GOD IS SOOO GOOD!!!!!!

Many of you received text messages from me earlier today with the same text that makes up the title of this blog post.  So let me explain. . .




First of all, yesterday was an alright day, but there were some struggles.  After my calculus class, I realized that I was nowhere near prepared for the class and I was really struggling even understanding how to do one problem.  Letters and variables I had never seen before were being used like I should have known them years ago.  I decided to try switching to a different math class that would be more suited to me.  (I don't need calculus for nursing anyway!)  I went to talk to an advisor and they explained to me that after the second week of classes, the math department has to handle and approve all changes.  So I left and walked to the OTHER side of campus to talk to the math department.  I walk in to this lady's office and asked if she is who I needed to talk to to switch classes.  She told me that she had instructions on her office door that I needed to follow.  This included emailing her with the class I want to switch to and what different sections would fit my schedule, remembering that I might not even get into any of the classes.




I left her office and immediately wrote down all sections that would work for me and emailed her the list.  I didn't hear anything back all day and was starting to feel doubtful.  I went to my scholars group meeting which was. . . whatever.  The speaker was very engaging and fun to listen to but I really didn't care to be there.  As I was leaving my meeting, I received an email from the Sooner CERT president informing me that I was going to be one of the people working on the stretcher team at the football game this weekend.  So not only will I get into the football game for free, I get to be on the field and work with the Norman EMS staff!  Praise God!!




I went straight from my meeting to a large group bible study that was being put on by a group called Intervarsity.  The second I walked into the room, I felt super comfortable with everyone and had no problem talking to people and making friends.  I actually saw a few people from my scholars group that I connected with as well!  At Intervarsity, we studied a passage in John 6.  One of the main concepts was to believe.  "Then they asked him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'  Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent'" (John 6: 28-29 NIV).  Let me emphasize that. . . BELIEVE!!!!!  All God is asking us to do is to believe!  This leads me back to one of my favorite bible verses.  "We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are" (Romans 3:22 NLT).  Just BELIEVE!!  That's all it takes!  Believe in Jesus Christ and what he has done for you!! He's AMAZING!!!!!!


I left intervarsity and walked back the 3/4 mile to the dorms with a very nice girl named Mallory.  We talked about our hometowns and other small talk.  Praise God for growing friendships!


Moving on to today, I prayed and prayed both last night and this morning that I will be able to get this class switched because it was weighing heavy on my heart.  I was sitting in my political science discussion and looked down at my phone because I got an email.  The email said that I had been approved to switch math classes through the math department!! PRAISE THE LORD JESUS!!!!!  It might sound like something stupid to be so excited about but I was absolutely sure I was going to do very bad in the calculus class and I really needed to switch. 


My lesson in the past two days is that nothing to impossible for Christ!  He has shown me over and over that he is in control and that I need to believe in His will.  YES FATHER!!!!  I want to be in Your will!  I want to be a part of Your plan!  I just want to praise Your name EVERYWHERE right now!!!  Thank you lord for everything you continue to do for me and thank you for looking out for me!!  AMEN JESUS!

God is great!

For this blog post, I have plenty to say.  As for the reasoning behind it, I'm speechless.  So let me take you through my day. . .

I started off this morning with a three hour chemistry lab that ended up not being too bad and I actually enjoyed it.  I went to my second and third class without incident and then walked from my last class to my meeting with our campus emergency manager.  Prayers were coming out of my mouth left and right.  "Jesus, I really want to be able to have EMT opportunities in this community and I know I can make a difference.  Please, in your will, let all of this work out."  I sat down and talked to her about my FEMA legacy project ideas, the campus CERT team, and about my EMT certification.  Regarding my EMT, she didn't have a whole lot to say.  She said she only knew of Norman Regional Hospital and the Norman Fire Department which she said she would give me contact information to, but it didn't sound promising.  I left her office feeling saddness in my heart, because I kept thinking, "Maybe EMT isn't for me here.  Should I look at other options?  Should I move back to Iowa?"  

