Three years have come and gone in the blink of an eye.  I began college as a freshman (as I’d imagine most people do), not really knowing or understanding, not seeing or hearing, immature.  In three years I have done things that I never imagined, studied more than I ever thought I could, met more people than I remember, seen how the body of Christ is supposed to function, made friends with unlikely people, picked apples with friends, studied with people I honestly care about, was fortunate enough to learn from the great Dr. Marv Wilson, ran around barefoot at the beach, gone into the ocean on the first nice day in March (it was SO cold!), laughed with friends, cried with friends, sat with friends in the ER, smiled at the ones who came to my hospital room, and so much more.

When I came to Gordon, I felt like this was where I was supposed to be, but I didn’t know why.  Now I do.  It has been such a journey, with ups and downs, twists and turns, hills and valleys, but God has stood by me and picked me up when I fell, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.  I have learned so much from my classes, from my research, from my friends, and from the Church.  I have been blessed to be here, and to grow here.  Gordon will always have a special place in my life, for it was here that I saw the love of Christ poured out through people into my life.  It was here that my advisor was more than just an academic advisor, but also a friend and mentor.  It was here that learned that I love teaching.  It was here that I saw the body of Christ function as it should.  It was here that I made friendships that will last longer than this year.  It was here that I learned to hear.  It was here that I learned to see.  It was here that I learned that some people will accept me with all the strings attached and here where I learned that it is okay to be single.  It was here I learned how a team should and should not function.  It was here I learned to love and here I learned to live.

There’s so much more that I’ve learned and seen and done and heard that I can’t put into words.  But it doesn’t end here.  I have more to learn, more to do, more to see, more to love, more to hear, more to understand.  God isn’t finished with me yet.  And so, as I begin my senior year, I want to learn, I want to live, I want to love, I want to grow, I want to sing his praises in everything, I want to understand, I want to learn more.  I want to keep going on this journey that God has started taking me on, and I want to see where it’s going to go next.  And whatever I do, whether in word, or deed, I want to do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  (Colossians 3:17)