No Sanity Required
No Sanity Required is a weekly podcast hosted by Brody Holloway and Snowbird Outfitters. Each week, we engage culture and personal stories with a Gospel-driven perspective. Our mission is to equip the Church to pierce the darkness with the light of Christ by sharing the vision, ideas, and passions God has used to carry us through 26 years of student ministry. Find more content at swoutfitters.com.
No Sanity Required
Insights from Students on Staying Faithful in College
In this episode, JoyBeth Kidd (JB) sits down with a group of college students connected to SWO to discuss what it really looks like to keep your faith strong during the demands of college life.
From adjusting to life away from home to finding a solid church community, JB interviews the guests about staying consistent in Bible study and spiritual practices, even with a busy schedule. They also share practical advice for those struggling to stay grounded in their faith in a secular environment. This episode is packed with encouragement, wisdom, and real-life tips to help you thrive spiritually in college.
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Okay, hi everybody, welcome to NSR. This is probably not the voice that you were expecting. I'm JB, I'm the main editor of NSR and I've been on NSR a few other times. But sorry, this isn't Brody, it's just me. But I have a super exciting episode for you guys today. I have just been interviewing quite a few of our former staff or staff just people that the Snowbird family loves and respects who are also in college or were in college just to talk about what it looks like to stay faithful throughout college and what it looks like to get in scripture and find a church home and everything like that, and so we just kind of wanted to do something a little different to target college students. But hopefully you guys enjoy this episode. I know it's a little different, I know it's not normally the voice that you're used to listening to, but I really hope you guys just enjoy getting to know some of the people that I interviewed and are just encouraged and spurred on by their faithfulness to the Lord and their obedience. But yeah, I hope you guys enjoy.
Speaker 2:Welcome to no Sanity Required from the Ministry of Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters. A podcast about the Bible, culture and stories from around the globe.
Speaker 1:Before we get into it, I just wanted to share just a little bit about my college experience and just things that I kind of struggled with or went through and how the Lord has brought me out of that. So I graduated high school in 2020. And so my first semester of college was COVID, and so I kind of spent that first semester just super isolated and really struggled just because I had no community, partly because of COVID and partly because I wasn't seeking it. I have a family member who when they went to college, they walked away and deconstructed, and so I remember being like terrified that that was going to happen to me.
Speaker 1:And so I wanted to go to a Christian college and I wanted to like do all these things to make sure I didn't deconstruct or walk away. And I wanted to like do all these things to make sure I didn't deconstruct or walk away. And so I went to a Christian college and obviously not everyone at a Christian college is a believer or walking with the Lord, and so that was a bit of a rude awakening. I think I was kind of relying on the fact that I was going to a Christian college for my relationship with the Lord, christian college for my relationship with the Lord and it didn't really hit me until, like I was kind of spiraling quickly because I was just so isolated and alone and was rarely reading my Bible and wasn't seeking out good community and that's when it hit me of like okay, you're saying you don't want to walk away from the Lord, you don't want to stray, you don't want to drift, but you're doing nothing to combat that, you're just letting it happen.
Speaker 1:And so I think one thing that I just like learned from college is okay. If you're scared of walking away, if you're scared of drifting, whatever you're scared of the college culture impacting you, whatever it is like, just don't let that happen. Like combat that with scripture, combat that with good community, combat that with time with the Lord. Like read, pray, like go into every day with like a fight mentality, like with a battle mentality. And college is it's such a weird time of life but it's also so cool and so I don't know, but it's also so cool and so I don't know.
Speaker 1:It's like just a group of people, your age and you all kind of just have like free will and freedom to do whatever you want.
Speaker 1:So use that freedom wisely and like use that free will and that freedom to put in place like really good habits, to set yourself up for the rest of your life to have a good relationship with the Lord. I also think it's just super important. Like when I was in college, I kind of had a big like I guess the word would be like consumer mentality of like I consumed a lot, like I went to a bunch of college groups and I went to church a lot and just kind of like it was like, oh, that's so good, let me like soak it all up, but then like didn't really put my efforts toward like serving or like really opened my eyes to like I have a calling from the Lord and I need to put my efforts towards that, and so I just want to encourage everyone any college students listening- we have a purpose and a calling from the Lord and that calling is to defend and declare the gospel.
Speaker 1:And I just think, like that really kept me encouraged and motivated and like, like, even just the fact of like I have a purpose from the Lord and I have like I was talking about earlier free will to like, wholeheartedly chase the Lord and wholeheartedly, like go after that purpose.
Speaker 1:But anyways, that's enough of my rant. I really hope you guys enjoy this episode. We're talking to quite a few girls and guys from the SOW family that we just love and respect and I really hope that this is helpful for you guys and I hope that, even if you're not in college, you just are encouraged by these young believers that are fighting for their relationship with the Lord and fighting to seek community. And then also, I just ask that you'll just be in prayer over our college retreat and just prayer over college-age students. And I'm really encouraged by listening back on this audio and just hearing all these people's testimonies of the Lord's faithfulness and the Lord's power and I'm just excited. I'm excited for this generation, I'm excited for college students to just hear this and hopefully be encouraged. But yeah, enough about me rambling, but I really hope you enjoy this.
Speaker 3:My name's Marlee Watkins, I go to Mississippi State University and I am in my fourth year of architecture school.
Speaker 1:Oh, no way, I didn't know that my dad's an architect.
Speaker 3:Really yeah.
Speaker 1:That is so cool. Did you move away from home? Like, how far is Mississippi State from home? Okay, it's only two hours, but I moved to school when I was 16. Marley, how did I not know this? I know that's crazy. Okay, so let's talk about that. Yeah, 16 years old moving away to a secular sec school how was that?
Speaker 3:It definitely was an adjustment because I grew up in a Christian household where we were in church every time the doors were open, and so going from a place where I was required to be in church every Sunday to having full freedom to not even like pick up my Bible every day, um was such a drastic change in my life. But I also wasn't a believer until the spring semester of my freshman year and so going into that with kind of just my parents' religion, like following me through college, was definitely an adjustment. It was. It was kind of just my parents' religion, like following me through college was definitely an adjustment. It was kind of rough.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's crazy. I feel like I also had a similar experience like having to make your faith your own going off to college, instead of just relying on your parents. For sure, it's crazy. What resources or tools have helped you in your faith being at college? Yeah, so there's this thing at my school called the BSU. I think it's the BCM. What resources or tools have helped you in your faith?
Speaker 3:being at college. Yeah, so there's this thing at my school called the BSU I think it's the BCM like up here, I loved all the events that they used to put on. Like they do crawfish brawls every semester and I love crawfish, and so that always brought me in, and just plugging in there and finding a place to serve really like helped a lot because, like you can go to church and you can attend, but when you're really serving somewhere, you're like more invested and it gives you a purpose to do there and I think that's really beneficial, just because, like we're called to serve and none of us want to sit still when we're like working and it just gives you something to like do with your hands and like do for other people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that was very helpful. Okay, I want to talk to you a little bit about like college culture. Um, super big party culture and Christianity is definitely not the popular thing to do. Um, so how have you seen like college culture affect you and your walk with the Lord? Um, and like just kind of talk about that, I guess.
Speaker 3:Yeah, of course, again, freshman year, my roommate was a good friend that I had in high school and so moving to college with her I thought it was going to be great, Like she would keep me accountable, I would keep her accountable, and that was just not the case. She ended up getting a boyfriend who was really into like party culture in college and I got to watch like in real time see her slowly drift away from like totally different sides of the same spectrum. So like she was always invested at church every Sunday, serving like wherever she could to every opportunity she got. She was drinking on the weekends. Every time she had free time she wanted to go and like hang out with people at like frat houses and I don't think there's anything wrong with like sororities or fraternities, but, um, just the environment that she was in was not healthy for her relationship with the Lord, and so I think that kept me away from it, because I saw her struggle through that and then like go through boyfriends and go through these other things that come up in college that really just like break you down mentally, even though like they're fun in minute.
