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(Pictured above: my twin Madeline and my friends Sophia and Jess)

Take a look at this sunset (unfiltered) from the mountains up behind APU!

Something I cannot live without is moments like this. I talk about my friends a lot, but my praise of them is always warranted. College is not just where you go, what you study, who you date, or what you do on weekends. These things matter, yes, and they matter a lot. Where you choose to go to undergrad can impact your entire life path. What you choose to study will, obviously, orient you towards a future in the job market. Who you date can turn into who you marry or who breaks your heart. What you do on weekends highlights the things that are important to you.

But friendship? THAT is what makes college great.

If you do not have Christ-centered friendships where you are going to school, you lose the chance to share great moments with them. You’ll want friends to head to coffee shops with, to study with late at the library. You will need friends for support during relationships. And, of course, your friends are the people you will share the weekends with.

My girlfriends have made all the difference in my college experience. APU advertises a wonderful community, and you know what? It is true.

-Madison FM

#insideazusapacific #MadisonFM

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Amidst the lengthening to-do list that is ever present in the background of my mind, there is the always open box begging me to take a breather. Not to ignore responsibilities or shy away from the tough decisions approaching, but to find something I really enjoy and just grab it.

Such an occasion was this little thing called the Yosemite Night Hike, put on by APU’s Outdoor Adventures. I’d been hearing about it since Freshmen year, always wanted to go but never wanted to commit. This year, in a sort of last-minute decision encouraged by my friend Katie, who was a guide for the hike, I decided to go.

The hike began at 3:45 AM, and we were out at North Dome by the time the sky was beginning to lighten. It was quite literally as if God took up a paintbrush and created the world again, a new day. I feel as if just by sitting on that cold rock I participated in something sacredly breathtaking.

I love the rush of a busy schedule. I love to be doing something. I dislike just sitting there; what is the point? How is just sitting being productive? I’m not sure, so I tend to avoid it. But how refreshing is it to take a second to view God’s creation in action? I don’t think I’ve ever seen something more magnificent than the sun rising over the Yosemite valley, light settling over air so pure (especially compared to Los Angeles).

My next task? Go to the mountains just behind APU and see what God does in a sunrise up there.

-Madison FM

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We’re one month in. How do I feel about this?

Anticipation.

I am a senior. That means in less than a year, more like a couple of months honestly, I will be making another huge life decision, similar to the undergraduate college choice; only this time, it will solidify more closely my life path. Recently, I made the decision to go to law school. I am an English major and law school has not always been my goal, yet here I am. As to be assumed, there is a lot of fearful anticipation accompanied with this. Studying for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), taking the LSAT, applying to law schools, waiting to get into law schools, choosing a law school, paying for law school...these are all causes for worry.

But there is also a lot of excited anticipation. I have found something that I am extremely passionate about. I am unsure about many things (for example: where will I go and what specific law will I study), but I am completely sure that this is the right decision for me. This anticipation clenches my stomach with that nervous sort of excitement you get stepping up to the edge of the Grand Canyon. For those of you who have never been to the Grand Canyon, just imagine standing on the edge of a vast cliff, afraid of heights but absolutely struck by the beautiful view.

Stress.

Hand in hand with this anticipation comes the daunting stress. There are so many pieces that need to fall into place, so many boxes that need to be checked, in order to move forward into this next step. On top of it all, I still have my current classes to focus on, papers to write, tests to take. Stress about school is something that comes in full force freshmen year of college, just you wait, and it doesn’t go away. Now, it is just paired with the anticipation of post-undergraduate life.

Happy.

Despite the anxiety and stress that comes with being a senior, there is a beautiful element of happiness. I am not the kind of person who looks back on the past few years with a bunch of nostalgia or regret. I relish the many great aspects of where I currently stand. My friends really make APU special. I’ve been blessed with a unique group of women, that special kind of friendship that always leaves me with somebody to sit with at chapel or in the library, or head with me to Pasadena or a nearby coffee shop, or, with a little extra coaxing, go line dancing with me. Finding the right group of friends is essential to a good college experience, and here, I’ve found the best of them.

