God has had such a HUGE influence on my life!  At the beginning of this year I was not sure if ECU was the right place for me, and I even considered changing schools.  I prayed that God would help me find a good group of Christian friends.  Then I learned about Sigma Alpha Omega!  From the very first meeting I knew that this was where God wanted me to be.  Over the past few months I have felt myself growing so much closer to God with the support and guidance from all of the other candidates and SAO sisters!  It is amazing what can happen when you have faith and allow God to guide your path!

-Blythe Neuhoff

Sigma Alpha Omega Candidate 

What an AMAZING GOD we SERVE

My name is Elizabeth McGee and I am a Candidate for the Iota class of the Iota chapter of Sigma Alpha Omega! God has always been a large part of my life. I grew up in a Christian home and was always in church. I was confirmed when I was in 6^th grade and this was the point in my life when I finally started realizing who God really was. I knew the stories but I did not know about working for Christ. After Hurricane Katrina hit I had my first large mission experience. After that I was hooked!!! Mission trips are what brings me back to God and readjusts my focus. I am not perfect and a readjustment is often needed! I just returned from a mission trip to the Bahamas. I know what many of you are thinking and it is the same thing that many people thought and said along my road to getting to the Bahamas, “The Bahamas is not a mission spot, it is a tourist spot.” Well yes, there are many tourists on the main island of Nassau but many people do not look at the smaller islands. I went to the island of Eleuthera. There is great poverty on this island but people have the strongest love for their savior and their neighbors!! In Eleuthera, a gallon of milk is around $10 and there are many people without jobs but everyone looks out for each other. It was an eye opener!!! Never again will I complain in the grocery store about high prices!! We are given so much but yet we often act like we are given very little!! I have learned that serving is my way of praising the Lord for all that he does!! Never take anything for granted because there is always someone out there, in the least expected place, that has it worse than you do!!!

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Hello Everyone!

          First off I would like to say how amazing God has been to me and how his never failing love has pulled me through countless times. From the time I was a baby until about age fifteen I went to the same church, the same church that my Nana (Grandma) grew up in, and then my Mom and Uncle. Once I was old enough to be involved I became really involved with everything I could be in. From Missionettes, youth choir, summer camps, ect., I did it all and I loved every minute of it. I was on fire for Jesus and it was amazing. I think back sometimes and can remember vividly sitting in the church pew with my Nana. She was such an inspiration in my life and I thank God each day for putting such an amazing spiritual woman in my life. August 31, 2004 Nana lost her fourteen year battle to cancer. It was something that we had seen coming but it was something I did not want to accept I had lost my Uncle, and Grandpa and did not want to lose her too. She was my best friend. I then became angry with God and questioned why he would take her away from me when I needed her so much. As always God picked up all of the pieces of my life and helped me to look to Him for His love and guidance. We continued to go to church and I remained very active until freshman year when things began changing in our church after we got a new pastor. So we started going less and less and eventually stopped going at all. We searched around for a church but did not find one that fit us. This was really discouraging to me and it really hurt my feelings that my youth leaders and church family from my church didn’t even act like they cared that I was not coming. During this time I was a freshman in high school. Throughout high school I was known as the “good girl” and everyone seemed to think that just because I was Senior Class President, on the Color Guard, and on the Softball team that I had my life put together. On the outside it may have seemed that way but on the inside it surely didn’t because I did not have my life where it should have been with God. As college approached I made a goal to myself that I would get my life back on track with God. When I got here to ECU I wanted to become involved with a campus ministry so I was super excited when my awesome roommate/best friend Jordan told me about CRU. In the process we met this amazing girl Elizabeth and the three of us began going to CRU and got involved with a bible study where we met some really sweet girls. Then God blessed us with a great church to go to on Sundays, Covenant. As the semester came to a close Jordan and Elizabeth began to talk about Sigma Alpha Omega and I became really excited about it but apprehensive about the whole time issue. I prayed about doing it and I just felt led to join and I am so happy that I did. Through these things God has blessed me with so much. He has put some amazing friends in my path who have such a great influence on my life and has ultimately brought me closer to Him, and I can never thank Him enough for that. My walk with God is growing each day and I know that it will continue to if I trust in Him. A verse that I have found comforting lately with what I am going through is ...   

(Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.)

-Proverbs 3: 5-6

Love you all,

Kayla Renee Phillips

My hero! Through my Nana I have seen God work miracles and have seen Him through her. I have been so blessed to have such an amazing woman in my life.  

God is Always There

NO MATTER WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH I KNOW THAT GOD HAS ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND WILL BE WITH ME. LIFE CAN BE EXTREMELY OVERWHELMING AND STRESSFUL AT TIMES.  AT TIMES I FORGET TO CALL ON GOD FIRST, BUT WHEN I DO CALL ON GOD HE IS ALWAYS THERE GUIDING MY PATH. GOD HAS BEEN MY STRENGTH AND COURAGE AND EVERYTHING ELSE I NEEDED HIM TO BE. I HAVE LEARNED THAT WHEN YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD AND TRULY RELY ON HIM HE WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR MANY BLESSING. ALTHOUGH LIFE ISN’T PERFECT AND IT IS A STRUGGLE TO GET THROUGH SOME DAYS, I ALWAYS FIND PEACE BECAUSE GOD IS WITH ME AND I’M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. GOD MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD AND I KNOW HE WONT FORSAKE ME. I AM SO BLESSED THAT HE HAS PUT THE SISTERS OF SAO IN MY LIFE AND I CANT WAIT TO BECOME A SISTER.

KARIN REED

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all of their troubles" -Psalm 34:17. This is a verse that I have found myself going to a lot lately.  After my Grandmother passed away first semester I was having a lot of trouble figuring out how to handle it. I tried going to friends and talking to family, but my friends didn't really understand, and my family would just break down and cry whenever I talked about it. That's when I decided to get my Bible out. It had been a while since i'd read it since I had been so busy adjusting to the college work load, but as soon as I opened it, I knew I had come to the right place. I started reading and I just felt a sense of peace and comfort. Things got better after that. I was still upset about it and I missed her, but I just kept reading the word and I took comfort in knowing that she is in the arms of Jesus and that she is being loved unconditionally. As the semester went on, I kept reading the Bible every chance I got. However, recently another incident has happened and I found myself going to the same verse. I had a dear friend pass away a few years back in a car accident, and I had a very hard time coping with the loss. About a week ago his best friend also died in a car accident. This was extremely hard for me because they were both good friends to me.  When I heard of the death of my friend last Sunday I had an overwhelming feeling of sadness and confusion as to why God would take yet another person that meant so much to me. But just like my Grandma, I had to realize that he is in a better place now and that everything is in Gods hands and everything happens for a reason. It is comforting knowing that he is in the arms of the Lord and I bet that his best friend welcomed him to heaven with open arms. 

 

I am SO grateful to have met all of the sisters and candidates of SAO, and I cannot wait to start this new chapter in my life!

 

- Anna Stallings

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3

---

Hi my name is Devan Cooper!!  God has always been present in my life and has used many experiences and different people in my life to shape me into the person I am today!  I am so grateful that I am here at ECU because I could not imagine my life now anywhere else!  When I first got to ECU I didn't know if I was really meant to be here even though I knew this is where God wanted me.  I had a hard time finding a group that I felt like I was supposed to be in here until my roomie told me about SAO!  At the first event I went to I could truly see God glowing in the girls of SAO and I could not be more thrilled to soon be a part of that.  I am so thankful for the changes that God has made in me and I just hope to continue to grow more in Him everyday!!

Power in Prayer

Hey everyone! My name is Amanda Morgan and I am a candidate for the Iota class of Sigma Alpha Omega. God has always been a part of my life but unfortunately sometimes more than others. My relationship with Christ began at a young age and has since then grown in many ways. Since my senior year in high school and my first year at East Carolina University, my relationship with Christ has grown in ways I could have never imagined. God helped me through some of the hardest time of my life: loosing both of my grandparents. I never thought that I would be okay without them in my life but, lately God has helped me to find happiness with knowing that they are in a better place that I dream about, heaven! God has allowed me to be able to do things that I could never do alone. Whenever I am having a bad day or I seem to think everything is going wrong I know God is there for me. Knowing that He is there makes everything seem easier. I cannot wait to see where God takes me in the next couple of years because I know I can always rely on him for the best things in life! 

