Dear Prince...

Dear Prince,

I can't even begin to describe how sad and lonesome I've been without you these past few days. Life is completely different. When I wake up in the mornings (as I have done for the past 4 1/2 years, I automatically think about how I need to put food and water in your bowls outside on the porch. When I walk out the front door, I automatically expect you to come trotting up to greet me with your tail a-wagging. When I come home in the evenings, I look for you to come to my car door, poke your head in, and sniff around for any goodies I might have brought you. When I walk King out at night, we both expect you to be sitting on the glider, watching us in jealousy as we give each other attention and good night kisses.

You were My Sweet Boy, my Mongie, my Princetopher. When Seth gave you to me that Christmas in 2005, I never expected to fall head-over-heels in love with you. But I did eventually. I feel guilty about how I neglected you all those times in high school when I should have been at home training you or taking care of you; but instead, I was more worried about my friends and living the high school dream life. I feel guilty about going off to college for a year and leaving you at home with Mom and Dad, even though I know they took good care of you. And now, more than ever, I'm feeling more guilt than I've ever felt in my life. I knew you weren't feeling well after getting attacked a few weeks ago, but I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary. You've gotten in so many fights that I figured you'd be ok. It never dawned on me that you were seriously hurt. I'm sorry that I didn't let Ben to take you to the vet when he offered. I'm sorry that I didn't keep you pinned up in the first place. But you needed adventure in your life and liked to visit; you would have just been miserable locked away in "prison." I'm sorry.

You were the best little dog with more personality than any other dog I'd ever met. Your sweet disposition overshadows any other dog in the running. When you were a puppy, you chewed up EVERYTHING! Because it was winter time when I brought you home, Mom let me keep you inside on the condition that I keep you in my room. Unfortunately, I could never get you to sleep next to me in the bed, but I suppose you were just a puppy who wanted to wander around at night. When I'd take you downstairs, Ben would get you going and you'd run from the stairs to the couch, the stairs to the couch, and over and over again. We all thought it was the funniest thing! And then when you got older, you'd get so excited about playing fetch that you'd literally roll all over the ground trying to get your little tire! And then there were all those times you tried to get in all our vehicles when it stormed--like the time you revved up the van while Mom was trying to get the lawn-mower started! And then of course, who could forget the little game you played with us when we'd have to "run" you home after you'd been out visiting? Even though you irritated us by not staying home like we repeatedly told you to do, it was still kind of sweet to know that you watched for us at the end of the road and waited for us to come home. You loved us all, and I'm sorry that we didn't stay at home and spend more time with you like you so desperately wanted.

We've all been pretty shaken up about your leaving us. I've been a complete mess, and I don't know if I'll ever get over it. King misses you; Ben misses playing fetch with you, Dad's lonely without you during the day; and even old Mom misses you. You must have been an awfully good dog to reach out and touch her heart. She even cried the day you died. And me, well, I've cried enough for everyone put together. A couple of weeks ago, I remember thinking what I'd do if anything ever happened to you, and I never dreamed that I'd get so upset. I guess we don't realize how big a part of our lives a dog can be until after they're gone. And that certainly is the case with you. I didn't realize how strong of a role you played in this family until this weekend. I didn't realize just how important you were, and for that, I'm sorry.

What few years we had together, I'm glad. Even though it hurts after losing you, I can't say that I wish I'd never met you. That would probably be the biggest lie I've ever told. You were my very best friend and you loved me unconditionally. That's what's so great about dogs--they love their masters no matter what. Thank you for loving me and thank you for all the joy you brought into my life. I'll never have another dog quite like you. You were the best. I love you, Sweet Boy.

Love,
Taylor

P.S. I left your collar on you because I know much you hated it when I took it off of you. Plus, I put your blanket and tennis ball in there with you too. I left your tire toy out so I could sit it next to the grave stone that Dad's going to make for you. Since you never made out to the new place, I took some petals from a flower that King brought and spread them over your grave. We were looking so forward to taking you out there, where you'd have a nice big pin all to yourself. But it's like I told King, if you had to die, then I'm glad it was at home. I love you and miss you every day!

