What Are You Going to Do After Graduation?

This is a question that has been asked of me since my first semester of college. Why anyone would expect me to know what I'm doing after graduation when I just graduated high school is beyond me. However, the longer I have been a college student, the more frequently those eight words have been a topic of conversation. If you ask me, that is a HUGE question to answer. As a twenty-year old Junior, I have spent the majority of my college career thinking about after-graduation plans. Will I go to grad school? Will I get a job? Will I even make it to graduation at all?... (I kid, I kid). I have been constantly racking my brain to come up with the right answer to this daunting question. And when you're a COM major, the question is more like, "What can you even do with a degree in Communication Studies?" [Answer: Absolutely anything. Is that encouraging or overwhelming? I lean more toward the latter]. With all these questions about my future literally hanging over my head, the future can become less like a dream and more like a never-ending nightmare.

Recently, I was really thinking about the future and the path that my life is on, and, in one moment of clarity, I found the answer I had been looking for. All this time I was trying to come up with the answer that would be most pleasing to the ears of the asker. I didn't want anyone who was asking me about my future plans to hear the words "I have no clue" come out of my mouth. I didn't want to seem unprepared or unconcerned. I have always been the diligent worker and the careful planner (at least until college anyway), and I did not want to portray myself as anything less than what people knew to be true about me. What I didn't realize I was doing was that I was creating a version of myself that was not me at all. I was stuck between the fears of not knowing and not pleasing everyone. BUT, in my epiphanic moment, I broke free of those fears. And here is how:

I do not decide my future.

I have never been the one deciding my future.

I did not get where I am today out of my own merit and hard work.

I am not my own and will never be my own.

Those four statements hit me like a ton of bricks in a single moment. I have been so busy trying to decide what I am going to do with my life and my future that I have forgotten that it isn't my future to decide. Jeremiah chapter 10 says, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; It is not for man to direct his steps." And Galatians chapter 2 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." My future is not my future at all; It is God's future. My life is not my life at all; It is God's life. God, in all His power, wonder, and majesty, created me with a unique purpose for my life. And He alone knows the plans that He has for me in order for that purpose to prevail. His plans are great, and I want nothing more and nothing less than the plans God has for me. After realizing this, I finally had a solid and confident answer to the ever-looming question of "What are you doing to do after graduation?" Before I share my answer with you, I want to share with you a few verses of encouragement (and a little of my insight into them).

Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." How awesome and humbling that God set me and you apart before we were even born!

Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

I read: "Commit your [essays, math homework, group projects, final exams, free time, study habits, relationships, friendships, mind, heart, soul, life] to the Lord, and your plans will be established." What if we all went into our work with that mindset? Our productivity would be astounding.

Proverbs 16:9 - "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

I don't know about you, but that is so freeing to me. I can plan, plan, plan all day long, but the Lord still determines my steps. His sovereignty is so great.

James 4:14-15 - "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

We are but a MIST! Here today and gone tomorrow. How much more should that make us want to fulfill the purpose God has for us in the little time we have here? The Lord's will be done.

Jeremiah 29:11 - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

This is probably the most well-known verse about the Lord's plans for our lives, but how encouraging and comforting it is to know that the Lord's plans are to give me hope and a future.

Proverbs 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Again, we make so many plans in our hearts and minds that we stress and worry over, but the Lord's purpose for our lives will always prevail when we are seeking Him.

Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

First of all, God's masterpiece?! If all I am known as for the rest of my life is God's masterpiece, then I will be the most content person on the planet. Secondly, God has prepared our work for us in advance. Why not trust in the work He calls us to do?

Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men... It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

This really hit home for me. I don't serve men. I serve Jesus Christ, and that should always be the heart behind my work.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God is working all things together for my good. Constantly trusting in that.

Deuteronomy 14:2 - "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured people."
That last sentence brings me the most joy. The Lord has chosen US to be His treasured people. Why wouldn't we trust Him with our futures?

I know that is a lot of verses to take in, but if you really think about what the premise is behind all of them, you will find that they are all alluding to the same thing. God, our Father, the Creator of the universe, set us apart and made us His chosen ones before we were even born. He, in all His sovereignty, has a specific plan and purpose for each of our lives, and He will direct our steps along the way. If we trust in that plan, we will not fail because the victory has already been won for those who trust in the Lord.

