can i go back to college?

the influx of students (and parents...) has brought me to a mix of emotions.  part of me thinks, "get out of my way, you are slowing down my day, and i have no patience for you."  the other part of me thinks, "can i go back to college and be one of them...setting up my dorm...meeting new people...?"  it certainly makes me reminisce my undergraduate days.  oh what treasures those days were!  it is incredible to me that it was about this time seven years ago that i was making my liberty entrance.  wow...just think all of the memories of the last seven years.  love it!

"this time seven years ago..."  this will be likely be in my introduction tomorrow as i welcome a group of thirty students to liberty tomorrow.  i am really excited to be teaching a freshman seminar class this week.  i see it as an opportunity to reconnect with the students outside of my job so that i can be reminded of why i do what i do.  often times in my job, i can feel overwhelmingly irritated with the student population.  not because they are all frustrating, but because the couple that are irritating take up way to much of my time.  i am praying that God allows me to make that initial impression of liberty positive and welcoming.  i am praying that God gives me the words to speak to change hearts, especially those that may feel discouraged already or are already regretting their decision to come to campus.  {liberty university} truly has been an incredible blessing to me over the last seven years.  sometimes i wonder if i would be equally as happy and blessed had i followed my initial desires for college selection.  let's just say liberty and its rules were not my number one pick.

in reading the freshman handbook to prepare for this class tomorrow, i was encouraged and reminded of paul's call to pray for our family, our friends, our church, ourselves:

• that God "may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" {ephesians 1:17}
• that the "eyes of your understanding [may be] enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His caling" {ephesians 1:18}
• that you may know "what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" {ephesians 1:19}

good luck, freshmen! be open to what God has in store for you over the next 4+ years!  (yes, some of you will take the 4+ years to finish, but stay strong, you can do it!)