Exponential (30 Days of Gratitude)

Last year when I attended Exponential I wanted to be just about anywhere else. I had no students attending, I was exhausted and burnt out from ministry, and I was just not in a good place. I tried to get out of it but I was encouraged to press into the difficulty and be present. I learned a little and Jesus still met me as he always does when we are willing but it didn't leave a lasting impression.

It's amazing how much a year a can change a person. This has been one of the best weekends I've had in a long time. Last year, not a single CSUN student came. This year we brought 17. I bonded with my intern cohort - made silly jokes, had real conversations, prayed vulnerably and honestly, and ate too much food tougher. I met new students from other campuses, and began to see where God was leading students in our division to witness to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

I'm so thankful that my CSUN students are willing to be challenged to mission - they are willing to be challenged to love and influence their friends at a deeper level, that they are willing to develop others to become missional disciples, that they are willing to allow their lives to be transformed by Jesus. For God has a promise for them - that he will fill them with power and they will be his witnesses in places they do not expect. I get to be a part of that journey for them and I am eternally grateful to see where God will take some of the most amazing people I've ever met and doing even more amazing things with their lives. If they are willing.

I am grateful I chose to come on staff, that I chose to come to CSUN and have been able to be a part of the crazy transformation on this campus and in the lives of my students. I'm excited to see what else God has in store for CSUN, for the San Fernando Valley, and for the places beyond our scope or imagination. I'm excited to see the places that God calls my students and the lives they will soon impact that they haven't even dreamed of yet. I am grateful for the promise of the Holy Spirit's power to guide us, to give us boldness, and to be with us always.