From Here...to Eternity?

 Hey "What in the Cat Hair" readers: a real treat for ya'll today, as my son shares his thoughts on leaving home and going to college.  He did a great  job.  He may become a writer, or a teacher , or a pastor, or an ESPN analyst- yet! :)  By the way- how do you like my new layout?  Compliments of Ky-Bud's awesome girlfriend!  Thx so much Ky- you are a technical wizard!  Enjoy the below- I know I did!

Bud at graduation with his older but littler sis:)

Leaving everything you’ve ever known is difficult. 

Where do I go FROM HERE? 

 In the past couple of months, the idea of going away from home to college has slowly become more and more real. Already I’ve begun to think about how different my life will be in a just a matter of weeks, and I’m not going to lie to you sports fans, it’s a little scary. I wonder, when my folks leave after dropping me off, will I cry like a baby?  

 

Will I get homesick?

 

Will I go psycho? 

 

My entire life, I’ve been blessed far beyond what I deserve. Looking back on my life, I have great parents, I’ve had great mentors (My dad, Matt Beal, Josh Adams, Mark Patterson, Dave Childs, and many, many more), I have a great girlfriend, an awesome best friend (Drew Nelson, you ARE my brother) I have great siblings, and above all, I’ve had the privilege and honor to serve my gracious and mighty God. 

My parents, the people who took me from a crying little troll...

 

to the human (if you can call me that) you see before you today, are God’s perfect models of patience, discipline, honor, and love.

Most of you know the chicken story (my mom's blog "Teen Girls Squad & Becky"  Feb 9, 2012) , but other stuff my parents shook  their head about in wonder were: 

 The 5^th grade incident of burping on girls heads on the bus, 

 The amazing 6^th grade first place victory in the junior high spelling bee (uhh was that “catholic homes”?  No Evan, “catacombs”) 

Yes, that is me sporting my trophy, c'mon I was in 6th grade!

And the fact that I was able to attend 4 different youth groups  through jr high & high school without complaining…(like my sisters would have done,-- just had to get that one in there-ha!)

 I’ve grown up in a Godly home, a home where my folks were NEVER shy about expecting more of me, and NEVER lowered their standards or expectations for me. One thing I’ve noticed especially now that I’m older is my Dad's Godly heart. 

Aside from the great King David, if there was ever a man after God’s own Heart, it’s Dr. Tim Sieges.

 I’ve spent the majority of my life fighting my dad, resisting his every attempt to make me a man, but he never quit. He always stuck with me. He never turned his back on me. He kept pushing me for more, and he did it out of love……I didn’t see it for so long, but now I do.  

  If ya’ll know my dad,  I am sure you can hear him saying in his gravelly voice: ”SOOOOONNNNN, that is a NO” 

  I’ll never be able to thank either of my parents for loving me so much, thank you mommy, daddy, I love you two so, so, much, and I’ll do my best to make you proud of me.

All of the mentors I’ve had will remain a part of me for the rest of my life, I carry and treasure them all in my heart. 

The thing that I will hold onto the most though, on the way to college is my Faith.

I’ve heard a lot about how college kids abandon their Faith, how they fall into the pattern of drinking, drugs, and sex. Believe me, I’ve heard the numbers, I’ve seen the statistics, I’ve been informed of how I’m SUPPOSED to fail, how I’m supposed to fall. I’ve had it pounded into my head since my first youth group in sixth grade.

Drew and me in Junior High

I choose to look at this concept in a different way. Instead of going off to college and choosing to run FROM Christ, I’m instead going to run TOWARDS Him.

I’m not oblivious to the temptation that I’ll be facing, and I’m certainly not saying that resisting typical college behavior is going to be easy, but what I AM saying is that it CAN be done. In my life (albeit short), I’ve found that complete and total reliance in Christ guarantees success, maybe not as WE would define success, but as HE would.

 I’ve also found that Christ gives strength to those who ask for it, and that He makes His presence known by doing so.  You see, it is to the Cross I cling all the MORE because of the fact that I am leaving home, 

 

I don’t view it as a chance to flee God, but to thrive in my Faith.

 I thank God ahead of time for the trials He’ll provide,

and the subsequent growth He’ll allow.

So I'm on my way.  

FROM HERE.... to Eternity, with God's help.