Rachel Toone: All right, good morning. Welcome.And as you guys know how this goes, I start off with the most important question. Landon, what is your favorite Christmas movie?
Landon: I would have to say National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Rachel Toone: Some Chevy Chase, the squirrel in the tree—that’s good. That’ll preach the gospel right there. All right, Landon, tell us a little bit about you. What have you studied? What is your major? And what is going to happen after December 12th when we kick you out?
Landon: I am majoring in Christian Ministry. And after I graduate, I plan on applying to Gordon-Conwell Seminary.
Rachel Toone: Yes! For where all the best minds go, if I may say. That’s my alma mater, so I heartily approve of that plan. Awesome. Are you thinking of going to the Charlotte or Hamilton campus?
Landon: Charlotte. That’s the Plan.
Rachel Toone: So cool. Love it. I’m so proud of you, my friend. All right, Landon, where are you from and how did you end up at Montreat Nation?
Landon: I was originally born in Alabama, but I’ve lived all over; I went to nine different schools growing up. I came here from Marietta, Georgia, on a wrestling scholarship. The coach found me at a wrestling tournament. I had visited a few colleges, but when I came here, obviously it was extremely gorgeous. The person touring us explained the small community—how he had personally had dinner and coffee with all of his professors and it attracted me. I didn’t have a relationship with God at the time, but for some reason, I just thought I could get to know the Lord here. So I decided to commit and came to Montreat.
Rachel Toone: You can clap for that for sure! So you said before coming to Montreat, you didn’t have a relationship with the Lord, and now you’re a Christian Ministry major going into seminary. Something happened. What is something that God has taught you during your time here?
Landon: Well, I got saved here after my freshman year in my dorm room.
Rachel Toone: Let’s hear it for that, please, for crying out loud, people!
Landon: As for what God taught me—there’s a lot. I think if you’re a senior or you’re in college, everyone can probably relate to struggling with what your purpose will be after you graduate. I’ve wrestled with that and prayed about it a lot. The Lord keeps reminding me that you can’t keep focusing on what your purpose is going to be in the future, because He has given me a purpose in the present: to be a good follower of Christ, to love my wife properly, to be a good student, to be a good teammate, and to be a good athlete. There’s plenty to pursue now instead of just focusing on what could be. Focus on what can be now.
Rachel Toone: Come on! I’m going off-script, Landon, but would you mind sharing a little bit more about what it was like when you came to the Lord? You said you got saved in your dorm room. What happened with that?
Landon: Not to get too into it, but I never knew God growing up. My father was a heroin addict and my mom was an alcoholic. I had a rougher upbringing and was a very broken human being. During my freshman year, I just reached a point where I woke up in my dorm one morning, looked in the mirror, and felt like God showed me how broken I was. I just knew I needed a Savior. It’s hard to explain, but I hit my knees and just wept in my dorm room.I can’t explain it but I just knew Christ was there, and He told me, “I’ve been here all along.” My life shifted after that. During my sophomore year, I walked up and declared my major in Christian Ministry, and I’ve pursued that ever since.
Rachel Toone: Again, sorry for going off-script, but from that moment, what did you notice when you said your life shifted? What changed in you?
Landon: I feel like I had to relearn everything, honestly—the way I carried myself, laying down my addictions and my habits. I had attached myself to a lot of things, like pornography, drinking, and smoking. I had a lot of heart change to make, and I couldn’t have done it without Christ. I wouldn’t have been able to marry that woman over there if it wasn’t for God. I needed a serious heart change for that.
Rachel Toone: So good. Well, Landon, it sounds like there have been some major things that happened in your life in the last few years and some things you’ve learned and that God has taught you and how the Lord has grown and changed you. For the folks in the room who are coming back in the spring, what’s a word of wisdom you have for them?
Landon: As I mentioned before, sometimes your eyes can be so focused on the plans for the future that you forget to enjoy the little things in the present. I want to encourage you to slow down and remember that you only get this once. You’ll never be here again. Enjoy the ability to learn and gain knowledge. Enjoy your friends, your team, and your teammates. Enjoy the professors and the community. Enjoy it while you can. It’s good to have plans and goals, but there is a purpose now right where you are at. Not everything is about the future; remember to enjoy the present.
Rachel Toone: It’s good. It’ll preach, Landon. Well, brother, we are very excited for you, very proud of you, and we love you. Congratulations on graduating.