The start of something wonderful...

     Last Saturday night, at the beautiful Omni Hotel in downtown Austin, the next chapter in my life began. After the auction, the speeches, the promotion wear, the interviews, and the evening wear, somehow I was crowned the 2012 Texas Watermelon Queen.
     After dinner that night for the convention, all we could do was patiently wait.  All of us girls were so nervous that we could barely eat the delicious food that had been prepared.  When the contestants were finally called back on stage to hear the results, my heart began to beat faster and faster.  While we waited anxiously for the results, I took deep breaths and tried not to expect anything for fear of being disappointed, and I told myself that whatever happens, it's in God's hands.  Then, the 3rd runner up's contestant number and name were called. Next, the second runner up's number was called, it was contestant number three.  That was my number.  Inside, I began to feel a tinge of sadness, but to our surprise, the name that followed wasn't mine.  I'm sure I stood there with a very confused look on my face, but when the name was called and the prize was given, I was still in the running.  After the little mix up involving our contestant numbers, the last contestant and I stepped forward waiting to hear who would become the 2012 Texas Watermelon queen. We held hands and supported each other, then heard what we had all been waiting for...
"your 2012 Texas Watermelon Queen is...contestant number three, Kimberly Duda." 
     When I heard my name called, I instantly began to smile and could not keep myself from shaking!  As my friend, and the 2011 Texas Watermelon Queen, Veronica Kraemer, handed me my beautiful bouquet of red roses, put my sash on, and crowned me, I could feel my heart welling up inside me, and I began to think of all the amazing adventures to come.  I was beaming with excitement.  I knew my life was about to change, and that this was all a part of God's plan.  It was absolutely the best feeling.  I then took my first walk on the runway as the 2012 Texas Watermelon Queen, and smiled with joy to my family, and my new watermelon family.
     I cannot say enough how extremely honored, blessed, and thankful I feel to be selected for this position, and in all that I do in the coming year (and every year after) I want to bring glory to my savior, my father, and almighty God.  He has drastically changed my life in the past six months.  In just a short time, I have experienced heartbreak, I have been forced out of my comfort zone, been put in challenging situations and difficult situations, and have had to cling to Him and His word every step of the way.  As I did, I began to notice how much easier things were becoming.  The heartache didn't ache as much, the unfamiliar and uncomfortable wasn't so intimidating, and the difficult situations didn't seem so difficult.  As I clung to Him and prayed to Him, He began to reveal things to me and guide me in the direction He wanted me to be, and it has led me here. 
When you trust in God and truly seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him and all that he has in store for you.  And it is an incredible feeling.  

"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.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
                                                                                                               -Jeremiah 29:11-13

     There comes a point in your life when all the cliches like, "Everything happens for a reason," "When God closes one door, he opens another," and "Somehow, everything's going to fall right in to place," are true. And I firmly believe that.