Reflections of a College Graduate

Let me begin by saying "Whew!" The past few weeks have been crazy, and I've hardly had any time to read blogs, let alone write any of my own!

On Saturday, I graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Public Health. The few weeks leading up to the commencement ceremony, my life was consumed with several large projects and numerous final exams, so needless to say, I didn't quite have time to sit down and blog about what all was going on in my life. I think it's sufficient to say now as an update that I was simply preparing for the one moment I've been dreaming about since filling out that first application to WKU in 2005. Wow. I still don't think it's hit me that I'm now a college graduate, and it's definitely going to take a lot getting used to. Taylor Mohon, B.S. Now that has a ring to it!

I can still remember my very first morning of classes that hot August day in 2006. I was so nervous! But let's back the train up a few days before that. I can remember packing up all my stuff and moving up to McCormack Hall on a very early Thursday morning. My mom was already back in school herself, and so I had no one to help me move into the dorm. I suppose you could say that it was my very first exercise in independence. I was 18 and fairly new to adult life. The idea of getting out on my own was exciting, but yet terrifying at the same time. Luckily, my good friend Rhanda Lee had already moved on campus and so she walked from Poland Hall to McCormack Hall to help a girlfriend--me--move all her clothes (and believe me, there were a lot of them) into the dorm. Being the homebody that I was, I came back home that evening and spent the rest of the weekend with my parents at home. Sunday rolled around and it was time to head back up to campus for my first full night at the dorm. The following day would mark the beginning of my educational career at WKU. As I had packed the final odds-and-ends to take with me, I remember telling my parents goodbye. You would have thought that I was moving halfway across the country the way my parents carried on about how much they would miss me. I remember my dad crying as I hugged him goodbye and how insensitive I was by telling him that it wasn't a big deal. Little did I realize just how big of a deal it really was. As an 18-year-old, I didn't quite understand the phenomenon known as "the empty nest syndrome." I truly was the last Mohon child to leave the nest. My sister had been gone and married for 6 years, and my brother had been away to college for a year before me. And so, I--their baby--was the last to leave.

I was only gone a year. After a year living on campus at Western, I realized that the "college life" just wasn't for me and so I moved back home. I did well in all my classes (only 3 B's that year; the rest were all A's), but my physical, spiritual, and emotional health were all in one huge chaotic mess. To my heartbreaking dismay, my highschool sweetheart ended our relationship during Christmas break of our freshmen year, and so the next semester was extremely hard for me. I went through a tough time where all I cared about was drinking, tanning, and losing weight (basically, anything I thought that might win back my ex-boyfriend). I didn't realize it at the time, but it was definitely for the best that we parted ways because I found my true soulmate a little bit later in someone who I never imagined I'd end up with. King and I had known each other since I began working at the library in 2005, but I never thought of him as anything more than a good friend. I always knew deep down, without ever truly admitting to myself, that King had always held feelings for me. We officially began our relationship with one another in February 2008 during my sophomore year at Western. I had moved back home with my parents and had cleaned up my act. I had returned to the library and things were looking up. I don't know how I made it through, but looking back in retrospect, I know that it was all part of God's plan for my life. No, He didn't want me to drink or party, but I chose to do those things anyway against His will. He then used those experiences to lead me back home where I would find friendship and true love with King. Eventually, He knew that King and I would both come around and return to Him. And we did. We both started going back to church regularly, and have felt God's presence in our lives more than we ever have. It's so amazing now to look back over the years and see God's handiwork in our lives and how He brought us together and back to Him.

