Church Doesn't Have to be at 'Church'

Last night, I went to Church.

There wasn't an amazing, world-renowned pastor speaking. There wasn't a great band with a guy in skinny jeans leading everyone in Hillsong United covers. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even at church. We just had church.

I was in a room surrounded by 14 other brothers and sisters, two babies and one dog. Eleven of the folks were from Adelaide. Three of us were from America. One of the folks is moving to Melbourne shortly. One of us Americans just arrived after traveling 10,000 miles today to join us. The ends of the earth were in one room about to go out to the ends of the earth once again.

There was food. Each person brought one of their favorite dishes to share, so we had a meal.

There was prayer, as we praised what God was doing in our lives and went to Him asking for relief in other areas.

There was worship through reading of scripture, reflecting on it and praying for its application in our lives.

It was Church.

It was a group of brothers and sisters who love and care for one another coming together to share a meal and share life together. It was a group of men and women from all different backgrounds coming together in Unity for the love of Christ in the living room of someone's house. Some of us were being sent out from that place to go to new cities and new countries, and one of us was coming to that place for the first time. It didn't matter though; we were all brothers and sisters sharing, encouraging, laughing and genuinely loving one another, and it was beautiful, just like the Bride of Christ is supposed to be. It's a memory I will cherish forever. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Go to Church (not just the building).

Creation Didn't Have to Make Us Feel Anything

(Photo: Greg McCown)

As I'm writing this, it's storming outside.

There are flashes of lightning illuminating the night sky and claps of thunder rattling the windows. 

I've forgotten how terrifying, yet amazing the sudden clashes of thunder and flashes lightning can be. The way the thunder seems to rumble from far off in the distance until it sounds like it's at the front door and the flashes of lightning bursting like camera flashes from the heavens are calming reminders of home. But why?

The sights, smells and sounds of storms don't have to tie into my emotions, but they do. Nature doesn't have to terrify, amaze and comfort me, but it does. 

Have you ever thought about that? Storms could have just been storms and nature could have just been nature, but instead we're tied to it all.

Rain puts us at peace.

Thunder humbles us with a sense of fear.

Lightning puts us in awe.

Storms don't have to make us feel peace, fear and awe, but they do. Why? Because we have a God who gives us peace, who we should fear and who we should be in awe of. I think He likes to remind us He created it all.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: There is evidence of God in all of creation. We just have to look for Him. 

4 Ways to Form Political Opinions (when you don't understand politics)

Politics are hard. They are divisive, confusing and full of big words that I don't understand most of the time, which is probably why my first and only 'C' in school came my senior year of high school during my concurrent U.S. Government class. It was a class full of conflicting viewpoints, arguments and essays about things I didn't understand, and frankly, didn't care about. 

It's hard to care about something when you don't understand it, even if that 'something' is in control of the country you live in. The only thing I really knew about politics growing up was not to talk about them in public because it was along the same lines of asking how much money somebody made or how much a woman weighed. I didn't know how to pick someone to vote for, what issues to look at, what sources were reliable and unbiased and, most importantly, how to form my own political opinions. I was pretty much left with whatever I heard my family or peers talking about, and I was clueless on how to form my own political opinions and decisions.

In America, being that it's a democracy and all, it's probably pretty important to know how to form one's own political opinions. Without that ability, we'd be a country of sheep following the person in front of us without any idea of why we're doing what we're doing (that's how I felt anyway). So, as the new election year approaches, I've set a goal to not be a sheep anymore. I've set a goal to learn how to form my own opinions and how to think for myself on national and global issues, and if you've felt like a political sheep your entire life too, I'd ask you to join me. Here's a few easy ways to start:

1) Challenge your own opinions
A good way to start forming your own opinions is to challenge the ones you already have. Challenge them, learn to defend them, and accept the possibility of being wrong about them. These are all good things. The better you can defend your opinion, the stronger it will be, and the more you're exposed to other opinions, the more credibility you'll have defending your own opinions.

2) Don't automatically dismiss differences
There's something to be said for listening to other people, especially when those other people don't have the same viewpoint as you. The only way to learn is to listen, and as soon as we start dismissing somebody the moment they say something we disagree with, we miss the opportunity to hear the viewpoint they're coming from and learn something new.  

3) Check out isidewith.com
isidewith is a pretty sweet site that, essentially, gives you a quiz over some national and global political issues and matches you with the top candidates who share the same ideas and opinions as you. It's like Tinder for politics. It's a great way to start looking further into candidates and issues on your own, and it helps explain what some of the 'big-word' policies and issues mean.

4) Follow social media
Because of Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, keeping up with politics has never been easier. Even if you're 18, it's easy to click the follow button of a few political news sources and read a summary of a debate in 140 characters or less. It takes 10 seconds. Try it. 

As Americans, no matter how young or old we might be, it's important to know who and what we're voting for and the reasons behind those decisions. If you're clueless, like I often am, when it comes to politics, take some simple steps to at least begin to understand how to form your own opinions. At 18, it's easy to be apathetic, at 24, it seems even easier, but don't be. Challenge yourself. You and your country will be better off for it.

'Murica.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Politics are hard, and forming your own opinions is harder. Do hard things. 

Why I Write

For a long time, I've really enjoyed writing. It was my favorite subject in school because I was never any good at math or science, and it opened the door to creativity for me. I always enjoyed taking boring research papers and trying to turn them into something my teacher would actually enjoy reading. Writing allowed me, a quiet introvert, to express my thoughts and emotions in a way that didn't draw a lot of attention to myself, and it became a platform and stage I could be myself on. Writing is like the introvert's Madison Square Garden; it's a stage you can perform and be yourself on without anyone watching you.

I love the creativity of writing, too. I enjoy listening to stories and the ancient art of storytelling, and I love how writing can appeal so greatly to one's emotions. Why else would 75 percent of social media now consist of sharing articles full of inspiring stories and thoughts on life and how to live it? Writing puts letters together to form words and words together to form sentences and thoughts that match emotions and experiences. Writing is life-giving to me, and it's something I'm passionate about and love sharing with others. Hence, this blog.

