Welcome back to the Carp Dime Guest Blogger series. Today's entry is from a guy I've known just as long as I've known
Brandon. Mark Hipes is the Director of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund at
Bluefield College. He earned an Associate's Degree in General Studies from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and a B.A. in Christian Studies from Bluefield. His favorite movies are
National Treasure and
Rudy. His favorite book is
The Last Amateurs by John Feinstein. Mark is a Christ-follower, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend,
and a fiance. He used to be The Other Single Guy, but in a few months he will marry the love of his life, Peyton Mawyer.
Sharing Christ Through Sportsball
Normally,
I am excited knowing I will be mentioned on Carp Dime, but it’s a
little nerve-wracking when you are writing the blog. I don’t know how
you do this
every day, Aaron – well almost every day… he has slowed up a little in
his old age. I would like to mention that I was present for the actual
“Carp Dime” moment… good times.
The
question The Single Guy posed was “one experience you’ve had that
helped shape the person you are today.” Thankfully the question posed
was “one experience”
and not “the one experience” because there are multiple people and
events that have made an impact on my future.
With
that being said, I am going to pick one – it was my first summer after
starting College. I had applied to serve as a BSU summer missionary and
had been
appointed to serve on the Sports Ministry Team. There were 5 of us on
the team. After two weeks of training under the tutelage of Kendal
Shuler, we would travel the state of Virginia and use sports to tell
kids about Christ. Since I was attending community
college, at that time, this was the first time I had been away for home
for an extended period of time. It was an amazing summer. It was tough
at times. We didn’t always get along and I was normally the cause for
that tension – I was pretty immature back in
those days. It was a season of shaping for me. While I knew it to a
degree at that time, I came to see the fruit of that phase of life in
the coming years. That summer the Lord began a work in my life. I was
learning who I was in relationship with Him apart
from my family, my church and everything that was comfortable. I am
grateful for that summer and those experiences.
Links to the guest writers' posts...
1. Brandon Caldwell
2. Vanessa
3. Landon Metts
4. Jeff Noble
5. Jennifer Mitchell
6. Mark Hipes
7. Nicole Holden
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