I continued to live at home with my family throughout my undergraduate academic career. As a matter of fact, I'm still living with them and will continue to do so until August 7th, 2010--the day King and I say "I do." Living at home and commuting wasn't easy, by any means. It was tough, but I made it through. I put about 40,000 miles on my car in just 2 1/2 years driving back and forth to Bowling Green (and countless other locations where I traveled for classes, including Brownsville and Glasgow). But in the end, it was all worth it. That B.S. behind my name makes everything that I went through seem so insignificant. And you may be saying, "What's the big deal about just getting a Bachelor's degree? Everybody gets one of those these days." And yes, that may be true. But it doesn't mean that it's any less special for me. I tend to look at it as a stepping stone to something else, like my Master's degree, and then on to whatever God wants me to do afterwards. My Bachelor's degree is that first bump in the road to the rest of my life. And I'm looking forward to finding out where that road will lead. I can only pray that God will give me direction, and that I'll be obedient to follow wherever He calls. And in the mean time, I pray for patience, dilligence, and selflessness to take up my cross daily for His honor and glory. From here on out, every paper I write, every test I take, every presentation I give will be for Him, and not for me. I expect great things out of this Bachelor's degree and my Master's degree to come, and I know God wants to use those for something big and awesome; I just don't know what that something is yet. So I ask that you pray for me as I make the journey of finding out God's will for my life. Recently, I've taken the last phrase in Luke 12:48 as my personal motto and mission for life: "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required" (NKJV). I was blessed exceedingly with a college education, and have been even more blessed to be handed an opportunity to attend graduate school. Because of the blessings that the Lord has given me, I know that much will be required of me in return. God has blessed me; now, it's my turn to bless Him.

Wow. I originally intended for this blog to be a quick update on where I was in terms of school, but it has ended up as so much more. To be honest, I'm not even sure if this blog makes any sense to anyone else but me (and the Lord, of course), but that's ok. I only wrote what came from my heart. I hope this blog has somehow touched someone's life out there in cyberspace. If you're a friend reading this, thanks for being there for me and just being a good friend. I don't have a ton of "friends," but the few ones that I do have are absolutely great (and you know who you are!) So thanks--if I've never said it before. Thanks for encouraging me to stay with school and hang in there. Thanks for riding the commutes with me. And to one special friend who was kind enough to drive me back home from school so I could be with my grandmother during her final moments of life, thank you. I don't think I ever said just how much your sacrifice meant to me. And to another "friend" (a.k.a "King"), thanks for listening to all my complaints about school, especially during the last home stretch. I know I was unbearable, but you made it through with a smiling face and open arms. The next two years are going to be tough, and I'm sorry if my domestic skills never reach super-woman level, but I'm going to try. I just ask for your patience. I know my decision to pursue graduate school will--in a lot of ways--ask you to make lots of sacrifices, and I'm thanking you for those in advance. I'm looking forward to being your wife, and I love you.

Wow, yet again I've amazed myself at how this blog has evolved into something that was not originally intended. I will close now on a lighter note by saying "Happy Graduation to Me!" It's been a long journey, but a good one.

A Wife of Noble Character

Some of you may have noticed where I added a new little phrase into the subtitle of my blog, "A Proverbs 31 Hopeful Living a Set-Apart Life with a Man After God's Own Heart." Most all Christian women are familiar with this passage and may know it as "the virtuous woman" or simply "the Proverbs 31 woman." The heading in my Bible (New Living Translation) states "A Wife of Noble Character." Despite all these different titles or headings, we can all get the picture as to what this scripture passage refers to.

As of right now, I am not a wife. I'm simply a young, engaged woman on the path to marriage and wifehood, and that day may come a little sooner than we originally planned for. King and I had set the date for December, but now we can't help but feel that perhaps, the Lord sees no reason for us to wait. We haven't made any final decisions about the date, but either way, we'll be getting married quite soon. My prayer--nearly every single day--is that God would prepare us for our marriage to come and that He'll give us the qualities we need to be good spouses. I pray that we would love one another more and more each day and that we'll always focus on Christ as the center of our marriage.

