1st Semester Review

So my first semester of college is done and over with. :) I'm really glad about how everything turned out: the roommates, the classes, the new friendships. I experienced alot of new things and it was great for the most part. Starting with my roommates, I began the year with two of them, Travis and Donny. As our hall's (3rd Floor West!) Bible Studies took place, I slowly learned how awesome these two are. Travis is one of those few that simply can get along with anyone. He's chill and almost nothing bothers him. It is a blessing to have a guy like him to keep me lifted up without him saying a word; his actions do it all. Donny is definitely one of the wisest people I know now. It is amazing how much he knows about the Word, and how to live it out. I love knowing that I can go to him when I need guidance or simply encouragement. About two months in, Donny got married. BUT, he was our roommate and will always be a guy that I plan to keep in touch with during school.

As for the classes, they were alright. I did not struggle with any, and it was nice to have professors that were, for the most part, intentional about relationships with students. I look forward to the future relationships I have with my profs. I am glad to say that I passed my first semester with a 3.4 gpa...could easily be 3.6, but oh well.

Enough about class, my friendships are probably the highlights of this first semester. During the first week, my prayer over the summer completely paid off (Thank you, God). All of the guys in my hall jelled very well. We get along and there are quite a few that I could easily see myself having serious conversations with. It all started with our amazing R.A. Mitchell Horn. He was so intentional about getting to know each other and beginning these new friendships. Thanks to that, I stepped out of my natural laid back (or shyness ;)) in order to make these new friendships. This next semester is going to be awesome to see how we continue to dive into each other's lives. My prayer is that I begin this one as I did the last, but also continue that prayerfulness and desire to include God in our relationships throughout the semester.

And that leads me to my specific highlights of my first semester. My first is that I struggled down the stretch with keeping up with devotions and also staying focused on God at all times. The beginning of the year was great in how I was able to think about Christ throughout the day. Toward the end of this semester I began to do devotions and then not think about Him the rest of the day.

My second highlight was that of the Junior High guys I got to make friendships with. I am helping teach a 7th grade Sunday school class and lead a Wednesday night 8th grade small group. I LOVE it!!! The 7th graders I already knew, but meeting these 8th graders was awesome. They all attend the school I attended and are exactly the way my friends and I were in 8th grade: sports is all that matters. My prayer is that for the 8th graders, we can begin to dive in more and become more personal with each other. Of course, if that does not happen, I know its not in God's timing right now and that we will simply use this time to better our foundations with each other. My prayer for the 7th graders is that they would begin to see me more as a teacher than the friend that they have always known me as. I will begin teaching alot more this next semester, can't wait!

My third, final, and greatest highlight of the semester was spent on a Sunday afternoon, in front of the tv, eating lunch, with my dad :). It had gotten to the point in my life that I needed to let my dad know how much I love him and how much I've been praying for him. He knew I wanted to talk but was not sure why. When I started telling him why, after about 2 or 3 sentences, he took over the conversation. It was incredible how he simply filled in all the grey areas of his life that I had never heard about. He was incredibly vulnerable with me, and I am forever grateful for that. Since our conversation, I have talked some with him to this level, but not much. A final prayer is that I begin to start a consistent time of keeping up with him and his spiritual level.

God has started alot this first semester, and I cannot wait to see what He does in the second!