Speaker 3:Like she would have so much fun on the weekend but then on Monday morning she would be so heartbroken, like crying in my arms just saying how, like, oh, she's so upset about these situations that happened that she didn't have a lot of control over, because, you know, when you're drinking you don't have a lot of memory and you don't have a lot of those like accountability there, and it's just so normal, it is, it's completely normalized.
Speaker 3:And being in a school where like that is so normalized, like I've had professors ask me like oh, you're stressed, you should go smoke a cigarette outside and then come back and like having a professor tell you that is insane and it's so normalized that like nobody takes a second thought about it and I think that's just a large issue in our culture in general. It's like, hey, you're young, go live your life, go have fun. But like all it is is like breaking down these people mentally and so then when they're like trying to become an adult, they don't know how to function on their own without relying on these coping mechanisms, which are unhealthy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so true, yeah, um. So like you kind of talked about some of your professors and just like in that secular world at college, so do you have any more like specific examples or challenges that you've encountered, while like maintaining your faith in college?
Speaker 3:Um so actually before I came to Snowbird last year, I had a professor tell me I was wasting my time um to not be studying and having fun as a college student.
Speaker 1:And so I was like by working at Snowbird.
Speaker 3:Coming here, he quite literally looked at me and said that's a waste of time. He said, if you want to have a break, go out and have fun with your friends, go drinking, go partying, live your life. You're wasting your young years Cause once you're my age you won't be able to do that anymore anymore. And told me by taking like this summer to just focus on the Lord and focus on students and like grow my relationships. He was like that is insane to me and I think you're wasting your time that's so discouraging coming from it definitely was.
Speaker 1:yeah, that's crazy, um, okay, so um, can you walk me through? Like what does it look like to have just time with the Lord daily, to daily study your Bible with your schedule? Like just a realistic, practical, day-to-day Like what do you do? What does that look like?
Speaker 3:I'm going to be so honest. It's very hard and like I still struggle to like find time. Um, because I have class from one to five every day, but in the mornings I have work from like eight to ten so.
Speaker 3:I have like a two-hour gap and then I'm always exhausted by the end of the day. But something that's become really beneficial is to not beat myself up when I forget to in the morning. So sometimes I'll wake up late and I can barely make it and I'm like, okay, that's it, end of the day. I just won't do it at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like almost restart, right, but instead of just like opening up and be like no, no, I need this yeah.
Speaker 3:I just dwell on it and then I'm like I've lost my opportunity, yeah, and then it's just so, not true, like you have to give yourself a little bit of grace.
Speaker 1:You have a break, and so then I'll later that night I'll take time aside from my nighttime routine, which typically I have more time with um and a lot of times that's for me in my car yeah but sitting in my car, like I, can fully focus and spend time with the Lord without being distracted yeah, I think also for me when I I was in college, I really had to like sit myself down and be like this is a battle, like and you're not going to win without having time with the Lord and reading scripture, and like that needs to be my foundation and I can't do it on my own strength, like I'm going to fall, I'm going to fail, like the devil is going to combat me and I need to combat him with, you know, scripture and stuff like that. So just kind of having like a battle mentality for sure.
Speaker 3:I would even say, like my prayer, life has gotten so much stronger through like having a hard school schedule because, like sometimes, like reading your Bible is so daunting after reading 50 pages, like you know right, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:And so being able to just like sit, and sometimes I will literally just cry and be like lord, help me. Like I know I can't do this on my own, but reminding myself like this isn't for me, yeah, like I'm very much a type, a type of person like I want to make straight A's, I want to do perfect, I want everything on a plan, and that's not how life is. And so just relying on the lord, being like you are faithful to like provide me with whatever I need every single day, as long as I rely on you and I have to make sure to put my relationship with the Lord over school Cause it's really easy for me to be like, oh, this project is due right now, my Bible study is not due, I don't need to read my Bible, I have to finish this project.
Speaker 1:But in reality, like without Christ, like the schooling is useless, yeah, and so yeah, I also think something for me is like kind of going back to like the why of it all. Okay, Like even schoolwork. It's like how can I do this schoolwork to glorify the Lord?
Speaker 1:Like how can I like and I just feel like that's so kind of hard to make your motivation and like your purpose of like, okay, everything I'm doing is to glorify the Lord, and how can I make much of him, even in this project or this assignment, this discussion, post stuff like that?
Speaker 3:But something that's so unique in college is we get to meet so many different people and just being in classes with people, people are going to notice you. When you don't like, have that same mindset. It's like negativity Right and like dwelling over these assignments and being so negative about everything. Like people notice and people ask. I've had several people in my program come up to me and go you should come with us this weekend.
Speaker 3:And after I said no a couple of times, they're like okay, how are you Okay? Like you, do you ever rest? Do you ever do anything? And what they don't understand is like the me doing my quiet time and like being in scripture and being in prayer. Is my rest.
Speaker 3:Like every single day even when I'm not sleeping every night, like I am resting, because I am like filling myself up with like scripture and just being in prayer. Even it just helps so much in that like is restful for me and so. But the lost world does not understand that at all. It's like grind, grind, grind until you can yeah.
Speaker 1:That made me think of two things. My brother-in-law it was like during the election and you know how everyone goes crazy during like politics and everything like that, but he made a really good point. He was like people in the world, like people who are lost, like this they're trying to make this world their heaven, because that's all they have. So they're going to work themselves to death and you know, they're trying to make this person president, because this is their world, Like this is their heaven. This is as close to heaven that they're going to get.
Speaker 6:Right.
Speaker 1:But it's like for us we just have so much more eternal hope, like eternity waiting for me you know and like so much more hope and which just, I guess, leads believers hopefully to just live with so much more joy and, you know, relief in some areas. And then my second thing was you talk a lot about your church. Will you tell me just like what you looked for in finding a church home and like how you settled, where you are at church and college and stuff like that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, of course At first it was really difficult. I would say I spent at least six months just hopping around churches trying to see where I could get plugged in, but for me it was really hard to like find somewhere that I fit in.
Speaker 3:It felt like I was growing and being like discipled and so, and also finding somewhere that's really like theologically sound. And so I hopped around for a little bit. And then, when I got to the church I go to now, which is called Crosspoint my pastor on the first week he teaches the college Sunday school on Sunday mornings and he like welcomed me and then was like hey, like have you ever been here before? Like do you go to church anywhere else? And I was like I've been hopping around, not sure. And he was like oh, awesome, well, if you need somewhere to plug in, like here's two older ladies in our church numbers who would love to reach out to you and would love to have a meeting with you sometime this week.
Speaker 3:And so just having older people in the community that were willing to pour into my life and just learn from because, like I'm only 20 years old, like I I don't know all the answers there's gonna be situations where I need someone older than me, who's more mature than me, just for answers, even like not like super spiritual things, just like life.
Speaker 3:And so being able to find that in a church and find people who were willing to pour into you was awesome, and then also a place where I felt like I could serve. I think you feel so much more connected to a place when you're able to serve there and you're able to put your hands to it and be faithful in that way, because we're called to serve, and so being able to serve at a church that I'm going to is like the best opportunity for a believer, I think, and especially a young believer who isn't sure how to like how to do church. Just start serving whatever you can do. If that means like taking meals to the homeless, which is something we do, and then on Sundays sometimes we have meals, we'll just laying out plates and cups and helping clean up after doing stuff like that will make you so many relationships just by meeting people you're working with, and also it just makes you feel like you're not just like a consumer of the culture You're actually involved in, like Christian community. You're not just consuming it yourself.
