Alma Mater, Hail to Thee!

Tuesday night our church choir, orchestra, and praise team lead worship for a revival at Louisiana College, my sweet little Alma Mater perched on a holy hill here in Pineville. As I sat on the choir risers in Guinn Auditorium wearing all black, I was transported back almost 20 years to many chapel services when I did the very same thing. It was a surreal moment. So many memories came rushing back to me of singing in the LC Chorale on that very stage. Playing the very same piano for chapel services. The chapel when I got pulled up on stage by a Christian magician and he gave me a rose for helping him. (I was a celebrity on campus all day! That's like the only time that ever happened.) Hearing my boyfriend preach our junior year and being oh so proud of him. And with that memory, I was transported back to current day when just last December, my boyfriend (Yep, he's still my boyfriend even though we've been married for 13 years!) gave the commencement address at graduation wearing his doctoral robes. My, my. Look at what the Lord has done!

When we got the call almost 7 years ago to come pastor First Baptist Church, Pineville, one of the main draws was the fact that we would be a block away from our dear, beloved LC. Part of Stewart's call to the ministry is to teach adjunct, and coming back home to Pineville meant he would most certainly get to do just that. And he does and loves it! Four years ago, I began serving in our church's college ministry, and I get to spend time with some of these amazing students. It has been one of the greatest blessings and privileges of my life. They are some of my favorite people! Stewart and I talk all the time about how much we love our school and love the students. We see so much of ourselves in them. It is our honor to serve them in any way we can, just as other ministers and community people served us when we were there all those years ago.

I am thrilled to say LC elected a new president this week! Revival has broken out on campus. It's a new day. Time marches on. We're now those "older people" that the students occasionally see at events on campus. But some things never change. As I drove away from campus Tuesday night on the back streets that led back to the main highway, I was hit with an old, familiar feeling. I had a sudden urge to go to Taco Bell. I guess you can take the girl out of college but never the college out of the girl!



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