Craziness

Physical/Emotional
Well my fitness class is coming to a close and I'm not gonna lie I am quite ready for it to be over. It's not that I don't like to work on my fitness, it's just that I don't really like the format of the class which is circuit training. I am however pretty impressed with myself in that I increased my reps. and weight this week. I hope that I can continue in my drive to work out once my class is over, but I guess we'll see. Emotionally I've just really been in focus mode. With my days becoming more and more busy I really need to ensure that I properly delegate my tasks and leave little room for non-productivity. It may sound like I have no fun, but there is defiantly a time for play which is still a task in itself.
Academic
These last few days have been some of the busiest and exhausting days academically for me. I feel like all of my professors had a meeting and said "let's all give Christopher homework at the same time". I have had project overload. You know I wouldn't mind it I have a lot of small things due for each class but noooo these are like life or death assignments. There's more to come of course but hopefully the worst is behind me.
Social
You know I've really had tons of fun since the last time I've written. I have been traveling a lot the past couple weekends with the universities Gospel Choir. Last weekend we went to Reed City,MI which took a whopping six hours to get to but hey who's counting!?!?! I got the privilege of staying in this sweet house with great people and we were able to share some great times with them. The service went well and the people really seemed to enjoy us and our ministry and they even welcomed us back. So that was a couple weeks ago, this past weekend the Gospel Choir had our Fall Concert. This was truly an event that the hand of God was on. We faced many road blocks as a choir and they all seemed to fall into place on the day of the concert. We planned to have at least 750 people show up and we actually exceeded that goal by hundreds. In this the officers of the choir including myself were elated.
Spiritual
Through my prayer time I have really felt what I believe to be the nudging of the Holy Spirit to really just live a life of brokenness before God. Being a singer or any performer it can become very easy to let egos and pride get in the way of what God wants to do in, through, and around you. There is a song that I heard recently and it talks about simply being invisible before men so that it won't be an individual that anyone sees, but they would rather see the God within. So it is my prayer that I will decrease that God may increase, for it is no longer I who live but Christ that lives in me.

Balance

Physical/Emotional
There isn't much to share this time around concerning my physical state. I've been in the gym every Mon. & Wed. for cardio and lifting and I do my best to go for a run on Friday's. I haven't seen very much visible improvement as far as muscle but yaaa whatever lol. I do bring good news concerning my cardio. A few weeks ago I was just walking from work to class and I was singing and noticed that I was lacking a bit in the Oxygen department. That my friends is not so much what I want to lack as its more not what I want. (ya try to wrap you mind around that one ;-D) So I've begun to pay a little more attention to my cardio workout regiment. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress.
Academic
Since that last time I wrote to you I've taken a quiz, two tests, and a mid-term. So it is clear that the course load is beginning to reach its peak, or at least I hope so lol. Tomorrow officially starts mid-semester class here at Olivet. I have the privilege of having two of those classes. One being "Sharing Your Faith" and the other "Technology Today". I'll be letting you know what my thoughts are on those classes soon. A couple weeks ago I joined the Olivet Marketing Association which I am pretty excited about. In this Assoc. we will make contacts in the local area and find those business who perhaps have no marketing team or maybe no marketing plan at all. Our hope is to become exactly what that company may be lacking. So I believe so great things will come out of my time with the club. I'll be sure to keep informed on our progress.
Social
I have really been having a lot of fun these past few weeks. I am beginning to invest more of my time into friends that were more like an acquaintance before. I've never been one to want tons of friends but I would rather have solid friends who are deserving of the title. I feel like I am starting to find out who those people are in my life. A prayer that I've asked of God often is that He would give me God ordained relationships and that any relationship that is not pleasing to Him be severed from my life. I've seen it happen time and time again where people I thought to be the greatest friend turned out to be the Judas in my life. But I trust the plan and the promises of God so I am able to keep the spirit of joy through the rougher stages of life. As far as activity goes in my life I am being forced to find that balance I am in need of. Juggling the plates of work, school, relationships, and my spiritual needs it becomes a bit much. I'm finding that dwelling on any of my "needs" to much causes a disturbance in the process or the growth of others.

Coming up at the end of this week we here at Olivet will begin our homecoming festivities. Some of the activities include a homecoming chapel service where both current students and alumni will come together for a time of spiritual growth, a powder puff football, men's & women's basketball, and the "Taste of Olivet" all on Friday alone. Saturday holds a 5k run, ONU varsity football game, men's & women's soccer, a homecoming pops concert, and a contemporary Christian comedy and concert show. There will also be this year a Men's choir reunion which as a current member I have the privilege of being a part of. I hopefully will be able to upload some pictures from this event so you can share in these moments with me.
Spiritual
It has been on my heart recently to live a life that is completely yielded and broken before God. I was discussing this exact topic with some guys a couple days ago. I feel that Christians myself included only take time to fellowship and talk to God when we feel the circumstances of life require them. That is not at all how a Christian should behave. We must realize that God created His people to bring Him praise. It seems to me that those who call themselves believers spend more time at God's hands always asking for something and not nearly enough time at His feet thanking Him for what it is He's already done. So I think what I really desire of God is that He would bring me back to humble beginnings. May God help me to maintain a humble spirit in the high places He desires for me to be.