Speaker 3:And so that was something I looked for, because there are a lot of like really theologically sound churches in Starkville that I absolutely adore, but I had a hard time being able to serve there. I had a hard time being able to serve there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so when you were church hopping, is that something that you did alone, or did you go with a friend? Like, what did that look like?
Speaker 3:And so I did that by myself and so every week that was really scary, like walking into a church For sure you don't know any soul in there. But thankfully, like Mississippi is very like hometowny and so everybody's like sweetheart, how are you? Let me get you some coffee. So everywhere that I went was really welcoming and really sweet, but it was definitely like nerve wracking because it made me almost not want to go, Because you'd wake up on Sunday morning and you were unsure, like even like where the front door is, where I'm supposed to go.
Speaker 1:It's extremely daunting.
Speaker 3:It is daunting and it gets tiring after a while. It's extremely daunting. It is daunting and it gets tiring after a while, and I can see why people in college would try church hopping. Never fit in somewhere and then just stop going to church. It makes complete sense. But thankfully for me, I was able to find somewhere that I felt like I fit in. But it did take time and effort and it was daunting at times.
Speaker 1:Yes, very, very intimidating. Especially, you kind of of mentioned you grew up going to church. You know, every single time the doors were open, similarly me too.
Speaker 1:So it's like I knew everyone at the church that I grew up going to and so that wasn't scary at all because I knew everyone, versus going to a college town where I knew no one and was walking into a church completely alone, definitely kind of like, flips the script and is kind of like, oh, this is really scary. It is, you know, but definitely worth it, definitely worth it.
Speaker 3:For sure?
Speaker 1:Um, okay, last question Um, what encouragement would you give to other believers, um, who are starting college or maybe in college, who are struggling in their faith?
Speaker 3:I would just say be persistent, like draw close to the Lord and just keep going, because it's going to be so easy to get to college and get wrapped up in all of the college things. But you're going to have, like, whether it's two years you're at college or four years you're at college, you're going to have other times to like hang out with people and like really invest with your relationship with the Lord and just focus on that, because if you get that right, you're going to find such more meaningful relationships in college just because you're focusing on your relationship with the Lord. There were times where I felt like I was being like left out of situations because like, oh, this Sunday I'm going to go to church instead of going to get coffee with some friends, and like you feel left out. But in reality, like it's going to be so much more important for you to build relationships with the people that can pour into you as well, and just finding relationships that find community wherever you can and keep searching until you find that.
Speaker 1:Okay, sweet. Well, thanks for chatting with me. Of course I enjoyed it. Marley, I didn't really introduce her, but she worked this past summer was a pool girl worked at the pool.
Speaker 3:I love being a pool girl. And yeah, are you? You're from Mississippi. Right, I am from Mississippi. Did you come as a?
Speaker 1:camper? I did not. Oh wow. So how'd you hear of Snowbird?
Speaker 3:My brother-in-law brought his students here. No way, yeah.
Speaker 1:I did not know that. That's awesome.
Speaker 9:Okay.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for chatting, of course. Okay, everyone, I'm here with Stein Stein. Introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you found Snowbird.
Speaker 10:Okay, so I'm Stein Harkins. I've been working at Snowbird since the beginning of last summer, and the way I found Snowbird was a guy that used to work here. His name's Henry Williams Shout out Henry. Shout out Henry and Courtney. They're my second parents. I was just looking for a way to serve the Lord over the summer because I was supposed to go on a mission trip overseas. It didn't work out, and so I was talking to Henry and he was like, hey, just apply for Snowbird, it's a little late. I think I applied at the end of December of last year for summer and I was like, okay, I'll give it a shot.
Speaker 10:Gave it a shot. Got in um, came here for the summer, loved it and decided to stay for the whole year.
Speaker 1:Nice, we're glad you stayed, son.
Speaker 8:Me too.
Speaker 1:Will you give us a little background on, like your college experience or like what college you went to, stuff like that.
Speaker 10:Yeah, Um, I went to the university of West Georgia in Carrollton, which is it's just a little Southwest of Atlanta. Um, I went there for a year before coming to snowbird.
Speaker 1:Okay, would you say, like going into college. What did your relationship with the Lord look like?
Speaker 10:I think at that point it was the strongest it had been at, especially cause, like, towards my senior, the end of my senior year of high school, I finally like decided to come back to the Lord and like actually follow him and so like that whole summer before going to college I had been like really pursuing the Lord. So like, coming in that first week of college I was like super close to the Lord, like it was definitely like the closest I'd been to the Lord at that point in my life, starting college off, which I think was great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Did you ever have any pushback from professors, or could you tell if professors were trying to push college students away from Scripture or away from what Scripture says?
Speaker 10:So it was a music appreciation class, so we had to listen to music and, um, like, write about the music we listened to. And sometimes he would give us music that was like this is what we had to listen to, and then other times it was you can pick whatever song you want, as long as it fits into the genre. And so whenever I was allowed to pick music, I'd pick Christian music. And whenever I would do that, he would get really mad and he gave me zeros on all the assignments where I wrote about no way, yeah, or anytime I wrote about Christian music, I got zeros on those assignments because I can't remember his exact wording. But he basically said that Christian music wasn't real music.
Speaker 10:You're kidding, I'm not like it was so wild I ended up failing the class because of that.
Speaker 6:No.
Speaker 10:Because, like a majority of assignments were like you got to pick your own music. So I emailed him. I was like hey, just wondering why I got zeros on these assignments Like I've submitted them. And then he emailed me back and he's like the music you chose isn't real music. I don't enjoy the uh, I think the like meaning behind the music. Yeah. So, I was like that's when it like really hit me.
Speaker 10:I was like oh, wow, like I wish you could have told me this sooner, cause I mean, I failed the class, but at the same time I don't regret it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's so crazy. Also very eyeopening to be like okay, people are genuinely like against me and against the Lord, like actively they want me to fail, Like literally.
Speaker 10:I never had that before. I'd heard about it and I was like I know, Christians are persecuted. And that's when I was like, oh wow, like this actually like happens. Like there are students who go through worse than me.
Speaker 9:There are students going through the same as me.
Speaker 10:And I can definitely see how someone who's like wanting to do well in like school would be willing to like compromise and take a step back which is really sad, but I think it's just the truth definitely, definitely.
Speaker 1:Will you tell us a little bit about what it looked like for you to just like daily study the bible, like how did you stay in scripture?
Speaker 10:um, if you have any like practical, like tips or anything like that, yeah, so at first when I was in college, like over summer, I've been reading my bible a lot, and even before that.
Speaker 10:I never read my scripture daily. I'd read it once a week or whatever. But going into college I was really trying to hone in on reading it every day, and so I was starting off by reading at night, which isn't a bad thing. But for me my friends would be like, oh hey, let's go hang out, let's go watch this movie, whatever.
Speaker 10:So I had never like really had like a set schedule and, like you know, there'd be days where I'd skip it just because I was busy like you know, hanging out, yeah, and so like throughout that, I started talking to one of the guys at BCM and I was like I'm trying to do this but I just can't like I keep, like you know, missing days. And he was like what time do you read your Bible? And I was like I read it at night.
Speaker 9:And he's like well, maybe for you it'd be better to read it in the morning.
Speaker 10:And that's when I started reading it in the morning and this was like probably halfway through my second semester of college. So like that definitely helped a lot and like I mean I was waking up earlier before that, I'd wake up at like 11 in the afternoon. You know, half my day is gone yeah but then I started waking up eight because my first class was at 12 and so I'd wake up at eight.
Speaker 10:I'd have all that time to read my bible, do homework, whatever and then I had the nights open so it definitely worked a lot better for me having that set time in the morning for sure um, and it just helped me, like, stay faithful, and so it helped me get most of my life back together yeah like stop being as lazy as it was it's very lazy.
