God has worked many wonders and blessings in my life. From the beginning of my birth, I know the Lord was with me. My mother struggled with child-bearing issues, resulting in the loss of several unborn children of hers. She's endured so much, and while her pregnancy with me was also problematic, God blessed my family, and I was able to be born relatively unharmed. I had my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck, and if I had remained in her any longer, I would not be alive. With this being the introduction of my life, I've always had a strong belief and reliance on my Heavenly Father. Though through the hardships life has to offer, such as losses of family, horrifying incidents through adolescence, and the struggles of life, I find that the only consistent thing within life is the Love and Compassion Jesus Christ offers us All. When I pray during hardships, I learn to let the Holy Spirit administer to my spirit and bring a feeling of peace upon me. I learn to allow God's will to take control of hard times. That reliance and faith in God's ultimate plan is what grounds me to Him, and allows me to persevere through hardships and struggles. When I've been wronged in the past, a lesser me would feel the need to be resentful, perhaps even vengeance-driven. However, the comparison of how frequently we betray Jesus - with us being Barrabas in his crucifixion story, or us being Paul denying Christ - only for him to die for US, and Him forgiving US for such actions and sins. With all this put into perspective, it's hard for me to hold not feel inclined to forgive my fellow man. For if God looked upon me with that mentality, and though it would be one of righteous origins and purely just, it is by the Grace of God and Jesus Christ, and through the Faith HE instills within us, and me, that allows me to carry on. Something that I must remind myself is that I live this life, not on my own accord or account, but on His. As a believer, I am a living sacrifice. I die to myself and my desires daily in order to be more like Christ, and I believe that to be beautiful. I wish to continue to be a Man of God and a Christian. Please pray for me. I thank God for all the opportunities He has brought me through St. Francis College: from support with academics to freedom of interest exploration. From being able to express my faith and grow, to even meeting new people that I believe God introduced me to, in order to change their lives. May it all be done in accordance to His will, and to His satisfaction.

Stephen Austin, SFC '25