It's fall, and I'm sure you could use a few new Halloween decorations to scare the unwanted animals away? Why not add a piece of Chris Beaman merchandise to that collection?!

For my 5,000th tweet, I wanted to do something special that recognized others and the heroes in your own life. A few years back, I started a heroes project to publicly thank the personal heroes in my life; now, I'd like to invite you to share those same types of stories with me. I want to hear how others have shaped your life and what they mean to you. (These stories won't be shared without the consent of you and your hero if that person is accessible.) I'm working on a Heroes project, and I'd like to hear about how others view their personal heroes.

A hero of mine was thanking her friends, family, and fans for an honor she'd received by saying, "I couldn't have done it without you, and by God, I wouldn't have wanted to." I want you to consider who's been there along the way with you through every step--someone you'd say "Thank You" to every day if you could. We don't make it to where we currently are on our own; we have help, and it means the world to the individuals who've helped you if you let them know that they've enriched your life in some fasion.

I'm truly anxious to hear the stories about your personal heroes. I would like to encourage you to share more than one hero. This survey is accessible to be taken as many times as you wish to enter. The deadline to submit your story is Sunday, October 23, 2011 by midnight.

You can share your story by clicking here.

Chris

PROMOTIONAL DETAILS

Purpose: The purpose of the Personal Heroes Fall Promotional is to help others recognize the number of personal heroes that have changed their life and give those individuals an opportunity to voice how a specific individual has changed their life.

Incentive: The incentive of the Personal Heroes Fall Promotional will consist of a random drawing of eligible participants to assign the following winners: (1) Grand Prize winner, (2) Runner-Up winners, and (7) Thank You winners. The Grand Prize winner will receive an item from the Chris Beaman CafePress store of up to $20.00. The (2) Runner-Up winners will receive an item from the Chris Beaman CafePress store of up to $10.00. The (7) Thank You winners will receive an autographed photo of their choice from the selection provided on the website. This incentive has the ability to be taken as a promotion of self. I want to share with you that I'm only providing the incentives as a goofy and quirky way to be able to hear others stories about their personal heroes. The incentives are simply provided as a fun outlet to help people recognize the importance of telling their own story of how an individual has changed their life.

If you have questions, please contact chris@chrisbeaman.net. Thank you.

You guys... I've gotta blog about this. I just bought an iPad. With the way my school funding has worked out, I ended up with a good amount of money for a "computer" purchase. So I went ahead and pulled the impulse decision and bought an iPad. I get it this Friday (I believe), and I can NOT wait... My next blog will probably be from the iPad saying how I can't put it down... Here is to another $100+ spent in the apple store for games and stuff! Imagine "Angry Birds" on the iPad! :)

Until next time,
Chris

Not that anyone is really that interested, but I thought it'd be fun to share my work history since I'm beginning a new job this week! (Oh, and my brother is starting his first job..you'll see where!) This will really be in no particular order other than favorite.. and probably length. But if you think about it, those probably coincide. I would be at my favorite for the longest time, right?

Gordon Food Service: I've been at Gordon Food Service since September 2005. I was eligible to start working after turning 16 on August 18, and I began working September 2, 2005. I'm not sure why I was so anxious about starting to work, but I think it had something to do with a subconscious desire to work, work, work and stay busy. I got bored very easily watching movies or playing video games (something I will blog about soon..), so I wanted to get out of the house and do something productive. When I started, I wasn't sure I wanted to stay. I had a rough time connecting with my co-workers at first. The managers loved me, but my co-workers had some issues with me. I later realized it was because those people saw me as a threat and were just hard to work with anyway. I was a threat because I was starting to pick up lots of shifts because the managers wanted me to be there. Those people soon left, and I slowly started to make some great connections with other co-workers. I've been a bit removed, living so far away, but I still work a few shifts at GFS here and there. I don't have the greatest relationship with many of the associates there, but I still have a reputation with the management team, and I enjoy getting to know some of the newer associates.

Another thing about GFS is that my whole (eligible) family has or still does work there. About six months after I was hired, Momma decided to take a part-time job to earn a little more income, since we had just did a huge home remodel project. About six months after that, Dusty, who hadn't yet had a paying job (he's older than me), was hired on at GFS. By then, I was the one that was doing trainings, and I trained him. As soon as Matt was eligible, he took a job as well. But that's not all... My 77-year-old grandmother also works there as the food demonstration lady, and my brother who turned 16 this past March was just given an interview yesterday. (Of course, he's going to get the job! haha)

In 2006, after only a year of working with the company, I was awarded the Customer Service Award. There are two offered per store, and I won it with Miss Linda Mack, who is the most senior employee at the Greenwood Gordon Food Service Marketplace; I am the second-most senior employee of GFS there, including management team. The next year, I was named the 2007 Sales Associate of the Year, an award I am still proud of to this day. Of 30+ associates, they chose me for my dedication, customer service, and work ethic to win this award that consisted of a plaque, a pin, and $100 bonus check. Last September, I was awarded a special plaque that recognized me for 5 years with GFS. I guess I didn't realize how good it looks on a resume and in conversation to say that you've been with the same company since you turned 16 and won multiple awards with the company. Thanks for the experience, GFS.

