come to the table

Posted on by calleighswift

“We all start on the outside, the outside looking in…”

I was listening to my Spotify playlist, playfully titled “jesus music,” on the way home from work a couple of days ago, and this song came on. And I was like, “holy bajeezus, wow – what a song”

We all start on the outside, I bet you can remember a time where you felt like you were on the “outside.” The outside isn’t always where we want to be. You want to know the joke, you want to have the secret whispered in your ear – you want to feel like you belong.

There have been so many times in this life where society tells all of us that we don’t belong. That we don’t get to know the joke, we aren’t important, we aren’t good enough, or pretty enough, or smart enough, or funny enough. We’re too sensitive, too sarcastic, too driven, too passionate. We’re either too much, or not enough.

And you know what Jesus says to that? “Come to the table.”

He said, “Come to the table.
Come join the sinners who have been redeemed. 
Take your place beside the Savior, sit down and be set free.
Come to the table.”

(Now I imagine this being one of those really big circle tables, you know, like those cheesy, feel-good family movies always have.)

No one is left out that way, or put on the end. No one gets told that there’s not enough room for them. I imagine this like a Sunday afternoon at Nana’s – you leave with your belly and your heart full, with a plate of left overs for the next day.

No matter what your “junk” is (face it – you’ve got junk, I’ve got junk, we’ve all got junk) – you’re still welcome at the table. Jesus still says, “Come on in!”

You are welcome at this table, you are loved at this table, you’re set free at this table.

So – who are you going to invite to your table?

(The song is “Come to the Table” by Sidewalk Prophets, by the way.)

“thaaaat’s what you want”

Posted on by calleighswift

Hi friends!

So I was on Facebook today (shocking), and I was looking at the “On This Day” feature, and realized that last year I posted my annual “year in review” blog post, and promptly realized that 2016 had gotten away from me and I hadn’t done that yet!

2016.

What. A. Year.

Let’s break it down.

In January I turned the big 2-0. Wow. My parents came up to Waco, and we ate lunch at George’s. And then I went out to Olive Garden (breadsticks, yummy) that night with my friends!

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I spent the day with these two, and had an overall fabulous time. Twenty was good to me. (Less than a month until 21, ain’t it fun?!)

My birthday was the day before school started back up for the spring semester, and coincidentally the day before Rush Week started for KXA! (whooo! #rushKXA) KXA stands for Kappa Chi Alpha, and it’s a Christian sorority on Baylor’s campus. It’s been loads of fun to be involved in, and I’ve really found an awesome community with the girls there!

On the left is the first time I hung out with my Big, Grace, during Rush Week. Of course I didn’t know she would be my Big then. But she’s fabulous and I love her a lot. Basket Week was one of the most nerve-wracking weeks of my life because I was afraid Grace wasn’t going to be my Big! It’s all so funny to look back on. The picture on the right is of me and my friend Kelsey on Bid Day! It was the first taste I got of the amazing sisterhood that KXA would bring!

My birthday, school, and rushing KXA took up most of January. But in February came much excitement! Basket Week! For those of you who aren’t familiar with all aspects of Greek life – Basket Week is a week full of nerves and excitement. The Big spends the week giving the Little a bunch of baskets filled with goodies, and clues. And then at the end of the week, there’s the Big/Little Reveal!

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This is Grace and I at the Big/Little Reveal! It was a big tangled mess – literally – to find her, but I’m so glad that I did! Grace is the best Big that I ever could’ve hoped for!

February was also filled with some unpleasantness as well. As a rule, I try not to show just my “highlight reel” to the world. Life is hard, and it’s messy – for everyone. So in February, after a semester and a half of complications and arguments, one of my roommates moved out. It was a hard situation, but ultimately ended in the way that it needed to.

After the chaos that was February, Spring Break came at the best time possible. I spent it with my (other) roommate, Kristyn! (Y’all are all super familiar with Kristyn. She gets mentioned a lot.)

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A couple of Kristyn and I’s shenanigans over Spring Break! We started off the week by traveling to Houston for the Rodeo and to see Shawn Mendes! Later in the week we made the drive up to Austin for my Pawpaw’s birthday, and you can’t make a trip to Austin without taking a picture next to the iconic wall!