As of late, however, it's become too easy for me to exchange my passion for success when sharing my writing with others. I've fallen into the trap of experiencing a taste of successful writing and trying to pursue that, rather than pursing the passion for writing. I've become more worried about what will get the most "shares," rather than focusing on being inspired by what I see, experience and feel. I've slowly drifted into the dangerous waters of pleasing others, rather than pursing passion. I started Cliff Notes in August so I could begin to write on a more 'professional' level and begin to take my passion for writing more seriously. Cliff Notes started to follow a dream, not to get shares.

 A few days ago, I wrote a post on why dreams are worth 30 minutes a day. I wrote this, not only as a motivation for others to follow their dreams, but also as a motivation for myself. Those who follow my social media, may or may not have realized I've been writing and posting a lot more over the past couple of weeks. I've written a lot more as of late because I'm trying to pursue that 30-minute/day goal and follow my dream. I want to be a writer, and to write for a living requires writing every day. Being a writer would be a dream come true.

With that, I've set a goal to post 100 blogs in 100 days. In order to make this happen, I'm asking for a lot of help. I'm asking for help from friends to write guest posts and I'm asking for accountability to keep writing. You see, I don't just want to write in order to "post 100 blogs" or clog up everyone's newsfeed, and I don't want just my voice heard. I want to write and share writing relevantly, and I want to write quality content that inspires, reflects and challenges myself and others. The last thing the internet needs is more "content" that just takes up space. Writing is a gift and passion God has given me. I want to steward that gift well, and I want Him to be glorified through that gift.

So here's to 85 more days of writing, and cheers to you if you've been reading and following Cliff Notes. I truly mean it when I say that every time you read a post or give some feedback, you're helping make my dream come true, and I can't thank everyone enough for that. It's like my own, personal Make-A-Wish foundation. It will be interesting to see how this season of writing evolves, but you can be sure to expect to hear from some other inspiring writers, as well throughout the process. I couldn't be more stoked. 

Let's make a deal. If you keep chasing your dreams, I'll keep chasing mine.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Writing is like the introvert's Madison Square Garden; it's a stage you can perform and be yourself on without anyone watching you.

Cliffhangers: Oct. 25 - 31

A list of some of my favorite articles, photos, videos and good news from the week:

A funny article here by Jon Acuff on 'Halloween Hating:' Stuff Christians Like

Teenagers in Michigan created a pallbearer program to carry homeless war veterans in their final hour. Pretty cool: Good News Network

Here's a good article summarizing some of the conflict in the Middle East: Relevant

Some cool photos photographers took to prove hope in humanity: Huffington Post

A really great video explaining possibly how/why Donald Trump's campaign is so successful: Storybrand

A great read on the difference between resting and being lazy: Relevant

An Oklahoma artist wrote a song to remember the lives lost in Stillwater, OK this past weekend: Pistols Firing

Finally, my favorite Halloween clip of all time: "I got a rock" = my life.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

-Cliff

There's an 'lol' in Halloween

Ever since I was born, I've celebrated Halloween. Don't ask me how a new born baby celebrates Halloween, but he does. One moment I'm a baby, and *poof* the clock strikes midnight (just like in Cinderella) on the morning of Oct. 31 and I'm a ghost baby. I probably scared my mother half to death after she put me in that costume. I don't know if they were expecting me to walk through walls or be the next Casper, but unfortunately neither happened, and thus, I was a normal, drooling baby the next day. Now, don't take this as hating on Halloween, but there's a reason there's an 'lol' in Halloween (yes, I know the letters aren't in the same order). Halloween is a funny holiday, and it's a holiday people celebrate in funny ways. Let me explain.

I've been to lots of parties in my time, and I've dressed up for a lot of them; however, not once have a ever gone to a party all dressed up and thought, "Wow. This is a great party, but do you know what would make it better? Candy corn. We need candy corn." Why is the face of the Halloween candy market candy corn? It never fails, half of the houses you go trick-or-treating at hand out candy corn. It's possibly one of the nastiest candies on the market, and it just makes me feel like I'm chewing on Nemo the clown fish the entire time I'm eating it (this is strictly opinion, of course, so if you love candy corn, my apologies).

Next, after all the families on the block have bought over-priced candy corn to hand out to every kid down the street except their own, it's time to buy costumes. No need to rush though because weeks before Halloween itself, the costumes are out. Go into any Walmart, Target or superstore and you'll see the Halloween costumes out in full force starting in September. Why all the preparation? All you need is two hours, tops. Grab three slices of bread from the pantry, stick one on your head and one on each foot, and *poof* you're a sandwich . It's a winner every year. 

Got your costume? Perfect. Now it's time to teach the opposite of what's been taught all year. For 364 days a year we've taught kids not to take candy from strangers, but now, for one day a year we're going to teach kids not only to take candy from strangers, but to also go wandering up to their doors or cars dressed in costumes and ask for said candy. What? Don't get me wrong; I lived for this back in the day. I longed for the year when I would finally be able to go trick-or-treating by myself, but now it makes sense why my parents wanted me to be older than the ripe age of five to go by myself. Collecting candy from strangers dressed as pumpkins; it's a strange concept.

Finally, now that I'm older and understand the peculiarity of trick-or-treating, I've found a better activity, that may or may not be just as weird: carving pumpkins. Culture has decided that slicing faces into pieces of produce (that are only used once a year might I add) and then lighting them on fire in front of our houses is awesome. I agree. This has turned into the prime event after succumbing to the dreadful age of being "too old" to trick-or-treat. I join the folks going out in hoards to local pumpkin patches to pick a favorite one for carving up more carefully than the Thanksgiving day turkey. It's an art, and so is Halloween.

However you do Halloween, keep doing it weird. It's what makes the memories.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Boo. 

(p.s. Sorry, mom. I know the photo at the top is not your favorite.)

Looking in as the Dust Settles: A Note from Matt Fletcher

Now that I’ve had a little time to digest what happened at the Sea of Orange Parade on Saturday, I’m starting to see things a little more clearly. No, I don’t understand why any of this happened. I’ll never understand why these things happen. But I am now able to see just how lucky we are, as Oklahoma State, despite how unlucky we appear to be these last 15 years.