God blesses me each and every day

Hey Everyone,

My name is Brittany Tucker. I am currently a candidate for the awesome Sigma Alpha Omega – Iota chapter at East Carolina University.  I am so excited to be growing in my walk with God as I get to know these awesome girls better. It is so encouraging to know that someone is praying for me during my tough days.

Lately, God has given me the ability to adapt to change. My senior year for most people would have made them cry their eyes out, and honestly, if I would have with through it without my Jesus, I would have been one of those people. It felt like everything I had known was changing. Everything I was so comfortable with and everything I was looking forward to my senior year had a new twist. God gave me that amazing changing experience to better prepare me for college. I didn’t know anyone coming to ECU who I was close friends with. The first week I would go home and cry to my best friend and tell her I would never make friends here. God had something way better planned for me. He brought me to Sigma Alpha Omega recruitment week, and by the grace of God I received a bid to become a candidate. I had my doubts about putting more stress on my plate, but I’m so lucky God brought me here. Without him I could do nothing. Without him I wouldn’t know all of you awesome ladies. I thank him so much for bringing me to ECU. Although, I am still unaware of what my future may hold, I am just so glad to know that God does. And I know, that if the Lord himself created a will and plan just for me, it will be more amazing than I could even imagine.

I want to leave you with a verse from Jeremiah 29:11. It 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 hope and a future.’” How awesome is it that the Lord knows his plans for us. Although at times we may not see the big picture, that’s ok because God is not cruel. He was us to be happy that’s why he gives us hope.

I hope you all have a wonderful day J God bless!!

                                      Brittany Tucker

God is great!

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

It is difficult to explain how much God has played a role in my life in a few sentences. He has always been there for me, whether I realized it or not. On days where I would ask “why” it was hard to see a reason behind it. I never lost faith because I soon realized with every why there is a reason. I never lost sight of God in high school, but it wasn’t where it should be. Coming to ECU I didn’t think I would have such wonderful ladies to continue my faith in Christ with. Finding Sigma Alpha Omega has been such a blessing that it is hard to describe. It is great to not only have friends but Christian sisters to continue my walk with God in. I have enjoyed meeting all of you and can’t wait for any upcoming things God has in store for us!

 

-Love

Mallory

 He never fails....

Going through this candidate process God has blessed me a lot, with everything going on in my life like; classes, observations, SAO, church, my boyfriend and many other things.  I haven’t been able to work as much as I like to, but through all that I’ve still been able to get all my bills paid on time and that in itself is a blessing!  Because that was one of the biggest things I was worried about starting this process, not being able to have the time or the money.  But I’m really glad I trusted God even though it was really hard at times, and I’m glad I stuck with it.  This process makes it so worth it in the end!   –Tiffany Fleming

Caitlin Jade Strickland

God has changed my life in so many ways but the way that stands out to me the most is always having Him there for me. People walk in and out of your life on an everyday basis and don't think twice about it. He is the one that I can always count on. He is forgiving. He is merciful. He is compassionate. He is amazing. HE IS MY ROCK. Any problem that comes into my life I simply just lift it to Him. He's like my best friend because I can go to Him about anything AND I have faith that He will take care of any problem that I have. He has brought so many wonderful people into my life lately and I am SO blessed. I cannot thank Him enough for all the amazing things He alone has done in my life.

