The big ol' 21!

My plans for my 21st bday!!!! And email I sent out! If you want to join in you need to send me a message before SUNDAY THE 2nd! This will go into detail about my plans and why i am doing it!!!

Hey guys!

I hope you all are doing great and staying warm for the cool weather. The last few weeks I have been thinking about plans for my birthday…. the big 21st! This year I really wanted to do something different for my birthday and I am still in the process of planning it. I do not have all of the final plans yet I just really wanted to give you all a heads up before the holidays. For my birthday this year I am planning something different, a drop in kind of thing. With it being over the holiday season I understand that you may not be able to come, or you may already have plans that night. I just wanted to be able to give you a chance to be involved in this special opportunity with me. I am planning just a drop in kind of gathering and if you are able to attend I hope that you will! The link below will take you to a facebook event that you should join if you can come. If you are not able to attend and still want to give to this great cause that I talk about below and just want to drop any materials off to me or even mail them to me just send me a private message and I will send you my address or we can work out something to meet up.

This year instead of gifts for me I wanted to ask everyone to join me in giving to The Meyer Center. The Meyer Center is a developmental center that offers developmental education and therapy services to preschool children with disabilities in the Upstate. I have been able to read about their program and they do some amazing things. They have a “wish list” of items that they need on a daily basis, that’s what I am asking you all to help me out with. I am asking you join me in donating to The Meyer Center. The items on the list are things that you could get at the dollar store. I believe that if we can all come together and do this we will be able to help out some great teachers, who are doing great things.

If you have any question I ask that you just ask me. If you can come RSVP as soon as possible to get updates about the drop in. The plan right now is late afternoon into the night Sunday January 2nd. If you can’t come and still want to support and make a difference with me send me a message and we can work out something! I hope you all are doing great and the holiday season is staring off great!

Facebook Event:

*SEND ME A FACEBOOK MESSAGE FOR THE LINK*

A little background on why I am doing this…

This past semester in my quite time I have been searching for God to teach me how to love people like he does. I have been asking God to truly teach me what it means to break my heart for the people around me and in all of this I have learned that one of those ways is serving others. With Christmas right around the corner I thought it would be a great idea to study the birth of Christ, and remind myself what Christmas is all about. I have learned that it is very easy to get into the commercialized Christmas and to forget about the real reason I celebrate Christmas. Getting to the point now sorry, One day I was reading in Luke about when Mary was told by the angel she was going to have a baby and that she was to name him Jesus. In the end what Mary’s response was it what I took from my time with God. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.(Luke1:38 NIV)..Her answer: “I am the Lord’s servant” …. This lesson taught me that I am the Lord’s servant and I am going to serve Him and his people….. This idea came from two of my friends who have done this their entire life(they are twins). I think this opportunity has come in the perfect time and I am ready to serve and join some of my closest friends and family in this! I hope that you will participate with me and know that you are making a difference!

Most importantly I hope that you will pray for the people who are taking part in this, that they will really see the big picture here and making a difference in someone else life!

Brandon

I remember...

I don't even know where to start right now its been a almost 4months since I have stop and just blogged. So much has happen within those 4months! I guess I am just going to try and talk about whatever I can remember...


School...well....I just had the worse semester of my life! It was everything I wanted it not to be, but the overall outcome of the semester was great! Being a new student is not fun at all! Having to have to get us to a new surrounding wasn't fun! I would have to say that it is all growing on me right now I am not in love with it right now but I am learning to enjoy every moment of it. I have learned that I have to overcome all the thoughts going on in my head and just go for things! On the academic side of school I would have to say I did well or as my transcript says I am in "Good Standing" hahah! I just hope it gets better from here. I have also decided to do a minor! What is it you ask, Environmental Geology... I love it, my lecture and lab teachers made my love this. I could tell that it was their passion and in seeing that I have made it mine, I really enjoy the information and all of the great stuff! Even though science is not my thing I have come to LOVE Environmental Geology! School on a more personal level... I have had sooo many umm what is the word that i am looking for "breakdowns" that is what we will call it.. Like I said this has been the worse semester of my life, and there have been some crazy not so good nights and looking back on them now I have learned from them! I am hoping to be a stronger person as it just gets harder.

