The world is weird right now. To me personally, it feels a bit like it is falling apart. I am able to have hope through my faith in Jesus Christ, but I also believe that it is just believing things will get better is not enough. Jesus was an active force for change and while I am FAR from the perfect Savior that Jesus was, I believe we should all do our part to create a better world as well.Sometimes that seems hard to do though. After all, I'm just a college student. I don't make laws, I have very little money to donate, I don't preach to congregations or speak at political rallies. It would seem that there isn't much I can to do change what I don't like and fight for what I believe in.

But here are a list of ways that anyone can influence change:

1. Vote

Not just every four years for the President. Vote in primaries. Vote for school board officials. Vote for majors, and governors and state legislators. Part of the privilege and responsibility of living in a democracy is that we are able to elect our representatives.

2. Give-time and money

If you believe in something, show it. Give what you have. If you have money but not time then donate. If you have time but not money then volunteer. Or do both. If you want to fight for education then volunteer at after school programs, buy things from fundraisers, and ask teachers if they need anything.

3. Contact representatives

Call them. Write emails and letters. Here is where you can find your senator's contact information. Here is where you can find your state representative's contact information.

4. Sign petitions

The white house has a page called "https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/" with petitions created and signed by fellow citizens. If a petition reaches 100,00 thousand signatures, a response is required from the White House.

5. Research and discuss issues

First make sure you are using good sources. This image is a helpful guide to letting you know how biased a source might be. Once you have informed yourself about important issues then talk to others about them. Whether you do so through social media, blogs, one-on-one discussions or even organizing small community meetings is up to you. But nothing can change is we ignore problems.

6. Protest

Boycotts, sit-ins, marches, and other protests are a huge part of American history and can be a great way for voices to be heard.

7. Pray

I believe in the power of prayer and I totally respect that others don't, so this advice may not be for everyone. But to those who do, pray for wisdom for our leaders.

If this interests you, this is a list of other nonviolent actions you can take. I don't advocate for all of these, so take them with a grain of salt, but they are a place to start.