#senior #anticipation #MadisonFM

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Hello, everyone! 

My name is Madison, and I’m so excited to be back sharing my snapshots of life with you! I have a passion for sharing stories and country line dancing. I am an English / Honors Humanities major with intentions to pursue law school next year, which places me in the same boat as anyone else in this intimidating application stage.

3 fun facts about me:

I was born and raised out in the desert of Arizona on a small ranch, with my family of six: Mom, Dad, two younger sisters, and a twin sister, who actually attends APU as well! I have a horse named Tiago, and he is definitely the best listener around.

I spent a semester studying abroad in Viterbo, Italy. A couple quick highlights: I had the best cappuccini of my life at a small café just a short walk from my Italian apartment, prayed in the magnificent La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and hiked a mountainous village in Switzerland.

My perfect morning is a cup of coffee and a page-flipping, can’t-put-it-down kind of mystery novel.

I am so very excited to see what God has in store for me, and for you, this next year!

-Madison FM

#insideazusapacific #MadisonFM

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Lessons from the Ceramics Room

The other day, my friend took me to the ceramics room to teach me more about the new art form she’s fallen in love with.  She taught me the process step by step: preparing the clay, slamming it onto the wheel, centering the clay, and finally shaping it.

It all seemed easy at first, but once I turned on the wheel, my clay went flying everywhere, and what started as a smooth lump of clay turned to a disaster.  As I once again tried to center my clay, I couldn’t help but see it just as a lump.  There wasn’t anything special about it.  It didn’t look at all like a mug or bowl.  But it had the potential to become one.  What I saw as just a lump of clay could become anything.  And I had total control over what it would become.

Trying ceramics gave me a whole new perspective on Isaiah 64:8:

“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

We are that piece of clay in God’s hand.  At times, it may seem like there is nothing special about us, but in fact, it is just the opposite.  God is shaping and molding into us into something we could never imagine, all by His steady hand.

-Natalie P.

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Taking Action in Romania

Service.  It’s one of the four cornerstones of APU and a very important value on campus.  It seems like almost everywhere there are opportunities to serve both on campus, off campus, or even in Mexico or overseas.  This summer, I have the privilege of traveling to Romania with nine other girls to partner with an organization called Remember the Children and work in an orphanage as part of an Action Team through the Center for Student Action.  

A couple weeks ago, the Center for Student Action put on an all Action Team retreat in Running Springs as a training for all the teams going abroad this summer, but the weekend turned out to be much more than a training.  It was a time of bonding for my team.  We came out of that time not only learning that there is so much we don’t know about Romania but also with the excitement of all that is to come in our next two months of planning and while we are there.

We’re embarking on an adventure and we’re not quite sure what the future holds.  But if we’re certain of one thing, it’s that God has a plan for our team and this trip, and we’re so excited to see what He has in store for us!

-Natalie P.

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Trustees’ Weekend

As a prospective senior, I had the privilege of being apart of Trustees’ Weekend. It was a weekend full of building community and friendships with people I had just met and is ultimately a big part of why I’m at APU today.  This past week, I had the exciting opportunity to be on the other side of things as I became a Trustees’ lead and helped plan and execute the event that had such an impact on my life.  

I got to extend the warm APU welcome that I had felt while visiting and give potential students a little glimpse into my life.  I got to build relationships with my girls, just as my host had built a friendship with me when I was a senior.  Being a Trustees’ lead allowed me to take on the role of not only a host, but also a tour guide, prayer partner, and friend to the 39 students that were here.  It still is so surreal to me that I get to be part of a senior’s college visiting experience.  

Although there were many spreadsheets to be filled out and welcome bags to be stuffed, being part of this event reminded me of part of why I chose APU.  The community.  As cliché as it may sound, you won’t meet many genuine people like the ones you meet at APU.  

And the community that was planted as Trustees’ Weekend just a year ago has now blossomed into a family on campus that encourages and supports each other through the ups and downs of college.  

-Natalie P.

