My story up till now....

As I have reached my college years, I look back and see where I have come from and where I have been. One year ago, I was in a relationship that had been more successful than all the others. I thought it was going good, and I was slowly getting into the process of making plans to get married. Within time was going to be married and at a very young age. I realize that was not part of Gods plan. My plans were get into construction and eventually, start my own construction business. My I had been working a descent job for my age and making descent money for a young adult. I got my eyes on money. I had come to the conclusion that what I wanted was money. I was going to be well off and was going to do it through a way that I could. I didn't have the grades. I didn't have anything that would have been able to get me to where I wanted to go, except through business and working with what I knew. I had passions, such as music, but that wasn't going to get much money through that. At that point I was working on my own plans for my life, focusing on my girlfriend, and a youth group that I had taken charge of at a small Assembly of God Church nearby my home. God had been putting things in my heart. I wanted to work this youth group. I wanted to see good things come out of it. It started to become the focus of my attention. I had been focusing on it so much I began to neglect my relationship with my girlfriend, and I was still not right in my relationship with God. I was not pure in many aspect of my life. There was a lot I had to work on. Things started to fall apart, when I took this youth group. Finally, my relationship fell through. I almost didn't graduate high school. It seemed like things started to fall apart. I was broken. I started to think about Gods plans, not mine. I truely believe that period of my life was ordained by God. I went through an intense summer of seeking God and spiritual growth. I went on a missions trip that changed my life. I had several options of what I was going to pursue. Hillsong in Australia, Vanguard University, stay with the youth group, Evangel University, or pursue my career in business to try to make money. After much prayer and fasting, and pondering my future and life, I decided I would apply for Evangel University. My parents were not completely going along with it, but they were going to help me out as much as I could. Yea they tried to talk me out of it, but I decided that if it was part of God plan He will make a way. I started to apply the night I got back from my missions trip on July 25. I decided that was where I wanted to go, but I had a lot that was against me. Finances, a past that could have kept me from being accepted, and the time factor was all against me. It would have had to be God if I was going to be accepted. Sure enough after some phone calls and a review committee, a week and a half later I was called at work and notified that I was accepted. I was so relieved. It was amazing. I called my dad and told him. I remember my mom told me he started to cry that phone conversation. He is a pretty tough guy. That meant something. I had two and a half weeks to prepare myself mentally for moving away form home 2,500 miles. It was tough, but I did my best. Within that two weeks, I got a phone call from my youth pastor. He told me he had something for me, and he didn't know who it was from. I went to church after work and recieved an envelope from him. It was titled to me and was anonymis. It had 1,000 dollars in it. I didn't know who it was. It was a complete blessing for me. God knew I was to have financial problems, and He gave me a little boost to show me He was in control. I feel that was a sign showing me I was in His hands and in His will. I left on a tuesday with my dad. The night before was hard. I remember my mom giving me a going away letter. It means so much to me. I remember reading it and crying harder than I have in a long time. I still have this letter. After two days later I arived to school and then went to my grandmothers house for a day. The morning I left my grandma's house was a morning I will never forget. My dad walked me out to my truck and embraced me for a while with tears running down his face. I will never forget that because my dad is somewhat of an emotionless tough guy sometimes. It became something that I will always remember, and it was something that meant so much to me. I drove off at 5:00 in the moring heading towards a life that I didn't know I was going to venture into weeks before. It was such a drastic change. But I feel it was part of a plan God had for me. Here I am at Evangel Univeristy. It has been a ton of fun, but some of the hardest times I have come across. I know it is where I am supposed to be though. I see how everthing played out, and I can only look at God and His amazing love for me and my situations. I will continue to go in this direction God has layed out before me, until He has called me other wise. My favorite Bible verse is Provers 3:5 and 6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways ancknowledge Him and He will direct your paths". That is the story of how God intervened in my life, and turned things upside down for me. I am in awe of everything He has done for me.