Quizno's Subs: I started this job in October 2007 on top of working at GFS. Other than having my best friend as a co-worker, Courtney Crooke, I'm really uncertain as to why I started this job. It paid minimally better than GFS and wasn't as flexible with scheduling. Though I did get "special discounts" on their food...that was a plus! Haha! I made a connection with the owner/manager of the store, and I even did some yard work and house work for her when she'd ask. Lots of good memories working at Quizno's for sure!!! However, when it was time to start getting ready for college, I wasn't interested in returning, so I submitted my two-weeks notice in June 2008. I still go back to eat there and see the owner; no hard feelings. :)

Goodwill Industries, Inc.: I was a tutor under one of the most incredible leaders I've ever met. I tutored students ranging from 9th grade - 12th grade in Math/English at Arlington High School (Indianapolis) from January 2009 - May 2010. I had to resign the position due to taking on additional extra-curricular involvements at Butler, but I loved it, and I miss it.

Macy's: So far, I love it. I am doing my official training now, and I will start "working" next week. All I have to say so far is.. what a great company to work for. All of their values are ones I live every day. :)

So there's a synopsis of my work history. I may randomly write a story or two in a blog about a previous work experience, so I'm supplying my audience with a general outline of what I've done and where I've worked. As if anyone reads this garbage... :)

I enjoy writing, and someday, I'll enjoy re-reading this, so I'm gonna do it anyway.

Final exam tomorrow in my summer course, then more work training, work on Friday, training early Saturday morning, a wedding to go to, and then work all day Sunday. I think I have Monday off. I may use the time to just go swim or something.

See ya'll later. Have a great evening

So, remember those writing prompts I spoke of a few blogs ago? (If you don't, go check it out... these are kind of neat). Anyway - I'm doing prompt #2 for this blog...

#2: "A picture is worth more than a blank page. Take out those dusty photo albums. Pick out photo #14. Count however way you like, but make sure you stop at photo #14. Look at the photo for 2-3 minutes. Then for 10 minutes, write all of the feelings that photograph made you feel. Don't censor yourself. Just write."

So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm just gonna write. But before I do, how about I give you the picture? I literally went to my Facebook albums to the 14th album and the 14th picture in that album. That's how I chose the picture...by the rules. :)


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So here goes my ten minutes of writing.. This is Voodoo 2010, which occured around Halloween that year. I am a junior, and the other four guys are freshmen, who are also potential rushees in the house. I can be honest in this; I thought each of these four guys would be great for the house, so I was rushing each one of them. I met Nathan (far left) earlier than all the rest, and many would've considered him my favorite. I met Zach (Waldo) through Nathan and remembered him because we both liked the TV show Psych. I don't really remember how I met Matt or Andrew (lumberjack and sailor respectively), but I do recall having a great time with all of these guys (minus Nathan) at Kings Island on a Sigma Nu rish event trip. It's when Andrew first learned the words to Reba's "Turn On The Radio"! :)

Thinking back to that actual picture, though, this night was fun, but VooDoo takes a lot of planning. We are standing in the upper hallway, which was decided to be the deck of the ship. I remember Garrett put a lot of time and effort into decorating the hallway; before it was torn down by the party-goers, it looked incredible. I don't recall a specific theme, but I'm sure we had one. But as far as costumes go, Nathan made his, Zach bought his online, and the other two I'm not sure. I'm not really even sure Matt is a Lumberjack.. I just said that. Ha. But my costume.. Well, of course, most people know that I love Reba, so I figured it'd be easiest. I already had a wig, stole some fingernail polish from my sister, and Kristyn (k$haw) did my make-up and gave me the accessories. It seemed to be a good, cheap fit for me. Anyone that knew me instantly got it, but it took others a little bit to figure out what I was wearing.

I'd say the best thing that came from this picture, though, was that Nathan, Zach, Matt, and Andrew all joined the house, and I'm proud to call them my brother. This year, it's their turn to put on VooDoo! Can't wait to be around for it!

Thanks for readin'... if you did.. ha! I start my new job tomorrow. Wish me luck! :)

Chris

I've never taken the time to focus on Father's Day to understand what it really means to me. But as I return to honoring the Heroes in my life, this year, I understand better what being a father really means and the impact those individuals play in our lives. No, I'm not a father, but I've had several father-figures in my life to help me out through life. There have been a number of fathers and father-figures to appear on my heroes page, including my own father, Rich Beaman, my step-grandfather, Curt Goad, my HS band director, Jon Sutton, a good friend's dad, Jeff Rehmel, and even a few mentors, Bob Porento, Boyd Lacy, and Bill Gavaghan.

"Anyone can be a grandfather, but it takes someone special to be a grandpa," reads a decorative pillow at my grandparent's house. I've written about each of the men listed above, but each of them mean something different to me in terms of a "father". For instance, Curt Goad or as we call "Papa", isn't our biological grandfather, but he is our grandpa for what he has done for us in our lives. My dad was ultimately stuck with me in some fashion, but he could've chosen to physically run away from us kids and simply pay child support. I'm very thankful he's been around, though. Papa, on the other hand, had zero obligation to help raise my mom or be a grandpa to her children. I couldn't be more thankful that he chose to do so.

