Time to SOAR!

Hello everyone! Please pardon my tardiness; with school ending and summer beginning, there was a massive load of things to accomplish before I can truly sit down and relax and enjoy the sunshine and the last few months before heading off to university. Speaking of which...I attended summer orientation at my university this past week and being temporarily verbose, it was freaking amazing! I am attending Regent University in August to obtain a bachelor in psychology. I was aware of the school long before I applied but I seriously didn't want to just "try" the school out; I really want to experience it. Also, I didn't want to apply to Regent and then a few months later decide that it's just not for me. I took in account that while financial matters are not factoring my decision to attend here, I considered the amount of money my parents put in this school so I wanted to not only honor them but also honor the place where I will attend for the next 4 years. While thinking of prospective universities and colleges, I asked the Lord where He wanted me to go to university and where He wanted to learn academically while growing spiritually. For me, apart from the spiritual growth amidst the campus, I truly yearned for a school that prided itself on academic rigor  and student life. Thus, Regent was the place!


June 23-24 was the second orientation for oncoming students for the graduating class of 2015. If I needed another confirmation that this was the place God wanted me to go, this was it. What I was truly amazed was the passion. Everyone is so passionate about God and how the education is Christ-centered and honoring. The faculty prays and blesses that the time spent would honor God and bless His name. The students are equally passionate about giving their best to Him and that they accomplish what they have been sent to do. Regent's motto is Christian leadership to change the world. In a seminar, the dean emphasized three points: 1) One must have character if he wishes to succeed in life; 2) That one will not be afraid to challenge and subvert the world's system of normalcy; and 3) That one will make a difference. From this, I gathered that Regent prides on being a Christian with integrity, character, and honesty (which is something I find is slowly diminishing and veering towards extinction) and that every student has been given an assignment and at Regent, it's one the places where one will be able to grow and set out to fulfill his destiny. I was absolutely impressed with the reputation of the school (hard school to get into, great academic success, wonderful student and campus life, etc.) that made me even more excited to go here in the fall. The leaders illuminated that Regent is not just any university; it's a school where the Holy Spirit abides on campus and that there is incessant spiritual growth. While the number of the school is relatively small in comparison to other colleges, there is one aspect to consider: Regent is not just a community, it's a family, and I found that particularly refreshing. 


The students (from what I've witnessed) truly have the light of Christ in them. My orientation leader says that she prays over every assignment before hanging it in because she wants to give God the best. I found that so inspiring! The faculty and administration staff kept emphasizing that while Regent is a school, it's also a place where the Holy Spirit hovers and there is a sense of difference. And you know what? I felt it the moment I stepped on campus. There is something different about Regent. I thought it was nearly impossible to find a school where Christ is the center of everything, where academics is difficult, challenging, and rewarding, where student life is interactive, proactive, and engaging, where the professors have the Holy Spirit flowing through their knowledge, and where other students desire to please the Lord in their school work just as I did was a school that existed only in mind and was not manifested in this earth. But God is so good; He brought me to a place where I made my request known and I bequeath everything I do to Him. he completely excelled my expectations and I am so thrilled to go here in less than two months. The people I've met, the things I've seen is only a glimpse of what I'll experience. One of the things I found particularly fascinating is that on every corner (literally!) there is a church. I know that growing closer to Jesus won't be a problem nor a conundrum as there are Chapel, unChapel, and church services all over campus (and not to mention all over the town!).


I had no doubt that where God lead me is a place that will bring much fruit. In Proverbs, it says the Lord will direct my path and He will add no sorrow to it. It's very true, dear readers, as I not only had deep and profound peace regarding this whole matter, but He has also been equipping me with everything I'll need to not only develop my relationship with Jesus, but also to have lasting friendships. On that token, the people that I've meet, conversed, and tackled with is a warm reminder that I am going to be with these people for the next four years (and hopefully much more than that) and that I am surrounded by people who love Jesus, desire to honor and bless Him, and want to be raised a leader of Christ to change the world. Seeing, experiencing, and hearing all of this only makes me want it to be August 17th and be in the Regent community. I truly cannot wait to start my college life.


(If you're wondering why the font is lime, it's because I was on the lime team at SOAR--Summer Orientation Advising & Registration--and the lime team rules!) I will post SOAR pictures soon!