Elizabeth Reid's Post

My favorite image of God comes to me through the words of Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, in his book Tattoos on the Heart, where he describes a God who is always too busy loving who we are to spend any time being disappointed in us. Fr. Boyle reflects that the sacred place toward which God has been nudging us all our lives is not be arrived at, but simply discovered. What a freedom it is to know that we are exactly what God had in mind when God created us—right now, this day!

As my time left as a Hawk wanes with each passing exam and campus event, I’ve come to recognize that one area of my life in which God is present is my mourning. It’s taken me four years to realize it, but God has been finding me all along, working through each and every one of my experiences at Rockhurst—the intense joys, the doubts, the challenges that pushed me further than I ever could have imagined, the transformations, the frustrations that inspired me to strive for more, and especially, the beloved friendships. All of these have led me to exactly where I need to be right now, gracias a Dios. How rich that this is the life God desires for all of us: to stand on the edge of something that has been so wonderful, knowing that it fills us with great sadness to leave, while simultaneously looking ahead with excitement toward each new day, because the same God who journeyed with us up to this point will continue to accompany us through every step of the way. ¡Qué rico! God in all things.

-         Reflection by Elizabeth Reid

Elizabeth Reid is a senior graduating with majors in Spanish and Psychology and minors in Biology and Theology. She spent her four years as a Hawk involved in Executive Board of VOICES for JUSTICE, leading a Christian Life Community (CLC), Student Ambassadors, and Orientation. She moves on from the Nest to serve as a Jesuit Volunteer in Belize City, Belize, where she will work as a social worker for Hand in Hand Ministries.

Lynsey Riemann's Reflection

As a freshman here at Rockhurst, I have found God in the daily blessings God gives me, whether it be meeting a new friend or chatting with old friends on the Quad. God has been in my life to reach out to people who maybe are not following Him 100%. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and this is exactly what my goal is at Rockhurst - for everyone to hear the Good News of the Gospel.  Throughout the year, I have dived into His word and have newly found my life verse, Romans 2:12 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will." God has called us to be like Him, not of this world and its desires. I believe that if we reach to be more like Him, we will see God in all aspects of our life each and every day.

-         Reflection by Lynsey Riemann

A native of O’Fallon, Missouri, Lynsey is a freshman CSD and psychology major with a minor in theology.  She is an active member of a Christian Life Community (CLC), Student Activities Board (SAB), and Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority (ASA). 

Frank Kane's Reflection

Over the years, through activities at Regis High School, ski racing, service on the board of Children’s Hospital, and various organizations here on campus (i.e. Knights of Columbus and Social Mentors), I have retained a passion for helping others embrace as unique what sets them apart as individuals.  Merely in striving to help them accomplish this, I realize I have invited them to find God in their differences and handicaps and, thus, in all things.  I have always believed that wherever good can be found, so too can God, and vice versa. This belief continually compels  me to encounter God’s hand in an area of my life where many overlook it: my gait. Though the way in which I move is easily my most distinctive feature and does not come without certain setbacks, it remains something for which I give daily thanks to God and everyone around me. My gait more often than not allows me to bring out the best in those I love and in those whom I meet on campus each day.  In bringing out the best in those I love and encounter, I am hopefully better able find God in those people whom I often find it more difficult to love and to embrace.

-      Reflection by Frank Kane

Frank Kane is a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Philosophy.  Hailing from Denver, he is involved in the Knights of Columbus, Social Mentors, CLC, and the Kansas City branch of the National Sports Center for the Disabled. He maintains an unending passion for writing and politics and, before graduating, hopes to jumpstart the University’s College Democrats student organization.  

Meaghan Fanning's Post

The poet Hafiz writes, “Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth, ‘You owe me.’  Look what happens with a love like that—it lights up the whole sky.”  We hear the phrase “unconditional love” on a regular basis.  How often do we pause to ask what this really means?  To love without conditions, without limits.  How could we ever do this?  I take comfort in the fact that knowing and truly believing that we are made in the likeness of God and that means that we are created to love.  It is God’s joy to love us, and it should be our joy to love one another.  I find God in the pleasantries and drudgeries of everyday life – the life that sometimes feels like paradise and sometimes feels like we are walking against a hard, freezing wind.  But within that life, every day, is the opportunity to show people around us how much we love them. Anne Lamott shares her reflections on simple love and friendship: “All you can do is show up for someone.  But when you do, it can radically change everything.  Your there-ness can be life giving.  So you come to keep them company, even when it feels like the whole world is falling apart, and your being there says for just this moment, this one tiny piece of the world is okay.”  To love is to show others God, to allow them to feel beloved on this earth. 

Meaghan Fanning is a senior Hawk and loving the last month of Rockhurst! She is majoring in Nonprofit Leadership Studies and Theology and Religious Studies and minoring in Philosophy.  She was deeply formed by her years spent on the Executive Board of VOICES for JUSTICE and leading her beloved CLC.  Meaghan is continuing on to get her Masters in Social Work next year.  

Charli Bultmann's Reflection

It is difficult for me to pinpoint a specific moment in which I have found God, especially during this past year at Rockhurst. This year has been more of a journey on the path of creating a beautiful relationship with God for me.  I have seen God while walking to classes when I see the sun shining so brightly and the sky hovering above me in its rich blue color.  I have especially become aware of God lately in the budding of new life in the trees and flowers all over campus.  But God is not only present in these things; this year, more than ever, I have seen God in the people in my life. My family, close friends, and even acquaintances have been compassionate and thoughtful in ways I never realized before.  It is every person around me that makes me see God.  He is in all of us in one way or another.  I believe that it is our experiences with others that truly help us to find God.  These experiences unite us not only as a Rockhurst community but also as a community of God.

Charli Bultmann is a sophomore Biology major at Rockhurst.  Hailing from Carrollton, Missouri, she is a Student Ambassador, member of Phi Delta Epsilon, Zeta Tau Alpha, and CLC.  At this year’s Easter Vigil, Charli received her first communion and was confirmed into the Catholic Church.  

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.