I've learned that anyone can really be a father...provided the biology works out. But it truly takes someone special and caring to be a dad or father-figure. Jon Sutton, though I'm unsure why, did not have children; yet, he was a father-figure to all his "kids" in the band program. He chose to take the time to be there as a role model and mentor to kids throughout the program, providing them with discipline, support, concern, and friendship when needed. That's the difference between being a biological father and a father-figure.

To be honest, and I think you'll all agree, I'd much rather have a father-figure than just a biological father.

That's why I'm so glad that the men in my life have taken the time to be that for me. My dad is an incredible man who genuinely cares about each of his children and wants ONLY the best for us. My Papa is simply the best man I've ever met. Though it took quite awhile, my biological grandfather has a heart of gold and a concern for all of humanity; God has changed his life in many ways. Each of my male mentors have also played an incredible role in my life that I'm forever indebted for. Thank you to each of you. Happy Father's Day

Good morning, all!

Still at the CMA Festival waiting for Momma to shower and prepare for the day. I've got some exciting pictures and stories to post later.

When I started this blog, I had no idea what I'd write about, and I really didn't keep up. But I recently found a website (Creative Writing Prompts) that offers writing prompts to either write about or discuss as a group if you're having problems coming up with something to write or talk about. It's a fun place with over 300 prompts, and today, I'm going to begin with #1.

#1 -- "Close your eyes briefly. Think of one object that's in the room and focus on it. Without opening your eyes, recall as much detail as you can about it. After three minutes or so, open your eyes and write about that object without looking at it."

So I closed my eyes here in the hotel room and instantly thought of the bed - aren't hotel beds so comfortable? So what did I think about the bed? Well first of all, that since I woke up recently, it needs made. But I wasn't sure exactly how messy it was because often, after I wake up, I'll at least try and make the bed look like I didn't just sleep in it. The next thing I think I thought about was the fact that the sheets and comforter were white. For some reason, I always find all-white beds much more comfortable than those that have a flowery bedspread on them. Not sure why.. The next thing I thought about was the pillows. I wish pillow companies distributed pillows for purchase that they give hotels. Wow, those pillows are comfortable. And since I get all four of them to myself, I always wonder what I'll do with them all. Usually, I use them all in some fashion. I then thought about Mom's bed compared to mine and realized that it was probably much messier than mine because she hates making her bed and she is in the process of showering so there's probably clothes all over the place.

Go try a writing prompt on your own. :)

By the way - momma just asked me for some fashion advice. I shouldn't be surprised, but I just think it's funny.

Have fun ya'll. I'll post more later. I get to see Reba tonight!!!

Chris

I love country music, and anyone that is reading this knows that. But I don't think anyone really understands why. To fully understand, you NEED to attend a Country Music Association Festival. This is my third time being in Nashville, TN for the event--it's the only that I won't be getting the priviledge of meeting Reba--and yet it still looks like it's shaping up to be one of my favorite. The show was incredible this evening, and there are three left to go, including seeing my musical icon perform tomorrow evening, closing the Friday evening show.

Tonight, I got to see Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Evans, Easton Corbin, Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson, Amos Lee, Brad Paisley, and Alabama perform on that stage. What an incredible stage this evening. Moments in country music that you don't want to miss--Jason Aldean performing "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Kelly Clarkson, Sara Evans being congratulated for her latest #1 single "A Little Bit Stronger" right before performing it, Zac Brown Band perforning "Colder Weather" with Amos Lee and "As She's Walking Away" with Alan Jackson, and of course, you can't forget Brad Paisley in all his greatness, performing "Old Alabama" with Alabama on stage and then them playing their first #1 hit ever, "Tennessee River".

I've got much more to say, such as the excitement of seeing some old friends here at the Festival and seeing my future cooperating teacher for student teaching here, so stay tuned! I'll be posting more later! Hope ya'll are having fun if you're here, and if you're not - you're missing out!

Chris

Labels: Alabama, Brad Paisley, CMA Festival, country music, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Nashville, Reba

Sorry there isn't going to be much to this blog..

I just simply wanted to announce that I did officially win the position of the Butler University Class of 2012 Senior Class President. I'm thrilled to have the position, and I'm excited about the opportunities that the position offers.

Quick shout-out to my fellow officers: Ashley Merryman (Vice-President), Lauren Pedigo (Secretary), and Amanda Huffman (Treasurer). I'm excited to get to work with all of you.

I'm soo ready for spring!!!!!

Last week, we got tons of snow and ice that kept us in for two full days of nothing but video games, movies, and other fun college activities. Of course, no homework, though! After having done nothing all week, and then expected to go to class on Friday, most of us were in need of a break by Friday afternoon/evening. Basically, we were all glad to see the weekend had finally rolled around.

Courtney's birthday was last week, and her grandfather's birthday was on Friday. We had planned on surprising them Saturday by showing up at his birthday dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was going to be a fun road trip. The reason we were waiting until Saturday, though, was because of a training Courtney was going to be at on Saturday morning. Around 6:00pm Friday late afternoon, it was cancelled. Sitting there in my house (having not packed anything), I said, "Let's go!". So, we changed our plans around and ended up heading down there Friday night around 7:30pm, after having time to pack and eat and such. Newburgh, where her family lives, is an hour behind Indy time, so it was 6:30pm there. A three and a half hour drive, and we arrived there around 10:45 Newburgh time.