Spring Break also brings about one of my favorite things of the year – #TheHunt. #TheHunt is a photo scavenger hunt that takes place over Spring Break. You can participate from literally anywhere. The club I’m involved with at Baylor, The Whatever, puts it on every year and it’s a blast! Here are some of the challenges…

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Coming off of the excitement that was #TheHunt, but not quite the end of the school year – April was kind of a drag. But there’s a special holiday in the month of April that makes all the Baylor students happy – Dia! Diadeloso (or Day of the Bear) is a Tuesday in the month of April that we don’t have class! There are a bunch of fun activities on campus for students to participate in. The big pull for Dia this year was that there was a SLOTH!

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Sloths are Kristyn’s favorite animal. Needless to say she was over the moon. So Baylor, bring an elephant in 2017 okay?!

May brought about the completion of my sophomore year of college! I couldn’t believe I was halfway done (and now I can’t believe that I only have THREE SEMESTERS LEFT). I can’t say I was too sad about seeing sophomore year go – it was a rough one, but it was one of a lot of growth. Which is always necessary, just not always fun to go through! Another bright spot in the month of May was that I was elected as an officer for The Whatever! I’m the Chair of Internal Care (we had elections again this December, and I’ll be serving as Chair yet again for the 2017 year – I’m stoked!). As Chair of Internal Care, I am a source of encouragement for our members and make sure they’re feeling included and accepted in our organization!

As the calendar says, next comes June! June was fun. Oh so fun. And let me tell you why.

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It was Kristyn’s birthday! 

Kristyn turned 21 in June, and for part of her present I may or may not have definitely planned a scavenger hunt for her birthday. IT WAS SO FUN. I had kept it a secret from her for almost two months, and I think that was the hardest part. I had clued her mom and sister in on my master plan, and all three of us managed not to slip up and tell Kristyn that I was planning something for her birthday. It was a good time, and definitely worth all the nerves and the stress to see the smile on her face.

After the craziness that was June, July was a pretty chill month. Lots of babysitting, and housesitting, but what’s a college kid to do? I obviously didn’t have enough excitement in my life so one weekend Kristyn and I drove down to see our friends David and Justin at Camp Allen in Navasota! We ended up at Chuy’s because when you’ve eaten summer camp food for the past six weeks – Mexican food is food of the gods. (But let’s face it, Mexican food is always food of the gods.)

Always so much fun with these friends! 

And back to school I went in August! Kristyn and I moved into a new apartment, and started our junior year!

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Kristyn and I hosted a first day of school breakfast at our apartment!

In September school started moving in full swing. Life was just chugging right along. To be honest, without the help of Facebook and Instagram I don’t think I would’ve remembered anything that happened in September. This was my shining Instagram post in September… img_8804

This is my friend David. We are wearing matching shirts. If you have not seen the “Hump Day” commercials you won’t understand our shirts. I had wanted to get a picture of us in our shirts since the previous semester, but we never managed to wear them at the same time. However, this was my lucky day! (And David looks so excited to take a picture with me, doesn’t he y’all?)

October was full of excitement! I got the chance to see Ben Rector yet again. I’ve seen him every year I’ve been in college, and if he doesn’t come back to Waco during my senior year I’m going to be very upset. (Looking at you, Ben. Make it happen.) Kristyn and I also celebrated our 2 year friendaversary! Look at that. It’s crazy to think that one night at Cane’s made my current life possible. God is good y’all.

During the month of November my ASL (American Sign Language) class took a trip down to Austin to the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD). It was so cool! I’ll be entering my fourth semester of ASL in the Spring, and I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed getting to learn this language. It was an amazing experience to be able to interact with those kids, and one I’ll never forget.

Back to the world of Greek life, November brought about Formal! I ended up going to formal with my friend Colton. I’ve known Colton since I was four years old – we went to preschool together (cue the collective “aw”). Formal was a blast with him! (Even though I complained about my heels as soon as I put them on, and didn’t stop until I took them off that night).

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December brought all of the end of semester shenanigans that I hate (finals), but also the ones I love (Christmas on 5th, Winter Glitter…all the fun things that I get to dress up for!)

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And last, but definitely not least, I’m going to toot my own horn here for a bit. I took 18 hours this semester, and ended with all A’s and one pesky A-. I worked hard this semester!

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Above all, I would not have made it through this year without God’s grace and provision. I serve an amazing God who continually reminds me that my contributions are necessary to the kingdom, and He loves me unconditionally even on my worst days. God is good, even when we are not. And His love is not based on us, it is simply placed on us. And that is the best news in the world.

I don’t know about you, but I’m clinging tightly to those truths as I enter into 2017.