So, when someone asks me the question, "What are you going to do after graduation?" my answer will be very simple: I am going to do whatever the Lord calls me to do. While I may not know exactly what that is yet, I can fully trust that He knows what it is and will bring me to it in His time and in His way. We think we have to have it all together all the time because of the way our society and culture has been set up. We think we have to graduate high school, go to college, get a good paying job, get married, have a family, work until we're 65, retire somewhere nice and tropical, and eventually die. But I am here to tell you, the Lord will direct your steps. His plan for you may not be to go to college. Or His plan may be for you to go to college but not necessarily find the best paying job. He might be planning for you to get married and have kids, or He might not be. However, I can assure you that whatever God has planned for you will be far greater than anything you could have planned for yourself. This is a lesson I have learned over the course of this year, and it is something that I am holding fast to in the coming years of transition in my life.

My future and my life are in the hands of the One who is working all things together for my good, so I have nothing to fear. The unknown can be a scary place, but nothing is unknown to God. And having confidence in God's abilities to make my life something beautiful for Him makes the future a not-so-scary place. My constant prayer is, "Your will be done, Lord." I am so thankful for God's sovereignty and grace. Truly, His will be done in my life because my life has never been my own. All I am for Your glory, Jesus.

The Real B. Davis and P. Sawyer

As many of you saw, my beautiful cousin asked me to stand by her side on the most important day of her life, and to say I am thrilled about it is an understatement. What many people don't know is the relationship that Brandi and I share. So I thought that I would let you all in on one of my most favorite relationships in my life, and what better place to start than the beginning...

Pictured above is me, at the ripe ole' age of almost two months, and that child with those gorgeous locks petting me would be Brandi Suzan Martin. As you can tell, we go waaaay back. Brandi, or my non-cousin as I so affectionately refer to her as, is technically my cousin by marriage. My dad's sister, Aunt Tonya, is married to Uncle Slade, who is Brandi's mom's brother. So while there is none of the same blood running through our veins, Brandi and I are about as close to cousins as non-cousins can get. We have spent a majority of our summers together in Columbia at Tee and Unc's house, attended many of our two shared cousins' birthday parties, and watched each other grow into the people we are today. Luckily, as the years have flown by, Brandi and I have become much more than non-cousins. I am so blessed to call Brandi Martin one of my very best friends. And, while more often than not there is quite a bit of distance between us (she lives in TN, I live in NC), she is someone I know I can always count on, and that is the true marker of a wonderful friend. 

Not only do we share a middle name, but we also share a deep love for One Tree Hill (matched by no other fans in the history of the show), a sassy/sweet attitude about life, and a desire for others to know more about Jesus. While I wouldn't say B and I have a lot in common, I will say that we never run out of things to talk about. Growing up, our conversations were centered around the boys we liked at the time (you know exactly who I'm referring to, B) and the struggles of two teenage girls. Now, while our conversations are still very similar (her talking about Chris, me talking about Al, us talking about the struggles of young adulthood), they are few and far between, which makes me cherish them even more. There are times we go months without talking, but we always seem to pick up right where we left off, and I think that says a lot about the bond Brandi and I share.

One of my favorite memories with Brandi is a fairly recent one. The morning this memory occurred, I had just driven home from Charlotte and went straight to the movies to see The Longest Ride with my sister and my roommate. Now, I'm a sucker for a Nicholas Sparks movie, or any movie that has a love story, so I knew what I was in for when I bought my ticket for this one. However, my emotions were extra strong that day, so I walked out of the movie theatre afterwards with tears still streaming down my face. I couldn't shake the feeling I had after watching that movie, but now I know why. My roommate, sister, and I had just gotten in the car, hadn't even pulled out of the parking lot yet, when Kayla and I got a text from Brandi with a picture of her ENGAGEMENT RING!!! The excitement and emotions were unreal! We both feverishly texted back and asked for details, and that's when she called us. Thinking about that conversation still gets me teary-eyed to this day. Brandi walked us through the sweetest engagement story ever, and, by the end, Kayla and I couldn't even talk because we both we crying so hard. It's such a sweet moment when someone you have grown up with and loved for your whole life calls you and tells you she's going to be a wife! Words can't describe a moment like that. However, Kayla and I were ecstatic for her, and we couldn't wait for June to come so we could see her smiling face on her annual family beach trip, which is where, unbeknownst to us, she asked us both to be her bridesmaids (aka my all-time favorite memory with her).

