Basileia Round 2

This past year I served on a leadership team with 3 other people for Rider's chapter of InterVarsity.

During the spring semester of my freshman year I responded to God's calling of me into leadership with a "yes"--totally the last thing I thought I would be getting myself into in college.

Stepping into leadership was never something I would have considered if someone didn't believe in me and push me out of my (very comfortable) comfort zone. Luckily I had plenty of people doing that to me at Rider.
God had huge plans for my life and I would have never known how great they were if I didn't attend Basileia.

(See my post about it from last year)

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Taking on leadership meant I had to attend Basileia. I had to learn to be a leader and also prepare for the coming school year with the rest of my team. I wasn't sure where this opportunity was going to lead me since I was still very unsure of what I was putting on my plate in the first place. This wasn't a "no big deal" situation--this position was legit. My campus needed me.
SO. I raised enough money, packed my duffle bag with a week's worth of things, sat through a 6 hour car ride, got slightly lost, arrived late, unpacked my stuff in the (very, very nice 5 star) cabin and prayed to God that he would show me why I was stranded on top of mountain for a week.

I can't really pin point what my expectations were but all I can remember is everyone telling me I was going to have a lot of fun. At that point I wasn't sure how learning how to be a leader connected to fun at all.

To spare you a lot of detail, I learned A LOT. My brain was so full after that week and I had no idea how I was going to possibly fit anything else.

God gave me visions, God gave me words, and God gave me purpose. With every question I needed an answer to, He provided--and then some. Because of all of the amazing lessons I had to sit through and all of the people I had to listen to, I caught the vision of InterVarsity. I learned that it wasn't about spreading awareness of this organization. The goal isn't for people to know InterVarsity--the goal was for people to know Jesus. The message couldn't have been any clearer.

In a fellowship that lacked leaders, I was called to take up a responsibility. This meant communicating to the Christians at Rider how important it is that others hear the gospel before they graduate.

It takes a whole lot of courage for someone be missional in their own backyard, witnessing to their own friends and classmates. This past year doing so has been nothing but rewarding. All of the blood, sweat, and tears I've put into this mission has proven to be worth it in the long run. God is working whether we see it or not--we just have to give him room to do so.

Through it all, I've learned that God doesn't just throw anyone into anything. And that is why I have accepted leadership for the 2nd time, this coming school year. I can only imagine what more I will gain from attending Basileia for the 2nd time. But I can't get there on my own. I need your help.

In order to prepare for the up and coming school year, my leadership team and I will be attending Basileia from May 16th - 21st. We will leave the week-long training more equipped and ready to go out and evangelize to our campus and spread the love of Christ. I'll also get to grow in my own personal relationship with God in order to become a more developed leader. 

Would you invest in my leadership development & spiritual formation? 

Here are two ways you can:

1. Prayer.

During Basileia: for unity, transformation & clarity as we hear from God and plan for the next school year. 

After Basileia: that we put what we've learned into practice and continue to seek God as we go forward!

2. Financial support: The cost of the trip is $390. Included in the costs are room & board, excellent training, and the opportunity to get away from the business of life and hear from God in community. 

(For details you can contact me, Emily Kelley).

Thank you in advance for your prayers, support, and kind words through this experience.

2014 recap.

What even happened last year? A lot. Let's recap.

January:

- started my 2nd semester of college

- redecorated my dorm/ surrounded my bed with nice letters & pictures

- decided I loved videography.. did nothing about it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j56HEPCQXyo)

- my favorite band's headlining tour sold out and the tickets went on stubhub. I complained for days and they finally added more.

February:

- someone set off the fire alarm at 4 a.m. via plastic cup (i hate you, conover)

- flappy bird.

- EOS followed me on twitter

- paradise fears' show got snowed out & postponed to march

- sent a ton of valentine cards to friends

- hated sociology

- I became a starbucks gold member!!!!

- julia sent a picture of sam miller to my printer at school

March:

- youtubed videos with delaney bc we don't know how to curl hair

- wrote my first article for the campus newspaper

- emailed ellen degenerous begging for pizza

- collected every EOS flavor

- went to see paradise fears at TCNJ with kaitlyn, natalie & kelly

- got lectured about underage drinking from jordan merrigan

-- then he tried to give me the keys to the band van

- saw pf again the next day

- met emily for the first time

- made a #bangerz purse

- filmed a video with delaney about spring break (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA-AHHm-tHY)

April:

- covered delaney's wall with brian dales photos for april fool's day

- licked the sign in front of my school for a contest to meet miley, didn't win :(

- saw an egyptian goose on campus

- woke up at 7:00 every day for a week to listen for my name on the radio (see bullet #2)

- stayed on the phone with a friend overnight until my alarm woke us both up in the morning

- university day and rider had really good food and smoothies and a man on stilts? 

- took my first AND SECOND photo for the campus newspaper

- changed my major from communication studies to public relations

- saw the wonder years & real friends with delaney

- miley's tour was postponed, i cried

- got the job as photography editor of the rider news 

May:

- got my first A in college (sociology, what)

- saw all time low on the last day of classes at starland

- changed my minor from spanish to graphic design

- got asked to step up into a leadership position for intervarsity christian fellowship on campus for next year

- voted my face off for paradise fears to win the rising star contest (they didnt)

- sat in front of the lake on campus for an hour, contemplated life, and made a flower crown

- accidentally watched an entire macklemore concert on youtube

- had my car on campus for a week and had to park in visitor's

- bought a dslr camera

- juicy juice hypotenuse 

- took a road trip to upstate new york for a christian leadership development conference

- God changed my life.