I don’t know what it is about Oklahoma State and the Stillwater community that makes us so strong. So resilient. I’ve never really understood why we are the way we are here. And sometimes I think I take it for granted.

While I worked at the Information Desk in the Union, I regularly spoke with families visiting campus. The parents were always so blown away by how friendly everyone was to them during their visit. My response was always, “That’s just the way we are around here.”

I may not ever be able to put my finger on it. Do we just attract that kind of person here? Is there something in the water? Are we doing something to everyone once they’re here that molds them into the Cowboy Family? I have no idea what it is, but I know I couldn’t live without it.

When I heard the news of what happened at the parade on Saturday, I was far from it. I was in the parade that morning with the OSU Spirit Squads, but we were near the front, right behind President Hargis and Ann. I had already stopped by my office to respond to some emails and made it to the stadium to review the script for the game when we heard what happened.

From there, my day was probably very similar to everyone else’s. I tried wrapping my head around what was going on. I found a quiet place in the stadium, let out some tears, and prayed. Then I headed to the Alumni Center to prepare for the pregame pep rally I help put on. I sat in a hallway with members of the Spirit Squad, including Taylor Collins, the Pistol Pete who helped take victims to Stillwater Medical Center. He never mentioned a thing about it.

As a matter of fact, no one said anything. The hallway that is usually filled with energy and laughter was completely silent. No one spoke. Most buried their heads in their phones, trying to get the latest information. Some fought back tears. We were told the pep rally was canceled but The Walk was still happening. When we loaded up to head outside, the students had one of those moments that made me proud to get to work with them. “Let’s get out there and put some smiles on those faces,” Preston Whitlaw, the other Pistol Pete, said in hopes of rallying the troops. And they sure rallied.

Having the game on Saturday was a tough decision for our administrators. Looking back, I agree with the decision completely. In the moment, we were all unsure how we were going to get through it. Our job is a little unique on game days. No matter what the situation, whether we’re losing by 80 points or there is a horrific wreck at the Homecoming Parade, it is our job to rally our fans into having a good time.

I was incredibly proud of our students for pulling together the way they did during the game. As someone who also had to “fake it” during the game, I know it wasn’t an easy task. But it did get easier once we got everyone into Boone Pickens Stadium. As it has been mentioned by several others, it felt good being in there with the OSU Family. Personally, my most comforting moment was during pregame when I got to lead the Orange Power chant. The fans got going and I closed my eyes on the 50 yard line for just a few seconds and listened. It felt like I was getting a hug from 59,000 people.

The OSU Family is special. I hate to admit, but it’s something I take for granted far too often. But in situations like this, I’m incredibly happy to have them on my side. I just hate that we keep having these moments to prove how strong we are.

But that thought reminded me of a lesson I tried to teach a few weeks ago, when I was privileged with the opportunity to speak to FCA. In my talk, I spoke to the students about 1 Corinthians 10 where God says you will not be tempted with more than you can handle. I told them that when you are going through difficult times in life, it helps to look at it as a compliment from God, because he will not put you through something you cannot deal with.

And maybe that’s a way to look at all of this. We talk about these last 15 years and the tragedies the OSU Family has had to pull together for over and over. Although it’s heart breaking, maybe we can also take it as a compliment from God. At least He knows that the Cowboys are strong enough to pull together in difficult times like this and be an example.

And although we’ll never fully heal from this horrible event, I know we’re going to continue on and stand strong as a family. I know this because I’ve already seen it happening. I saw it in our Spirit Squad’s rally during the game. I saw it Sunday night when more than 1,000 students showed up for the candlelight vigil at the Student Union. And I see it in every picture of hospital visits, fulfilled GoFundMe pages, and tokens of remembrance at the pole on Hall of Fame and Main.

I love this family. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. 

- Matt

This was a guest post written by my good friend, Matt Fletcher, the Fan Development Coordinator at Oklahoma State University Athletics. Big thanks to him for contributing to Cliff Notes on such a difficult topic in light of the recent tragedy surrounding the Oklahoma State University family. 

Life's a Puzzle. Do it.

I like puzzles, but only when I know what they're supposed to look like when they're finished. If someone hands me a 500 piece puzzle in a plastic bag, but I have no idea what the finished product is supposed to look like, it doesn't usually work for me. Even if all 500 pieces are there, I still have to know what colors go where and what shades make up each of the borders, otherwise, it's no puzzle for me. It would just take too long to figure out. I don't have the patience. 

Sometimes life feels just like this. It feels like a giant puzzle that you're given all the pieces to but don't know what the end product is supposed to look like. You have all the right pieces, but you're not sure where they all go, so you have to piece them all together slowly but surely as they come. I guess that's why we have a lifetime to figure it all out.

I've felt like this a lot lately. I'm going through situations, interviewing for jobs and facing difficulties that only make sense now because of what I've experienced in the past. It's as if I was given the pieces a long time ago, and they're just now fitting together, whereas before I was just sitting there with those pieces thinking, "Why do I even have these?"

It's as if everything happens for a reason, as cliche as that is. Could there really be some great, Puzzle Master handing out all the pieces to everyone, in order for everyone to work out there own puzzle at their own pace. I'd bet my puzzle on it. Some puzzles are bigger than others, some are different shapes and some are different colors. Some puzzles have smaller pieces, others have bigger pieces and some take longer to solve than others. The point is this: life can be puzzling at times, and we don't always know why we're holding the piece we are until we find the corresponding piece. Sometimes, that takes years. 

My very first internship in college was an events internship at the university's library. Since then, I've had several other event-related jobs, without ever actually trying to have event-related jobs. Weird, right? Now, I'm applying for an events-related job at a major concert/sports venue. Will I get the job? I don't know, but I do know I have the puzzle pieces to match it. In this unique case, it's not like I was every trying to collect 'events' puzzle pieces; They often just seemed to be handed to me. For now, I'm not sure, but it may seem they were handed to me for a reason. I can't wait to find out.

What pieces are being handed your way? Do you like the shape and size of them? If you do, great! If you don't, keep holding on to them. You never know when their corresponding pieces might show up.

-Cliff

-Cliff's Note: Life can be puzzling at times, and we don't always know why we're holding the puzzle piece we are . . . until we find the corresponding piece.

5 Answers to the Question: 'Why Travel?'

Traveling is more than paying lots of money to get on a plane and go somewhere. It's more than sightseeing a city's tourist hot spots and more than blowing up social media with "cool" posts. Traveling is about changing one's perspective on life. No two places in the world are exactly alike or do life in the same way, and the more places you can see, the more ways you can see how others do life. The beautiful thing about traveling is that it doesn't have to be across the world or across the country, and it can be as expensive as you make it. Even taking a trip to your next closest city will expose you to new ideas, new people and new walks of life. Travel, and here are some reasons why:

1) Learn why others think the way they do

One beautiful thing about the world is that no two people think exactly alike. If there's one thing traveling can teach you, it's that people have legitimate reasons behind their thoughts, ideas and beliefs, and some of those thoughts, ideas and beliefs are the exact opposite of yours. Some of our biggest national and global problems stem from political differences, but did it ever interest you to know the why behind those differences? Traveling and experiencing new cultures begins to reveal, at least parts of, the reasons why others may think differently about a situation than you do.

2) Growing up

There's something about traveling that helps a person grow up. It's like an adventure or a quest, not always to find oneself, but even more so to find out about others. A part of growing up is discovering the world and how it works. It's about discovering the answers to all of those "why" questions you've always asked, and it's about seeing the pictures from all of your school textbooks come to life. Traveling helps turn the childhood moments of learning into the adulthood moments of experiencing. 

3) Meeting people

When traveling, especially traveling alone, you're required to meet people. Meeting people will be a part of asking directions, interacting with locals at the downtown pub and exploring a new place. There's something special about meeting people that are in different places, experiencing different walks of life that you may have never thought about. Being able to swap stories across states, countries and cultures is a special art form that's centuries old and that will continue to be centuries new until the world can be traveled no more. 

4) Understand what its like to be on your own

Even if you're traveling in a group, there will be some sense of being on one's own while traveling. Maybe it's just the idea of being away from home or being away from family and friends, but there's always this sense of independence while exploring. Home is miles and miles away and cell phone reception may or may not be available, so it comes down to figuring out a situation and enjoying the independence that comes with a side of adventure. There's an African proverb that says, "If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together," but there's anything wrong with experiencing pieces of life on one's own and learning from that.  

5) Make memories

This one is as cliche as it comes, but memories are some of the most valuable pieces to a person's life. They're hope to cling to and old stories to laugh at. Look at it this way, which are you more likely to remember and reminisce on in the long run? A new shirt or a concert featuring your favorite band? Traveling makes memories. Memories are made through experiences and experiences come through seeing new things.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Traveling isn't about the money you spend or how far you go. It's about the way it changes us and challenges us. 
 

Why Your Dreams Are Worth 30 Minutes a Day

Has anyone ever told you that you can't do something? Not in a way that says, "Don't touch that," but in a way that says, "That's impossible." Maybe they said you weren't smart enough, weren't rich enough or weren't good enough. Maybe they said it's not logical, it's too big of a risk or the odds are too great. Whatever anyone has said, forget about it, at least for this instance. Forget what they said and remember what your heart said when you had the idea. Remember your dream.

Now that you've thought of that dream, ponder on it for a moment, and try to remember why you thought it was possible. Don't concentrate on the reasons why it might be impossible, but concentrate on the reasons why you believe it is possible.

You see, dreams don't just come out of nowhere. They form over time, and they form out of experience. Maybe it was a sport you grew up playing or a business idea you had that could change the world. A dream is founded in something, and that something is usually passion. We all have a passion for something, and it's because of that passion that we all have hopes, dreams and wishes.

As a recent college graduate, it seems like most of these dreams take shape around college-age individuals. It's a time people begin to be more exposed to the world and more aware of the opportunities out there to change it, so "dream jobs" develop. Many times, it's after college that those dream jobs seem to slowly turn into just dreams. Steady 8 - 5 jobs are found, and routines develop. Families are made and life goes on, but then what about that "dream job?" Does it just die and go away, or does it turn into a haunting nightmare because it was never pursued? I don't want to find out.

Dreams need to be pursued, and they need to be enjoyed. They need to be met with goals and practical ways of achieving them, and as difficult as that sounds, maybe it's not that difficult. If your dream is really your dream, it will be backed with passion, and that passion will be fueled by joy. If you have a dream and want to do it, there will be joy pursuing it.

Here's my challenge to you: Spend 15 - 30 minutes a day doing something in pursuit of your dreams. It doesn't have to be anything that costs money or radically alters your schedule; it just has to be something that puts you on track to see dreams come true. Maybe it's something as simple as sending emails to organizations or companies you want to work for, or maybe it's as tedious as learning an entirely new skill. Whatever it is, try it. Dreams don't have to stay dreams. They can come true, and that in itself is why pursing them is worth it.

After all, if you've spent your whole life dreaming something, isn't it worth 30 minutes pursuing?

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Don't let your dream become a nightmare because you never took the time to pursue it. 

Together Beside 'Still Waters'

It's been less than 24 hours since, yet another, tragedy at Oklahoma State University has occurred. Within the past 15 years, the university and city of Stillwater, Oklahoma have experienced two plane crashes and now an automobile accident that, in total, have claimed the lives of 18 men, women and children. This is something I don't understand. I don't understand how it keeps happening to the small-town, friendly university I attended in a town I call home. How can one school experience this much pain within a 15-year period?

I've grown up attending OSU sporting events, and, as all OSU fans do, I remember the pain from the plane crash in 2001 that took the lives of 10 members of the Cowboy family, and I remember the pain from the plane crash in 2011 that took the lives of 4 more. Now this. Another tragedy.

I think it's wrong to say that someone can get good at experiencing tragedy. That should never be the case; however, one can learn how to respond to tragedy, and that's one thing the Oklahoma State family has done. 

