Good 'Ole Days of the Lions

Last night I co-hosted Alanda's baby shower for our precious niece/nephew #3. Yesterday afternoon I ran into her house to grab some strawberries I had stored in her extra refrigerator and was surprised when I saw an old friend from college, Kevin Doyle, in her bonus room. I had seen an unfamiliar car in her driveway but had no idea who it was. Kevin is here for the AG Northern CA/Las Vegas District Council. Usually we love district council week because it means we'll be seeing our friends Steve & Bekah who are both pastors in Las Vegas. Steve was daddy's roommate throughout college and we lived next door to one another our first year of marriage. This year however, Steve & Bekah were missing district council and Kevin, the worship pastor at their church came instead.

Seeing Kevin and hanging out with him a bit tonight just reminded me what an awesome time daddy and I had in college. Sure the classes were difficult, but the friendships we made were incredible and the sense of community at Southern California College (which became Vanguard University our junior year) was something I'd never experienced before. Kevin was also one of the worship leaders at our weekly chapels (we had mandatory chapel 3x per week) and is truly a phenomenally gifted worship leader. I cannot recall experiencing worship as rich as some of the times that Kevin and his now-wife Camie, led worship. In fact, the worship at SCC was the best I've ever been part of and we had MANY gifted worship leaders. I really love our new worship leader at our current church, but I still miss college chapels and "Prayer & Praise", a weekly evening event of powerful worship and prayer. I wonder if they even have this anymore at Vanguard.

I loved living in the quads, being a RA and going on the fun-filled retreats in the mountains and Palm Springs. I enjoyed serving in Mexico, playing intra-mural football and softball, working for the athletic department, beach bonfires, pizookie's at BJs in Newport Beach and group studying sessions in the upstairs library rooms. I miss going walking or running with friends along Newport & Balboa Beach and Thursday night trips to "America's Cup" for some frozen yogurt with friends. I actually miss late night studying with Kendra in our room (biology or some science class for her and some sort of business class for me) and believe it or not, I miss the meal time camraderie of "the caf", but not necessarily the John Chang chicken specials. I miss grabbing a cheap Laventina's pizza and taking it down to the beach for a fun dinner or bonfire or going to the $2 theater for an inexpensive date. I miss (crazy me) the adrenaline rush of cramming for a final or staying up ALL night to finish a paper or project and the late night runs out for Starbucks or relaxing with friends in one of the quads for a movie marathon. The thrift shopping was terrific (nice OC clothes for college budget prices) and oh, did I mention the bar-none, fantastic education I received from professor's who actually cared about you? Ed Westbrook was the best prof ever for business and led a Bible study for us business majors as well. Sheri Benvenuti, Mike Garrity and Mike Beals were fantastic religion and ethics professors and Doug Degelman was the psychology and statistics master! I miss Bob (or Bobby as daddy called him) and Tammie Wilson, the athletic director and his wife and bbqs at their lakeside (man-made small lake I guess) home in Irvine. Such great people! They even came up North for our wedding!

Anyway - this post is long and full of my memories as they come rumbling back into my mind. I just pray that someday you both, McGee and Miss Em, will be able to enjoy such a rich, enjoyable and changing time in your lives as daddy and I did during college. Thank you Lord (and mom and dad) for blessing me with all of these great memories!