Everyone was surprised and very excited to see us, which is always fun! I've realized something about myself more recently - I enjoy surprising people, but not necessarily being surprised. I am often very structured and organized. However, being flexible is a skill I need to develop becoming a teacher. Being surprised is a fun thing, and I should appreciate it more without worrying about how it changes things. Anyway - I loved being the one surprising someone else, and they loved seeing us there!

I had a very incredible, relaxing weekend that involved lots of family time, but those moments are the funnest in my opinion. Friends are an integral part of this life, but so is your family. What's coolest is when your family and friends mesh well. Or, when your family members are your friends just the same. Courtney and I share that desire to be friends with our family members.

I've taken up enough time here.. probably should work on some reading for tomorrow...
Chris

Labels: birthdays, Courtney, family, friends, Newburgh, surprises

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the new version of ChrisBeaman.net! Some of you wonder what the site is about, so I'll take this opportunity to describe it to you.. It is a site that is played around with a lot and serves random purposes.

The first main purpose I use this site for is to recognize my personal heroes. I think it's important to thank others in our lives and recognizing them publicly adds something extra special to the thanks. Each hero receives a letter in the mail, as well as a small gift from me, thanking them and including the short story for them read and keep. I keep any and all thank you letters or cards I get, and I think they're extremely cool to look back and see.

The second purpose involves the first one, but that is to continue supporting others in any way possible. Whether it be connections I've made or close friends, I want to support others. A great friend, Dustin, from State of Grace Designs runs, maintains, and publicizes the site. He's an incredible friend to not only me, but many others, and uses the site(s) he runs to gain more knowledge and experience in the field of web design. He's awesome at what he does, and I'm extremely grateful to have met him. I want to, through the site, help support him in any way I can.

Any other purpose, I'll leave to your guessing. As with anything done in today's society, the site is going to take both positive and negative comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, but in a constructive way. I've heard and seen messages such as "great site", "this site is dumb", "you're just narcissistic", "I like how the site looks", etc. Though I appreciate any and all feedback, constructive feedback is the only necessary feedback.

I look forward to an incredible 2011. Each of you, I trust, will play a part in my year, and I'm excited to see the role I will play in your life as well.

Chris

Labels: 2011, Chris' Heroes, Dustin Soper, feedback, purpose, State of Grace Designs, support, thank you

It doesn't feel like 3 weeks+ since I last blogged. I'm not even sure what I haven't told you all. I will tell you all one thing, though - these are definitely exciting times. I've been so busy that I don't even bother keeping a planner anymore because that would take a full hour out (or more) of each week just to keep my schedule. All of my schedule is online and others even have access to it to schedule meetings with me. How awesome is that....haha!

No but for real - these have been extremely busy weeks. On February 4th, I got to see Melissa Peterman do her first stand-up comedy routine in Nashville: "Am I The Only One?" She was really good! I'm excited to see it on CMT. Those TV tapings are really fun and interactive. After that, we got a bunch of snow and had Freshman Skits. Sigma Nu did not repeat our victory from last year, but our boys did place 3rd. We were really proud of them! The next week was Snowcoming, which was filled with fun events and loads of meetings. I went SNOWTUBING for the first time. It was soo much fun! Spring Sing was also that weekend, February 20th. Though Sigma Nu/Alpha Phi did not place, we won the Spirit Award!! That's the one we wanted! =] This weekend is INCREDIBLY busy. Tonight is Theta Crush Party. :) "A Theta has a crush on me..". Tomorrow night is our Sigma Nu formal and Saturday is Kappa Alpha Theta's semi-formal. The theme for semi is Kentucky Derby. I'm going to have a blast with that. Then!! Next week is our last week before Spring Break. Spring Break will be filled with much excitement, including the first Reba/George show!!

Am I too busy? Nahhh... This semester has been really fun so far. It's really exciting when you can start to see your experiences and opportunities opening up soo many more doors than what you'd planned. I hope all of you are doing well and keeping those prayers for spring consistent! =]

Labels: Alpha Phi, busy, Butler University, George Strait, Kappa Alpha Theta, Melissa Peterman, ready for spring, Sigma Nu, snowtubing

When I think of what happened today, I think of the song "Angels Among Us" by Alabama. I have soo much to write about - and yet so much to condense so the story doesn't get too long. So here I go!

Well today - I woke up at Ball State running on time. I'd been visiting Courtney for the evening. This is interesting because usually, I always leave from there soo late! I got on my way, and I notice that my car is really fighting to change from first gear to second gear, which is going from like 30 - 40 in my car. It would shake something fierce, but I just kept thinking to myself, "You just need to get home!" Then, it was time to hit the interstate. Obviously, I was extremely nervous about this, but I remained calm. The car started off not able to make it to 40. It physically was shaking and fighting to get into second gear. Being dumb me, I forced it to. I needed to get home!!

