Sorry it has been so long. We'll just catch up with the craziness that is my life one piece at a time. The last three weeks of Spring semester found me back up in Morris, in the craziness of trying to finish everything before they would let us Education majors graduate. In the nine days that I had class, there were ten essays and two half-hour presentations to complete. But, I survived with flying colors, little sleep, and great memories. Here's a picture of the Elementary Education class of 2007 and our professors. (Yup, only two guys... they have put up with a lot from us and were a great asset to our class.)
May 12th proved to be a beautiful day. Beautiful enough, even, to have the Commencement ceremony held outside on the mall. It was so nice! Each year the seniors vote whether we will march in alphabetically or randomly (so we can sit with our friends). This year, as usual, we marched randomly, so I was able to sit with a bunch of my closest friends and it was an awesome experience to share.
Throughout my four years at Morris, each week I have gone over to my friend Dorothy Sayre's house for Christian fellowship, making good food, and having lots of fun. This year, there were EIGHT of us who graduated that call ourselves "Dorothy Girls". These are the ladies I was privileged enough to spend the last few years with, share amazing lives in the Lord, and also walk through graduation with. They are an amazing group. We're spreading all over the globe: throughout Minnesota, Colorado, and even Kenya! The Lord is good and will continue to bless us as we grow.
So, it was a great day. I was blessed to have my parents, sisters, and even my grandmother from Iowa there. The Lord additionally blessed me by letting me be fairly un-emotional. I realized what was happening, but was able to say goodbyes without breaking down. It felt weird, but I realized that this peace was from Him. That evening we had an Open House at my parents. That was a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord's goodness with all of my friends in the Twin Cities as well. Thank you all for your support and shared life that you have given me throughout my four years in the prairie. Glory!
Life is always difficult when things begin to change, and it always brings with it an amount of uncertainty. I am really bad at good-byes. You never know the permanence of things. I realize that it's a part of life and things are not meant to always stay the same. That's the beauty of it, right? But, that doesn't mean that it's always easy. One of the reasons that friendships and relationships change is because of a shift in what is shared: that common ground, environment, those experiences, storie
s, etc...That is one reason why I love my life within the People of Praise. I still have to say my good-byes and things are constantly shifting. But, we're doing it together. We're following God's will for our lives both individually and as a body, through discernment and prayer. Our good-byes are never forever because we're constantly being present to one another. I remember thinking about a friend in hig
h school. "I don't know where either of us will end up in the future or how our interactions may change. But as long as I have him in my life as a friend, I will be happy." Now I am blessed to call him my brother! I have met so many amazing people in this life and even if I only see them once every couple of years, we are connected. We share that life.
As I think about the next few months of my life I see uncertainty and yet I am peaceful. I know that He will take care me as He always has. I am excited for this new adventure, wherever it takes me. I am ready for anything. Well, maybe not anyth
ing... but with His help I can be! Immediately following graduation from U of M - Morris in May, I am traveling abroad with my choir (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, & Iceland). I look forward to this blessed time of adventure and culmination with these wonderful people the Lord has brought into my life over the past 4 years. Here's a bit of a preview!