Speaker 1:But yeah, you know, I always like joke crazy that when I'm consistently reading my bible, like I'm just more productive, I'm like all these things. And then, okay, when I start to like taper off and not read as consistently, all of a sudden I'm anxious and I'm not as productive. I'm like crazy how those things correlate.
Speaker 10:Yeah, it's so wild to see that.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, my dad used to tell me in high school, all those things like hanging out with friends and like going to intramurals, whatever, all those things are good. Don't give up the great just for the good. There's nothing innately wrong with, like you know, hanging out with friends or watching a movie, but movie. But it's like, are you giving up the great as in, like, your time with the lord, your relationship with the lord? I feel like college definitely taught me what needs to be prioritized. If not, I literally, like I said I'm anxious and not productive. I'm like low-key spiraling versus like if I just stay on top of my time with the lord and like, just you know, my relationship with him so much better?
Speaker 10:no, it definitely is, yeah, and I started, like you know, doing better in classes because I was actually studying and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:So I was like oh, maybe maybe there's actually something behind this, yeah, so yeah, I also just think in general, I just see so much more of like the big picture when I like take a step back and I'm like doing everything wholeheartedly for the Lord. It's like, okay, I can turn in this discussion post and give it my all if it's going to honor and glorify the Lord, even though that's like that sounds so silly of like turning in a discussion post for the Lord, but truly it like just keeps you motivated.
Speaker 6:It gives you purpose and stuff, okay, um.
Speaker 1:One last question. Um, what encouragement would you give to other believers that might be on a college campus and they're struggling? Um, so, just like, what encouragement would you give them to stay faithful?
Speaker 10:faithful. Um, I definitely say that it's worth it to stay faithful and not compromise on your beliefs yeah because, even though I failed those that class, because of what, like, I believed in it, like looking back on it, like I'm proud that I like stood up for my faith like I wasn't like compromising yeah, looking back on it like in the moment. Like you know, it sucked, like I had to tell my mom, I was like hey.
Speaker 7:I failed this class um yeah.
Speaker 10:I don't regret it at all, especially now, and like just seeing like how much of a light you can be in someone's life that isn't a Christian. Because I my roommate he was not Christian at all, he was actually very against. Christianity um, but I had met his mom a couple of times and she was like he's kind of like wandered away from the faith and so please like try to be a lie to him.
Speaker 10:I got a text from him actually like not long ago it was right around Christmas and he was like hey, just kind of said like that he missed me and that he had been thinking a lot about what I said. And I heard from my BCM friends that he had shown up to one BCM, which I think that was a huge step for him, because he said, like just the way like I lived, like he was like something changed in you like when you started like being more productive.
Speaker 8:Yeah.
Speaker 10:And he's like I really fell off this last semester of just like not doing my schoolwork and so you know I'm like that was cool to see, like someone who was kind of like falling off of it and like they came back and kind of asked me he's like, what was that all about?
Speaker 10:And I told him I was like, look, it's just me spending time with God daily, like God helped me do that and like I don't think his. I don't think he's came to the decision yet, but I think that at least the seed was planted just by like staying faithful, and so I definitely encourage like you have no idea how much your faith can impact someone, just by the way you like live.
Speaker 10:So, that's definitely like one of the biggest things for me, because, like he was like super against God, like he even said he's like, yeah, I believe in God, but I think I'm more powerful than God, like I'm in control of my own life. And so, like when I heard that, like that's one of the first things he said to me, he was like he knew everything, like he knew all the basics but he just like I don't know.
Speaker 10:He just rejected God at some point, which, like, is really sad to see, but I do think that the Lord is working on him.
Speaker 1:So yeah, well, thanks for joining in Stein.
Speaker 10:Really good. So, yeah, well, thanks for joining in stein. Really good stuff. Um, got anything else to add. Just, you know, if you are in a very secular university, try to be as much of a light as you can. Yeah, because it's very dark, especially, I think, at that age we're at such a vulnerable point yeah so people need as much of a light as they can to yeah, show them the way.
Speaker 1:So we've heard this a million times working at snowbird, but they this saying like you don't drift towards holiness, like, especially at college. Even me, I went to a christian college and nobody is just like, oh, la, la, la, I'm drifting towards holiness. Like you have to fight every single day and like fight for your time with the lord and fight to like know what's true, um, and so I think that's also like something huge. All right, well, thanks time. Yeah, I'm here with Cadence. Cadence was last summer, your first summer. It was Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay so you're at Liberty. Are you a sophomore? Yes, okay, sophomore, okay. So I kind of want to talk about Liberty's culture. Like I know that it's a Christian college. I also went to a Christian college and kind of went into it kind of relying on the fact like, oh, it's a Christian college, my faith will grow really strong because I'm going to a Christian school, and then obviously not everyone that goes to a Christian college are believers or, you know, fruitful believers.
Speaker 1:So I would love to hear, kind of like, your experience with that. Have you had a similar experience? Is it different? What does that look like for you?
Speaker 4:It's been really interesting, I'd say my first year, because I went to a public high school. I had seen, like I don't know, just not no community in the Lord at all, and so then, going like throwing into so much community at Liberty, I was like whoa, this is a lot like definitely like okay, there are so many people who are Christians and pointing me towards the Lord. But there were definitely like a handful of people that you know kind of chose not to or like were there because their parents, like had them there.
Speaker 1:Or they're for sports Right Right.
Speaker 4:So there are definitely like crowds at Liberty that are, like you know, not pursuing the Lord, and I think that's just like going to be with any Christian college, any college in general.
Speaker 4:In general, yeah, and so definitely like there are people there that aren't for the right reasons, but I think, um, for the most part, Liberty has been very like like I'm not swimming upstream, like I'm swimming downstream with everyone and they're all like pursuing the Lord and like the upstream battle would be to not pursue the Lord and kind of have to like say no to community and say no to those things and um, so that's been really cool.
Speaker 1:What was your relationship with Christ? Like going into college, like would you say it's grown since being in college, like will you talk about that a little bit?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so before college I would say that I was very like conveniently Christian, if that makes any sense, sense.
Speaker 4:Like I went to church because my parents went to church.
Speaker 4:I um volunteered at church because, like it gave me volunteer hours and I needed that for student government.
Speaker 4:You know, like I was just like conveniently Christian, like I never really had a personal relationship with the Lord and I think the minute that like I stepped onto Liberty's campus, like it was just so interesting, like I could feel these people who like knew the Lord and were talking to me about so much that was happening in their life, like what the Lord was showing them, and I was like wait, like my faith is not like that, like I just go to church, you know.
Speaker 4:And so then, whenever, like I really got into college, um, you know there's a lot that you're figuring out about yourself and like deciding like whether you want to go to church and whether, like your religion like is just a religion or like is this my relationship with the Lord. And so I kind of learned about, like what an actual relationship with the Lord looks like, and a big thing for me was the community aspect of it and the people on my hall who were all like, pointing me towards that. So I would say my like, my relationship with Christ has grown so much from Liberty and I'm really thankful that, like the Lord, put people in my life to show me to go to.
Speaker 4:Liberty, if that makes sense. Um, but yeah, it's been amazing. So, and I think that's like definitely not a normal college experience so, but I'm very grateful for it regardless.
Speaker 1:Okay, last question what's one piece of advice that you would give to another believer who's starting college or in college, maybe struggling with community or their faith in college?
