Reflections from the Editor

Well, friends…I am back. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to write, and many things have happened around here at MACU over the last month! Spring Break was, of course, amazing – aside from the break we had from classes and homework, many of our students had the great opportunity to participate in events like mission trips to Mexico and Kentucky. On top of that, we finally got to hold ONE Love, an event I wrote about earlier this semester that focused on raising awareness about local and global missions. Attendance was stellar, and everyone enjoyed the music, art and food provided at the event as they learned about how they can show God’s love to the world.

Last weekend, our Admissions Office held MACU’s annual MASH MASH – an incredibly awesome campus preview weekend which we hold every year for FREE to give prospective students the opportunity to check out the campus, eat free food, get free stuff, stay in the dorms, interact with students, and more. We had a great time cruising down the Oklahoma River Thursday night, getting dirty in the mud pit on Friday, and worshipping on Friday night with Nick Thurmond and his band. Needless to say, MASH was a great success. Our theme this year was “Redneck”, and let me tell you we took it to the extreme! (Check out our website soon for pictures and other paraphernalia related to MACU MASH). To all of you who attended: thanks so much for coming! We had a blast. For those who didn’t make it, I highly recommend that you check MACU MASH next time around – it’s simply unforgettable!

Now, as we look ahead to the end of the spring semester, it’s amazing to glance back and see how quickly time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that classes had just started and students were getting in the groove of another semester. We’re down to the wire now, though. With less than two weeks left before finals, we can all feel the whispers of summer drawing us to the end. While some are graduating, many are experiencing the awe of what it’s like to have made it through freshman year. Some are eager to head home for the summer, and others are expecting a season of new experiences as they embark on mission trips, internships, new jobs, and more.

I can’t help but wonder what God has in store for MACU students next year. The last 9 months have been full of change, growth, and learning on this campus. College is truly the perfect time for this. I hope that you, dear reader, can take a moment during all the craziness in your own life and reflect on where God has brought YOU; then ask yourself: “What does He have in store for me tomorrow?” Of course, only He knows the answer to that question. But let me encourage you to be open to Him. Maybe, as you read this, He’s nudging you to jump in and be a part of the amazing community that is MACU, and experience the change and growth and learning that students here have experienced.

Thanks for keeping up with me, dear reader. I’m praying for you as you decide whether this campus is the place for you!

P.S. Yes, this picture is me. I TOLD you we had a blast at MACU MASH. ;)

The Halfway Point

There is a particular phrase in a college student's vocabulary which describes at least one moment (perhaps many, depending on your personality) in every student's college career. Want to take a stab at it? Let me give you a few hints:

1. If it's Friday, this is virtually harmless.
2. Grab a few cups of coffee, and you'll feel alright...for a while.
3. If you start seeing stars, don't be afraid - they'll disappear soon enough!
4. You're more likely to make it if you don't go it alone - but it's often difficult to find souls able to endure.

Figure it out yet? The answer is simple: "all-nighters"! These two little words can mean anything from "LOST-a-thon in the dorms" to "oh-my-gosh-I-forgot-about-my-test-tomorrow!" Victims can be easily identified, as they're usually still wearing yesterday's clothes, nursing some highly caffeinated beverage, and peering through bloodshot eyes. For many here at the MAC, this experience is all-too familiar this week. As we face papers, readings, and midterms galore, the pressure is on and the heat turned up! What's keeping us going? The immanent arrival of SPRING BREAK. Sleep deprivation may be setting in acutely, and the stress of homework may be great, but in just hours these struggles will be loooong gone as we head home, head on vacation, or head straight to our pillows for a little R&R.

My advice: avoid all-nighters like the plague! As fun as it is to watch the sunrise with red eyes, a caffeine buzz, and your roommate sitting next to you drooling on her textbooks, it's much better to get that homework done ahead of time and let yourself cruise easily into Spring Break. But let's face it: we're in college! So when you have to pull an all-nighter, remember that nothing beats coffee and friends at 4am (except maybe sleep); besides...Spring Break is almost here!

