This year, March 20^th marked the calendar date for a New Season.  Spring is a time of new beginnings; new leaves are emerging from the trees, plants are budding with the anticipation of flowers, and there is the fresh smell of new grass in the air. A warm breeze awakens us to the new season.

On March 31, we celebrated Easter.  We honored Christ, who rose from the grave offering us eternal life and forgiveness of sin.  With His new glorified body, heralding a promise that we can experience a new life in him, we were given a fresh beginning.  Paul reminds us that “. . . if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

But even as we celebrate, our hearts are heavy with the realization that much is wrong with our world. Unrelenting hatred seems to rule supreme in the hearts and lives of so many and the fruits of terror are all too evident.  There are diseases for which we have no cures. There are problems in the home. Children are being abused. People are sleeping on the streets.  Our soldiers are dying for unexplainable reasons.  If you watch and listen for very long, you can be filled with despair.  But Jesus said, “I have come to bring you life, and that more abundantly, to show you how to live, to bring you hope and joy and peace and love, to give you a reason for living.”

Let us be transformed this year in our hearts and in our mindset. For when we do we will have awesome and incredibly Godly changes take place in our lives.  Let renewal be a way of life; not a one time or once in a while event. Let us find purpose and direction and meaning in life, in all that we do.

“… put on the new self . . .” (Eph. 4:24).

Many of us look forward to July with festive anticipation in having a day off to
spend with friends and family. It is a time for grilling, laughing, and
enjoying the night light up with fireworks. Sometimes it is easy to take this
freedom to enjoy life for granted and forget that it came at a steep price. The
first successful settlers to this great land were refugees from religious
persecution. They were fleeing the tyranny of those who felt threatened by
their beliefs in Christ. They desired freedom to worship, to pray, to live a
lifestyle in which they could follow Christ as their conscience dictated.

As
these early beginnings transitioned into a growing and prosperous nation,
tyranny once again stepped in to oppress and to dominate. Our founding fathers
said enough, and together signed the Declaration of Independence, a declaration
to King George that they would no longer live under his tyranny. Thomas
Jefferson stated boldly “And for the support of this declaration, with a firm
reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each
other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”  Jefferson
authored this declaration that reflected the collective belief that “We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  Many of the original
co-signers lost their lives and fortunes, but none lost their honor. It is in
their memory that we celebrate our independence and the inheritance of freedom
and liberty.

The Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution that followed reflects the studious
efforts of those committed to bettering their lives through lifelong learning.
The vision that emerged and the ability to articulate their dedication to
freedom in a manner that revolutionized not only the colonies but the world
that followed was made possible through educated minds and
strong spirits.

Belhaven
is committed to supporting adults desiring to improve their lives and the world
around them by investing in an education that will prepare them for their
calling in the workplace and their ministry to Christ. A  staff of
dedicated professionals is standing by to support new students
transition back to school.  They can answer any questions about
which of the eleven undergraduate or graduate programs would be the best
choice. They are also here to serve students in the process of
admissions including transferring transcripts and qualifying
for financial aid.

The
need for higher education has not changed since the days of our founding
fathers and is still vital to meet the challenges of a
changing world. Contact us now to find out how you can get started at Belhaven
University!