I didn’t grow up in a Christian household, and truly didn’t even know what the idea of being a Christian was until I met my best friend, Lauren, in high school. She was the first person in my life that openly made it known she was a Christian and constantly poured into others, including myself.

Lauren and I ended up living together all four years of college and she continued to push me to follow Jesus, even though I had no expectations especially when it came to faith.

I lived a double life my freshman year, going to Campus Ministry events every Sunday but partying on Fridays and Saturdays. Late into my first year of college, I realized I never retained what was taught at church services and wasn’t living the truth of the gospel outside of the building we met in on Sundays. I wasn’t being filled up by partying and I was getting into crowds which I now see were the wrong ones. I didn’t want to live that life anymore.

This is when I took the steps to actually follow Jesus, instead of just knowing who He is. I eventually joined a leadership team in my Campus Ministry and went on mission trips that I still hold close to my heart because of how much they impacted me.

Like many others though, my journey to a relationship with Christ hasn’t been linear. I have battled depression, anxiety, and self-image issues for a few years now. With this has come many moments of not feeling filled up or being able to find a purpose for my day-to-day life.

I still pushed through and have continued to fall in love with Jesus more every day. I began going to therapy and have realized it’s more than okay to have Jesus and a therapist too!