I then went to my next meeting at the National Weather Center with a forecasting group called the Oklahoma Weather Lab (OWL).  As the head of the school of meteorology was talking about his controbutions in meteorology and projects being worked on, I made a final determination on my career path.  Meteorology is not going to be for me (not news to anyone).  I do like forecasting and I do like watching storms, but that's where the line stops.

Our meeting ran late and I had to hurry to my third meeting of the night.  (Does this seem like high school senior year revisited?)  I arrived at the OU CERT team meeting just in time and they started to talk about some programs that were going to be coming in the next few weeks.  There was also an OU police officer there to explain a few things about some of these programs/events.  One of these events was going to be a stretcher team helping the on-site paramedics with the Saturday football game here at OU.  After the meeting, I went up to the officer to introduce myself and talk about any EMT opportunities he knew of.  And by the grace of God the doors flew open!! 

This officer, named John, told me that with being EMT certified and already CERT trained, I would most definitely be on the top of the list to help with the stretcher team on Saturday.  He then went on to tell me that Norman Regional Hospital hires part-time and full-time BLS staff (a.k.a. me) to do non-emergency transports and other stuff with the hospital as a job.  THANK YOU LORD JESUS!!!!!  After talking on a more personal level for a while, he offered to personally introduce me to the hospital emergency medical services administration personel who would be at the game Saturday.  

So not only will I (most likely) get into the football game for FREE and work on the field, I will (most likely) have a job in the next few weeks that I absolutely love doing!!!!  Just when I was beginning to doubt my possibilities here, the doors completely opened up and God's light shone through!! 

Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." 

Amen Brothas!!!!!!!!!

High School vs. College

I always knew there was going to be a huge transition between high school and college, but I've actually started to realize it tonight.

I was sitting here, trying to figure out how our professor wanted us to write our chemistry pre-lab report, and I started to get very frustrated because I simply didn't understand.  The instructions were vague at best and there was no specific way they wanted us to write it.  What do people do when they get frustrated?  They procrastinate, and their mind wanders. (Myself anyway!)

I started to realize that this is a feeling I was having a short two years ago.  Junior year in high school wasn't too bad except for that dreaded chemistry class.  The stupid class with the stupid teacher with stupid points.  Who cares anyway?!  And then it hit me. . . he cared.

Most teachers would baby you along and pretty much give you the right answer to each problem if you asked for it; he didn't.  Most teachers would give you such specific instructions to an issue or problem that even a four year old could understand how to do it; he didn't.  Most teachers would have simpathy for stupid little excuses that students came up with; he didn't.  (Though I'm not trying to make him sound like an a**hole.)

This man, who I'm proud to say is my friend, taught me lessons that I wouldn't even use for TWO YEARS, but that I still needed to know.  At the time, I just wanted to get through the class with an A because I really didn't care.  Now as a college student, I understand what his mentality was behind all of this.

If I can say anything to my underclassman readers (which is maybe one person, but possibly not even), it's that you need to work for the things you're involved with.  Don't take the easy way out of things because you will get blindsided very quickly when you move on to a different world outside of your comfort zone.  Thank the people who make you work for things in life.  I know it's hard now but the realization will come later on that they did make a huge impact on your life.

Please God, Please.

Since I only have a few minutes before I have to go to my next class, I'm going to make this short.

I seem to be having trouble lately praying and talking to God, so I'm going to do it on here!

Dear Jesus,

        Thank you for this opportunity to come to this seemingly different world and the doors you've opened with many differnt people and organizations.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up for my talk with the emergency manager tomorrow as there's a very good possibility that there are no EMT opportunities here, but I ask you to please open doors for me in the EMS world.  We both know it's something I enjoy and I would really like to do it here, but if it's not in your plan, I completely understand.

Though I never became completely awesome friends with this guy back home, thank you for giving me the words of encouragement that I could then give to him in his difficult times last night.  Talking to him reminded me that you are always with me and are always speaking the truth into my ear, even when I don't want to hear it or are avoiding you.  You stand by my side no matter what.  Whether I'm stuggling and come to you or when I'm having a great time and am ignoring you.

