Abundant Blessings

For those of you who don’t know, grad school is expensive. Like $60,000 a year expensive, including tuition, books, living expenses, etc. While this isn’t the most expensive it could be, especially for a three year doctoral program, that is definitely more money than I have just laying around in my savings account.

After graduation, when I finally had time to start thinking about how I was going to pay for graduate school, I started to panic. Not only was I going to have to take out a massive amount of loans, but my computer needed to be replaced and I needed a new car, as there was no way my current vehicle was going to make it the 700+ miles to Nashville. On top of this, I didn’t have a summer job.

Needless to say, I was a little panicked. I definitely hadn’t made enough money throughout the school year to afford a computer, let alone a car, and with no job, I really had no idea where the money for those things was going to come from. So I prayed. I prayed that God would provide for me, in whatever way He saw fit. And I kept praying, even when I continued to be discouraged. And here’s the cool thing about prayer- God answers prayer. After praying, it didn’t take long for God to start providing the things I had asked for, though definitely not in the ways I was expecting.

First came the computer. Now, I’m not the world’s most patient person and I didn’t feel like going all summer trying to get by using a computer that would randomly freeze every few minutes, so as soon as I got home after graduation, I started looking around for computers. I also had my heart set on getting a Mac, especially since a lot of people who are currently in the occupational therapy program I’ll be a part of, recommended getting one. Macs are not the cheapest computers around as I’m sure most of you know, and as a broke college graduate, I wasn’t quite sure how I would afford one. But, I did some shopping around and stumbled across Apple’s education store, where I was able to find the Macbook Pro without retina display, for a good $500 cheaper than what I would have paid for one of the newer models. I also happened to have just enough money in my bank account for the computer, so I just went for it and bought it, figuring the sooner I had the computer, the more time I’d have to get used to the way Macs work. I hated that my bank account dropped so low after that purchase, but to my surprise after making a trip to the bank the next day to deposit some graduation money and last minute paychecks from Houghton, I deposited almost exactly what I paid for the computer. Coincidence? Maybe. But I prefer to think of it as a God thing.

Then came the job. I had applied to several places as soon as I returned home after graduation, but after a week hadn’t really heard from anyone, so I picked up applications for a few more places one day as I was running errands in town. I filled them all out when I got home and planned on turning them in the next time I went into town. The next day, my step-dad calls me and tells me that my uncle, who works for a company in Rochester, has a spot open for people to work the phones. I would get paid $10 an hour, but I would have to work from either 12PM-6PM or 8PM and I would have to make the hour long commute to Rochester each day. My heart sunk. Here was a job, staring me in the face, and a good one at that, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. One, my car wasn’t exactly in the greatest shape for making a two hour round trip commute each day, so I was going to have to find transportation. Two, even with getting $10 an hour, I’d probably be spending a lot of that on gas, and the hours weren’t ideal. But I was prepared to take the job if nothing else came up. So I prayed again, asking God if this is where He wanted me for the summer and then I called my parents to talk things over with them. After talking with them we decided this was my best option as long as I could borrow one of my grandfather’s vehicles for transportation. I planned on calling my grandfather that afternoon, and settled in to start watching something on TV. Not even an hour later, my phone rings and its an unknown number. I answer to find that it’s the owner of the restaurant located just down the road from my house, wanting to know if I can come in that afternoon for training! And I’m happy to say I’ve been employed there for the past two weeks and while the restaurant life can get stressful and makes for long days and nights, I am so blessed by the way God has provided.

Next came the car. It’s important for you to know that I have literally the worst luck with cars. Since buying my first car as a senior in high school, I’ve had three cars. That’s three cars in four years. My most recent car’s exhaust is completely shot, making for an extremely loud and annoying trip any time I drive anywhere. Between that, the 170000 miles on the car, and the fact that the back breaks were starting to go, we knew that I needed to find a new car before making the trek down to Nashville in August. I was torn between finding a newer and more expensive used car and just leasing a brand new car. I liked the idea of leasing, because I was tired of dealing with the uncertainties of used cars, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to swing monthly payments while in school, stay under the mileage, and didn’t want to be left with nothing at the end of three years. But it’s also hard to find a used car that’s in good shape, reliable enough to get me to Nashville, and in my price range. I was leaning towards leasing, when my grandparents came in to have lunch while I was working. As I was talking with them, my grandfather asked me what I was doing about a car. I told him I didn’t know and then he offered me one of their cars… FOR FREE. Like a gift. And this isn’t an old junker car. It’s a really nice, low mileage, still worth quite a bit of money car. I didn’t know what to say. After talking it over with my parents, we decided this was definitely the best option for me (Hello- free car!) and as of yesterday, I am the proud owner of a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica. It may not be the coolest looking car around, but once again God provided, and words cannot express how blessed I am by both God and my grandparents.

