My countdown has ended, I have officially graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication with a specialization in Journalism.
It's hard to believe that my time at Liberty is over. I've raced to my last bus stop, taken my last spill down the DeMoss stairs and sat in my last class with Deborah Huff.
I always assumed that when I finished college I would know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life. Now, I feel like I know even less than I thought I knew when I originally left for school. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but it's what I'm thinking right now.
As I sit here thinking about what an amazing experience I had at Liberty, another thought hits me. What on earth am I going to do with everything that came back from school with me? The unpacking process has begun, my room looks great! However, the hallway leading to my door has disappeared in a mound of crates, rugs, curtains, textbooks and portfolios.
What comes next? Well, as of right now, I'm focusing on recovering from the mono and strep that I came down with during finals week. I will be traveling to Mexico with my family after my little sister graduates from high school in a few weeks. Also in the plans is a mission trip with Xtreme Impact to an island in the Bahamas. I am looking forward to working with my small group of girls on this trip and interacting with the other Liberty student leaders and high school students that will be going on the trip as well.
After that, who knows what I will be doing! I am thoroughly excited about the fact that I have no serious commitments after August, no school to race off to and nothing I have to be. Except for the student loans that will be floating along in November, but that will come in its own time.
I am hoping to write for some sort of magazine or newspaper in the fall, if everything goes according to plan. But those of you who know me well are fully aware of how my plans usually work out. If you see someone living under a bridge, it might be me :)
But as of right now, I am a very content, very sleepy college graduate. I suppose this was a good time to come down with mono, rather than dealing with it during last semester. I don't think I have ever slept this much in my life. Apparently it is time for me to learn to slow down and relax some, at least that's what my boyfriend and family are telling me. We shall see how that goes :)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
The CLAB
As I was sitting in the clab this evening, I realized that I don't have very many more nights that I'll be studying in a place like that.
I know I posted a list in my last post, but here's another one :)
Why I love the clab....
1. The wide diversity of the people in the clab. In less than a minute, I spotted people from India, Asia, Puerto Rico, Africa, Canada, Mexico and, of course, the States.
2. The shark-like movements of students as they circle the computers, looking for an open one.
3. The rush for an open couch when someone leaves.
4. The random guy wandering around, clicking off the number of students in the clab. I've always wondered what they do with those numbers...
5. The 3339 Coms Family, y'all know who you are :)
6. The one awkward couple that is clearly beyond twitterpated and well on their way to a ring by spring type of relationship.
7. The fact that there is a social and a study atmosphere at the same time.
8. Swiping your card at midnight, sounds nerdy but it's a fun to see everyone wandering in the direction of the front desk.
9. The vending machine that's never run out for as long as I've been here.
10. That moment when the lights go out as they start to close down for the night.
11. Seeing random friends throughout the night.
12. The random kid that's unconscious on the floor, papers floating all over the place.
I will definitely be missing the clab, nerdy as that may be :)
I know I posted a list in my last post, but here's another one :)
Why I love the clab....
1. The wide diversity of the people in the clab. In less than a minute, I spotted people from India, Asia, Puerto Rico, Africa, Canada, Mexico and, of course, the States.
2. The shark-like movements of students as they circle the computers, looking for an open one.
3. The rush for an open couch when someone leaves.
4. The random guy wandering around, clicking off the number of students in the clab. I've always wondered what they do with those numbers...
5. The 3339 Coms Family, y'all know who you are :)
6. The one awkward couple that is clearly beyond twitterpated and well on their way to a ring by spring type of relationship.
7. The fact that there is a social and a study atmosphere at the same time.
8. Swiping your card at midnight, sounds nerdy but it's a fun to see everyone wandering in the direction of the front desk.
9. The vending machine that's never run out for as long as I've been here.
10. That moment when the lights go out as they start to close down for the night.
11. Seeing random friends throughout the night.
12. The random kid that's unconscious on the floor, papers floating all over the place.
I will definitely be missing the clab, nerdy as that may be :)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Things I have never understood about Liberty
I really do love this school....though some things about it never fail to floor me :)
1. The concept behind putting three girls in one small room
2. Does Roccotown still exist now that he's moved on?
3. The copper dome that was put on the Welcome Center even though it turned dull before it was finished being built. Why it has taken so long to build it anyways??
