Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Gabe Jones' Reflection


Finding perfection within imperfection can sometimes be a challenging task.  As students, the imperfection often becomes burdensome and can be nearly overwhelming.  The tough classes, our problems with friends or family, or even running out of points in the Cafe remind us that the world is rarely a perfect place.  Yet, when we try to find God in all things we try to do just that: find some measure of perfection in an otherwise fallen world.  That perfection could be a beautiful flower growing through the sidewalk, a perfect sunset, or even a rainy day.  But all the disorder and disappointment in our lives can make finding God a very difficult objective.  I often remind myself of the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining.”  For me, this captures the essence of finding God in all things.  No matter the situation, good or bad, I try to remind myself that God is here and in control.  When things go well, I find God by being thankful for what He has given me; when things are not so great, I try to find that “silver lining” that is God and thank Him for even the smallest graces.  Regardless of how things are going, God has a plan and will not let the imperfections completely “cloud” our search for His perfection.  God is there: we just have to be courageous enough to look through the fog and find Him.
-         Reflection by Gabe Jones

Gabe Jones is currently an MBA student and members of the men’s basketball team.  He graduated in May 2011 with a BA in Political Science and Economics and minors in business administration and philosophy.  During his undergraduate years, Gabe was a member of Alpha Delta Gamma, Hawks for Life and the Social Mentors Steering Committee.

Danny Duggan's Reflection


Although seemingly simple, the way in which I have found God so far this year becomes a complex experience for which I am forever grateful. With help and inspiration from those around me, I have truly begun to cherish the rising and setting of the sun and the beauty of this event on as many occasions as I can. Although I find myself having some late nights of studying, there are those special days when I am able to be disciplined enough, wake up from my sleep and have an early to start to my day by jogging around campus. The peace that encompasses the campus at this time is the same that’s in my heart realizing the good works I have been able to accomplish at this University and those I will be challenged to in the future. As the sun is rising from the east, I thoughtlessly direct my attention towards the Town Houses feeling a quick chill of happiness thinking of all the memories my friends and I have created throughout this school year. Shifting my focus to see Corcoran Hall, as I continue my run, I appreciate the moments of growth I experienced while living there my first year here and in campus life this year as well. The silence of Rockhurst is awakened as the sun rises, promising a day of beauty and continual serenity.  I find God when I walk through the quad as I stop to peer into the trees to experience the full-fledged sun shining through reminding me He is staying by my side each day. The hustle and bustle of the academic and social life is always in full gear only to slow down as the sun begins to drop off to into the west. The Bell Tower and pergola offer a place for my friends and I to rest our heads as the sky begins to turn into a cotton-candy-looking clouded swirl of beauty and the sun quickly displays its splendor. I can’t help but see the sun splashing off of the academic buildings allowing Him to remind me of my appreciation for the life of college-ruled notebooks, folders, binders and the other necessities surrounding the classroom. With the rising and the setting of the sun, I am graced with the feeling of gratitude for this environment of learning, leadership and service, and most importantly for each person that the Son has warmed the heart of and allowed to change my life, without fail, each and every day.

-         Reflection by Danny Duggan

Danny, a Rockhurst sophomore, is a proud resident of St. Louis, a Rockhurst Student Ambassador and a CLC coordinator hoping to enjoy each moment at Rockhurst until he graduates!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Samantha Gormley's Reflection


How do I find God?  Well, that’s the question of the hour, isn’t it?  After much consideration and thought, I’ve come to realize that my encounters with God come not so much from me searching for Him, but rather His determination to pursue me.  Whether these experiences arise from a friend who wants to talk at the most inopportune time and ends up saying some of the most beautiful and loving things I could have needed to hear at that moment, or simply a perfect wind that flows through the Quad when my frustrations are running high, it is the moments I have no control over that I find God.  It is the moments I delight in the wonders around me and realize how thoroughly and completely my Creator has cared and provided for me.  God is in the professor that works with me to create a service learning option.  God is in the Sodexo employee who offers me my much appreciated chicken nuggets with a smile, even when the hours are long.  God is in the perfect song that comes on the radio or in the Pub.  He is in the challenges that bring out the best in me, even when it is most difficult, but rewarding, creating me anew and creating me as I was meant to be. 
-                                 -   Reflection by Samantha Gormley

Samantha Gormley is a junior Psychology major from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  She is involved with CLC, Social Mentors, RAKERS, the Honors Program, Greek Life, and serves as an Orientation Coordinator and a Eucharistic Minister.  Her big goal for the near future is to study abroad, but she says, “We’ll see where God takes me.”