Hey everyone. With Torrey Conference, midterms, weekend trips away from school, and the all-around fresh Jesus-filled air of my freshman year, I am one excited Eagle!

I guess my expectations for Torrey Conference were similar to what it was in reality. I expected to go to each session, hear a good message, maybe spend a little reflection time, and repeat until I earned my eight required conference credits. Conflict resolution is a topic I have heard addressed a lot, and is something I enjoy learning about and learning how to help others with.

Despite the many long hours we spent sitting in the gym or at various overflow buildings, I was excited about the unity of the conference. All of Biola got the same message about conflict and reconciliation, reflected on the material as a body, and even had the same breaks for meal times (as hectic and crazy as it was for everyone to be in the Caf at once).

The worship times were an unexpected bonus. (And purposely choosing the overflow rooms for comfortable seats wasn’t a bad idea either!)

But the messages God convicted me with are what led to the highlight of my week. This morning when I checked my messages, I discovered a reply to the message I sent to a girl I have been in conflict with for years.

Now I won’t tell you what happened between us, or what I said to her in the message; only that after mulling over my words, going through revision after revision of my letter, and finally throwing out my pride and deleting all the “buts”, “ifs”, and “maybes,” from the message, did I finally realize that being like Christ is more important than being right. I won’t tell you what I said to her. Only what she replied to me:

“This meant a lot, thanks Alyssa. :)”

God is sovereign. I am changed.