4. My email's inability to remain any less than 90 percent full
5. The lights on the intramural field being turned off at 11 p.m.
6. The term "Worship Major" ....what does one do with this major after leaving Liberty? And why do they all look alike?
7. The placement of the electrical outlets in the dorm rooms, all on one side of the room, the side without the sink and mirror
8. How high up the paper towel dispensers are in the girls bathroom, it's impossible to reach the lever without water running down your arm and into your sleeve
9. People who socialize in the stairways going up from the Vines as soon as convo ends rather than staying in their seats
10. Why isn't there ever an 11 in Christmas Convo's 12 Days of Christmas?
11. The ballroom/grand lobby...that place gets weirder the longer you look at it. Ever looked closely at the chandelier?
12. Leggings being worn instead of pants
13. Cardigans
14. FACS majors
15. Phone calls from Liberty departments in the middle of convo *cough*Student Advocate Office*cough*
16. Longboarders
17. DeMoss classroom numbers
18. Parents who attend freshman orientation
19. Proposals at the monogram
20. LU's attempt to not be known as LU after the creation of the "theme song"
21. The thousands of red towels that are now floating around with no real purpose
22. Hall meeting and then sending all the information out in an email
23. How CFAW always manages to land on the week before major exams
24. The massively huge glasses everyone deems "cool" despite the fact that they were considered horrifically nerdy 10 years ago
25. The water temperature in Dorm 33
26. Towns Auditorium is not the same as the Religion Hall
27. The fourth floor of DeMoss....it will always remain a mystery, a confusing place even with it open
28. The constant heat on the third floor
29. Campus North/Green Hall/ Huge building that keeps growing
30. The bus system, clockwise and counterclockwise, I mean really...who's going to remember that?
1. The concept behind putting three girls in one small room
2. Does Roccotown still exist now that he's moved on?
3. The copper dome that was put on the Welcome Center even though it turned dull before it was finished being built. Why it has taken so long to build it anyways??
4. My email's inability to remain any less than 90 percent full
5. The lights on the intramural field being turned off at 11 p.m.
6. The term "Worship Major" ....what does one do with this major after leaving Liberty? And why do they all look alike?
7. The placement of the electrical outlets in the dorm rooms, all on one side of the room, the side without the sink and mirror
8. How high up the paper towel dispensers are in the girls bathroom, it's impossible to reach the lever without water running down your arm and into your sleeve
9. People who socialize in the stairways going up from the Vines as soon as convo ends rather than staying in their seats
10. Why isn't there ever an 11 in Christmas Convo's 12 Days of Christmas?
11. The ballroom/grand lobby...that place gets weirder the longer you look at it. Ever looked closely at the chandelier?
12. Leggings being worn instead of pants
13. Cardigans
14. FACS majors
15. Phone calls from Liberty departments in the middle of convo *cough*Student Advocate Office*cough*
16. Longboarders
17. DeMoss classroom numbers
18. Parents who attend freshman orientation
19. Proposals at the monogram
20. LU's attempt to not be known as LU after the creation of the "theme song"
21. The thousands of red towels that are now floating around with no real purpose
22. Hall meeting and then sending all the information out in an email
23. How CFAW always manages to land on the week before major exams
24. The massively huge glasses everyone deems "cool" despite the fact that they were considered horrifically nerdy 10 years ago
25. The water temperature in Dorm 33
26. Towns Auditorium is not the same as the Religion Hall
27. The fourth floor of DeMoss....it will always remain a mystery, a confusing place even with it open
28. The constant heat on the third floor
29. Campus North/Green Hall/ Huge building that keeps growing
30. The bus system, clockwise and counterclockwise, I mean really...who's going to remember that?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Backpacking Trails in Heaven
Seven years ago this afternoon I was in my parents room, bouncing around to music and dusting the furniture so that when they came home it would be clean. I knew that my dad probably wouldn't ever come home but it was nice to pretend for a few minutes that he would. A family from church had just taken the kids for the afternoon and I was determined to make the most out of the quiet house.
I was listening to a Christian song that was fairly popular at that time and trying not to think too hard about what was going on at the hospital. I heard a car pull up in front of the house and glanced out the window. One glance was all it took to realize that something was wrong. I wasn't sure if something had gone wrong with dad at the hospital or if something was wrong with one of my siblings. I dropped everything, ran down the stairs, yanked open the front door only to see the face of my dad's good friend, the pastor of our church at the time. One look at his face and I knew my dad wasn't going to come back.
