Ok, I know this sounds crazy to a lot of people, but I liked high school. 

This sounds even crazier, but I actually loved my senior year. Now of course there has to be reasons for this "oddly good" experience, and I have many reasons, but one of the main ones was this- my teachers. 

The teachers my senior year (and throughout high school) were...well, they were more than teachers to me. They were friends. They were people who I could (and would) talk to about really anything. They cared about more than grades (or the paper/project that I hadn't started yet), and I'm oh, so grateful for and blessed by them. 

You wanna know something cool? I'm still being blessed by them.

Throughout this past year I've been able to get coffee with one of my favorite teachers from high school on pretty much every single break that I have had from college besides maybe two of them. Tonight, I had another crazy blessed time getting coffee with that same teacher. People, I'm telling you, we sat in Panera for two hours just talking and laughing and reflecting on the goodness of God throughout this past year...the past year that I wasn't in his classroom...and he still cares, and still is involved in my life, speaking truth and wisdom and the love of Jesus to me. Seriously, it was such a blessing. 

I guess you could say we "have" a booth at Panera. And by that I mean that we've sat at the same booth every time we've had coffee. This booth has seen it all, from tears of sadness to tears of incredible joy as we laughed about something or another, this booth has seen it, and it’s been so cool to see the transformation that has taken place in my life from the time I sat down in that booth for the first time over fall break, to the time I sat down in it tonight. Through my teacher, God has brought me so much comfort and encouragement through a hard transition to college. I'm not gonna lie and say that I loved everything about my freshman year, because I didn't. There were definitely times that I laughed, but there were definitely times that I cried as well. I cried because I was scared, I was unsure of myself, and to be quite honest, I definitely doubted if God had my best interests in mind. In one of those times of doubt at “our” booth my teacher showed me this:

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) 

Ok, go back. Read it again. 

You got it? I know when I first read it sitting in that booth in Panera my mind was blown. Wait, you mean He didn't spare ANYTHING when it came to loving us? That’s right. And now, how much more will he graciously give to us when He gave up the thing that was most dear to Him? Crazy, I know (you might want to read it again).

Throughout all the crazy good and hard times that this past year brought, God was faithful. He was good, and I learned (and am still learning) to trust Him and the plan He has for me. I fail at remembering this quite often too. I think my way and my plans are better than God's, that I can handle this on my own, and that of course I would know what is best for me...and to that God says, as my teacher reminded me of tonight, "If what I think is good isn't what God's best is for me, cancel my plans."

Seriously, such wisdom.

Guys, in case you didn’t pick up on what I’ve been talking about, I’ve just gotta say, I’m one blessed girl to have such an incredible teacher.