Heather Pate

2012-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

If I can't say anything else for this past week and weekend, I can say that once again my cup runneth over! A few weeks ago, I started working with the youth at my church. Not that I'm far from my teenage years, but I forgot how cool teenagers are! In the few weeks I've been working with them, I have been amazed at what they are teaching me. We have about 12 or so teenagers in the youth group and the average age is about 16, most of them being Juniors and Seniors in high school. I get to talk with them about colleges and what they hope to study. Lately, we've been talking about how to live a gospel centered life among our friends and how to practice forgiveness. I forget how much pressure teenagers face in high school. I'm currently at a Christian school and spend most of my time there and I face a lot of pressures, but not quite like high schoolers. They know so much about the scriptures and I hope that they are really in a relationship with the Lord. It's hard to stand up against the temptations that are so blatant in our society. I think young people, myself and my friends included, forget too easily how God views us. Psalm 139 says He knows you. He knows what you think and feel. He formed you in your mother's womb and you were beautifully and wonderfully made. Our youth need men and women to stand up for them. To confirm that they are fighting well and that they are so precious. One thing I feel very passionate about is the standard older believers set for the younger generations. If they don't see us loving people or loving the Lord and enjoying our relationships with Him, what makes them want to follow us in our faith? There has to be a change in the way we live. It has to be compelling and attractive, not miserable and devoid of anything exciting. We should act like we are Redeemed. We should guard our eyes, thoughts, minds, mouths, hearts, and bodies as precious. If we treat ourselves and others as precious in God's eyes, they will eventually come to think the same of themselves. It has been exciting to get to know these girls and I can't wait to get to know them better! This has been an awesome door that God opened for me.

Moving Forward

2012-01-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

"Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct
their steps." (Jeremiah 10:23). There's something incredibly terrifying and exciting about following the Lord. I never know where the Lord will take me or how I will get there! The Lord has been challenging me and testing me by doing things that I would have never imagined, often different, very different things (Eph. 3:20). I was reminded of this as I was sitting in class today, obviously distracted! I was thinking of my parents and how they are stepping out in faith and moving to Ecador, selling almost everything we've accumulated over the years. Not only are they leaving the familiar, but they're stepping into completely unfamiliar territory where nothing is predictable. I was also thinking of my summer plans and the internships I've been applying for. Coming to law school I would have never imagined myself in D.C. or working in policy. It' amazing (in a bad way) how my thoughts become consumed with my own failures and achievements in determining what internship I have a greater chance of getting. As if it is my doing! Just before Joshua dies in chapter 24 of the book of Joshua, he gathers the Israelites together to see if they are truely going to be commited to God and to renew their covenant with Him. Joshua reminds them that everywhere they've been and every battle they've claimed victory over has been God's doing. None of it was of their own. In law school, as in most places, you have your idealist and your pragmatic thinkers. Some students dream of the perfect job and of saving the world from trafficking or overturning Roe v. Wade and some just want to find a job that will lend some experience and maybe a job in the future. Whatever type of thinkers we are, the Lord already knows what He has in store of us. He has speical plans in mind and whether it is a job I feel adequately prepared for or whether is is in a totality different direction, His ways are perfect. He is able to do abundantly more than I can ever think or image and His plans are good. (Jeremiah 29:11). He keeps surprising me more and more as He teaches me to step out in faith and do things I don't feel I'm capable of doing.

My cup runneth over

2012-01-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

By God's glory, this week I have finally felt like I am where I'm supposed to be. I feel like i've found my place here! We had our first meeting for the Center for Global Justice on friday and it's so exciting to hear what the Lord is doing. Last semester, the dean of our law school got to meet with the President of Mexico to talk about how the Center can partner with their government and offer support. At the same time, eight countries in Africa have contacted Regent to help them establish model law schools in Africa. These are such wonderful opportunities because these countries are war torn and downtrodden and one day a new generation of youth will be able to establish justice in their own countries through the rule of law. Jesus calls us to fight for the oppressed and to speak up for those that cannot speak for themselves! God is allowing the Center for Global Justice to be apart of the work that He is doing around the world to provide justice for the hurting. One story is of an African woman who was trafficked from Africa to Russia and randomly contacted Regent to find out where she could receive help in Russia. Because of the Center, the woman was put in contact with an organization that helps trafficked women. For circumstances such as this, I will be working with he Center to research non-profit organizations who hold the same values as the Center in order to build a collaborative network. It is evident that God is doing great things, because Satan is also at work. Several of our team members are facing difficult and unexpected circumstances, but that will not stop us. We know that God is in control of all things and we are joining together in prayer both for our friends and for the work that He is going to do through the Center. Please keep the center my friends in your prayers as they face very difficult circumstances. For such a time is this!

