Why Phi Lamb.

 I've been putting off writing a new blog post since.. Last year. Cool. I just didn't know what to write about but, I thought I'd start 2014 with something ridiculously important to me: Sigma Phi Lambda, my sorority. For those of you who have never heard of Phi Lamb, good! Let me tell you a little bit about it.

 The word sorority means sisterhood, but it sometimes gets a negative connotation due to hazing, the usage of the words 'ritual' and 'initiation' and the partying. That being said, some of you may know that I was in a Panhellenic sorority during my freshman year at Mizzou. I never experienced hazing, there were no violating rituals, and initiation wasn't some crazy party where we danced barefoot in the woods or whatever (you wouldn't believe what some people have asked in regards to my initiation). I am no longer in that sorority for several reasons, one of the biggest being the fact that I never felt like I truly belonged, I never felt that I was home. Phi Lamb has changed everything for me.

 I saw a flyer in Memorial Union about rush this fall and thought it would be interesting to at least check out. I did a little research and found out that Sigma Phi Lambda stands for Sisters for the Lord, which I thought was pretty cool. I'd been looking for a way to connect with some other Christians on campus because a prior commitment to my a cappella group caused a schedule conflict with the campus ministry that I wanted to attend.

 I walked into rush on the first night and I saw a girl from my a cappella group and was seriously surprised. Now that I think about it, I totally remember Erin wearing a Phi Lamb shirt to rehearsal. Erin talked to me a little bit about Phi Lamb and introduced me to some girls and I immediately felt comfortable. I wasn't able to attend all of the rush events, but I could tell from the first night that these girls were so beautiful, welcoming, smart, and full of God's love. These girls were people that I'd dreamed of being friends with years before college started. During sorority recruitment, I'd heard countless women cry about the moment that they knew that their sorority was home and I never felt that until my first night with Phi Lamb.

 Every sisterhood event, every chapter, every Monday afternoon with my prayer group, every crazy banner-painting late-night Walmart run, every pledge meeting, every pledge family dinner, and every time I see my sisters I thank God for the wonderful women that He put in my life. Every single woman in my sorority inspires and encourages me to be more like God every day. I might not be close to all of them, but I am so extremely blessed to be included in a group of people who will pray for me and accept me for exactly who I am. I can't stress enough how much of a positive impact they have made in my life, so rush Phi Lamb. It will be the best decision that you ever make.