It felt like the floor fell out from under my family.
I don't remember much of anything from the days that followed, just snapshots really. My mom coming home and telling us. Going through pictures of dad for the funeral. Watching someone typing up the obituary. Holding my five-year-old brother while he cried. Bits and pieces of the funeral. Lori Metzger hugging me at the cemetery.
The one thing that I remember thinking over and over again was that God had made a mistake, that he took the wrong person by accident. I had seen how God had done so many great things through my dad before and then throughout his sickness. Why would God mess all of that up now?
Time has passed, many things have changed in life. Our family has expanded and we gained a new sister and a step-dad. I wasn't very keen on the idea of new family members at first. But I can honestly say, the past four years have taught me so much and I have had a lot of fun with them. Other things have changed too, Noah's almost a teenager (holy crap,) Becka's graduating from high school, Steph's in her junior year of college and mom's still managing to keep up with all of us even though we're all going separate directions (she's my hero)
The only way I can describe what I'm feeling today is that it feels like it was yesterday and forever ago at the same time. Looking back now, I can't say that I like what God chose to do with our family, but I can say that He is good and He has stayed with us the entire time. Our family is strong, we're closer than I ever imagined that we could be. And most importantly....we're okay :)
Every year my family puts up roses in our profile pictures on Facebook in Dad's memory. In my newsfeed a few days ago there was a list of the people who have changed their pictures recently. Roses everywhere. It made me smile and tear up at the same time.
I went to the cemetery a few weeks ago, just to visit. I walked up to where we buried my dad and looked down. There was a little American flag laying on the marker bearing my dad's name, a gift from a veteran he helped years ago.
It's nice to know that people remember. It's nice to know that he hasn't been forgotten.
I never realized how many lives my dad touched throughout his life and even more surprisingly, through his death. We have been able to relate with people in a whole different way as a result of what happened seven years ago.
Sometimes God says yes to prayers, sometimes He says wait, other times He says no. He told us no seven years ago. As much as I hate to say it, God knew what He was doing when He said no. And even though it's hard and we hate it, we're okay :)
It's days like today that make me think that God must have backpacking trails up in heaven
I was listening to a Christian song that was fairly popular at that time and trying not to think too hard about what was going on at the hospital. I heard a car pull up in front of the house and glanced out the window. One glance was all it took to realize that something was wrong. I wasn't sure if something had gone wrong with dad at the hospital or if something was wrong with one of my siblings. I dropped everything, ran down the stairs, yanked open the front door only to see the face of my dad's good friend, the pastor of our church at the time. One look at his face and I knew my dad wasn't going to come back.
It felt like the floor fell out from under my family.
I don't remember much of anything from the days that followed, just snapshots really. My mom coming home and telling us. Going through pictures of dad for the funeral. Watching someone typing up the obituary. Holding my five-year-old brother while he cried. Bits and pieces of the funeral. Lori Metzger hugging me at the cemetery.
The one thing that I remember thinking over and over again was that God had made a mistake, that he took the wrong person by accident. I had seen how God had done so many great things through my dad before and then throughout his sickness. Why would God mess all of that up now?
Time has passed, many things have changed in life. Our family has expanded and we gained a new sister and a step-dad. I wasn't very keen on the idea of new family members at first. But I can honestly say, the past four years have taught me so much and I have had a lot of fun with them. Other things have changed too, Noah's almost a teenager (holy crap,) Becka's graduating from high school, Steph's in her junior year of college and mom's still managing to keep up with all of us even though we're all going separate directions (she's my hero)
The only way I can describe what I'm feeling today is that it feels like it was yesterday and forever ago at the same time. Looking back now, I can't say that I like what God chose to do with our family, but I can say that He is good and He has stayed with us the entire time. Our family is strong, we're closer than I ever imagined that we could be. And most importantly....we're okay :)
Every year my family puts up roses in our profile pictures on Facebook in Dad's memory. In my newsfeed a few days ago there was a list of the people who have changed their pictures recently. Roses everywhere. It made me smile and tear up at the same time.
I went to the cemetery a few weeks ago, just to visit. I walked up to where we buried my dad and looked down. There was a little American flag laying on the marker bearing my dad's name, a gift from a veteran he helped years ago.
It's nice to know that people remember. It's nice to know that he hasn't been forgotten.