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Intentionality Outside the Classroom

One of the many things I love about APU is how intentional people are with one another, and this includes professors.  Last night, my colloquy went over to our professor’s house for a night of food, games, and getting to know each other better.  It was a time of bonding that brought us closer as a class.

We were greeted with the classic dinner of Subway sandwiches and Girl Scout cookies and sat outside while we ate and talked about life.  It was a chance for us to catch up on how our semester had been so far—the good, the bad, and he difficult—and be honest about what was going on in our lives.  

We then fishbowl, a classic group bonding game, where all competitiveness, laugher, passion, and knowledge about Greek words were let loose.  Our night concluded with us around the piano singing to Les Miserables, as our professor sang with and accompanied us and was followed by a spontaneous Donut Man run.

I have no doubt that we will carry the memories we made last night throughout the semester.  The community and intentionality that we experienced is no stranger to APU.  I’ve heard countless stories from students about intentional times they’ve had outside of the classroom, and the impact it has had on them, and we got to experience that first hand.  It’s one thing to hear about the community at APU, but it’s another thing to really experience it first hand.

-Natalie P.

#insideazusapacific NatalieP #community

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R I D E  F O R  W A T E R

People are important; clean water changes everything. There are millions internationally that do not have access to a basic necessity - clean water. We have decided to take action and do something about it.

I am one of the members of the 2018 Ride for Water team alongside 13 other tenacious college students from APU, following in the footsteps of 5 years of past teams that have gone the year before us and paved the way. This summer, we will ride our bikes 3,200 miles across the United States to raise money and awareness for the global water crisis. Today over 663 million people live without access to clean water, but through our partnership with charity : water, we hope to change that. This year, we aim to raise $100,000. Over the past five years, previous Ride for Water teams have raised over $240,000, bringing clean water to Malawi, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Through just one Ride for Water campaign, 1,996 people were given access to clean water and we hope to increase that this year.

It sounds wild; it is. We are willing to do something crazy in advocating for something we are passionate about. Eager, thankful, and inspired, we are so appreciative of the support thus far and bringing Jesus into every step of our campaign. 

To find out more about the Ride or the Cause, read on here. Updates on the campaign coming soon!

-Jena P.

#insideazusapacific #JenaP #RideforWater

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Little Adventures

This past Sunday was free SoCal free museum day, so my friend Charissa and I decided to Metro down to Pasadena to have a much needed little weekend adventure.  

First, we explored the beautiful Pasadena City Hall, or as some better know it, the Pawnee City Hall from Parks and Recreation.  It was way bigger than we expected, and at the center was a huge courtyard filled with trees, benches, a fountain, and plenty of spots to take cute photos.  We took some of our own artsy pictures on the antique looking staircases that lead up from the courtyard up to the third floor, which gave us a picturesque view of Pasadena.

We then went to our only planned destination, the Pasadena Museum of California Art.  It’s a fairly small museum but showcased different paintings and sculptures dealing with California’s history.  There was also a craft corner area where we were able to make tissue paper flowers to commemorate our trip there.  

Right next door, we discovered the USC Pacific Asia Museum, which transported us through the history of Asia and the Pacific Islands.  There was even a hands-on room complete with artifacts to look at and costumes to try on.  The courtyard was a place where people could escape the almost 90-degree heat (yes, in January) by sitting under the shade of trees and listening to a relaxing stream.

The real gem of our trip was discovering The Battery Books & Music, a used music and bookstore filled with everything from classics to crime books to children’s literature and everything in between.  They also have a bargain rack outside with dozens of books under $2.  Charissa and I spent probably way too long browsing each bookshelf, finding some books we love and others that are on our never-ending list of books to read.  We each walked out with a new book for our collection (both of which were $5 or less) and added this little store on our list of places to revisit.

After grabbing a quick tea at Urth Café, we took the Metro back to APU and concluded our little adventure.  Sometimes getting off campus is just what you need to re-energize you for the week to come.  And the memories made are absolutely priceless.

-Natalie P.