Romans 12:2

God has been a part of my life since I can remember.  Growing up in a Christian home and attending church since I was a baby made it easy to put my faith in God, it was pretty much a lifestyle.  God has definitely done some amazing things in my life but it was pretty recently that I actually began to see God working.  When I came to college, I knew I had to get involved with a Christian organization and make good, wise friends or else I knew it would be easy to fall into temptation.  After checking out some different campus ministries I began to feel a little discouraged because I felt like none of them were for me.  I had grown up in the exact same church with the exact same people my entire life and didn't know anything other than that.  I began to realize that sometimes it takes stepping out of your comfort zone to really find what you may be searching for.  After some experiences and struggles, I began to delve into God's word and really find out what I believe, not just what my parents have always told me or what I had always learned at church.  I figured out how important it was to really make my faith my own, not just following guidelines that had been set for me.  Ever since then I am constantly challenged, in good ways.  Whether it's going away for ten weeks this summer, evangelism on the beach during spring break, or just being able to share my testimony.. God has taught me so much over the last two years during a time when so many people run away from him.  I am so thankful for all my Christian friends and soon to be Christian sisters!  I know that God has put certain people and events in my life to inspire and encourage me throughout my journey!

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:2 

Emily Haddock

My HEALER and My Everlasting ROCK...

Each day that I get up, I am so amazed at how AWESOME the God that we serve is and how someone like me can be loved so much. He has done so much in my life and it is because of His grace and mercy that I am where I am today. I have always considered myself a Christian since I grew up in church, but it wasn’t until my middle school years that I realized what it really meant to call myself a Christian. When I was in the 6th grade, I was told that my parents were on the brink of divorce. This came as a huge shock to me and I had no idea what I would do if my parents did go their separate ways. Just a month after finding that out, I was hit with something else…a diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy. Bell’s Palsy is a disorder of the facial nerves, which causes paralysis of half of your face that typically lasts only three to four weeks. Just one week after being diagnosed, I made the decision to really give my entire life to Christ because I knew I couldn’t get through everything on my own. Throughout the next 6 months, I had to lean on Him more than I ever had before. My case of Bell’s Palsy became a six month struggle of many visits to doctors, many tests, and a lot of medications to try to figure out what was going on to keep it going this long. Throughout this entire time though, my entire church family continued to lift my family and me up in prayer. A little over six months after my diagnosis, I woke up one morning after a bad migraine the night before to find that I had partial movement of the left side of my face back! Within a week, my face was completely back to normal! Praise be to God for His healing touch on my body that no doctor could do!

Throughout high school, I was known as the good church girl that always did the right thing. My senior year though, I started to lose sight of God as I became distracted by a relationship, the sickness and death of my Grandma, and a lot of stuff dealing with school. Shortly after moving to ECU though, I knew it was time for me to give some things up so that I could give my complete attention to God and His will for my life. So I made a lot of changes in my life within the very first week at ECU. Ever since then, I have felt closer than ever to God. I am trusting in Him completely and relying on His strength to make it through difficult and stressful times rather than trying to do it on my own. I know that He has an amazing plan for my life and I cannot wait to see all that He has in store for me from this point forward!

-Elizabeth Price

Me & God

Hey y'all!! I am Katharine McNeill and I just wanted to share a little bit about how God has made an impact on my life!!  God has always been in my life, even when I didn't really pay him much attention.  He gave me the opportunity to go to Mexico and find something that I really loved doing.  Mexico is still a big part of my life.  God has introduced me to some of the most inspiring Christian people who have helped my faith grow stronger.  Through doing the mission work in Mexico, God has helped me to have more faith and to be more open about my faith and sharing it with others.  I think that God gave me the opportunity to do mission work so that I could find myself and where I fit as a Christian.  I hope that God continues to use me for mission work and that He continues to help me grow and lead others down His path. 

Love y'all!!

 

This is a picture of myself and the other interns, after pouring a roof on a house in Mexico, during the Summer of 2009.

 

"Be still and know that I am God..."