The future Mrs. Brandi Carter is truly one-of-a-kind. She is smart, loving, and an awesome toenail painter (had to throw that one in there). She is also kind, compassionate, and selfless, which will make her an excellent wife and someday mother. I am so excited to witness this next huge step in her life and am so honored that I was asked to be a part of it. 

Brandi, you will never know the impact you have made on my life. From giving me advice about boys that weren't worth my tears to sending me a prayer journal when I asked Jesus into my heart, you have always been the most thoughtful person I know, and I couldn't ask for a sweeter non-cousin than you. I can't tell you how excited I am for you and Chris as you begin this journey of marriage together. I have been praying over this season of engagement that you're in and will continue to pray over your marriage as you two begin your lives together. Know that I am always here supporting you both and that I am always just a phone call away. You are more like a best friend to me than you are a cousin, but even more than that, you are more like a sister to me than you are a best friend. I am so thankful for the relationship we have always shared! Thank you for everything you do for me, even from a distance! I am SO PUMPED for September 26! I cannot wait to be in Tennessee celebrating your wedding weekend with you! I love you more than you'll ever know, you beautiful bride-to-be!!

Sophomore Year... CHECK!

And just like that, sophomore year has come to a close! I am still in disbelief that I'm a junior in college! This year has taught me so much about myself, my life, and my Jesus, and I am so thankful for every lesson learned. I am stoked to see what God has planned for me in my last two years of college (WHAT)! 

As a short and sweet way to reminisce, here is a photo timeline of my sophomore year:

August:
Celebrated Lauren's 18th birthday and visited with my sissy!

September:
Chopped my hair off, went to hockey games with my friends, and found out I was having a niece!

                              

October:
Did the Overflow Scavenger Hunt with my small group, celebrated my nana's 75 birthday, went to the Apologetics Conference, helped with my best friend's baby shower, and met Little Miss Kohen Lea!

November: 

Threw my sister's baby shower with my sister and mom, celebrated my sister's 21st birthday, had a photo shoot with sweet friends, and welcomed my beautiful goddaughter, Sophia Lorraine, into the world!

            

December: 

Had a fun, Christmas photo shoot with Al, finished first semester of sophomore year, and celebrated Christmas with my family and Al's family!

January: 

Celebrated my sweet friend, Abbey's birthday, continued to watch my Sophia grow, attended my lifelong best friend's first bridal shower, and welcomed my sweet niece, Lorelei MaGee, into the world!

February:
Celebrated my dear friend, Cassie's, 21st birthday, loved on Al for Valentine's Day, got to really spend time with Al's baby cousin, Lucas Avery, for the first time, attended my lifelong friend's 2nd bridal shower, and went bridesmaids dress shopping with my Alex!

         

March:
Had spring break vacation in Charleston with Al and got to visit with my Lilly, celebrated my little bug's 4 months of life, celebrated my 20 years of life, and got to love on Lucas some more!

    

April: 

Celebrated Easter with Al, celebrated one of my favorite people, Shayla's, 21st birthday, celebrated my roomie, Brittany Rue's, 21st birthday, and attended my sweet friend, Lilly's, spring dance concert with my college bff!

     

May:

I am currently celebrating being DONE with my sophomore year and am waiting for my grades to come in! I am also excited for all the summer shenanigans that are bound to happen! 

Thank you all for reading and seeing a snapshot of my life this year! I'm thankful to God for it all! May He bless you all this summer season! 

Xoxo, 

Morgan

Roaring Twenties!

Hey readers! As of last Saturday, I am officially two decades old! It is funny to think about life in those terms because when I started the last decade I was in, I was only a fifth grader. Now, I'm a sophomore in college, and time is flying by. I wanted to share with y'all some reasons why I am so excited for my twenties! While I'm going to write about some events I'm excited for in this season of my life, I am also so expectant of the things God is going to do in my life and my heart over the next ten years! 

Five Reasons Why I'm Stoked for My Twenties:

1) I will, Lord-willing, graduate from college at some point in my twenties.
            Graduating from college will be one of the biggest accomplishments of my young adult life, and to say I'm ready for it is an understatement. I have had senioritis since my junior year of high school, and it just transferred over to college. While I am enjoying my time here in college, I am looking forward to being a graduate. It will be the start of a very exciting (and semi-scary) season of my life. It'll be the first time in my life that I won't be in school, which will definitely be a change. It will also be the first time in my life that I have a "real job" (because according to my dad, babysitting is not a real job). I am looking forward to the start of that season because I know it has so much sweetness and excitement to bring.

