Inspire, Spring 2009

30 spring 2009 di rector ’s cha i r I love the spring: warmer weather, less snow, more sun. For me, the most exciting part of spring is watching green appear everywhere. I love making the trip around the perimeter of our yard each day to check out the latest plants sticking their tiny green heads out of the ground. It’s exciting to watch life start again following the cold, dark winter. I love spring! This season is such a reminder of growth and renewal. We see it all around us in the budding trees, unfolding leaves, and growing plants. Even the neighbor children seem to be a few inches taller than when we saw them playing last fall. When my daughter Kylie was three or four, I told her I never wanted her to grow up. She informed me that “Jesus wants me to grow up” — and I am certainly not one to argue with Jesus! He is the one behind all the growth we see around us, from the plants in our yard to the students and programs at Cedarville University. In my years at Cedarville, I have had the opportunity to observe or be involved in the start-up of some of these events and ministries. I remember the 1987 Junior-Senior Banquet in Cincinnati, where students flooded Fountain Square afterward, spontaneously sharing the Gospel with people — and soon the ministry Open Heirs began. I remember SGA sharing with me a great idea for an end-of-the-year celebration — and now Elliv is one of the highlights each April. I remember Rachel Beach ’03 as a student, who came to me with a desire to begin a program where CU students reach out to students at other college campuses in the Miami Valley — and the SGA Inter-Collegiate Council was formed. The exciting thing behind these endeavors is that, even though God planted the seeds, He used students to cultivate and grow the experiences that so many people have enjoyed. Do you know students who would benefit from this kind of Cedarville experience? We’d love to know who they are. Take a moment to visit www.cedarville.edu/names to complete the easy online form. Send us at least three names, and we’ll send you a CU T-shirt! As I’ve said many times, we thank God for our students — and for the alumni who help them get here. What other opportunities has God given you to influence the growth of others? May this issue of Inspire refresh your calling and remind you of new ways to serve Him. Jeff Beste ’87 Director of Alumni Relations “The exciting thing behind these endeavors is that, even though God planted the seeds, He used students to cultivate and grow the experiences.”