2017 is bringing my 21st birthday (woop!), the start of my senior year (and the start of applications to grad school), and only God knows what else! I wish you the very best of times, the strength to get through the inevitable rough times, and the constant reminder that God is still good.

Have a blessed 2017 y’all – can’t wait to see what’s in store!

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roller coasters and queso: cal’s junior year

Posted on by calleighswift

I finished my last day of classes for the semester yesterday.

Wait.

Let me say that again.

I FINISHED MY LAST DAY OF CLASSES FOR THE SEMESTER YESTERDAY.

This semester has been one of the hardest, but one of the best. Let’s look at the stats.

I was taking 18 hours this semester. (Who let me do this?)

I have a job. (I’m a tutor at an afterschool program.)

I’m in a sorority. (Sic ‘em KXA.)

I’m an officer in another organization. (It’s whatever.)

And, you know, I like to see and hang out with my friends every now and then. I also have to make time for food.

(Needless to say, I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep this semester. Exhibit A: I went to bed after 5:00 am last night [this morning] and had to be on campus for a presentation at 9:00 am.)

However, I’ve enjoyed just about every minute of this semester. It was hard, and tiring, and stressful, and busy. But it was also full of laughter, and coffee, and mozzarella sticks, and hugs, and movie nights, and friends that are more like family.

This semester was the best roller coaster I’ve ever been on – so buckle your seatbelts, ladies and gents, and get ready for the ride.

  1. I don’t need to buy milk.

    At home (like Austin, home) there’s always milk in the fridge. We use milk for cereal, and cooking, and cereal, and baking, and cereal (do you think Cal eats a lot of cereal?). However, my use for milk drastically changes in college. I’m not even the one who uses the milk. My roommate, Kristyn, uses the milk to make lattes and hot chocolate (YUM). So…we don’t need a whole lot of milk. (We also have a habit of leaving the milk out on the counter…but that’s a story for another day.) So, long story short, we don’t need to buy milk.

  2. Take the time to match your socks.

    I don’t know about you, but when my socks match I feel like I have my life together. There’s just something about having matching socks – even if no one sees them! (My mother is probably crying from laughter right about now because I used to be the world’s worst about matching socks.) This is not to say that my socks match all the time because they definitely don’t, but I just really like it when my socks match.

  3. Always, always, always take your keys with you.

    So, long story short, one night Kristyn and I were coming back to the apartment and I didn’t have my keys. And Kristyn had lost her apartment key. We probably looked like two hoodlums because we had gone around to our back porch, and tried to get in through our sliding glass door (didn’t work, it was locked). And then we tried to pop the screen off of Kristyn’s window and open it (successfully popped the screen off, but the window wouldn’t budge. Also locked). We then came around to our two front windows, and realized that one of them was unlocked! So we popped the screen off, and Kristyn climbed through the window and unlocked the door.

    And this happened around midnight.

    Take. Your. Keys. With. You. (even if you and your roommate are like Kristyn and I and we go everywhere together).

  4. Take time for movie nights.

    When you’re taking 18 hours, there’s always something you could be doing for school. Whether that be chapter readings, finishing assignments, studying for tests, etc. You get bogged down if all you do is study and worry about school all the time. Take some time for the fun things! Go see that movie that just came out. Sit on the couch with friends and hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie. Decorate your apartment. Laugh with your roommate. HAVE SOME FUN EVERY NOW AND THEN.

  5. Let your people know when they make you happy.

    Kristyn and I have a “Happies Board” in our dining room. It’s a board where we write down things the other one does that make us happy. Sometimes its random things like, “Cal makes me happy when she buys me coffee,” and other times it’ll say “Kristyn makes me happy all the time because she’s the bomb.” (Or something like that, haha.)

    I think it’s really important to tell the people you love, that you love them and that you appreciate the things they do. Some might call it sappy (and oh boy am I sappy), but I think there’s something good in recognizing what people do for you and appreciating them for it.

  6. Wear the leggings, rock the messy bun, and eat the queso.

    Leggings are comfortable. Sometimes my hair doesn’t cooperate. And queso is good. There are times where life is just TOO MUCH, and I can’t handle putting on pants that day. My hair is a hot mess all the time, and never falls the way I want it to. And queso is a necessity in life. I have friends and family who love me when I’m in leggings and a messy bun and queso has dripped down my shirt.

