All This Time

All this time: from the first tear cry

'Til today's sunrise and every single moment between

You were there; You were always there.

It was You and I.

God is good. All the time. He's been there for me since the moment I was conceived in my mother's womb to this very minute. There hasn't been a single second in my 17 years of existence that He hasn't been right beside me. Even during those times of doubt that He didn't exist, He was still there. What's the greatest news of all is that you - yes, you there! - can say the same exact thing. God has been there for you whether you believe in Him or not.

I write today my Finished-One-Year-of-College post, not because I'm actually finished yet (three days left), but because this is probably the only spare time I will have in the coming week. It still feels so surreal that in just another week, I'll be officially completed with my freshman year in college. Does that not sound grownup or what? When I look back to the journey that started last July 2011, I'm just amazed at how much has happened since then and I have to say: I'm proud of myself.

I'm proud that I learned to live by myself. It isn't easy when you have to be responsible for yourself. You have to take the extra effort to make sure you eat every meal of the day, to make sure your room stays in a fairly sanitary condition, to do your laundry, to do what you know needs to get done without your mother nagging you and telling you to do this and that. You have to keep track of your spendings, budget, and experience what it's like to not have your dad right at the kitchen table to ask, "Dad can I have some money today to go shopping?"

I'm proud that I've learned to cope with all the responsibilities. Adjusting from a home schooled mentality that allows you to push off that assignment till the next day, it was definitely a challenge to keep up with the due dates. It was also a challenge to learn to cope with people during group projects. Not to mention looking for jobs, getting a job, applying for a SSN all by myself, jumping the hoops of all those international restrictions on jobs and the age barriers, tax forms, and whatnot. (Who knew living by yourself when you're not of legal age can be so tedious?!) The amount of things I've learned out of the classroom exceeds that of which I've learned in the classroom.

I'm proud of putting myself out there and being outgoing. I'm so glad I know so many more people, some of whom I've gotten really close to and some of whom I only say hi to when I see them. Nevertheless, it's making connections. I'm glad that I know so many people outside of Appalachian State too! I'm so grateful for the church I've found that is literally a big family to me. I'm so grateful for other families I know outside my church: my host family, the LeBlancs and Abernathys. I'm so grateful for my fellow peers, my neighbors, my roommate, and even the bus drivers.

I'm proud of my academic achievements. Hey, it is college and I came here to learn and prepare myself for my career. A big thank you to all those who have taught me and helped me during the last two semesters. I've learned so much about interior design, I almost feel like I'm prepared to design a house right now. I've pushed my envelope, exceeded the boundaries, and stepped out of my comfort zone. And it's paid off with the grades I've gotten!

Finally, but definitely not last, I'm proud of how much I've grown spiritually. If this wasn't the biggest lesson I've learned, I don't know what is: I can't do anything without Him, but I can certainly can do everything and anything with Him! Every day is a good day when I find that little time to start my day with Him. After all, He has been with me all this time, I owe Him some time every day. :)

I'm excited for summerrrr! Who's with me?