A Journey.

For anyone that has ever chosen a college, you know it's not the easiest decision. 

For me, it's been such an up and down thing. A long time, I just pushed it away thinking oh I'll get to it. Sooner or later I didn't know where to go. One day I remembered that my dad had picked up a packet of college info from Baptist Bible College. When he gave it to me, I ended up just stuffing it away thinking "Oh I won't need that. I'm not gonna go there." For awhile I had my mind set on other colleges. But when I picked up that brochure again, I started looking into it, and it seemed like a pretty cool college. I started talking to my parents about it more, and decided hey we should make a trip out there. So, we ended up driving there a few months later to Pennsylvania. 

If any of you don't know, I grew up in Pennsylvania. That's another reason why I felt God leading me to this college. "Yeah He's leading me back to my home state!" When we got there, it felt so right. The campus was beautiful, the people were so friendly, and the best part...Rita's was just a few minutes away.. :) Well, we were there for a couple days checking it out, and I loved it. After the visit my parents would ask me, "So Jess, what do you think?" I would tell them I need more time to decide. I didn't think it would be the best idea to go ahead and just decide without really thinking and praying about it. 

A few times my mom had mentioned that she wasn't totally sold on it. She didn't know if it was the right college for me. I just thought ok whatever that's just your thinking. I mean I am the youngest so that makes it a little difficult:) Anywho, she and my brother kept mentioning Liberty University. I thought, oh that's too big for me and stuff like that. As I started praying more and things come up I felt "Ok maybe God is really having them feel this way for a reason." After praying about it for awhile and asking God for a sign, I finally decided to go for it. Maybe this is God's way of showing me that I need to go here. I ended up applying and wondering where God would take me.

So I waited for awhile to get answers back about being accepted or not. I kept praying and praying wondering if this is really what I'm supposed to be doing. But the weird thing is, I had a big peace about it. I was getting excited thinking about going there. So, they finally contacted me and I was able to make an account and start working on paperwork. 

As I'm working on LU stuff, I wonder,"Why did God allow us to go through all this stuff and lead us out to the college with high hopes thinking it was the college for me, just to end up not even going?" I know He had some reason for it. Maybe it was to open my eyes up to something different. My mom thinks it was for my Jr./Sr. dress(long story). Whatever it was, I'm happy that He led me where I'm at now. 

Then the email came.....CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA!! I literally screamed when I read it. I was super duper excited. I couldn't believe that God had answered my prayers! So, after that I thought ok I just need to get some paperwork done for them and I'm all set. 

NOPE.

I did paperwork, yes, but not as easy as I thought. I would send something in then get an email saying I had something else to do too. Oh man. When will this end?? I kept being patient, and I finally got all my stuff sent in. So, now was the hard part. I had to wait.

And wait...

And wait........

And wait.............

Finally, everything went through. I was overjoyed[again]!! I got all checked in, and finished registering for my classes. Now another trial: paying for it. UGH! I literally hate money. I know God will provide I have to keep that in mind. It gets discouraging when you don't have a job, and have no idea how you're going to pay for college. Everyone keeps telling me it will work out it always does. I have to keep that in mind. At youth group, we talked about leaving everything to God and having Him take care of it because we literally can't do anything on our own. We need God, PERIOD. One thing I've learned is that God is really testing my patience and how I will learn to trust Him completely and not worry about it. Let me tell ya, it's not always easy. But in the end I know God's plan will unfold and I'll see why He allowed me/us to go through all this.

In the end, I'm so excited to be attending Liberty University in the Fall. I know God has great plans for me there, and I can't wait to see what they are.