Also i have learned some new things about myself and I wasn't going to blog about it but hey I am about to become an open book right now....Well this information to me isn't really new so to say, I guess I have always known school to be hard for me and I finally got some answers. This last semester i did some testing that lasted forever!!!!! 8:30am to 3pm with a 45min lunch break FOREVER! Well anyway, after taking these test and waiting a month for the results I went back to the psychologist to her my results and let me just say sitting there listening to the results made me want to just live under a rock. Most of the information was not new to me but some things were. If I had to put it all in my own words it would come to... I shouldn't be sitting in a classroom in college. Yea that is very harsh but that is what should have been said. Like i said those are my own words the psychologist didn't say them. My test scores were low in some areas that they shouldn't be and I am now fine with that. Some of the questions that were going through my head... What am i going to do with my life now, how am i going to make it to graduation, and many more. Then i just stopped and remember that i have gotten this far and there is no turning back now. I remember telling myself that I will not let these results form me into something that I am not. I will now us this as an example for people who may have these same results if not lower or around. I want to be an example now I want to be able to be that support of those who want to just give up I want to be so much more then those questions that were going on in my head.

There is not much more to talk about cause school has been my life these last months... I look back on these months and now that I have changed. I know for a fact that i am not the same person from move in day. I am trying new things and meeting people and over all God is showing me a lot in life. He is rocking my world and testing me just as I prayed and I remember blogging on the 23 of December and being lost and picking where to go to school I remember ending by writing "Out of all the praying and hoping and thinking, I am finding myself to come closer and closer to God. I am seeing God rock my world and all of the great things He has done for me. I see how great of a God I serve! Back to praying I go..." Even now God is rocking my world and I am seeking Him more and more. Over this semester in all of the craziness I have been able to spend time with God and really trying to find meaning to what does it really mean to love the people around you. I have spending my time asking Him what does it really mean to break your heart for the people around you. I truly don't know what it means but He is teaching me sooo much. One major thing He is teaching me is to serve the people around me to have a heart of thanksgiving.

Even though that didn't really sum up everything that happen in these last months. I know that it sums up most of it. I hope to be able to blog more this next semester even though i am taking on more class then the last semester!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

(I just wanted to end in some text of my old blogs, if you want more you can click on the text and read the blog)

"we have to go and befriend everyone"

"patience"

"to be continued"

"Come seek me first"

"its ok i can handle this"

"whats yet to come.."

"everything i have on my... and give it all up"

"white flag up and surrender"

"all of those what ifs"

Summer is over :-/

I don't even know where to start, but I guess I can start with my life. Not much going on with me in my life. I just finish working summer camp 10 weeks of it. I would have to say that it was something new for me and after it I know that I have learned a lot from it. Things I know I will be able to use in my classroom and also life. I know that even though the days seem like I worked 20hours and it was only 9 and sometimes the kids were all over the place I know I am going to miss the place. Along with the memories that I made, even though they will stick with me for forever! This summer will go in the books as a great summer, spent with great people! I can't believe it is over!

School is almost here and I am not sure what to think about it at all. I guess I can say that at this point I have to go, with it being 7 days away! I am ready to be in Charleston, I mean come on who wouldn't want to be in Charleston (I am really not asking, so you don’t have to answer). I guess I can say that it will be different from my last two year of my life, but I am going to be around a completely different surrounding and I am just not sure if I am ready for that at all! I am not sure if have what it take to make it, I guess we will see here very soon. I am going into this with an open mind and I am ready to take this on. It is all just going to take some time to get use to it I guess. I mean I am going to be around all new people, and a big city! In all of the praying I know that God is with me and I am going to seek after Him!

