Isn't life at college easy?!?! Yes, you have classes everyday that drone on until your eyelids feel like anvils and your neck can't keep your head up anymore. But you get to learn about so many things and learning these things can advance you in life! Did you know that you are among the 10% in this world that will ever attend college? Yes, you have homework up to your frizzy hair. But honestly, it's not that bad and how else are you going to learn it? Stay in class longer? I didn't think so. Yes, the beds are hard and food is gross and your dorm is always too cold or too hot. But whether you choose to sleep at night or not, at least you have a place to, and are you starving? No. So, your room is too cold, you don't even have to think twice about putting on another sweater because you have that luxury.

Count your blessings! Don't whine like babies about the inconveniences that you face. Don't stress about completing the work that you are PRIVILEDGED to be a part of. God put you here, in this velvet seat of luxury where you have every necessity met, in this land flowing with milk and honey, in this time, in this place, for a reason. Don't blow it. Don't take it for granted. Live your life to the fullest, for HIS GLORY!!!

I love my thesaurus! A couple of years ago my mom bought me one. It's not just any thesaurus though. It's a SUPERTHESAURUS! It has vocabulary builders! (oooh). It has notable quotations you can use as synonyms! (aahhh). It has cross-referencing! (wow). But most impressively: (better hold on to your socks because this is really gonna crank your scooter), it can show you words that mean, get this, the same thing as other words! I know! Can you believe it?

Ok, so I actually really do love, adore, admire, have strong feelings for, my thesaurus. Because without it, not only would my essays be imbecilic and my conversations nonsensical, but I wouldn't know what imbecilic and nonsensical mean. And that, my friends, is why I like to refer to myself as a Word Nerd.

I want to be an influential person: In order to be influential you have to be an authentic person. In John 1:9, Jesus is called the true Light. The Light that gives light to every man that comes into this world. Jesus was the most influential person in the world. He split time. And He was authentic.

I want to be authentic: In order to be authentic you have to have courage and humbleness. One of the reasons that Paul was so influential was that he was open and authentic about his life from his greatest strengths to the thorns in his flesh. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 he shows his ministering style. When face to face with the people of Corinth, he was meek and gentle, and when absent he was bold. He was authentic. He bared his soul to the world to bring others to Christ. And he was courageous and humble.

I want to be courageous and humble. In order to be courageous and humble you have to ask it of God. Psalm 138:3 testifies of when David called out for boldness and God granted it to him. In Psalm 10:17 and Psalm 18:27 David reminds us that God hears and saves the humble. David was courageous and humble. He was a lowly shepherd boy who became king of the chosen people of God. And he received it all from God.

So my prayer is, in striving to leave my mark not only on this campus but also the world: that I would be humbled and then be made bold in Christ so that I can be authentic and real and influence others for His kingdom.