Another week down, only 12 more to go...Wow.

2012-01-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend was pretty exciting. I got to spend it with friends when I wasn't studying. We went to Williamsburg had a great time. Then, I got to watch the Denver game with some other friends. Go Tim! I can't believe week on is already over. Looking back at last semester and ahead, the semester ahead seems so short and yet we have so much to learn. It's kind of exciting. Dean Cook always says, "you have 3 years to become the best lawyers you can be." I think that's very true. My professors remind us often to work at our subjects with all of our hearts, as pleasing unto the Lord. That's an important perspective to keep in mind with anything we do. It reminds us in the busyness that it's not about us, but Christ. He is the one who called us to this mission.

Some exciting news to report: I was accepted to be a part of a student volunteer team for the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law. I'm so excited to begin working with the Center, because it is the reason I came to this school. Its goal is to equip advocates to seek justice for victims of oppression and slavery, both domestically and abroad. Many of my friends came to Regent because of this Center. Its seeks to fight against sex trafficking, slavery, poverty, and other forms of injustice. Actually, many Regent alumni have been sent out to work in places like D.C., India, Cambodia, Africa and so many other places to work against these issues, which is a great thing for us because we get to network with these great people. My hope is to work toward the rights of children in the foster care system and for adoption issues. So in short, it's exciting to start working on the issues that i'm passionate about, while i'm studying all of these not so exciting subjects.

New Year and New Start

2012-01-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

I am finally back in Virginia Beach and geared up to start a new semester. Being home was wonderful. The Lord blessed me with many special moments with my family and friends. It was so good to be at my home church and around familiar sights. The Lord even blessed me with an extra night at home. I was supposed to fly out thursday afternoon, but my flight was delayed and I gained an extra night at home. Some of the cool accounts from home: I was invited to sit in on several court hearings and a "Home for the Holidays" ceremony put on by Judge David Gooding, who is a dependancy judge in Jacksonville. On December 19th, I got to watch about 25+ children be officially adopted. Judge Gooding has a huge heart for children and every year at Christmas, he puts on a festive ceremony for the children and their families and finalizes all the awaiting adoptions. It was so special to hear the parents tell the court why they wanted the child. It was incredibly special for me, because I've seen parents rights become terminated in the same court room. From working at a homeless shelter, I've seen the Dept. of Children and Families workers come take the children. So, it is extra special to see the good things that come out of the court room. In addition, I'm pleased to share that I passed all of my classes, to the glory of God! I also had the opportunity to visit a friend in D.C. for the new year, which was pretty cool considering so many of our policies and laws come from that very area. Seeing the capitol building and the Supreme Court building helped inspire me a little bit when I wasn't so excited about starting the craziness again. Hopefully, that will give me motivation to start strong and stay focused this semester. I'm confident that it will be a good one with many opportunities!

Comfort

2011-12-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how God shows up at just the right time and how quickly I forget that. I had an issue this week with some assignments that never got submitted over the internet, and I have no idea if they will be counted at this point. I have no idea how greatly that will effect my grade in the class. I was certain I had submitted the assignments, but in the end they never made it. I was so stressed out a few minutes ago, dumbfounded by my mistake and completely hard on myself. I don't think it was a matter of irresponsibility, it was just an honest mistake. On top of that stress and the stress of a potentially bad grade in the class, I have my last exam tomorrow. So, the stress just mounted. At this point, there's nothing I can do about it, and I have to go on. There's no sense in freaking out about it or spending the evening crying over it. I have to be diligent to prepare for the next thing. Move on. It's easy in these moments to forget that God is bigger than my mistakes and that He has a purpose that is beyond my understanding or reasoning. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is truely a wonderful counselor, comforter, and prince of peace, regardless of my circumstances. While that's not always easy to convince yourself of, it's a matter of persistent faith and forward motion.