    I’m so unbelievably thankful for my people. My people who laugh with me, cry with me, force me to pick where I want to go for dinner, who follow me out into the cold to make sure I’m okay, who make ridiculous puns that make me roll my eyes and laugh really hard, who cheer with me at football games and laugh at me when I scream at basketball games, who come to Friendsgiving and exchange notes, who make me laugh so hard I start crying while I’m driving (10/10 do not recommend. Driving while crying is hard), and who live life with me.

    All in all, life is good. This semester was great. And God is so unbelievably awesome because I wouldn’t be anywhere if it wasn’t for God’s grace and provision.

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where’s your party hat?

Posted on by calleighswift

Today was my last Sunday working with my precious preschoolers. It was just like any other Sunday – full of laughter, tears, chaos, and a whole lot of love. Nothing ever goes as planned, but that’s part of working with preschoolers. (I have learned that having no plan, is the best plan.)

It started off totally normal. I walked in at 8:30, and in desperate need of some coffee. I set up my room, and had my chat with God about “my” kiddos. I set out the puzzles with the animal noises that Anna loves to play with – even though the lion roar sounds more like a dying cat. I moved the ever coveted plastic school bus to a lower shelf so Nathaniel would see it and be happy to walk in the classroom. I threw the foam building blocks on the floor because my boys – Ben, Ethan, Nathaniel, Theo, and Charlie – love to play with them (and because keeping toys on the table is the ultimate PIPE DREAM). I sat down in my ‘adult’ chair, rested, and prepared myself for the chaos that was going to begin in about 20 minutes.

3, 2, 1…okay, it’s go time.

Nathaniel walks in with his Capri Sun, and the most adorable case of major bed head. He sees the school bus, happily squeals, and thus resumes the love story of Nathaniel and his school bus.

Anna struts in next, confident and effortless as ever. She hands me her name tag, and her back pack  – this girl knows the drill. She heads straight to her animal puzzles, and I hear her giggle with glee when the dying cat of a lion attempts to roar. She calls me over, and we laugh about the lion’s roar together. It’s taken me nine weeks, but I’ve finally reached the elusive world of Anna’s giggles. It’s delightful.

Ethan walks in, cool as a cucumber. He walks straight to the foam building blocks and starts building telescopes and dinosaurs. He talks himself through his imaginary world of dinosaurs on the moon.

Theo is reluctant to walk in, but nine years of working in childcare tells me that it’s so much easier to “rip off the Band-Aid” instead of attempting to coax them in. Theo is crying as Mom walks away, but less than two minutes later he’s laughing with Ethan and they’re building telescopes together. They’re conspiring about different telescopes and adding wings to their dinosaurs.

My classroom is not clean, we do not run on a strict schedule. There is a lot of mess, toys are everywhere. But there are smiles on all of my preschoolers faces. They are laughing with their friends, and inviting them into their imaginary worlds. They give hugs, they share with their friends. They are carefree, and full of light and love.

When play time becomes too restless, I know it’s time for Ollie. Ollie is the owl that helps teach them their bible story. We’ve been learning about creation. Today was our “party” to celebrate all that God had created. They all had party hats on, and it was the most adorable sight I’ve ever seen. Look at this.

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(ARE THEY NOT JUST FULL OF CUTENESS?! I CAN’T HANDLE THE PARTY HATS.)

Because repetition is key, we were going over the seven days of creation and what God created on each day. I had finished going over Day 3 when I felt a tap on my knee. I looked down and Ethan had tapped my knee. I just assumed he needed to go potty (because preschoolers and potties go together like peanut butter and jelly). But what Ethan said next hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Miss Calleigh, where’s your party hat?”

Me? Wearing a party hat? First of all, that elastic would snap around my big head. Second, THOSE ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. But Ethan walked over to the extra party hats and brought one over to me, and clumsily tried to put it on my head (poor kid, he tried). I finally finagled that piece of cardboard to sit on my head AND I didn’t snap myself with that ridiculous elastic – so I count that as a win. After I put that hat on my head, it was like I had just been invited into the most exclusive of clubs. (We shared loads of fake coffee together, so I think we’re all pretty tight now.) This shiny piece of cardboard made me realize two things.

These kiddos notice things. They notice when I give them hugs because someone “stole their toy.” They know that when they walk into my classroom on Sunday mornings that I’m going to have a smile waiting for them and a hug if they need it. They know that my lap is most definitely not off limits, and snuggles are my favorite thing. They know they need to say “Please!” in order to get more crackers at snack time, and that giving me a hug around my legs is the quickest way to melt my resolve. These kiddos saw me as someone important enough to wear their party hat, and that makes me want to be someone deserving of that party hat.

