ACCEPTED!

This is the HUGEST post of the day. I wish I would've been more faithful to blog (for myself) about the course of events that led to the final deciding factor and outcome of my pursuit of school. I guess I can say the pursuit started about a year ago. Real estate, which we all know, has not been great and has been on a constant downhill race to a plummeting market. I of course see the effects of that in my industry. When people don't buy homes, we don't have home flooring options to design and install leaving my fellow co-workers and I in constant anxiety and fret over potential and in most cases, very realistic layoffs. By God's grace and providence I have managed to maintain a position with the company that I have been with for almost 7 years. I never really intended to do what I do forever. Honestly, I thought I'd be married and having babies by now but God's other plans in store for right now. I've always wanted to do hair but the timing was never right to go to school, funds not available, etc. A quick evaluation and inventory showed that I better make some back up plans so... I began looking at ways to make school happen. Initially I had plans to go to Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology and with a preliminary plan in the making, I moved home with my Dad (April '08) to save money and make it happen. Paul Mitchell ended up costing close to 18k for the year program and that was just a LOT of money. I was encouraged to also look at Royale Beauty College (which is in Temecula also) and they were about 13k which is a significant reduction! I spoke to some good friends who are in the industry and they urged me to be diligent with my money and not go into debt. The main goal of school is to pass state board and there is training that will come once a license is acquired. That made up my mind. I was going to Royale (as of Julyish '08). I would start in January and I began to go through the financing part of the plan. I spoke to the person at the school who does the loans and we kept hitting a brick wall. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (or whatever their names are) were on a temporary freeze because of the economy and they weren't giving money for "trade schools". The lady at the school encouraged me to take out a private loan and the interest rates weren't all that great and I had to pay them as I was attending school which is 40 hours a week. Finding a job to make enough to merely pay for the loans was looking bleak. I was a little defeated and wondering if these plans were going to pan out. All along I have had many people praying alongside of me and I'm thankful that God gave me peace as I continued to pursue this. I knew it would come to fruition because one of my greatest desires and excitements about this was that I would be around different people ALL of the TIME and I would have many opportunities to share the gospel with a really lost, dark industry and world. So all that to say, one night at D-group a lady came up to me and asked how my plans (like their ours anyway?! :) were coming along. I shared the recent hurdle of financing and she told me that JC's were the way to go. Their programs were a lot cheaper and she heard that Riverside CC had a great program. That was great but then I was commuting and the Beast is NOT great on gas. I told my mom and she told me (like she already had at least a half dozen times) to look at Fullerton College. So, I very hesitantly did. Turned out that their program started mid January '09, it's roughly 5k and they have a great pass rate for state board (better than one of the schools that I originally looked at). I got on a wait list (Nov) and had to wait for an actual registration date to sign up for class (Dec 12th was the date originally given). My mom and step dad offered that if I got in to the program, I could live with them rent free and my dad agreed to let me stay at his house on the weekends to spend time with friends and attend my church. So again, I wait, pray, wait, pray, depend on the Lord for some discernment and direction. December quickly approaches and I was never notified by the school of a registration date. I then learned that I would have last dibs because returning students get first priority and they only accept 25 into the program each term (next term is March). I was getting a little anxious! I finally got notification December 10th that my registration date and time were December 11th at 2pm. That day I was totally nervous and anxious worrying that I wouldn't get in and wondering what I would do. Did this mean God was saying no? I was so full of worry. Before I logged on I prayed. I read Phil 4, and made a promise to the Lord that I would not A. log on until I was at peace with the outcome and B. would be joyful no matter what the outcome was. Well, I logged on and the site was SO confusing! I ended up registering and paying for the wrong program, had to go back on and drop that class then couldn't pull up the cosmetology class. I had to keep pausing and praying for forgiveness that I had ALREADY broke my promise before the Lord. SO FRUSTRATING! Finally I got the information that I needed and there was a spot available. I had gotten in!!! I couldn't believe it. I still can't actually. I worried, planned, and allowed myself to be anxious so much over the past year and I'm really not sure why. It makes me sad that I don't view God's plan for my life as being the "right one for me" and that my plans are better. God used this year to grow me in that and to allow me to depend more on Him and his plans. I'm really excited to start school! I'm a little nervous to move in with my mom and her family but God totally provided EVERYTHING for me. Now I have to decide what I will do with and for work but God will provide as he always does and I can't wait to see what He'll teach me and how He'll use me as I pursue His plan for this next year of my life. Also, I'm finished with school next Nov/Dec and my church is going to Israel in Jan '10. (I've always wanted to go!!!) Do we think the timing is a coincidence??? I think not!!! I'm praying about going and hoping that the funds, and everything to go will be there. How incredible to get to see where Jesus walked and did ministry!!!! I know this is long but I hope that (for my sake so that I can reflect back) I gave enough detail to look back and see how I was never part of the equation and how things worked out. God is good.