For It Is Well With My Soul

By Brianna White
The last four years of my life I have spent in encased hallways, an ocean of assignments,
and trying to figure out who I am and my purpose on this Earth. High school is a difficult time
for most individuals because they are trying to figure out what exactly they stand for and how
they can achieve it, but for me, my academics were always something over which I stressed. My
freshman year at a college prep high school was relatively easy and I breezed through with
agreeable grades, but my sophomore and junior year slapped me hard in the face. I didnt realize
the amount of work I had to do to sufficiently maintain my academic expectations, and thus I felt
like giving up. I began to loathe the fact that I was at a charter school and that my high school
was so much more strict than the average high school. I had to then think back to myself and ask
why are you struggling so much?, and some reflection showed me that it resulted from
procrastination.
At the end of my junior year, I began to get my act together and apply myself ten times
more than I had previously. I ended my junior year with decent grades and began my senior year
with high hopes and efficient work ethic. What I had realized is that the deciding factor between
failure and success is determination. If I want something, then I have to work to achieve it. I
heard people say it all the time, but when I actually applied it to my life, it definitely made an
impact in my life. I can carry this newfound knowledge on into college with the high hopes of
someday becoming a journalist. I plan to be academically successful at Simpson University by
putting my necessities first and focusing on how to better myself mentally, academically, and
spiritually. Having assignments done in advance and forming study groups will definitely have
me staying on top of my grades. Knowing my class schedule and working to memorize and make
the best of it will increase my ability of getting to know the campus. Arriving early to class is
always a great idea when you want to succeed and I do see myself arriving early to have a seat in
the front of the class. Applying myself is the first step to be academically successful, but I know
that with maintaining a schedule and following through with it, I wont have much trouble
staying on top with my academics.

God has always seen me through, even when I couldnt see myself. Growing up, I knew
that a God existed, but I didnt have a relationship with Him. I knew he lived Up Above in a
big, great sky, but thats about it. I wasnt an avid church member and the only reason I would go
to a church would be for weddings and funerals. I didnt really feel a connection to Him, and its
crazy to me how I went that long in my life without looking to Him like I do now. When I was
fourteen, I accompanied my church to Alliance Redwoods, which is a Christian conference
ground in the middle of nature where one can recommit their lives to God. The opportunity
presented itself and I gladly took it. One night during worship, the Holy Spirit nearly knocked
the breath out of me and I shed every broken tear that my body would let me. I let go of all the
pain I held on to and looked at life in a new perspective.
When my sophomore year came around, my stress levels were at an all-time high,and I
actually lost touch with God for a while. I knew He was there and I still had a connection with
Him, but I would find myself putting off reading my daily scripture and I would only go to Him
to ask for help, not to say thank you. In the summer of 2015, I went back to Alliance
Redwoods for the third time and I realized that God is love. Love is patient, love is kind, but love
is also Christ. He loved me even when I barely thought about Him and His love is unconditional.
His presence made my heart swell with an incredible love and appreciation, and the next day, I
decided to get baptized. When I officially gave my life to God, it was as if this huge weight had
been taken off my shoulders. I felt fifty pounds lighter and I knew that was Him telling me, You
live, and I will heal. When I came up out of the water that day, I felt refreshed. Not the
refreshed you feel from taking a shower or washing your face, but a profound refreshment of the
soul. My sins were washed away, and I was looking up to Him in a whole new light and
perspective.
Ever since July 28, 2015, my relationship with God has been at its ultimate high.
Sometimes, I still dont take the time I need to to know His devotions, and the Holy Spirit will
hit me at the most unexpected times to let me know that He is still here. Jesus is my peace. He is
my serenity. He is my rock. When stress overwhelms me and I want to break down, I know He is
there to dry my tears and let me know that all of this work is in order for Him to get me to where
He wants me to be. I know my worth to Him isnt how many As I can earn, nor what my GPA is.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give
you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11.

Now as a baptized young woman, I plan for my faith in Christ to expand by devoting
more of my time to Him. Being in a Christian learning environment would tremendously help. I
anticipate to grow even more, spiritually, by being surrounded with peers like me whose
intentions are to grow with God. Being in an environment where I can be spiritually free and
being in classrooms that can tie their lessons into godly principles makes a huge difference with
the way I feel in the classrooms.The fact that attending Chapel is a requirement of Simpson
University actually excites me. Being able to have a church where Im achieving my education
and to get to know individuals in the process is literally a blessing right in front of my eyes.
Since Simpson is an intimate college, I have a great feeling that I will thrive on the campus, since
the professors seem more hands-on and they care about your education and what you take
away from the class. I plan to contribute to Simpson University by doing church volunteer work
and possibly finding a job on campus to help others. I also sang for all four years in high school
in my Vocal Ensemble class, so I would absolutely love to sing for worship or in a choir. Singing
is something that I love to do, and to be able to sing Gods love and praise Him with others
would be amazing. To lead others into feeling His presence by a song would move me in such
ways that I cant even describe.
God has a plan for all of us, and I can feel that His plan for me is monumental. When I
was baptized, my pastors and youth group were telling me that they saw me becoming a world
changer, believing that I would take the gifts that he has blessed me with and transform them
into ways to spread His Word. I plan to help Him carry out His plan through me by doing all that
I can to help Him fulfill my goals, and that all starts with a college education. At the end of the
day, God knows where I stand on this Earth, and as long as I am looking to Him in the midst of
everything, I know everything is going to be alright.