"Is this really happening?"

2011-12-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

That seems to be the main question my friends and I are asking ourselves! Is this really happening? Am I really in Law School? Am I really taking final exams? Do I really know Property law or Contract law or tort law? Uhhh...probley some more than others, but Yes. I think it is all really happening. Finals week is something to be reckoned with! I feel like I'm battling with God, to have Him take this away, but instead He gives me thorns of all types (mainly the material and little time) to keep me in check and relying on Him! It's amazing how much a person's brain can retain in little time, especially Contracts. I had a contracts exam today, and I had no idea what was going on in the class until two days ago! I learned it the best I could, spent 2 1/2 hours on my test today, and I have NO idea how it will turn out. I was reading again in Joshua 1, where the Lord tells Joshua it's his turn to lead the people over the Jordan, into the promised land. Joshua was trained by Moses, was called to this task, and the Lord promised Him that he would take the land. I keep reminding myself that no matter what these grades are, the Lord has called me here; He's been preparing me (I've been preparing diligently- as well as I knew how for a first year student), and He's going to fulfill His purpose for me. So, on to the next exam, which is friday! Then only two more next week.

As with everything, there must be balance~ So, my friends and I went to the Regent Christmas ball. We all got ready in my friend's tiny apartment on campus...fixed our hair, put on cute dresses, and danced the night away in the atrium of the law school! It was a great stress reliever. A big band of about 12 members played my favorite music, and I got to teach my friends how to ballroom dance. Not surprisingly, there weren't many law students there. It is still my assumption that I don't exactly fit your typical law student mold. I don't think I ever will. That's okay.

Finishing strong

2011-11-27T13:19:00.000-08:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over and I'm back to the push! This time its a full-on sprint to the finish line. I went home for break, and I'm so thankful for it. It was so refreshing to see my family and friends, to spend some time out in the middle of no-where, FL, and to sit by fire laughing. Every year, my family goes camping with a large group from our church back home. It's wonderful! Lots of food, lots of people, and lots of laughing. It's nice to take a break from the work for a little while, except that I worked several hours every day. Now that I'm back, I feel the pressure pushing down. We have one more week of classes and two weeks of exams, 6 exams to be exact. However, only two of my classes have grades where the exam is the only factor. These next three weeks will be the true test of faith for me. It's so incredibly difficult to not compete intellectually, to not seek the approval of classmates and professors, and to not become overwhelmed. I just flew in this morning from Jacksonville; it's sunday; and I haven't even done any studying today, but I feel so anxious already. Thank the Lord that He is big enough to cover my weaknesses. I hope to finish strong in these last few weeks, because that is what the Lord calls us to do. Keep our mind set, press on, not look off track, finish strong. In three weeks, I will be able to say that I finished my first semester of law school and I didn't give up! Also, I visited another church this morning and really loved it. Most of all, I loved that the pastor brought up the story of George Mueller. He is one of my heroes in faith. He was a missionary in England who raised some 10,000 orphans, maybe more. He never once asked for money; he only asked the Lord to provide. George overcame a lot of shortcomings in his own life to get to the place where God lead him, but he denied himself and the Lord moved in his life in Amazing ways! This reminds me yet again of I know God is calling me to. To take care of the orphans, whereever and however that may look! Prayerfully, my posts will come with increasing faith in the weeks to come. Hope and trust in God alone, no matter the circumstances, as I finish strong!

Christian Worldview on Controversial Topics

2011-11-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm required to take a class called Christian Foundations of Law for this first semester of law school. The first couple of weeks of class we talked about various christian philosophers, lawyers and theologians. They discuss different worldviews on the law and how it came to be and what kind of authority government and citizens should have on the law. Basically, we learn the background of law from christian thinkers. It's a very interesting class and I'm so glad we're required to take because we talk about a lot about reason and justice and morals and the law. Now, we're starting to talk about christian worldviews on more current, controversial topics. So far, we've talked about abortion, transgender rights, criminal punishments: retribution and restorative justice, efficient breach of contracts, criminal responsibility. Our discussions come from both christian and non-christian legal professionals. They discuss moral issues behind eah topic and justice. We also discuss relevant scriptures from the bible with each topic. Now, we're talking about preemptive war and the ideas behind the Bush Doctrine, which was the first instance where a nation openly claimed that it would strike down any nation that has or harbors terrorist, essentially a claim to use preemptive forces. This is a very interesting topic considering the majority of my classmates, if not all, have grown up in the midst of some kind of terrorist threat. Our college and high school days were engulfed with the "war on terror." In the midst of the conversations i've grown up hearing and what the news wants to report, it is so important to step back and see the bigger picture and what I actually believe is just and what the bible says is just. I appreciate this class so much, because it gives me an opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on worldview, because it's a christian univeristy, it's emphasis is placed on scripture and a natural law worldview, where God is the ultimate authority and all things are subject to His will.