I like to think of Proverbs 31 as my wifely motto. I am no where near the type of woman/wife I should be (this is where my prayer about God preparing us and giving us the qualities we need to be good spouses comes in). I am a woman who is completely and utterly domestically-challenged. I can't cook, clean, or really do anything considered as "woman's work." Most of my childhood and young adult life was focused entirely on academics and sports, and so to be honest, I never really had (or perhaps didn't take) the time to learn any of these things. My prayer now is that God would instill these qualities in me so that one day, I might be able to move from a Hopeful to a true virtuous woman.

In the mean time, I thought I would share Proverbs 31 with my readers. Bear with me here because it's kind of long. But if you stick with it, I know you'll get a blessing from it.


A Wife of Noble Character

"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
She is like a merchant's ship,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up before dawn to prepare
breakfast for her household
and plan the day's work for her servant
girls.

She goes to inspect a field and buys it,
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
She has no fear of winter for her
household,
for everyone has warm clothes.

She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple
gowns.
Her husband is well known at the city
gates,
where he stis wiwth the other civic leaders.
She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

She is clothed with strength and
dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with
kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her
household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
"There are many virtuous and capable
women in the world,
but you surpass them all!"

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not
last; but a woman who fears the Lord will
be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her
praises."

Proverbs 31:10-31


My prayer is that one day, my husband will be able to say "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpasss them all!" How I long to hear those words. I know that it will definitely be a challenge to live up to such a high standard, but I know that "I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippiains 4:13 HCSB) and that if I "delight [myself] in the Lord...He will give [me] the desires of [my] heart" (Psalm 37:4 NIV). If I only have faith and trust in God that He will give me the strength I need to become a virtuous woman, then I know He'll come through for me.

Until I hear my husband say those words, I'm going to try my hardest at being the very best Hopeful I can be!

....On My Heart

It is absolutely, awesomely incredible to see the changes that the Lord is instilling in me; in fact, God's presence has never been more visible in my life, my family's lives, and my church's life until just here recently. Man, things are really starting to spark, and I'm anxious to see the fire build.

There have been several things weighing on my heart recently, and I can't even begin to scratch the surface of what all God has placed there upon me.

A few weeks ago, I started reading a book called "The Lost Art of True Beauty" by Leslie Ludy, and she has really opened my eyes to the world beyond ME, someone I find myself getting too wrapped up in each and every day. As a young woman, I have been searching for ways to get passed all the materialistic, vain thoughts and pressures of the secular world and find true beauty that can only come from Christ. In today's society, it's so hard to escape from all the pressures of achieving beauty and making it last. Think about all the things we as women go through just to look beautiful in the world's eyes. Losing weight. Dyeing our hair. Changing outfits 6 times before walking out of the house. Taking diet pills. Going to the tanning bed. Injecting botulism toxin, the most DEADLY poison on the planent, (aka BOTOX)into our faces to reduce wrinkles. And all this for what? So we'll entice other men besides our boyfriends/husbands? To be the center of attention? To look prettier than other women who we consider to be our very best friends? But if you stop and think about it, today's woman is no different and faces no more difficult circumstances than women of past generations, centuries, and millenia have faced. Foot binding, corsets, and lip plates are just a few examples of practices that women have endured over the course of human life.

As I was studying Leslie Ludy's book, I noticed that she kept reiterating selflessness as a mark of a truly beautiful woman. From her book, I was directed to her website, www.setapartgirl.com, and found that a lot of her work goes into helping and advocating for the impoverished, the hungry, orphans, and young women and girls who are forced into prostitution or who have been kidnapped into the sex trafficking industry. Some of the video links and articles that I read literally broke my heart, and I found myself crying out to God for these helpless women and children. My heart aches for these people.