As OSU president, Burns Hargis, said, "The Cowboy family pulls together. Unfortunately, we've done it before, and we'll do it again."

President Hargis said it well. He reminded us that, no matter what, we know how to come together as a family, and that, no matter what, we've still got each other.

After a day like Saturday, it's hard to find bright spots. Even with 60,000 fans clad in bright orange and a tremendous win from the football team in a game that felt funny to be playing, things seem bleak. However, there are bright spots. OSU is together, OSU is a family, and OSU is surrounded in encouragement, support and prayer. Encouragement came in from not only across Oklahoma, but from across the country. It's a special thing when even the biggest rivals can come to reason that, at the end of the day, football is only a game and life has always been and will always be more important than that. As encouragement and support came, so did hope in prayer. As many questions as there were of, "Why did this have to happen?" there were even more prayers. Instead of seeing condemning Tweets and posts, there were tweets of prayers- prayers for the victims, the city, the school and for the driver. These, friends, are bright spots. It's a bright spot and an encouragement that, not only the Oklahoma State University family, but all of its supporters, have learned the best way to respond to tragedy, and that's through coming together, prayer and encouragement. 

I am thankful that the Lord is our Shepherd, and that, despite tragedy, He leads us beside still waters to restore, refresh and revive our souls when we need care most. As we reflect on Saturday's events, may we pray and mourn with those who mourn together as a family, but may we also take heart, Stillwater; He leads us by still waters.

-Cliff

Cliffhangers: Oct. 17 - 24

A list of some of my favorite articles, photos, videos and good news from the week:

Marty McFly and Doc Brown crashed Jimmy Kimmel Live on 'Back to the Future Day.' Marty McFly on 2015: "2015 kind of sucks:" USA Today

John Mark McMillan gives his take on the new 'worship culture:' RELEVANT

US Forces rescued 70 Iraqi Hostages: The Guardian 

California is getting rain again! (Thanks, El Nino): Phys.org

The OSU Cowboy Sports Network is televising all OSU Men's Basketball non-conference games, making all OSU Men's game available on TV this year. Sweet. OKSTATE

Adele is BACK! Billboard 

The OKC Thunder have signed Mike Cobbins: NEWSOK

An elderly man called a radio station because he was lonely, so the radio station picked him up and brought him by for coffee: 9News

A Koala waiting for the bus stop by near by Flinders University, here in Adelaide, Australia:

Just waiting for the eucalypt-bus (via @Flinders) pic.twitter.com/5xUhnApWt0

— BuzzFeed Australia (@BuzzFeedOz) October 15, 2015

In case you've been living under a rock all week, Star Wars released another trailer. Here is a compilation of all the trailers for the new 'The Force Awakens' movie, set to premiere in December.

Jimmy Fallon thanks Gargoyles for ruining beautiful buildings.

-Cliff

Why Oklahomans Know How to do 'Homecomings'

Sometimes, you have to leave home in order to realize why you love it.

Leaving home is part of growing up, whether it's moving halfway across the state or halfway across the world, and sometimes when you've lived at "home" your whole life, it's easy to take advantage of the things that make it just that - home.

Growing up in small-town, southern Oklahoma, it was easy to take advantage of home. It was easy to take advantage of the acres of flat land, the friendly, easy-going nature of everyone and the gallons of sweet tea available at every store in town (sadly, not all places have back country roads you can drive trucks down or hunting and fishing available in the back yard). It was easy to take advantage of moving on to college at Oklahoma State University and calling Stillwater, Oklahoma home, another small town. There are certain things about these small towns that you can't find anywhere else, and that's what makes them special.

These are the places where the world slows down and the places that remind you of your roots.
These are the places you have to come back to in order to realize why you loved them so much.
These are the places that welcome you back after a long journey like you just left yesterday.
And these are the places where coming home is welcomed back with celebration.

This weekend marks the highlight of America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration at OSU. It's a time where hundreds of thousands of OSU alumni come back to Stillwater from all over the world to see their Alma Mater. For some, it may have only been one year since they've been back, and for others, it may have been 50 years. It's a time when graduates who have moved around the world to bigger cities and bigger jobs have a chance to come home and see friends and family. It's a time when they can come back and see the things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same.

Oklahomans know how to do homecomings because they know what makes home, "home." After all, it's in the name of the state. Oklahomans know that it's the people, the memories and the small things in life that make home. It's being able to come back to a place you may not have been in years and feel like you never left, and it's being able to come back to a family. OSU's homecoming celebration is just a symbol and small part of the 'homecomings' that happen across Oklahoma each and every day, from college students coming home to visit mom and dad to men and women returning from lifelong journeys. I'm proud to be able to call Oklahoma my home, and I'm glad I get to be a part of some of the best homecomings in the country. I can't wait to be back.

-Cliff

-Cliff's Note: Sometimes, you have to leave home in order to realize why you love it.

10 Things Oklahoma State University Graduates Definitely Miss

Oklahoma State University is known for many things. It's known for America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration, Boone Pickens Stadium and the Historic Gallagher Iba Arena. There's no doubt OSU alumni miss each of these things, but there are even more smaller things we graduates miss possibly even more. In honor of Homecoming this week and the 100,000+ OSU alumni that will descend upon Stillwater, Oklahoma, here are a few things most all OSU graduates are guaranteed to miss after the bittersweet transition from student to graduate. 

1) Sitting in the student section

Whether you stand in line hours before game time to get the best seat at Boone Pickens Stadium or arrive just in time to get the last floor seat at a basketball game in Gallagher Iba, there's no better seat than a seat in the student section with a few thousand of your classmates. After graduation, you have to get real tickets with assigned seats, and that's just not as fun as the first come, first serve seat selection process. From the nerves during pregame intros to the post-game singing of the Alma Mater with your arms around friends and strangers, there's no better place to watch a game than the student section.

2) Hearing the Edmon Low Library play the Alma Mater

Photo Credit: Kurt Steiss

Edmon Low has some pipes. You can hear those bells all over Stillwater, but there's no better place to hear them than on campus. After graduation, you'll wish every city had its own Edmon Low to remind you it was time to go to work.

