It\u2019s on us once again \u2013 the scattered reunions, the rush to get each new book and syllabus in order, and the overall thrill of a new beginning. It\u2019s time to spend the next few days stocking up on mac n cheese and coffee and catching up with those we missed as we prepare for everything ahead. Friends, let\u2019s have a virtual toast to the promise of another year on earth!<\/p>\n
The break for Christmas was such a perfect way to gather up my thoughts once again and relax for a while in order to carry on into my next adventure. There is no better way to kick off a new season than with a bit of rest and time with lovely people, and the break allowed me to do just that. The second I got home, I found myself stuffed with homemade meals and then quickly trading regular clothes for big comfy sweaters and furry slippers (it was quite chilly back home \u2013 I think I\u2019ve become way too accustomed to the Riverside sun). Clad in my comfy Northern garb, I grabbed a blanket and my cat and enjoyed countless movies and books purely for kicks. It felt entirely wrong to watch or read something without having to write a paper on it later, but hey, I cherished the moment. Aside from my time as a couch potato, I was able to reconnect with old friends, spend time at my home church and enjoy the presence of the people I love the most. After experiencing all of this, I find that there is no better way to recharge than to slow down and soak in every bit of the time given to me over the break.<\/p>\n
Now I need to take the time used to recharge and put it to work. I have never been one who pays special focus to New Year\u2019s resolutions, but I do find myself listing things I\u2019m hopeful for with each new semester or season. Of course, there are the usual goals of keeping my grades up, loving people effectively and investing in new and old friendships \u2013 all of which are great to focus on \u2013 but this year I especially want to work on the simple task of being present in each and every moment. I have quite a few things to look forward to: I\u2019m preparing to join with a team and share the Gospel in the UK, I\u2019ll be taking a class taught by one of the X Men <\/em>producers (I KNOW, RIGHT?!), and, as always, I\u2019ll be surrounded by some of the greatest people I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to live life with. Through all of this, I hope to keep my Creator in the center of my focus and glean as much as I can from each and every moment.<\/p>\n Moving forward now, as always, let\u2019s remember to live fully. Schedule moments to steal away a lunch, coffee break or movie night. Call home and tell your friends and family how much they mean to you (even in the midst of a crazy week \u2013 it really builds perspective). Engage in chapel, serve in church and reach out to at least two new people who you do not immediately click with. Pay attention in each class and remember that the education we are investing in is preparing us for a lifetime of service and teaching us more than we can possibly imagine. Read at least one book or watch one unexpected movie purely for fun and share it with your roommates. And of course, never forget to \u201ccount others as more significant than yourself\u201d (Philippians 2:3 ESV). Let\u2019s love God and love his people in big ways this semester, and dedicate full attention and joy to each day. Friends, I\u2019m looking forward to this year, and I\u2019ll see you back next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s on us once again \u2013 the scattered reunions, the rush to get each new book and syllabus in order, and the overall thrill of a new beginning. It\u2019s time to spend the next few days stocking up on mac n cheese and coffee and catching up with those we missed as we prepare for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aubrey-macmillan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/lancerdiaries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}