Can I just take a moment and say that I am starting my forth year of college. How in the world did this happen? Where has time gone!? I also have two brothers in college and a sister in high school. Seriously, all this is insane to me. I remember my first day of college. I remember I had a horrible case of pink eye, and I freaking out in the car right before I had to move in, and I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I look back and wow has God brought me such a long way. In the past 3 years I am so thankful for all the obstacles, joyous moments, great friendships, great talks, awesome mentors, and even nursing classes. I could seriously go on forever about the things I have learned in the past three years. One of the most important things I have learned though is to fully TRUST in the Lord.
This past summer has been a difficult one, but also a summer full of learning and growing in my relationship with God. As some of you may know back in May I started having seizures. Its a totally new thing for me, and it has never happened to me before. In three weeks I had two seizures. From having the seizures this meant lots of tests and doctors appointments, and most of all not being able to drive for six months, which has been a HUGE struggle for me. I love being independent and I love to work and without being able to drive I felt totally stripped of a lot of my freedom. I have been having to depend on people the whole summer, and I really am so thankful for the friends and family that I have and to those of you who have helped get me through this summer! I was actually going to get to be a live-in nanny this summer in Charlotte, NC which I could have not been more excited about!! We were also going to get to travel I was going to have my own room and everything it really was going to be a perfect job! Once the seizures started though my family and I made the decision that I should probably stay at home just to see if we could find out what was going on with my body and stuff. That was hard for me because not only was this my dream job but it also meant that I didn’t have a job for the summer. As the summer went on I began to realize that the only way I was going to get through this summer was to fully put my trust in the Lord and that things would be okay! And you know what things have turned out okay, and its actually turned out to me a great summer, even without driving!
This summer I was actually able to go back home to Michigan for a few weeks which was good! I was able to hangout with my siblings, go to my brothers graduation party. I was even to go to my grandparents house up north for a week with my whole extended family, which I haven’t been able to do in several years. I was able to counsel for two different camps, and wow did I meet some of the best and strongest young women. I came back to Indiana and I got to hangout with some awesome people, go to some birthday parties, and I basically was out on a boat and tubing everyday for several weeks, which was SO fun! And the last couple of weeks I have been staying at a friends house and it has just been such a blessing. Its been a blessing getting to know her whole family and just hanging out and having fun!
The Lord has just taught me so much this summer, and a lot of those lessons really haven’t been very easy but they were much needed! I have been totally humbled when it comes to driving a car and never in my life do I think I will take driving for granted again! I have learned that there really are some awesome people in this world, and just some people who really do love the Lord. I have learned that prayer can really go a long ways! So many prayers have been answered for me this summer! Whether it was for financial reasons, or praying one of my campers would receive Christ into their life. I have seen Jesus work some miracles this summer!
Last semester I took a class called Beyond Suffering. It was a great class and I was really able to learn a lot. Through the class one of the main things I learned was that EVERYONE in this world struggles with something. No one has it all together and we all struggle. With those struggles what are we going to do with them? God gives us different struggles so that for one we can grow in him and two so that we can learn from our struggles and help others going through the same thing. I am so thankful for the struggles I have had this summer. Many times I have no idea why I’m thankful, but I am because I have realized without those struggles I wouldn’t be the person I am today!
So thats it, I start my forth year of college tomorrow. Time really does fly by, and I am so thankful for every moment of my life this far.
Here are some of my favorite moments of summer:
