T-minus 3 Hours

I will begin school...for a year I'll be a student. My bags are packed and sitting beside the door. I'm on the couch waiting...just a bit longer to go upstairs and begin getting ready. I woke up this morning and my first thoughts were of how different today is than my first college dorm move in 10 years ago...

10 years ago I moved to college in Mr. Brad's green four runner. I had to move in all by myself because my mom was teaching and since school had just started she wouldn't take off.

Today I'll move in all by myself because I'm old, my husband works and my mom is at work, too.

10 years ago I took too few pictures and had no idea how fast time would fly. (Looking back those were my 'good' years- should have documented them more)

Today I will document this day- just for the blog- and I know that in the blink of an eye my year away from comfort zone will be over.

10 years ago I was younger, I believed that I would changed the world before I turned 30, I was looking for my super model that loved Jesus, and my friends would never change.

Today I know that the older me may be more realistic, I only have three years left to change the world (ok really 2 years and 6 wks.), I have found my husband-that loves Jesus, and my friends' faces changed, my close knit group has diversified and I realize after ten years how God can bless you in ways you can not imagine or plan for.

10 years ago I was too young to realize you can fall on your face, people are hurtful, and sometimes being humbled stinks..Today I know all of this and think that is why I am up at 6 a.m. blogging my ramblings down.

One last realization- 10 years ago after a Sunday night service- Sylvia Gentry came to me and told me she was praying for me- that God would place a 'hedge of protection' around me. I will NEVER forget this.

Today I realize I should have thanked her that night and every time I have seen her since then, because there were times I look back on my five years at Ole Miss and know that 'hedge' kept me safe. I am praying for my on 'hedge' today.

In T-minus 3 hours I'll be back on campus, living in dorm room, I'll meet a roommate for the first time, I'll see my life plan for a year, and I'll be about to die from heat exhaustion on a historic tour of campus around 11...Please pray for my family this month...pray for Cullen- that he doesn't eat too much grilled food---in excitement that he can prepare all the food that I don't eat whenever he wants ( meat on a bone, fish, spicy food, gumbo, crawfish etc.) pray for my mom who I see almost everyday even if for just five minutes...and my move will prevent that... pray that the month flies by and that no one on campus calls me ma'am as I walk to class...I might die.