Singing Oaks Church of Christ

As It Is In Heaven

By Casey McCollum, Campus Minister | December 23, 2015

When I was moving into my office over at the Campus Center back in 2012 I had a few things that I knew I wanted to put in my office. I had a great picture of our family that I hung right over my desk. I had another beautiful picture of Kasey that I also put next to my desk. I had a page from an old hymnal that had been framed, it’s the song Have Thine Own Way Lord and it was my grandmothers favorite song. And then of course my picture of Rangers Stadium.

I remember, after hanging all of these things in their respective places, taking a break and sitting down at my desk. I remember looking out my window, watching students walking to and from campus. As I watched them I picked up a dry erase marker and started writing on the window. I wrote something that would guide my ministry for the next 3½ years.

Learning From Leroy

By Casey McCollum, Campus Minister | October 26, 2015

When Kasey and I moved to Denton and joined Singing Oaks one of the first things I did was connect with Leroy Garrett. I first heard about Leroy while I was a student at ACU. It was in a church history class where I learned about his great impact on our movement. I remember reading some of his writings and thinking, wow, it would be great to sit down with this guy someday.

Leroy’s care facility was not far from the Campus Center and so two or three times a year for the last three years we would do lunch together. After lunch we would go back to his room full of books and talk late into the afternoon. We laughed. We prayed. He told story after story. I did my best to soak up all the wisdom I could. It was sacred ground.

Change or Transformation?

By Casey McCollum, Campus Minister | August 28, 2015

“I’m ready for you to leave now.” And with that, I knew Clare was going to be just fine.

We arrived at kindergarten a full 15 minutes before the first bell. Didn’t want to be late on the first day. Clare had picked out her clothes the night before and they didn’t match at all but hey, pick your battles right? We arrived, put her backpack up, found her table, did the picture thing, did the picture thing, did the picture thing again, then she sat down. I asked her if she wanted us to stay for a few more minutes. “I’m ready for you to leave now.”

These first few days have been fantastic. Great school. Great teacher. But Kindergarten is not just a change for Clare or our family, it’s a transition. What’s the difference? William Bridges says this, “In other words, change is situational. Transition, on the other hand, is psychological. It is not those events, but rather the inner reorientation and self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes into your life. Without a transition, a change is just a rearrangement of the furniture. Unless transition happens, the change won’t work, because it doesn’t “take.” (Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes)

S-L-O-W

By Casey McCollum, Campus Minister | May 4, 2015

I was in Walmart a few days ago waiting in line. Which is what you do at Walmart. You wait. In line. A lot. It’s a rare thing to find a completely open lane. So there I was waiting. Again. The lady in front of me had quite a few items. Her cart wasn’t completely full but it was close. There were only two other lanes open and they were full as well so I stayed put. And the cashier took her sweet time scanning each item. Holding it up, examining it like she had never seen it before.

The last item was finally dropped in the bag and the woman reached for her purse to pay but then she froze. I could see the wheels turning. As she rummaged through her purse she let out a heavy sigh. She dug some more. A bigger sigh. She told the cashier that, sure enough, she had left her credit card in the car. She let out a third sigh then turned to me and said, “I’m so sorry, I know this is taking forever, but I will be right back.”

Pleasure or Meaning?

By Casey McCollum, Campus Minister | February 27, 2015

A few weeks ago I finished a fascinating book called “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl. I remember reading parts of it in college but I’m so glad that I picked it up again. I also just finished another book called “Scary Close” by Donald Miller. Miller’s book is about the importance of authenticity and vulnerability in our relationships. About half way through the book, Miller referenced Frankl. Coincidence maybe or maybe God is trying to get my attention. Either way, I found what Frankl had to say to be profound.