Passion University Tour reaction

I went to a concert on Thursday featuring Charlie Hall and Kristian Stanfill, two singers in the Christian genre. I really enjoyed it! The music was very good, the guys themselves are both extremely talented and the atmosphere was very vibrant and electric. It was a great night overall, I loved it! I even came away with pictures and autographs, so it was a great nice overall. :)

I guess the part that stuck with me most out of all of the experience was the simple fact that they were Christian. I don't know, you never think that you have any connection with a singer, an actor or an athlete of any fame until you get to somewhat know them and realize that they have a connection with you that is simply beyond anything you could ever think of to be possible. For some reason, I forget that people are all just simply people. Every singer or athlete is simply a normal person like you or I, so they have gone through the same things that we non-celebrities go through.

So, saying that, it blows my mind for some strange reason that someone like a Kristian Stanfill, Charlie Hall, Josh Hamilton, Ben Zobrist, Tim Tebow or anyone else of that nature shares the same religious beliefs that I do. It's hard to explain and it seems a little silly-sounding at first, but I feel a strong sense of joy from it, from how so many different people are affected by it. How a simple connection like religion is able to connect so many different people in general just astounds me beyond words.

Yeah, the concert was kinda awesome!!

Hess Community Group

Every Tuesday night brings me great joy. VFC's Community Groups always have provided with a great mid-week break from school and other parts of life to meet in small group settings and discuss the previous message, another aspect of Christian life, or just to hang out and have fellowship amongst the people of Hess or any of the other dorms.

With the goal of building community within the respective dorms on campus, VFC has successfully been able to gather in each of the UT dorms and built a communal presence in each residence hall that has spread God around.

Coming in last year at the very beginning, I have been a member of Hess's Community Group (http://www.facebook.com/pages/VFC-Hess-Community-Group/133540976699283). Living in one of the largest (if not the largest) of the dorms on campus, I have witnessed and have been a part of the growth of the community within Hess. It has been amazing seeing how God has worked within the students that have come to the weekly meetings. New kids have gotten plugged into VFC, the Word and message of God has been expressed and discussed, and returning member have created stronger bonds with each other.

Sitting in 3 Spoons tonight, enjoying my cup of Cake Batter and Vanilla-mixed frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles, the fellowship of Hess was omnipresent. In a time where our leaders were out, the rest of the Mission Team members stepped up and provided an atmosphere that, at least in my opinion, served those new people that came and enjoyed healthy, frozen goodness.

I've mentioned many times over how the adjustment from freshman to sophomore has impacted me within VFC specifically, but I know that I have grown through God. Being able to help run a time of fellowship with all the communication glitches and overall questions throughout this first semester has shown that He is faithful to our group and will serve and provide in times of need.

What happens at Barstucks, stays at Barstucks

Sitting at my computer in a local coffee shop with certain friends, there is a certain ambiance surrounding the room. One is gnawing on a coffee stirrer while either looking at pictures of babies, recipes or talking about Stumbling. One is just chilling out, not having to do any work whatsoever, usually deep in thought. Another is sleeping after studying for seemingly eternity before having to wake up for another unheard of hours. Another is reading the bible, looking up in her glasses look every now and then to stare at me and/or laugh at some ridiculously hilarious event and/or flicking me in the ear. The other one is actually being a fairly good student, studying for most of the time, until he either has to stare at me or someone else, bob his head to techno, or just flat-out be weird. And then, there's me. Homework for the night has ceased and the time is now reserved for surfing, Facebooking and listening to practically anything and everything on Facebook. 

From here, the indoor part will close at 12, allowing the party to shift outside, where more hanging out and deep conversations will ensue and take place. 

And this happens pretty much every night. 

It's awesome. What started as a once in a while hangout has turned into a routine thing. Homework gets done, friendships are strengthened and all are even held accountable for all that they have done since the time before. After a long and sometimes stressful day, having a place to relax, veg, and chill is very much needed and appreciated. 

Life recap 9/8/11

The skies have been gray and gloomy for what seems like forever, but more like a week. The unheard of amounts of rain have dampened the three weeks of sunshine that welcomed me to UT, but it has failed in stopping life altogether here on Rocky Top.

Classes are classes. While many are about to go into the first week of class back up North, I am already in week four of classes here. The first wave of tests and major assignments are on the horizon like a hurricane coming to land. Overall, the work is challenging, interesting, but not too bad yet. A lot of reading, but that's the worst of it so far.

Football opened the year off with a nicely-played 26-point beatdown of Montana last Saturday. The day started off with another day of sweltering heat, was followed by a shock monsoon (the first rain of the school year) that delayed the start of the game by an hour and a half, and was then followed by comfortable temperatures. I went through all this in full blazer, pants, tie, belt, etc. It was brutal, at least for the half an hour that I spent outside.

Yeah, I was in the skybox. No big deal, really. As a Student Alumni Associate, I took advantage of one of the many perks associated with the great organization. Free catered food, conversations with trustees and other important people, and views of gameday that are unmatched at any other location. Yes. I am quite happy!!

In other parts, VFC is amazing, as always. Being a part of the Mission Team is such a great joy and privilege for me. I love serving VFC and the campus community, especially for something as important to me as God is. At this point last year, I was the new person that was being reached out to left and right. I've said time and time before how important that was for me in terms of my growth. If I could be anything close to how everyone was to me last year, then that's what I want to do. The emotions and feelings of going down a path like I went down is crazy and still very fresh in my mind. I want to serve these guys as best as I can, making sure any questions or concerns they have are met wholeheartedly.

One of the most encouraging aspects of VFC is absolutely the number of people that are coming around. Coming to events at a Christian ministry is a choice. No one is ever forcing it upon anyone, so it makes it that much more encouraging to know that the numbers are much higher than in prior years. That is also true for the other ministries. I have heard stories of increasing numbers in CRU, Navigators, Chi Alpha, BCM, etc. It is such a blessing to see such an increase in people coming around and wanting to be a part of the Christian life.

So life is pretty sweet overall! The family is coming down this week!!!! Super excited about that!!!

An attempt at justification

My last blog post was uncalled for. Once again, my emotions and frustrations got the best me. As a Christian, one of the biggest aspects is the love we share for everyone, believer or not. Am I frustrated? Yes, but no matter how stressed or frustrated I get, I need to be patient, no matter how long. I mean, I was at this state last year: hard-hearted, turning away from Him. It took me from the beginning of the school year to Easter weekend to finally figure it out. Everyone was more than patient with me, so why shouldn't I give the same patience in return? I am convicted. The scriptures around Luke 6:36 are extremely convicting in this situation. Patient prayer is the answer in this situation, not public outburst.

I'm sorry.