22

Mathematically, 22 is a semiprime. As my actual age, it already has a much more exciting description. It gave me the first birthday I can recall really spending any time with Jesus, and I don't mean just at church (since my birthday was on a Sunday). It was raw, and it was real. I felt invited, and I felt loved.

I wrote some posts at the beginning of the summer about how much I didn't want another doubtful summer to bring another faithless and fruitless fall. By the sheer grace of God, I am pretty sure this has been avoided (so far). When Claire and I were visiting with Abby Bates in DC a few weeks ago, she talked about how God is the one who grants anyone (including nonbelievers) the ambition to really do anything and chase big dreams. I thought of how true that has been in my own life. If anything, I see God giving me the ambition for ambition. There's less, "Well, I just don't know what God wants me to do," and more, "I desire to treat each hour's task as a task from God." I finally really truly want to see God change hearts on my campus enough that I will make sure there are many opportunities for that to happen.

Last summer, I was fretting over what to do with my life and all the difficult math classes I had to take. While I still do fret over these things sometimes, I am more concerned with God being glorified not only by *my* activities this year at school but also by everyone else's, including the faces I simply walk past everyday on my way to Real Analysis. What's cool is that I know I'm not alone, and I can't wait to see a united God-given passion for Christ penetrate our little block we call UMW.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 
-Micah 6:8