All I can think about is that I'm a young woman about to receive a college degree, living in the most abundantly blessed country in the world, with the freedom to love and marry whomever I choose, without ever worrying where my next meal or drink of water will come from, and who lays down to sleep every night in my own air-conditioned (or heated) bedroom beneath a strong, tin roof. I have over 300 channels of satellite TV in my own room, a closet literally over-flowing with clothes and shoes, and books of my choosing strewn all over the room. And yet, to top it all off, I find myself constantly complaining about my "hard" life--over the silliest, most petty things, like school, not having the most fashionable wardrobe, and my job. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

Some of the best, most influential books we read or sermons we hear are the ones that make us the maddest, simply because they point out our own flaws and sins. As people who sin constantly, we need that extra accountability--that extra person there to help us see what we're doing wrong and what we could do to do better. I am so thankful for Leslie Ludy and her study. She's helped me realize just how selfish and spoiled I really am.

Since beginning her book and after going on her website, I have been asking God for guidance on how I might become selfless. I have felt utterly helpless in helping the world, and so I've really been digging deep to find what it is that the Lord wants me to do. During all this, a Christian radio station that I listen to hosted a Compassion International child sponsorship drive just a few days ago. I thought to myself--maybe, just maybe--this was God's answer to all my prayers. In between classes one day, I went online and investigated the organization's website--just to check for legitimacy--and decided to look through the list of children who needed sponsors. Because I have felt a strong gravitation toward Cambodia, Thailand, and India (due to the booming sex trafficking industry in those countries), I wanted to search for a young girl there to support. Some of these young girls are as young as 6, 7, and 8 years old, and I become absolute enraged at the depravity of this world when I think of my own niece--who is 8--and how if she lived in one of these Asian countries, she might be in a brothel right now waiting to solicit a local or tourist. With that in mind, I narrowed my search to an Indian, 8-year-old female. I found a young girl, read her profile, and felt confident that the Lord was calling me and K. to support her. As I scrolled back up to the top of the screen, I happened to look at her name again. To my surprise and literal jaw-dropping shock, this young girl and I share the same last name! To think that a white, Kentucky girl like me-- with one of the most unique last names I've ever heard--could share a last name with a young Indian girl on the opposite side of the world! I knew from then on, from that moment of the metaphorical red, neon arrow pointing to that little girl on my screen, that this was God's answer to my prayers. And so, K. and I have decided to sponsor this precious little girl in India, and we're more than excited to start the process! I know that it's goinng to be a truly amazing experience that K. and I will treasure for the rest of our lives.

I say all this to encourage you to look beyond yourself and evaluate your own selflessness. I have noticed that in my own life, I have begun to experience more joy and happiness out of thinking less of myself and valuing others as more important. I am not saying that you have to sponsor a child to become selfless; in fact, there are many ways that we can all do this in our everyday lives. Send a card to someone you appreciate and often take for granted. Babysit for a couple who needs a night out. Lend someone a quarter at a vending machine. Sometimes, the simplest acts of kindness mean the most to us. Leslie Ludy mentions in her book that she calls these acts "rainbow sprinkles" on top of the ice cream: they brighten someone's ice cream eating experience just by being that little extra something on top.

This story is just one of the many things that the Lord has placed on my heart. I'm anxiously waiting to see what He is going to do from this day forward. The best is yet to come...

"Beautiful, Beautiful" Lyrics Share

I've been listening to Christian Family Radio (stationed out of Bowling Green, KY) for about a year now. Maybe not quite 12 months, but still pretty close. I had been an every-so-often, casual listener before, but now I just can't part from it. It's such an uplifting radio station that provides me with a daily dose of refreshing, inspiring music and devotionals. It's not like any other radio station I've ever listened to. When I listen, I feel as if Suze, Derek, and Dale are right there in the car with me just hanging out and having a good time, while still talking about God and His amazing love for us! Great DJs! You can really tell how just how devoted and Christ-focused they are at CFR! If you're not in the listening area, then check them out online at http://www.christianfamilyradio.com/!

