why camp wo-me-to

Camp Wo-Me-To is one of my most favorite places on earth. If my memory serves me correctly, I first went to Camp in 1991. I spent seven summers as a camper and another four as a counselor. I celebrated a bunch of birthdays there and owe a ton of who I am to Camp. I've been talking about getting married at Camp for years. It may not be the easiest place, but I wouldn't change it for anything. The biggest reasons why I chose Camp Wo-Me-To for my wedding... 

1. My faith

I became a Christian when I was eight years old, but it didn't become real to me until I was 12. Camp Wo-Me-To had a missionary speaker from Burkina Faso, a small country in Africa. It was more than 20 years ago but I can see her and hear her speaking vividly in my memory. That hot sticky night in the chapel I tried to ignore Barbara and her crazy Africa stories about God working in her life and my friend Nicole will tell you I was trying to distract myself with anything other than what I was feeling. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense if you're not a Christian, but at the end of the service they asked if anyone wanted to become a Christian or renew their commitment. I tried to fight it, but I felt this unbelievable urge to surrender. Nicole said when I stood up, it was like this huge weight was physically lifted from my shoulders. I felt like I had a renewed purpose. 

Two years later I started working at camp. I'll never forget the first girl I prayed with as she made a decision to become a Christian. My faith continued to grow each summer at Wo-Me-To and I know that my faith journey would not have been the same without it.

2. A second family

Each year I tried to recruit a friend or two to go to Camp with me. After camp I'd exchange letters with the girls in my cabin and any counselors I wanted to stalk. The letters usually didn't last long once the school year started and everyone fell back into their normal routine post-summer camp.

During my last year as a camper, my friend Nicole and I met Laura. Nicole and I had been in a cabin with Laura's sister Sarah a couple of years prior and their older sister Kim was a counselor favorite, but we didn't really know Laura. We were in different cabins, but seated next to each other during a not so exciting missionary speaker. We may or may not have made a few jokes that opened the door to a camp friendship. (Sorry Rose!)

When Nicole and I had to say goodbye to Laura on the last day of camp, we were all in tears. Knowing camp friendships all too well, we really didn't know if we'd see each other again. We wrote letters and had to rely on our parents to let us make the occasional long distance phone call or make the hour and a half drive up and back to drop us off for a weekend. We eventually got e-mail and instant messenger and somehow we survived high school with our friendships intact. In college we all went our separate ways and it was harder to keep in touch even though (and maybe because) we had more independence and access. Somehow we were stronger than the distance. Over the years I became friends with Laura's entire family and was in both Laura and Kim's weddings in 2005 and then Sarah's in 2006. This summer marks 19 years since we met and I never take it for granted. Laura is one of my biggest cheerleaders and is always there to encourage me, but she's also the first one to let me have it when I'm being an idiot. There's a whole network of Camp friends that I know I could rely on even if I haven't seen them in years. There's something about the place that bonded all of us. 

3. My fiancé

In 2006 I took a guy to Camp Wo-Me-To. I wasn't even officially dating him and he turned out to be a real dud, but I definitely jumped the gun on showing him my favorite spot. He wasn't impressed and I essentially wrote him off forever at the first moment he turned up his nose upon arrival. 

Fast forward eight years and Steve was on his third or fourth visit to Maryland, but the first since we were seriously considering dating. We had Saturday morning free and I was debating what we should do. We settled on a hike to the King and Queen Seat in Rocks State Park. In the back of my head I knew the hike was 5-10 min from Camp and I was hoping I could take a side tour. Sarah said she knew then that it was big when I was willing to take a guy to Camp after the last debacle. I always knew that if I wanted to get married at Camp, I'd have to get my future husband on board. I wanted it to mean something to us and not just me. I knew we still had some work to do, but I was secretly hoping I was giving him a tour of our ceremony venue way back on July 26. I must have done something right because on July 30 he was writing a letter to John Harbaugh to start working on his proposal plan. That weekend was the real start of me and Steve and it will forever be etched in our memory. 

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There's just something about this place. I think it's beautiful on the outside, but the memories it holds for me just make it incredible. I can't wait to make new memories at Camp Wo-Me-To this weekend. Let's get this party started! 

another national championship...

The Methodist University men's golf team won its 11th NCAA National Championship on Friday. Methodist as a whole has won 36 National Championships in golf. The success is helped by the fact Methodist has a PGA Golf Management program, one of 19 in the country, where students can concentrate in "golf," earn a degree and graduate as a PGA Professional. There aren't a ton of small colleges or universities with an 18-hole golf course on campus and a couple hundred students there for golf giving MU a niche market. 

I had no idea Methodist was a "golf school" when I decided to attend in the fall of 2000. Little did I know that the women had won 10 of the last 12 titles and the men had brought back nine of 11 National Championship trophies. Unfortunately by the time a team won  a trophy, they came back to an empty campus with not a lot of fanfare. Social media was limited to AOL Instant Messenger so maybe there were a few congratulatory messages, but I know the student-athletes didn't receive their due. 

I was fortunate enough to work in the athletic department for seven of the 36 championships and witness one in person. The feeling is like no other... and I was just watching. They never let me hit the ball or even put the ball on a tee, but I took ownership. "We" won that championship! It's even better when the student-athletes are men and women you know. Don't get me wrong... I loved watching the Lady Vols win a NCAA Championship and the Ravens win the Super Bowl on tv... but it's a different kind of love when you can see people you know and care about win it all. 

This year I saw the Championship from a different perspective. We were working hard in the office on Friday of the final round of the tournament, but tried to keep up with the live stats in the background. Methodist had started the day five strokes back... not an insurmountable lead, but not a cake walk either. After lunch we turned to the live video feed and there was a slight echo around the office with four different computers trying to follow along. Methodist had the lead and then didn't. We were tied and then we fell back and then we had the lead. It took forever for the other teams to finish before we knew that Methodist had won. They clinched it just after 3:00 p.m. and my social media feeds erupted for the rest of the night. 

The @methodist_monarchs instagram account posted a celebration video that we shared on the Methodist Alumni Facebook page and it took off. Just on our page, we've had nearly 6,000 views, almost 200 likes and 83 shares not to mention all the likes and comments on the pages where it was shared. 

My favorite part of the day was watching the reach of this championship. The team still came back to a quiet campus Friday night, but social media was buzzing all weekend. People who have never played golf were sending congratulations. People who are usually complaining about something MU did or didn't do, were sharing the video. The excitement was contagious as my feed was full of people taking ownership of the championship. Alumni especially were bleeding green and gold, anxious to claim their alma mater.

Methodist does a ton of great things besides win golf championships, but winning definitely had Monarch Nation overflowing with pride this weekend. Congratulations to Coach Conley and the guys and thank you for letting us share this with you!

strengthen your brothers...

Easter was nearly a month ago and I haven't blogged in ages, but Peter's role in the Easter story still has me thinking...

Not long before Jesus was arrested, he predicted that one of his main guys, Peter, was going to deny him. That in itself is hard to swallow. I can't imagine being wrongly accused, arrested, and then one of my closest friends won't claim me. But what if I was Peter? If one of my friends is in the news, accused of something... will I stand by them? Or run away for fear of guilt by association?

Either way, Jesus is calling Peter out on it. And of course Peter thinks Jesus is crazy. No way would he deny Jesus. That's the crazier part to grasp when you're reading it. But have you ever been in that situation where you were so sure of something and then you found yourself in the middle of temptation or in a state of fear and you caved? I try not to even drive by Bojangles these days to avoid caving. Resistance is harder than it sounds when you're in the middle of temptation.

But even more than denying your BFF and even more than denying him after he warns you... Jesus told Peter, "But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32)

I love this verse because it shows so much about who Jesus is...

1. Jesus knows Peter is going to deny him and yet he's still pleading in prayer for him. Sometimes I've really struggled with prayer, but it's so reassuring to me to know Jesus was still praying even when he knew the outcome wasn't going to change. Sometimes I can't change the outcome, but I can pray for the impact the outcome is going to have.

2. Jesus knew Peter was going to turn back. Peter denied Jesus three times... not just once or twice... but three times! Even after he was warned. And not only did Jesus take him back, he knew he would come back without Peter even asking. There's nothing too big to keep us from turning back.

