MAKING YOUR FAITH YOUR OWN

I've been going to the same church my entire life. Literally. Like I was going to First United Methodist Church of Coppell since I was in my mom's stomach. Throughout the years I have learned a lot from my church because my parents took me every Sunday, but I never really made my faith my own. I just went to church because my parents took me. I definitely believed the things I was taught in church, I just never felt super connected to God and never took time out of my day to spend with just me and Him.

This was how my life was until the summer after 8th grade when I went to Camp Pike for the first time. This is where I first felt what it really meant to have your own faith. I could actually feel God's presence in the mountains and started to form a strong connection with Him that was just about me and Him. I have continued to go to Camp Pike every summer since and each year my faith grows and grows.

As I have started my life as a college student, I am beginning to learn how to be more of an independent person (which I was not at all before haha). Not only have I learned to do my school work because I know I need to and not because my parents told me to. But I have also learned to go to church because I know I need to (and WANT to) and not because my parents told me to. This is the biggest thing that has really helped me make my faith my own. Being away from home and away from my closest friends is very different because I don't have people telling me to hop in the car and go to church or bible study with them. I am now taking the initiative to go to church because that is what I want to do. I have this huge passion for the Lord and getting closer to Him and encouraging others to do the same and now that I have made my faith my own I am able to do those things.

I want to encourage y'all to do the same. Find an awesome church that really fuels your fire for the Lord (if you're in the Austin area I highly suggest trying out The Austin Stone). Surround yourself with people who have a passion for the Lord who can inspire you to become more passionate and keep you accountable in your faith. And actually take time out of your day every day to read the bible and spend time in prayer. By doing this I have noticed my thought process changing in a way. When I have decisions to make I try to think "what would God want me to do" and I've noticed myself trying to be more of a christian in every aspect of my life which is such an amazing and fulfilling thing.