Thank you for everything you've done for me and continue to do for me.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen.

Prayer

The simple thing that I've been needing to do this whole time and I've been avoiding it. . . and I don't know why.  I AM a new christian and I AM sometimes forgetful how powerful prayer is.  It's amazing how at one in the morning I can have a great conversation about Jesus with some girl whom I've never met before while sitting on the swings, but I forget about my prayers just 10 minutes later.

I go to supper tonight with my entire floor and our RA and sit with some of the guys whom I've talked to before, yet barely a word is said between us.  I try to talk to them and it's like I'm some alien from a different planet trying to make conversation.  No that's not the reason I don't want to be here, but it helps with the process of deciding if I want to stay or go back to Iowa.

As I'm sitting there, I start to think about prayer.  I've been struggling through all of this and am FINALLY realizing that I need to pray constantly about this.  I need to talk to God and listen to what he is saying.  

Annnddd my mom calls to screw up my night.  Thanks.

Strength

I've been here for six days and I feel as though nothing has changed.  I went on a retreat for my scholars group and as we were riding the bus home, they had us write a letter to ourselves which we would open about nine months from now.  My letter is as follows:

Dear Austin,
        Right now you are getting done with the PCS (President's Community Scholars) retreat and you don't know how to feel.  You're a little apprehensive about being a part of this group because you feel odd regarding the administration side of volunteering and service.  You're not sure if you'll be at OU next year or even next semester.   You feel like you don't know where to fit in.  Right at this given moment, your home is in Iowa and that's where you want to be.  Everyone says their friends from high school never last, but those are the people you want to be with right now.  They are the people you want to keep forever.  You've met many great individuals thus far but nobody compares to those friends you have back home.

        Sincerely,
                Austin J. Witt


You know, I've never had any troubles making friends before.  Though I've always been uncomfortable in large groups, small groups are fine for me.  This is different though. . . this is not something I think I am ready for, meaning the large masses of people.  I'm definitely ready for college and everything that college has to offer.  I don't like being somewhere where I know absolutely nobody.  Maybe it's just an adjustment that I'm going to have to overcome, but I feel like it's not.  I keep saying my home is in Iowa and I keep finding that to be true.  Everyone always says you have to overstep your comfort zone and I completely agree with that.  Unfortunately this situation has pushed me off the cliff of my comfort zone.

Tonight I went to a social gathering at one of the main buildings on campus to hopefully find someone whom I could befriend and get to know.  I did make small talk with a few people but it's not like you can say, "Hey! You're by yourself.  I'm by myself.  Let's be friends and go places together so that college won't be awkward for either of us!"  Life just doesn't work like that.

I'm trying to listen to God and see what His will is for me.  I just want to know if I'm going back to Iowa or staying here for the next four years.  He obviously knows where I think my heart is leading me but I have to listen to His plan.  I already know that my desires are going to get in the way but I'll try my best to listen to Him.

As I'm wrapping up my thoughts. . . I'm just really struggling.  When people asked about my college plans and if I was worried, I would always say that it's nothing for me to go so far away.  I'm now realizing that I was wrong.  I hope that once classes start I can get my mind off things and focus on studying.  (Never thought I'd say that!)  I just really want some normalcy back in my life.

Change

I'm usually ok with change unless I find it to be unnecessary. Going to college in Oklahoma for a reason that isn't my true calling in life is looking unnecessary right now. Don't get me wrong. I really like the campus and the people have been great so far, but my home is in Iowa right now. Where I've already spent my life making connections and planting my roots. 

I seem to tell myself that once I have a college major in mind everything will be ok. After knowing that simple part of my life, I can go forward and everything will turn out alright. But it almost stresses me out more thinking about what I want to do for the rest of my life BEFORE I even experience anything. I think the next few weeks are going to be taking things a day at a time and rolling with what the world throws at me.