Every day, I continue to be amazed by the ways God works in my life and how He continues to bless me in unexpected ways. While there are still so many unknowns in this journey to Nashville, such as getting the loans and finding a place to live, I believe in a God that is bigger than all of those things and I trust that He will continue to provide abundant blessings.

A Vow of Silence

Every one of us has been the victim of unkind words, whether from the class bully in elementary school, an upset sibling, a friend who spoke without thinking, or someone else. When we’re in this position, it can be hard to believe the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The truth is, words hurt. They leave invisible marks that stick with us for longer than they should. That time someone told us we had “chicken legs” pops into our head every time we put on a pair of shorts. We’re reminded of being called a loser every time we walk into a room full of new people. Sometimes, words hurt more than we expect them too.

We’re all guilty of being the ones on the giving end of unkind words as well. I am ashamed to think about the multitude of times I’ve snickered at someone I passed on the street who seemed a little odd or the times I’ve said an unkind word to someone I barely knew. While I could probably make some excuse or justification for each and every time, the truth is, there really isn’t an excuse. We most often put other people down to build ourselves up.

As a summer job to save up money for Nashville, I’m working in a local restaurant. The other day at work, some co-workers were speaking poorly about another co-worker, and I joined in. One co-worker mentioned that she doesn’t normally talk about people behind their back, but in this case she was willing to make an exception. I agreed with her statement, but then it got me thinking. What is it about certain situations that make us think it’s more okay to say something unkind than in other situations? Or why are we okay with saying mean things behind someone’s back, when we wouldn’t dream of saying those same things to their face?

Just the other day, I was reading the passage in James about taming the tongue. James says:

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

James 3: 9-10

Lately, I’m starting to realize just how guilty of this I am. I’m doing my best to live as God has called me to live, and yet all too often I turn around and with the same tongue I use to produce words of praise, I produce words of harm. I’m not proud of this and it’s something that I want to change. So I’m taking a vow of silence, though not the type you’re probably thinking of. From now on, I’m going to take to heart the children’s saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” While I’m sure I’ll screw up and it definitely won’t be easy, I know it will be worth it.

And so I vow to be silent when the temptation to say an unkind word arises. I vow to be silent when I am tempted to join in with others who are talking bad about someone else. Will you join me?

An Ending and a Beginning

How fitting that as one thing ends, another begins.

Last Saturday, I graduated from Houghton College and in just a few short months, I will be leaving for Nashville, where I will be attending Belmont University as part of their Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program.

Here I am… an official college grad!

It’s true when they say time flies when you’re having fun. I can’t believe that I’ve already completed four years of undergraduate study. Throughout those four years, I have learned so much more than I would have imagined, both inside and outside of the classroom. Playing two varsity sports at Houghton- soccer and track- taught me time management, leadership skills, teamwork, and more important, how to use sport as a form of worship and offering to God. My wide range of liberal arts classes broadened my worldview, knowledge base, and helped me pair my faith with learning. I was blessed with the opportunity to go abroad three times during my time at Houghton, giving me the opportunity to experience two different cultures, as well as spread Christ’s love to the people we interacted with there. I met some of the most loving and caring people during my time at Houghton, who were the source of smiles, laughter, and unforgettable memories, and who were also willing to pick me up when I was down or point me in the right direction when I had lost my way.

So blessed to have lived with these lovely ladies for the past 2 years!

Not every experience I had at Houghton was positive. There was a time when I questioned my decision to attend Houghton and wanted to transfer. I made a lot of mistakes during my time at Houghton, but I was able to learn from each one. There were a lot of late nights spent working on assignments, stressing over meeting deadlines and striving after that 4.0. There were times where I felt alone, others where I felt like I wasn’t learning anything, and even more where I questioned my faith. But these experiences have also shaped me into who I am today.

Houghton was so much more than a place where I earned a degree. It is also the place where my faith in God grew, I learned how to serve others selflessly, I developed relationships I will forever hold dear to my heart, and where I was mentored by coaches and professors whose wisdom and examples will continue to guide me. There really aren’t words to describe how much Houghton, and more importantly the people of Houghton, have influenced my life.

This goofy guy served as such a wonderful mentor and professor and I don’t know where I’d be without him!

So as I say goodbye to Houghton, I say hello to Nashville, and look forward to the way God will use Nashville, Belmont, and the people I meet there to grow and shape me into the person He plans for me to be. The point of this blog will be to follow along with my adventures as I take on grad school and a new city all at once, and serve as a testimony to the work God is doing in my life.

Next stop: Belmont University, Nashville, TN!