Also, God is always ready with a party hat for us. No matter how many times we try to leave the party, or think we’re not good enough for the party, or we’re embarrassed because we forgot to bring something to the party…God is always there waiting with a party hat. God wants us to be at the party.

These past nine weeks that I’ve spent with these preschoolers have been some of the best parts of my summer.

Seeing Ben’s tired face when he walks in and knowing that five minutes later he’ll be bouncing off the walls. (Also that you’re guaranteed to receive a stank face from him when you pull him away from his toys to change his diaper.)

Having to pull Irina’s dress out of the toilet, and laughing with her about nothing every week.

Hearing Charlie pray over snack time, and ask that his crackers not be too soggy.

Seeing Anna’s face light up every single time that she plays with that animal sound puzzle.

Watching Ethan try and succeed in cheering up a crying friend, and being so unbelievably proud of himself.

Hearing Theo recite each and every thing that God made on each day of creation.

I rarely feel worthy of the honor and privilege of caring for these tiny humans, but I can’t help but be grateful for it.

Parents – Thank you for sharing your children with me, and letting me get a glimpse of the amazing people they are. They will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will always love them. 

23 days left

Posted on by calleighswift

Hi friends! It’s been a while; life has been a little crazy in these past couple of months. I’ve been insanely busy, it seems like just last week I came home, and now I have 23 days until I go back to Waco to start my junior year – wow, it’s still super weird to say that. As summer draws to a close, I can’t help but think about all the things I’ve done and all the things God has been teaching me this summer.

 

This summer I’ve been serving in the Preschool Ministry at church, and – wow, have I been reminded how much I love children. I’m getting to love on some amazing kiddos. We’ve been learning all about creation this summer, and it’s been so COOL to see these kids start to realize that God made EVERYTHING – including them! Last week we talked about how God made people, and seeing them realize that God made them was so awesome. Hearing their sweet prayers to Jesus before snack time just melts my heart – they aren’t afraid to talk to God, they don’t think their requests are silly, they thank God for who he is and aren’t afraid to ask God for what they need – I think we could all take something from that.

 

These kids bring so much laughter and joy to my life, and it has been so fun and such an honor to get glimpses of who they are this summer. To see them play, and laugh, and hug one another – to really see what “childlike faith” is like. As we grow older, there are so many things that can weigh us down, or cause us to worry. (I could be a professional worrier, if we’re being honest.) But God hasn’t let me down yet, and I don’t think He ever will.

 

I’ve been reminded to have faith in who my God is, and His plans for my life (I think it’s gonna be pretty great). And you know what? He’s got big stuff planned for your life too, and it’s gonna be awesome. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be twists and turns along the way. As I was reminded recently, God created the light and the dark – and they’re both good.

“don’t mind me”

Posted on by calleighswift

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. And this one is on a Sunday, but oh well.

Here are five awesome things I found on the Interwebs this week!

  1. Erin Condren life planners went on sale this week! If you’ve never heard of Erin Condren…why are we friends. Just kidding! Check out her stuff here! If it wasn’t for Erin Condren, I would never have my life in order. (Who am I kidding, I don’t have my life in order anyway.)
  2. Baylor named a new head coach this week. Jim Grobe is now the new football coach. Coach Grobe made some extremely encouraging remarks at his press conference earlier this week. I’m excited to see how our 2016 football season goes!
  3. Kid President. ‘Nuff said. If you’ve never seen him before, you need to go watch him now. He’s one of my favorites.
  4. Sermon Jams. These suckers are pretty darn cool. Judah Smith is really good at them This is a good one. But THIS one is my favorite. God is so good y’all. So good.
  5. So, I spent the last week reading all of the Harry Potter books. You heard me, all seven books in seven days. And now I can finally laugh at things like this screenshot. And of course this one.

Hope all of you are having a fabulous summer, I’m working on some really fun blog posts that will hopefully be coming out soon!

dear class of 2016

Posted on by calleighswift

I can’t believe it’s time for this again. It’s hard to believe that another year has passed…more seniors have graduated. It’s been two years since I’ve graduated high school, and another two before I graduate from college. The days have been long, but the years have been short. It has been the wildest ride of my life, but I’m hanging on for dear life.

