Personal Narrative: My Journey To Colorado Christian University

The reason I desire to attend ORU is because the university focuses on the whole person. ORU equips students to hear God’s voice, to go where His light is dim, where His voice is heard small, and HIs healing power is not know. I don’t want just a college degree. I want to know how I can go into every man’s world and preach the gospel. Oral Roberts University vision is to raise up students to hear His voice. I want a well rounded education that focuses on Professionalism and spirituality. I’m truly grateful for the freedom to study the word of God and pray in classroom settings. Where else can you get this well rounded education?

During my high school days and the last few semesters when I was at Sandhill Community College I was way too comfortable. I slacked off and all I was thinking about was just getting doing the minimum to just be finished already. Recently, I was pushed by the looks of my grades that I just needed to get things done; I wanted to be free, not to do my best, just to finish so I could say I passed all my classes. Now I realize life isn’t about just getting by, but about bringing all you have to be able to become successful in what needs to be done. In the next paragraphs I will explain what I expected to happen, what actually happened, what I learned, and how I will apply what I learned to future plan.

There are several things I hope to gain from my experience as a student at California Baptist University. Such things include, a community of God loving, supporting and encoring friends, a Christian based education and opportunities to grow into the person God created me to be.

Throughout High School I thought I was proficient in reading and writing in my English classes, from freshman year to senior year English classes were easy and felt I could transition my confidence to community college after graduation until I took the English assessment exam and failed in the spring of 2012. Failing my entrance exam was devastating and I refused to accept my results, I waited two academic year before I can appeal to retest my English entrance exam and after weeks of waiting I was approved to retest. After I retest the results were the same, I was placed in remedial English not only was I devastated again but I personally felt worthless. I did not know what was wrong with my reading and writing but I had no choice to enroll

In the fall of 2005, I took my first steps onto the campus of Appalachian State University with my sister who was entering as a freshman. One of my most vivid memories from my childhood is walking hand in hand with my then eighteen year old, wide eyed, and prospective sister into the Watauga dorms. Afterwards, as we left down King Street, I distinctly remember gazing back towards the magnificent North Carolina mountains and yearning to stay. Even at the age of five, I knew that one day I would follow in her footsteps and become an Appalachian Mountaineer.

Life has had its ups and downs for me.Like most people, I struggle with a host of issues

This past spring, I had the opportunity to tour Abilene Christian University for the first time. The administration at the university also allowed me to spend the night in the freshman dorms so I could have the full ACU experience. Prior to this visit, ACU had been one of my top college interests but after touring and getting a taste of what ACU was really like, I absolutely fell in love. I found that the people I met were open about their faith, I got to see firsthand how excellent the nursing department is, and I saw how easily students were able to get involved with the many programs ACU provides.

Slide 2: (Video footage of me walking up to the church in my cap and gown….

Following a two year mission trip in Brazil, I applied for a prestigious service scholarship available at Mesa Community College. At the time, I was living in the Northwest, over 1,000 miles away. My pursuit and dedication to earn the scholarship drew the attention of Duane Oakes, the college’s Director for the Center of Community & Civic Engagement. Impressed with my initiative and follow through, Mr. Oakes took it upon himself to mentor me as a student leader. His valuable support furthered my political science education by introducing varied student leadership opportunities, resulting in becoming the President of the Latter-Day Saint Student Association (LDSSA). I learned to manage LDSSA with order, delegating responsibilities and engaging

II Timothy 2:15 (New International Version) states: “Do your best to present yourself to God as

I was born in the year 1972 in Springfield, Missouri and I grew up in Polk County. I had lived an uneventful, "westernly" normal life up until which point I realized I am called into full time ministry. In retrospect this is a calling or concept which I knew fairly early in life and yet denied with all my strength. I had all the excuses, i.e. "I am terrified to speak in public", "I hate crowds", "I am inarticulate", "What do I know about the Bible"...This list goes on. Sometime in the late 2000's I decided I would go back to school and get a degree in psychology or counseling and put it to some sort of use "at church", I took classes, got the Biblical Studies certificate through CCU, changed majors two or three times, and did very much average work. I

There are many different events as well as experiences within my life that will give me a positive influence on my academic work with Colorado Christian University. The one that stands out is not really a single event, but many different events that happened in a very short amount of time. About four or five years ago I was a single boy living at my parent’s house, working at a grocery store and sleeping till noon on my days off. I was pretty content with my life to be honest. I did not have much of a plan or any direction for my future and I was not worried about not having a clue as to what it was I wanted to do with my life. I was dating my wife at the time and we had been pretty serious for a while. I finally proposed to her and we got

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." This scripture represents the grace and mercy we all live under as believers. Many times throughout my life, weather looking back or trying to project forward. I realize that it is only by God’s Grace; that I am able to make it. And it is with this mindset, that I have the reasoning to want to attend Colorado Christian Univ. As a soon to be 35 year old man, I have seen a lot of life’s highs and lows. I was raised in a Christian home, by both my Mother and Father. I come from a long line of ministers my father pastored for 25 years in Denver, Co. at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, my brother is currently pastoring in Topeka, Ks. at Antioch Baptist church. So I am used to being

My academic work and goals at Colorado Christian University will be influenced by the event of my repentance and surrendering of my life to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Though I grew up in a church setting and raised a “saved” young man, for I ask Jesus into my heart at 5 years old. I didn’t truly believe Jesus to be my Lord, nor really did I begin to surrender everything until June 29, 2011. My story is a glamorous one. It didn’t happen at a alter call, although afterwards I went up many times for wisdom and discernment. I was watching a television show that was as far from godly as you can imagine with my family. During a scene a character said that God actually made vampires in God’s image. The Holy Spirit spoke to me that instant and I shouted at the t.v. “that’s a lie!” My girls, Kaitlyn and Lauryn,

Before I started college, I struggled to figure out who I wanted to be in life, and now I clearly realize that I want to be a pastor, and I am not ashamed to say that to anyone. Before college started I rarely, if ever, read the Bible, and now I have read through the entire Bible, and have continued to read and study it in depth. I now enjoy praying with God and enjoy reading scripture, something that I could not see myself saying before college began. People tend to see me as “the Christian Guy” on the swim team, and a few swimmers and college students have come up to me to tell me about the impact that I have had on their life, which is a testament to God’s work in my own