Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise... Happy are those whose strength is in you... They go from strength to strength... O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.
-excerpts from Psalm 84

Today, traffic has returned in full force to the streets surrounding ASU. The sidewalks and bike-lanes are full again. Students have returned, settling into a new semester. As I see all the students making their way from one place to another, I often find myself wondering: where were they before they were here? What happened this summer? Was it hard to come back? A relief? Were they ready? What did they leave behind?

I don't know how you feel about being back at school, or about being here for the first time. But I know that you're not alone.

The psalmist writes of how good it is to be in God's presence. I hope you have some sense of that as you start school this year. I hope that in the midst of your daily routines, you can find ways to connect with God. With so much going on around you, and within you, it can be hard to find that quiet center... that place where you can return to when you need to remember that God's grace is still with you. But you can help each other find ways to do that.

The psalmist also writes of going "from strength to strength." It's a wonderful thought to remember, especially in a time of transitions and new beginnings. I don't know if you feel that strength in your own life, but I believe that God's grace can be that for all of us. So as you go from summer into the semester, from home to school, from the familiar into the unknown or the the unknown into the familiar... know that God's grace is there to be your strength.

Peace be with you in the new year...