Enough.

2011-11-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

I just want to start by saying how great God is! Since my last post, I have turned in my memorandum and I'm beginning to prepare for finals. The past week, I have felt so exhausted and depleted, but the Lord is so faithful to uphold me with His righteous right hand! He is so wonderful in so many ways. It amazes me how I get to the end of each day and feel so depleted, and the next morning my only prayer is selfishly for the Lord to bring me through, to help me get my work done, and to not fall asleep in class. Yet, I am so amazed when He does not only that, but more!

Fall is such a beautiful time here in Virginia. The trees are green, yellow, brown, red, orange, and purple. They're absolutely beautiful, but they're in transition! They change on the outside because of the change that's going on within. The chemical changes within a leaf are taking place constantly until fall when they finally change with the weather and the season. Then, they fall.

This is kind of what God is doing in my life, and in everyone's life really. There's so many things I want to change about my life and so many things that need to change. God is so good to make us so beautiful. I am realizing the blessing the Lord has given me here. I do a bible study with about 5 other 1Ls, and they are amazing. The Lord has really been changing each of us completely. Our bible study this week was about God being enough in our lives. I am often discontent with my present life and my present circumstances. My contracts professor gave a devotion in my class that reminded me of a Jim Elliot quote, "where ever you are, be all there." Lately, I've not been satisfied. The grass is not always greener on the otherside, even though it always looks it from a distance. No matter where I'm at discontentment can be found, until I realize that God is enough. The sad thing is that we can allow satan to cloud our minds with everything we don't have even when God has placed so many wonderful opportunities, people, and things around us! Good thing we have four seasons, and they come around again every year (at least if you live in a city that has 4 seasons!). We're always in transition. Always changing. Always becoming more like our Father.

The Countdown begins!

2011-11-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

Myself and the rest of my friends are about 28 hours away from turning in the biggest assignment of our first semester. We have to draft a Legal Memorandum, which gives advice to partners in the firm about what a court might decide on a particular subject based on what past courts have decided about the same or similar issues in the past. This paper is about 40% of our grade! Its a means for us newbies to learn how to think and write like a lawyer. It is as hard and terrifying as it sounds! This paper alone is requires more work than part-time job. I have been working on it about 5 or 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, for about 2 weeks. God has given me so much peace about it though. He is so faithful to provide when we ask! However, once this monster is past me, I can start officially counting down to finals...which means I've almost survived my first semester of Law school!!! I can't believe the semester is 3/4ths of the way over. It has been so hard, but completely worth every moment. The Lord keeps reminding me that there's so much value in being stretched and pulled and made stronger. When it seems like I can't be stretched any more, the Lord comes in and keeps testing me, and had I not accepted the Lord's call to come to Regent, or law school for that matter, I would have missed out on so many amazing opportunities to share my faith and my passion for orphans and foster care and global justice. (Just a side note: Dean Brauch, the head of our law school, gets to meet with the President of Mexico to talk about the Center for Global Justice, which he started about 2 years ago.) I am hoping to start working with the Center here on campus in the Spring. It's an another awesome opportunity to make connections with various agencies and nonprofits around the world, as well as other students and professionals that have the same burden.