2) I plan to get married in my twenties.
            Okay, for anyone who knows me, this is no surprise. I have been planning my wedding to Al Rising since the day we started dating (hey, when you know, you know). While I obviously don't know when our engagement and wedding will happen, I know that it will be at some point in the span of the next ten years, and I am more excited than words can express. I am a strong supporter of marrying young - who would have ever thought the phrase "marrying young" would refer to your early twenties? I am especially steadfast in this when it comes to Al and me because we want a big family, and I'm not trying to have babies when I'm forty. Marriage is such a beautiful representation of the way Jesus loves us, and I can't wait to have a marriage that reflects Him.

3) I will be seeking a career that is fulfilling and brings me joy in my twenties.
            The last part of that sentence is the most important to me. I am seeking a career that will truly bring my joy. I am hopeful that God will place me exactly where He wants me. I have learned, this year more than any other, that money is not everything. Yes, it is awesome to have and everyone desires to have enough to be comfortable. However, it is not everything. And while I would love a career that would bring in lots of dough to support my family, I realize that I may not find that career when I first get out of college. I may not find that career for several years after college. I just know who holds me in His hand, and I am going to be fully reliant on Him to provide for me in times of need and in times of plenty. I have no clue what I want to do as a career after I graduate, but I do know that I am looking for a job that will make me happy over a job that will make me bookoos of money, but leave me miserable. I just keep reminding myself of Proverbs 19:21. 

4) I hope to have my first few kids in my twenties.
            As I stated above, Al and I want a big family. Since we began talking about a family, the number of kids we want has continued to grow. We both just have a heart for children, and we can't wait to have some of our own. My twenties are an exciting time because, Lord-willing, I will become a mom. Anyone who knows me knows that my dream in life is to be a mom. As many of my friends continue to tell me, I have a very mothering nature. I pretty much mother everyone around me. I can't wait to apply that characteristic to my own kiddos one day. I am probably most excited about this event in my twenties because it is my dream.

5) I plan to travel A LOT in my twenties.
             I have always heard that the best time to travel is when you're young, and I could not agree more. Before I have any babies, I would love to travel to some of my top-pick places, including Spain, Greece, France, the UK, Ireland, Australia, etc. I would also love to travel to more places in the United States. While I want my kids to be well-versed in traveling, I want them to be old enough to remember what they see. Therefore, I will be seeing as many sights as I can see until my kids are old enough for me to take them to see it all.

Bonus Reason

6) I want to serve people passionately in my twenties.
             This year, I have been learning a lot about what it means to serve people. I have been looking deeply into how Jesus served people and what that looks like today. I want God to instill in me a passionate servant's heart, so that people will come to know Him through what He does in me. I hope in my twenties, with all these changes that are bound to occur, that I will always remember to put others before myself. Even during times of excitement and transition in my life, I pray that God will always allow me to see others' needs as a priority. I'm saying it here on this blog: My word for my twenties is service. I pray my life lives up to that word.
          
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These are all plans that I have for my twenties, but I know that God's plan and purpose for my life is so much greater! I can't wait to see what He has in store for me during these next ten years. I am trusting Him to lead me where He wants me. 

Thank you all for reading!

-Morgan

Catching Up

Hello, my favorite readers! I wanted to take some time to catch you all up on the happenings of my life and foreshadow a few of the exciting things that are coming up in the next few months! 

I have had a busy, busy, busy semester so far! I think in my last life post I had just started my first day of second semester. If I remember correctly, I was being relatively optimistic about how this semester would go, how I would love all my classes, etc. Well to say that is the farthest thing from the truth would be an understatement. I do love kinda love my classes, but this semester has been kicking my butt. The first few weeks my motivation level went from a 10 to a 0 real fast. I've had to kick it into gear lately because, let's face it, I'm Morgan Wade and not doing my best is not an option for me. Things are beginning to look up, and there are only 70 days left of this semester, or 39 class days - however you want to look at it (Thank You, Jesus!). I'm discovering a lot about myself as a COM major, and I've been able to successfully narrow down the career fields I would like to go into based on my strong dislike for large groups. I'm thinking about a career that is heavily reliant upon interpersonal communication, which is still a plethera of options! Just say a prayer that God leads me where He wants me! 

