RUFTulsa Kick-off and upcoming events!

We've got some fun things happening soon! Here's what's going on:

Saturday August 24th - "Light Up The Night" 

Snow cones, glow sticks, games, and music by the TU fountains from 7-9:30p.m. Come hang out with us and have some fun before classes start! 

Tuesday August 27th - First RUF Large Group of the Fall Semester! 

Want to know what RUF is all about? Then come to Tyrell hall next Tuesday night at 7:30 to meet some people, eat pizza, and hear what's going on in RUF and how you can get involved! (Tyrell is located next to Sharp Chapel, near the center of campus). 

Friday August 30th - Cookout at the Corbin's

Celebrate the end of your first week of classes by coming out to Brent and Sarah Corbin's for food and fellowship from 6-10p.m. We'll have more details at RUF Large Group and will arrange rides. Hope you can join us! 

Students, stay tuned for more RUF happenings! Hope to see you soon! 

Welcome Class of 2017!

New TU freshmen moved in this week!! I got to help a handful of female students move in to their dorm Monday before Orientation kick-off. This whole week freshmen attended various events to get to know each other and the campus better. I had the privilege of hanging out with them as an Orientation Mentor. I was paired with a group of about 13 freshmen and had a great time going to activities and sharing meals with them. Orientation events included some small group time, a trip to Dry Gulch for camp, and a campus scavenger hunt. They also took a class picture (see the time lapse below), which I got to be a part of! (My friend Vanessa and I are wearing red shirts and can be spotted near the bottom of the "T").

Class of 2017 time-lapse photo from utulsa on Vimeo.

The Class of 2017 seems like a pretty great bunch and I'm looking forward to getting to know many of them better this year!

Some pics from camp!

Thoughts from RUF Training

Last week I had the privilege of gathering together with RUF interns, campus ministers, and staff at our annual summer training in Atlanta, GA. This week was by far my favorite out of the four times I've been to Atlanta for training meetings. I enjoyed the week as much as I did for several reasons:

Time with interns - I know many of the other interns better now and have developed deep friendships with a number of them. It's awesome to share stories with each other, pray together, and encourage one another. We only see each other a few times a year, but they are some of the best times. I'm so thankful for the other interns!

Prayer Groups - One afternoon of the week is committed entirely to time with our prayer groups (which were established at Orientation last summer). Each time I go to Atlanta for training, I get to meet with the same group of girls. I really look forward to this time of catching up with each other and praying for one another. It's uplifting to hear about how God is at work in their lives and through their ministries. I cherish these young women very much and hope our friendships last well beyond our time as interns.

Worship night - In the middle of training week we all gather together for a time of worship. The music was led by interns and a campus minister gave us a message from the Word. After the message we took communion together. It's so awesome to spend time worshipping and taking communion together not just as co-workers, but as a body of believers. This is one reason why I love my job so much!

Seminars - Our seminars were very relevant and much-needed reminders of what our job is all about and why we need the Gospel just as much as our students. We were told that our number one job as an intern is to stay connected to Christ. This is so important, because everything we do in our ministry should flow out of a heart that is centered on the Lord. We were reminded to care for our souls and "abide in Christ" (John 15:1-11) because our ministry is impossible without God.

I'm so thankful for the time I had in Atlanta and am glad to be back in Tulsa now. It's nice to settle back into life here and prepare for a new year of ministry with RUF. I can't wait to see what's in store!

Support Update: 

I'm pleased to let you all know that my account is currently sitting at 79%. I'm awaiting several gifts to come in that will put my account at 90%! I'm so grateful for all the support I've received and expect to receive. I have about $2,860 left to raise to be fully-funded for year two! Praise God!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

Traveling, Training, and back to Tulsa again!

Hello!

I got back to Omaha Thursday evening and have enjoyed spending some time with my family before my brother's big move to Portland! He will be working for a custom t-shirt company out there and doing some freelance graphic design work. I'm very proud of him and excited for his new opportunity! My brother, parents, and the dog all hit the road early this morning and left me behind in Omaha. It's been lonely and quiet in the house, but I was able to visit a few friends this evening and it was good to catch up with them.

Family photo before Nate's move. It might be awhile before we are all together again.

Tomorrow I'll be flying off to Atlanta for a week for RUF training. I'm really looking forward to being with all of the other interns so we can share stories, worship together, and pray for one another.

I'll get back to Omaha next Friday evening, just in time for a friend's wedding the next day. After that I'll drive back to Tulsa and will have less than a month before classes start!! I'm so thankful for all of the opportunities I've had to travel and visit with family and friends this summer. It will be nice, though, to finally be back in Tulsa so I can get more plugged-in to my church and community and prepare for the new school year. I can't wait to meet all of the new freshmen!

Support update: 

With all of the new pledges and gifts I've received or expect to receive soon, I anticipate needing about $5,000 more! I'm getting much closer to 100% and am so thankful for all who have been able to help. As always, thank you for praying, too! Praise God for what He has provided and pray that He would graciously and faithfully provide the rest.

