What's your favorite Bible verse, and why?
That is hard to say since the Bible is filled with such wisdom and truth, so I will give my top three. John 14:27 has always been my go to because I am a worrier, and it reminds me of the peace Jesus promises. Romans 5:8 reveals just how much that God loves us since that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The third is Psalm 27:14 which God has really been speaking to me a lot through this verse lately; "waiting" on the Lord is the recurring theme in my life right now.
How do you stay close to God with going to UTK? Why did you choose a big public college instead of a small private or Christian college?
I am combining these two questions because I feel that their answers are very connected. From the surface, it can appear that going to a big, SEC school would not be an ideal situation for a Christian, and I considered that before I made my final decision. Things of the world are definitely dominant at UTK, but it is not impossible to find the light. I actually wrote an article about this for Odyssey if you want a more detailed answer (I'll leave the link below), but I will give the short answer here. I always planned on going to a small Christian college, but simply put, the Lord had other plans. He called me out of my Christian bubble to go out into the world and share the Gospel with people who otherwise may never hear it. Finding a campus ministry and local church to attend has not only helped me stay close with God but grow even closer than before. There are Christians everywhere; you just have to know where to look. I stay close with God basically by making Him my priority, and I chose a public university in order to better spread the Gospel and rely on God more.
How do you keep your faith so strong all of the time?
Well, thank you for saying I have a strong faith! To be honest, I fell in love with reading the Bible when I was a kid, so having God's Word stored up in my heart plays the biggest role. I have also seen God move in not only my own life but the lives of those around me, so it makes way more sense to me to have faith in Him than to not have faith. He has proven Himself way too many times to really doubt Him. That is not to say that I have do not have struggles and that the enemy does not make his attacks because he does quite often. That is where reading and knowing God's Word comes in handy; I can silence those lies with what I know to be true. My main advice is to read your Bible (I cannot stress that enough), spend much time in prayer, be involved with the local church, and simply have spiritual conversations. I also listen to a lot of worship music which puts in the right mindset.
How long have you been doing your blog? What made you want to start writing it?
I have been blogging since September 2017. Writing has been my passion since I was a little girl; I actually attended a young author's conference in the fourth grade. It has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I started sharing my writing because I realized that I had a voice and a message to share, and I didn't have to wait until I was an "actual" published writer to share it. It has been of the best decisions I have ever made; many people have told me my writing has spoke to them or helped them. I also became an official published writer with Odyssey, which I really do not think I would have had that opportunity without my blogging experience.
When are you writing your next article?
Right now as I type! I usually do not have a set day to write; I just do it whenever the Holy Spirit lays something on my heart. In the early blog days, I wrote every Monday, but I quickly realized it was better to let God set your schedule than to tell Him yours.
Do you write your blog posts, or do your blog posts write you?
Wow, good question that made me think haha. I would say a little bit of both since I am who writes the posts, but the posts are pretty much who I am.
When did you start writing for Odyssey?
That journey began in July 2018, and it has been an adventure so far!
What made you realize you loved writing?
Reading was always one of my favorite hobbies growing up, so when I realized that I could be the one writing the stories instead of reading them, I fell in love. My teachers also told me I was talented, and when you hear that you are good at something, it makes you want to get better at it. Once I gave my life to Christ, I loved writing even more because I could write about Jesus, the One who changed my life.
How did you realize this was God's purpose for you?
I believe that God gives us gifts to glorify Him, and when I finally admitted to myself that this was a gift, I took a leap of faith by starting the blog. Once the blog made an impact in people's lives and the Odyssey door opened, I realized that doors kept opening for me to write. Not only did the doors open, but the dream had been in my heart for as long as I could remember. God would not have given me the dream, gift, and opportunities if it was not His plan.
What is your "go to" worship song right now?
Seasons by Hillsong Worship or Survivor by Zach Williams.
Thank you for the questions everyone! Until the next Q&A.
