April 23, 2024 – Ally Joswick
Growing up Catholic, I would go to church every so often with my family. We very rarely had spiritual conversations at home. I would go through the motions of the religion because it’s what I thought I had to do. I felt like I couldn’t make a mistake or God would be disappointed in me. Every time I sinned, I felt guilty, and I was petrified to go to confession, so I avoided it as much as I could. I thought since I couldn’t be perfect that God could never truly see all the good in me.
In this guilt, I pushed God away, making him smaller in my life. As He got smaller, everything else in my life got bigger. I found my identity in being a good student and succeeding in sports. I cared more about what others thought of me than what God thinks of me. I didn’t even realize how lost I was at the time. I was too focused on my reputation and perfecting my every skill to even take notice.
Coming to Baylor, I realized that there was something different about the people around me. They had something that I didn’t, but I didn’t know what it was at the start. Facing a 2
nd major knee injury, I fell into a place where I truly felt completely lost. I was far away from home, and I felt stuck in the world. I knew something in my life needed to change. I couldn’t keep living this anxious life, always stressed about trying to maintain control over everything. My best friend, Brennah, seeing me lost in this time of my life, started inviting me to go to church with her more regularly. I started looking forward to Sundays instead of dreading them. It became something I wanted to do, not something I had to do to please God. I began to learn about what it means to have a true relationship with Jesus, something I had never really learned about before.
I began to pray, something I rarely ever did before coming to Baylor. At that time, the thing I prayed the most for was that my heart would be opened to know Jesus. I didn’t know what else to ask for other than praying that He would change my heart. I was tired of being caught up in this world when I knew there was something greater I could rely on.
I started to believe in my heart that God truly loves me, and my love for Him grew tremendously. Once I decided I wanted to pursue my relationship with Jesus, I realized I was calling on Him only when I truly needed Him. He didn’t feel close all the time, and I wanted Him to be bigger in my life. One day at church, the Holy Spirit filled within me so evidently that I couldn’t ignore it. I was convicted of not fully surrendering control to God. I was allowing Him into some parts of my life but leaving Him completely out of other parts. I needed to surrender and let the Holy Spirit be in the drivers’ seat. I was ready to go deeper in my faith, and that was the day I decided I wanted to fully surrender.
A few weeks later, I got re-baptized as a symbol that I finally had a relationship with Jesus and was ready to pursue Him for the rest of my life. Since surrendering my life to Jesus, my outlook on life has changed significantly. I am no longer the anxious person everyone knew me to be. Although I still strive to excel in whatever I do, I no longer feel the pressure of being perfect in every aspect of my life. I know that God truly sees me and loves me for who I am. Spending time with Jesus has become something I look forward to doing because I desire to continue to be closer to Him and His comforting hand. Everything Baylor has to offer has truly helped me strengthen my relationship with the Lord. The Baylor Sports Ministry team has had such a huge impact on my spiritual life. I got the opportunity to go on the Costa Rica mission trip last summer and my love for God and God’s children has only grown since then. I’m forever thankful for my time at Baylor because I have a new life in Christ because of the people around me on this campus.
For the rest of my life, I will continue to praise His name because of what He did for me. I hope to look more and more like Jesus so that others see the love of God. I’m never going back to the life I was living before Christ. The peace and joy I now have in my life is all because of Jesus.
April 30, 2024 – Cole Stasio
Hi my name is Cole Stasio, I am a senior here at Baylor University. I am from Davie, Florida which is about 20 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale. My faith and my wanting to grow closer to God was a huge part in my journey and decision in choosing Baylor. It has turned out to be the best decision I have ever made.
I grew up in a Christian family and was introduced to church before I could walk. I quickly saw that my mom, the strongest spiritual person I have ever met, and my dad were close to God. They modeled the Christian life to my siblings and I and displayed a heart of gratitude for everything our family had been blessed with. From a young age, I understood what Jesus had done for me on the cross and what it meant to be a Christian. I think when you are introduced to something at such a young age and go to church every Sunday it is easy to fall into a routine and begin to go through the motions. I was always very interested in my faith, a strong believer, and curious to learn more, but it changed a little bit when I got to high school. High school was the turning point for me. Moving from my small Christian middle school to a large public high school was difficult. There was a lot of changes. Once I got to high school, I found myself struggling a lot with my mental health. I usually kept this to myself and didn’t share with many people how I was really doing. This led me into a very dark place. I realized that I needed Christ when my thoughts and self-talk began to scare me. It penetrated every aspect of my life, and I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like I was always in a fog, and I could never slow my mind or thoughts down. I became an extremely anxious and worrisome person. Everything that I seemed to do was incorrect and I always felt like I was disappointing someone or embarrassing myself in front of my peers.