"The Notion of Divine Control"

This year I've been reading through the devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I found today's devo particularly relevant and stirring, especially in the midst of raising support, though it is necessary for every Christian to remember every day. I've typed a few of Chambers' thoughts below:

"How much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" - Matthew 7:11

Jesus is laying down rules of conduct for those who have His Spirit. By the simple argument of these verses He urges us to keep our minds filled with the notion of God's control behind everything, which means that the disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.

Notion your mind with the idea that God is there....then when you are in difficulties it is as easy as breathing to remember - Why, my Father knows all about it! 

....Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those who have His Spirit, and it works on this principle - God is my Father, He loves me, I shall never think of anything He will forget, why should I worry?

....Keep the notion of the mind of God behind all things strong and growing. Nothing happens in any particular unless God's will is behind it, therefore you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but an attitude of mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. "Ask, and it shall be given you." 


God is in control. God loves me. I can trust Him. I can eagerly ask Him for what I need, though He already knows it. He is there, with me, always. He will provide. Why should I worry?

I find myself having difficulty in raising support (or when I'm in need of anything!) when I fail to come before God and ask Him to meet my needs. I often feel I must be in control and that whether my needs are met rests totally upon my own competence or effort. But this isn't true. Nothing happens unless God wills it to happen. He is in control of my support and when/how I get it. I believe I'm walking and living within His will, and therefore I can have confidence in Him that He will provide. He does, however, desire that I ask Him. There must be a display of faith on my part in His sovereignty, but also a willingness to ask Him, in confidence, that He meet my needs.

I hope this is an encouraging reminder to you, whatever your needs may be, that God is with you, He loves you, He is in control, and He is there for you. Don't be afraid to go to Him and ask Him for whatever you need.

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16

Thoughts on raising support....again

Hello, friends!

This summer has been so busy; I can't believe it's already half over! I've been doing a lot of traveling, including a trip to Florida for RUF Summer Conference, a visit home, and ten days in Scotland. Later this month I'll be going home again briefly before flying to Atlanta for RUF training.

Since I've been gone a lot, I haven't been actively raising support for my internship. I've sent out some emails and a few letters here and there, but I haven't made many phone calls or met with a ton of people in person. I've started to panic a little bit, wondering if I'm slacking off too much and not faithfully doing my part to make sure I'm funded for my second year. I thought support-raising this summer would be easier than last year because I have experience. In some ways it has been since I'm not working from ground zero: I already have a pretty good base of supporters. But it's still hard.

I realized support-raising is hard mostly because I make it that way.

I focus too much on the numbers and forget that behind every dollar is a person who is willing and excited to give because they want me to have this job. They believe I'm where I'm supposed to be and they're encouraged by the work God has called me to do. 

It's a huge blessing to invite others to join my ministry and help make it happen. It really is a team-effort: I'm willing and able to serve, but my ministry isn't possible without financial support. Other people aren't able to go and meet with college students, but they're willing and able to supply the money I need. It's a beautiful thing to see the Body of Christ work together so college students may know the love of God and Truth of the gospel.

I don't know why I get so anxious about raising support. God is faithful, and He showed that faithfulness to me last summer in amazing ways. I needed 85% of my support to move to Tulsa last year. Two days before I wanted to move, God supplied 86% of my support.

He showed me that not only does He provide exactly what I need when I need it, but He also gives me more than I ask for.

Remembering God's past kindness to me gives me hope and encouragement that He will continue to bless me, and in ways I least expect. Please pray for me as I seek to remember God's faithfulness and rely upon Him to supply my every need. I hope that you, too, will experience God's blessings exactly when you need them.

"The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does." - Ps. 145:13

I have about $16,500 left to raise in order to continue my ministry with RUF this fall. If you are interested in supporting me, I thank you and would love to talk with you. Send me a message at beth.trueblood@ruf.org. You can make a donation online at www.ruf.org/donate (select my name from the staff member drop-down menu). You can also mail a check (made out to RUF with my name and fund code 1376 in the memo line) to:

Reformed University Fellowship
1700 North Brown Road, Suite 104 
Lawrenceville, GA 30043

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Summer Conference 2013

I'm a bit behind on posting about Summer Conference....

Last month RUF Tulsa took a group of about 40 students to Panama City Beach, FL for a week-long conference. Close to 1,000 students from various campuses gathered together during this week for fellowship, worship, and teaching from God's Word. The conference was very encouraging, challenging, and fun!

Students enjoyed hanging out on the beach and attending different seminars. Some of the more popular seminars were Dating & Relationships, Depression & Anxiety, True Rest, and Grief & Suffering. The seminar on True Rest was most helpful for me. I often struggle with taking time to rest - and to rest well! - but God COMMANDS us to keep a Sabbath. I often think of rest as something I have to earn, but I was reminded that rest is a gift God gives to us to draw near to Him and gain a better understanding of who He is. We were created for work and for rest and need to find a rhythm and balance. When we learn to rest well, we will have greater joy in the work God gives us to do.

