Last Reflections of a Teenager ;-D

I am currently approximately......1 hour, 18 minutes, and 16 seconds away from leaving my teenage years......forever.

Moment of silence, please.

Thank you. ;-)

Anyway, I don't know if I'm just still in denial or what, but so far I haven't experienced any "quarter life crisis" paralyzing shock, random choking, or suicidal thoughts, (like some have suggested will undoubtedly happen), so I'm thankful for that, ha. In fact, I'm very thankful just in general. Life couldn't be much better than it is now. And that's especially funny to me, because I realize that not even a week ago I wrote about being utterly confused and mixed up, but like I mentioned in my last post, God really hit me in a powerful way this weekend, and things clicked, and since then, I've felt almost surrealistically surrounded and guarded by the incomprehensible peace of God. Philippians 4:4-8 has spoken to me in SUCH a powerful way... :-)

1 hour, 7 minutes, 4 seconds to go.

As I look back at my teenage years, I'm simply amazed at how far I've come and how much has changed in my life... Spain, middle school, ECA soccer club, Michael Steffens, moving to Camarma, Georgian Bay trip, Daniel Perez, Andrew Chamberlain, Veracruz F.C., high school, Camarma F.C., World Cup 2002 (haha), Berea, KY, friends, trip out west, work in Columbia, SC, junior year, AYG, L'Arcada, Jacob Bock, JM, Jessie Doland, Corrie Bontrager, Senior year, Lara Meinke, Senior Trip, World Cup 2006, Joel Musser, Grand Rapids, MI, Blue Like Jazz, Cornerstone, Quincer, Ian Grotenhuis, adjustment, more friends, Crossroads Bible Church, change of major, Breana Brendsel, Little Pine Island camp and camp staff, Searching for God Knows What, my first cell phone (haha) RCE, Crossroads CG, Quincer 2007-08, Made Man, my first car, Little Pine Island II: The Sequel (haha), and....here I am. ;-) I couldn't have asked for anything better. And God has been there every step of the way, guiding, providing, teaching, disciplining, stretching, challenging me, loving me unconditionally, growing me into "all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be" (Phil. 3:12). What an awesome God I serve!!

46 minutes, 39 seconds left.

Over all these years I could not have asked for a more supportive family, for more caring friends, more encouraging mentors, or more amazing grace than was given to me. Maybe that's the reason why this moving forward thing is not a problem for me... I have seen the mighty hand of God at work in my life, in the good times and the bad, providing for and guiding me this whole way, and I am confident that He has SO much more in store for me. And "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate ME from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus MY Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39)

And frankly, I'm stoked. :-D

And now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get off here and enjoy my last 32 minutes and 51 seconds of teenage life. See you on the flip side. ;-D peace!!