The Red Cord

Like any cliché missions team, we had to make matching friendship bracelets, but these bracelets symbolize something deeper. They do not only show our friendship, but also our mutual decision to let God write our story. That is the theme of our trip after all:  My Story: His Story 

If there was one thing that I never thought I would get up in a group of 50 students and say, it was that I could relate to Rahab (Joshua 2), you know the prostitute? 

 But I did, because I can.

While I've never had the same major sin struggle that Rahab did, I was caught in a similar trap. Rahab thought that she had life going for her, she thought she was the one writing the story of her life. Really she was just writing scribbles when the Author of her life was standing by, ready to create a masterpiece.

If there is one thing I love, it’s kids. Recently I was helping a toddler write her name. She tried many times to write it herself, but for some reason her squiggles and lines just didn't look write. Finally I jumped in and came to her aid. While we were both holding on to the crayon, in reality I was the one doing the writing. While she proudly showed everyone how she wrote her name, I smiled knowing that it was really in my penmanship. She thought she had things under her control, but really she didn't. If I wouldn't have been there to help her, she wouldn't have been able to write her name (or at least write it in a way that anyone could understand).

Rahab was like a young child, trying to write her own story of glory, love, respect and honor, but really she was just writing a story of shame, embarrassment and regret. Rahab had a heart change though. She took a step of blind faith and she let down the red rope that would symbolize to the outside world that God was the one in charge of her future. 

Rahab let go of her carefully laid plans, and was caught by the mighty hand of God. I've been like Rahab so many times, clutching tightly to the well drawn out plans for how I want things to go. My sweaty palms wrinkling the paper and running the ink. But my plans don't get me anywhere. Like plane tickets without a plane, I have promises of going somewhere, but no way to get there.

That is why we are all wearing these bracelets. These “red ropes” are a personal reminder of the times in our lives where we had to let go of our plans, in order to cling to God while He wrote something better for us. At times our hands had to be pried off of the plans: unwilling and hesitant to let go. Other times we came in full surrender: sweaty palms outstretched after we realized that we could no longer hold on.

I am proud to say that out of all the bible characters, I feel most connected to Rahab: the prostitute that one day came to her senses and realized that writing wasn’t her strong suit, but that trusting was.

Changing Perspectives: Out of focus

For those of you who may not know, I have glasses for reading. They remove some of the fuzzies, magnify the words and bring stuff into focus. As great as the glasses are, I can only wear them for a short time because once I need to look at something further than 5 feet away, they actually hurt more than help. Although there is a time and a place to focus on the here and near, we can't let that blur our view of the world just beyond our reach. Sometimes we need to change perspectives

Yesterday, my perspective was changed, not by my own doing... but luckily God doesn't mind dragging us kicking and screaming when He has to.

It began when I woke up and checked into my flight yesterday morning. For some reason I felt compelled to change from an aisle seat to a window seat, and since the change was free, I went for it. Later on I found out that I actually gave up my seat near 3 of the girls I was traveling with, so I was a little disappointed, but I was still excited about my window seat. (Side bar: flying from Vegas is actually the most beautiful flight that I have EVER been on).

When I got to my seat, a couple was already sitting in the B and C seats, and after the short and sweet introductions they shared that they were returning from caring for the man's dying mother. Honestly, I groaned on the inside, knowing that this would likely turn into a vent session. Yup, that selfish thought ran through my mind, as it often does, because when people hear that I am a psych major, they often have this COMPULSION to share EVERYTHING with me. The problem was that they didn't know I was a psych major, they were just being real with me.

Anyway, to avoid having to listen to their problems, I plopped my headphones in and did more "important" things, like deleting and editing pictures on my phone. I was tired after all, and it was fine to just want to relax, right? I tried to rationalize away the desire to talk to them that was tugging at my heart. I figured that if I quickly uttered that I would pray for them as we grabbed our carry ons and rushed off of the plane, my "Christian duty" would be done for the day.

If you are still reading this, I hope you are disgusted by my behavior as I am at this point.

This is me with my reading glasses on. I was focusing too much on MYself, worrying about how tired I was, so I decided to try to sleep. Sleep usually comes VERY easily to me on a plane, but for some reason, I could not for the life of me turn my brain off. I begin to wonder if maybe I sat in THAT seat for a purpose. If maybe I COULDN'T sleep for a reason. I decided to lean over to my seat mates and strike up a conversation.

This is where I take my reading glasses off. The world's initially a little fuzzy, and I'm not too keen on my task at hand, but I stick with it.

Once I got them talking, they didn't stop, and that was OKAY. We talked about the man's dying mother, about the woman's dead parents, about my passed loved ones. We talked for 2 hours straight, with barely enough time to breathe. At times they were both talking to me about different things.

It was crazy.
It was overwhelming.
It was raw.
It was real.
It was beautiful.

Here were these complete strangers who were so willing to be honest and real and open in the best possible way. I watched as a grown man cried at the thought of losing his mother and as he winced at the mention of her poor condition. His wife glancing first at him and then at me and whispering, "I worry about him and all of this stress" [He has PTSD from a very traumatic event]. I saw real honest emotion, coming from two of the most real people I now know. We, mostly they, talked and talked and talked.

The most incredible thing though, was that the whole time they talked about their problems, the focus was never about themselves. It was on their children, their community, their family, anything but themselves. Every story has some sort of application for me like, "You keep your nose in those books..." or "You help those who need a hand whenever you can..." They shared wisdom and tips on how to rely on your friends and faith, how to practically love your neighbor, and how to never take for granted every blessing that you have. At one point the woman looked at me as she spoke about the MANY hardships that she has recently endured and remarked quite simply, "When life throws you a curve, you either dodge it or you try to catch it."

As the plane began to descend, I took down their names to pray for them (the mom's name is Betty so please pray for her) and gave them my contact information.

At the end of the flight the man looked at me and said that he knew I was sent by God to sit with them on the flight. The woman added that all they wanted was for someone to be kind to them in their hurt. They thought it was ironic that they sat next to a psychologist,  and I quickly I reminded them that I didn't have a degree. The man's reply is something that will likely stick with me forever, "I think you are more than qualified by God."

They had nothing but encouraging words about my past upbringing ("You hug your mom and tell her she did an amazing job") and my future career (which they only learned about AFTER they shared everything). It seemed like everything they complimented me on was the exact OPPOSITE of my behavior for the first half of the flight for example, "You could have put your headphones in and just ignored us, but instead you chose to be kind." I was glad to be able to help them, but it seemed like each compliment was another blow to my heart, reminding me of just how selfish I had been.

I got off the plane expecting to feel sky high, full of encouragement and praises. Instead I felt torn, on the one hand I was glad that God was able to speak through me to these people, but I also felt incredibly guilty: in my selfishness I almost didn't help them. I was too focused on the here and now to see these people in desperate need of the heart salve that I always carry with me: the Love of Christ.

I praise God that I didn't miss THIS chance to minister to these hurting people, but I cringe at the thought of how many chances I have let pass me by. If I want to help the hurting people of the world I don't need to have a fancy degree or charge $100 an hour. I can start with the people all around me: the ones that just "happen" to cross my path when they need His words the most. After all, I'm qualified by God to do just that.

Today there are a few things that are the subject of most of my prayers:
1) The man and woman
2) Betty
3) This song, that I hope is not only catchy lyrics, but also the deepest desire of my heart.

4) That this blog encourages YOU to have a change of perspective as well.

Dear Younger Me(s)

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go back in time, and during an hour of desperation and despair, or triumph and joy in my life, quietly whisper into my ear a word or two. I guess this is what I'd say:


Dear Newborn me,

Don't worry, you'll make it. This world is big and scary, but give it a couple minutes and you'll feel right at home. God has big plans for you baby. Who knows how many lives you'll touch; but here's one thing that I know for sure: you'll change the world.                     Love,

Me/You/Us

P.S. Now would be a great time to start breathing
P.S.S. Maybe someday you will be able to tame that hair... but that day hasn't come yet.