 

College is going to flip your world upside down. You’re about to embark on the most amazing journey. A journey that will change your life. Freshman year is one of the most difficult years of your life, you will change, you will grow, you will bend, you will stretch. You will be challenged. You will end up staying up all night. You’ll try coffee…you may not like it, or you may become addicted. Hopefully, you’ll fall in love with your school, with what you’re learning, with your friends. Freshman year is also one of the most amazing experiences of your life; there is so much new, so much change, so much excitement. I can’t wait to hear about, and see all of your adventures.

 

For the recent college graduates…this is for you too. I can’t speak on behalf of the real world. I’ve never been there. I don’t know what it’s like. Some of you are scared, and some of you are excited. I’m going to be your optimist; your hope. I’m hoping all of the best things happen to you, even if there are twists and turns to get you there. Whether you’re off to New York, Timbuktu, or if you’re staying right here in Texas-I hope this next season of life is full of growth and change. This will also probably be one of the more difficult years of your life (I would expect). You will change, you will grow, you will bend, you will stretch. You will be challenged. You’re more ready than you think you are. Be world changers. Be do-ers, thinkers, see-ers, and lovers. The world needs more of those.

 

“Did you think this day would ever come? Now, what’s next? As you begin your next adventure, I want to send with you my wishes… I wish you guts. Challenge your ability by trying something new, even if you’re scared. Or nervous. Or about to throw up. I wish you a generous heart. Share your time and resources with others, don’t expect anything in return, and watch your good fortune grow. I wish you a playful spirit. Remember that it’s always cool to dance, master the monkey bars, spin a cartwheel, wish upon a star, hug your mom or dad, befriend a child, or hand out Halloween candy. I wish you humility. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to be genuinely interested in another’s life. Ask questions and listen more than you talk. I wish you patience with others. It seems like everything takes longer than you hope. A boss can be downright annoying. Traffic is crazy. People are rude. Take a deep breath before you blow. I wish you patience with yourself, too. Give it your all and give yourself a break. If you finish 3rd place when you want 1st…go easy on yourself while you improve. I wish you determination. Some things will come easy. A lot won’t. Whatever your goal, remind yourself why it’s important…and keep going! I wish you great friendships. Surround yourself with loving, supportive, funny friends, and tell them how much you appreciate them! I wish you a great sense of humor. If you can find the fun in life, you’ll find the journey much more entertaining! I wish you an opinion. What do you think about this or that? Do you agree or disagree? Speak up and state your case! I wish you an open mind. Appreciate others’ ideas, ways, customs, and preferences. Acceptance cultivates kindness. I wish you common sense. When faces with situations, decisions, quandaries, and questions, consult your experiences and instincts and try to respond with good judgment. I wish you curiosity. Keep asking, keep trying, keep learning, keep living. I wish you honesty. It’s hard sometimes to hear and tell the truth. Do it with gentleness and tact, however, and you will gain respect, win friends, and feel better about yourself. I wish you self-respect.  Do you know your limits, values, and absolutes? A strong moral compass will be your ultimate guide through life. I wish you joyfulness! Laugh often. Plan surprises. Be spontaneous. Tell jokes. Be silly. Lastly, I wish you luck. For all the planning, striving, and learning we do, there’s no substitute for good timing and pure luck!” -Marianne Richmond

 

I wish for all your experiences to be exactly what you want them to be. I’m not wishing for hard times, but I do know the growth that happens because of them. I wish for you to find where you belong. I wish for you to learn all sorts of new things, and not necessarily about English, Biology, or History either. I wish for you to venture outside of your box and become the person God has called you to be. I wish for you to make mistakes because we all do, and because we all learn from them. I wish for you to find your people-finding your people makes life so much better.

 

To all the college graduates…have the best of luck adulting. Be sure to come back and tell me how to do it. Really, be smart, be brave, be full of love. Remember that no one has it all figured out (including you) and that everyone has a story. Be a ‘reader,’ be a listener. People’s stories are things we should listen to, and don’t be afraid to share your own.

 

To the incoming college freshmen…don’t be scared. Be filled with excitement. Don’t try and mold your college experience to what you think it should be, have a journey all your own. I don’t think anyone can be ‘ready’ to have their world changed, but be open minded because you have no idea what’s in store.