Light

Students faced an interesting morning as roughly 2-3 square miles of south Oklahoma City were temporarily without power today. It seemed like a typical Thursday morning: roll out of bed, grab breakfast in the caf, then walk into class just seconds before attendance is taken. However, as students jotted down class notes and pondered the day's to-do list, classes were abruptly cut short as flickering lights turned into a complete blackout.

While some classes dismissed nearly instantly (perhaps professors are afraid of the dark?), others triumphantly carried on, with nothing but the light of a few cell phones to ward off the darkness. Although the outage lasted less than an hour, late morning classes were cancelled and students and faculty alike were able to enjoy a bit of down time until the problem was resolved.

As I reflect on what is now an amusing occurrence, I cannot help but consider the amenities which we so often take for granted throughout day-to-day life. Electricity is something we all depend upon, yet never really acknowledge until it's absent. In a way, this is a lot like the Christian life. As a Christian school, Mid-America is immeasurably blessed with consistent access to ways in which to connect with Jesus on a personal basis: chapel services twice a week, Devos After Dark twice a month, Arise worship services every other Sunday night, not to mention all the available Bible studies and small groups, and then Bible classes every day! What a source of power that exists in all of these "electrical outlets" to Christianity! But, I have to wonder, what would happen if all of these "outlets" were to experience an outage like the one MACU saw this morning? What if, at some unprecedented moment in time, all of this was to cease? Would we still be able to see?

It doesn't take a Christian university to make a Christian, but a Christian university can certainly offer the "outlets" need to help facilitate growth. My challenge for you, dear reader, is to consider your energy source. Don't take Jesus for granted, or depend on others for the "light" that you need; instead, decide for yourself where you can best be placed for maximum exposure to the illuminating power of Christ. Then, you'll be ready when the lights go out!

"I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." (Jesus' words, John 8:12)

Student Profile - Jessica Creasong

Every so often, we enjoy writing specifically about one of our very own here at MACU, in order to provide our readers with an up-close-and-personal look at the kind of students who frequent the campus of Mid-America. This week, we'd like you to meet Jessica.

As a freshman from Louisiana pursuing a degree in Secondary English Education, Jessica describes her decision to attend MACU: "I came to MACU not only because my parents and sister all graduated from this college, but also because of the feel of community it offers." WIth just a few minutes spent on this campus, it is easy to understand what Jessica means. Despite the difficulty many, including her, may have experienced upon leaving home and attempting to make new friends, Jessica believes that MACU offers a safe haven where "people genuinely care."

WIth the year prior to her move to MACU spent attending a culinary arts school, Jessica proudly calims status as a "certified chef." She enjoys baking, scrapbooking, and painting, as well as hanging with all the great friends she's made since moving to Oklahoma City to attend Mic-America. Jessica is also heavily involved with school-related activities, including her position as co-chair of NSOC - Mid-America's New Student Orientation Committee.

WHen asked what she would share with prospective students when given the opporunity, Jessica states, "I would tell them to be honest and open with the professors and administration...they really care about their students!"

This caring community won Jessica over - how about you? Schedule a visit and see for yourself!

Just Keep Trekking

As week 5 is winding down, and students are beginning to realize we’re nearly one-third of the way into the semester, the rhythms of life are becoming a lot steadier here at the MAC. Classes are now in full swing, and with introductory beginnings long gone, the learning has truly begun. The pressures of homework are beginning to weigh a little heavier on the back of the mind (except for those who don the middle name ‘Procrastinate’, in which case you haven’t even glanced at your syllabi yet…but no fear! You still have 11 weeks to go!). Right about now, you’re probably really missing your mom because…well…let’s be honest: you ran out of clean clothes about 2 weeks ago, and now you’re finding yourself separating them into piles of “wearable”, “NOT–wearable”, and “probably–need–thrown–away” (not to mention the fact that you’ve accidentally spent all your laundry money on 7 or 8 midnight trips to Taco Bell with friends). On top of all this, if you’re anything like most college students, your sleeping habits have fallen into a lovely cycle of 3 hours of sleep at night, a 2 hour afternoon nap – and plenty of Mountain Dew and Starbucks in between!