3. Jesus told Peter to strengthen his brothers once he turned back. Sometimes we get caught up in our failures and think God couldn't possibly use us. We're trained to clean up our resumes or we won't get hired. If the potential employer finds out about the employment gap or sees that questionable social media stuff, we may not get the job. God doesn't work like that. He doesn't even look at your employment history. He's already hired you! Peter is going to deny Jesus three times... and yet God is going to use him to strengthen his brothers. It's not over when you mess up.

How can you use your denial or your weakness or your mess up to strengthen your brothers or sisters? Don't let your mess up be an excuse for more messes, but turn to Him and let that mess make you stronger.

believe it...

A year ago today I wrote Steve a letter and mailed it. Yes, through the United States Postal Service. We like to keep our sisters employed so we do that occasionally. We had reconnected over the weekend and after a bad start in November, I was paranoid. I wanted to get to know Steve and I was thinking I should probably let him get to know me, but there were some timing concerns and this just felt like a big deal. 

I know it's easy for me to say that now that we're engaged, but I re-read the letter this weekend and I remember just feeling so much pressure. I had dated some douche bags, but I had also dated some really nice guys that I just ended up hurting. I was trying so hard to open up, but yet I wanted to protect both of us in the event things didn't pan out the way we wanted. 

I have always known Steve sees the best in me, but that was scary for a couple of reasons. First, I was sure I wouldn't live up to his expectations and he'd be disappointed. But it was also scary to think enough of myself to believe what he saw in me. Cockiness is such a huge turn-off, but confidence is so attractive. I know it's not as easy as flipping a switch and believing in yourself, but there is something to be gained from knowing who you are and owning it.

I'm so grateful for the people in my life who encourage me and remind me of who I am. My worth is in Christ, but sometimes it is too easy to feel like I never measure up. It is reassuring to see where I was a year ago and know that my value is not tied up in Steve or another person, but to still rest in knowing Steve sees the best in me and I can trust him. 

finding the good in college athletics...

Landmark SAAC representatives at the NCAA Convention with
Dan Dutcher, NCAA Vice President for Division III

Every January, the NCAA holds its annual Convention. There are educational sessions and conference meetings, but the primary purpose is to vote on legislation for the Association. While working for the conference office, the Convention has been one of the annual highlights for me. Around this time last year, our office started making plans to bring student-athletes to the 2015 Convention. Other conferences have done it in the past so we stole borrowed another conference's materials and set aside grant funding to make it happen. I became the point person on the project and spent nearly a year coordinating everything... 

And then I accepted a new job back in North Carolina, outside of college athletics. When I decided to take the new job, there were a bunch of moving pieces to figure out the transition, but I'm so grateful both employers were willing to help me still attend the Convention. There are definitely some perks to attending, but I also felt an obligation to see the student-athletes' trip through to completion. 

I started my new job January 6 in North Carolina and then drove back to Maryland on January 13 to attend the Convention January 14-17 at the National Harbor just outside of DC. I had spent a ton of time over the previous year trying to figure out how to make sure they all got along. I was about to put nine people together who attend different colleges and universities in the same conference. They compete against each other's institution every year and have developed rivalries that I hoped did not carry over off the field or court. A few met during our SAAC meeting in November, but they were essentially strangers and eight of the nine had to share a hotel room with one of these strangers. 

I won't bore you with the details of the trip, but I have to tell you I couldn't be more proud of this group of students. I'm so grateful to their advisors and administrators for recommending them and I owe the student-athletes a ton of thanks for embracing the experience. We went to a Convention with a ton of conversation centered around the Division I, "Big 5" and all of the discussion about paying student-athletes and providing them with extra benefits. Meanwhile, I spent most of my week with a group of student-athletes who are proud to be a part of Division III and they are soaking up all of the opportunities that come with it. They participated in the sessions, asserted themselves when appropriate and left with great relationships that spanned across sport and institution boundaries.

I left on Saturday reminded of why I love college athletics, but especially Division III athletics. I met a group of college students who are smart, talented, absolutely hilarious and they're going to be extremely successful in the "real world." I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to meet them and thrilled to let this experience be a bookend on my time at the conference office.