I think it’s awe-inspiring to take moments in which we sit back and truly realize all the blessings God has graciously poured out upon our lives.  Daily we overlook the miracles God is performing, and see past the promises He speaks over our lives because we become numb to the extraordinary in search for the mundane.  We so greatly depend upon a physical or visual sign of God moving that we miss His soft whispers of encouragement, but in the stillness, unoccupied by any other distraction, we begin to see the majesty of Gods movements.  All of my life I have been told that our God is faithful and will never leave us or forsake us, and whole heartedly I agree with those truths, but in the midst of a consuming depression it is hard to see past the darkness of your life and see the light that we are promised in Christ.  While going through my depression my greatest struggle was the inability to feel loved and the startling “truth” that I was all alone in the world, and no one truly cared about me.  I would search any and every where for some type of love and hope, but I overlooked the truth of God’s word because naively I thought that everyone in the bible had everything all figured out and could not possibly be struggling with what I was currently going through over 2000 years later, but one day, my friend texted me with the scripture that dramatically changed my ignorant way of thinking.  She told me that she was reading Psalm 13 and she thought of me, and suggested I give it a read as well.  Surprisingly, I immediately searched for my bible and thumbed through the book I thought I would never be able to relate to, and finally, came to the passage that spoke of feelings of abandonment from God and separation from Him and His love.  In an odd way it was comforting to see that biblical people actually struggled with God, that they didn’t always feel His presence and that at times they felt defeated by the enemy.  I remember reading those words with tears streaming down my face because I precisely related with everything the psalmist was describing, but the most captivating part of that scripture was the last two verses, that I firmly believe motivated me to a life change. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.”  I was reminded that no matter what God was never going to give up on me.  No matter how far I would try to run I realized I could never escape the overwhelming presence and love of God.  I truly believe I had to go through a dark and still time to have this unique revelation with Christ.  God moves and thrives in the quiet calmness, so be comforted in the times in which you feel as though you’re going through a spiritual desert because sometimes God uses those moments when we are still and quiet.  

In Him,
Liz Brantley

Our God is an Awesome God

Wow! God is Indescribable!

What an amazing God we serve!

Hello everybody! My name is Lauren Wicks I am a candidate for Sigma Alpha Omega Iota Chapter and I am loving every second of it.  My walk with Christ began at a very young age and as a result of this the fire I had burning for him faded some in my high school years. However, with the help of the Lord he brought many blessings in my life that changed my focus back on Him. These blessings I now call friends, God sent wonderful people into my life whose hearts burned for Him and in turn they helped turn my main focus back to Him. His blessings could be as small as you waking up late and Him getting you to class on time to sending you absolutely beautiful people in His image. After rekindling my fire for Him I have seen how he shows me the plan that he has for me day by day and little by little.  I see everyday as a blessing and part of an amazing journey that God has planned out for me and what amazes me the most is I have not even begun to scrape the surface of all the wonderful beautiful things he has in store for me.

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” -Jeremiah 29:11-14

Tuesday 3/01 Bible Study: Staying Positive

Ashley Bailey lead our Tuesday Bible Study and spoke about the importance of being positive and what this means in our walk with God. We talked about verse from Ephesians and 1 Thessalonians. The sisters and candidates talked about why it is important to stay positive as a Christian. Some of the reasons discuss included the importance of using this attitude to stand out from the crowd and tell people about Jesus. Another was that simple put, we are told to "rejoice!" and know that God has got everything under control. Knowing that we are in His will can and will bring us so much satisfaction, joy and positivity. Some of the things we do to keep ourselves positive include maintianing that personal quiet time. Setting aside, making time, for God and prayer. Prayer is a very powerful tool as well because it allows us to consider our problems, give them to God and not stress over them any longer. Finally, sisters also talked about the importance of positive music and influences in your environment. One sister commented on what a difference listening to only Christian radio has made for her drive to school every morning. The same sister also talked about how if she is feeling discouraged that she texts or calls someone she hasn't spoken to in a while. The excitement of the person about hearing from you is usually a great way to lift the spirit. We also discussed having Bible verses, sayings and pictures posted around the room that mean something to you. If you have a favorite verse, write it on your hand on a bad day or post it on your mirror. Just find ways to try to enfuse the love and joy of Christ in as much of your day as possible.

Finally, be still and know that He is God and that He loves you enough to give His son for you!

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Ephesians 4:4-6

So Many Blessings

God has blessed my life in so many ways. I have an amazing family and the best friends. Although I have my struggles, I am very fortunate to live the lifestyle I do. I have seen God work so many miracles in my life. He continues to bless me every day in everything that I do. When I’m having a bad day I know that I can look to Him to pick me up. God is my strength and my salvation. I will continue to live my life praising his name and sharing his love with others.