June:

- started reading leadership books/ journaling

- took a random trip to the boadwalk at night with friends

- did my first photo shoot with a kaitlyn

- surprised natalie at her dance recital with alex

- #realtruehomies

- got a press/ photo pass for the tragic thrills (ended up not going)

- initiated into a squad ("easy squad")

- evil apples

July:

- got guestlisted/ press approved for warped tour in camden

- asked to shoot for oh honey

- hung out with the "squad" in philly for the day

-- saw the magic gardens!!!

-- drove around philly it was terrible

-- spent the night with natalie, kelly and alex

- went into philly for the 4th of july free concert thing

- gave a devotional talk thing in front of a lot of people

- went to delaney's house to visit

- went to warped with nat and alex!!

-- shot warped tour even though i had no clue what i was doing

- met the summer set, echosmith, the maine & derek discanio

- got to shoot for oh honey, neon trees & the fray the next day

- volunteered at VBS

-- my little first graders luved me

- kim k hollywood

August:

- MILEY FRICKEN CYRUS CONCERT

- went to a random christian lake/ park with alyssa bc it was free

- went to the zoo

- saw one direction at the lincoln financial field

-- got our seats upgraded to the 15th row right after 5sos played

-- waved to harry styles and cried

- took a bus to NYC by myself and spent the day with alex

-- saw paradise fears together (photo pass)

--- sam miller sang blame it on september to prove he knew my name (how rude)

---- best night of my life

- saw pf again the next day in philly (with vip)

-- got on the wrong bus to come back home

--- sam saw us in the crowd and got really excited so their photographer took a pic

---- asked sam to play stories in the dark at vip so they did

- met hella cool people via the live forever tour!

- pf posted my photos on instagram/ facebook with credit!!!!

- moved back into school a week before everyone else to start my job (newspaper)

- got an unwelcomed visit from a praying mantis at 3 in the morning, called delaney, and cried real tears on the phone for an hour

- made friends with some freshmen on my hall because my door was open and they wanted ice

September:

- turned 19???

-- delaney covered my bed in balloons

--- "it was intentionally minimalist"

- was the first one to order starbucks for the semester at the one on campus

- started a weekly radio show for 107.7 the bronc

- saw/ met colton pack (still dont really know who he is lol) when he performed on campus

- shot the fall concert at rider (magic!, samantha j, kat dhalia)

- went apple picking with my family and delaney & her mom

- developed a daily consistent quiet time to read the bible/ journal/ pray

- took a spontaneous trip to the beach with delaney

- helped lead worship/ lead a bible study at a retreat for freshmen

- got delaney and i into twenty one pilots for free after hours of confusing

-- shot for twenty one pilots and vinyl theatre

- car broke down 2 miles away from school because i ran out of gas at 2 in the morning

October:

- realized that the administration at school isn't going to always be very nice or fair

-- learned to deal with it

- became overwhelmed with school/ work/ leadership/ responsibilities

- got approved for a photo pass to self help fest

-- it wasn't at the box office

--- waited for 2 hours and they gave us tickets out of pity, couldn't get photo pass

---- sold the extra ticket to some kid who said he loved me

----- saw bring me the horizon and the wonder years <3

- someone yakked about my radio show

- bought a real friends shirt for the free button

- did the color run in atlantic city with abby, my mom, and delaney

- someone drove their car into the side of the fine arts building

- went apple/ picking with friends from the fellowship

- attended "the big event" weekend retreat with intervarsity 

-- heard God calling me to do huge, scary things

- bought 1989 and took a lot of selfies with it!

- went home to celebrate halloween with friends

November:

- took a day off from responsibilities and walked around the mall/ target/ princeton by myself

- realized i was failing my first class ever

- answered God's call and started seeing results immediately

- signed up for classes next semester

- readded spanish as my second minor

- set the mircowave on fire in wright via taco bell burrito

- went on a spontaneous trip (all the way back home) to see tenth avenue north with kat

-- tenth ave called me the next day to thank me for buying the CD

- went on a giant crane thing to get an aerial shot of the flags on campus for veterans day

- had to withdraw from bio before i failed it on my transcript

- wrote my second article for the campus newspaper

- got tweeted by hoodie allen

- went to a free "for king and country" show with a bunch of friends at the sun national bank center

-- met joel afterwards

- had my hair re-ombred

December:

- sat through my last math class, ever

- finished up a semester of shooting/ editing for the rider news

- went to nyc to see the rockettes

- endured the hardest and most emotionally draining finals week I've been through

- ended with my best grades (in college), to date

- saw/ shot the 1975 the day before my math final

-- finally saw young rising sons after 3 years of trying

--- met them and andy asked if i met him 3 years ago

- applied for internships this summer

- trivia crack.

- got caught in a back to back hallmark movie marathon by accident

- made abby take a pop punk christmas picture with me

- lost one of my best friends 

- realized that the nicest people in my life never left

-- frankensquad was created/ adopted me as their own

--- i love them.

- went to the new carlo's bakery

-- saw the actual cake boss, made eye contact.. awkward

- hung out with friends from high school a lot

- saw the notebook for the first time

- took artsy photos at penn's landing

- celebrated new years with my best friend & family

THAT is a lot to be excited about. I've got a lot of goals for 2015 that will hopefully top this list. Here's to another great year.