**23 days til Thanksgiving!
*20 days until I get to go home to Florida!! Yay for the warmth.

Week of Rest

2011-10-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

This past week was our fall break, and it was much needed. I ended up working on school work all week, but I'm thankful for the chance to catch up from exam week and keep up with everything else do in the next few weeks. It's been nice not to have the stress of classes while catching up and studying what i've already learned. However, in the past week the Lord has been reminding me of why i'm here studying law. More than not, I wonder why I'm here and why God wouldn't just let me take the easier route and move to Ecuador or the Philippines and do hard labor or counsel young kids! However, I'm so glad I'm here, being stretched as I am. Many of my classmates are passionate about the injustice occurring around the world. In the past month, I've gotten to see several films on the sex trafficking industry, and I've gotten to hear personal testimonies from victims of sexual trafficking. Believe it or not, sex trafficking occurrs right here in the United States. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that from 2008 to 2010, about 2,515 people were victims of trafficking, in the U.S.! (http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=40) So, I say all of that to say... My friend came up with this idea to create printed screen t-shirts to make people aware of trafficking, and that it occurs right here in North American. We are hoping to get started on this project soon, with the verbal approval of our Dean. We hope to sell them for cost, just to make people aware. Awareness is one of the bigger issues that has to be dealt with before trafficking can really be dealt with as a whole.

On another note, my parents had their information banquet last Thursday and got to tell people about their project. In April my parents are going to Costa Rica to learn spanish, and after a year they will be moving to Shell, Ecuador to work as full-time missionaries. Dad will be working in an orphanage, and mom will be working as a nurse in the missionary hopsital that sees the indigenous, who often walk for miles from the jungle to seek treatment. I'm so proud of them, and so excited. This too is causing me to be stretched! I've never been another continent away from my parents! I'm so thankful that they're following God's will for their lives. I know God is going to use them miraculously.

To see more about what my parents are doing, I posted a link to their website below.

http://pateministries.org/

Suriving.

2011-10-12T19:32:00.001-07:00

You know when you go to a theme park or the Grand Canyon or go down the Chatooga, on a white water rafting trip, and you always buy a shirt that says, "I survived the Chatooga," or those that say "Only the tough make it out alive." I'm pretty sure every 1L (first year law student) can attest to the fact that round one of exams should come with an "I made it out alive" kind of shirt. This week was my first taste of law school exams. The scary thing about law school exams is that you usually only have one, the final! However, my school is kind enough to give us mid-term exams in at least 2 classes. This year it happened to be Property and Civil Procedure. I will refrain from boring you with the subject matter. I'm pleased to say that they went well. Praise the Lord!! I got at least 5 to 6 hours of sleep every night and still ate to my heart's content. So, i'd say it went well. However, if you ever want God to stretch you and show you what you're really made of...just go to law school and try to take one of the exams. It has a way of forcing a person to trust God in a whole new way. Quiet times, running, and coffee breaks become little treasures within each day. They become the light you look to at the end of the path. Over all, the Lord has really been teaching me to press through the long days (and nights) and the tiredness and the apathy for Contracts and Torts! He's teaching me to do my best and to strive for excellence, for Him, even when (especially when) I want to quit and just move down to Ecuador. Philippians 3:14 (NIV), "I [constantly] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." So, maybe we're not just surviving, I'd say we're thriving!

**I met two other University of Florida alums this week, which is super exciting. The Gator Nation truely is everywhere!
**Flag football: Assault and Battery is 2-2, but we're looking to dominate Friday!
**Tim Tebow is the starting QB for the Broncos, just in case anyone didn't catch that!

Fall has arrived.

2011-10-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

There's just no time like October: friends, football, cool weather, and pumpkin spice coffee!! There's something about the fall that makes me happy. Something that just radiates beauty. It's still a bit too early for the leaves to change, but that's coming, and soon it will be fall break and Thanksgiving. Even in the midst of two mid-terms, a completely terrifying Memorandum Discussion for Legal Analysis Research and Writing, and all of the other daily business, it's so beautiful. Something about going to the library seems invigorating and heading to class in the morning exciting...I'm going to assume it's the 60 degree weather! It's helpful too that i'm starting to find my rhythm here at law school and in VA. The other day, a few friends and went to the beach after class to toss around the volleyball and swim, and today I got to hear a great concert with a few friends at CBN's 50th anniversary celebration. It's been great to get out of the library and feel like a real person- that doesn't happen often! My days usually consist of going to the library, class, the library, class, the library again, and then maybe a run before heading back to the library, if i'm lucky. God is so good and so faithful. It seems to me that many law students think that if you're not stressed out, you're not working hard enough. God is teaching me that when we give our assignments and work to God and we do the best we can, He makes us prosper, and He provides the increase of time, energy, and relief. He is Jehovah Jireh!