I went for about 2 miles in second gear when the car started violently shaking and then I lost control. The car started to move into the lane to the right of me, and at this point - I was so scared. I thought there was a car next to mine, and I froze. My body felt like it wouldn't move because my car was acting SO horribly. As soon as I regained control, I realized there was not a car directly in the other lane, but that one was approaching. I tried to slow my car down, but it wouldn't. The car was stuck in second gear and would not change. It shook and sounded like it locked up. After fighting for what seemed like forever, I got the car to switch.

I wanted to make it to some place like McDonald's so that I could use a bathroom, get some food and possibly find more help. I was set on McDonald's just due to price and their selection of food/drink. I made it to the nearest exit (26 - Anderson) and parked the car. At that point, the car was running decently - it would function alright doing about 15mph. I went in to McDonald's and ordered my lunch. I dropped my lunch down at a table and called Dad - he's usually my main contact person when it comes to car trouble. (Thanks Dad!) I talked to Dad about all of the possible problems and stuff, but it came down to the fact that I really needed it towed to Greenwood and I needed a way to pay for it. I told him just to give me a call when he could talk to Mom about what her plans were for the day, and that I would just do homework until I heard back from him.

"Excuse me, sir," was what I heard from behind me. An elderly lady was sitting at a high-top table in McDonald's and asked me if I was having car trouble. She asked me all about it and then told me that she wanted to help. I was thrilled, and I knew that this was God saying, "Calm down, Chris! You let things get to you soo much, and you need to understand I'm in control". So - I let him be in control. She looked down towards my table and said, "Is that your lunch?" I said yes, which she responded with, "Honey, eat your lunch and I'll figure out some numbers for us to call to get a towing service." So, I ate my lunch peacefully knowing that I was being taken care of.

After I ate, I returned to her table, and she said, "Bring your stuff over here". (I had my bookbag and coat with me) So, I did. She stuck her hand out and said, "I'm Betty. Nice to meet you." We exchanged a few intro words and then she had me call a few numbers. The service she recommended was $275. Wow! I was nervous at this point because no one I know has that kind of money just sitting around able to be spent on a whim. So we called a few numbers and got anywhere between $175 and $300. I really didn't have this kind of money. So, the lady says to me - "I would pay for all of it because you're such a fine young man, but I don't have that kind of money sitting around." I was very thankful for her offer, but obviously I would never expect her to do such a thing. We continued to chat about numerous things, and I knew that God has placed her in my path for a reason.

Dad called me and told me that Mom was on her way! Oh, was I thankful! Mom and Dad have AAA insurance, and they get a certain number of miles covered for free when towing. So, I told Miss Betty thanks for all of her help with finding a service, but that I was just going to wait on Mom to get here so I knew a final price on towing. I also told her I was thankful that God had placed her there at the right time because I needed some guidance and friendship along the way. She told me that she felt the same way, and that it was interesting - Her church lady friends went elsewhere for lunch, but she was craving a cinnamon roll and just wanted to grab one from McDonald's. After finishing her cinnamon roll, she decided to hang out for another 15 - 20 minutes because she didn't feel comfortable leaving yet. Obviously, God knew fully what he was doing.

She ended with thanking me for making her day because she got to help someone. So, I asked, "Could I ask a favor of you?" She said of course, and she even said she'd do it without even thinking about it. Now, many of you don't know this, but I'm writing a book about everyday people that turn out to the the heroes in our life and it's based off of my site (www.chrisbeaman.net/heroes). So - my favor was, "Would you be willing to let me include you in my book?" and I gave her one of my buttons that says "I'm One of Chris' Heroes" on it. At this point, she began crying. She stayed another 20 minutes just talking about her faith, belief in everyday heroes, and the meaning of life. She also wanted to make sure I told my parents what an incredible job they did raising such a fine young man, and how proud they must be of me. She needed to pick up her older sister soon, so she decided to head out. She said, "I'm going to get going because I know you're busy and have things to work on!" < What an incredible experience!! ...but it doesn't stop there!

So Mom got there about 30 minutes after Betty left. We ate, argued about how to get the car home (only for like 30 seconds..), and just talked for about 45 minutes and then called AAA insurance to see what the damage was going to be. AAA then informed us of a policy they have for "RV Plus" owners. The first 100 miles of towing was free. Wow. I didn't think the experience could get better. Obviously, I was now out a car, and Mom had missed her opportunity for her Sunday nap, but look at what had happened! A free towing! I didn't think it was possible...

As mom and I waited for the truck, and sat around eating apple pies, I told her of the lady. She couldn't believe it was true. After chatting about the lady for a minute, Miss Betty came walking back into McDonald's! (This is about an hour and 15 minutes later!!) She had something she wanted to give me. She told me, "I buy these for people that mean a lot to me!" She placed it in my hand - it was a green stone that had engraved: "Friends Forever". Wow.. She was thrilled that I was still there, and couldn't stop telling Mom how much I meant to her and how much of a 'fine young man' I was. Mom was beginning to tear up because some woman who she'd never met is going on about her son is something special to her.

It was an incredible feeling - the feeling that you've touched someone's life by a simple act. There was sooo much left out of this story and it's still ENTIRELY too long. All of the emotion felt today could never be compiled into a blog or facebook note. Somehow God took a horrible situation of a transmission dying to an incredible situation of meeting one of His angels.

