Whirlwind

Hey there!!!

I used to hate college, too...my mom told me, "You're going to hate being broke and poor a lot more than you're going to hate this!" (she went to college with me).

You don't drink!? Live and be young while you still can...you know, the more you drink the faster you age. Honey, alcohol might pickle and preserve some things...but we're not one of them. Later on in life, when the people who drank are suffering the consequences (I'm one of them), you'll be able to enjoy life to the fullest by participating in sports or being active in ways that others can't. 'sides, going to college should mean gaining things to store in your brain cells...not killing them off.

IHL - cliques were over after high school. Those that are still trying to hang onto the childish ideals of a teenager are the kind of people you should steer clear of. Or at least I did, hah!

Even after college, you're going to hear profanity. It's everywhere, and people don't even realize they use it today. But the amazing gift is that you don't use it. God knows this. He sees your heart. Whenever you hear a swear word, think: "Father, thank you that it wasn't me who felt the need to use that word!" Mean it in your heart. Be grateful that you know better. Your little light is going to shine, and other people will notice that and want to be like you.

...and you're so, so wrong. Most young guys are idiots? You couldn't be more wrong, I'm sorry. But most guys are idiots, period! We're going to be idiots when we're young, and we'll just get even more idioter as the years go on. No, seriously...stop looking. Go to church, put your faith in your Father in heaven. When it's time, you're going to find the right guy - he's going to find you. You won't be able to miss each other.

Being a Christian is hard anywhere, my dear little friend. It lasts a lifetime, but you can make it easier by letting go. Give God some of it, He can take it. But NOT being a Christian is going to be harder for a lot, lot, lot longer.

God bless you, IHL - you're still doing okay!

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Chapter-by-Chapter, verse-by-verse.
Jesus is the Living Word.

Johana

Dear friend,
I would like to encourage you se much... I understand how you feel. My first year on college was very similar to what you describe. I studied a teacher training college, so we were only girls in the class. And all the time i had to listen to "hi, have you already heard about my boyfrieng?" or "are you going to the pub with us?". And at home I cried and cried because it was so hard! Finally everybody knew that I am a Christian, that I do not drink, that I am not having sex before the wedding... The worse was, that the girls made fun of God. But as I started praying for them, I started feelig sorry for their hopeless lifes and for them. I prayed for them to find Jesus, to be forgiven. Soon after that there were some opportunities to speak about my faith and they were not mocking at it. One girl came to me and asked: "How can I be sure of God´s love to me?" Some others came to our church youth meeting. I prayed for them still and a few times I could pray for them personally, they just came and told me about their problems and asked me for a prayer!

Please, do not give up. Pease, pray for them... you may be the only christian they will ever meet! If I did nit be different and did not suffer at the beginning, they would never find out that I am a christian and none of them would come to church or read the Bible or pray with me!

And God´s promise is: I am with you.

Boanerges

Associate Chaplain

Hi! Hang in there. It has always been hard showing someone you are a Christian instead of just saying you are.

IHeartLarrytheCucumber

Whirlwind-Thanks so much. The Guys Are Idiots thing made me laugh.

Thanks everyone. It's so comforting to find people who understand!!!

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Whirlwind

See? I'm 38 and I'm still a idiot! Hee hee hee.

If I could do college all over again - I would.

__________________
Chapter-by-Chapter, verse-by-verse.
Jesus is the Living Word.

Johana

Hi IHeartLarrytheCucumber, I just want to ask you how things are going. Is it better?

Rumely

I loved college. I even went to a secular one. Of course, the thing that helped was that there was a very active InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) on campus. I reaped the benefit of the intense spiritual warfare that had gone on there two or three years prior to my arrival. Is there an IVCF on campus, or a similar christian fellowship group? Even a few good Christian friends are a tremendous help. Maybe some of the local churches have a college age group where you could meet other Christian college students, hopefully some from your college.

Pamela

Oh come on! It's not all that bad! You have friends, right? you have fun with them!!!

don't be so negative, see the bright sides of it all. Really, it's really not that bad! You just have to do this, you hav got to, so just mkae the best of it. If you keep thinking about it as something from hell, yes, then it won't be a nice time. But since you have no choice, make the best of it and enjoy it.

Now as for the drinking, it is not a temptation if you don't want it. You might just take a sip and then you'll see you're not missing out on anything, because it is soooooo gross! You'll see that it's better not to drink anything. And besides that, I don't drink, it's against what I stand for, but people ask me when I tell them: "Oh my gosh, you don't drink? Pff you're so strange... everyone does it! You should too..." but you know what, I can have fun with just a (DIET ) coke, I don't NEED alcohol and I don't want it.

And for the man issues: There's a world outside college... when you just go to the mall, church (if you go) or wherever you go, you can meet nice men... it's not like you've GOT to meet someone in your college, do you?

But seriously, pull yourself together and make the best of it because thinking like you do is wrong.

Boanerges

That is some very good advice.

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