Goodbye.

Unbelievable! Seems like yesterday that I was coming onto Covenant College's campus–unsure, uncomfortable and... honestly, scared like crazy. This was a whole new thing. Not the moving and setting up house again, nope that was normal–that was life. This though was something completely different. I was being left, with Damarise, to start life on my own! It was a scary feeling and I wasn't too thrilled about it. But it happened. Mom and Dad left, classes began, and I was an official college student. And now that first year is gone! GONE! I can't believe it. I finished my last exam yesterday, conveniently at the very last possible exam time. And now I'm ready to start my Sophomore year of college. Crazy! Crazy, crazy, crazy. Where has the time gone?!

Well, I will definitely be blogging a bit more about this past year, but mostly I wanted to talk about goodbyes. Oh goodbyes! I feel like it should be something that comes naturally by now. I've been saying goodbye to friends and then moving away since I was 10, but this–this is different. This time I'm not the one leaving. Oh sure, I'm moving away, but I'm coming back in three months and most of my friends will still be here, so it's mostly like a "See you later" goodbye. Except some people are leaving. They're moving on and who knows when I'll see them again. It's a weird feeling because I'm always the one who leaves and goes off to Portugal, Africa or some other cool place while my friends stay in the same place. But this time I'm staying put. It's weird and goodbyes are a lot harder (as if they are ever easy) when I'm not the one going off to start a new adventure.

Yet, even in the midst of yet another set of goodbyes God is still faithful.

My soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."-Lamentations 3:20b-24

Amen! Great is God's faithfulness! He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And even when life seems to be flipping upside down and friends are leaving God's compassion never fails. His compassion is new every morning! Oh! What a great and wonderful God!