Please take a look around and see who all is around you. Be thankful for those around you and what they mean to you. I know sometimes it seems silly or absurd that I try to raise awareness of Chris' Heroes, but this is the exact reason I do it. (At least) 3 lives were touched today, and that feeling is something phenomenal. I love all of you, and I wish you the best. Please please please take time out of your day today to recognize someone who you love and who has changed your life. If you don't know how good it feels, you can! It's time we made this world a better place to live in.

Labels: angels, Chris' Heroes, Courtney, God, inspiration, Jeep, McDonald's, Mom

Oh my gosh. It's hard to even know where to begin with this blog. This past week has been extraordinarily busy, but I've loved it. I could do this every week!

Meetings have included for Spring Sing, the Butler/Shortridge summer camp that I'm doing, Ross Hall RA staff, GoodGuides mentor program through GoodWill that I'm helping with, SGA's PR Board, Kappa Delta Pi, and I've done 4 'chalk and wire' training sessions.

However, random (or even planned) fun adventures have been just as plentiful! It's been really fun between: ice skating, jersey shore party, rock climbing, hip-hop/noodles, South Bend chocolate company, sushi, wal-mart runs/dangerous shopping sprees, Hotbox!, oh - and a few trips to the HRC.

So - all in all, a very productive AND fun week. I'm not behind in any classes yet, which is amazing. Usually I'm behind starting the first day. I catch up, but right now, there's no reason to play catch up. I should probably get my RA bulletin boards done soon, but that'll happen....or it won't...haha. BIG BIG plans for this year that I'll be sharing with you later on. Staying up on Chris' Heroes means that I need to get one done ASAP. I already know who it's going to be, too - just gotta get it sent. I hope you all had an incredible week and enjoy some time off this weekend. I look forward to the rest of my weekend and beginning next week in full force.

Labels: busy, Butler University, Chris' Heroes, fun, Goodwill, productive, SGA, Shortridge, Spring Sing

Well hello! It's been quite some time, I see. I wish I could re-cap everything that's gone on in these last few weeks, but there's just simply too much! I hope all of you guys have had as good of a time as I have. These past few days have been phenomenal, and I believe that my 'life-change' and goals are succeeding more than ever before.

"Greek Christmas" was the best! I had soo much fun getting to know all of the Sigma Nu pledges and spending time with all of my greek pals/gals on rowdy row. Of course, splitting my time between all of the sororities was a challenge, but hey - there's been bigger challenges! haha. But for real, rowdy row was unbelievably fun.

Back to the grind actually hasn't been bad. I've found that when I actually do assignments and homework stuff, I enjoy school a lot more. I used to be one of the "fake-readers", and don't get me wrong, I still skim if something if WAY too long to read, but now I read my stuff. It's pretty great. I started my first journalism AND political science class this semester. This should be fun... Actually, every single class I'm in this semester - I'm really interested in and excited about, so that makes it 100% better than last semester. I was sooo dis-interested last semester because I was still in "core" or having a lot of reading to do that simply was not interesting at all.

Being Campus Involvement chairman for Sigma Nu is also really exciting because I love getting people involved in stuff. Sometimes, I probably seem pushy, but I'm really just excited about what that person might bring to the activity.

Reba!!! She's been #1 for FOUR weeks in a row now with "Consider Me Gone". I swore it was my own personal battle to get that single to #1, and now it's been her longest single at #1. That feels pretty good, even though I have to recognize that I really didn't do anything at all for that to happen. It's just a phenomenal song - that's it. Her new single definitely tops it, but I'm not sure the potential it has. Vvverrrryyy good song, though!! "I Keep on Loving You" is the song I chose to reflect on my entire 2009, so obviously I like it a whole lot. Let's keep this album a record-setting one for Ms. McEntire. Her tour begins soon (with George Strait and Lee Ann Womack), and obviously I'm excited about that. They keep adding dates, and I'm hoping Indy comes up soon...doubtful, though. "The country music tour of the decade" as it's being called is sure to be a good one.

Alright - so I've definitely chatted enough. I've got homework and administrative stuff to take care of. I hope all of you are doing well. Chris' Heroes is going to begin again soon, and I PROMISE it's going to be a week-by-week thing. I have sooo many personal heroes that I can't afford not to. Love you all! God bless

Chris

Labels: Butler University, Chris' Heroes, Consider Me Gone, country music, George Strait, Reba, Sigma Nu

Hey everybody! I hope your 2009 has been as awesome as mine. Read more about it below. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas with your family, and I look forward to being a "Friend in Ten". God Bless!

2009_end_of_year_letter.doc

Well hello there! It's been quite some time since I even thought about blogging. My life has been horribly busy, and I'm not keeping up as well as I would like... Though I feel much more organized, I feel like I'm losing focus in areas I shouldn't be.

I have had a pretty incredible fall - between friends, achievements, special relationship, etc. My academics have suffered a tiny bit, though, unfortunately. I have been deeply involved with the BU College of Education in different areas, so I'm excited about the opportunities there.

