Graduation

Graduation is an exciting time; there is cake, parties, confetti, and most importantly, walking across the stage. After a few days, however, you are left with the feeling of what you should do next in your life. Some may choose to go to school, while others venture straight into working. If you choose to go to school, you are left with the daunting question of which one to choose, and likewise if you choose to head immediately into the working field. This overwhelming feeling met me as I graduated high school. My parents, knowing that going to college would greatly help me in life with doing what God has called me to do, began to question me of what God was calling me to do. To this question, I had no answer. Then one day in the last week of July in 2008, it literally suddenly hit me that I was to go to Point University (or Atlanta Christian College at that time). Looking back, this is one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

As I near graduation from Point University, I feel these feelings beginning to creep up on me again. Do I go to graduate school? If so, what should I major in and which school? Where am I called to work at? In case some of you may have these questions, I want to remind you something God showed me a few years ago and has reminded me of lately: that He has everything under control. In His time and when we surrender our hearts to listen to His guidance, God will impart to us the plan that He has for us. For me coming to Point University, it came a few weeks before classes began. I do not know God’s plan for your life, but I do know that He knows everything about you, even the hairs on your head. He knows you so intimately and has a bigger and greater plan than you could ever imagine. Thankfully, we are not alone in figuring out this plan, for He is with us every moment of every day guiding us on each step to take along our paths.

“God has created each of us with a unique contribution to make to our world and our times. No other person ahs our same abilities, motivations, network of friends and relationships, perspectives, ideas, or experiences…Jesus did not ask the disciples to do the impossible; He asked only for them to bring to Him what they had”—Richard Stearns, The Hole In Our Gospel

Lori

Lasting Bonds

By: A.S.B. Jr.

John 15:14-17

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

To my fellow access classmates I understnad the challenges that we must face and the differents hats we must put on from being a student to a husband/wife to father/mother and even having a job. I pray along with you that we continue to remeber why we said yes to God, wither your are a freshman or about to graduate rememebr the call and the charge to helping out each of your fellow classmates.I really have a deep love for my friends, all of them; there is nothing greater to me in my life than to share in the bond of friendship. I quiteoften make new friends, now of course there are different things I may share with particular individuals because of their needs and my own personal needs. There are certain friends that I must be careful with… And so with Jesus who seems to giveus an open invitation into being his friend; the kicker is he has already chosen you to become his friend, it was already done before you even heard of Jesus. Some people right now who are cursing out God don’t know yet thatJesus has already chosen us in becoming his friend, whether you are an Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, orjust plain don’t care about who God or Jesus is, that’s all fine but he already knows you are his friend. Can someone stop this from happening? HELL NO!

Taking the time to communicate with Jesus as if he were sittingright there with you, saying things like “Jesus, allow me to have a good day,” starting with conversation can build anybody’s relationship with God. People who make their friendship official in Jesus,share and communicate with each other all the time. I was speaking to a friend the other day about how close she was to graduating college, we both reflected on the challenges we faced while in school. Another friend called me early in the morning about some personal family problems, we talked and what was so interesting was that he started to speak hope and life into me more so then what he first though he needed. That’s how friends of God are supposed to operate; not always concerned about ourselves but for the well-being of others.Thatis what God expects us to do.

Speak to him, I guarantee He is listening.

Saturdays, Sushi, and Seminary.

I seriously like alliterations. Like, if I couldn't come up with an alliteration for a title, I would find a way to make it happen. I'm thinking you will learn which posts are mine by simply the titles. Finals are approaching, and Thanksgiving is around the corner (expect another post from me after/during break, where I will post tons of pictures of food (probably), family (maybe), and Charleston (definatly)...but until then, let me give you a thorough update on how the semester is going...click below for the details!

Dreams

I had a very rewarding experience in my last class, Interpersonal Effectiveness. One of the assignments was to create a weekly Devotional and Prayer. It was a very introspective way to reflect what we were all feeling inside. We were asked to use our strengths in the completion of this assignment.

While doing this assignment I was going through what I will call a "dark period" in my life. It seemed as if everywhere I turned was a dead end. I just couldn't see where God was working in my life, even though I confess to be a Christian and say that I love Him. The only thing that I could see was what was going wrong, instead of what was going right. I still have a roof over my head; my utilities are still on and I even have Direct TV. So what was causing me to only see the darkness?

As I began to write my Devotional/Prayers I came across a poem by Langston Hughes simply called "Dreams". It reads: Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird, That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, For when dreams go, Life is a barren field, Frozen with snow." This was how I was seeing my life but the poem helped me to realize that when I let go of my dreams I let go of God. Writing my Devotional/Prayers also helped me to learn that when I am in my darkest place is when God's light shines on me the brightest and all I have to do to see it is open my eyes.

As you go through your own dark times remember that God's light is shining on you. Simply open your eyes to see it.

Mud, Caves, & Rainbow Trout That Bite!!!