My mom noticed that I wasn’t myself and that I was struggling. She would always read my siblings and I the Bible and gave us words of encouragement. As I was struggling, she began to slide pieces of paper under my door with Bible verses on it. When she could tell I had a tough day, she wrote me notes of encouragement. She gave me a note with the verse Jeremiah 29:11 on it, it truly changed my life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a future and a hope.” This verse stayed with me through every day and gave me a sense of peace and hope during my mental health struggles. It reminded me that I have a purpose and God will always be there with me even though I may feel alone. Even in my darkest moments, this verse encouraged the little bit of faith I had left.
I began to pray more and most of my prayers were just conversations with God. I would pray whenever I felt alone or just had something to say. I began to learn that I could come to God and lay every worry, regret, issue, and problem that I had at his feet, and I wouldn’t be judged or laughed at. This made me feel at peace knowing that God was listening and always there with me. Christ changed the way that I go about life and deal with my everyday problems with a smile. I am still a sinner and still make a ton of mistakes, but I know that I will never be alone. I walk around with a sense of peace and pride knowing that I am a Christian. I treat every day as the gift that it is. In Philippians 4:13 it says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” This verse should give everyone a sense of peace and strength because Christ lives within every single person who knows Him. The Bible talks about how someone with the faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I know that Jesus died on the cross so that I can spend eternity with Him and by faith I am saved.
Everyone is faces with trials and tribulations. I hope that no one ever feels alone and knows that we have a good Father who wants to walk every step of our journey with us. With God there is hope and salvation, all that is required is faith the size of a mustard seed. “With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
May 7, 2024 – Madison Mitchell
My story may not be filled with dramatic events or a single epiphany, but it's a testament to the gradual and profound change that can come when we open our hearts to God.
I didn't grow up in a religious household, and the concept of faith was foreign to me for much of my life. I knew I believed in God but knew nothing about him. I felt as though something was missing from my life and I was doing sinful things to fill the void without even realizing it.
It wasn't until I came to Baylor that I was introduced to church. It started with a group of new friends who welcomed me with open arms and, more importantly, introduced me to the church. I got to Baylor and did not think I wanted to seek out a relationship with God but because of covid my roommate Ella and I were stuck in our rooms at Uparks so the void felt even bigger. One night of freshman year Ella and I decided to go on a walk around campus. This is when I met Luke and Hunter at fountain mall, and they asked if I wanted to play football with them and I never imagined that by saying yes, they would end up leading me to God.
These friends played a significant role in my spiritual journey. Their kindness, compassion, and unwavering faith inspired me to explore the teachings of Christ. I vividly remember the day they gave me my first Bible with my name on it, a gift that would ultimately become my compass on this transformative journey.
As I dove into the pages of the Bible, I began to discover a profound sense of purpose and meaning in its teachings. I realized I was a sinner, and that I cannot experience Gods love to the fullest. It was a gradual process, marked by countless discussions, questions, and prayers. I found comfort in the words of Jesus and the messages of hope, love, and forgiveness that resonated deeply with my soul.
Over time, I attended church regularly, absorbing the sermons, songs, and the collective energy in the room. Each Sunday, I felt a growing connection to the presence of God, and my heart gradually opened to His grace and love. The Christian community at Baylor became my second family, and I found solace in the faith and fellowship we shared.
The moment I accepted Christ as my Savior wasn't a grand revelation but a quiet, profound realization that unfolded over time. It was as if a light had been steadily growing brighter within me, dispelling the darkness of doubt and uncertainty. I began to notice God’s presence and I felt a sense of peace and completeness that I had never experienced before.
Today, my relationship with Christ is the cornerstone of my life. I find strength in prayer, guidance in the Word, and comfort in the knowledge that I am never alone, for God's love and grace are always with me. I realized that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and by placing my faith in him he gives me the undeserved gift of forgiveness. My journey may not have followed a conventional path, but it is uniquely mine, and I am grateful for the loving community at Baylor that helped me discover the profound gift of faith. Before coming to Baylor, I did not know how to build a relationship with God or know where to go but now I realize that God was always right there next to me, like he is next to everyone in this room. I now know that no matter what I'm doing or where I am at God is always standing beside me which brings me so much comfort.
It turns out I just needed someone to show him to me. I share my testimony with the hope that it may inspire others who may be on a similar journey or struggling to find their faith. Remember that God's love is patient and ever-present, waiting for you to open your heart and accept His grace. In Christ, I have found not only salvation but a new purpose and a family of believers who have walked this path with me. My journey continues, and I am excited to see where God's guidance will lead me next. I hope to be for others what Luke and Hunter were for me.
