Day 18

día dieciocho: Today I am thankful for my education and finding such a great college experience at JMU.

Dear God, I am so blessed to be attending a four-year university that has so much to offer. Lord, thank You for my education from the start. You have blessed me by placing me in classrooms with great teachers ever since kindergarten. Even when I had a teacher/professor that wasn't as enjoyable or easy to work with, You still taught me valuable things in the class and made it a worthwhile time for me. You have often placed me in classes with my friends - thank You for establishing them as study buddies from the start. But thank You also for placing me in classes where I knew no one, especially in college. Continue to work in situations like that & help me make new friends from the start of those semesters.

Thank You for placing me in a good school system growing up, & thank You for so carefully placing me at JMU now. Lord, I enjoyed having a choice of where to go to college, & I am so blessed that You pointed JMU out to me. You've placed me at a university with so much to offer both academically & nonacademically. JMU has a wide array of majors to choose from. You helped me find a college that accommodated my strange original mix: a Modern Foreign Language major, Medical Spanish minor, & Pre-Physical Therapy. And Lord, it is further clear to me that You placed me at JMU for a reason - a school with a great Education program. It was so easy for me to switch from Pre-PT to Secondary Education. And even when I needed extra classes to take, You connected me with the right person to tell me all about the ESL minor. Lord, be with me as I continue on in my Education classes in preparation to be a Spanish major. Be with me & support me in the transition.

God, my receiving an education goes so far beyond which school I'm at, though. I thank You so much that schools are available to me. They are very present here, and my family is able to pay for my education. Place high goals & dreams in the minds of children, no matter where around the world they live, regardless of educational standards there. Give them hopes and dreams for their futures, & facilitate the means for them to achieve what they desire & what You desire for them. Thank You for placing me in a society where going to college and earning a degree is kind of the norm. At the same time, keep my mind and heart open to any future You have set for me. Thank You for equipping me with what I'll need in a competitive job market... but if You call me somewhere that something less is required, humble me to that and may I graciously accept. Regardless of how You use my degree from my education, use the experiences I've gained for my future... I know there are many more fruits to show from these college years than just a certificate. Thank You for my educational experience and all the adventures along the way. Amen.