On Friday Nov.11,2011, a group of 20 Point University students left for on a daring adventure with the Sunday Night Live team. We were all so excited about the trip because we were going to spend the night in a cave in Sweetwater, TN. The Lost Sea Adventure (the cave) contains the largest underground lake in the U.S. and the Second largest in the world. As we arrived at our destination we strapped on our combat boot/tennis shoes, head lamps, jackets, and backpack and walked up a small portion of the mountain the cave resides in and from there walked down around 180 steps at a 45 degree angle. after setting up camp we were taken on a tour of the cave and a boat ride on the lake. on the boat we were told that many years ago that scientist put rainbow trout in the lake to see in they would find their way out (obviously they didn't). A student asked if they could put their hand in the water, the tour guide replied, "if you do it will be freezing cold and since we always feed the trout on every boat ride, you may get bitten." After the fair warning she sticks her hands into the water, not even 2 minutes later she screamed, " OH MY GOSH ONE OF THEM BIT ME!!!" It would have to say that was one of the funnest things that happened on the trip. So after the boat ride and the tour we went and crawled through the tight spaces on the cave. By the time we were getting ready to settle down for the night we were all covered in mud and looked like oompaloompas for Wonka's Chocolate Factory. The next day we left and spent an awesome day at the Coolridge Park in Chattanooga, TN. I tell the truth after I came back from the trip I never appreciated a nice long shower until then.

Last Class

Monday, November 14, 2011 was a bittersweet night for me. There are people that I have been going through this educational journey with, who will be graduating this December. While I'm happy that they have reached the end of this journey, I am also sad because I will miss them terribly.

The life of an Access student is a little different from that of the Traditional student. Even though we only meet once a week, most of us who started together have somehow managed to be in the same class for the entire time that we have been at Point (ACC) University. We all came together in the gym, way back in January of 2010. At that time little did we know that we would form lifelong friendships and become such an integral part of each others lives.

We marked this milestone with a potluck dinner and lots of hand claps and congratulations for those who are moving on. I want to take this time to publicly let all of my friends, and the other graduates, know that this is not the end, but just the beginning. I know that we will all meet again someday. I wish you all the blessings that God has to give, and I look forward to following in your footsteps in May of 2012.

SNL Fall Retreat

This weekend, along with 18 other students from
Point, I went on the Sunday Night Live Fall Retreat. Sunday Night Live is a weekly student-led worship service on campus. We went to Sweetwater, Tennessee to The Lost Sea Adventure, a cave and underground lake.

We spent the night in the cave after taking a ride on a glass bottom boat on the largest underground lake in America. It is filled with 2-foot long rainbow trout. While our guide, Collin, was feeding the fish, Point student Twana was running her hand through the water. One of the fish bit her finger and made it bleed!

We explored the cave and squeezed through little tunnels and cracks in the wet, red clay mud. It was definitely a team effort to get everyone through all of the tunnels. Each part we explored had a fitting name, like The Grinder or Misery.On Saturday we went to Coolidge Park in Chattanooga and had a cook out. We played Flag Football, Ultimate Frisbee, and had a lot of fun in a hammock!

I love doing things that I have never done before. At Point that happens all the time!!

Fun

There's a mood shift you experience as you enter the second half of your college experience. Freshman year was fun--there's no other word for it. All my classes were incredibly easy and I spent a majority of my time hanging out in the cafeteria or McKinney's. I went to Dwarf House and goofed around and it was fun.

My sophomore year I started to get a little more serious about classes, but I still did a good bit of goofing off. Most of my free time was spent with friends and again, it was lots of fun.

This year is different. I'm more driven, less inwardly focused and more concerned with the future. Many of my friends are graduating and they're leading by example: what will I be doing in two years? Where will I be? What kind of plans do I have for myself? I'm still having fun, but the purpose is not the fun. The purpose is for what's coming next.

But it's still a lot of fun.

THE REAL...Life at Point

What is life really like at Point you ask?

Well, let me just tell you about it... Do you see the two girls and guy in the picture at the top of this page? They are my friends :)
This picture is so welcoming if you ask me. Point is filled with faces like these! The pictures on the billboards as you drive down the roads, the faces on the website, the personalities you meet at our Point University booths during conventions...It is all real. We love where we are in life. Life at this school is different from your average university in Atlanta. We party a different kind of way if you catch my drift.

God has blessed me so much by allowing me to come to this school! I look at my life, beginning and end, and I think...I will never again get the chance to be in a Christian environment such as this! A place filled with loving, yet struggling believers; the same age as me, going through the same kind of life obstacles, and relationship struggles, etc. College just amazes me!

Where am I going with this blog...? Point has a crew of students that head up "Sunday Nights Live," which is a student led worship service every Sunday night. Tonight was so special to me and many other students. A wide variety of students took their turn on the stage to sing and worship God with the talents He blessed them with. This night of worship was so special because it was filled with family. There are many special moments that occur on this campus among our college family. When school is stressful, we can unwind and worship our God together, as one body. Now, I don't usually go on these corny tangents about college families and Jesus, but tonight has just reminded me what life is all about. College is just something "I have to do in life in order to be some what successful..." Truth be told, I didn't come to this school for the grade, I came here to find God...Pretty sure we found each other :)

I hope someone else can relate to this cheesy blog!