So, yay for fall. Thank you Jesus for the trees and the leaves, for football, friends, and for pumpkin spice coffee!

Friends

2011-09-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

One of the hard things about moving to a new city and a new school... and a new life, is loneliness. One has to leave behind all his friends and family and everything familiar. At first, feelings of loneliness really overwhelmed me, but I'm finding that God is so faithful. Although I know this already, it is so refreshing to be reminded of His faithfulness in my life. Since coming to Regent, I have found so many sincerely kind and wonderful people, who have become great friends. I have since joined the 1L flag football team, Assault and Battery (because it's all we know), in which I have gained a whole team of brothers and sisters. Plus, I've gained so many new friendships just from being in class and going to the library (of all places!). The great thing about being at a christian school, Regent in particular, is that we are united in the love of Christ. We love one another because of the example of Christ's love towards us. I get excited when I realize that I get to spend the next 3 years with my new brothers and sisters in Christ, because I know that we will challenge and uplift and support one another through this crazy journey we've all begun. It's very true that law school can really bring people together who are suffering for the same goal!

Week one: What an adventure!

2011-09-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, I'm supposed to blog every week, but last week was a little bit of a whirlwind...quite literally. On the second day of classes, D.C. experienced an earthquake. Well, we definately felt it here in Virginia Beach too. Being from Florida, I've never experienced that before; it made me feel slightly dizzy, like when you stand up too quickly. Two days later, we get reports of hurricane Irene coming straight towards us and that classes would be cancelled. So, Thursday night I backed up and left on the spot to take cover with two friends from Balitmore. Praise the Lord, no serious damage was done to our house. God was so faithful! My friends' family, who I was staying with was amazing! They even threw me a little birthday party. My brithday, however, was celebrated with 2 days of power outages (what I'd like to call Missionary Training). Luckily, I was able to catch up on some school work while in Baltimore. The Lord kept us all safe and blessed us in the process.

I also wanted to add a little note of what God has been teaching me lately about this new season of life and of the weakness I've been feeling for the tasks that lay ahead.

From Elisabeth Elliot's Daily Devotional: "Content to be Weak"

"What weakness are you feeling today?"

"Christ has been there before you. Every form of human limitation He knew, and out of that utter poverty we have been made strong. Yet, again and again, in the life of each disciple, comes the experience of weakness in order that we may live His life for others.

'We who share His weakness shall by the power of God live with Him in your service' (2Cor. 13:4).

This sharing of His weakness is one aspect of the death of the cross, one of the conditions of our discipleship, and hence cause for joy rather than bitterness. For we walk the road, not alone, but with Christ, 'well content to be weak at any time if only you are strong' (2 Cor 13:9). The mystery is constantly being worked out-- strength out of weakness, life out of death."

My experiences are nothing like what others face all around the world, but each difficulty matters to God, and He's letting us know that through it He is making us strong and drawing us into Himself, that we might truely experience the life He has for us.

First day of law school!

2011-08-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, I'll be honest out front, I've never written a blog before, and I really don't know quite what to write. So, here it goes...

Today, I started my first day of law school. So far I've had two weeks of Academic Success Program and one full week of orientation, so I felt very oriented, at least up until this morning. I felt pretty anxious about what the day might hold: meeting all my professors, meeting and finding friends, and walking into the wonderful world of the law school classroom. Everything turned out to be just fine and not quite as scary as I had expected. My professors seem tough, but they have great expectations for us. They really show concern and care for their students. The community at Regent is amazing, even for only having been apart of it for 3 weeks now, I really love it. The students really love the Lord, and everyone I have met so far really has a passion for serving people and for the Lord. I'm so thankful that God led me to Regent. Since the first day of orientation, the professors keep reminding us that "we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength!" (Philippians 4:13). This is a very encouraging thing, not just to hear scripture in class, but to hear it from your professor. At the beginning of each class, the professor is required to do a devotion or pray. Today's devotions were so comforting. Through the course of 4 devotions, the Lord reminded me (again through my Professors!) that He is my comfort and my strength, and that He will empower me to do the task that He has brought me here for. This was so great for me, because satan has really tried to discourage me and make me doubt God's call on my life in the law.