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Planning to Not Plan

Every year at this time, millions of people make resolutions for the upcoming year.   As we enter into a new semester, many of us are making resolutions such as to getting healthy either physically or spiritually, or not falling behind on homework.  However, the more I think about it, instead of following the trend of the world where we resolve to plan for our year, I need to stop planning.

Planning ahead can be a wonderful thing, but I’m deciding to resolve to take things day by day.  Don’t get me wrong, thinking about the future is a good thing, but thinking too much about it can be bad.  I’m resolving to take each day one step at a time.  Those steps may be small and uncertain, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that God is going to provide me with everything I need to survive every day as it comes my way.  

When looking too far ahead, it can be so easy to lose focus on what’s going on around you.  You can easily miss the flowers and waterfalls while staying so focused on the path ahead.  Focusing too much on what’s ahead can be stressful, but so can focusing too much on the past.  As Edna Mode would say “I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.”  

So in 2018, I’m resolved to take each day moment by moment and trust the God will guide and provide where He leads.  Take some time this year to stop and smell the flowers and gaze at the waterfalls each day.  Because of you don’t you may miss out on the most beautiful sight of all.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

-Natalie P.

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How to Come Out of Dead Week Alive

As dead week begins, students everywhere are searching for the few last bits of sanity that are left. As stressful as life can become as the semester comes to an end, it’s so easy to drown under the piles of homework that never seem to end.

Dead week and finals week (especially your first one) can seem so overwhelming and at times unsurvivable.  But here are some tips to help survive (and possibly thrive in) this dead week while still staying both physically and mentally healthy.

1. Sleep!

As tempting as it may seem to pull an all-nighter to finish your homework, many have learned the hard way that it’s not the smart thing to do.  Although staying up all night may help you finish that six-page research paper, the lack of sleep will catch up with you later.  Plus getting rest will help you function and focus better the next day.

2. (Try to) Eat Healthier

It’s so easy to load up on junk food and snacks from Paws n Go when you don’t want to wait in a 30 minute line at the Den, especially when you have the giant freshman dining plan.  But eating healthy will not only help your body from getting sick from being so stressed, but it will also help you feel better.

3. Take Breaks

Studying, writing papers, and compiling portfolios can all seem like daunting tasks.  Doing them all at once can seem even more overwhelming.  Don’t try to do everything at one time.  Aristotle even says that “even studying is occasionally harmful to health.”  Every so often, take a walk with a friend or go grab something to eat.  Try setting a timer to work for an hour or two and then take an intentional brain break to relax.

4. Have Some Jesus Time

This may very well be the most important tip of all.  In times of the impending stress and anxiety, remember that you can’t get through this by your own strength, but rely on God’s.  Spending time praying and reading the Bible can be one of the most refreshing and reenergizing things you can do in the midst of a stressful day.

Always remember that God’s got you and He will help you get through what may seem unsurvivable.

You got this!

-Natalie P.

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Fostering Friendships Back Home

I think one of the hardest parts about coming to college was leaving behind the few close friendships I had back home.  Friends I have loved and adored since elementary school who all of the sudden leave California for college.  But one of the best things about going home over break is being able to see those friends again.  

One of the hardest things about being away from them is trying to stay connected in the midst of the homework-filled, crazy college life.  It seems like when you leave for college, everyone is talking about how they’ll stay in touch, but homework begins to pile up and schedules fill up and before you know it, it’s been a month and you haven’t talked to anyone from back home.

So here’s a piece of advice that I’ve come to learn this semester: be intentional in staying in touch with friends back home.  Granted, FaceTime and texting are no match for face to face time, but they’re better than nothing.  I’ve found that talking with friends back home can even be a stress reliever and can bring a newfound joy and life that seems to get lost in the week to week routine that develops.  

Going home this past week for Thanksgiving made me especially thankful for the friends I have back home.  The friends who I haven’t talked to for a few weeks, but when we’re together it feels like no time has passed at all.  The friends who make the stresses of college and homework a little more bearable.  

So send that text to your best friends back home.  Maybe communicate the old fashioned way and send them a letter.  You never know how that may brighten up their day, or even yours.