Currently, I'm sitting in this wretched music class...okay - so it's not THAT bad, but I'm not all that fond of it... I was in marching band for four years - I really don't think I need to be in a "music appreciation" course. BU Core Curriculum needs a few changes..

Anyway - I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving - it can't come soon enough. I hope you're all enjoying the weather and some apple cider! cb

Wow - it has been such a long time since I blogged. I can't even remember what all has happened. Between the professional and social aspects of my life, there's been a whole heck of a lot.

Labels: autumn, class, fall, Greenwood, marching band, teachers

No, seriously. Butler always floods whenever we have like 3 consecutive (or more) hours of rain. It's been like 2 and a half days! Come on, BU. Get a better drainage system.

I'm pretty pumped for today nonetheless! Pi Beta Phi Arrowspike!!!! I'm playing volleyball at 5:30!! Then, I'll be driving home to go on a date with an old friend. Then, after picking my parents car up, I will be driving back to Butler to get some quality sleep tonight before going to Kings Island tomorrow! I LOVE KINGS ISLAND!!!! I'm soo excited!

After Kings Island tomorrow, I will be at ResLife Go-Cart night from 10pm - 2am. I'll be on a bus, so be sure to text me. I'll need some company. After that, on Sunday, I plan on going to church with the fam and heading back to school for the week. Next week is fall break!!! I would be wayyy more excited, but I'm stuck on campus, so it's hard to really be crazy excited about that.

I hope everyone is enjoying this fall season as much as I am. Best fall season in awhile, I'd say.
Chris

Wow!! Such a long time since my last update...or so it feels. So much has been going on. I will try and condense the past 2 weeks into a post. It's going to be pretty difficult, though.

I will begin with the 14th of September. Woww...Greek Week and Dodgeball and Theta Grill-off week took up pretty much all of my time. However, it was very eventful and successful at the same time! On the 15th, we had our Homecoming Kick-Off. Our theme this year is "Stop, Collaborate, and Listen - Rewind Through Time Homecoming '09". Each pairing/trio has a specified theme. This year, Sigma Nu is paired with Kappa Kappa Gamma and Ross Hall, which is really exciting; our shared specified theme is "Pop Princesses" which pretty much consists of Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Madonna, Lady Gaga, etc. So that should be fun!

Wednesday the 16th was probably one of my longest days since I've been here. I could outline my day for you, but that would probably be really boring to read. However, I had all sorts of meetings, classes, trainings, and then cheer practice. That's always fun. On Friday the 18th, Kappa Alpha Theta hosted their annual Grill-Off, which raises money and awareness for CASA. We did our lipsyncs and had a Mr. CASAnova candidate; Sigma Nu won both. I was a part of the lipsync team, and it was a lot of fun.

Saturday the 19th was a BLAST!!! Sigma Nu Dodgeball in the morning (from 11a - 1p approximately). I'm not sure about our guys division, but Kappa Alpha Theta (team 3 I think) won the tournament in the women's league. Basically, that weekend was just SNu and Theta domination, I'd say. After Dodgeball - KENNY CHESNEY! That concert was awesome! I went with AJ, Ashleigh, and Mom. I had a ton of fun! Zac Brown Band, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland, and Kenny Chesney all performed. (In that order) After the concert, there was a Highlighter party which was soooo much fun, but also very hot. I had a pretty awesome day on Saturday. Any day that includes a dance party is a good one, eh? =]

This previous week was just a lot of work and meetings again. The weekend was ggreeat, though. I went home on Friday night to enjoy some time with the family and my Gwood girl. After Greenwood's homecoming game, Chelsea and I hung out with some of the other guard girls. Yesterday, I helped Mom get the concession stand set up for the Greenwood Band Invitational, which was a blast! Running around acting important is always fun, eh? Then last night was Pi Phi's informal, which was 80's Prom themed. I had wayy too much fun last night there, and I was completely wore out this morning. However, today has been pretty great!! Ross staff bowling, working on homework, chalking for our Homecoming King & Queen reps, and now I'm gettin ready for chapter. Definitely a lot of fun! =]

See ya soon! Hope everyone is doing well.

As I sit here in Irwin, our famous library on campus that is shaped like a bookshelf, I'm supposed to be working on Calculus II homework. However, I'm taking the day off as I don't have it again until Monday. Also, I'm on duty all weekend, therefore I will have an abundance of time to get homework done. Also, you may even see another blog about how things are "really" going. Hopefully, you'll see some new changes on the site as well. I'm excited about it.

Well, as the last post said, I'm back at BU and loving it. Is there a place where you just feel like home and you never wanna leave? That is definitely here for me. Everyone (except like 6 people) are extremely genuine and nice. After losing some friends from back home, I decided it was time to completely branch out and try new things. So far, it was been working great. Abby and I are failing at actually getting to the gym every morning like we promised each other, but it'll happen. We've still been working out in some fashion..

My unit is awesome! Each of the guys brings something different and we need each of those talents, ideas, and personalities to make us UNIT TEN! Also, I have an adopted resident from "The Ocho", which ultimately makes my unit much better, eh? Haha. Nah, but I'd like to think that. School/classes are going well, but I'm really struggling to keep up with all of the reading(s) in the Education classes. Apparently if you want to be a teacher, you're suppposed to like reading. yikes!