 

To my incoming Baylor freshmen…SIC ALL THE THINGS. I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU IN WACO. LIKE YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW. Don’t be afraid. I hope Baylor is all you hoped for it to be, and more. It certainly has been for me. Baylor is special, and so are you. Find your place here, find your people, and hold on for dear life. Don’t be afraid to like all my pictures on Instagram, or ask me to coffee at Common Grounds, OR TAKE ME TO THE NEW MAGNOLIA BAKERY IF IT EVER OPENS.

 

To all of you…I love you, I’m praying for you, and I’m only a phone call or text away.

 

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dear sophomore me

Posted on by calleighswift

Ho-ly cow. This year. It turned you inside out, backwards, upside down, anything you thought could have possibly happened this year did, and the things you thought never would have happened? Yeah, those happened too. But you know what? You survive.

Apartment life is cool. It changes a lot of things. The smoke alarm goes off every time you cook bacon, so be sure to open the windows and turn on the vent. Also, you have to buy your own toilet paper now.

You quit your job. Don’t worry. You find a new one. (It’s pretty stinkin’ awesome.)

You meet some pretty cool people. Those freshmen? Yeah, those. You think they’re loud, crazy, and a wee bit weird. Stop thinking that. They’re awesome. You don’t really hang out with them until second semester, and that’s sad. They make life more fun, and you need more fun this year. You stress too much.

Speaking of stress, stop. I can guarantee the things you’re stressing about are not that big of a deal. They seem life-altering, and make you think the world is ending. But it’s not. You survive. God’s got you. He’s got a plan. Rest in that. I know it’s hard sometimes, you still struggle with this. But you survive this year.

You quit your job. You find a new one. One of your roommates moves out. You drove to College Station to see Ben Rector (and then he came to Waco like two days later. You’re not bitter or anything.) You dressed up as a six pack of Coca-Cola for Halloween with some pretty cool people. You join a sorority (yes, you do). You laugh so hard you think your insides are going to fall out. You also cry pretty hard too. You become 13 again and spend your days jamming out to Justin Bieber and One Direction. You discover the greatness that is Fuego’s Nacho Mama dip. You finally finish a show on Netflix. You climb a rock, and go through a cave. You make new friends, new freshmen friends (they’re really cool, stop rolling your eyes). You learn to laugh at yourself. You run out of money. You learn another language. You laugh with your friends. You cry with your friends. Overall, you survive sophomore year.

This year was, is a roller coaster. There are some days where it feels like nothing goes right, and you feel like you’re not good enough. But don’t listen to that voice, Cal. It is so wrong. Listen to the truth that God speaks to you. Listen to the voice that says you are strong, you are enough, you are valued, and most of all, you are loved.

Trust your friends; they love you. Do the silly thing. Hug your people. Buy the tacos, eat the guac. Stay up late. Listen to the music. Look around. Go get Whata. Take in every moment for what it’s worth. Love your people.

All in all, sophomore year was quite the ride. I can’t wait to see what junior year has in store!

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“don’t mind me”

Posted on by calleighswift

Hi friends! How’s it going? I hope life is treating you well. I have decided to do a really cliche thing. Throughout the week I have found funny things, profound things, silly things, and heartfelt things on the Internet. And I’ve decided to compile them into a list of favorites for you!

  1. So my good friend Katee showed me this song a while ago, and I forgot about it. It’s called Jesus Rides the Subway by Trevor Morgan (go give it a listen). It’s an incredible reminder of how Jesus loved, and in turn how Christians are called to love as well.
  2. Apparently 600 corgi’s had a Beach Party this week, and it was the cutest thing EVER. Corgi’s are pretty much the cutest of all time ever, and you can’t be sad while looking at these dogs. (THERE WAS A CORG-KINI CONTEST!)
  3. This is only relevant to Baylor, but oh well. So every year the second Tuesday in April is celebrated as a Baylor holiday. It’s called Diadeloso (Day of the Bear) and we don’t have class and we get to do all sorts of fun things on campus. So this past Tuesday was Dia, and GUESS WHAT. THERE WAS A SLOTH. (Who doesn’t love sloths?!) So enjoy the cutest picture ever, and in the words of Kristyn, “Sorry friends, I’m definitely talking about the sloth.”SLOTH
  4. I found this article on Twitter the other day, and HOLY COW DOES IT DESCRIBE MY LIFE (and a lot of other people’s).
  5. Also, definitely did not find this video this week. But go look at it. I’m not going to tell you anything about it, but it is FABULOUS and will definitely make your day (because it makes mine every time I watch it).

