God Choices: Georgia Southern University

Some people may think I make decisions very carefully, weighing all the options, considering the pros and cons, and doing what is most logical or wise. But that is not my process. At all. I follow my heart and convictions. I jump into scary situations because I feel, deep inside my heart, that it’s the right thing to do. I won’t say all my decisions have been good ones, especially when I was much younger. I let my emotions reign in my life, and that is not always a good thing. But this works out really well when God is speaking to me. Because I feel it. And despite what may or may not appear logical, I go with it because I just know it’s what I should do. This used to look like random ideas that popped into my head or circumstances that were suddenly presented to me with no previous warning. And people would say things like, I had no idea you felt that way. Well, neither did I until those moments. Now that I am more spiritually mature, I can better understand the difference between running on emotions and being led by the Spirit. But I have no doubt many of my decisions, even prior to my salvation, were Spirit-led.

The best decisions I’ve ever made were like this. They were life changing decisions, and I threw myself into them without knowing what they would hold for me. And they’ve made all the difference. I want to take a few posts to share these stories with you. My hope is that this will be a sort of series that will lead into the story of our house purchase. Because that is a decision just like these, and I want to share with you how they came about and how they felt. Thanks for listening!


Once I realized college was the thing to do after high school, I decided upon the University of Georgia. Why? Because I lived in Georgia and it was the only one I knew about. Then it was the one that most of the kids in my school wanted to go to. Then it was the most exciting one. Then it was because they had the best football. Not that I even care about that. But everyone commended my choice in schools because it is a great school and it seemed like the logical choice.

Not until my best friend Hayley invited me to go with her to an Open House at Georgia Southern University did my plans begin to change. It was the end of my junior year, and I decided to go just to keep her company. I had no real interest in the school. But when we pulled into campus, something stirred inside me. I looked around and could see myself there. I imagined what it would be like to buy food at the Chickfila between classes, walk down the Pedestrium with friends, lay on Sweetheart Circle with a blanket and a good book. By the time the 4-hour Open House was over, my heart had completely changed. I would go to Georgia Southern. 

I did not even apply to UGA. People scoffed at my choice, calling it an inferior school, a party school, and a wasteful choice for such a bright mind. My Christian friends feared for my virtue. My AP teachers feared for my future career. And everyone wondered whether I was just making the decision because my best friend (and later also my boyfriend) were planning to go there. Sure, that helped, but it wasn’t that. I just knew it was where I belonged. And I was right. I can’t imagine life anywhere else. I’ve had such wonderful experiences here, have discovered my true passions in life, and have met many of my close friends, including my husband!
I’ve been attending/working at Georgia Southern University for the past 8 years. I will complete my Masters in December and hopefully attain a full-time position in a student services office. Walking through campus, memories pour out of my heart. I remember the heartache of breaking up with my boyfriend, time and again, and sitting on a bench with tears streaming down my face and a hollow ache in my chest as he told me that he had cheated on me.  I remember the excitement of walking around with Hayley, trying to figure out where all our classes were, but still being late to my first class because whoever designed the Math/Physics building is a madman! I remember the many walks with friends, chatting about classes, parties, and boyfriends. I remember bike rides, eating parfaits by Lakeside, and giving campus tours to countless prospective students. I remember when I met my husband and I spent hours walking around campus with headphones in my ears, listening to Jason Mraz and Better than Ezra because it reminded me of him. I remember accidentally slamming into an ROTC student, in full uniform, while riding my bike in the rain. I literally face planted into his chest! I remember the excitement of making new friends and walking around at night with Chris and Reg and Hayley, eating popsicles before they melted, while walking back and forth between our dorms. I remember being late for graduation, running around between all the lines of incoming graduates, trying to find my college. When I finally stopped and asked the Dean of Students about the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, he tsk tsked and told me they had already taken their seats on the field! Enter Christy, frantically running between rows of seated graduates looking for her friends who (thankfully!) had saved her a seat. I remember tearing up when Freedom (our eagle mascot) flew above us at the end of graduation, and I was so thankful that I didn’t have to leave yet. 

With besties Hayley and Kaitlin 

With sis-in-law Erin, her husband Joe, and my hubby Scott

Engagement picture by one of the GSU entrances

Engagement Picture...GSU bushes

Engagement picture on Sweetheart Circle

And now here I am. Still living and loving Georgia Southern. Buying a house in Statesboro; planting roots for the long haul. What if I hadn’t listened to that little stirring in my heart, telling me to give up my plans for UGA and come to Southern? I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would look like. But I do know I wouldn’t trade out this one for anything in the world!