Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Having been raised in a Christian household, with God-fearing parents, and having gone to a Lutheran school from Kindergarten until the eighth grade has (for the most part) surrounded me with other Christians consistently throughout my entire life.

College, however, is a different story. I have been exposed to new cultures, religions, viewpoints, and so much more. My horizons have been broadened, and mind has been stretched to remarkable lengths. Through everything that I have experienced, I have realized that having a strong foundation in my faith has played a roll in every aspect of my life.

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear."

I have met people who have aggressively challenged my belief system, my God, and my identity. My instinctive response was hostility. I wanted to argue with them, and I did. I have, of course, been exposed to people with different beliefs than mine, but I have never met anyone who cared enough to fight me over my beliefs.

I have always had the mentality of "I can believe what I want, you can believe what you want." I have learned that rather than arguing with those who oppose me and adding fuel to the ever-growing fire, I should allow their judgments to pass, and show them kindness. I am still learning to utilize this strategy in all day to day encounters.

Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Attending a Lutheran school for nine years has equipped me with mounds of basic knowledge of the Bible. I know most of the traditional Bible stories by heart. I can recite close to, if not more than thirty verses off the top of my head. I can recite the Lord's Prayer, the Apostle's Creed, and even the Niecine Creed. I know countless hymns by heart.

But I was never encouraged to actually read my Bible like a book. I was given summaries of stories and snippets of verses from here and there. I was given a basic account of the life that Jesus led, with details pulled from each gospel and stitched together to create the story that my church liked the best.

I thought I knew my stuff. I signed up to take New Testament, taught by Mark Boyer first semester, thinking it would be a blow-off class that filled my gen ed requirement. The course is structured so that you must read the entirety of Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, and Revelation. In that order.

We were encouraged to read through a scholarly lens and set all prior "Sunday School" knowledge we had acquired aside for the course. My understanding of Jesus and the New Testament as a whole was altered. My faith was deepened as I read for myself what was actually written, rather than what I was being told was written.

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. "

In the past, I could have considered myself a surface level Christian. I rarely went to church after I started attending public school in ninth grade, I only prayed when I had a problem I needed solving, I rarely worshipped, and most importantly, I lived for myself and my own physical gratitude, rather than for God.

That being said, when I was going through Formal Recruitment at the beginning of the school year, the biggest thing I was looking for from each sorority was a sisterhood that would accept me and my faith. I was honestly nervous that joining a sorority might lead away from God, but that wasn't God's plan for me.

Being a part of Tri Sigma has helped grow so much. I have met so many God-fearing women, who have stepped up to help lead me in my walk with God. My faith is stronger than ever before, and having a fellowship with other women my age, who share my faith was one of the greatest attributes.

However, that shift and growth didn't occur overnight. I was constantly being told to read my Bible daily, to live a life that is honoring to God, and surround myself with who love Him as much as I do. I thought that all sounded nice and dandy, and I identified with it. However, I did what most Freshmen do in their first semester of college.

I let loose, partied a little, dated a little, and I had managed to start down the wrong path. Luckily, I had my sisters there to guide me back to where I needed to be. They helped me learn from my mistakes, rather than let them define me. My want and need to be closer to God grew and grew.

John 12:26 "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."

Towards the end of first semester, as I was being redirected down the right path, I felt deep shame for my mistakes. I was learning from them and did not want to make them again. They had caused me to become distracted from my sisters, my faith, and my school work. My grades were suffering and I was losing friends.

I turned to God and he offered me a solution. I realized that the only fix to my problems was in changing the way I live, which was something that one of my close friends in Sigma had been trying to drill into my head for months. I can talk the talk, and say I'm a Christian all I want. However, those words mean absolutely nothing if I'm not walking the walk, and living a Christian lifestyle.

I purchased a six dollar ring from Charming Charlie's that is a size too big on my left ring finger, to be a physical representation of my promise to God to live a life that is honoring to him. This promise has opened tons of amazing, thrilling doors for me. I have developed strong friendships and bonds with people who put their faith first, I have learned to love myself as God loves me, and I find happiness in every situation.

Walking the walk as a Christian woman in college can sound so scary and nearly impossible. It can seem like everyone around you is against you, and that all you hear from the world is that you can't or shouldn't do it. This is me telling you that you can and should. It is challenging, but the benefits you reap are more rewarding than anything else you could do.