3) Wearing the color orange every other day

Photo Credit: Matt Fletcher

There's something about the color orange that isn't as common in the real world as it is at OSU. If you wear orange two days in a row, people begin to wonder why you're dressing so brightly. It's hard for anyone to understand that after four years at Oklahoma State, half of your wardrobe turned orange and you have no idea how. 

4) The Colvin Center

Photo Credit: Oklahoma State University Wellness

One of the biggest perks to being an OSU student is that you get a FREE gym membership to one of the best university recreation centers in the country. Unfortunately, that runs out after graduation, and what's even more unfortunate? Gym memberships can be expensive. 

5) Walking to class

Photo Credit: Oklahoma State University Registrar's Office

It may sound crazy. Who would miss walking to class? Especially when you have to walk north up Monroe Street when it's 30 degrees outside with a north wind blowing 40 mph in your face. Trust me, you'll miss it. You'll miss the walks with friends to and from class, and you'll miss the random conversations that weren't supposed to last 20 minutes but did anyway, making you miss your next lecture.

6) The Library Lawn/Theta Pond combo

Photo Credit: GW_Bentonville

OSU has one of the nation's most beautiful campuses, and part of that reason is because of Theta Pond and Library Lawn. Remember feeding the ducks or playing the world's largest game of Twister? Yup. Both are great places unique and special to OSU that you won't be able to find anywhere else. 

7) The "small-town" feel

Photo Credit: Oklahoma State University's Office of the Registrar

The campus at Oklahoma State University is like the nicest little town you could ever be a part of. The people can't be beat, there's always something to do and no matter where you go, people are smiling. It's a feeling unlike any other. 

8) The school spirit

Where else in the entire world can you have a cowboy walking around with a 12-gauge shotgun and .357 revolver in hand ready to fire at any given moment sending whoever is within a 300 yard radius into a rousing 'OOOOOO-SSSSSSSS-U!' chant?

9) The buildings

There's something special about the buildings at OSU, and it isn't just that all the architecture matches. The buildings will be there for generations. They will be there if your kids go to school there and if your grandkids go to school there, and you'll be able to say, "I had a class in that same classroom." It's pretty sweet when generations can share memories like that.

10) The friends that become family

There's no place in the world that you'll make friends like you do at OSU. It's the friends that used to just be "random" roommates that you didn't even know. It's a friend that you asked out on an awkward first date. It's the friends that become family that you'll remember forever, and that makes the OSU experience what it is. There is nothing like being a part of the Cowboy Family. 

Go Pokes and Happy Homecoming!

Don't Gain the World and Lose Your Soul

What do we all have that come in all different sizes, while some smell better than others? Souls. And not just the ones on your feet. 

The soul is defined as a "the spiritual or immaterial part of a  human being or animal, regarded as immortal" (it's odd to me they toss 'animal' in there, but hey, I guess all dogs go to heaven). I had to look this up because I really wasn't sure exactly what the soul was/is. To be honest; it's super difficult to define the differences between the heart, the mind and the soul. They all seem to be so intertwined and interchangeably used that it is hard to define the differences, especially between the heart and the soul. You may or may not believe in having a soul. If you believe in an afterlife, you probably do, and if you don't believe in an afterlife, you probably don't. I, however, do believe in a soul. 

I remember reading/watching the Harry Potter series growing up and seeing these creatures called dementors suck out people's souls as a form of punishment greater than death (did anyone else notice they never went for Ron?). It would allow a person to live, but not really "live." In a way, it reveals a bit of how vital a soul is to a human life. I remember reading my Bible and hearing pastors and teachers talk about the soul nearly every week in some form or fashion. The soul seemed important; it was eternal and the driver of life's purpose.

It's with the soul that we do life. Through the soul and from the soul come energy and intensity, so how can someone harness that energy and intensity and not lose it? To lose the soul is worse than gaining the world. How can we keep it safe?

Focus on eternity.

If the soul is the eternal piece of a human, then that's the part that never dies, and that's the part that should matter. However, how much harder is it to focus on eternity and put it into perspective? It's incredibly difficult. It blows my mind just trying to imagine eternity. I have a hard enough time imagining next week, much less 3,000 years from now in a Place I believe to be real but, in reality, have a hard time imagining. Focusing on eternity is difficult because it's difficult to concentrate on something we can only begin to comprehend. 

Jesus questions, "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Basically, gaining all of the money, pleasure and power of the world brings no lasting benefit if someone loses his soul to spiritual death and separation from eternity to gain it. Focus on gaining eternity, on gaining soul, not the world. In eternity, nothing worldly gained matters. In the end, you can't take anything with you. The world isn't worth the cost of eternity. Thank God, the cost for Eternity has already been paid.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: The world isn't worth the cost of eternity. Thank God, the cost for Eternity has already been paid.

3 Keys to Keeping the Mind Fresh

The human mind is a miracle. It's a masterpiece of cells, senses, thoughts, feelings and controls that, strangely, go farther than the human mind can imagine. Though it controls all the nerves throughout the body, it's the only organ in the body without any nerves. It doesn't feel pain (not physical pain anyway). The mind starts as a blank piece of paper and is eventually covered in knowledge and information about the world's ins and outs. Just like a desert needs water to grow, it needs information so we can grow. It's a spectacular thing that we couldn't function normally without, and it would undoubtably be my number one place to visit on Mrs. Frizzle's Magic School. 

The mind is where creativity takes place and where our uniqueness can become a reality for others to see. Being the control center for the human body, the mind is a main source for a person's life to function normally and to grow successfully. So, why do we need to take care of it? It's kind of like a city's water supply; it's a life-giving source necessary for life to continue. Not taking care of the mind is just like not taking care of a city's water supply; it would affect the entire city and put all its inhabitants in danger. So, in Cliff Notes form, to take care of the mind is like taking care of a city's water supply: Keep it fresh, don't pollute it and, most importantly, use it. 

Keep it fresh: The mind allows us to take in information, process it and spit out new information, creating a kind of brain cycle (just like there's a water cycle). It's important to refresh your mind with new information and new tasks to keep it fresh and ready to learn. Don't go stagnant and let information sit and get old. Keep learning new things and processing new ideas with others. New ideas are fresh ideas.

Don't pollute it: The mind is a funny thing. It learns behaviors and is easily trained to certain patterns and functions. This can be good, of course, but it can also be bad when filling the mind with the wrong sorts of things. Just like eating habits, it's easy to fill the mind with junk and not the kind of stuff that makes it healthy. It's easy to spend 15 minutes mindlessly scrolling through social media absorbing all of the day's gossip, but it's hard to read a book. It's easy to look at porn, but it's hard to go meet my neighbor next door. It's easy to pollute the mind and harder to keep it clean, but I think keeping it clean is worth it. Absorb the right sorts of information in the right doses and challenge yourself. 

Use it: The mind is a gift from God, so use it; don't lose it. Don't waste it; demonstrate it. We're able to learn for a reason; so we can apply what we learn and teach it to others. Without application, teaching becomes entertainment, and frankly, we have enough entertainment to last a lifetime. Learn a new skill, teach someone your skill or simply just read a new book. Grow in wisdom, stature and knowledge. The mind is special, and if we don't use it, we're wasting one of the coolest parts about being a human- the ability to think and reason for ourselves. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If you don't want crappy water, don't put crap in it. If you don't want a crappy mind, don't put crap in that either. 

The Heart

What's the heart of a man? Is it simply the organ inside of a body that fuels life, or is it more than that? Frankly, the term "the heart" has always been a bit confusing to me. I learned about the heart in science classes growing up, but I also learned about it in other places too. I learned about it in church, and I learned about it in sports. In church, I was always told that if I asked Jesus to "come into my heart," He would "make a home there" (Christians definitely have the weirdest way to phrase things). That was something we NEVER talked about in science class. In sports, we were taught to have the "heart of a champion" and to "play with heart." These were strange concepts to me, as well, because anytime I would hear those phrases, the only thing I could think of was the movie Rudy, for some strange reason. I guess he had a good heart, but that never really helped me with anything. There was just something missing between science class, sport, church and love. 

This always left me wondering, therefore, what is "the heart" and what does it do? . . . besides pump my blood. It seems like there are different sides to the heart. There's the physical side that we all know and love, there's the spiritual side, the emotional side and, of course, the love side. It seems like a lot for a small organ the size of my fist to be in charge of. 

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of taking care of what's on the inside of a person, being the heart, the mind and the soul. Now, I want to wrap that up by writing about each of these things individually, starting with the heart.

How can we take care of the heart when it seems there are so many different sides to it and so many different beliefs about it? How can we take care of what is taking care of us? I believe the answer is giving life. I believe the key to taking care of the heart is by giving it life, just as it gives us life. Give your heart something to live for:

Physically: As your heart pumps blood through your body to your muscles and organs, use those muscles and organs. Give your heart a reason to keep sending blood to the rest of your body. Go outside and sweat, work and play. Enjoy the blessings of a body full of life and use the life it gives you to give life right back to it.

Emotionally: What gives you life? Who gives you joy? Find these things and these people and invest in them, love them and be thankful for them. The "heart of a champion" and a heart that's in love are hearts full of passion and selflessness. If we emotionally invest in the people and passions in our lives, surely our hearts can experience life. 

Spiritually: There is no greater joy I've found in my life than when my heart is living for something Greater than me. It's hardwired into me that I experience true life when I'm not living for myself, but for Someone and Something that is much greater than me. It's far more than having Jesus "make a home in my heart." It's about Him giving me a completely new heart and living not only for Him, but because of Him. This is where life is really experienced and where my heart has not just something to live for, but Someone to live for. 

Take care of your heart. It keeps you alive, after all.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Give the heart life, just as it gives us life. 

If it's what's on the inside that counts, why don't I count it?

There's an old, country song by Lonestar called 'Front Porch Looking In.' It's a great tune, if you're into the whole country/western scene. It's about a man who has a great piece of open land to work and farm with a great view from his porch (sounding like most country songs at this point); however, the catch comes when the writer claims that his best view is actually the view from his front porch looking into his home where he can see his wife, kids and family. Essentially, it's a song that speaks to the idea that it's what's on the inside that counts.

We've all heard that saying before: "It's what's on the inside that counts." It's a saying we use to point to the heart of a person, rather than what's on the outside. It's been a saying used to overcome racism and so much more. Being such an important saying that I reckon most everyone would agree with in some form or fashion, it amazes me at just how little we in fact work to take care of what's on the inside.

If it's what's on the inside that counts, why don't we take care of it as much as we take care of our outside? Why don't we make taking care of our hearts, minds and souls a priority? It's so easy to take care of the outside. After all, that's what everyone sees, so that's what should matter the most, right? Everyone can see hair, clothes and skin, so we wash it, brush it and clothe it with the best we can afford. It's a priority to shower every day and put deodorant on (as it should be, especially if you're a man), but why isn't it a priority to wash and cleanse the heart, mind and soul every day?

A big personal conviction of this comes with going to the gym and eating healthy. I'll spend anywhere from an hour to two hours a day at the gym, making sure my body stays fit, while I'll spend (maybe) 20 minutes reading, writing or reflecting in order to assure my 'insides' are doing okay. I'll spend lots of time at the grocery store trying to pick out healthy-ish items I can put in my body to assure I'm receiving all the nutrients I need, but how much time do I spend looking at what I'm putting into my heart, mind and soul to assure that those aspects of my life will remain healthy? Not much, I can tell you that.

It even comes down to when someone asks how I am. My outside is fine, so I say I'm fine. I'm feeling physically good, so I must be good. But what about what counts? What about the inside of the man? Odds are, they aren't usually as good because I don't spend as much of my time taking care of what's on the inside compared to what's on the outside, and I won't tell anyone about that part of my life because that's only for me to know. 

If it's what's on the inside that counts, I should be more apt to care about what I'm putting 'inside' of me (and I'm not just talking about vegetables). If I want my heart, mind and soul to be healthy, it's important to exercise those areas of life just as much, if not more than, I exercise my physical self. When someone asks how I am, maybe it's time to be honest about how I am, both on the outside and the inside. I just want to be healthy, and I want you to be too. Let's take care of our insides this week. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If it's what's on the inside that counts, count it, take care of it, and exercise it. 

