In today's culture, the idea of "subjective truth" is extremely prevalent. Many people today believe that there is no such thing as objective truth and that all truth is self-determined. Those who hold this perspective claim that each individual gets to decide what is true to them personally, what is right, and what is wrong. Conversely, objective truth is the idea that truth is absolute and unchanging, regardless of an individual's experiences or beliefs. Hebrews 13:8 states: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." He is the same, unchanging God from age to age, thus if we are to believe in the God Christianity, then absolute truth must exist, as God Himself is absolute truth. Belief in the God of Christianity and belief in subjective truth, therefore, cannot coincide. Yet, there are a surprising number of Christians who fail to identify the errors of subjectivity and place more importance on their convictions than what is clearly stated as true in the Bible. For these lukewarm believers, Matthew 7:21-23 is a rude awakening: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ This scripture passage makes it undeniably evident that the will of God is an absolute thing, not something that we can dictate by our desires and convictions. We may, as the false prophets in the passage, claim to know God and perform great works in His name, but unless we are aligned with the one true God and His teachings, He will cast us out. Many Christians also claim to derive truth solely from their personal relationship with Christ. While a personal relationship with God is essential, and we can often derive much fruit and truth from our encounters with the Lord, our minds and hearts are so easily influenced and subject to change that it is important that we also have a solid foundation in God's Word. If a message we believe to have received directly from God contradicts what can be found in Scripture, it should be made apparent to us that the word we received could not have been God. The God of Christianity is a God of perfection, without contradiction, and we cannot claim belief in Him while at the same time placing our convictions over His Sacred Word. To belittle God to merely how we feel and would prefer to believe is to remove divinity from Him and claim it for ourselves. Subjectivism, at its' heart, is pride. The human desire to play god and determine for ourselves what is ultimately good and true, when this power belongs to God alone. In John 15:6, Jesus states that: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." God is absolute truth, His Word is truth, and only in aligning our beliefs with Him will we find truth for ourselves.

A significant struggle I faced was taking on a full-time management position at 18 years old while juggling being a full-time college student. In January 2023, I went on a retreat that changed any plan I had for my life. Preceding this retreat, I had already completed my freshman semester at Schoolcraft College, and I had a full course load set up for the winter semester. While on retreat, I realized that what was most important to me, my Catholic faith, was something I wanted at the center of my life and career. A career that was centered around helping others, and drawing them closer to Jesus through service and ministry, suddenly seemed like the only viable option for me. I decided that a degree in Theology was what I needed to be prepared for this life of service, and I quickly identified the Franciscan University of Steubenville as the place I hoped to obtain this degree. Within just a week of the winter semester starting, I dropped all of my classes and registered for all new ones. Shortly after my major swap, I was offered the position of General Manager at Tropical Smoothie. Having worked there as an assistant for a little over a year, this position was never one I aspired to have, as the stress and hours it demanded seemed impossible with my class load. However, as the youngest of a family of 6 kids, I knew my parents would not be able to fund my pursuit of a degree at Franciscan University. So with tuition looming, I couldn't turn the job offer down. Having signed up for all online classes, I was able to devote myself to the job, but it came with a lot more responsibility than I had anticipated. Taking on a store that was severely understaffed during the peak spring/summer season was incredibly challenging. Though I had been promised 45-hour weeks, I was working between 50-60 hours every week to keep the store running. I was required to maintain inventory in the store, interview, hire, and train staff, while also maintaining company goals such as limiting labor and food costs. All of this I had to learn whilst keeping up with a full load of online classes. Despite the extreme impact this job had on my life, I learned to bear it. Within those first few months, I thought of quitting every day. I was overworked, more anxious than I had ever been, and beyond drained. Yet I kept focusing on my goal of obtaining a Theology degree. I knew I could not begin to afford school without my job, so I continued to work my hardest. I put in as many extra hours at work as I could, hiring and training. I had to learn discipline, being so young in a management position presented challenges, and I learned to demand respect from employees who were much older than me. I learned how to maintain a work-life balance, even while working 60-hour weeks and taking exams. This grueling time for me taught me that I am not defined by my work, that even when I fail I am loved and worthy of life. Juggling school and work taught me how to manage stress, how to find joy in my darkest moments, and that every struggle has an end. I hope that what I learned through this experience will help me in my ministry and that I will be able to empathize with others who are struggling and help them to find the peace and endurance I learned to find.

A significant struggle I faced was taking on a full-time management position at 18 years old while juggling being a full-time college student. In January 2023, I went on a retreat that changed any plan I had for my life. Preceding this retreat, I had already completed my freshman semester at Schoolcraft College, and I had a full course load set up for the winter semester. While on retreat, I realized that what was most important to me, my Catholic faith, was something I wanted at the center of my life and career. A career that was centered around helping others, and drawing them closer to Jesus through service and ministry, suddenly seemed like the only viable option for me. I decided that a degree in Theology was what I needed to be prepared for this life of service, and I quickly identified the Franciscan University of Steubenville as the place I hoped to obtain this degree. Within just a week of the winter semester starting, I dropped all of my classes and registered for all new ones. Shortly after my major swap, I was offered the position of General Manager at Tropical Smoothie. Having worked there as an assistant for a little over a year, this position was never one I aspired to have, as the stress and hours it demanded seemed impossible with my class load. However, as the youngest of a family of 6 kids, I knew my parents would not be able to fund my pursuit of a degree at Franciscan University. So with tuition looming, I couldn't turn the job offer down. Having signed up for all online classes, I was able to devote myself to the job, but it came with a lot more responsibility than I had anticipated. Taking on a store that was severely understaffed during the peak spring/summer season was incredibly challenging. Though I had been promised 45-hour weeks, I was working between 50-60 hours every week to keep the store running. I was required to maintain inventory in the store, interview, hire, and train staff, while also maintaining company goals such as limiting labor and food costs. All of this I had to learn whilst keeping up with a full load of online classes. Despite the extreme impact this job had on my life, I learned to bear it. Within those first few months, I thought of quitting every day. I was overworked, more anxious than I had ever been, and beyond drained. Yet I kept focusing on my goal of obtaining a Theology degree. I knew I could not begin to afford school without my job, so I continued to work my hardest. I put in as many extra hours at work as I could, hiring and training. I had to learn discipline, being so young in a management position presented challenges, and I learned to demand respect from employees who were much older than me. I learned how to maintain a work-life balance, even while working 60-hour weeks and taking exams. This grueling time for me taught me that I am not defined by my work, that even when I fail I am loved and worthy of life. Juggling school and work taught me how to manage stress, how to find joy in my darkest moments, and that every struggle has an end. I hope that what I learned through this experience will help me in my ministry and that I will be able to empathize with others who are struggling and help them to find the peace and endurance I learned to find.