Katherine Hoffman's Reflection

I have found God in an array of expected and unexpected moments that have been knit together to create a unique tapestry of memories.  Sometimes, God appears in obvious ways like enjoying the beautiful blooming tulips and other gifts of spring in nature as I walk through campus to class each day. At times, I feel as though the warm rays of sunshine are simply God’s emanating love flowing down from above. Other times, I find God in life’s sweetest moments, for example exchanging a much-needed hug with a good Rockhurst pal after a trying day. These moments remind me not only of God’s goodness but how if I look for him I can find him in others’ actions.

However, finding God doesn’t always happen in the obvious or sweet instances in life.  At times, I have found God in bitter, unexpected experiences that I don’t understand.  For example, I have uncovered God during service immersion trips in glimpsing the poverty of the individuals living in the place I was visiting, whether that was domestically in West Virginia or abroad in Guatemala. In these moments, I have found it important to hold the experience not trying to change it but accepting the experience for what it is and acknowledging God’s presence. It requires trust in Him and openness to his greatness to accept these moments and to add them to the diverse and beautiful  tapestry  of life that God is creating for me.

My hope for each of you is that you embrace all of the opportunities in your life to find God. May you be open to the impact those memories can have in your life as pieces knitted into the tapestry of life that God is creating for and with you.

-         Reflection by Katherine Hoffman

A native of Trenton, Missouri, Katherine graduated from Rockhurst with her bachelor’s degree in 2012 and is currently in her first-year of the doctorate in Physical Therapy program.  As an undergraduate, Katherine was involved in CLC as both a leader and member, ASA and APO.  She also participated in two spring break service trips: one to Guatemala and one to West Virginia.

Theresa Kiblinger's Reflection

If we do not expect to find God in all things and look for Him in our daily lives, we can miss wonderful opportunities for help, healing, and happiness.  It seems the most unexpected and unusual times, when I am not outwardly searching for God, are the times when He becomes the most present in my life.  Recently, I have learned to find God when I stumble off of His path or fall into sin.  It is through my failings that I turn to God even more for acceptance, grace, and mercy.  I have quickly realized that when I begin straying off of God’s path, He enters right into the mess I have created and picks me up again.  These times of sin and failing, where God once again renews my life, often leave me in awe of His goodness, His powerfulness, and His relentless and unconditional love.  Even though I may cause God pain and suffering, He is always there when I call on Him to pick me up, love me completely, and set me on the right path.  Time and time again, that is when I find God and feel His abundant love.  So I encourage you to open your hearts to the possibilities of finding God in the most unexpected places whether it is in a smile on the quad, a conversation with a friend, or even in our sins and failings because God is constantly surrounding each one of us.

-         Reflection by Theresa Kiblinger

Theresa Kiblinger is a junior from Cape Girardeau, MO.  A nursing student with a minor in French, she has been involved with CLC, Ambassadors, Alpha Sigma Nu and French Club during her years at Rockhurst. Theresa spent this past Christmas break serving in Uganda and plans to spend the summer serving in both Uganda and Kenya.   

Josh Goralski's Reflection

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” Fr. Pedro Arrupe S.J.

In my two years at Rockhurst, I have felt the warmth of God’s presence and love in countless ways. I felt this as I entered Rockhurst with our entire class giving up a few hours to do service before embarking on our journey here. Additionally, I have continued to find God and fall in love with him through the retreats offered by Campus Ministry, conversations with friends, and speakers on campus like Fr. Boyle.

When I traveled to Haiti with a group of Rockhurst students over winter break, I experienced falling in love with God once again. I not only found God in the people we met, but I found God in each person in our group. I remember constantly thinking over the week our group was truly in love with helping to empower others. The group had agreed to take on a multi-year project to help the people of Duchity, Haiti. I think to myself that truly we all felt the love of God leading us to go on this trip. Throughout the whole trip, I just felt like God was there, blessing us with safe travels, productive meetings, memorable experiences that will not soon be forgotten, good weather and great conservation. There is something special when you are with a group of people that are called by a common love and are all on the journey to find God.

So, I encourage you in the spirit of Pedro Arrupe to let yourself fall in love with God.

-         Reflection by Josh Goralski

Josh Goralski is a Sophomore from Naperville, IL studying Nonprofit Leadership Studies and Accounting and trying to fit in something with Economics. He is involved in with Student Senate, various Campus Ministry Activities, Desk Manager in Corcoran, and involved with the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative.  

Christiana Troupe's Reflection

In the past few months, God has been teaching me how to find Him in my weakness. Weakness. Not exactly a word with a positive connotation, but let me explain. My entire life, I have found it incredibly difficult to accept the idea that God loves me APART from what I do for Him, that His love is completely free. For this reason, I have only ever known striving – striving to earn God’s love and approval that I already have. No matter how irrational, I’ve operated from the belief that if I could perform well enough, I could somehow earn what I knew I could never deserve. And I would continually fall flat on my face, feeling ever more distant from Him with each stride to “be enough.”

