There's just SOMETHING about my school (AUBURN UNIVERSITY)

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Well, after 20 years since I graduated from Auburn, I STILL break down in tears when I see the Auburn games on tv especially if they are played in Auburn. I haven't known why, exactly, that I get so touched to tears with such a sense of pride and joy about Auburn. Well, I figured out a big part of why tonight after receiving this email from my dear friend Diane from a friend of hers who attends Opelika Baptist Church right outside of Auburn. Here's a great story below:

from a friend....... I received this blog this morning from a young lady who goes to Opelika > First Baptist Church . This sweet, life changing event happend on Thursday night. I wanted to share it with each of you...God is working everywhere...and it just gives me chills. Wish I could have been there to witness the Holy Spirit at work once again. Tonight at church we were SO BLESSED with the opportunity to watch the following four men be BAPTIZED by their team chaplain:

Walter McFadden
Antonio Coleman
Eltoro Freeman
T'Sharvan Bell

Recognize those names? Yeah. It was awesome. He had a hard time lifting some of them out of the water, they weigh three times as much as he does! Yet with tears in their eyes and soft hearts as big as the room, they stood in front of hundreds and confessed their faith in Christ. Following them was a steady stream of high school boys who looked like miniature versions of them, big shoulders, dread locks, goofy grins... following in their footsteps, committing their lives to Christ, choosing to stand up for Christ in their schools despite their less-than-ideal backgrounds... it was so cool.

It was such a fresh reminder of how active our God is in Auburn and how capable He is of moving mountains. I underestimate Him and put Him in a box far too often! God allowed those boys to come to Auburn to play football here with this very purpose in mind, and don't you know He was celebrating with His angels to night as they professed their love for Him? This is such a huge part of why I love it here! This is what happens when you routinely hire a Christian crew of coaches for our football team. This is what God can do in the lives of those men who, outside of football, often have nothing else to hope in. This is just the beginning of what He is capable of on our campus, and it is so exciting. Antonio Coleman finished out the service by telling us his story and had the whole place in tears. He finished by saying, " Auburn is a special place, it is such a special place", and I couldn't agree more. Auburn IS a special place. God is moving here. Next time you see them on TV, just smile and know that they are living for so much more than football.

Walter McFadden (above)

I broke down just reading the email of this letter, and I realize that my soul continues to be stirred by stories like this coming from my school. I felt God's present so strongly during my years at Auburn in all that I did - the girls in Kappa Delta sorority, the Auburn tennis team, philanthropic activities on campus and late nights drafting for quarter end projects for interior design.

It truly IS "great to be an Auburn tiger!"

Chette Williams is the Auburn team chaplain. I read his book, Hard Fighting Soldier, and it was an amazing story. Great for anyone wanting to see God's work of perservering in the lives of those who seem to having nothing or nothing to hope or live for. AMAZING!