                                                                        Dear Toddler me, 

You sure love collecting shells with your Memere and collecting golf balls with your Pa. Start collecting memories with them too! Cherish every moment, because you never know when your time with them will run out. Listen to them both, they know what's best for you. Someday you'll find yourself sitting in your dorm room reciting the life-changing quotes, the ones that had gone over your head at the time, but now go right to your heart. Soak in every possible moment, from sitting on the roof eating skittles to pulling weeds in your garden, enjoy it. NEVER miss a chance to spend time with them. Hear their stories, some day you'll miss the stories about your Pa during the war. Let Memere show you how to bake (you need all the help you can get). When your time with them is cut short, you won't have regrets: Your last words to both of them will be, "I love you." Maybe you don't understand what all of that means, so... just go call your Pa (even if it's 5 AM) he'll love to hear from you.                                             Love, 

Me/You/Us 

P.S. When your Pa says stop running before you slip... 

well we learned the hard way that you should have just

 listened to him.

Dear Elementary me,

School's really not going your way. I'm sorry about that, it might not help much, but can I tell you a secret? Someday you'll be sorta good at it, and things will come more naturally. For now though, you need to figure out what works best for you. As hard as it is, maybe you shouldn't sit near your friends. Also, I know you had a bad experience with being forced to journal, but maybe she was on to something. Journaling will take you through some pretty tough times in life, so why not give it another try? Also stress balls will save you from fidgeting so much. Taylor, I know you hate who you are sometimes, but promise me one thing? Stay true to who you are. Eventually you'll mellow out, and one day in a college class, you'll understand yourself and your struggles a little better. Keep trying in school, stop rushing to be first, and strive to actually learn. Don't give up on yourself, because one day you will be blessed with some amazing teachers who won't give up on you either.                                         Love, 

                                                                  Me/You/Us

P.S. I know what you're wondering... and NO

you won't ever learn how to smile in pictures 

without squinting 

Dear 3rd/4th grade me,

No matter how much crying, kicking and screaming you do, he isn't leaving. He really loves your mom, and he really loves you too. It's hard to believe it now, but this will end up being one of the best ever things to happen to you. You're going to have a family. That's what you've always wanted. He's going to be your dad. So stop running away crying whenever you see him, because one day you'll be running to him crying. I promise, you'll be really thankful for this man. Also he's going to miss you the most when you go to school... so be prepared for the many, many calls and texts!                         Love,

Me/You/Us

P.S. Don't worry that you didn't catch anything this time you went fishing, one day you'll out-fish your Papa and Pepere Bill. 

 

Dear Middle School me,

Oh dear. You act so goofy, and are so loud, but I
know what's on the inside: you're scared, hurt, and lonely. I know you don't think you have any friends now, but someday you'll stop worrying about the quantity of friends, and you'll start focusing on the quality of friends, and trust me: you're going to have some quality friends. Life is getting pretty complicated, and suddenly things aren't quite what they seemed. You just discovered boys don't have cooties, and even though everyone else has a "boyfriend," don't find your value in a guy. Someday you (along with your friends) will look back and laugh on some of the interesting choices you made. Good  news though: your weird "relationships" will be the extent of your teenage rebelling, much to the joy of your parents! Stop worrying about what others think, and start caring about what your Maker thinks. Please, just stop worrying.         Love,
                                                                Me/You/US
P.S. I know you're on your way to "Young Authors."
Believe it or not one day you'll be rooming with a
girl who was in the same book as you.


         

Dear Junior Year me,

You are exhausted. Burnt out beyond belief. You need to learn how to take better care of yourself. No one gets the best part of you when you are so exhausted and short-tempered. I'm proud of you for being motivated to stay ahead in AP and your college class, but at what cost? Just do me a favor now, please, just breathe. Learn to take care of yourself: Take a jog, read a book, pray, spend time with God. You're not healthy. Well, now for the good news: The effects of your exhaustion will last for years, but don't worry, one day you really will no longer struggle with anxiety. More short-term: You're going to have an absolute blast at prom, you'll feel amazing, great: like you've never felt before. Coral is really your color so superb choice. Believe it or not you'll dance the night away... or well do that thing you call dancing, and no, you won't ever learn how to have rhythm (all though a lot of people will try to help you!)                                       Love,

Me/You/Us

P.S. Remember that random school you cut out of a 

magazine in September? Cedarville or whatever? Yeah,

you're going there, and you're going to absolutely love it.