But don’t let all this get you down. Even though you’re a procrastinating sleep-deprived caffeine addict who wears dirty clothes, you’re still adored by the rest of us – if for no other reason than that we’re all in the same boat. So be encouraged. It has already been a fantastic semester. Keep your chin up, dig through your couch cushions for a few extra quarters for laundry, and then kick back with another Mountain Dew – we still have a long way to go. :)

WINTER WEATHER WARNING

This last weekend was exceptionally interesting at MACU, as a winter storm hit hard beginning Thursday morning. As a downpour of freezing rain turned to a thick sheet of ice, coating every surface of the campus, many found themselves making last-minute trips to Wal-Mart to stock up on “emergency supplies” (in my own case, that consisted of pop-tarts and milk); others were ecstatic to find out that classes would be cancelled on Friday, offering a nice long weekend to snatch a few extra zzz’s, catch up on LOST episodes, or maybe get a teensy bit ahead in homework for the following week.

As Friday dawned, so did a nice thick layer of snow, and it didn’t take long for students to bundle up in an assortment of bright winter attire, locate anything that would function as a sled (including cookie sheets and cardboard) and trek out into the white empire, heaving snow in all directions and wreaking havoc on the dorm courtyards.

Eventually, the snow began to dissipate into a slushy mess, and the seemingly endless amount of free time made some a little stir crazy. To solve this, a few brave souls ventured out into the world, driving on icy streets to get to coffee shops, restaurants, and any other venues which would offer relief from the inevitability of cabin fever.

Needless to say, we all survived the crazy weekend, and classes resumed as normal on Monday morning. It’s funny, really, that a few inches of ice and snow can incapacitate an entire city for days. But it’s just one more adventure to add to the list of life at Mid-America. :)

Creating Change Through Love

If you love Jesus and your community, this post is for you!

On Friday January 29th, 2010 at 8pm in the MACU cafeteria, Mid-America’s Office of Student Leadership & Activities proudly presents ONE Love – an event like no other ever held on our campus. ONE Love is a student-organized promotion of local and global missions endeavors. “Our purpose,” says Melissa Wilkerson, Mid-America’s Student Leadership director, “is to unite MACU with the Oklahoma City community in raising awareness about the spiritual and social needs of our city.” This purpose mirrors the hearts of the students behind the effort as they seek to glorify God and further His kingdom by raising awareness of what others are doing to serve – and showing how YOU can be involved.

Organizations* being represented at One Love include Water4, City Rescue Mission, Helping Hands in Motion, and MACU’s Missions Club. Each organization will have its own “station” at the event, providing information about the work they’re doing and opportunity for attendees to contribute financially. “While our hope is to provide some type of support through outside contributions, our bigger goal remains to bring awareness and create unity on campus through a service-oriented focus.”

Although the focus of ONE Love is this missional awareness, other exciting activities will include the MUSICAL contributions of several well-loved and locally known artists – including Jami Smith, Josh Edington, and MACU’s very own Lil’ Dre. For your visual stimulation, feel free to have a look at the variety of ART displayed at the event, and tickle your taste buds with an abundance of REFRESHMENTS (complements of many local businesses – including Starbucks, Tuscany Pizza, Café Bella, and others!)

There is certainly something for everyone at ONE Love. So, my dear readers, be sure to support MACU as we share God’s beautiful love through ONE Love.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” – Jesus (John 13:34).

*For more information about the organizations benefiting from ONE Love, check out the following links:

www.water4.org
www.cityrescuemission.org

Look for Helping Hands in Motion and the MACU Missions Club on Facebook!