-Natalie P.

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Being Thankful this Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, my family and I went to spend break with our grandparents in small-town Wisconsin. It was the most beautiful escape from the stress of college life.

Time in Wisconsin consists of long walks down the country highway, Nana’s wonderful cooking, and reading. It is a relaxing bubble, a time to slow down. About this time of year, everyone starts to talk about stress and feeling overwhelmed. I would rather talk about looking for the highlights of life, focusing on the small things.

How perfect that it ended up overlapping with Thanksgiving this year?

We all need to take time to find the small things in our lives that make us happy, whether that is a simple thing like taking a walk in the 40 degree weather or going on a horseback ride with your sister. In the clutter of college, it is important to remember that there are still beautiful blessings in life.

It is hard to be positive in tough seasons of life.

But God has given us life, and that is reason enough to find a smile.

God bless,

-Madison FM

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Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving! We received a whole week of break off this season; definitely seemed to come at the right and needed time! Amidst this season, there is so much to be thankful for and I love how the spirit of thankfulness seems like to brim over around this time every year.

Thanking Jesus a little extra today! For one, I am thankful for an incredible home team of people in my life- people that show me Christ, offering listening ears and encouraging words, teach me how fun life can really be, love me when I am feeling unloveable, and keep me grounded in my faith. These relationships and friendships carry the most value- I can thank APU for leading me to most of these people. Secondly, I am grateful for my education and for a place like APU that has made me feel so known and has Christ at its center and forefront in everything they do. I am thankful for a place that has been so transformative in my faith walk, and in my life as a whole. Lastly, I am grateful for rest. Break is so good for the soul, and for time to step back and regain perspective for these last three weeks!

Let us practice hearts of gratitude and spirits of thankfulness like this today, and everyday. What are you most grateful for this year? 

-Jena P.

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hello

We have reached that time of the semester where a freight train full of assignments hits everyone in the face. Instead of talking about handling stress and making deadlines, I want to talk about patience.

In our struggles, God can always find a way to reach us. Just because you are stressed out does not mean that He is. Last weekend, my friends and I went to Carpinteria for a getaway, an escape from the rough reality. I got to watch two amazing beach sunsets...have you ever seen the sky turn the ocean purple? I watched as God’s hand painted the colors across the sky, just for us, just for me. You have to wait for the vibrant colors to spring out, wait and watch patiently.

There is patience in a sunset.

There is also patience in feeling stable again. With all of the craziness of the semester coming to a heated point, how many times do we get caught up in the rush and lose our footing? For me, at least, this happens way too often. The feeling of instability overcomes me. What do we do?

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 (NIV)

I am not saying that I am patient in my struggles; it is something I wrestle with everyday, something I need to constantly remind myself in order to make any progress. But there is so much power in the ways of the mind, and striving in patience for the rough times to pass on to the good is stabilizing. God is our stability, and He works in His special ways. Sometimes, we just have to be patient and pray; He will come through.

-Madison FM

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Taking Time to Let Go

Sometimes you just have one of those weeks.  You know, the weeks where you have multiple papers due and tons of cram reading and somehow still trying (yet struggling) to get a decent amount of sleep.  And then those weeks come to an end and you have a mere 12 hours to breathe before the next crazy week starts.  

In the midst of those weeks and those 12 hours of freedom, it’s so important to let go and have fun.  It can be so hard, especially while still trying to adjust to college, to fit fun and relaxation into the puzzle that is time management.  

Sometimes, you need to take an hour long drive to Huntington Beach to watch the sunset and just sit and spend time worshipping God in the middle of the chaos.  Sometimes you need to take a load off and spend time laughing with friends and trying to get those Instagram worthy sunset photos before it’s too late.  And sometimes you just need to run around and jump on your friend’s back because life isn’t meant to be lived one paper at a time.  Life is meant to have those spontaneous moments of fun and when college gets insanely busy it’s easy to forget that.  

Remember that’s it’s okay to let go and have every once in awhile.  You’ll thank yourself for it later.  

-Natalie P.

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