As for other life things, I have gained two new babies in my life that I am absolutely smitten over. Al's cousin, Mallary, had her second baby boy, Lucas Avery, on January 22nd. I've been surrounded by girls all my life, so a boy is very refreshing to me. He is so handsome, and I can't wait to watch him grow up! Al and I have already decided he is going to be one of our ring bearers when we get married in a few years - safe to say we'll have the cutest ring bearers ever. If Lucas is anything like his brother, Drake, he will be a firecracker and his mama and daddy will have their hands full!

The other new baby in my life is one who is especially dear to my heart. On January 31st, my sister gave birth to my very first niece, Lorelei. I've been waiting for the day I would have a niece basically since forever. I had planned in my head what it would be like to see her for the first time and hold her for the first time. I had a picture of what she would look like since I found out she was a girl. However, when the moment actually came and all those pictures became a reality, it was nothing like I expected it to be. The first time I saw her, as well as saw my sister being a mom, a feeling that I had never felt in my entire life came over me. Kayla and I talked about it later on, and she got the same feeling. It was such a peace and an overwhelming amount of love. Honestly, my heart is so full of love for her that it could very well explode. I have wonderful aunts that I am very close to. I know how I feel about them, and it makes me tear up to think about the relationship that Lorelei and I will have. I can't wait to watch her grow and see everything she is going to accomplish. She is stunning, and I am so in love. I will be spending my first few days of spring break with them, and I can't wait! I haven't held that girl since she was a day old, and I can only imagine how big she's gotten in a month! I'm so proud of my sister and Harris, and I'm so excited to finally be Aunt Moe!

I've also been watching my goddaughter grow up before my eyes. I literally cannot believe how big she's gotten. Part of me wants time to slow down (as does her mama), and part of me is excited to see her grow. She is such a special part of my life, and the place she holds in my heart is one that only she could fill. I could write an entire post on just the things I love about my Sophia Lorraine, and it wouldn't even begin to cover it all. I truly love her with all my heart, and my relationship with her is one of the most important relationships in my life! 

Al and I celebrated our three and a half years, as well as our fourth Valentine's Day together, and both were perfect days! I think we've both realized that the longer we date, the less we care about what we do together as long as we're doing it together. 

We spent our three and a half years laying out on the hammock for most of the day because it was the only remotely warm day we've had all winter. It's hard to believe we've been together for this long. Sometimes I feel like we just started dating yesterday. All I know is just when I think I can't love him any more than I already do, he does something to prove me wrong. 

For Valentine's Day, we just went down to the mall and shopped for a little bit, had an early dinner at Olive Garden, got home by 6:00, shared an Oreo pie, and watched Bridesmaids together. It was simple, and that's just the way I like it. I'm so lucky to have this guy as my forever Valentine. I love doing life with him! 

We'll also be taking our second vacation together the last part of my spring break, and I literally can't wait! Stay tuned for the Spring Break post that is to come!

One of the most exciting things that is happening in my life is that my best friend since second grade is getting married in May! Mine and Alex's friendship has always been one that I've treasured. We knew from a young age that a friendship like ours was one-of-a-kind, and we've both always held it close to our hearts. Alex is one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out, and I'm lucky to be able to call her one of my best friends. I am SO excited that she has asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. I'm truly honored that I get to stand with her on her big day! We've been having some fun with wedding/bridal showers, as well as working on ceremony and reception details! This weekend we're going bridesmaids dress shopping, and I'm sure that will be an interesting and fun experience! I'm so enjoying helping her with the little things, and I'm soaking this time up because I know it won't happen again until it's my turn to get married! I love my Alex Wickel (almost Moss).

These are just a few of the exciting things that have happened in the past month and a half! So many more exciting things are on the way, but I wanted to give a little update! I am so blessed, and I'm so thankful to God for everything He has given me in this season of my life. I'm soaking up these last few weeks of being a teenager (My birthday is March 21, in case you were wondering hehe). Stay tuned for a post to recap spring break, as well as a post that explains why I'm so excited for my twenties! 

Thank you all for reading!

XOXO, 

Morgan