| Our lives can change so much in the time we have here on Earth. Each step we take leads us on to bigger and better plans and dreams to pursue. Whats new in the life of Betty? Well... theres not a lot, but at the same time... theres quite a bit. School is going well, keeping me really busy. lots of studying, lots of grading papers, lots of time spent in the library (yes, I am a nerd and a math major, and I'm proud of it). I'm really excited that Spring is on its way... I'm sick of cold and sick of snow! Looking forward to summer... Alaska (cruise with Michael!), camping, soccer, basketball, mini triathalon, Green Lake, the rock pile, working, tutoring, and hanging out with the gang back home! It will be wonderful :) This semester has been amazing. My roomies and accross the hall roomies are the best, and we've had a blast all semester (Ashley, Anna and Mel). sooo many nights staying up until the wee hours of the morning laughing our heads off or talking about who knows what. Its been great. I've gotten to know the guys really well too (kyle, andrew, austin, clay, joel, john, jon) and had some good dinner experiences and movie nights with them. Its been great getting to know everyone, and having a blast. My life is going to be taking a huge turn this year. Many of you may know this, but I am transferring to Illinois State University in the fall. I made the decision a few months ago to transfer, because of several reasons, and it is now official. I went last week for my transfer day, got my schedule figured out, my ID card and account set up, and I will get housing set up in June. I am going to do the random pick for rooming, so that will be a new experience. I applied for the honors program a few months ago, and will find out if I got accepted into that program in the next month or two. If I did get into that, then I will get onto an honors floor, where only honors program people can live, so that will slim down the randomness a little bit. Either way, I think that it will be just fine. I will be a little worried about that as the time gets closer, but God is in charge, and I know that He's got control of everything in terms of transferring, even housing. I am really looking forward to transferring; I'm looking forward to a new environment, new experiences, new friends, and most of all, I'm really looking forward to the opportunities I am going to have to witness. I dont have that here at Olivet, and I miss it. I thrived on that in High School, being one of the few Christians, and being able to live my life as an example and even have chances to introduce people to the love that God has for each of them. So I'm really excited about that. I am going to miss my Olivet friends a lot, but I'll only be an hour and 15 mins away, so I will have plenty of chances to come visit (which i will, i promise!). I'm excited, and ready to see what else is in store. God is so good, and He has taught me so much this past year. Last semester was really really hard for me. I had a really hard time socially, spiritually, academically, and personally. I just felt like I didn't belong anywhere, I wasn't sure what or where God wanted me, and I was just confused. But I leaned on God as much as I could, and I knew that in order to teach us things, we often have to be tested... and I was sure tested. I put my trust in Him, and this semester has been an incredible blessing, and as always, God fulfilled His promise to take care of me and bless me in ways I could never have imagine. Last summer, when I was on my missions trip to Brazil with the Xtreme Team, I grew a lot, and learned a lot, and the biggest thing that God showed me through that, is not to plan my life out. That God's plans for my life are perfect... they may not be perfectly clear... but they are perfect. That really became real to me this year, through friendships, school, and even life changes, such as transferring. I've also felt more and more of a call to missions. I dont know if that means global missions somewhere else at some point in my life... or just a focus on short term missions, but I really have been instilled with a passion for that, and I've become a lot more comfortable with taking a step of faith and following God's call. God is good. And He is faithful. There is one month left before summer... and one month left at Olivet. Although I have had ups and downs the past several months, it has been really good for me. I've learned a lot about myself both good and bad, made some amazing lifelong friends, struggled in my faith, been absolutely fired up in my faith, unsure as to what my future might hold... and still... completely amazed at God's grace. |