Life in all is going great, I have been able to surround myself with great people, and I have been able to meet new people. I would have to say that these people have made this summer worth every second! I have also been really praying and hoping for something new in my life with a special someone, but I don’t want to make a mistake. I just want to make sure I am going after Gods plan. I can proudly say I have never had a special someone in my life and that I am new at this. I am just praying that I am listening to what God is showing me and making sure that I am glorifying Him with it. I guess I can say that I am seeking a relationship that is able to be based off the quotes "Come seek Me first" or Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness...." Even deep down I know for the a fact that the person that I am thinking of wants the same thing, she is a great person and I have gotten to know her the last two years and she is great :-). (If you do read this which I hope you do you are great :-) you know who you are!)

I guess that is just about all that is going on in my life. God is amazing and I am still enjoying everything He is teaching me and all of the great people He has brought in my life!

"...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Different

This summer I get to work with a great group of kids, and I have been working with them for a week now and it has been great. I would have to say that by the end of the summer I am going to have a lot of stories to tell! A little taste of what has happen this first week; had a kid lose a tooth (first day), had kids say that the restroom at the skating rank was hunted, had some kids have a funeral for the grasshoppers that they found and put in a bottle, I also have a kid who loves math and loves to add up times, and many many more great times! I love this job!

I do have one kid who is not like the other kids, this kid is different in many different ways but I have come to learn that this kid has given me joy in my job. The other kids became friends this kid on day one. Even though this kid didn't say more than five words together, on the first day. As the first week went by I saw this kid open up more and more. The other counselor and I tried to work with this kid to get him to play, and do different stuff but sometimes there was just no luck. We did learn that this kid loves to play with the rubix cube, and loves to walk around on the playground. Getting this kid to play with a ball was just not going to happen, the kid would tell you NO in a heartbeat.

I would have to say that there is something about Friday, because the kids were all crazy and in a great mood, also the kid that wouldn't play with a ball was in the gym with me, and I was able to get this kid to play with a basketball. I saw the biggest smile from this kid for the first time all week. It was kinda like those times when someone has a really really good idea and they just have to tell someone that is what this was like. This kid was playing with the basketball and running around. It was kinda like we were playing tag, but I was the one always it haha. It brought so much joy to my heart to see this kid have a great time, and smile from ear to ear! As this kid and I played with the basketball, about 100+ other kids were on the other side of the gym running around and have an EXTREME time dancing and playing with the counselors.

In all of this being said I would have to say I have a great job, no I know I have a great job. I have been thinking ever since playing tag/basketball with one of my camper. I would have to say that this camper reminded me about as a Christian we have to be different. We have to be like no other, and we have to be able to stand out. We have to be able to go out and befriend everyone no matter their background, race, sex, etc. As Christians we have to be different were we are like no other "camper." We have to be able to take everything we have in our lives and give it all to Jesus and understand that God has a plan for us and that the plan is bigger than us. We have to be able to keep our faith strong and be able to kneel at the cross. In order to do so we have to be able to understand it is ok to be different and stand out. We have to be ready to be judged and stand strong. In my walk with God I have come to understand this. Just like my camper I am called to be different I am called to be like no other. For some times I would have to say I didn't want to be different I wanted to be like everyone else and be able to have someone just like me to understand me.

My week with my camper has reminded me of my walk with God in away. The start of the week we couldn't get much out of the camper. With the start of my walk with God I didn't share Gods glory. Mid-week the camper was opening up every day. In my high school years I learned that I needed to live one life, and that was a life with God and to work on myself as a person so that others can see Christ in me. The end of the week the camper is coming to camp and having fun. Now in my walk I am at a point where I want people to see Christ in me in my actions and in my everyday life, in this has given me so much JOY.

By standing firm you will gain life.
Luke 21:19

Lesson within a Lesson

It is summer time, and I am on summer break from school and I am loving it! No homework or anything it is great! I feel like I have a lot of time on my hands and I need to be doing something, but come on. I do start my first day of work tomorrow as a summer camp counselor, so I am ready and can't wait! I am sitting here listening to Hillsong, and I would have to say it is pretty much amazing.