I never realized how many lives my dad touched throughout his life and even more surprisingly, through his death. We have been able to relate with people in a whole different way as a result of what happened seven years ago.
Sometimes God says yes to prayers, sometimes He says wait, other times He says no. He told us no seven years ago. As much as I hate to say it, God knew what He was doing when He said no. And even though it's hard and we hate it, we're okay :)
It's days like today that make me think that God must have backpacking trails up in heaven
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
142 days till everything changes
Graduation. The one word strong enough to give nearly any senior a rush of stress and panic.
I was just sitting here, trying to figure out what in the world I'm going to do with myself in five months. In that short amount of time I will be a 22 year old graduate holding a degree in journalism with, as of right now, zero clue what to do with my life.
And then it hit me, all those times when I was a kid, sitting in my room and wishing that I could go anywhere and do anything...I have almost reached that point. Granted I will have a ton of loans to pay off and need to figure out some way to support myself. But in five months I will be handed the opportunity to do anything, go anywhere and try whatever I want to try.
I can apply for any job I want to apply for, within reason of course. While I may not get the job I want, there are a million other opportunities out there, even though the economy is bad. Wherever I end up will be an adventure and a chance to learn more about something I may not have understood before. (Note: please remind me of this if I wind up cleaning tables in a restaurant with my diploma)
For the first time, I can truly say that I am excited to graduate :)
I was just sitting here, trying to figure out what in the world I'm going to do with myself in five months. In that short amount of time I will be a 22 year old graduate holding a degree in journalism with, as of right now, zero clue what to do with my life.
And then it hit me, all those times when I was a kid, sitting in my room and wishing that I could go anywhere and do anything...I have almost reached that point. Granted I will have a ton of loans to pay off and need to figure out some way to support myself. But in five months I will be handed the opportunity to do anything, go anywhere and try whatever I want to try.
I can apply for any job I want to apply for, within reason of course. While I may not get the job I want, there are a million other opportunities out there, even though the economy is bad. Wherever I end up will be an adventure and a chance to learn more about something I may not have understood before. (Note: please remind me of this if I wind up cleaning tables in a restaurant with my diploma)
For the first time, I can truly say that I am excited to graduate :)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
"But I don't want to trust God..."
“You just need to trust God!” How easily people throw that phrase out there….I used to be one of those people. From when I first accepted the Lord at age 4 until I was 13 when my dad was diagnosed with cancer I never paid a whole lot of attention to these words. They were just words people at church said when something went wrong.
For the 15 months that my dad was sick those words meant everything to me; trusting the Lord to heal my dad was what got me through the stress and worry. Then, continuing with His perfect holy plan, the Lord took my dad to be with Him…and those words lost their meaning for me.
Oh, I still heard them on a regular basis from well-meaning church members and friends, but they didn’t mean anything anymore. “Brittany, you just need to be strong and trust God.” And it would take everything in me not to shout back at them “I DID! And look at my life now!” Though on several occasions I wasn’t quite able to hold it back….my bad :)
Now, almost 7 years later I’m still feeling the same doubts, they’re less prominent and only surface occasionally, but they’re still there.
Earlier this year my dear friend and adopted grandfather Wayne was in and out of the hospital; again I prayed for someone I loved to live. And again God chose to bring that person home with Him.
Then, exactly a week ago I came face to face with another "mountain." Thinking back to when I heard that my sisters were in a serious car accident I realize now that as soon as I heard, my first reaction was to pray. My second reaction half a second later brought the first reaction to a screeching halt.
The last two times I prayed for someone to live God chose not to….maybe it’s me.
I decided I didn’t want to test that theory out at that particular moment. Thoughts of being the only sister left flooded into my mind, it was terrifying. I called a good friend and he said that he would pray; I wouldn't at the time because I was afraid of the results that might come if I did. Half an hour and many tears later I was finally able to get to the point where I could pray for my sisters.
Now, a week later after many serious monologues directed at God, some sitting silently and listening to Him and couple more tears, I have a new perspective. Nothing new, just more thought through and concrete in my mind.
Trusting God takes work, it’s not as easy as some people make it out to be. It’s easy until He says no and you find yourself in a downward spiral toward rock bottom. But trusting God isn't something you can just toss out the window, it's an everyday thing.
