My son, John is in his senior year of high school.  We knew we would have to do all the usual senior stuff:  senior pictures, senior supplies, cap and gown etc.  The thing we were not prepared for was college shopping – it is very overwhelming.  John feels called to be a music minister so we knew Bible College would have to be in his future.  We planned several college visits and just prayed for God’s leading.  We visited a couple and then God pointed us to Point University.  Here is the story:

When John was in 9^th grade he attended a Band Leadership event hosted by Georgia State University.  While there he received a Georgia State backpack.  Fast forward to January of this year – John attended the Passion Conference in Atlanta with our church and he used the GA State backpack while there.  He was in line at Dunkin Doughnuts in the CNN Center during a break and this couple approached him about buying them a coffee since he was already in line.  He agreed.  They picked him to ask because of the GA State backpack he was wearing as the girl was a student there and she asked if John went there.  He told her no, he was only a senior and was looking for a Christian college.  She said she had attended a Christian college before transferring to GA State and told him it was Point University.  John had never heard of this college until then so he looked it up when he got home.  We scheduled a day to go visit, tour the campus and meet some of the music professors.  We visited on Jan 25 and John loved that they had a bigger music program compared to the other Christian colleges he had looked at.  They had concert band and even marching band.  These have been such a part of his life, he hated to lose those.  He liked everyone he met and came away with the feeling this is where he wanted to go.   They told us about academic scholarships and music scholarships that were available and we thought he would have a good chance at getting some of those.  They mentioned the Founders Scholarship, which is a full-tuition academic scholarship but we saw right away that even though he had the GPA, his SAT score was not high enough.  It also had a minimum ACT score to meet but John had not yet taken the ACT.  He was taking it the next week on Feb 6.  He would have to score a 27 on that to qualify him to apply.  We prayed fervently for him leading up the ACT and the day of.  Then we had to wait……. I randomly checked the website on Feb 18 to see if scores were up and they were – his score was a 27 exactly!! Just what he needed praise the Lord!  So we contacted Point and submitted the information and an essay on Feb 21. They give away five of these scholarships and had already given four so there was one more spot available, only one.  Then we had to wait (again)…..  We finally heard on Mar 9 that he received it!  WOW! How awesome is that???

Needless to say we thanked God and are still thanking Him for His blessings and provision for John to have this wonderful opportunity.  We have talked much since then and as we look back over the years, we can just see God’s hand in working all of this out – even down to using a backpack he received three years earlier.  John has always wanted to bring honor and glory to God through his music and God is definitely honoring that and moving him forward to do that.  Several verses have come to mind through all of this:

Proverbs 3:5-6   Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Jeremiah 29:11  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.

Psalm 8:4-5       What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.