Choosing Tri Delta

I love that God's hand of provision is over whatever we do and wherever we go. I have been reflecting on this semester over the past few days, thanking Him for all of the friendships He's continued to strengthen and the new relationships that have been forged. Now that I've had some time to slow down and process some of what He was up to, I'm already excited about what next semester has in store, starting with recruitment.

These are the girls that I've grown to love, the girls that I spend my weekends with and the girls I eat way too much Torchy's queso with. They are my prayer warriors, my home team, my middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people. I didn't have the opportunity to go through recruitment at Baylor, and that is what makes being a Baylor Tri Delta all the more remarkable. These women are an answer to months of prayer-- they will never have any idea how refreshing and reassuring their placement in my life has been (although I hope to try and let them know)!

When you think about it, the sorority that you join becomes a lot of who you are in your 4 years at Baylor. You want to make sure to pick a group of girls that will help you grow into the best version of yourself. When I was going through recruitment, my mom told me it was like when you're starting to date a boy: "When it's right, you just know it." When it came to pref night, I just knew. I made my choice and walked out of the voting room confident that I had made the right decision.

So why pick Tri Delta, you ask? Where do I even begin?
First of all, I love what we stand for. The very beginnings of Tri Delta were founded on the idea of being a society that is "kind alike to all members and think of a woman's inner self rather than her personal appearance." In a world full of negative stereotypes about sororities, it's nice to remember that the foundation of this group that I associate myself with has its roots in something deeper than the physical.

The members of this chapter are undoubtedly some of the best people I've ever met. The very first time I hung out with them, I could tell that this was what college was supposed to be about. They are quick to take an interest in you, hear your story and ask you questions. They are genuinely kind people. They love others so well.

I also love Tri Delta's commitment to St. Jude. It's the thing that links all Tri Delta chapters together. Every single member has a personal reason why they love that hospital and it's inspiring to listen to how passionate they are about it. And with good reason: Tri Delta as a whole is currently in the middle of raising $60 million in 10 years for the children of St. Jude to open Tri Delta Place, a short-term housing facility for the families of patients undergoing treatment. Families never have to pay a dime whenever their kids are receiving treatment, and that includes their housing. Baylor's chapter raised over $100,000 last year, and we're so proud to serve St. Jude by doing our part to keep the doors open for another day.

Social events, football games and Sing have formed some of my favorite Baylor memories. We've had a Gatsby themed semi-formal, a glow in the dark themed semi, formals, a Boots and Bowties themed take a date, Country Christmas and a date dash to Cameron Park Zoo. We had Tri Delts all over the TV during College GameDay and I rushed the field with a bunch of my friends after we beat TCU. And we placed 2nd in Sing this year! It's been the best year and a half and I can't wait for the next year and a half.

If you can't tell already, I love these people and this sorority with all of my heart. They are hilarious, caring, fun women who are truly a reflection of Jesus' love. If you're a freshman reading this, I hope you will come to love Tri Delta as much as we do! We can't wait to meet all of you in a couple of weeks.

“Everybody has a home team: It’s the people you call when you get a flat tire or when something terrible happens. It’s the people who, near or far, know everything that’s wrong with you and love you anyways. These are the ones who tell you their secrets, who get themselves a glass of water without asking when they’re at your house. These are the people who cry when you cry. These are your people, your middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people.” -Shauna Niequist

immeasurably, immeasurably more

monday is my last day of sophomore year. where did the time go? i feel like it was just yesterday that i was driving from nashville to waco completely unsure of what was ahead of me for the next 9 months. Jesus had a lot of surprises in store & lots of lessons to teach me! i'm freaking out as i think about being halfway done with college.

"forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." philippians 3:13-14

upon arriving at here, i was bombarded with a LOT of new faces that i quickly grew to love. from people i met around campus, to new tri delta's i met by the dozens, to professors and roommates, these people have been consistent in loving me as Christ loves. they love without condition; they live with the overflow of the holy spirit in them. it has been inspiring to watch as i've learned what it means to love others the same way.

adventuring has become one of my hobbies this year. it makes life exciting! at the end of the day, it's not the countless hours that i spent in the library that i'll remember-- it's the little, out of the ordinary things-- the concerts, the weekends spent with friends, the football games, the lunch dates that turned into hour-long conversations-- that made this year as wonderful as it was.

on a more serious note, i realized that i worship my schedule. i glorify busyness. just when i thought that there was no way that Jesus could strip me of my pride any more than he had my freshman year at ole miss, He found another way to pull it off... and even though i'm suffering the consequences now, i am glad He did :) i naively over-committed myself in my classes, participated in sing, held an officer position in tri delta and tried to have a social life and let me tell ya... it doesn't work if you're trying to make it on your own.

i thought that i could handle financial accounting, microeconomics and quantitative business analysis by my own strength. YEAH RIGHT. i've never been a straight-A student, but i've certainly found a significant amount of security in my grades. the Lord was faithful to humble me. i came to the realization last week as i was writing a paper for one of my classes that i am a slave to my schedule, and this will never carry me far as a Christ follower. psalm 46:10 says to be still and know that He is God. rarely do i take the time to simply rest in His presence and be reminded of His love and peace that passes all understanding. it is way too easy to get wrapped up in my own little world and rely on my own sufficiency to accomplish my tasks. there is an enormous amount of pressure placed on us as college students to get good grades, know what we're doing with our lives and know the steps we need to take to get to where we want to be. consequently, it causes me to picture my life five, ten or even fifteen years down the road: where will i be living? what will my job be? what will my position be within that job? what will my salary be? will i be married, and will i still be friends with the people i'm friends with now? then i have to stop and remind myself that this is not where my identity lies. my identity is in Christ and who He says i am. i am not what my GPA says, and i am not what my future job title says. i won't wake up and have my problems of being too self-sufficient and too fearful of the future solved overnight. it will probably always be something that is a struggle to surrender, but by His grace, little by little, He will mold me into someone who mirrors Himself. i am so excited to return to baylor in august for another year of immeasurably more.

 

"great is thy faithfulness! morning by morning new mercies i see. ALL i have needed thy hands have provided-- great is thy faithfulness, lord, unto me!"