Dear last semester senior me,

Stop being so anxious to leave the school. One day you'll miss the way the light floods through the door and blinds you when you head to English. You'll miss the way the halls ALWAYS smelled. You'll miss your mom being a few steps, rather than a thousand miles, away. You'll miss the kids who are "so annoying" (college fixes that all out). You're excited to get out and see the world, but this will always be home in your heart. You'll miss the views, the food (ah, poutine) and the people. Take time to love it now! Stop counting down the hours until you are "free" because graduating from high school isn't what will make you free: being you will. Don't pretend to be someone you're not. The people that see the "weird you" and still stick around are the only ones you really want to have in your life anyway. So you're a bit strange, it's okay, I'll let you in on a world-wide secret: everyone else is to. Get ready for college, make some friends, have a great last summer at home. Don't lie awake at night fretting about your future, but spend every waking minute being present in the moment. Live YOUR life, the one that God created you to live.                        Love, 
                                                                         Me/You/Us
P.S. One dark night on your way to the hospital, instead
of writing your graduation speech, you'll be planning your
Pepere's eulogy. Quit now... I'll spoil the ending: He makes
it, and I don't think there is anyone more excited to see you
get that diploma than him.
                 
As much as I'd love to say these things to myself (and many... many more) I've also come to realize that some mistakes had to be made (again and again) in order for me to come who I am today. So do I have some regrets? Sure, and people often remind me of them. Do I wish I would have spared myself from some pain? Who wouldn't?! But at the end of the day, my past made me who I am today. So I guess if I were given the opportunity, here's what I'd day: Sir, your time machine is really neat but I'm going to decline your offer. It's tempting but I guess I'd really prefer not to travel back in time just to save myself some mistakes and pain, because in the end, I think I turned out okay.

The Social Media Purge

This semester I took a course where one of the assignments was essentially to break a bad habit (I told you in my last post that psych majors tend to have touchy feeling assignments). Unfortunately it didn't take me too long to come up with a VERY long list of all of the bad habits that I could break.

When I really thought about it, I realized that a lot of the habits I needed to break (getting distracted, going to bed late, missing out on what was around me) all had to do with me depending on my phone too much. So I thought about it (and prayed about it) and I knew that my ultimate goal would have to be to spend less time on my phone.

I needed to go extreme. Like delete all social media apps off of my phone and log out of my accounts extreme.
No Instagram.
No Facebook.
No Pinterest.
No SnapChat.

As one of my friends affectionally called it: I went Amish for a month.

You know the saying, "You never know a good thing until it's gone?" Well, you really never realize how important something is in your life until you can't have it. Like a best friend trapped in the woods with no cell service, or the sweater you left in your closet at school (not like this has EVER happened to me or anything) you only realize how much you rely on something when you don't have it.

The first week was weird, because I was still going on my phone often, only to realize that I couldn't do anything except *gasp* call and text on my phone. I would grab my phone out of habit, only to realize that I couldn't get distracted on it like I had in the past.  Then week 2 came around and I noticed that I was carrying my phone a lot less (to the initial frustration of everyone who tried to get a hold of me). But that wasn't the only thing I noticed:

I also noticed people on the way to class that I would have normally blown on by, head down, eyes glued to my screen.  I talked to friends, strangers, professors, lost guests and myself (maybe I shouldn't admit that). Anyway the point is that because my eyes were on my screen less, I was able to notice those around me, and I was actually having FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS... who would have thought?!

Not only was I noticing people more, I was spending more quality time with those closest to me. No longer did I want to eat lunch alone (since I had nothing to distract me) which meant that I went out of my way to eat with my friends. Over time, I simply stopped bringing my phone to the table, and started finding out the stressers, joys, prayer requests, jokes and aspirations of others, from them, rather than their profile page. I started being more intentional about investing in others, simply because I was focusing on my real friends rather than my Facebook friends.

The month went by, and I wasn't itching to have the social media back.