Turtles, Fire, Frisbee, and Chicken

What do those thing have in common? They make for a fun Thursday night! I'm a member of our Student Government Association here at Point University, so I get the fun job of planning and putting on events. Being involved here gives me a sense of purpose and allows me to have a say in what goes on in our community. We normally have an event every other Thursday, but last night, we had a Triple Thursday, with 3 events! We watched Ninja Turtles II: Revenge of the Ooze, had a fire, and played glow-in-the-dark Ultimate Frisbee! Yeah, it was pretty awesome! We have our very own popcorn machine, so the movie watchers got to snack while they watched, and people were able to make s'mores at the fire. This is a picture of my best friend Beth and me with our proud, and quite tasty, creations! Afterwards, like the close of any good night, we all piled into a few cars and drove over to Dwarf House(Chick fil a). It's gotten to the point where we know the waitresses! Ramona took great care of us as normal! Most of us didn't even get food but just enjoyed the fun of hanging out with our friends. We played games, talked, and most importantly laughed! My friend Big Frank here can get pretty much anyone to shed a smile whether it's a silly comment or putting a flower in his hair! Good times with good people! :)

Lighting a Fire

Hello my name is Kenneth Chaney and this is my first blog. To tell you a little about myself, I am finishing up my second year at Point University. I am in the Access Program for working adults. I am 47 years old. I am married to a Proverbs 31 woman. Her name is Roselyn. She’s from Zambales in the Philippines. I have a beautiful daughter who goes by the name of Kenya Rose, which is a combination of my name and her mother’s name. She attends Cumberland Christian Academy, in Austell Georgia. A lot of my blogs will most likely contain events or conversations that occur between the three of us. I was born in a small town in North West Georgia named Trion. I retired from the U.S. Navy in 2004, after 20 years of service. I must say that the old navy slogan is true “Navy it’s not just a job it’s an Adventure!” What’s on my mind tonight? Well, I have been thinking about this blog all week. What I am going to write about? I have decided to write about lighting fires. The most interesting things I have discovered about lighting fires is that sometimes they are hard to start, but once they’re started and burning they’re also very hard to put out. I have tried starting a fire when the wind is blowing and it’s very difficult. Every time I would light the fire the wind would blow it out, before it got started. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking what does lighting a fire have to do with Point University? I am glad you asked. The Point University experience has lit a fire in me to complete my education. Sure the winds of doubt blew in my direction. I am too old to go back to school. It’s going to take too long for me to finish. I am too old to learn something new, but the Point University experience has proven all the fore mention doubts not to be true. I am currently one class away from completing by AA, in Organizational Leadership. The Professors at Point has been great for the most point. (No pun intended) Maybe you have been thinking about going back to school, but the same winds of doubt that I experienced are now blown in your direction. I encourage you to consider Point University to help light your fire and reach your goal. Once you start burning with the accomplishments of the Point University experience, no wind of doubt will ever be able to extinguish the flames with which you will burn! Well, I guess that’s all for now. Until the next time my friend!

Education is not the filling of a pail,
but the lighting of a fire.
William Butler Yeats

Quailman, Crepes, and Jumpcastles - all a part of life at Point!

Well, hello there. It's (practically) November, and it's too cold.

While many of my peers are excited since they can  break out their sweaters and jackets, I would much rather it be hot, humid, and sunny (also known as perfect beach weather).

Onto other things though...(it's here that you get all excited and curious and click on the "read more" link right there)

Class on Halloween!?!

I'll be the first to admit, I did not want to go to class last night. However, barring an emergency, as an Access student, we must be at class. I reluctantly went, hoping the professor would let us leave early so I could have some peace and quiet at home (I have two daughters, 11 and 3, peace and quiet is a luxury). We're not going to mention the fact that I was not thrilled with this class, it's a requirement, but that doesn't mean I have to love it.
I get to class, already ready for 10pm, and the most amazing thing happens..my professor has the most inspiring, uplifting, informative teaching for the night. I was actually happy that I went. I think I really do like the class, not because the textbook reading is inspiring, it's the professor. I didn't want the class to end, it was just so good! He is one of so many Point professors I've had which really inspire me. I know, it's kind of cliche talking about how good the teachers are when writing on a school blog, so I'll be real, some are not so great (very very few!!). Really though, I'm amazed not only in the amount of knowledge they possess, but in the passion that comes from them for what they're teaching. I've been fortunate enough to learn from Dr. Carey (wow!), Mr. Huxford (also amazing!), my humanities professor Anthony Neal (who knows something about everything!) and currently Gordon Griffin, who's teaching me Basic Christian Doctrine. That's just a few of many that have left an impression. My only sadness is that I only get 5 weeks with them. Hopefully, as I continue my journey, I will get to learn more from them.