and so it begins...

For those who know me well, and maybe those who know me well on Facebook, it is common knowledge that I'm a fan of Shauna Niequist's work. She's a writer who makes you feel like you're having a conversation with her as you read. Basically, she's brilliant.

I have always wanted to write a book and her style of writing has been an inspiration in helping me to find my voice. The way she writes is similar to how I write and I feel like her books have given me permission to write the way I want.

So I've started. It will be a while and even then I'll have to see if anyone will even publish it, but it's worth a shot. Here's a little glimpse...

-The Change-

I had no intention of joining. I was just attending the meeting because the girl at the booth seemed nice. It was my first week of college and I found myself at the first informational meeting for Aggie Sisters for Christ, feeling extremely out of place as I walked toward the meeting. In my experience, girls weren’t nice, couldn’t be trusted, and would rather talk bad about you than encourage you, so needless to say I was a bit nervous. My preconceived notions were about to be turned upside down.

As I approached the meeting, a sweet girl named Brynne Bryant walked up with a beaming smile on her face and said, “Are you here for the meeting? Great! Just stick with me tonight. I’ll take care of you.” Immediately, thoughts of panic and confusion hit. What?! Why is she being so nice to me? What’s in it for her? Is there something wrong with me that I need someone with me all night? I followed Brynne into a large conference room that was filled with HUNDREDS of girls, many looking just like me. Nervous. 

I sat with Brynne as the meeting started, listening to the president of the organization, Kimberly McNutt, talking about ASC, the purpose behind the fellowship of women, and the goal to glorify Jesus Christ in their time together. And as I listened to Kim talk, something very strange started to happen. I began to hear this whisper, not audibly, but a whisper in my soul that I had felt very few times in my life at this point. It was this kind of confirmation that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, that these women would be my friends, and that there was something important for me to learn in my days with them. It was a strange feeling at the time, but one that I’ve grown more and more accustomed to the more I’ve learned to listen for it. It was the sweet whisper of the Lord, and He was saving my life that night.