Speaker 4:I'd give them advice to wait it out and keep seeking community. And if you can't see, like, if you're not finding community, kind of make the community in a way, like on campus there's clubs. And if there isn't a club that like a Bible study club, something like you can get into, I would say kind of search for that and maybe like promote it and talk about it and see if you can start one, because I think community is so necessary for us to grow our faith that like, if we're alone it's just going to kind of like I don't know wear us out and we won't be able to like well, we're not meant to walk this life alone Like we're meant to walk with other believers in this um. And so I would just encourage you to like seek out making your community and if it's not through like a local church, then I know there's probably people at your campus that are feeling the same way, you know, and like that want to join in that community. Even if it's two or three other people you like that's still people that you guys can support and uplift and encourage one another.
Speaker 4:And I know that Alejandra she started one over on her campus in Florida and so I thought that was really cool. She told me about that over the summer, cause I was kind of asking her about her college experience being at, like you know, state school in Florida, and she told me that she started one and I was like that is amazing. So like, if you have the opportunity, like that might just be the Lord, like you know, putting you in a place where you can definitely start that.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Alejandra is one of our summer staff girls. She's lovely, but that's so cool to hear. I also think I know for me when I was in college, like at least, I never thought like, oh, I can start something, but it's like, why not? Like the? I have the Holy spirit in me, like we desire, like you were saying, to be in community, and that's so cool, it's like it's like you can literally start that.
Speaker 1:That's what we're called to do and you know we have the strength of the Lord within us and that's awesome. That's so good to hear. I know I said last question, but one more question what does it look like for you to study the Bible, get in God's word on a daily basis, like just practically? Because I know for me at my Christian college we were required to take a bunch of religion classes, which was really interesting, but also sometimes I could be like okay, check, I read the Bible, the Old.
Speaker 1:Testament book that I'm supposed to read took the test, so I'm done. So what does that look like for you?
Speaker 4:I say I have to really plan what I'm going to, because my days can be so busy, especially like being a community group leader on my hall, like there's a lot of things that we have to do outside of, just like, like, in that role we have to do a lot of things.
Speaker 4:And so reminding myself that, like, even if I am attending these things for community group leaders, like that's not like replacing my time with the Lord, um, so a big thing, is like planning time to be intentional with the Lord and sit down like if, if that's like okay, I don't have to wake up 30 minutes early, I just have to like remind myself that that's for me and that's a rest. Like in itself is time with the Lord, like alone and we're called like rest in his presence. And if we're not doing that, like I can't pour back into my community if I'm not being filled up like alone personally. So just having to remind myself that, like, even if I am reading the Bible at you know, old Testament survey or whatever that it's not me sitting like at the Lord's feet.
Speaker 1:Awesome Good stuff. Cadence, I enjoyed talking with you Um any anything else. Any other thoughts?
Speaker 4:No, I think that's it.
Speaker 1:Thanks, JV. Will you be at the college retreat?
Speaker 4:I actually won't. No, kaden, I have to go back, but my brother will.
Speaker 9:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Kaden's his brother Shout out.
Speaker 1:Jared. What's your other name? Wenzel, wenzel, wenzel, jared, wenzel, I'll be looking for him. Okay, sweet, that's all I got. Sweet, I'm here with another member of the SWO fam. Let's go. This is Jack. Jack, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to SWO, what you've been doing at SWO, things like that.
Speaker 8:Yeah, so I'm Jack, I'm 17, senior in high school and I first came to Snowbird in summer 24 as an element student and then after that summer I've just been coming to all the retreats and stuff.
Speaker 1:Wait, did you come as a camper?
Speaker 8:Yes, I came as a camper three times and my last counselor, solomon, really kept up with me throughout the year and that's really what changed my heart, heart to like desire youth ministry because the way he helped me.
Speaker 1:Oh, shout out, Solomon. Yeah, solomon's the GOAT. Yeah. So Jack was on our element team this past summer. That was fun. That was also my first year leading element Crazy. And Jack, are you going to be on summer staff this summer?
Speaker 8:Yes, I am.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, okay, y'all be looking out for Jack this summer. Okay, I brought Jack on today because a little different Jack's technically not in college. He does like dual enrollment, right, something like that. Okay, yeah, um, is it through Liberty?
Speaker 8:Yeah, okay, it's Liberty online Academy, okay.
Speaker 1:But I thought it would be helpful just to hear from him, because I know senior year can be stressful, kind of like feeling the pressure of like what to do after high school, what college to go to, yada, yada, yada. And then also I just wanted to bring Jack on here and talk about just what it looks like for him, how he stayed faithful in high school and things like that. So, Jack, let me start off with this, but will you walk us through what it looks like like your day to day, just time with the Lord.
Speaker 8:Yeah, so when I'm back home I can feel some difficulty, but it's always like in the mornings I have to do it because, if I don't, it's like I'm not going to do it yeah. So I know, when I wake up, I eat my breakfast and I shower, and then it's like in the word right before school.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 8:And so if I don't do it that morning, I have like the thing like where.
Speaker 1:I have to do it before I start my schoolwork.
Speaker 8:So I, before I started school, I have to read.
Speaker 1:So are you? Do you go to school ever, or do you only do online?
Speaker 8:So I did public school till my sophomore year and then this year and you used to live near Washington DC, right?
Speaker 1:Yes, so will you tell me a little bit about that, like how was that going to high school in a crazy city, stuff like that?
Speaker 8:Yeah. So outside DC we had a lot of Muslims. So I felt a lot of like that pressure on me often. So I had like one day where I walked into school and I forgot to read my Bible that morning. So, like before I started school, I read my Bible in class and this kid comes walking by and he was like you know, it's all fake. And I was like what it's like we're talking and like he just starts like going at it with like this is real, this is truth. And I'm like no, it's not dang. And so we're like we're literally it's. I'm a sophomore in high school just fighting with this one muslim kid and we're just going back and forth and the whole class is just circling around us wow.
Speaker 8:I delivered, so like I got to this point, it was so awkward. I was like I just delivered the gospel. I was like this is, this is. Jesus, this is who he is to me and like, I'm always here if you want to talk about and he was like I will never talk to you wow and then so like I remember leaving that class and just being like what happened yeah and that like wrecked me for the rest of the day like I was so confused.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's back to class with him, yeah, so I feel like that's for at least for me, such a stark difference, because I grew up in the south, where everyone, I guess, claimed to be a Christian. But that is crazy. Did you guys live in Alexandria?
Speaker 8:No, we lived in Loudoun County.
Speaker 1:OK, but my school was 4000.
Speaker 8:Our FCA was four people.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, yeah Dang, that is crazy.
Speaker 8:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Really cool to hear that, though. Wow Dang, that is crazy. Really cool to hear that, though. Okay, what are some tools or resources that have helped you stay faithful throughout high school?
Speaker 8:Yeah, so the main tool I use is like a good friend. Back home I literally in high school I had one solid friend and not a few like I called them, like my nickel friends, like they were there but like they didn't really care.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 8:So I had one good friend in high school and we would spend time together in the word, and we'd always check up on each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 8:So I think for high school it's so hard to stand out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 8:I remember I went to school and I'll be like be different. So people ask questions and I was like okay. And I was like dude, we got to lock in right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 8:And he was my biggest help.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dang, that's really cool. Um, and then what is one piece of advice that you would give to another believer that might be in high school, that may be struggling or, you know, maybe feels isolated, isolated?
Speaker 8:I'd say always remember like what you're doing is right. I think it's so often I like easily. I forgot that like you are doing what's right yeah. I'd honestly go back to like find that faithful friend and if you can't find the faithful friend.
Speaker 8:I guarantee you there's a church in your area with a pastor or a youth pastor, someone that desires to that. So for high school, like I me, in high school, I had the one friend. That was it all through high school and I played sports, I was a part of clubs and I had one friend, but it was just like learning that it's Christ has to be more important and I felt lonely so often but it was finding that one friend that was willing to help me and my youth pastor wanted to help me.