Well, that is all for now. See ya soon!

Woohoo! Finally at good ole BU! I officially moved in on the 12th to begin RA training. Soo many exciting things happening - Unit 10 is going to be solid this year. My life is going in the direction that I want it to, though I feel very tired. It doesn't help that I haven't gotten much sleep in awhile, though... I will go through the past few weeks with you all.. There have been some interesting things.

I moved into BU on the 12th. It was definitely exciting to see all of the RA's - and meet some of the ones I hadn't met yet. On Thursday the 13th, we went to CiCi's Pizza for some good dinner and had a meeting. On Friday, we officially began training. This day was all about maintenence services and how to do room checks. Then, we had a cook-out with BUPD and learned about fire safety, etc. Saturday and Sunday were fun activities. We got the majority of Satruday off until a "Strengths Quest" event in the evening. My strengths? Analytical, Competition, Deliberative, Discipline, and Significance. Sounds pretty decent, I'd say. Sunday was very awesome - DANCING with BARRY!! =] That really was a lot of fun and bonded with other RA's from other buildings. Sunday, I went on rounds for the very first time. That was pretty great; however, there was basically no one here so I didn't get to see anything exciting.

Monday consisted of all sorts of training including finally taking our staff pictures. I enjoyed mine quite a lot. Tuesday was all about programming and policies. Oh - and MY 20th Birthday!! =] My door got a few pics and things posted all over it. That was pretty gosh dern exciting. Tuesday was very eventful, but I can say that it was most definitely one of the best birthdays that I've had. Got to spend it with fellow RA's, which included a special "country music-style" version of Happy Birthday. That was phenomenal - wish I could've recorded that. Then I spent some time at home with some of my awesome friends. Wednesday, training continued after meeting all of the deans inside Student Affairs. Also, we got 10% off at the bookstore for being RA's. Woohoo! Saved about $50. That also tells you about how much I spent. Yikes. Thursday was a crazy training day, but I'm glad it happened because I definitely feel ready and excited about the RA position. Friday morning was spent at Gleaner's Food Bank boxing and packaging food for senior cititzens. Then, we had a meeting with PAWS (which includes Abby and Liz!) about when we were going to meet together. This should be great.. =] THEN! We got to take a nap in the basement of Schwitzer. Well deserved, I'd say... And we had one last final round of Crud on Friday. That's always exciting.

Yesterday and today have been a blast meeting the Unit 10ers. Tonight is the first unit meeting and I'm working on trying to fully figure out all what to say and how to say it. This ought to be fun. =]

See ya'll soon!
Chris

Being in Gulf Shores is awesome!! Hope this catches ya'll. I will have pictures up soon!!!

Wow! This weekend has been extremely exciting && very productive!

I have spent the last two days at a Student Government Association (SGA) retreat in Brown County, IN with my most favorite people. Being the all-around Historian is AWESOME! I get to capture everything that goes on and ensure that everyone relives it at LEAST once over the coming year! Most likely at the Blue & White banquet... Anyway!!

I barely get ANY wireless signal at ALL and most definitely NO cell phone reception down here, so I will update when I actually get to civilization... However, it has been fun and most definitely productive. Too bad all of the boards couldn't make it..

Chris

Just ate fried chicken with corn-on-the-cob! Yumm! Also, still munchin' on Nana's fruit she brought us.

Hey guys!

I'm really excited about this new spot on the site called "Chris' Heroes". It is an idea that I came up with a long time ago to recognize those that mean a lot to me. I have had thousands of people in my life that have helped make me the person I am today; for these people, I'm very grateful. So, now it is my turn to do something for them.

Though it's not listed on the "Chris' Heroes" page, I sort of chose Reba McEntire, or commonly known as just Reba, as my first Hero. Now, though I do not idolize her above our Savior, Jesus Christ, on this Earth, she is probably the person I look up to most in the celebrity world. Check out the Reba page to read more.

All this being said, look tomorrow for the first "Chris' Hero" to be posted. Unfortunately, starting this now is a little odd, as I go on a few trips and vacations between now and school starts, so getting them out "weekly" could be a little bit of a problem. However, a good friend of mine, Dustin Soper, has built this site and helped me with a lot recently. He's pretty awesome, so I'm sure he'll help me with trying to regulate them weekly. =D Thanks, Dustin!

I'm excited for the way this site is shaping up, and I hope to see a lot of visitors in the coming weeks. I move back to school around August 13th, where I'm going to be going through some RA training, so that should be very fun, and I will keep you updated on that!

It's rainy here in Greenwood, but I hope you are enjoying your Thursday. Thursdays are my favorite day of the week.

Chris

Labels: Chris' Heroes, Reba

Yo!!! Sorry it has been forever since my last blog! I have been so busy!\

Since my last post, I have became a member of the Epsilon Mu chapter of Sigma Nu at Butler University and started my tutoring job! It's definitely fun, but allows for very little time to work on this site or even talk to the awesome person that got this site for me. Hopefully, this weekend, you will see some more up on here and possibly another update.

By the way, 11" of snow is incredible and cancelled school! Yay us! =)

See you all soon!!

So, this is my first post. Just trying to figure it out and how it works...

Chris