Last FRESH

So tonight was our last FRESH, which makes me SO SAD!! I literally cried a couple of times. (In fact, as I've been writing this post, I've been bawling my eyes out!) I just want to say how much this year of spending time with these women has meant to me. I've really come to love each of the women I've been reading John with. Abby and Kayley have been wonderful leaders, I'm so thankful God chose them to lead our study! I think He put me with them for a reason, and I'm so very glad He did.

It hasn't been an easy year of Bible Study. I've had doubts and fears, and I've struggled with a lot of sins. I've been distracted from God by all sorts of things. But despite all of that, God has really been good to me. He's blessed me so much through these women. So I guess I kind of want to say something about each of them.

First, Abby is just so sweet. In a lot of ways, we're really different, but I think that if we were more similar, I wouldn't have kept coming. She's crazy and extroverted and so excited and enthusiastic about everything, and I just love her SO MUCH! Also, she's just been so encouraging to me in my walk. I feel like I can tell her anything, and I know she won't just love me in spite of it, but she'll encourage me, and help me deal with it.
Kayley is a little more like me than Abby is. She's pretty conservative, and blunt, and she's also very honest about her own fears, failures and doubts. And she really pushes us to see what the Word is telling us about God, and how we can apply that to our lives. I love Kayley so much TOO!!!
Now for the other freshies like me. First, there's Abigail, who I have loved getting to know personally! She has reminded me that sometimes, it's TOTALLY okay to cry!! Which may not sound like it, but that's actually REALLY encouraging to me! I don't like when people see me cry. Susanna is great, she's so open and excited and honest, which I love! Anabel is absolutely wonderful, just because she's herself. I don't really know anyone like Anabel, and honestly, I have this secret desire to basically be her best friend. Jessie is the girl I would say I know best in the group, and I really really love her. She's so sweet, but she's also very honest and real with our group. She's less teary than Abigail, but she's just as honest and heart-felt. And Maddy Staff, who wasn't there tonight, :(, is so awesome! She's so energetic, and also very real. She's just wonderful. I don't know how else to say it. And that's true of every girl who I've mentioned. There are so many qualities that I just can't express adequately in words about each of these women, and I just love them so much!!!! God has blessed me SO MUCH through these women!

One other thing about tonight. Tonight, Abby and Kayley washed our feet, out of love and as an act of service to us. That was just absolutely one of the sweetest things ever!! Feet are kind of gross and smelly, and although I don't have a particular aversion to feet, I know mine in particular are pretty gross looking. It was so beautiful, and I just... there aren't really words to describe what that meant. It just... It takes a very special woman to humble herself and wash the feet of a bunch of freshman girls, and both Abby and Kayley did that. It's been a good year.