I am also thinking about how this summer will be over soon then I know it and I will be making my journey to Charleston and staring school. I would have to say I am ready and can't wait to be there learning new things, meet new people and have everything underway and going.

Lately I have been really trying to get ready for next year and that means getting ready for those new things, and the things that may try and "shake" my world and faith. So within that getting ready I have been searching and studying Gods word for strength. In that studying I have found God to reveal a complete different lesson to me, but most of all it is a lesson that I need to learn in my walk with God, in my everyday life, also with getting ready for new things.

That lesson is patience...

I have come to the fact that I am so ready to start my new job if not that I can't wait to be in Charleston, now don't get me wrong those are two great things to be ready for, at least I think they are. In all of this preparing to working and be in Charleston I have learned that I may miss out. I may miss out on great things and life long lessons. I was reading in my bible and came across some highlighting in it was Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

The first thing in this verse that we are commanded to do it to Be still...

I need to have patience and stop in remember that I will follow the plan that God has set for me, I just have to remember to live the now, and take in every opportunity that I am able to get!

TO BE CONTINUED!

The other day I was cleaning my room out, preparing to go on summer break and I found some mail. At first I was just going to trash all of it, but I stopped and looked at some of it and one letter was from 2007 before even coming to SMC. The first thing it said was, “What can a two year college do for you?” So I stopped and I just thought about what SMC it has done for me. SMC has changed my life completely! SMC has given me hope, faith, love, and much more.

I remember August 2008 when I first moved in, seems like yesterday, I look at it as a day that started something great! I would have to say that my two years at SMC have been amazing, I have gotten to know all of my teachers on a personal level, it shows that they care and are here to help! That played a big part in the hope that SMC has given! To know that I can master classes that I don't even understand, because the teacher took 10 minutes after class to help me understand a particular problem.

While here at SMC I was able to get to know one of SMC’s finest, Kim Day. She was more than a boss or advisor for SGA, Ambassadors, P.O.P.S and other things. She has been a mentor to me. Someone I have looked up to since my first leadership class here at SMC. She has been there for me no matter what and has challenged me many different times even when I wanted to give up and just go on with life. She has made me stop and just focus on the important things. One major thing that she has taught me is to keep my faith in God no matter what, because he has a plan for me. I can say that my faith has grown so much in God because of Kim Day. She has reminded me from time to time, “Remember no matter how overwhelming and confusing life (or school) may be, God's love is steadfast, faithful, and ALWAYS enough! Remember that it is in our weakness that He is made strong.” Those are the words of Kim Day! Most of all those are the words that I will hold dear to my heart as I go on to study education, life, and my walk with God. I am not sure what I am going to do next year without Kim Day right there with me! I know that it will be hard but I know that I can do and I will always remember everything that she has taught me!

SMC has also given me love, a love for the school, and the students! I can say that I have made lifelong friends at SMC. The students at SMC are like no other! I know that I will keep in-touch with everyone no matter what! I have gotten to make new friends that I will never forget and best friends who I will talk to everyday of my life. I remember my first year and making friends with the sophomores, it was a great year I can say because they were able to show me the ropes and what college would be like. Then I remember May 6, 2009, I cried because my sophomore friends were leaving. It was a hard few days after that but in the end it was ok, because to this day we all still talk and we are still building relationships, and growing as friends. In those few days I was mad at the world because some of my good friends were not coming back. I remember one thing Kim Day said, “Now that they are gone how about you be there for someone next year and make an impact on them.” I just hope that I was able to do that, and made an impact on someone’s life but I just don't want them to feel how I felt, sad and mad. I want them to understand that saying goodbye it is a part of life, people move on and that it is all part of a greater plan that only God knows.