I'm sure I missed about 5 proposals, 2 pregnancy announcements, 49 recipes, and 6 "for sale" ads. Not to mention the many, many, snapchats that people were disappointed that I would never see. No wedding planning was being done, and my Pinterest boards were a wreck.

But I no longer missed it. 

No, social media isn't a terrible thing (after all you probably got here from my link on Facebook) but I had given it an unhealthy position in my life. After some reflection since my purge I realized some hard truths about the place that my phone held in my life:

              I would wake up and pray for God to use me that day to build His kingdom,                                         yet I'd spend my day looking at my phone, rather than at the people He had
              placed around me. I'd spend more time communicating through pictures,
              than through words. I gave a man-made invention more of my time than I
              would give to the people around me, the very ones who ACTUALLY could
              love me back.

So what's changed? 

Well, as far as the little habits, I've decided to keep most of the apps off of my phone (which is why I will never get your snapchats, although I'm sure they really are hilarious). I log out of Facebook on my laptop so that it's more effort the next time I want to go on, usually I'm too lazy, so my notifications go unchecked. I rarely check Instagram during school, and Pinterest is left untouched during the semester.

But it wasn't just the little things that changed. As silly as it is to say: that month of no social media, really changed me. Overall I'm more present in my own life. I'm less plugged into technology, and more connected to those around me. I became a better friend, student, tour guide and Christian. All because I gave up social media for a month. All because I trained myself to use my phone less. All because I took the time to realize my priorities and refocus my attention. 

That's what I realize that I needed all along: a wake-up call. I needed to realize how out of line my priorities were. Is the phone of reality ringing in your life? Are you going to ignore it forever? I'd challenge you to answer it, after all, it might just change your life.

The Pieces are Finally Fitting Together

Another year older and another year wiser. 
   I've heard the phrase my whole life, although I remember it best from the Rugrats All Grown Up! theme song. That is one of those silly things that has stayed with me far past it's expected expiration date, sorta like how I remember how to get to Dragon Land a little too well...

    Anyway, as this year of life comes to a close, I thought I'd share a little bit of the wisdom that I've learned during it. This post is for you, you middle-schooler trying to fit in. It's for you, you high school senior wondering what the future looks like. It's for you, you college student wondering when life will really start. It's for me, because I was and am, searching for me.

    Middle school was awkward. That's a given. Then there's high school, which is just weird. Then there's college, which is just hard. I always just counted down from one to another. I couldn't wait until REAL LIFE started, you know the one where I am finally handed this 3,000 page volume that tells me exactly who I am, how I fit into this world and where I'm going. I expected life to be like a book, but instead, I got handed a puzzle, one of those ridiculous ones where all of the pieces are the same shape and there is no picture on the front cover.

  You see, that picture is in the pieces the whole time. Maybe it's some beautiful mountain landscape, sprinkled with trees turning the red, orange, and yellow that only fall can bring. Or, maybe it's a tall palm tree, bent in just the right place to allow the leaves to gently kiss the water as the breeze blows through. You don't know what exactly it will look like, but you know it'll be great.

    But it takes work. No amount of staring at the box will cause the image to appear: you have to take all of the pieces out and get to work. You might start with the border, then start piecing together the large pictures. Slowly, overtime the pieces are filled in. All along the picture is there, but you just have to find it.

My pains, triumphs, lessons, journeys, and all of the items from my past are sitting unassembled in the box called my life. Thrown in is a wide variety of pieces that I can only imagine; those make up my future. This box is full of the pieces that will shape who I will become. For years I stared at the puzzle, hoping that someday it would just be put together. I wanted to just be so sure of my life, you know skip past the heartbreaks, missteps and mistakes. I wanted to wake up one day and say, "Wow, would you look at that! Over night everything fell into place and now I see my life exactly how it should be." The night never came, and I figured that that I should probably take another look at that stupid puzzle box just glaring at me.

I'm so glad that I finally threw all of the pieces of my life out on the table before me and started sorting through them. 

   I started with the borders, you know the things about me I'm pretty sure of, my faith and my academics. Over the past few years I've pieced together the family part of my puzzle, and college has helped me work on the career portion. This year I had to do a little reworking on the friends section, because sometimes what you think is a good fit, isn't really the BEST fit. I've had a couple of people come into my life who were able to give a little insight, but for the most part, this is a puzzle that I'll have to do on my own.

