Believe me, I’m with you. When we get that A, we feel successful. It gives us energy and makes the day so much better. On the contrary, anything less than perfect causes us anxiety and puts a damper on the rest of the week. Recently, I wrote a paper for my Western Civilization II class, which I believed merited a good grade. Unfortunately, my professor thought differently. When he handed back the papers and I saw my grade, I tensed and felt[…]

The change feels immediate. One second we’re driving through the flat, boring Texas panhandle, and the next the bushes have changed to manzanita shrubs and the dirt is red. The land begins to bump and swell into massive mountains. Mallory and I  can’t stop grinning. We’re almost there! As the sun sets, the shadows in the mountains deepen and the harsh light turns soft and golden. We pull up to our friend’s house where we’ll be staying for a few days, the cozy adobe blending into the surroundings. In the horizon is Sandia Crest, a mountain range that juts up[…]

You could spot my friends and I from the other side of the cafeteria. We’d crammed about seven chairs too many around a round table and were laughing uproariously. I clambered over my chair into my spot and moved someone’s wallet to make space for my plate. Sometimes, we were super quiet at lunch, sitting together and just enjoying being still. This time, however, we were being obnoxiously loud. I took a drink of water and noticed there was a little too much attention tossed my way from around the table. I was quick to dismiss it, taking another mouthful[…]

When drudgery and monotony settle on the campus, the best remedy is to simply leave it. When your mental strength is waning or your willpower is ticking slower and slower, stop, take a breath, and just get away, even if it’s for just 20 minutes. My mom always told me a change of view helps get your mind clear of mental clutter. Take a step back. Take a drive. Take a walk. Downtown Siloam Springs provides several locations that can provide a little escape, such as Café on Broadway, Pour Jons, and other small restaurants. Likewise, the walking trail, which[…]

My Growth Group leader’s apartment was so welcoming to step into. The smell of freshly baked muffins saturated the air with the rich, appetizing aroma of chocolate. Delicate and ornate stacks of teacups lined a shelf above a basket full of teas, and soft fuzzy blankets were draped over the couches. Tabs, our leader, always greeted us with a hug and a warm, “How are you?” My Growth Group, a student-led on-campus Bible Study, has (somehow) met every year and every semester since my first month at John Brown University. Tabs is single-handedly responsible for the Bible study’s success, continuing[…]