Jesus & Beer

Today, one of the teaching pastors at my church is going to teach me how to brew beer.

^That's a sentence I never thought I would say.

Being taught how to make an alcoholic beverage by someone from the church is something I never thought could happen. As a matter of fact, any sort of relation between alcohol and the church is something I never thought could happen. The only relations to alcohol and the church I ever experienced were negative, aside from the occasional mentioning of Jesus turning water into wine. To be quite honest, alcohol was as much of a mystery to me as it was wrong to partake in.

The first drink I ever had came when I was between the ages of seven and ten when I was watching my grandpa cook fried chicken in the back yard. He was drinking a beer, and because I was between the ages of seven and ten, I just assumed it was root beer, so I took a swig. It wasn't root beer. 

My mom would have the occasional glass of wine around the house during the holidays, but aside from that, I was never really exposed to any alcohol in my day to day life. A plus to that was that the temptation to drink was never really there because I never really knew anything about it (other than that it tasted terrible (from my one memory)). However, a negative to that was that I really only saw the two extremes of alcohol. I would go to OSU football games on Saturdays and see fans walking around smashed and then go to church on Sundays and hear never to drink alcohol at all because it would ruin my witness for Christ. When someone is exposed to two extremes and two extremes only, the only option really becomes to follow one of those two extremes. I chose the latter of the two. 

After I went to college and turned 21, I still chose not to drink, not necessarily because I thought it was wrong, but more because I didn't understand it. I would hear stories of friends going out and getting "black-out" drunk, but I would also hear stories of friends going to grab "a beer," and grabbing "a beer" was a new concept to me; It wasn't an extreme. Not long after that, I had my first real drink and went to grab "a beer" with a roommate of mine who grew up coming from the same background. Guess what. We didn't get drunk. Guess what else. We didn't do anything wrong.

Not long after college, I moved to Seattle, and after I moved to Seattle, I moved to Australia. Both Seattle and Australia are quite different than Oklahoma. Some would say they are more "liberal," and others would say they're "ahead of the times." I'm not sure what I would call it, but I've definitely learned a lot from both, and one thing I've learned is that it's okay to to grab "a beer." It's okay to have a drink and read the Bible at the same time, it's okay to meet a group of guys at the pub for small group and i'm not always going to "lose my witness" or sin by doing any of these things. 

It's still weird for me to say that for a long time, I didn't drink because it was a mystery to me, not because I thought it was wrong. I understand that alcohol can be the most addicting drug and that alcohol is the cause of nearly six percent of all deaths, but I also understand that many things can become addictions and that 96 percent of all deaths are caused by other things. Moderation and mystery are the keys. Be responsible and understand that there are right and wrong ways to drink, for Christians and non-Christians. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding because He came to bring joy. The party is better with Jesus. 

The "What if" Game

When I was little, I would play this game with my parents or older cousins called the "What if?" game. It was a simple game, in my opinion, because it was easy for me, while it guaranteed that whoever I played with would be annoyed out of their minds. Keep in mind, however, that I never told anyone I was playing this game, I would just start playing it. I would begin by thinking of some outlandish subject that only 7-year-olds can think of and formulate a question out of that subject. After asking the first question, I would proceed to ask even more outlandish "what if" questions to each and every response that was given to me. A game would generally look like this:

Me: "How will Santa bring me toys if we're staying in a hotel?"
Mom: "He will bing them grandma and grandpa's house."
Me: "'What if' he doesn't go to their house because they've been bad?"
Mom: "Grandparents are never bad."
Me: "'What if' they are?"
Mom: "Then they'll get coal and you won't."
Me: "'What if' they're allergic to coal and have to go to the hospital?"
Mom: (finally annoyed) "Austin, hush, or you will get all the coal."

It was a GREAT game, except for one thing: it taught me to question everything with "what if."

Do you ever have those moments in life when you're flat out confused while facing a big decision and have no idea what to do? You could choose one thing, but then the "what if" question comes into play. "What if" the other thing is better? "What if" I'm wrong?" "What if" I choose this and not that and the entire earth explodes because I made the wrong decision? <--- That's pretty much my thought process most of the time. I take big decisions and turn them into world-altering determinations. I can go from trying to figure out what to have for dinner to determining that if I don't eat a salad at least once a day I'll gain 50 pounds within the next two years in a matter of seconds. It's a gift.

But really? What's the best way to approach big decisions while avoiding the "what if's" and "grass is always greener on the other side" sayings? After all, no one likes the word regret. I'm at this time in my life where big decisions seem to be a part of the daily schedule. I definitely believe that some of life's biggest decisions come between the ages of 18-25. We're forced to choose whether or not to go to school, where to go to school, what to study in order to choose what career path to take, and then where to live and start a life. It's quite a lot that can happen in seven years, and it's also a seven-year period in which 18-25 year-olds are experiencing a lot of changes themselves in who they are and who they want to be. It's like puberty all over again (without as much acne, but more hair loss). 

I know there are ways out there to help with decision making, but sometimes those are just as frustrating as the decisions themselves. I understand that it's good to be a team player. It's great to bring other people into the decision-making process and to seek advice, but what if the advice they give isn't the advice you want to hear (even though you know they're probably right)? That's always humbling. Then there's the tactic of ignoring decisions. Maybe if I don't make a decision the opportunity or problem will go away. That doesn't always work either, and I've found it's hard to go anywhere, in general or in life, when decisions aren't made. With that, maybe it's just best to simply make a decision and 'go with the gut.' You know that special gut-feeling you get deep down when you feel like something is right or wrong. Maybe that's the secret.

For now, that's what I'm going to do: 'Go with the gut.' However, I can't help but wonder if I'm the only one playing the "what if" game, and if anyone else is playing, are there any tips to the game I don't know about? If you're another "What if" gamer, past or present, share some of your cheats. I'd be interested to hear them.

- Cliff

Cliff's Note: Go with the gut.