Also, just for giggles. I asked my friends what my most common catch phrase was in order to title this thing. And here were my options:

“Don’t mind me.”

“No one can tell you how to feel.”

“Beanie did you poop?”

“You pooped.”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh toot”

“TEST CORECTIONS”

“*starts laughing*”

“Screeeeeeeech”

“*concerned voice* boo bear”

So apparently I say a lot of funny things. See y’all next week! (If not before!)

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friends are love. friends are life.

Posted on by calleighswift

If you’ve spent an extended amount of time with me, odds are I’ll have made a reference to Grey’s Anatomy at least once. I have seen all 260 episodes, I am current with the 12th season. My roommate and I have spent many hours crying over character deaths (and simultaneously cursing Shonda Rimes for making the show so good). I can’t even tell you what made me want to watch the show in the first place, but as much heartbreak this show has caused—Kristyn and I have standing plans every Thursday night from 7-8 to watch this show.

I watched Meredith Grey fall in love with Derek Shepherd. I watched her stick her hand on a bomb. I watched her survive a plane crash, and a hospital shooting. I watched her find her “person” with Cristina, and then again with Alex after Cristina left. (Oops, spoiler if you hadn’t gotten there yet.) I have watched Meredith conquer her fears, achieve her dreams, have her heart broken, and have seen her put it back together.

There are so many words of wisdom from this show, and y’all know how I love my words. (So basically, if you haven’t seen Grey’s Anatomy—stop reading and go start it now. I’ll only be offended if you don’t text me and tell me how much you love it.)

“We lose people, and then we find new ones.” –Alex Karev, Grey’s Anatomy

Alex said this a couple of weeks ago on the show, and it really struck a chord with me. Most of my life friendship has come easy for me—on a surface level. I’m pretty sociable, if I see someone I know—I will say hi. The idea of losing a friendship, or losing people in general was kind of a foreign concept to me.

If a friendship ended, it was generally on my terms. Someone was getting too close, possibly seeing that I wasn’t everything I made myself out to be. I wasn’t perfect—I had flaws. The idea of someone seeing the imperfections of my heart scared me half to death. Theoretically, I knew that no one was perfect, and that everyone had flaws, but to actually talk about them? Or tell someone else about them? That was unheard of.

I began my freshman year of college in pursuit of finding the everlasting friendships that college is famous for. I attempted to know as many people as possible…and I did. However, that was all. I knew their name, or attempted awkward small talk with them. I didn’t know what made them smile, or what their passions were, or what could turn their frown upside down. The feebleness of freshman friendships scared me.

And then I ended a friendship my freshman year of college because I was too scared to open my heart.

I was living my life in fear of other people seeing me. I was scared that people wouldn’t like what they saw, and then leave. So, obviously the best choice was to not let them see me at all (no, this was not the best choice).

I lost the majority of the friendships I had haphazardly tried to make…because I wouldn’t let people see me. I wouldn’t let them know me. They saw this freshman girl who always tried to put on her best face, and to never let anyone see her broken. Who never let anyone see her sad. Who never let anyone see her as anything other than happy, encouraging, and put together.

And I didn’t make very many friends this way.

As people we crave companionship with those who can relate with us. With those who can go through the highs and lows of life together. With those who are honest when life is messy. With those who understand our struggles.

Not with those who never admit when life is hard. Or never admit when they need help. Or those who act as if they can do life all on their own.

I was one of those people.

And then I found new people.

And I promised myself I would try this new “open and honest” thing.

You know what? They were open and honest too! (Shocking, I know.)

However..this whole open and honest thing didn’t happen overnight. I still struggle with opening up to people and telling them when things are wrong and asking for help. BUT, my friends have become extremely adept at reading Cal’s grumpy face, and then they don’t let me get away with it.

So, yes, I lost people. But I found new ones.

I found people who…

…watch Netflix with me on the couch on Sunday afternoons

…are down to grab a milkshake whenever

…make me laugh with silly puns

…give me hugs after I’ve sat on the floor of my closet and cried

…got me addicted to Sonic’s mozzarella sticks

…fill up my gas tank when I have no money

…talk with me in a secret little code (aka ASL)

…don’t let me say “I’m fine” when I’m really not

…love me (and give really fabulous hugs).

So, in the words of Alex Karev, “we lose people, and then we find new ones.”

Life keeps going, and you’ll find your people. I think I’ve found the friendships that college is famous for. And I’m pretty stinkin’ happy about it.

squadgoals