Now that I am leaving SMC I am sad! I cannot believe that it is all over! At first I was all manly and saying that I will be ok and I have to leave it is a part of life. Now I am saying that is all over and I do not like that right now. I don't want to leave, I just want to stay and not go on. I just hope that I made an impact on someone’s life that shows how great my God is and how loving He is. Being student body president was more than great, words cannot say how great it was, to next year’s president; I just challenge you to get out there in know everyone on campus as it was one of the things that I really strived to do this year. Not only get to know them figure out what they want, and help better their two years at SMC. To the rising sophomores I would have to say if you have not gotten involved do so, do something that you like to do. I know that there are a lot of clubs and organizations on the SMC campus that apply to all of you. If there isn't one get all of your friends together and do some work and start something that you like to do, you never know there could be a lot of other people who have the same hobbies as you! To the new students, don't think of yourselves as the new kids on the block. I want you to know that you will given many chances to get involved take them, you never know you could be an officer of a club and organization. One thing you cannot forget about is class, don't forget what you came to SMC for, your education. I know that your teachers and the many different people who work for SMC will not let you forget. I really hope that SMC impacts you and your first year here like it did mine!

Even though this is the end for me I will NEVER forget SMC, who I am today is a result of me coming to SMC. I thank SMC so much for everything! I will always promote SMC no matter where I am even if I am standing in a field in the middle of Africa! I will always tell my story of SMC, we all have a story and my story begins with “My first two years of college was AMAZING...” So I end in saying this, the theme of my freshmen orientation, TO BE CONTINUED!

TIME

You know lately I have been completely all over the place! I have so much on my mind but I am not going to go off on that road! BUT I was talking with some people today and someone was ask to answer the question "Where has God brought over the year" ...

When I heard that I kinda stopped and I asked myself, where has God brought me over this year! I can say that God has taken me on a journey this year, and at times I have not like the journey, but I always remember it is ok! I don't have to stress about it, I just need to remember that he has a plan and he is AMAZING!

At times He has placed me in places where I don't to be at all for the reason of not being safe or something I don't do. "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our lord Jesus Christ." - 1Corinthians 1:8

One thing that has been like the hot topic is one word that I am sick of hearing but here it is "Relationship" One on told me I was scared of having a relationship, but I would have to say that I am not scared of having a relationship I just want to have a meaningful relationship. I know that I am not a perfect person, but I want to having a meaningful relationship. I went on a retreat to the beach (converge is what it was called) I got to set in this small group session and it was on relationships. Its was done by this married couple and it was great, but in the end they old us to make a list of what we want in a relationship and I did so, and I am not going to bore anyone with my list, i guess i am just waiting for the right time to have a relationship. 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.' (1Corinthians 13: 4-13)

Come seek Me first

Back at school, I am back at school for my last semester then I am graduating and going on to CofC. I am back at school for Student Ambassadors training and tonight we got back letters that we wrote ourselves when we were on the leadership retreat Spring of '09. Well I was reading my letter and all I could think about was how I have changed as a person, a student, and as a leader. I was excited to see this in myself, but as I got closer to the end I saw where it said

"My retreat quote is: "Come seek Me first""

When I read that it was like everything just paused! It was more of what I needed to hear at this point of my life. With-in all of this craziness and running around thinking hard about the year to come and whats next after this. I think, better yet I know, that is what I needed to hear "Come seek Me first" I think that out of all this that I have been having to think about and pray hard about. I have to stop and ask myself am seeking God? I really had to tell myself no I am not. Out of all of this praying that I am doing I am not seeking God how I should be. I shouldn't be only asking God to tell me where I need to be, to give me a sign and to led me to the right way. I am not seeking His kingdom as I should do as a child of His. To read back on something I wrote almost a year ago that says "Come Seek Me First" just opens my mind up and makes me think of how great God really is, to remind me that I need to never give up on what I believe and on what I have coming for me! I should be able to give all my worries and all my pain to God and be right there ready to do what I need to do to fix them. At the same time SEEKING HIM and better His kingdom and speaking life! By me seeking Him I know that great things will come.