Back To The Basics

So for a while here I want to try and put my blogs into categories for easier reading and navigation of the page. The list will be: Physical/Emotional, Academic, Social, and Spiritual.
Physical/Emotional
In these last couple of weeks I have felt every feeling I think God allows any human to experience. I've found what it is to be ridiculously excited about something spanning all the way to feeling probably pretty close to the worst I felt in a while physically.
Academic
I am finally getting into my rhythm as I eluded to in my previous blog. I am beginning to see what each course will require of me outside of class as far as time and yes even patience. Things are really going well for me academically this year there are a few things that need to be tweaked as I keep moving through this semester, but I'm confident that they will all soon be worked out.
There is one class that I am thoroughly enjoying this semester. The class is an upper division course in the Business Major called Organizational Behavior. This class attempts to look into how and why each individual business has its very own culture, pattern, or way of doing things. We also look to see why it is that some behaviors work in only certain locations while in others they are pretty much voided out. This class, because of how the prof. chooses to run it, challenges each student to really think as though each of us are already business owners. It has a very open discussion format and it causes one to feel that you are in a room of young business professionals discussing some topics of great importance, and for me that is the kind of environment I feel that I can thrive in.
Social
The past couple weeks have had some moments that were great fun. ONU hosted a back to school block party where they rented huge inflatables, had carnival like games, smoothies all night, elephant ears and just all around good times. I really enjoyed it so much because there was such a common goal of our campus that weekend and that was to enjoy being back together after the summer and really just to enjoy a time of fellowship together. Later on in that weekend I got the chance to go to one of my favorite Japanese grills with a great group of people for one of our friends birthday. The next day being Saturday I went up to Chicago for the Red Bull contest and hit up a few stores while there. I will put up pictures from both of the above moments very soon.
The following weekend I had retreat for Olivet's men's ensemble Testament. We had a great grill out on Friday night and then we had breakfast together and we of course did a little practicing. We later met the other music ensembles for lunch where we were encouraged and briefed on the events for the year.
Now this brings us to this weekend where I'll be on retreat for the Gospel Choir here at Olivet. Being the chaplain for the choir I'm very excited to have this time of fellowship with the choir as we begin to unite as a choral group but even more as a ministry. Are traveling schedule will be picking up soon here so it is my desire that we be on one accord spiritually first before we go out into the mission field.
Spiritual
God has been working on my heart with many issues lately. Last year I went through a overhaul of every relationship in my life searching to find those that were dead weight or those that weren't willing to go with me to the places God has been calling me. It also helped me to re-evaluate my level of sowing and reaping from each. Now I feel that God is really calling my attention back to the basics. I am brought to the point where I am beginning to ensure that my motives are pure in everything I do and ultimately wanting to bring my heart back to my first love which is God. As I grow older I am finding more and more that truly on my own I am nothing but with the help of God and God alone he is helping me to reach for greatness. May it be said of me that I lived a life sold out for God and I was committed to doing His work. Because truthfully in the end all I want to hear are these simple words, "Well done my good and faithful servant".

My 2nd "Fresh Start"

I've once again started a new week here at Olivet. I like to think of at least the first few weeks, as a fresh start for me. It's a chance to iron out some of those imperfections that I created along the way and to really create my pattern or rhythm of doing things. So as of yesterday I'm on my second fresh start. This week is filled with some sure to be exciting moments for me.
Last week was very business structured and had a very serious tone to it all. It was filled with meetings and gatherings for the various clubs that I participate in. I started back to work at the Admissions office and also at the campus based radio station. So things are steadily beginning to fall back in place here at school.
This week I have the opportunity to sit on the panel of judges for our campus Gospel Choir auditions. Yesterday marked the beginning of our three day audition process and it was surely a interesting time, and good times were shared by all. I am super excited to continue in this selection process and I look forward to hearing even more great singers and greater testimonies.
Later in the week because of my role in the music department here at Olivet I will be attending the Music Department Retreat where all of the departments instrumental and choral ensembles will join together in worship and for a time of fellowship. After that I'll be taking my first trip of the year back home for a family birthday party, which is sure to provide some refreshing times.
So I have some great things going on in my life and I look forward to being able to share it with those of you who will read and share in these moments with me. Stay Tuned...