Campus Ministry for Dummies

Well so I broke my rule/goal last night and made a semi large purchase.  I went with my girlfriend Becca to Wal Mart to get some deodorant and paper towels.  After we picked up what we went to get I went by the new electronics section to the ipod/iphone accessories.  To my amazement I saw that they had the new Belkin TuneBase.  I quickly got a sales associate to unlock it for me and I checked out with a $117.52 bill.  $89.99 of that coming from the Belkin TuneBase.  It is listed at $99.99 on their webpage but Wal Mart sales it for cheaper.  

My first mistake was making such an impulsive buy.  I have been awaiting an in-car player since I bought my iPhone back in January.  I wish I would have done my research.  The TuneBase pumps up their CLEARSCAN feature which finds the clearest radio station that will match perfectly with your iPhone or iPod to play the clearest music.  

So I got into my vehicle and Becca and I quickly opened the box and hooked up the iPhone accessories with the TuneBase and plugged it into my power supply unit(I couldn’t think of what you call the things that you plug stuff like this into so I asked Tracy and Jeff’s input!!) and hooked my iPhone into it.  I pressed the ClearScreen button at the lower middle and it took me to the “Perfect” radio station frequency that I quickly matched on my radio.  I pushed my iPod icon and picked my song and pushed PLAY………….and SHHHHHQHHHHHHSHHHKWESHHHHHH(You get the idea) quickly followed.  ”What the mess!!!”  I quickly said.  I then tried putting it on a station that has no signal that I used with my iPod adapter and I got the same irritating static noise.

I finally found a station that I could hear sorta clearly on after the fifth time I pushed the ClearScreen button!!!  I do not like the fact that you can’t choose whatever station you want to play your music from.  Even on the clearer channels it does not sound as clear as I would like.  For around $100 I believe like I deserve that!!!!

What do I like about the Belkin TuneBase?  Well I like the fact that it does play music from my iPhone over my car stereo.  I gave Becca my 3rd generation Nano because I really don’t have a need for it now.  I do believe that it has much room for improvement.

I did some research(after the fact) last night for other in car players for the iPhone and I found one worth checking out.  The Kensington Car Charger Deluxe for iPhone and iPod.  You can find information on the Kensington charger at the Apple Store. The website gives it great reviews.  It received five out of five stars where the Belkin received only three.  The Kensington also claims that you can use it like a hands-free device for your iPhone.  You cannot do this with the Belkin.

For what it is worth I would recommend you doing your research and make up your own mind about which player to purchase.  I wish I would have done mine!!!

O Where to start….

Im a 25 year old regular ol’ dude from a small country town in a small country state!!!  However I would not call myself country.  I started working for the BCM(Baptist Collegiate Ministry) in January of this year. Needless to say this has been some of the most encouraging yet challenging couple of months of my life.

I came back to Monticello, AR a little over two years ago and I had been praying and searching for my purpose for hanging around and not moving on.  Finishing my degree at UAM didn’t seem to be a good enough reason!!!  I have struggled over the past few years to be “Content” with where the Lord has had me so I was never truly happy with my life here.  I worked at Hollywood Cinema here in town for awhile.  I also worked at Fred’s Pharmacy but I never felt comfortable with my situation.  I was going to school but I would get up, go to class, leave, go to work then get up the next day and do it all over again.  I felt so disconnected from my school and the people that went to my school.  I continued to pray that God would open a door.  

In September of 2007 Tracy Reed started work on UAM’s campus as the BCM director.  I thought this was a great thing because I knew Tracy would do a great job.  I had grown up in the same church as Tracy and served under his brother Stacy when he was my youth pastor.  I made it a point to walk through the BCM on my way to class one day just to drop in and welcome him to campus.  We exchanged hello’s and that was about it.  I would walk through the BCM on occasion just for small talk with Tracy but one day he called me into his office and asked me to pray about the possibility of coming on board as his assistant!!!  I bottled my excitement and told him with a straight face that I would have to pray about it!!!  

Why would I need to pray about it!?  This is what I had been praying for for two years!!!  I talked to my parents and got there input.  I talked to my sister, who was also an assistant director for the BCM, to get here advice.  Finally, I talked to Jeff.  You see Jeff Noble has had and will always have a huge impact on my life.  He is one of the few people I have allowed “Total Access” into my life.  He knows almost everything about me.  More than my folks, more than ex-girlfriends, more than anyone under the Father!!!  Jeff told me he would pray for me as I made my decision but told me soon after that this was a “No Duh” situation.  He told me that God was opening a door that I had been praying for and I should recognize that!!!  I did recognize this.  I immediately went and talked to Tracy and the rest is history.  You see what I couldn’t recognize was the fact that God had called and I had surrendered to ministry a long time ago and this was why I was never content.  I wasn’t doing ministry!!!  I played college football, I was an Army Ranger, I was a clerk at a pharmacy and I wasn’t doing what God called me to do!!!  What was so unclear for what seemed like an eternity quickly was as clear as glass.  My Heavenly Father provided me such an amazing opportunity that I don’t feel like I deserved but is just another example of His measureless love.  So I want to welcome you to my world!!  

As I sit here in the game room at the BCM listening to Scottie and Justin talk over the tv show that they are watching and realizing that I am in Heaven on earth!!!  I am serving college students!!!  And I love it!!  I am going to enjoy being your tour guide to my experiences!!!  The good and the bad!!!  Welcome!!!!

I’m working on my new space on the net. Jeff is helping me set it up. We’re at Journey. This is a Wordpress blog.