New but not familiar

That's how I feel this year started. I still know a lot of people, but my outlook towards them is different. I know them, but they hold a different value because I realize that this may be the last year I will see them. It's crazy, but kind of exciting. To be honest it really hasn't hit me that I'll be leaving Asbury in 9 months. I'm excited though. I have minimal hours of class time, so I just have to figure out what I'm going to do with all my spare time. I have so many opportunities and plan to advance on as many as I can. Nothing can stop me. That's what I learned from this summer. Whatever I want to do, I can do. It's awesome. If I want to read a book I can. If I want to go take pictures I can. If I want to sit on the internet for 7 hours (I can do that now with my new macbook pro haha) then I can.

God places so many options in front of me each year. The difference is that this year I know it. I can see them unfold before my eyes. It's tough to go from a summer alone where everyday is like a devotional back into the real social realm. I actually have to engage with people again and maintain my relationships. I can't just be silent for the majority of the day. One of the toughest things for me is trying to keep up my relationship with God. During the summer it's so easy to ask for things, thank Him, or just talk. Now that I'm back at school my mind is on a million different things. It's on school work, friends, money, expenses, fun, work, my future, and all kinds of minor essentials of life. My job now is to harness those thoughts and figure out a time and place for each of them so that I can make the most of this year. I hope I can take the things I learned during the summer and apply them to real life.

I'll end with three reasons why I love Asbury: