So...here goes my first attempt at blogging!...My last Springbreak of my college career officially started today at around 5pm right after I took my last online exam, but now that I'm free for a week I don't have a clue what to do. One thing I definitely plan on doing is getting some wedding plans together (getting my wedding dress altered, tasting food, and creating some DIY projects...like for our awesome homemade photobooth (that is still in the idea phase at the moment)). For those of you who don't know, I'm getting married June 25 of this year and planning it all while in grad school...I have a pretty hectic life right about now, but I love it! I have to say that it's very nice to have family and friends that are so willing to help out with anything and everything...it makes planning that much easier.
I'm a grad student at USC and will be graduating in May! It's hard for me to believe that at this time last year I had just received my acceptance letter from them and was contemplating whether or not to go. Actually, I thought that I would be attending ETSU before I had heard from either school. I had already met with ETSU's professors, planned where I might live, and kind of had it stuck in my head that that was where I was going to school. I ended up applying to USC right at their deadline and heard back within 2 weeks...I was so ecstatic, but couldn't imagine moving down here by myself and going to school for a year. After not hearing from ETSU for a few months I finally received a letter in the mail that stated that I wasn't accepted. To be honest I was surprised that I didn't get in to ETSU.
I think it's amazing how God works out every opportunity for us in our lives and places us exactly where he wants us. This time last year if someone had asked me where I would be a year from now, I would have said without a doubt ETSU...boy was I wrong...lol. I'm so very thankful for this opportunity God has placed in my life and will always look back and remember this year. This year in my life has brought an abundance of growth both spiritually and personally. I've realized that I have more strength, courage, and confidence than I ever thought I had. I moved to a new place, started making friends, got familiar with a new city, and developed and grew into more of an adult.
I think the biggest thing this year has given me is a stronger relationship with God...being down here alone isn't always the easiest and in my many hours and days when I felt alone and lonely...I spent that time with him. There were some days when I first moved down here that were harder than others, but these were prime times when I would spend time in the word and in prayer. I'm so glad that I went through that now...at the time I would have loved to be in any situation other than mine, but if it weren't for those moments of feeling completely and utterly alone, then I might not have reached out and grown in my faith. Being down here (i say "down-here", because i'm from "up-there" in NC..lol) I think was meant for me to learn how to fully,"Fully" put my trust and faith in the Lord that everything would be alright. Everything would be alright...even though I'm lonely. Everything would be alright...even though I couldn't see it now. And everything would be alright...if I just trusted in him. These statements turned out to be true and the truth is we are never alone...God was with me the whole time, which is why I always made it through the bad day or cry spell.
It's hard to fathom how wonderful the adventures are that God places us in and in the midst of them they don't always feel like an adventure we'd plan for ourselves. I remember when I was a little kid my sister and I use to hike up Crowder's Mtn. with my parents and I remember thinking how hard it was. I would be ok until we got near the top and there were what seemed like thousands of stairs you had to climb. I'd start climbing, take a break, climb, take a break...this went on until I didn't think I could make it any furthur and with a few steps to go I'd find the strength to make it to the top. When I finally got to the top...I had forgotten about my fatigue and just looked out over the skyline..it was beautiful. The adventures that God has in store for us are absolutely amazing and life changing....they help us grow and help us learn. And at the end of an adventure, no matter how strenuous or hard it was, we can always take something away from it. Although I probably couldn't see it last semester...I was on an adventure...a wonderful adventure, but I haven't realized it until recently, so now I'm savoring the adventure and making the most of it, until a new one begins...~
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