#commonsense

I said YES

I keep trying to come up with adequate words to describe last Friday, and it all falls flat. I may not be a “girly girl,” but I have always wanted to get married. I wanted to experience a love like that… I wanted to find “the one.” I’ve waited longer than many, but not as long as some… and along the way I’ve imagined what Friday would look like… what it would feel like. I wrote an entire blog about it when I didn’t even have a boyfriend. I’ve watched hundreds of proposal videos, but once I knew it would be Steve, I never wanted to put any pressure on him. I never wanted him to feel like he couldn’t live up to these crazy expectations I had. Everyone warned me that no one would be able to live up to them…

And yet Steve surpassed every expectation I had. He planned for months, he got a ton of people involved and he orchestrated the perfect proposal for me. I couldn’t have asked for anything more and I can’t wait to marry him!

Steve and I are so grateful for all of the people who have been so supportive of our relationship. It’s been nearly impossible to respond to everyone over the last few days and share our story so I’m giving you the cliffnotes via all the FAQ I keep getting.

Q: Were you surprised?

A:  Absolutely. Steve and I had talked about getting married since August, and I knew he was going to propose, but I had no idea when it would happen. He wanted to ask my dad’s permission and I wasn’t sure when he was going to do that since he’s in North Carolina and my dad’s in Maryland. I had just seen Steve the weekend before and he led me to believe he hadn’t talked to my dad yet so I had spent the week complaining to my friends and family and I was getting antsy (meanwhile he had driven up to MD without me knowing and asked my dad almost a month earlier!). I knew Steve was driving to Maryland on Friday to spend the weekend with my family for my dad’s birthday, but I didn’t think he was getting here until much later.

Q: How did they get you to the stadium?

A: My dad had told me a couple weeks ago that he had won a fan tour of Ravens stadium for being a season ticket holder. He has always wanted to find a way to get on the field and he was so excited (I’m still convinced he was more excited for the tour than the proposal!). He told me he was taking off work and asked if I could leave work early to get there for a 3 p.m. tour. My boss had been out of the office for a couple of weeks and was just coming back the day before so I wasn’t sure I could swing it, but I thought it would be a good way to spend time with my dad to start his birthday weekend. I wasn’t too worried about the tour since I had just gone to the Ravens’ “Ladies Night” that Monday, but it seemed like everyone was adamant that I go. I finally got the nerve to ask my boss if I could leave early and he gave me the okay just as Steve and everyone else who was in on the proposal breathed a big sigh of relief!

Q: And then??

A: This woman was giving us our tour and I felt kind of bad for her because I didn’t think she was the greatest tour guide. We made it out to the field and were hanging out on one of the benches and she said, “Since you guys are extra special guests, you get to take your picture on the 50 yard line!” Meanwhile, I’m thinking we’re not that special, because everyone was taking pictures there on Monday night, but we walk out there. It felt kind of silly, but I’m thinking we’ll appreciate this cute family picture later. We had to do some reorganizing to get Kelsie and Barton next to each other and I had the familiar thought that I wished Steve could have come so I didn’t have to be the awkward fifth wheel in another family photo (no offense to my four month old nephew, Andrew). The tour guide says, “There’s just something missing… I think we need a football.” It sounded super cheesy and Barton made a joke, but I felt bad for her and I didn’t want my dad to feel like he got gypped on this tour so I’m trying to rationalize why we need to take another picture with a football. I’m thinking she’s up to something, but I legitimately think it’s a surprise for my dad since he won this tour. And then I turn around and Steve is coming out of the tunnel. I started walking toward him, and then I turned around to my family and said, “I hoped this would happen!” Not that I thought I was getting engaged that day, but I really did want to get engaged and I really wanted Steve to be there and the combination of both things happening at once were exploding in my head! As I was walking toward him, I was thinking, “Oh no, I hope he didn’t want to do this in the middle of the field, because that’s going to be awkward to walk back!” Meanwhile he had told my family if I didn’t start walking toward him, to move out of the way because he didn’t want them crowding him and making him nervous.

Q: When you saw him, did you know he was going to propose?

A: I was desperately trying not to assume, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was really, really hoping! I tried to prepare myself for the fact that he might just be surprising me at the tour since I didn’t think he could come. But then he was shaking and rambling and I knew!

Q: What did he say?

