Time flies...

Well... this is the post that most everyone talks about or has experienced at some point in time.
I leave for COLLEGE tomorrow.


Wait... What????????
You mean, I'm actually at the point in life where I am going to be on my own? Where I will be living away from my family for months at a time? Where I will finally be learning to do something that I have a strong passion to do?



Holy Cow.
(Yes, I realize cows technically aren't holy... But that's beside the point!)



It is so hard to believe that eighteen years have come and gone. Where has the time gone? It has simply flown by. It's like just yesterday I was walking into Heritage Christian School holding my mom's hand as I went into Mrs. Bar's kindergarten class. Or that I was entering the fifth grade, and for the first time I was going to have more than one teacher! I vaguely remember freaking out about changing classes... Then sixth grade came, and woah, 4 teachers! Middle school came and went by quickly. Then came freshman year... My first winter formal... My first state competition with choir... Before I knew it, I was a junior... I thought I had 2 wonderful years left at Heritage... Little did I know that 9 months from that time my life would be drastically changing....


As it is again! I'm not quite dreading this move as I was the move to Tennessee though... Let me say though, God taught me SO much from this move to Tennessee. I know that it was completely in His will to move us down here, and I was content with that! Yes, there were some hard times... But aren't there always in life? That's part of what God uses to grow and stretch us! Now I'm not going to write anymore about that right now... If you'd like to know more, just ask :)


Digressing...


As I sit here typing this, I'm looking at all of the stuff that's just sitting in my room... I don't think I realized how much stuff I actually have! Or how much stuff of it really isn't necessary... Yet, I find myself unable to get rid of it. Now, I'm having to actually make decisions as to what to take. I have a feeling my dorm room will end up being super packed. Especially with clothes... Oh the decisions I'll have to make there!


As hard as packing may be, I'm very excited for the end result! I was just telling a friend how I cannot wait for this part of it to be over finally... It seems to just be dragging on! Not that I want to get away from my family, but this whole packing and having my room a mess thing, yeah... not cool!



One thing I am greatly anticipating is how God is going to work in a through me! The verse that has stuck out to me the most through this whole process is Jeremiah 29:11...  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Now I realize this is a super well known verse... But you know those verses that you hear all the time, but then one time when you hear them they take on a completely new meaning? That is what happened to me with this verse. 


God KNOWS my plans. Woah. Technically speaking, I really shouldn't even be worrying about them because someone already knows what they are going to be. Isn't that kind of a crazy thought? But super encouraging! And then the next part, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you" brought friends to mind. God is going to provide the friends that I need that will encourage me in my walk with Him! He is going to provide those "best friends for life" kind of friends. Yes, I already have a few of those... But I'm looking forward to making even more! My mom told me, if at the end of my life I can count on one hand the number of CLOSE (not just same likes and such, but legitimately close on a spiritual level as well as just in general) then I am extremely blessed! I believe that is true. I cannot wait to make new friends, as well as to be a friend to everyone at Asbury! Then the latter part of the verse... "plans to give you a hope and a future." Christ really is giving me this plan as He has led me to Asbury! Right now, my future is headed toward Elementary Education and Missions! I am very excited to see how God uses me!


Now as I come to a close, I realize this is probably the last time I will be writing a blog from my house in Bristol, Tennessee. Bittersweet thoughts and memories are hitting full force. While I am excited to leave, I will miss it. The people... The quaintness... (though I'll be getting plenty of that in Wilmore!)... My family... 



God's prepared me for this next part of my journey, better known as life... So let's go!