Graduation Reflection

This year has already had it's historical moments: the devastating tsunami in Japan; the too-close-to-home destruction of the South by tornadoes; the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; and most recently, the death of Osama bin Laden. On Saturday I will walk across a stage, signifying my graduation from the Universityof Tennessee at Chattanooga and the completion of nursing school--quite the historic moment in my life! My youngest brother is graduating from high school a week from Saturday, and returning to my high school for all his closing senior events has made me reflect on my high school graduation and thus my four years of high school and four years of college.

Since 2011 has already been pretty historic and it's only May, what kind of historic eventshappened in 2007, when I graduated high school?

-the announcement of the iPhone
-Nancy Pelosi was elected the first female Speaker of the House
-Virginia Tech shootings
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released (eery! Part II of the 7th Harry Potter movies comes out this summer!)
What's weird is that deadly tornadoes hit Alabama (killing 20 people) and an earthquake in Japan occurred in 2007...history really does repeat itself.

Through all these tragedies, this year especially, has reminded me of a passage in Roman 8:18-22.
" For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eagerlonging for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of thechildren of God."

How great is that even our suffering cannot be compared to the glory of God!

Switching subjects to top songs!
2007: Crank That by Soulja Boy was #1 for the longest (according to the website I found)
2011: Firework by Katy Perry (so far...?)
However (!), the songs that I identify with most from those years are in 2007--any Justin Timberlake song or Kelly Clarkson song, and this year has to be Teenage Dream by Katy Perry or Need You Know by Lady Antebellum, which I know neither came out this year but they're still popular!

Movies!

2007: Juno, Sweeney Todd, I Am Legend, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

2011: Justin Bieber Never Say Never, Rango, Soul Surfer, Water for Elephant (Haven't seen any of these...yet! haha)

Here are some of my favorite pictures from over the last several years.

2007-2008: High school graduation with my BFF Abbie; Macy's Day Parade-I got to hold the banner for OHS Band; My Bed in my first dorm room-yes, I still sleep with stuffed animals; me in Costa Rica on a mission trip that was very eye-opening!

2008-2009: My stethoscope-right before I started Nursing School; Engagement!!; and surviving the first FUGE summer without Alex with my roomies, Sarah and Kate (this picture is at Kate's costume birthday party-Kate is Ginger Spice, Sarah and I are Monica and Rachel from Friends)

2009-2010: Disney World with Jon and Lizzy; engagment pictures at the Choo Choo; surviving the second FUGE summer-got to see Alex at his brother's wedding; and us at Jon and Lizzy's wedding

December 17, 2010: Best Day EVER!

I'm so looking forward to graduation!