Speaker 1:That really kept me out. I also would say, like, if you can't find one faithful friend like be, a faithful friend and then create more faithful friends. You know what I mean. Like I don't know, just being a good friend in general and then also just staying faithful Um, yeah, that's cool. Um, how have you seen God work in your life through your, like, high school years, and is there any specific moments that you can share where, like you know, your faith grew stronger?
Speaker 8:Yeah, so I said I was a part of sports, I was a part of the wrestling team and we had a pretty solid amount of guys. We had like 30, 40 guys in the room. And there was this one time, this younger Indian kid came up to me and he was like a big Hindu, all this stuff, and I remember he's like I'm having a terrible day. Jack, can you pray for me?
Speaker 1:and the moment I was like yeah, why do you ask me? Though?
Speaker 8:yeah, I was like kind of everyone in the school. He's like Hindu, all them are Hindu like why do you ask them? I remember we sat down like we were praying or whatever in the wrestling room and people like walking by, like giggling or doing whatever at us and after him and I was like after I was like what is going on? And he came up to me after and was like I had to ask you because I know you're just different and I was like that moment where I saw like people noticed yeah, people notice it so much because before it just been words to me but then he like came up to me.
Speaker 1:He's like this is different that moment I was like yeah.
Speaker 8:I have a role in my high school now and I gotta start playing it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, okay, really quick tell us about element. A quick, quick Element commercial.
Speaker 8:Yes, quick promo.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 8:Element was my biggest growth of my life. They taught me how to faithfully study the Bible and faithfully walk with him outside of camp, and it showed me the impact I have on students, even though they're the same age as me.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 8:Cause I got the opportunity to work with students a couple of times and I remember working with students the same age and they would, at the end of the week, hear my age and they're like, how do you do it? And I'm like, because the Lord's giving the desire for y'all, and so my Element is just. I think it's a great program if you want to get involved with the camp at a younger age and just get closer to the Lord through brothers that guide you to the Lord, like my two best friends are from Element that I met seven months ago and we still talk every day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's never another time that you're gonna be with other what? 20 other boys who are also like in the same mindset as you, pushing you, spurring you on same thing with girls like 20 other girls that are doing the same thing, but yeah, it's like unheard of it was. Yeah, it was epic epic, epic, what a good word to use I was thinking of epic. Yeah, element is epic.
Speaker 8:Yes.
Speaker 1:It needs to be elementy for epic at the end?
Speaker 8:Yeah, obviously.
Speaker 1:Well, jack is great and he's awesome and epic and he's super faithful and love talking with him. But I just wanted to kind of get another perspective. I remember when I was deciding on like what college to go to or like what to do after high school, I was like freaking out a bit Because I didn't know what to do and I remember my dad sat me down. It was like March and I still hadn't like chosen where to go and that's pretty late, and my dad was like JB, I don't like in the nicest way possible.
Speaker 1:I don't like in the nicest way possible, I don't think the Lord like cares where you go. Like if he's not made it clear, if he hasn't like opened doors and guided you somewhere, like he, we have free will for a reason. And like if you stay faithful and keep your head on straight, like the Lord's going to use you, regardless of where you are, like whether you stay home or whether you go off to college, or whether you go to snowbird or whatever. So I keep that in mind even now, as I'm like making decisions. I'm like, yeah, as long as I'm faithful.
Speaker 8:I think his will is confused sometimes, Like everyone's. Like what's his will? How do we? How's the answer? I'm like he gives you passion. Just go do it, Yep, and I guarantee you'll figure it out pretty quick yeah. I think, we all right anything else, jack?
Speaker 1:no, that's all I got. Okay, sweet well, thanks for coming on of course, shout out Ellie Rodenheiser. I was gonna interview Ellie, but then she left Ellie, ellie is Jack's older sister, I guess. I'm a good second. Yeah, whatever, okay. Okay, dylan, what summers? You worked summer 23, right, and that's it. That's it. And you just come back all the time and serve winter swows and fall retreats right, yes, we love dylan. Um okay, so tell me where you're at at college, what's your major, what year.
Speaker 6:You are all that good stuff so I'm at unc chapel hill, our hills yes go hills. I'm a senior um, so I'll graduate in May and I'm in the nursing school.
Speaker 1:Will you talk me through what it looks like to like daily be in God's word with such a stressful school schedule?
Speaker 6:Yeah, so this has been like a process for me to figure out what like works best, or a way to be consistent, because for a while, like it was hard and not like intentionally not reading, but just like thinking I'll do it in the morning ending up like getting ready took too long and then by the end of the day it was like late in time to get to bed.
Speaker 6:Yeah, for me it works best to like plan ahead of time when I'm gonna read. So like I have a reminder on my phone that says at nine o'clock at night, that says like when Bible, and then I like think at that point for the next day, okay, what am I doing tomorrow? And then think like, okay, this time during the day would be open for me to read, just so, cause the days like are so different, like and I don't it's hard to think on a weekly basis what it's going to look like. So the night before is helpful for me to figure out what the next day when will be best for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good. Okay, tell me a little bit about UNC. It's a secular school. Yeah, okay, in general, like was it hard for you to find community at first, so will you talk a little bit about that? Like how did you find good community um, things like that?
Speaker 6:yeah, so for me this is something I talk about a lot when people ask like, what have you learned about God in your time in college and, um, I think, whenever I was coming in I wasn't. I was like, okay, if I get involved in Christian community, that's great. But like I wasn't going to find it myself necessarily and I was kind of just there my freshman year, like for the week, and then I would go home on the weekend.
Speaker 6:So I was like I'll at least be involved at church, at home um but the Lord really pursued me in that way and, um, my roommate, she like she wasn't random, but she was like I've never met her before, yeah, um, so she like knew someone that was a couple years older than us in a campus ministry and texted her and was like hey, do you want to come to this like gathering of college students? And, um, it was like a message and worship. So we went to that and it was just like kind of like crazy seeing this like giant room of like 500 believers from like the triangle, yeah, that are like praising the lord, because we both of us like didn't know that existed in college and especially UNC.
Speaker 6:We were like, okay, most people here aren't going to be believers and we're just going to like do our best to be involved in the church at like where we were from, so I think that was really cool, like seeing the Lord pursue me when I, like wasn't necessarily looking for him while I was at school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome. Okay, so you have a church home at college. Will you walk me through kind of the process of finding that church home? Um, like what you look for in a church.
Speaker 6:I think I kind of lucked out with my church because the first one that I went to is one that I stuck with Um. But I think going there um I first was like looking into like what they they believe and if like what they're saying, like aligned with the word, just because that's what you want in your church. And also some other things that I love about it are they have like two services, so during one I like attend the service and then the other one I serve in kids and they have like different areas where you can serve.
Speaker 6:So I think serving has been really growing and something good to do and like a way to bring the church as like a family and like serving together yeah apart from like the people that I spend time with that are in college for sure um and also um.
Speaker 6:it's been good at my church like there's a lot of generations there, so like at my church at home it was like a lot of older people, so it's kind of hard to have like a lot of community when you're younger. But this church, like being in a college town, I guess, like it's going to be easy for me at least but there's also like older women that I spend time with and people who are like people of all ages, basically that I can hear from For sure.
Speaker 1:What's one piece of advice that you'd give to another believer who is just starting college, or maybe struggling where they're at in college or feeling isolated, anything like that?
Speaker 6:I think the I've kind of talked about this already, but just like getting involved in community like as quick as possible if you're just getting into college, like going to UNC, I really didn't think there would be any like campus ministries that like made sense. But there are, and from like people that I've talked to, their schools also have them.
