A Chapter Is Closing, Graduation is Here!

12 years.

A lot can happen in that amount of time, and a lot has.

For the last twelve years of my life I have been homeschooled. Each year of homeschooling has looked a bit different, yet I still remember the early years. I remember sitting on my papa's knee as we'd pray after our family worship time in the morning. I remember snuggling up on the sofa with my mom and little brother Nathaniel to read our first literature course of "five-in-a-row" books. I was so delighted during the journey from cover to cover of my favorites like How to Make An Apple Pie and See the World, and Ping the duck.

Ah, such fond memories! Memories I will hold dear to my heart forever. But now, those days are long gone. That chapter in my life is closing, and a new one is opening. For today, I am graduating.

A lot of people have been asking me about my plans after graduation, so I want to dedicate this post to just that.

Before you read on, though, I want to share with you one important piece of information a lot of people have been asking me about. It is about whether I plan to go to college (actually many people immediately make the presumption that I already plan on going to college, and it is just a matter of where). So, to answer that question, no, I am not going to college. I would love to share with you more about why I have chosen to stay at home in another post, but to give you an idea of what I plan on doing as a stay-at-home daughter, read on.

The following is a list of my goals for after graduation in different categories:

Photography...
-Purchase my first DSLR camera, the Sony A77
-Create and build up my own niche of photography for dancers
-Continue business with my mom in Kimberlee Kay Photography
-Enroll in some more courses, like live workshops and online learning

Photoshop....
-Explore the option of becoming an Adobe Certified Expert
-Take some more online photoshop classes, and upgrade from CS4 to CS5

Writing...
-Expand my blog for Christian girls "Gardened by Grace"
-Write a book on courtship or homeschooling
-Look into creating an online mag for homeschool gals

Teaching...
-Get more involved with sibling's homeschooling, like doing projects together, reading books, going on field trips
-Keep teaching at KCCHS (our homeschool co-op)
-Look into starting a homeschool drama club

Church...
-Play piano for Saturday night service at New Song
-Lead VBS music again
-Help prepare/host/cook for events, bible studies, potlucks

Miscellaneous...
-Develop a photo jewelry line for Kimberlee Kay
-Learn how to play my abandoned guitar
-Continue piano lessons
-Work on practical skills (cooking/budgeting)
-take my driver's test
.....and whatever new projects come my way!

Phew! I certainly am going to have a lot to keep me busy. And if I actually stick to my list and accomplish more than half of those goals before 2012, I think I will be satisfied.

Yet my satisfaction does not matter so much as the LORD's. After all, it was according to His planning that my parents chose to homeschool me in the first place. And all that molding and shaping that took place for the past 12 years was so I could use my graduation day as a sort of launch strip to keep bringing glory to Christ! And that is what today is all about. That is what my future is about.  It is  about bringing God the glory.  I can bring glory to God in a variety of ways: in photography, in writing/mentoring, in leading kids to worship, even in changing my baby brother's poopy diapers...which isn't my favorite way, but hey, it still counts.

So, as I don my cap and gown today and march in line with a group of homeschoolers to the processional music, another tune will be sounding in my ear. It is this familiar hymn:

To God be the glory
Great things He has done...

Yes, great and marvelous things He has done! Thank you Lord for the past twelve years of my life. You have blessed me abundantly. I am anxious to see what the next twelve has in store.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11