A theme in recent church services I have attended lately is how God shows up in our lives. The question “How has God shown up recently in your life?” gets asked. How would you respond to that question? Is that even a question you have ever thought about? God has been showing up in my life recently. He has made His presence known to me … Continue reading Seeing With New Eyes
There are plenty of ways to say that something is coming to a close—the curtain falls, the end is near, and for the fans of Game of Thrones, winter is coming. This is precisely where we have found ourselves, nearing the end of another year at Gustavus, which means that it is also the natural time for reflection. We reflect on our choices for classes, … Continue reading Reflections From A First-Year
There is a difference between breathing in air and breathing in life. Not too long ago I found myself gasping for air. I had just gotten back from Spring Break in California with the tennis team, and was adjusting to the routine of being a student again. Being anxious for several days made me feel as though someone was pressing their hand against my chest, … Continue reading A Breath of Life
As students at a Liberal Arts college, it is basically guaranteed that you will end up taking a class that you do not love. Sometimes, in the efforts to broaden your horizons and gain experience in a variety of disciplines and fulfill the requirements of the college, we all find ourselves in that unfortunate place where we really don’t want to participate fully in the … Continue reading How To Get Things Done
Last month, I wrote a piece titled “Urgency Urgency: It’s All About the Intersectionality,” in which I called for slow, intentional time that is necessary for deep movement building. This slow, intentional time is an important part of the process of healing, reflection and creates a foundation for the constant movement towards a just, fair and resilient world. What does this look like in practice? … Continue reading Solidarity: A Pathway from Service to Justice
One thing that many college students dislike, aside from 8 a.m. classes and busy work, is politics. This is understandable considering political apathy seems to be on the rise with our generation. Whether this is due to the increasing polarization of America’s political parties, the gridlock Congress has been in for the last three years, or other reasons is subject to debate, but what is … Continue reading Drugs: Distorted Perceptions and Stigmas
Tattoos! You’ve heard of them, I’ve heard of them, we all know what they are. They’re becoming more commonplace as the years go by, yet businesses and other organizations still tend to frown on them. Why is that? I have a tattoo on my right bicep, and I love it. I think it’s a really awesome piece of art done by a really awesome artist, … Continue reading Tattoos’ Taboos
This subject really pisses me off. I feel that if I talk about it, even though it applies to me, I won’t be able to accurately describe it or the stigma that surrounds its existence. What I’d really like to discuss in this week’s segment is mental illness and the negative views our society has about it. Since I was about fifteen years old, I’ve … Continue reading The Double-Edged Sword
Over the past few days there has been a lot of news about the recent meeting during the Summit of the Americas in Panama City. The Summit marks the first time in over 50 years that the U.S. and Cuba have publically met. In addition to the meeting, President Obama has requested to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsored Terrorism. While still in … Continue reading U.S. and Cuba Renew Relations
Scenario one: A hazy mist hangs in the air, and there is a certain light falling that wasn’t there when you left home this morning. The mist suddenly becomes a downpour – nature creating a background music of harsh drops hitting the stone street and the rumbling thunder surrounding the city block. You look up at the rain thinking about the umbrella that is still … Continue reading Lost Wanderlust
