Life will only pass you by if you coast through it waiting for things to happen. Waiting for a new job to land in your lap or waiting for the God you doubt is real to present himself to you.

I know what you may be thinking at this point, that I’m this “Jesus freak” nun.

To some extent you might be right, but for the most part I’m a normal college student. I’m not afraid to share my faith because my life has forever changed since the day I chose to follow in His name.

For me, happiness comes from the faith I carry with me everyday, in the God I love.

I don’t take things for granted. I show others respect and kindness. I treat each day as a true gift of God and live in His glory.

I have many people to thank for this such as my family and friends, but mostly to my boyfriend, Rick — a student leader of Cru, a religious student organization I joined this year.

After deciding God would be the center of our relationship when it began around six months ago, things have only gotten better and better.

No, we don’t spend every other minute praying or reading bible verses together; we live “normal” college lives which includes going out on weekends.

Our lives are busy because Rick and I both strive academically and in campus organizations. Through this busyness, we choose to live for God by making time to go to Cru and church together each week.

Cru opens with warm smiles and chatter in Hibbard Humanities Hall 100 each week. We sing in worship along with the worship band and listen to an inspirational message from Cru leaders to take with us for the week.

Out of the three years I have attended UW-Eau Claire, I have finally found peace with myself through my faith and through Cru. Being satisfied with who you are is a challenge in itself, especially as a college student where the future is still a vast unknown.

It’s so comforting to know God loves us for exactly who we are, not who we want to be or who we think we should be.

Coming to peace through God has also come through a culmination of experiences over time.

This included playing collegiate soccer for two years, joining clubs such as the Student Philanthropy Association, American Marketing Association, Cru and the editorial side of The Spectator as a business student.

It’s safe to say I have looked in many places to find this happiness, but there was no greater satisfaction than the happiness received through my commitment to faith which was strengthened through attending Cru.

Because of this, I say to never make judgments until you’ve given something a try. Go out and experience things you’ve thought about doing but have never made time for.

Through these groups and experiences at Eau Claire I have met the most amazing people (religious or not). They are people who have opened my eyes to things I hadn’t been able to see before and have allowed me to grow as the years pass.

Everything I have attempted to do, failures included, has gotten me to where I am today. A place where I am not afraid to take chances or smile at a person I don’t know as we cross paths on campus.

I can’t tell you where I will be fifteen, ten, or even a year from now. What I do know is that each day I’m discovering myself and my happiness as I venture on this crazy thing we call life.