Last year around this time, I posted a blog. It was entitled “Things that were and will be. Thankful.” click there and read it. It still makes me tear up!

I remember sitting in the Starbucks off of California Street in one of their comfy leather couches, sipping on an iced caramel macchiato because it was so dang hot outside. I remember people from my school came at sat at the table beside me. I remember holding back tears while typing out the words in fear that they would see and ask me why I was crying. I remember writing the blog because I wanted to avoid the loads of homework I had to do and focus on all the emotional weight and burden that came with a break up. Well, sort of, because the break up was going to happen later that night but with anything of that sort, the anticipation looms over you – you know it’s coming.

I was thinking earlier today that the ‘me’ from a year ago seems so foreign. The person I am now is no longer the person I was then. The person I am now has been shaped and molded by the grace of God. The person I am now has been broken and perfectly placed back together by my sovereign and holy God.  I sat there then thinking how the heck I had learned so much in just one year. I sat there reminiscing on all the Lord has brought to my life and how he was continuing to change me and shape me.

Today, I am doing the same exact thing – minus Starbucks and the caramel macchiato. I am packing up my room, looking through my big box of memories and adding to it, organizing drawers, throwing things away, shedding a tear or two, and looking back on ALL the Lord has taught me this year.

Who knew singleness could continue to teach you a year later!? Well, it has and I am thankful for that. This year has been crazy, emotional, strengthening, damaging, extremely fun, lonely, communal, joyful, depressing, anxious, faith-building, relationship-building, convicting, challenging, maturing [and a little of the opposite seeing that I lived with 23 freshmen girls :)], etc. I have cried myself to sleep. I have laughed till I cried. I have been so angry I cried. I went on California Screaming at California Adventure and “cried” because it was soooo fast it made my eyes water. I have cried because I was so thankful. Basically I have just done a lot of crying… HA!

This year as been full! I was looking at my journal from last May and I saw just how much the Lord has used this last year to change me and grow me. God is good and he is always faithful! He always provides and he always protects. That has probably been the biggest theme of my year. He always provides, is faithful, good, and always protects.

I have seen his goodness cover my life this year and my whole life. He has shown me grace in countless ways – most in freeing me from my bond to sin and death and giving me life. He has provided me with comfort, encouragement, sweet sweet friendships, correction, a beautiful community, the GOSPEL, a job, a roof over my head, food to eat, options after college, life-lessons….

He is so GOOD!!!!!!!!

So as I end this chapter in my life and move onto the next, I am grateful. It is crazy to think that I finished college. I’m sitting in my room on 1C where it all began and in awe of everything he has taught me since I began here as freshmen in room 142C as a young 18 year old uncertain about what the next four years of my life were going to look like: who my friends were going to be, if I’d be single or married out of college, if I would have a job, what my major would be, what type of person I would be, if I would continue to follow the Lord or not, if church was important to me, etc.

Now I KNOW all of those things. I have a great group of friends coming out of college. I am single. I have a job starting in a week from today (!!!!). I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Behavioral Science. I am an extrovert who loves people, lover of truth, enjoys deep, challenging conversations, love dresses and skirts and anything girly, loves anything outdoors – hiking, swimming in a lake/ocean, loves friendship and thrives off of my community. I love the Lord and desire to serve him with everything I have. Church is so important to me because I have seen the value of living in a close, intentional community that is seeking after Christ. Now, I know all of these things. In four years, the Lord has completely changed who I am.

Now I sit in 147C and as I look into what I am going to do in the future I know with certainty that the Lord will shape me and mold me because he has been faithful to do that the last 22 years of my life. I will look back on May 7, 2013 at this year that lies before me today and think, “WHOA, how did the Lord teach me everything he did in this last year?!”

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment from Saturday’s graduation: