“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it,” says Psalm 118:24, K-Love’s daily verse for today, which couldn’t have been more perfect for my weekend. It was such a beautiful day on Saturday (I wore shorts, a tank top and Chacos), and I spent it enjoying the weather with some of my best friends.

Today, Old Man Winter came back to bite, but my spirits were still high. This weekend made me realize that I have so many people rooting for me. It’s time I stop chasing after the ones who aren’t.

My friends aren’t perfect, though, but I strongly believe that God placed them specifically in my life to lift me up when I’m bringing myself down, and for me to do the same for them. Saturday’s daily verse was Psalm 34:18, which says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” God’s love has continuously rescued me through my wonderful friends and family, and I am so thankful.

Lately, I’ve learned not to hold grudges against the people I love. They’re only trying to figure out life just like I am. I had every intention to leave my high school girlfriends behind when I started college because I was certain they would just fade into the past, but they’ve been running this marathon right next to me, never losing faith in me, and they’re going to be there when I finish. Sweet girls, you know who you are… Never forget that I love you long time.

And to all of the guys I grew up with, thanks for always being rocks for me to lean on and thanks for never failing to make me smile. I may be the only girl out of the kids in all of our families, but you guys make me feel like I belong. I love being part of your team.

My experience at Mizzou has been such a bittersweet one, but I think the sweetest part is the friends I’ve made. My Alpha Phi sisters are the sisters I never had being my parents’ only daughter, and the Beta Sigma Psi boys make me feel at home. The community I’ve found through Cru has been incredible; the girls in my Bible study encourage me every day. And the icing on my friendship cake was meeting a girl from Cincinnati who I now hold dear to my heart as if she’s been here all along. I don’t know how I’m going to say goodbye to these people in May.

One of my Bible study girls shared this quote with me on Saturday: “To risk is to willingly place your life in the hand of an unseen God and an unknown future and watch him come through. Stepping out away from what is secure and comfortable exposes the holes in our faith.”

I hope to grow even closer to God as my chapter at Mizzou closes and I begin my chapter that starts at UCM.  I have to leave behind the life I built here (which is a blessing and a set-back all at once), but like my friends from my childhood, my college friends that are true will always find a way back into my life. And the coolest part is that I have three more years to meet the rest of them.

This is only the beginning.