Saying all this, I wanted to point out how CFR turned me on to Francesca Battistelli. Her music is absolutely amazing! K. and I had been planning a much needed trip to Lifeway for this past Friday, and it was there that we bought the Francesca Battistelli CD "My Paper Heart." Her newest song "Beautiful Beautiful" is literally, and quite fittingly, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It really shows how even though we sometimes look down on ourselves and wonder how God could ever look at us in love, He still does, every minute of every day. Here are the lyrics. I hope they speak to your heart as much as they have to mine.





Beautiful, Beautiful


Don't know how it is You looked at me
And saw the person that I could be
Awakening my heart
Breaking through the dark
Suddenly Your grace

(Chorus)

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, Beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful, Beautiful

Now there's a joy inside I can't contain
But even perfect days can end in rain
And though it's pouring down
I see You through the clouds
Shining on my face

(Chorus)

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful, Beautiful

I have come undone
But I have just begun
Changing by Your grace

(Chorus)
Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful Beautiful

While these lyrics might just seem like any other contemporary Christian song, you should really listen to it to get the full effect. I guarantee you'll get a blessing from it! Check it out!

I Wear Different Dresses

You know the phrase about wearing different kinds of hats? Well, I wear different kinds of dresses. Literally.

Last Friday, I picked up my wedding dress, and just a few days ago, I picked up my cap and gown for graduation! Ahhhh.....life is so good right now.

ASIDE: Not to mention, I'll be getting a new Easter dress within the next few days. Actually, I can't decide whether to go with a dress or a nice blouse/sweater/pants combo. But I digress...

As I mentioned, life is good. I feel like these two "dresses"--being my wedding dress and my graduation gown--are symbolic for a very big transitional stage. I'll always be young at heart, but I feel as if I'm putting away my girlhood and finally growing into a woman. I'll no longer be a young, immature student, but a wife and college graduate. I'll be venturing out into the world to do whatever it is that God calls me to do.

This is going to be such a big change for me, and I'm a little anxious to see how the next few months are going to play out. In my mind, I'm ready. I'm more than ready to graduate and definitely looking forward to getting married. But I think that as time draws nearer for these big changes to occur, stress and anxiety will manage to weasel their way into my life. They always do. I just need to stay positive and thank God each and every day for getting me through this far and giving me great friends and family who have encouraged me every step of the way. It's going to be an exciting year, and I can't wait to wear all my different "dresses."

A Little Thing Called "An Introduction"

I'm extremely excited about my new blog. I have a feeling deep down inside my heart that it's going to be a wonderful experience. Let me begin my very first blog by introducing myself.

I'm an early twenty-something, more than happily-engaged, and finishing up my last semester at a university in Kentucky. No, I do not attend the University of Kentucky, for those of you who think it's the only school in the state. I attend one of the other major schools in the state (I'll give you a hint: GO TOPS!) My life has been consumed with school ever since I was 5 years old, and frankly, I'm ready to be finished. Yay for graduation in May! I'm more than ready...
My fiance and I will be getting married in December 2010. Only a little under 9 months until the big day! We're ecstatic! More than that...we're in love! As corny and silly as that may sound, it's true. I have never looked more forward to anything than marrying my best friend. If you notice my blog's name, "A Match in the Stacks," then you may wonder what exactly that means. Well, King and I met working in our town's public library. We're both avid readers (as you can probably tell by our picture when we dressed as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger for Halloween). Some of the best memories I have are of King and myself discussing books on into the late hours of the night. God thought too highly of me when he blessed me with a guy like King.

King and I will soon be working on the house we're going to be living in as a newlywed couple. It is an old, yet charming little farmhouse that is situated on his family's property, and I can't wait to dig my hands into the project! Lots of painting is in order, and what's more...flower gardening! King gave me several different kinds of seeds/bulbs for my birthday, and we're just waiting for it to warm up a little bit before we can plant them. This is the beginning of my journey to find my green thumb. You know those little old ladies who spend hours and hours each and every day out in their beds trying to beautify their homes? That'll be me one day. I'm really looking forward to planting those flowers around our home!

I suppose this small introduction will do for now. My father is beckoning me for my chauffeur servicing. Until later....T.