There's Something About People Believing in You.

"What was your favorite thing about school this year?" My teachers, slash, pastors, slash, friends asked me this on Thursday as we completed our last day of second year.

For a second I was just lost for words. Normally I can pin point exactly what I want to say, or at least take a minute to figure it out.

I think this time my problem was that I couldn't pick just one thing.

One, I didn't really want to think of anything because I didn't want to admit that it was over. Two, I loved almost everything about school.

Sure, there were some hard times, and things happened that at the time felt like everything was falling apart. Looking back now I can see God's hand in every single thing that happened this year.

I am stronger. I am wiser. I am definitely more confident. I was challenged in so many ways, and God gave me the strength to power through.

I am more passionate. I am filled with hope for my future.

I am finally letting creativity have my time.

I am dreaming bigger. I am dreaming out of the box. And I am doing.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a Lighthouse core team meeting. There Jamie shared his heart about "The Living Room," a new feel for the ministry building. He mentioned wanting to make these big burlap canvasses with all the Lighthouse countries on them and the city that it's in.

Immediately I started dreaming. You see Jamie had shown our class how to make stencils for spray painting and from the very moment I pulled my first stencil off of my canvas and saw a beautiful picture, I wanted to keep doing it.

After the meeting ended I went straight up to him and asked if I could do it.

Weeks later, three hours of cutting stencils, stapling and removing staples from the stencils, inhaling spray paint fumes for a couple of hours and I was done.

Nine countries were laid out before me on beautiful burlap canvasses. Nine places that I know if I were to go there at some point I would be welcomed as family. Nine Lighthouses that are standing tall and strong, encouraging people and welcoming people into their homes just as they are. Amazing leaders who choose to believe in the people who enter their doors, just as Jamie and Natalie believed in me.

You see, I was actually astounded at the fact that Jamie immediately told me to go for it. Both him and Natalie encouraging along the way, telling me what looked amazing and how awesome it was. THAT was the reason in the end it felt like one of my biggest accomplishments. Not because I thought I couldn't do it, but because of them, I knew that I could do it the whole way through.

So my second year is over. Second year is over and I don't know what is next for me. But for the first time in forever, I'm not scared.

I'm not scared of the unknown, and I'm also not scared of what's going to happen to me.

I'm hopeful. I'm excited for new beginnings and new things brewing.

I'm excited to dream, and do, and be.

I'm excited to go out and fight for what I want because I am believed in.

My friends believe in me, my pastors believe in me, and most of all God believes in me.

I Made It.

I remember the few months before I went off to college. They were a blur of worry, stress about money, and distance.

I remember praying daily that God would provide every cent for my school payments. I mean, he had called me to go to this school, so why shouldn't it be provided for.

My parents weren't in a good financial place to pay all of the payments that the school loans wouldn't cover.

But somehow. I made it.

I made it because my parents skimped.

I made it because my mom took old gold jewelry to a pawn shop and sold it for my tuition.

I made it because my pastors donated a hundred dollars a month to my account.

I made it because my aunt blessed me with almost four hundred dollars.

I made it because my school decided to give me a small scholarship here and there.

I made it because God provided for all of these people who in turn wanted to bless someone else.

I made it.

Now that I've made it through, I want to thank God and every person that had a hand in it.

I'm so thankful that people saw the potential in my heart, and what God wanted to do with my life, and they wanted to be a part of it.

I look back on all the times where I thought we wouldn't make a payment and then somehow it worked out.

I look back on all those people who blessed me, and I want to be someone who does the same.

I want to help someones dream come true.

I want to do whatever it takes so my kids can do what they love, and what makes them happy.

God has blessed me, and though I have little right now, I want to bless others.

Because others are why I made it.