It started out with me being accepted (yay!!) to the local university, and then the scholarship essay writing took over my life. Every Sunday in January and February--and some in March, too--I would spend some significant time working on essays that were required. First I'd write a first draft, and then bring it to my dad for his suggested revisions. We'd mark up and change just about everything that I had written, and then I'd go and make those changes, printing out another copy. And so the process repeated...sometimes up to six or seven times!
Early February found me interviewing the university's head librarian, as I was at that time considering becoming a librarian (now I'm registered as a biology major). On Valentine's Day there was more college focus--this time, a free open house that the university put on. I loved the free pizza (who wouldn't?), but it was also nice to get to talk with the different professors and learn some more information.
Then in March it was a visit with the university's disability services coordinator. Since I am disabled, that does disadvantage me compared to other non-disabled students. So we were trying to figure out what accommodations I might be able to get, that would "level the playing field" for me. Don't forget the long talks at night about college, or the Sundays where my dad (a chemistry professor) takes me to the chemistry lab! There we play around with all the equipment, and try to figure out what will be hard for me with my disability. And I hear from Dad that coming down the line are some chemistry and math problems he's making for me so I can brush up in those areas!
I'm probably not remembering everything here, but you get the idea. (Did I mention that this month I will be registering for classes, and get the joy of figuring out my freshman year schedule?) Add to all that school, about 19 hours of part-time work, and trying to have a tad bit of fun now and then...it's an understatement to say that I'm busy!
Being so busy, the whole college thing can get quite overwhelming at times. Since about the time when I was in 8th grade, Mom has been searching for scholarships, discounts, and other ways to lower my college bill. It can get quite stressful thinking about how big the bill is, honestly. I know college is a good thing, I know it's the next step, I am getting excited about it...but I do tend to get stressed about the bill. Over the past several years our family has been actively saving all we can for my college, but the other week I got a "financial aid award" letter detailing what scholarships and discounts I may be eligible for. Praise the Lord, all the puzzle pieces are coming together!
I've been mulling this over for several years, and now I'd like to share this fact with you: we all need a scholarship to heaven! When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, there went all our merits and right to heaven. We--the human species, descendants of the original sinners--have transgressed God's law, and the result is death, and no eternal heaven with God.
But God couldn't stand to have us eternally separated from Him. He created us because He loved us, and wanted a way in which we human beings could once again have a chance to accept Him as our Savior and live with Him forever. So,
"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
His one and only Son! The best gift that God could give! He gave that Gift to us, and for us Jesus--our substitute--lived a perfect life. Then He died our death on the cross, so we could have His life. I don't know about you, but I know for me I get a little numbed to that story, since I've heard it so much for so long. But really think about it! God died for His creation, and gave us a "full ride" scholarship to heaven. How amazing is that?
This is the best scholarship that I've ever run across. There's no long essays to write, and there's not a lot of requirements. All we have to do is accept, and believe on Jesus as our Savior. Will you accept this scholarship today?
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