Valadictborian

Ok,
So I am graduating Saturday, yes, Saturday!
So in light of this momentous event I am posting my final speech from my speech analysis class.

The Prompt was: What is the most important thing you have learned in college?

So, for your viewing pleasure;

The importance of College

The most important thing I’ve learned in College is something, I hope, all of us have figured out.
College is not entirely about formulas, theories, or even classes.
I have learned that colleges is really a tool. A tool that is given to us with the intention of finding
ourselves.
In this scholastic establishment our views and opinions are challenged, and the morals of our youth become either clearly defined or fade into new ones.
Among the many voices of our fellow classmates and teachers we are pushed to focus in on the distinct tone of our own, new, educated, self-aware, and confident voice.

The most important thing that I have learned in college is that I am me.

I have a voice.

It is mine, and mine alone.

There it is, hope you liked it.

Light blazed out of the darkness

Yesterday morning at staff celebration we were all sitting around sharing and listening to stories of the awesome things that God did at our church this weekend.

Apparently, the folks at our Hollandale Beach location experienced a power outage.
In the middle of the Pastor's teaching the entire worship room just went dark.
They were all laughing and congratulating one another on how everyone handled the situation and thanked God they had a live teaching and not the video teaching we normally have.

What was cool to me, is that the Pastor kept teaching in the dark.

There is this horrible joke by Dane Cook where he makes fun of couples fighting. (yes I am referencing a Dane Cook joke) He asks "Why do women whisper?"..."To make you listen".
In the context of the joke its Hilarious, but this quote has always stuck with me, and I think it applies to the Hallandale situation.

Why did the power go out? Was it the enemy?

Or was it God trying to make some one listen?

In John Chapter one its says that God is light and the light is in the darkness, which is everything that is not of God. John says that the light is in the darkness, but the darkness does not overcome the light.
In a big city with lots of lights, you can't see the light of the stars, you have to drive out to the country, where there is nothing so you can see the beautiful light the stars create.
Here in Pensacola there is this place on the beach that I like to go away from the hustle and bustle of cannon Beach, its called 18, and you can see the milky way and a boat load of stars at night.

Our lives are like this sometimes, especially around this time of year.
We get so caught up in life that we miss God's light. Our lives are so lit up with everything that is going on that sometimes God just drops us into complete darkness simply to reveal his beautiful light.

Maybe that's what happened there in Hallandale.
Maybe one person in that auditorium needed to receive a message from God in the dark.

Our God will do some pretty crazy things to get our attention, like flooding the earth, or feeding 5,000 strangers, but sometimes he just turns out the lights.

P.s. Check out our church! www.potentialchurch.com