It has been a pleasure getting to know many of you this past week. I have enjoyed visiting with you at Penland, walking to class, eating breakfast, and in passing. I have been at Baylor for nineteen years. I tend to take stock in the merits and challenges for each incoming freshman class. I believe that your class carries with it a certain stoicism and strength.
You have lived through trying times and endured a pandemic. You now face historic inflation, increasing college expenses, global instability and an uncertain economy. Your generations is in many ways redefining social norms, terms, and values. Your freshman class is capable, resilient, adaptive, and ready.
What are the challenges you face personally this semester? What are the things in your life that can be improved upon? Are there areas of spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, family, career goals, academic goals, that you can be intentional about firming up and correcting? I would encourage you to design your routines around these goals. Try to avoid "reacting" to stress and allow your daily fellowship of close friends to help you navigate.
Consider making sacrifices and being of service to others to help guide your routines. College is inherently a selfish time. This is not all bad. You are investing in your future and making your plans. All of your intention and energy is focused on "you" - your degree, your classes, your projects, your homework, your emotional and academic needs.
Consider how you might make daily sacrifices in your routines for others? Why, because you will be happier. You will be fulfilled. You will begin to use your gifts and talents for His service and helping other people and in turn will help you to become a more powerful and strong woman. Write down 10 ways you can sacrifice for others, in small ways. Take this list and transfer it to your daily routine and schedule. Example - eat breakfast with your suite mate, bring her coffee, take out the trash, invite someone out, meet someone new, lead a small group study, complement your neighbor, get to know someone who is not like you, wash the dishes, pray.
Failure to make the proper sacrifices, failure to reveal yourself, failure to live and tell the truth—all that weakens you. In that weakened state, you will be unable to thrive in the world, and you will be of no benefit to yourself or to others. You will fail and suffer, stupidly. That will corrupt your soul. How could it be otherwise? Life is hard enough when it is going well. But when it’s going badly?
What shall I do when I’m tired and impatient? Gratefully accept an outstretched helping hand. This is something with a twofold meaning. It’s an injunction, first, to note the reality of the limitations of individual being and, second, to accept and be thankful for the support of others—family, friends, acquaintances and strangers alike. Exhaustion and impatience are inevitable. There is too much to be done and too little time in which to do it. But we don’t have to strive alone, and there is nothing but good in distributing the responsibilities, cooperating in the efforts, and sharing credit for the productive and meaningful work thereby undertaken. - JBP 12 Rules
I am proud of each of you and I believe you are each uniquely equipped to walk confidently and humbly towards helping restore the soul of our nation. By repairing your own soul and seeking noble service and charity, with the blessing of our Lord and Savior, your stories will help postpone the current decay of our civilization. We need peace. We need joy. We need to love others the way Christ loved us - show His love. They will know we are for real by our love for one another.
Until we meet again,
Brent Phillips
FIR - University House
Baylor School of Music
You have lived through trying times and endured a pandemic. You now face historic inflation, increasing college expenses, global instability and an uncertain economy. Your generations is in many ways redefining social norms, terms, and values. Your freshman class is capable, resilient, adaptive, and ready.
What are the challenges you face personally this semester? What are the things in your life that can be improved upon? Are there areas of spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, family, career goals, academic goals, that you can be intentional about firming up and correcting? I would encourage you to design your routines around these goals. Try to avoid "reacting" to stress and allow your daily fellowship of close friends to help you navigate.
Consider making sacrifices and being of service to others to help guide your routines. College is inherently a selfish time. This is not all bad. You are investing in your future and making your plans. All of your intention and energy is focused on "you" - your degree, your classes, your projects, your homework, your emotional and academic needs.
Consider how you might make daily sacrifices in your routines for others? Why, because you will be happier. You will be fulfilled. You will begin to use your gifts and talents for His service and helping other people and in turn will help you to become a more powerful and strong woman. Write down 10 ways you can sacrifice for others, in small ways. Take this list and transfer it to your daily routine and schedule. Example - eat breakfast with your suite mate, bring her coffee, take out the trash, invite someone out, meet someone new, lead a small group study, complement your neighbor, get to know someone who is not like you, wash the dishes, pray.
Failure to make the proper sacrifices, failure to reveal yourself, failure to live and tell the truth—all that weakens you. In that weakened state, you will be unable to thrive in the world, and you will be of no benefit to yourself or to others. You will fail and suffer, stupidly. That will corrupt your soul. How could it be otherwise? Life is hard enough when it is going well. But when it’s going badly?
What shall I do when I’m tired and impatient? Gratefully accept an outstretched helping hand. This is something with a twofold meaning. It’s an injunction, first, to note the reality of the limitations of individual being and, second, to accept and be thankful for the support of others—family, friends, acquaintances and strangers alike. Exhaustion and impatience are inevitable. There is too much to be done and too little time in which to do it. But we don’t have to strive alone, and there is nothing but good in distributing the responsibilities, cooperating in the efforts, and sharing credit for the productive and meaningful work thereby undertaken. - JBP 12 Rules
I am proud of each of you and I believe you are each uniquely equipped to walk confidently and humbly towards helping restore the soul of our nation. By repairing your own soul and seeking noble service and charity, with the blessing of our Lord and Savior, your stories will help postpone the current decay of our civilization. We need peace. We need joy. We need to love others the way Christ loved us - show His love. They will know we are for real by our love for one another.
Until we meet again,
Brent Phillips
FIR - University House
Baylor School of Music