So what does this mean for you? Well, I know someone, somewhere is reading this, who just feels lost. They thought they finally had their life together, only to realize it was not what it appeared. They were so sure of who they were, until they were rocked to their core. Whatever stage you're at, let me just say this, clearly you aren't supposed to know who you are just yet! The day will come when things become more clear, but only after a little work, some heartbreaks and more than your fair share of mistakes.

So stop cheating off of the puzzles of the people who you think your life is supposed to look like. Stop trying to let someone else be the one that completes your puzzle. Stop cheating. That will get you no where, TRUST ME. Simply look at the task before you. Work with your pieces. It'll seem to be at a stand still. That's when you stop the task before you and do something else. Then come back, you'll have a little bit more of direction.

Make that puzzle. Live your life. Piece together who you are. You can't go wrong. You can't possibly mess up the puzzle so poorly that it becomes unrecognizable, well unless of course:

You never try to put the pieces together.

P.S You know the best part about the puzzle? I for sure get to put in the last piece. 

Cornucopia of Blessings

I heard it for the first time in first grade. I was intrigued. From that moment on I tried to slip the word into daily conversations and pulled it out at any chance that I got (this was back in the day when I thought that an plethora of gargantuan locutions made me appear quite perspicacious). As I've matured, I've come to truly appreciate the word and only use it when it is most appropriate: during the Thanksgiving season.

Cornucopia. It means abundance, surplus and plenty. That's a word that I truly feel describes my life at this moment: a cornucopia of blessings.

This past year has been full of trials with far too many deaths, painful losses and seemingly constant struggles. But I still have plenty. I have a job that I love, a car that I can drive, and a house that I call home. I have plenty.  I have legs that can run (slowly), arms that can lift (small amounts) and eyes that can see (decently). I have plenty. I have a family that loves me, friends who care, and a Savior that guides me.  I have plenty. 

On the topic of plenty, I wanted to share some of the incredible things I am thankful for this Holiday season. Just like everything in my life, it's sure to give you a few laughs, but through the tears of laughter, I challenge you to think about just how much we have to be thankful for!

Taylor Hobbs' Cornucopia of Blessings: 

1) I'm thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for the ones who gladly sing at the top of their lungs with me in the car. I'm not sure if they actually want to sing, or they simply want to drown out my voice... but nonetheless I'm thankful for singing friends. I'm thankful for the friends that push me to excel academically, and do anything in their power to help me succeed. I'm thankful for the friends that help me with assignments even when I am dead weight. I'm thankful for smart friends. I'm thankful for the friends that give me their extra fries and share their homemade cookies with me. I'm thankful for generous friends. Overall, I'm just thankful for my friends.

2) I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for the dorky pictures and texts my parents constantly send me just to remind me that they still love me. I'm thankful for the conversations that I can have with my sisters about snowball fights, cookie making and sleep-overs. I'm thankful for cousins who are choosing to dedicate their life to follow Christ. I'm thankful for the embarrassing stories that my family is WAAAAAAY too quick to share with my friends. I'm thankful for my quirky, funny and loving family. 

An actual text from my parents... No wonder why I'm so weird

3) I'm thankful for my roommate. At this point I'm not sure how she hasn't gone crazy (Note: I think there is potential for a psychological study here...) In all seriousness I'm so blessed to share a room with someone who cares about me, prays for me and does life with me. As much as I tease her (EVERY single chance I get), I truly would be lost (and hungry, and messy, and stressed) without her!

4) I'm thankful for my job. I love Cedarville (if you didn't know that read my previous post) and I love the jobs that I have there. Being a tour guide is an incredible opportunity, and no matter how stressful the day, spending time with future students and their families is an instant boost. I love the bosses that care about me (so many questions) and care for me (food, tons and tons of food). I love my job. 

