It is Sunday afternoon. The forest behind my house is painted in muted browns and greens. A few ribbons of white mark the landscape as well, for the streams and rivers are almost completely frozen.

I know the next time I visit the forest, it will be mid-May. By then, life will have returned in full force: Trees will again be covered in leaves, small ferns and things will dot the ground, spiders will sit on newly-spun webs. The backyard deer herd will again have doubled in size, pushing twenty members.

Seasons change and life begins anew.

Come Tuesday, we’ll be starting a new semester. This country will have a new President. InterVarsity will have a new Vision Team, some new Bible Study leaders, new Worship Team members. Blacksburg will have a new Panera Bread (Who’s going with me??). This website itself is new, and really well done. I love it. Not only is it a resource where InterVarsity general information and news will be posted, but we are treating it as a blog as well, with several contributors. I pray that everyone who visits this site can benefit from the articles, photos, and videos posted here!

And now I don’t really know what to write and have no clever transition, so here are some random (ish) thoughts:

We are the Body of Christ. Each of us have abilities and talents to offer as part of this body. Paul speaks of this in First Corinthians 12: “The body is a unit, though made up of many parts.” I love InterVarsity because the people here so embody this. Everyone is so unique with so many abilities, and so many give those abilities back in wonderful ways. I know some incredibly loving people who are always encouraging and cheering others up. I know some incredibly knowledgeable and experienced people who have so much wisdom to offer. I know some incredible musicians and singers who use that talent to worship God. I know some incredible people who do not realize just how much they have to offer, just how much a difference they already make without realizing it. We are the Body of Christ, and all of us have roles as His followers. What talent in your life could you give back to God?

God does incredible things through us. See Ephesians 3:20. So often, I make the mistake of expecting God to work in a vacuum. I expect His miracles to be those of pulling rabbits out of hats – materializing things out of nothing. Can God do that? Yes. But much, much more often than not, His miracles and workings are accomplished through people. I ask – what will God do through you this semester? His call goes out: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” What if you were to respond, “Here I am, send me!” and act? What if we all did, encouraging one another, praying for one another? If we truly seek after this, expecting God to work by the power of His Spirit – well. I expect we shall see miracles we could not even fathom today!

Do not forget what God has done. Take time to remember the works of God, both those written in the Bible and those written in your own history. I forgot these things last semester, and it cost me dearly. I limped along, relying on my own strength for much of the time, watching my spirit shrivel up. Remember who God is! Remember what He has done! Look back on the life of Christ, on the miracles in the days of the early church, on the miracles in your own life. Many Israelite traditions of the Old Testament were put in place as memorials – when participating in these ceremonies, it was to remind Israel of all that God had done for them. We too need to remember the amazing works of God.