Hi all! Welcome to my blog! Month one done!!
If we haven’t met, I’m Reagan!! I grew up in Roanoke, VA and spent the past four years at James Madison University studying Psychology and Disability studies. In college, I spent lots of my time in my college house with 9 of my best friends or leading Capernaum which is a Younglife ministry for students of different abilities!!
I’m honestly not sure what this space will look like over these next nine months, but I’m feeling thankful for a space to share what this unique experience looks and feels like to me.
I live in Raleigh now - how crazy is that! I decided last November that my next step would be in Raleigh so it feels surreal that I'm in a real live program in a real live place instead of this idea that I am just talking about in future tense. I honestly kind of chose this program because I liked the city, had heard one or two friends of friends who had loved it and had no idea what I should do after college so this seemed like a good step to take. It turns out I have stumbled into just about the best thing there is. I quickly found out that people had come here for the program specifically - for the reputation that it held and of course for our fearless leader herself (shoutout Ashley Crutchfield), so I hold a deep gratitude that the Lord led me here even without much research or knowledge on my end.
The first month has held so much more depth and beauty and joy than I truly would have known to pray for. I never imagined that friendship could flourish this fast, but my brand new 11 best friends have been so brave in letting me into their hearts and have graciously accepted my vulnerability in ways that have forged a true and close community in 4 short weeks. Wow! 4 weeks! How can 4 weeks hold so much familiarity and yet so much new at the same time. This month we have been given the gift of hearing each other’s story intimately and fully. I wish I could put into words what this has given us as individuals and as a group but I’ll settle for saying that those rooms were filled with immense freedom, reminding each other of our belovedness, and plenty of tears (especially mine)!!
Before I let you go, just a thank you to every person in my life who has supported me through funding or prayer in preparation for this program! Your generosity has catapulted me into something that is so good and so growing for me already. I feel blessed!
Some newness I’ve been experiencing!
New friends! You can already tell that I love them so dearly! 11 new besties (Ashley included of course) *special mention to Maddie my buddy who is just the best
A new church! Apostles feels familiar to me, from growing up in an Anglican setting, but also holds so much fresh opportunity.
A new mentor - Kathryn Gatewood I adore you so much!
A new house & a new family! The Burgesses have welcomed me in & loved me well
New classes! We just started these so I’ll get back to you, but so fun so far!
A new job! One of the biggest apparent blessings for me so far - I get the joy of working at a developmental day school as a teaching assistant in adaptive education. I actually can’t believe I will love it more than I already do right now.
New city! Raleigh I love you, I can’t wait to explore you!
And only my steadfast and gracious God could work all of those new things out for my good, only the one who made me could flood me with the peace I feel amidst the chaos of it all. My prayer of purpose through this year is only to exult my maker and draw close to him over & over again!!
Thanks for reading!
See ya next month - I can’t believe I get to do this for 8 more months!
- Reagan