5) I'm thankful for technology. Being far from home (1,177 miles to be exact) is hard, but technology makes it easier. I'm thankful that even though I can't physically tuck my sisters in at night, I can still blow them virtual kisses and pray with them. I'm thankful that my mom is only a phone call or a text away, and I'm VERY thankful that we have unlimited plans. "Mom, what's my social security number." "Mom, how illegal is it to pass on the right side... what if they are from Massachusetts though..." I"m thankful for the technology that connects me with my loved ones. 

6) Finally, I'm thankful for the breath in my lungs. I'm thankful that I have the ability to hold my breath (when it smells funky) and the ability to breathe harder (like when I work out). I'm thankful for my muscles that get sore, because it means that they work extra hard for me. I'm thankful for my health.

So can you see why I love the word Cornucopia? It describes my life so perfectly: plenty, overflowing and abundant. I'm so thankful for everything in my life. I'm thankful for this Cornucopia of blessings that I am privileged enough to call my life.

Why I love Cedarville (the TRUTH)

For those of you that don't know: I'm a tour guide at Cedarville. To say its a dream come true would be an understatement... but that's a later post. Anyway, what a tour guide does is walk backwards all over campus for an hour telling prospective students cheesy facts about how great Cedarville is and about how much they love it here.

Here's the thing though, I actually mean every word that I say. I am so incredibly blessed to be at Cedarville, and honestly I know I take it for granted far too often. Do you want to know why I love Cedarville so much?

Genuine love.

Ironic right? That I love Cedarville because of the love on the campus. But it's the truth. From the moment I stepped on campus, a majority of my anxiety about going to college simply melted away (and if you knew me then, you knew that I had A LOT of anxiety about college). Anyway, want to know why I love the love here? Because its real. Let me tell you why:

Every single person that works here at Cedarville love every single student that steps foot on this campus.

I've had lengthly conversations with maintenance workers who love the ministry of Cedarville and constantly pray for students.

I've talked with random staff while waiting in line for something, who wanted to know all about me and help me in anyway possible.

Everyone here loves to be here. I know that sounds corny, but I truly think it's true. Don't believe me? Well I'll get more specific then and tell you what's really been on my heart lately.

Admissions 
When I was a high school kid, I hated getting calls from random colleges. One time I got a call from a girl and I literally spent the whole phone call wondering if she was a robot because her responses seemed so perfectly scripted. She didn't really seem to care about me as much as she did about my application. 

Now that I work in admissions, I see that here at Cedarville that something is different. We don't ever look at a prospective student as a dollar sign and id number. Honestly, we get to know not only their names, but their stories. We laugh with them, cry with them and pray with them. Our mission statement to be sincere in our faith and excellent in our service is not merely a suggestion, but a desire. I'm so privileged to work with an incredible group of both Cedarville students and staff, who love, care for and encourage me on a daily basis. What's most amazing is that they are a group of people who don't try to sell Cedarville to people, but instead try to show Christ to people. 

Professors 
When I was in high school I was always warned by returning college kids that college professors actually don't care about their students... like at all. They shared that professors almost seemed to take pleasure in student's failures.

Clearly they weren't talking about Cedarville. 

The professors here not only love what they teach, but they love who they teach. Honestly. I've been invited into professor's offices, homes and lives. I've gone to see professors for projects not related to their class. I've had a professor stay way later than office hours in order to make sure that I had the time I needed to discuss important things with them. I've had professors ask how I was doing, and genuinely want to know. I've had professors who just pour into my life, whether I be one of 5 students or 500 students they had that semester. I've had professors who care. 

Just tonight I had a professor that got our entire class beautiful hand-crafted mugs with our names on them. They were made by a potter that she brought in to speak to our class, so not only are they beautiful, but they mean something. This is just one example of the hundreds of times professors went way beyond their job description in order to serve me.

I always make my joke that when professors go through the syllabus and remind students that "...if you ever need something you can come to my office!" they mean it. Actually, it's an invitation that they expect you to take them up on at least once.


But honestly, do you know what I love the most about the professors here? They pray for us. They ask for prayer requests, and rather than "fix it and forget it" they make an effort to follow up on the request at a later date.

God has just really reminded me why I love to call this place HOME this week and I just had to share it, so thank you so much for letting me tell you about why I love Cedarville University.