Semester 2 is Through

Boy what a semester it has been! I think back to the beginning of the semester year and remember that I was   literally counting the days until a new year! As I think back on why the semester started off so bad I realize how insignificant some of those "troubles" were. There was a lot of nothing that I let hold me back and get me down.That's not to say there weren't very real things going on, but now I look back and question why I let some things have such a great effect. It was like I couldn't really control it though. What's past is past. Live and learn.

Now I look at the semester, now that I've made it to the end, and think, "wow, I've come a long way!" I have supervisors who have told me that, and that I'm a completely different person now than who I was in the beginning. I am thankful for those supervisors and realize they do care and were concerned. I don't know why I have to remind myself so many times that they are on our side. They are not out to get us.

This is the first semester that I can really look back on it, and the whole school year, and truly realize how much I've learned. Of course there is always more to learn. Being friends with a freshman who is studying communication disorders reminds me that I once in their place and now look how much I've learned over the years.

Some significant things from this semester:

• I've gotten to know more of my classmates better. They are my companions for the next year still and my future colleagues but the fall semester I avoided the work room as much as possible. I'm glad to have spent more time in it this semester and spend time, even if it was always at school, with them.
  
• Community. I'm not sure how to explain this one. I have so many thoughts on it, but they don't all connect. Basically, we all need each other. One of my clients pretty much sung praises of how thankful and blessed he is to have me. But I needed him just as much. His patience, kindness, joy, support, encouragement. I could sing praises about him. He is part of the reason I got my act together. I knew he was counting on me, and I could not let him down. Also, at a Graduate Student Association (GSA) appreciation event I got to meet and talk with other graduate students in many other fields. We were all so different but we could still find connections. *Going off on a rabbit trail now* And something wonderful, at least in my eyes, happened then. It was a Thursday night before TNT and Yangbin was there too. He took the initiative and started inviting people to TNT and International Dinner at the BCM. As we were leaving I told him I was proud of him, the way he started just telling everybody about the BCM. He said, rather matter-of-factly, something along the lines of "it's the Gospel. Why shouldn't I?" What!? Way to go you! But I'm also thinking, wait a minute, he's not even a Christian. Well, I don't even think it was a week later he announced he accepted Christ as his Savior! Such joyous news!

I'm sure there were other significant things along the way that I am failing to think of at this moment. I've never been more glad for a semester to be over, but at least it ended on a good note.