I once heard someone mention that we trust God for the little things that we don't think about like keeping the earth in the correct place in the universe and filling our lungs with air every few seconds. Why is it that we really struggle with trust when it comes to the things that are "more of a big deal to us?" I'm still not sure of the answer for this, though it's definitely true.
Sometimes it takes a long time before you can accept a “no” from God; sometimes you might never be okay with it. But that’s alright. We serve an understanding God and that’s part of what makes Him so incredible :) Granted He’s not thrilled with the fact that I have trouble fully trusting Him, but He understands.
And, for the record, there aren’t any lightning bolts from heaven if you struggle with trust, no matter what some people may say :)
To my friends who have gone through or are going through some of the toughest moments in their life, it’s okay to struggle with trusting God. He understands and He will meet you wherever you are, He is patient and will never give you more than you can handle, though it may not seem like it at the time.
To my friends who are watching someone go through a difficult time and don’t know what to do to help, don’t push, just be there for them. A few of my good friends did this for me; standing by me, listening to me question and argue, but never pushing me. And the Lord has used them in so many ways. Be that kind of friend :)
This is what I’ve learned recently. And if I'm being honest, I’ll probably be working for the rest of my life on getting back to the level of trust I used to be at. But that's okay :)
God is still trustworthy, even though it’s taken me 7 years to be able to say it
Thursday, November 17, 2011
In one moment it can all disappear
Never let a day go by that you don't tell your family that you love them, you never know when it might be your last chance.
This past Sunday evening both of my sisters were in a serious car accident. Based on the condition of the car, it's a miracle that they survived.
Stephanie has a severe concussion and multiple fractures in various different bones. Beck has a concussion as well and will be in a neck brace for a few weeks. But both are alive :) Steph's memory has much improved though both girls are still a little out of it. Beck has told me 15 times in the past 24 hours that someone has brought them flowers. She gets a disgruntled expression whenever I laugh and thank her for that new piece of information.
I'm sitting here watching them both color pictures of Disney princesses because that is all they can do. Because of the severity of their concussions neither are allowed to watch movies, read or do anything that requires any concentration.
As I'm watching them poke each other with their crutches I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have them in the first place. Their senses of humor despite their circumstances are so much fun. Steph's been laughing at Beck as she attempts to navigate stairs while wearing a neck brace while Beck is laughing at Steph as she wobbles around on crutches.
I love these girls so much! I have no idea what I would do without them. The scariest moment was when I realized that they both could have died. The realization that I could have been the only sister left is enough to make me tear up despite where I am and what I'm in the middle of doing.
My sisters are my partners in crime, my support system and my best friends. They always have my back and are always there when I need them.
Today when I was crawling through the totaled car, getting the last of their things, I was reminded of how close I was to losing them. The crumpled car, the piles of shattered glass and the tire marks in the grass where the car landed are enough to make anyone cringe. As a direct result, I have renewed my desire to kill them for nearly giving me a heart attack once they have fully recovered :)
I love my sisters :)
This past Sunday evening both of my sisters were in a serious car accident. Based on the condition of the car, it's a miracle that they survived.
Stephanie has a severe concussion and multiple fractures in various different bones. Beck has a concussion as well and will be in a neck brace for a few weeks. But both are alive :) Steph's memory has much improved though both girls are still a little out of it. Beck has told me 15 times in the past 24 hours that someone has brought them flowers. She gets a disgruntled expression whenever I laugh and thank her for that new piece of information.
I'm sitting here watching them both color pictures of Disney princesses because that is all they can do. Because of the severity of their concussions neither are allowed to watch movies, read or do anything that requires any concentration.
As I'm watching them poke each other with their crutches I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have them in the first place. Their senses of humor despite their circumstances are so much fun. Steph's been laughing at Beck as she attempts to navigate stairs while wearing a neck brace while Beck is laughing at Steph as she wobbles around on crutches.
I love these girls so much! I have no idea what I would do without them. The scariest moment was when I realized that they both could have died. The realization that I could have been the only sister left is enough to make me tear up despite where I am and what I'm in the middle of doing.
My sisters are my partners in crime, my support system and my best friends. They always have my back and are always there when I need them.
Today when I was crawling through the totaled car, getting the last of their things, I was reminded of how close I was to losing them. The crumpled car, the piles of shattered glass and the tire marks in the grass where the car landed are enough to make anyone cringe. As a direct result, I have renewed my desire to kill them for nearly giving me a heart attack once they have fully recovered :)
I love my sisters :)
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