[Archives 2]

Snowball, meet Professor February 26th, 2008

Upon departing Nussbaum this evening around 10:30, my dear math nerd friends and I were greeted by a crunchy blanket of snow. We brushed off our cars and our professor’s car (we had just completed a review session with him for our test tomorrow night). Then, being the geniuses that we are, we utilized this opportunity and began a rather lively snowball fight in the nearly empty parking lot. It ended with a few snowballs being tossed in the direction of our approaching professor and his wife before we scurried off to our respective vehicles to travel home. In the events of the evening I might have spun around too quickly to avoid a flying object and had my first fall of the season- legs sprawled out smack down on my rear on the pavement. Priceless. It’s moments like those that never fail to bring a smile to my face. Moments where I can make an absolute fool of myself. And, of course, snowball fights in the middle of the night are always a blast as well. It just goes to show that nerds can have fun too.
Welcome to Taylor, Dr. Mummert.


Calling February 25th, 2008

Calling. Sometimes it’s the same as your vocation. Sometimes completely separate. And sometimes the two overlap in various areas. It’s what sparked a late-night conversation between my roommate and myself as we took a break from the books.

Rachel: You know that feeling you get when you just know you’re where you’re supposed to be?me: Yup.
R: Last year I debated for months what to do with my life. And now I know it’s law school.
me: I know. I feel the same way about teaching.
R: Roommate, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that you were meant to be a high school teacher. This is your calling. I can’t imagine you doing anything else in the world. I can’t imagine anything else making you happier or fulfilling you more than teaching. You were made for high school!

Sometimes she can say just the right things. :) I know I’m going to teach, but lately there have been some doubts of incompetency surfacing. That has probably come about with the beginning of the application process. I’ve done all I can up to this point. I’ve waited for this moment for [10+] years (yes, I’ve known that long… :P), and now all my work is on the line. It’s incredibly encouraging to have such adamant and sincere support from someone so dear.


Saying Good-bye to Indoor February 22nd, 2008

Well, Saturday marks my last indoor meet. Ever. And I just realized that. Wow. Craziness.
Tomorrow the team departs campus at 6:30 for Springfield, OH where we’ll compete in the NCCAA national meet at Cedarville. DMR and 4×400, here I come.

Lately we’ve been having our team meetings on Wednesdays before practice. They typically consist of a devotional from coach, meet entries for the upcoming weekend, and other house-keeping details (such as emptying the trash cans if you utilize them for upchuck… guys… Ryan…). I know it’s been said before, but it’s become clearer to me each day. TUTF really is a family. A crazy, fun, off-the-wall, hard working family. There is something extraordinary in the bonds formed amongst teammates. When spending such an exorbitant amount of time together, beating down your bodies together, and striving for a common goal, experiencing successes and failures together, you really don’t have much of a choice I suppose.

Maybe that is why this is where I am most comfortable. It is the place I’ve been made the most vulnerable. I’ve shared my best and worst moments with these girls, sometimes without choice. And they still love me. Take, for instance, last weekend at the IWU meet. I had a relatively decent 600. Vanna didn’t wait 2 steps after we crossed the finish line together to congratulate me. Just a few short hours later I ran a disgusting leg in the 4×800 and I was still loved just the same. Just the same. My acceptance is not conditional upon my performance or my perfection. Thank goodness!

As Vanna said this week, just run your best. It make be a fast time, it may be a slow time. But if you look at the big picture, we’re still not that good. Haha! So true! God sure knew what he was doing with me. He provided me with just enough talent to be able to compete at this level. But there’s also the lack of talent that is a reminder that I don’t run for myself. It’s to glorify the one who allowed me this opportunity.

There’s just no way I can do TUTF justice. To truly be able to appreciate it, you have to experience it- firsthand. It’s a marvelous thing. If the pit in my stomach and the tears in my eyes at the thought of leaving are any indication of my love for these kids, it must be a pretty darn big love. And I mean really big.


EACS February 22nd, 2008

I spent the day, along with 30-some other TU students, up in Fort Wayne for our East Allen County School Partnership with gifted and talented 5th graders. Hooray for encouraging kiddos to continue in math and go to college! We got back to Upland in time for Erin, Amy, and I to make a well-deserved stop at Ivanhoe’s for some sundaes and down time. Then they dropped me off and practice where I was able to persuade the other girls that we really needed to run outside today. Mark today as the first day I’ve worn a dry-fit around my face. Combine that with a colorful hat, sunglasses, and multiple layers. It was quite a sight!

Now I’m back in the apartment after spending a few hours on hw with Susan and Erin. I think it’s the first night this week I made it back home the same day I left. And I sit here and wonder- what’s the point? I’m missing out on life as I keep on top of my studies. Did I miss something here? While it’s not entirely comforting, I am very grateful for my friends in my major and how we’ve been able to support each other throughout the past 4 years. We’ve come to the conclusion that none of us would’ve made it this far without that encouragement.

Thank you, Lord, for community. Thank you for this one evening of the week that I have to catch up with myself. Thank you for the small blessings in life and the moments when I’m able to take the focus off of myself. Thank you for being faithful to sustain me, even when I doubt you.

There have been many aspects of this semester that haven’t panned out as I anticipated, but you have saved me from discouragement and despair. In the midst of a diminishing team, heartache of close friends, and attempting to balance life, you have managed to remind me that you’re in control. That shouldn’t surprise me, but perhaps the fact that I’ve heard and listened does. Help me not to cease seeing your glory and majesty displayed around me.


Pigland in February February 19th, 2008

Today was the first long run we’ve had outdoors in quite some time now. And it was my first LR to pigland of the season. We ran the route backwards and as we were turning the corner on the jog in the road I couldn’t help but notice how blue the sky was. It was that perfect medium-dark blue framed against the bare trees and cornfields; the contrast was absolutely stunning. The wind whipped at my face as I curled my toes with each step to regain feeling. Pine trees lined the left side of the road and swayed violently in the wind as the road dipped down towards the woods and river. But that scene of the sky and cornfield was relentlessly peaceful. And I couldn’t help but smile and marvel at the wonder of God’s handiwork.