Inspire, Fall/Winter 2009

CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY 27 tuition. “That’s when I knew I was going to make it,” Julie recalled. “I saw my future, and I didn’t have to be scared anymore.” A Gift for the Heart After she graduated from Cedarville, Julie moved to Boston and took a job as a nanny for two small boys. Three years later, the boys’ mother moved out of the house and filed for divorce. At that time, Julie was in a serious relationship and attended a marriage conference with her boyfriend. She was struck by the way the presenter spoke of his love for his wife. He cherished her. He adored her. Julie turned and looked at the man she was close to marrying. She didn’t feel cherished. She didn’t feel adored. “It didn’t take my degree in psychology to figure out why a girl without a father figure held on to this relationship,” she said. “God’s Spirit spoke to my heart and said, ‘Julie, he is not for you.’ And I knew I had to let go.” After her boss’s divorce, Julie continued caring for the two young boys. Friends began to ask if she’d ever considered dating the boys’ father. “No way. I had never even thought about it,” Julie said. But as time passed, they both began to feel differently. After dating a year, they were engaged and married in 1997 with the boys’ blessing. Doug and Julie Macrae are now the founding directors of Home Improvement Ministries (H.I.M.) — an organization that works to strengthen relationships — and they often speak at H.I.M. marriage conferences. In fall 2008, they spoke at a Cedarville chapel service about marriage and relationships. “We enjoy telling our story,” Julie said. “Doug is such a special gift in my life. When I’m awed by how much he loves me, I can hear God remind me, ‘Just think, Julie … I love you even more!’” A Gift for the Future The seeds of the Julie A. Macrae Endowed Scholarship were planted long ago by special people in the Macraes’ lives. As a child, Doug first learned the value of generosity from his grandparents. They would give their grandchildren a sum of money and let them choose how they would use it to bless someone else. Through this example in Doug’s life and the Hunts’ example in Julie’s, the Macraes learned to give back from what they’d received. “It’s always been on my heart to help students who have the ability and ambition to be at Cedarville but not the money,” Julie said. “As difficult as it is to face withdrawing from school because of financial need, it’s even more difficult for students to return and finish, especially for upperclassmen. I know how scary it is when the money runs out and there’s nothing left. We want this scholarship to bless students who are in positions like I was when the Hunts supported me.” The first in her family to graduate from college, Julie now enjoys helping other students finish what they started at Cedarville. Her scholarship was awarded for the first time this fall to a senior nursing major and a junior psychology major who have been working their way through college. “We all have stories about the ways God has intervened in our lives,” Julie said. “How special it was to receive such a beautiful gift from Doug and celebrate with Cedarville friends who appreciated its meaning. I think of how far God has brought me, and I am filled with joy. And now He has enabled us to help someone else. I just smile when I think about it.” Doug and Julie (Buckley) Macrae ’93 live in Weston, Massachusetts. Julie volunteers on the leadership team for Cedarville’s Boston alumni chapter. You may contact her at julieamacrae@gmail.com. Carol Lee ’96 is the senior communication specialist for advancement at Cedarville. You may contact her at carollee@cedarville.edu . Bring out the kid in a student this year. Give to scholarships. www.cedarville.edu/givingnow “It’s always been on my heart to help students who have the ability and ambition to be at Cedarville but not the money.” i