♥ Graduation Weekend ♥

Well hello long lost blogging friends!! It has been forever since I have written, and my prayer is that you will allow graduation a big enough excuse J That’s right… did you hear me.. GRADUATION… this girl right here.. Ellie Anna Paul J Graduated!

I came to Liberty in 2004 with the expectation that I would be in and out like all the normal college students, and to be honest I don’t think I have ever been more thankful for abnormality. Liberty has been and still is such a huge part of my life. Without it I wouldn’t have found my doctors, my close knit group of friends, my job, or sweet Dante!!! A few days after graduation Dante’s grandfather, Pop Pop, called to congratulate me and he said, “Ellie, I was thinking the other day, about how thankful I am that it took you longer to graduate, because had you graduated on time, you may have never met Dante, and I would have never gotten to meet you”. Of course I started to tear up because he is so right.

You know for years I sat around, wallowing, wondering, “Ok Lord, why?”  “Why is all of this happening, why am I the last?” And to be honest on graduation, with my whole family there, more proud of me than ever, I was glad!!  I was glad that I was the last, and glad that it took me as long as it did because who knows where I would be, or who I would have met had I been the “normal” graduate.

Between Commencement and the diploma ceremony we were lucky enough to have a room where we could all just sit, and talk.  Dan asked everyone to give a favorite “Ellie moment” J  It was so funny!!! Luke reminded everyone of my Easter bunny days!! (One year for Easter I dressed up as the bunny for the Drees’ family Easter Egg Hunt… there will not be pictures to follow.. hahah)

I don’t know if I have ever had all those people together in one place at one time, but WOW did I ever feel blessed. The people there were the people who have truly gotten me through the last 7 years, without them I probably wouldn’t have finished, and so when I walked across the stage to get my diploma it wasn’t just about me fishing it was about all of us, it was about all the people who have ever encouraged, loved, supported, and prayed for me. I could never take full credit for this degree not for one second.

Graduation was one of those moments that just gives you butterflies, the whole day.  My sister got amazing pictures, and there is a picture of me looking up at my family. Of course my arms were flailing around, and the people on the field around me were looking at me like…”you am a dork”, but it was my attempt to acknowledge them, because it was not just about me. I mean I contemplated asking Jerry Jr. to allow families to accept the diplomas with the graduates because they deserve some recognition right along with us!! He is still thinking about it I guess!

I am sitting here trying to figure out how to describe the feelings, cause man it was incredible. The whole day!!!  I am so thankful, so so so thankful.   Getting my degree was one of those things that I put in the back of my head for a good 2 years.  I thought, “people will understand if I don’t finish, I mean I guess people with as many medical incompletes as I have had just can’t finish.”  I allowed myself to believe that I would be ok without it, or that I just couldn’t get it.  Man oh man was I ever wrong.  Just like the half marathon!!!  I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST.. .not just something’s… ALL THINGS!!!!!! We serve such an amazing God!! They sang one of my favorite worship songs at graduation.  It is called Lord your Holy.. and there is a part in the song that describes God, it says:

“Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous, Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant, and Mighty, HEALER, Deliver, Shield and, Defense, STRONG TOWER, and My Best friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of everything, HOLY HOLY HOLY is your NAME…..” J You can image the tears that were pouring out of my eyes.

I wanted to blog a bit and share how I felt, last weekend, and tell you about how amazing my family is because I truly am so lucky, and so blessed.  Without them I couldn’t have done it, and without Ulcerative Colitis I wouldn’t value and appreciate it like I do.  God is so good about using all things for good!!!!  He has a perfect plan… I say it all the time, but it is so true.  I know so many of you have prayed, and I can’t thank you enough, and I ask that you continue to pray that God will direct me. Graduation weekend blew so much wind in my sails!!!  It encouraged me more than ever, and reiterated for me, and so many others that this disease cannot, and will not hold me back. Sure it may have taken me longer, but I look back on the last seven years and I would do it all over.

Now that graduation has come and gone I am hoping to be able to get back into the blogging swing of things!!!

I hope this blog finds you all well!!!!

Love you all,

Ellie