Speaker 6:Like a lot of them are like RUF is common or CRU, or um in different places, so, like wherever you are, I think in college you should be able to find something and um, that's just been really influential, and then also being involved in, like your local church has been really helpful helpful for me to to like get out of like just college students in your ministry and also um like spend time with believers.
Speaker 1:That are have moved on from that part of their life. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, well, thanks.
Speaker 6:Yeah, thank you, jb.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed talking with you you too, Got anything else? I don't think so Okay.
Speaker 7:Hey, my name is Will. I am 20 years old. I found out about Snowbird through the podcast. I heard it in 2021. I heard it in 2021. And from that point on, I listened to it and was very encouraged by my mom to apply at Snowbird last year, 2023. And I did, and then, about a month or two later, I heard from Dawson Dickey that I had been accepted Nice. And then from there.
Speaker 7:I worked the summer and then felt called to do the internship. Yeah, and I got accepted at that and I've been summer and then felt called to do the internship, yeah, and I got accepted to that and I've been here since then.
Speaker 1:So before working summer, you had never been on campus. Okay, so how did you hear about NSR?
Speaker 7:Dad told me, but his brother told him.
Speaker 1:Okay, my Uncle.
Speaker 7:John, and he's been listening to it for a long time, and then, obviously, it went to my dad, and then it came to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's awesome. What a full circle moment. And now you're on MSR. It's awesome, that's so awesome. So before you worked at Snowbird, were you just at home doing online school?
Speaker 7:Correct, yes.
Speaker 1:So you have an interesting experience of being in college but not being on college campus, so will you just tell me a little bit about what it looks like for you to read your Bible, be intentional with your time in the Lord being at home while doing online classes and stuff like that.
Speaker 7:So for me it was very beneficial to get up early. I always found it very beneficial to before you started any day. Just getting up early, just getting in the word, that's how I always started my day and I always encourage others to do the same, because for me just doing it at night not very beneficial, but because you're tired and everything but starting your day off right Reading the Bible and then going from there, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1:What would be one piece of advice that you would give to maybe another college student who's like in the same, I guess, position that you used to be in, like working all remotely or like doing all online? Um, do you have any advice for them to like stay faithful, keep their hand on the plow?
Speaker 7:Um, just make sure that you have good accountability. Just have good friends that are holding you accountable. For. Are you reading your Bible?
Speaker 6:or you make sure that you're you know praying and you're remaining faithful on that straight path with the Lord.
Speaker 7:Also get plugged into a church. Make sure that you're not straying away from that, because I've seen I've had a couple of friends that have strayed away from that and they kind of went the other path and it's kind of going off the deep end for them. But it's like make sure you remain faithful, stay on that path and keep following the Lord.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, for sure. I feel like that can be tricky too with all online, because you can be so like isolated, you know, since you're not like actually at a community or in a college, stuff like that. All right, sweet, I think that's it. Do you have anything else? No, I'm excited for a college retreat. Yeah, excited for this weekend. I think when they will listen to this, it will be we'll. We would have just had the college retreat. So, yeah, I'm really excited too. Sweet, thanks for hopping on.
Speaker 7:Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:This might be hard for us to do. It's going to be a little bit more difficult. I'm here with Laylee, one of my dearest friends. Sorry if we're goofing off. You guys have probably heard Brody talk about Laylee. This is one of Brody's children and Laylee is in her first year of college. Do you want to tell us where you go to college, what your major is, everything like that I go to North Georgia University.
Speaker 5:It's in Dahlonega and it's about hour 45 from here, and I'm technically a junior, just from some credits in high school that I did, so I'm already in my major classes, which is psychology, but yeah, so I just finished my first semester and it was great, yeah.
Speaker 1:I know it's only your first semester, but is there any ways that you have seen God grow you through this first semester of college?
Speaker 5:Honestly, the Lord has grown me and just like enjoying my time and still time with him, like just going about my day and being content, like just doing it with the Lord, honestly, just going about my day and being content like just didn't know what the Lord honestly, and I feel like I have grown just a closer, like walking with the spirit in a way, like I think that the importance of that in my mind has grown a lot. Yeah, like, yeah, really prioritizing that daily because it is 100% on me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at this point, you know well you talk more about that, Like what does your day-to-day look like while making that a priority? What are some practical things how you study scripture and make sure you have time with the. Lord, what does that look like?
Speaker 5:I think one of the main things is like after classes, just I've really prioritized like walks in prayer, like pray praying while walking um and obviously, like I've I'm a morning reader, like I can't read throughout the day.
Speaker 5:I have to do it in the morning, so it's been a little bit difficult just having a roommate, because she's not an early bird, I guess, and and our schedules are completely different. So just not honestly finding excuses, you know. So, like I'll take my Bible out in the common area or whatever, being intentional with the people, you know you're going to see, because I get overwhelmed when it's like okay, minister, on your campus, like do campus outreach, like yes, but I personally get overwhelmed when I'm like okay, I can't talk to every single person and passing every day about the gospel.
Speaker 5:Because one I'll probably get drained because I'm not like the most outgoing, you know, person, and so I don't know if that's how I can best serve the Lord. And so I think for me it's like people on my intramurals like that has been a super, super good opportunity with girls, because you're just kind of naturally building those relationships. But I don't know if I really answered that. Yeah, no, that was good.
Speaker 1:I really liked. First of all, laylee is one of the most disciplined people when it comes to reading her Bible, but it's super encouraging to hear you like I don't need to make excuses, like, okay, my roommate's not an early riser, okay, figure it out, go out to the hallway.
Speaker 1:That's not an excuse to just not get into God's word and something you said in the summer. You know, in the summer we're always drained and exhausted, and I remember you said okay, well, I know I'm going to be tired anyways, and if I sleep in these extra 20 minutes, I'm still going to be tired and I'm not going to have the word of God, you know, in my brain, in my heart. So I might as well just get up. I'm going to be tired regardless.
Speaker 6:So like I just need to get up and read the Bible, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's talk about your church home.
Speaker 5:What did it look like for you to find a church home in college? What were you looking? For in that church home stuff like that. I just hold red oak. I think too highly sometimes.
Speaker 6:I was like I really have to make sure.
Speaker 5:I'm not like you know. Oh, like making it glamorous, yeah, because it's not, but it is great, solid, wonderful church and that. And I've been going my whole life. I really struggle with like being nitpicky, yeah, when it comes to churches and how they do things, and so I've really had to just check myself about that a lot, and going into this semester, I was kind of like having the mindset of, okay, like realistically, I'm only going to be here for two years you know, and so it's only hour 45 away from school.
Speaker 5:So I was like I honestly could drive back for Red Oak and it wouldn't be that draining like I would. I don't really care just because I love it so much, but I remember the first couple weeks of school, talking with um Hannah.
Speaker 5:Ray her and Cohen live um in Dahlonega and they're awesome and, um, she was, she was just I was kind of like expressing that to her, but like I was still saying like I don't know if that's okay and I don't think it is, yeah, and she just kind of helped me like put it in my brain clearly of like okay, well, if you're doing anything half-heartedly, like the lord is not gonna bless it, and so, like, if you're just kind of doing 50 at home, 50 here, like 50 50, you know, with church and or anything else, like as long as it's not 100, it's probably not gonna thrive, you're not gonna flourish, and so, like that was really what I needed to hear and really push me and encourage me to start like really investing in the branch that's the church at school.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and like getting plugged into a family group or whatever else that might entail yeah for sure. Yeah, I hate just like making things more simple than they are, because it is a fight it is such a fight to be faithful, yeah, but it is really truly like just do it.
Speaker 5:Exactly. Yeah, you know, and so I also just always kind of have had a I think it's a it's obviously healthy fear of like walking in the will of the Lord. But sometimes I think I do idolize, like thinking everything I do is just the will of the Lord. It's like, okay, lately it's going to happen either way, so you just want to be used through it, you know.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, okay, last question I have um, this has been my favorite question to ask, but what's some encouragement that you would give to other believers who are like, maybe just starting off in college or maybe already in college and struggling? Yeah, just what's some good advice for them to stay faithful?