I can't believe the conference was already over a month ago! It was truly a wonderful week and I enjoyed spending time with the students and getting to know them better. Here are some pictures from our trip:

Enjoying frog legs!

RUF Tulsa Ladies

First Easter in Tulsa

NOTE: I realize Easter was awhile ago, but I started this blog post and never got around to finishing and posting it. So, while over a month late, it's a good reminder of the meaning of Easter and the ways God has blessed me with friends and wonderful community in my new home in Tulsa.

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He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

These are the traditional words spoken at church services across the world on Easter Sunday. I wish we spoke these words more often. Throughout the year I find myself thinking about and talking about the Cross: I consider the immense pain, the costly sacrifice, and thank God I never have to face such a death. But I infrequently consider what comes after the Cross: Christ didn't just die, he overcame death and defeated sin. He didn't just open a door and give us a pass into heaven: He determined that we should have Christ's righteousness, as imperfect as we are, and be called children of God. I love how Easter reminds me to look past the Cross and see that, because Christ is risen, I don't remain dead in my sins but have been raised to a new, better life with him (see Romans 6).

This was my first Easter spent in Tulsa, and first Easter away from my family. While I thought it might be difficult, God has blessed me with an incredible family of believers to celebrate with. This past weekend was one of the best I've had in Tulsa. It started off well on Good Friday: I attended a lunch on campus with some students where we read and reflected on selected scripture in the chapel sanctuary. In the evening I went to my church's Good Friday service then went back to the chapel on campus for a lock-in. We spent an hour during the lock-in singing worship songs, reading scripture on the crucifixion, and washing each others' feet before spending the night hanging out and having fun together. Somehow I managed to stay up the entire night! It seemed the perfect way to spend Good Friday: reflecting on the Cross, worshipping, and enjoying fellowship with other believers.

Saturday the weather was beautiful and I'm thankful I had some energy to enjoy the sunshine with a friend, and Sunday morning I awoke ready to celebrate Easter. After the church service my campus minister and his wife invited students who couldn't be home for Easter to share a delicious potluck-style meal at their home. We had over a dozen of us gathered at one big table. The food and fellowship were wonderful!

The weather in Tulsa Easter day was gorgeous and my roommate and I went to the river near our apartment for a bit. Some friends of ours came over later in the evening and I had the privilege of making them homemade pesto with pasta and chicken for dinner. Though dinner didn't consist of the normal foods I'm used to (like lamb), and though I couldn't be with my immediate family, it was a joy for me to be able to share Easter dinner with a few good friends who have become like family to me.

I'm so incredibly thankful for the ways God has shown His amazing and undeserved love to me through Christ and through new friends. I'm overwhelmed by His goodness to me and how He has cared for me so well during this new stage of life. My time in Tulsa so far has been filled with many rich blessings and wonderful experiences. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the ways God will continue to care for and show His love to me.

Spring Break

Wow! Seven months ago I moved to Tulsa... the time has gone SO fast! I can't believe I haven't updated this blog since August. I do most of my updating through newsletters and email, so if you'd like to be added to either of those lists, message me at beth.trueblood@ruf.org.

I wanted to revisit this blog and try to keep it updated with photos, summaries of books I'm reading, thoughts/reflections, and student stories. I've added a "Photos" tab up above with pictures from over the past seven months. I'll also add photos into my blog posts now and then. The pictures will hopefully give a good visual recap of the variety of things that have happened over the past semester and a half.

Here's a brief recap of last Fall Semester:

• Welcome-back party: We had sno-cones and games by the TU fountains the weekend before classes started. Over 100 attended and it was great mingling time!
• Football games
• Joplin Service Trip: We did some reconstruction work on some homes that were destroyed by a huge tornado over a year earlier
• RUF Bonfire: Fire, s'mores, music, and friends in "the backwoods"
• AR Trip: A group of us traveled to AR to cheer our football team at an away-game. We stayed at a lake house and got to enjoy a boat ride, shuffle board, pinball, and food!
• RUF Christmas Party: Complete with a dessert competition and tacky sweater exchange

Here's what's gone on this Spring Semester so far:

• "Sk80's" - Roller skating in 80's apparel!
• Swing Dancing - In East Coast style
• Girls' Valentine Party - We made valentines and wrote encouraging notes to each other
• Girls' Ice Skating

It's hard to believe there is only a month left before summer is here. Speaking of summer.... I'm getting really excited for RUF Summer Conference!!!!! Right after finals are over, we're going to spend a week in Panama City Beach, FL, with students from all over the country. It will be a week filled with worship, teaching, learning, growing, and fellowship (as well as lots of time on the beach!). Students need to register within the next couple of weeks and I hope many will be able to join us! To learn more about "SuCo" click here. If you are a student and would like to register, click here! (We are going Week 2, May 13-18). Also, here are the seminars being offered at SuCo.

Spring Break is this week so I'm trying to use the time to catch up on some things (like this blog!) I'll be taking a trip to D.C. this weekend to visit a friend and am looking forward to that! I'll try to add some more posts in the near future. Thanks for reading!