A: I have NO idea! He said some really nice things about forever and I mumbled something about absolutely. My family asked him what he said and he doesn’t have a clue either. My brain was going a mile and a minute and I realized I didn’t care what he said. He had told me everything I needed to hear over the last year for me to know how to answer.

Q: And then??

A: And then I said YES! He put a beautiful ring on my finger that I don’t know any of the details to share with you except it’s perfect and he had the inside engraved with, “Loving you is easy” from the Ben Rector songthat he had Mitch Clark sing for me a couple of months earlier. He topped off the day with a dinner with my parents, all my siblings, nephews, aunt and uncle, and my best friend and her husband. I didn’t feel like I was putting together any coherent sentences, but it was the perfect way to celebrate an amazing day.

Q: So when’s the wedding?

A: Good question. It is looking like May or June 2015.

Q: Who’s moving?

A: Another good question… that I don’t have the answer to. We agreed months ago that we would both be open to moving to find the best opportunity for us. I am fortunate that I have an amazing network of friends and family in NC from the nine previous years I spent there, but I’ve also worked hard to make sure Steve knew I was willing to share my MD friends and family if he were to move here. I am still researching a way for us to be in both places… at the same time.

Q: Wasn’t that fast?

A: I think it depends on your perspective. If we were 18, maybe. But we’re 32. If you’re judging our relationship on facebook posts, maybe. But we spent a lot of time figuring out our relationship before we ever shared anything on facebook. I will be the first to admit, Steve knew way before me, but this was a year in the making. I had lots of questions, lots of uncertainty early, but Steve waited for me to figure it out. I always knew how he felt, and I felt like God was slowly opening my heart. The distance was actually a blessing for us, because it tempered the time we could be together and let our relationship develop in the perfect amount of time for us, rather than the too much too soon that has sometimes plagued my previous relationships. Some kept waiting for me to freak out about my relationship with Steve and how fast things seemed to be moving, but once I knew, I knew. We’re not perfect, but this is it. I’m all in and he’s stuck with me!

don't stop learning...

Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new. - Og Mandino 

We spend a good portion of our early years learning. We reach a certain age and our parents send us off to school for what seems like the next 50 years.. Most people usually go to college and more and more people are attending graduate school for to obtain even more degrees… more learning. 

There are some people who think they have learned everything before they have. It’s not always a conscious decision, but sometimes we finish school and think we’re done. Or we learn a new job and think we’ve made it. Or you raise one kid and think you’ve mastered it. 

Usually there’s a moment when you come back to reality. Hopefully it’s not so miserable, but sometimes it takes getting laid off or suffering through a broken relationship before we wake up. I love routine, but sometimes we fall into routine so easily, that we get comfortable and forget to stretch ourselves. There is always something to learn. I can always learn to be better at what I love, and I can learn to love something new. Imagine how much you would have missed out on had you stopped learning at 18 or even 25. 

Sometimes we become too hardheaded to open our minds to something different. We grow up learning something one way and can’t grasp a different way. I’m not making an argument for Common Core and their crazy math, but I think it is okay to change our minds. I suppose the extreme of this would be to give up everything we know to be true in search of the latest and greatest fad. I don’t want to appear lukewarm or uncommitted, but I do want to keep an open mind. I want to always seek truth. There are people who were adamant that the earth was flat or that people of a different race were not equal. They really believed it, but that doesn’t mean they were any less wrong.  

A former student e-mailed me recently to update me on her job search. She has a job, but she's looking for something in a different career field. She’s been finding positions she likes and taking notes about the skills she’s lacking. We’ve been talking about how to get the experience and/or learn the skills she needs. It sounds simple, but how often do we just limit our searches to our skills and experience rather than choosing to learn something new so we can expand our search? 

On Sunday, I saw an older couple baptized. Forget about the denominational debate about baptism for a minute and check out their story. Their son has cancer, but as the couple watched their son and his wife deal with the cancer and draw their strength from God, the couple was strengthened and wanted that same thing. I can’t imagine watching your son struggle with cancer, but it was so moving for me to see a couple who decided they weren’t too old to change their minds about their faith. I have no idea how old they are, but despite being “over the hill,” they are still learning. 

So sign up for that class. Apply for the job that seems out of reach. Try something new. Ask the question. Read the book. Watch the documentary. Keep learning.