Speaker 5:yeah, I think for me, like just perspective is so big and you know, college is majority of people like it's your time, like it could be your, like peak in life, like you're you know, but it's like I feel like a lot of people, it is where they become independent and find their people and their community and whatever. But at the same time I think it's like're struggling with that and like it is hard to be faithful, but like I think sometimes taking a step back and like, ok, lord, like this is four years of my life and it really isn't that long. It might seem like a day to day, and so I think with any season of life, like just waking up every day and setting your eyes on the Lord is gonna make everything else fall into place.
Speaker 5:But I think the biggest thing obviously is community and even if you suck at seeking people out, and you're a super big introvert, like it's okay, because you're gonna have to do it at some point in your life, so you might as well take this chance as the Lord has presented you and you know, seek that out. I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think that's the biggest advice, which is pretty basic just find community, yeah yeah, me and Dylan were kind of talking before how college is so weird, because it's like, okay, we're all adults and we all have free will and yeah, and like I can stay in my home if I want. Yeah, yeah and I don't have to go to church if I don't want and I don't have to do this.
Speaker 1:But it's also like, it's also so encouraging that it's like you have the freedom and the free will to start making these like habits and disciplines and all these things that will, lord willing, like, last the rest of your life. Like that like encourages me and like gets me fired up.
Speaker 5:That's so true and like I feel like this time is kind of the building foundation you know for the rest of your life and it's probably just gonna get busier and more and you know, so it's like, like you said, like start now, and I know like I think I graduated like two weeks ago from college, but I haven't lived at college in yeah like in a while yeah, but it is like community will never be like that again.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, right? Even if you're at a really great church or working at snowbird or like wherever you are, you're never going to be in an area where there's a million other people your age and whether they're believers or not, like community will never be like that, so I would just encourage everyone to just like absorb it like, even if it's like doing intramural sports or like yes, even if it's not spiritual per se but just getting plugged in and just enjoying that community because it like you said life just gets busier.
Speaker 5:I agree yeah, you're gonna have a nine-to-five job yep, and I also think a big thing for me that I try to be intentional about which it can be hard, but like I think a big word of encouragement, like that I just don't see like our age people do that much is just like seek people out who like work in the cafeteria, like I love Miss B working that front desk.
Speaker 5:She serves every day, she's literally the best woman I ever met not really, but I love my mama but she is like so funny and like every day that's like a little fun part of my day that I look forward to yeah and like I think, just little things like that, where you can grow in those small ways you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right, well, got anything else Nope.
Speaker 5:All right, that's fun. Thanks for doing that. You're welcome, okay, lager.
Speaker 1:Lager. Hey everyone, what's up? I'm here with Andrew.
Speaker 9:Hello. I'm a media intern at Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters. I work on photo video editing, I help out JB with the teaching podcast and, yeah, I do the institute vlogs.
Speaker 1:It's my main job and also help out with some creative stuff as well, and then tell us a little bit about where you go to college and what's that looked like the past couple of years.
Speaker 9:Um. So I took a break this year from college, um, but I did go to Liberty university for two years.
Speaker 1:Oh well, you talk about, um, just what it looks like for you to like daily study the word when you're at college. Um, so what does it look like just practically for you to get in scripture and spend time with the Lord?
Speaker 9:Yeah. So something I was taught, um is that you're going to make time for the things that you love, um. So if you love going to the gym, you love playing video games, you love playing sports, you're going to make time to do those things because you love doing them. Um, so if you love the Lord and you want to get in his word, like you, got to make time to do that.
Speaker 9:So I think for me just. I think for me just like if I have like an eight o'clock class, I just got to wake up earlier and do it and just like, thug it out.
Speaker 8:I don't know.
Speaker 9:Um but yeah, and then if I don't have like an eight o'clock class, I can sleep in a little bit later, but yeah, it's just that, making time to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, for I think it might've been at Snowbird one year when I was a camper. Little had like a talk on like girls night about kind of like what you were saying, like you're gonna do what you love and like make priorities for what you love, and kind of just putting it in the perspective of like okay, if you're waking up in the morning and doing like your whole routine and then like with the minutes that you have left, then you're like, oh, let me see if I can like read, read some scripture. That's obviously not one sustainable or just like the best way to go about it. So she was even like okay, if you're putting makeup on or like mascara on, you're literally putting that above your time with the Lord.
Speaker 1:And like think about how silly that sounds, you know.
Speaker 9:I can relate to that.
Speaker 1:Putting mascara on.
Speaker 9:Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:Kind of going back tracking to. You're a pastor's kid, right.
Speaker 9:Right.
Speaker 1:And you said you went to a Christian school. So will you kind of talk about that upbringing? I know for me I was always super involved in church but I never really made faith my own until I was, like in college. And so will you kind of just talk us through that like always being at church, going to Christian school, now going to Christian college? When do you think you made that shift of like oh, I understand this, I'm making this my own, I'm intentionally spending time with the Lord because I'm realizing how important this is, if that makes any sense.
Speaker 9:Yeah, my parents did a really good job of raising me as a pastor's kid, because I never really identified myself as a pastor's kid so I just was Chris and Jesse's kid, but my dad happened to be a pastor, so I never felt like they really held me to a higher standard growing up when it came to that Um, but like when it comes to taking accountability of my faith, I think for me um. So I think my first year at camp it really hit me and I was like, okay, um, I need to be living my life for the.
Speaker 9:Lord Um. So that's when I really started taking accountability of my faith and, like learning for myself and just like. Uh like, when it comes to doctrine and theology, like that kind of stuff didn't really come to like college. I was like okay, am I going to believe in predestination? Am I going to be a five point Calvinist? That kind of thing. Um so that was just like. As I grew and matured and started asking those questions, I was like okay, I got to get in the word and figure this out for myself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's cool. What is a piece of advice or a piece of encouragement that you would give to a believer that might just be like starting out in college, or maybe someone who, like, feels isolated?
Speaker 9:I mean kind of like what we said, like you have to seek it out, Um, you're not just going to stumble into good Christian community, Um. So I think for new college students, like if you haven't already asked yourself those hard questions, and like taking accountability of your faith, like really dive deep into the word and see what you believe and don't just believe it because, like your parents, believed it.
Speaker 6:Um or like your church says this like make sure you believe
Speaker 9:it because you've read the word and you can understand that. But, then also like seek out Christian community, find a good small church that you can get plugged into Um and then that it, it, it just all comes after that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Okay, anything else? Anything else you want to say or add?
Speaker 9:Come work at Snowbird.
Speaker 1:It's awesome, if you haven't tell your friends. Yeah, I would say also for me and you mentioned it earlier free plug for Snowbird. Obviously, we'll we love this place because we work here, but also I would say it had a huge impact on my walk with the lord oh yeah in my college years and definitely set me on like a great trajectory of just like there's believers that are fun and funny and hilarious and great, but are also like wholeheartedly right pursuing the lord and like just gave me such good examples of like what that looks like.
Speaker 9:Yeah, and it gives you like an example of Christian community even to like if you're in a church, or like if you're seeking out biblical relationships, like this is a good example of that, and so you can look for that later on. You're not going to find the exact same thing, because it's different from everywhere else. But now, you know what to look for.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 9:Um, okay.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that's it Sweet. Thanks for coming on, andrew. You're welcome. Thanks for listening to. No sanity required. Please take a moment to subscribe and leave a rating. It really helps. Visit us at SW outfitterscom to see all of our programming and resources, and we'll see you next week on no sanity required.
