The Final Stretch

So, this blog will reflect my last semester at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I am excited for May to come! I can hardly believe that I am able to finish in 4 years with a double major (German & Linguistics), even having spent a year abroad. God is so good! As I look back on my life, he has been so faithful, guiding me to UWM, pouring out so many blessings and bringing many wonderful people into my life. I can't think of a better place to have spent the last four years. However, something else I have learned is that any place can be wonderful if you focus on serving God and others around you. I don't think there is a really a wrong place to be, because God is everywhere and he is all you need.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have not been grounded in the Word of God and have felt so lost. Why do I continually let myself drift from the purpose Christ has given, when I know he brings so much joy? But the amazing thing is that he never lets me get too far before drawing me back to himself. We serve such a mighty God who does not leave us as we are. There is nothing more beautiful than remembering we were made to glorify God and that his promises are true.

This Christmas I was reminded so strongly that Christ was born to die in order to restore us to God. It is so humbling to imagine that God, the creator of all the earth, would reach out to us and restore us to himself. I feel so small, yet so loved at the same time. My prayer for this next semester is to be known as Christ's and be bold for him. I pray that Christ's love will pour out of me into the lives of others. I just want to serve him, to learn more about him and to live like him.

I will need all of his strength to survive until May. As always, I have chosen the challenging road instead of the easy one. I could have taken an easy 3 credit German class, but I am doing an independent study for the last 3 German credits I need. I know that I will be stretched but am also excited to grow and learn how to do research. I think it will really prepare me for graduate school, which reminds me...I am supposed to be researching the GRE and grad schools at this very moment. So, that's my first post...the beginning of the final stretch to completing this chapter of my life. How exciting!