It doesn't even seem as if it's been nearly two months since I wrote last. But yet, also, so much has happened in life. Just from one day to the next a lot can change. I can't even remember where to begin.
There is just one main thing that stands out in my mind - college! Wow! First of all... I'd never really given higher education much thought and would get extremely annoyed when people would ask about my plans, which was "all" the time and never-ending. Uggh! Well something lit a spark in early March and I began thinking about my future and researching schools.
I almost immediately ruled-out Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas (party school).
Though community college would be cheaper, you can't go as far and I really want the benefit of wholesome Christian friends with good values. So Adventist colleges were my options, basically.
I contemplated Canadian University College in Lacombe, Alberta. It is the cheapest SDA school, it is accredited through the States, and it is only 9 hours from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. However, it is so far away from home and the daylight in the wintertime is almost non-existent. I don't think I could survive under such conditions. Then I found out some things that were being permitted in their conference (e.g. women pastors), which I have a problem with. And after some more searching, I decided that CUC didn't have the spiritual atmosphere I was looking for.
So I turned to what I thought was my next best option, Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. I began chatting with people I know who went or are going there. I got okay responses and had pretty much decided that Union was to be my school. But I still didn't feel at rest; something was missing. Don't get me wrong, I was (and still am) pumped about going to college, but it didn't seem like everything fit right. I was about to plan a visit to Union with my mom and best friend and had even scheduled a visit to SWAU, even though I wasn't even going. I had everything figured even to the point that my family in Colorado would be my halfway point between school and home.
But somehow I accidentally got on Southern's mailing list. Southern Adventist University is in Collegedale, Tennessee (near Chattanooga) and as far as I was concerned it was too far away. I have a few good friends who are or will be attending there. A nice large brochure came from SAU and I spent nearly an hour browsing through the content. Something began to impress me with SAU that Union had failed to cover, the spiritual aspect of their school. Nothing against Union, but in their entire information packet that I received they had not once mentioned spirituality, not ONCE. SAU's brochure emphasized the spiritual aspect in every area (academically, socially, etc.) and I was quite disturbed that Union had skipped over and failed to even touch this important topic. Now, I had a decision to make.
This past week we were at a family camp in Wewoka, Oklahoma (more on that later/another time). One of my friends, Kristen Downs, started at SAU this winter. One evening I spent nearly a hour talking with her about her experience thus far. She had nothing but praise for the school (as well as her parents, who are alumni of Union). SAU seems to uphold standards and values that are important to me and though there are those "rebellious" groups, the associations are positive. I was really impressed and basically changed my mind right then and there. I also talked with a few other people and had the same results. So now I'll be moving to Tennessee this August, 21 hours/1,400 miles away. But if you look at it this way - no matter where I go, without (or with!) a car, I'll only be a flight away from home.
Mom and I will be headed to SAU soon to go check it out for ourselves. I've cancelled my trips to SWAU and Union, choosing to save their money (that they would pay for my transportation and to put me up) for others who are more interested.
But right now I have to focus on finishing high school, which is what I'm headed to do now! :)
Love ya,
`caleyjanelle`