A few months ago, I was confronted with the reality that all along I had been striving to do instead of be.  What I had lost sight of is that “Jesus lived the life we could not live and died the death we should have died.” Not only do I not have to earn His love, but I couldn’t even if I wanted to - HE has made me worthy. Because I accept this truth, He calls me His daughter and that is who I am, regardless of whether I feel it. It is TRUTH.

Since then, God has been taking me on a journey of learning how to stop the striving and just receive His free love. I have been learning to live out of the truth of who He says that I am, to be loosed of unnecessary expectations. I am being set free to love Him, not as a burden, but as a joy. I am finally free to delight in my Father as He delights over me. I am enough solely because He loves me.

-         Reflection by Christiana Troupe

Hailing from Lees Summit, Christiana Troupe is a health nut in her junior year at Rockhurst pursuing a degree in finance and economics. In her college career, she has served as an ambassador, resident assistant, orientation leader, social mentor, and frosh get-a-way leader. In her future career, she has a heart to one day bring justice to victims of human trafficking and participate in global development initiatives. 

Veronica Immethun's Reflection

At first, the task of writing an entry for this seemed daunting. To this day, I still struggle with the concept of God and even believing in God (scandalous, I know). As I got to thinking, I found that this is not about discussing my devotedness to everything God and Christian; it’s about finding the small things on campus that bring me, and other students, peace of mind and heart.  Location is the first thing that came to mind. From on campus, Rockhurst feels safe and secluded (for me at least). If you were dropped from the sky onto campus, you would not know that you were in the middle of the city. But, Rockhurst is a haven – safe and welcoming. That definitely brings me peace. I then started to think about the people. Being a small college lends to this, but everyone makes things personal. The people here take their time to listen, understand, and help those around them, whether or not they are a student; they genuinely care about others. I found this comforting as well. So even though I am not the firmest of believers, I believe God can be found everywhere at Rockhurst through the peace of mind and kindness this university provides.

-         Reflection by Veronica Immethun

Veronica Immethun, a native “Kansas City-an”, is a junior transfer student. She is majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and hopes to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. 

John Rios' Reflection

Before coming to Rockhurst, I had no concept of the Jesuit core values or even what a Jesuit school was for that matter. Upon stepping on campus, something felt different. I didn’t know how to explain it or even how to describe it. However, in my two and a half years here I know what makes Rockhurst so distinct! It is the people. Although it is a simple and short answer, this is also where I find God at Rockhurst University. He is present in the genuine caring relationships that exist between students and staff alike. He is visible to me when Jane in the Pub greets me with a smile, when Bill Kriege asks me how I’m doing, or when I see Fr. Curran spending time with students in the cafe. Although these things are small and simple, they remind of why I came here and serve as a constant reminder that God is present here at Rockhurst. Like my response, I like to keep things simple. For, one it eliminates confusion, plus it makes it harder for the little stuff like these simple actions to go unnoticed. So maybe this is not how you find God - that is up for you to decide as this is defined by each individual. These reflections just serve as reminders that He is always present in every situation in different ways, and it is your job to find Him. I wish you good luck on your search!

-         Reflection by John Rios

John Rios is a junior from Dallas, Texas. He is majoring in Leadership Studies and Psychology and plans to pursue a graduate degree in High Education. He is a Resident Assistant, Member of the Social Mentor Steering Committee, Ambassador, and Vice President of Social Affairs in Alpha Delta Gamma.

Colleen Smyth's Reflection

Before you pass over this message, I invite you to take a second to just stop. Catch your breath. Let you mind rest for a second.

          “God is love and love is God.” 1 John 4:8.

In order for me to find God in all things, I remember that I must find LOVE in all things. When I think about love, I am brought back to Pedro Arrupe, SJ’s poem that begins, “Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute and final way.”  I believe that college is the time to discover what we are in love with from causes like Relay for Life or being more “green” to being in love with subjects like Western Civilization or Marketing to being in love with others through service or in community. However, Rockhurst is not just about learning what we are in love with but how to let that love shape our lives. As Arrupe says, “It will decide what will get you up in the morning…how you spend your weekends…what amazes you with joy and gratitude.”  Who doesn’t want a life filled with love, a love that Arrupe says will even “decide what breaks your heart”?  One thing that most breaks my heart is knowing that there are people on campus who doubt that they are loved or have trouble recognizing that love. In being called to act as women and men for and with others, not only do we, as a Rockhurst community,  have the responsibility to find His love in all things, but more importantly, we need to be committed to share that love. I am so blessed to call myself a Rockhurst student striving to live a life that beats for others in good times and in challenging times.  I pray that we always remember, “fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.“ By doing this, we will have found God in everything.  

-         Reflection by Colleen Smyth

Colleen Smyth is a sophomore from St. Louis, MO. She hopes major in an area of business and minor in Non-Profit Studies (maybe Theology too, if she can fit it in). Colleen is the service chair of VOICES for Justice, an active member in both Alpha Sigma Alpha and CLC, and also serves as an Ambassador.