The Morning after the Night before

The next statement that I am about to make may not be true for everyone but if you know me, it holds validity in my life. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and you never actually know what the day will bring. You never really know where you will end up that night. As I sit this morning and try to process the last 24hrs, I can tell you that I have had a good number of encounters with people and 4 interesting conversations. Lets review the night before and things we’ve learned shall we!

Conversation #1-We learned that emotions run rampt throughout this world and we need take into account how others might interpret our actions and the things we say.

Conversation #2-There are times when you just need to take in your surroundings and enjoy where you are because those times are few and far between.

(This is me at some pub/bar in downtown Tennessee listening to blue grass type music with my buddy Jose.)

I do not actually know who that random guy is in that video. However, I would like to say that later on that night, we shared the dance  floor and proudly danced a folky version of  ”All the single ladies” by Beyonce. I had to get up and dance because it was the ONLY song I knew from that entire night. And for the record, we were not the only two dancing so its ok.

Conversation #3-Everyone wants to be loved and feel wanted. That is true for a 14yr old just as much as it is for a 42yr old.

and finally…

Conversation #4-Never be ashamed to be a Christian. Own it. Live it. Breathe it. You would be surprised the topics that might come up that could help someone struggling with their faith or just needs reassurance that there are other Christians out there in this world. They are not alone!

All of those convos were ones that happen randomly throughout the day. The last one occurred at about 2am. Once we were done talking and parted ways, I started thinking about how things are all connected. Last week I was a camp counselor at a high school Christian camp and had the opportunity to share with them about the ministry in Salamanca, Spain. The topic for the week was being an unashamed Christian. Thus, when I spoke to them about Spain, I touched on the topic of how you have to be bold and unashamed in being a Christian because the faith is dead there. There are Christians among the Spanish college students but they are few and far between. In being a campus minister there, you have to not be ashamed about being a Christian and you have to not be afraid to tell people what you actually believe because trust me, they will ask you.

Anyhow, I realize that everything I just said might seem a bit scattered but the purpose of this post was this. We converse with one another daily and just because we are in certain type of environment, it does not mean that certain topics won’t come up.  Thus, today I would like for you to think about the conversations you have and the topics that come up. There is always more to those convos than you think!

Update:

Well, as of this morning, after I calculated it all, including verbal commitments and those that have not signed up yet, I am at 22.2% Last week I received my first Church support from Islands Christian Church. Their support was inspiring, for lack of a better word, and has re-lit the fire under my butt to get to Spain faster. That being said, if anyone has any leads just reply to this post. If you would like help transform lives in Spain, just click this link–>http://cmfi.org/wherewework/spain and scroll down until till you see a handsome chocolate man and click the ‘Give” link to the left.

Think outside the box!

A few weeks ago I drove to Statesboro, Ga to speak at a church and hangout with a couple of good friends. One of my favorite past times while I was in college there was watching TV shows together with them so that is what we ended up doing. Christina, Cabbage Patch, and I sat around, talked, and watch Friends for about 2.5 hrs one night and it was great! In watching, I remembered that all of the Friends episode names have titles like ”The One with the Blackout” or “The One with Jellyfish”.

The next night on my drive home I started thinking about what the titles of my life episodes would be if it were like Friends. Here are some that I came up with:

And if you were watching this current season of my life, Season 24, it would be called “The one with Chris and Support Raising”.

The reason this post is titled ‘The one with Chris and The Box” is because I am noticing that it has become a frequent re-run in my life for the past couple of years. I enjoy thinking outside the box which sometimes includes taking risks and trying to find different methods to accomplish things. However, sometimes that tank gets empty and I need something or someone to fill it up again.

The conversion that I had last night with a friend refueled that mindset for me and got things rolling. He reminded me of the basics and said that there are many ways to get things done. You just need a system that works for you and the way you think.

Naturally, that convo brought me to my final thought that I would like to share with you. Each person’s mind is different in relation to how they perceive their environment and how they map out their surroundings. Some might see the glass as being half full, while others see it as half empty.

Sharpie Fireplace

Sharpie Backwall

Some might do cool things with a sharpies like the pictures on the side or take ordinary objects and alter them for comedic art!

On a team that shares a common goal, it is important to have some diversity…meaning it is ok that a few might not think the same way.  Having those that think outside the box comes in handy when the team runs into a wall or wants to change things up a bit.(However, I am bias because I like to think of myself as someone that thinks outside the box so who knows…this might not be true but its my opinion hahaha)

Flames

Oh No!!! If I were an egg I'd freak out!

Anyhow, that’s enough serious talk for one post. In other news, I got black pepper chicken w/mushrooms, a pt of beef w/ broccoli, fried rice, 2 egg rolls, and 2 fortune cookies all for $1.06 from Panda Express last week in Fayetteville. They were about to close and did not have what we wanted when we went through the drive through so I used my good looks and charm to get a discount!!! (Actually she just gave it to us because they were closing and were going to throw it away but had to charge us something for all that food so she rung us up for a fortune cookie).

(All of the pictures were taken from Deviantart.com)

Chylton out!

P.S-You can support me going to Spain by clicking https://p2p.paperlesstrans.com/default.aspx?i=cmfms&c3=HYLTON+Christopher&c4=58900

There is something about the atmosphere of a place that is just so captivating. When one of my really good friends, Felipe, got back from a trip to Mexico, he sat me down and said this, “Chris, (in his Chilean accent of course) when I was in Mexico I felt great. There is something about the people and how they are so nice. I love how, as I walked, I could just hear the Spanish music playing from people’s houses and/or their cars and it just made me want to dance.  I need that for my life. I need this type of culture…the Spanish culture.”

As I heard the words come out of his mouth, I realized something too. I also need that. Both of my parents are from Panama (the country not PCB) and as I was growing up, my surroundings were filled with tons of Latin culture. The music was always playing in the house. My food choices included platians, coconut rice, bacalao, arroz con pollo, carimanola, yucca frita, and of course tres leches (just like every other latin country). Welcome to my life! This is why I especially love reggeaton, salsa, and such. Its in my blood. I real do feel it in my fingers and in my toes because, well, it is my culture!

I never realized the how much of an influence an atmosphere could have on someone or how much it could shape the way a person thought, felt, and acted. Last week was the beginning of Ash Wednesday and church was packed out.  At one point during the worship, the guitarist did the typical “pull away from the mic slowly” move so that the congregation could sing in unison. It sounds amazing when it happens. Anyway, as he did that, I stopped singing just to hear how it all sounded and look and it was amazing. Watching tons and tons of people in unison, worshiping the same God touched my so much that whatever I was worrying about just drifted away. It was what I needed at the time and I welcomed it with open Latino arms!!!

Hopefully by next fall I will be experiencing that, but in Spanish. I cannot wait! Oh, before I forget, there is a new addition to our Spain team. Her name is Katie Ruth Landers.

Katie Ruth aka KRuth (she's not a fan of KRuth but I love to annoy her=P )

She will be going to Assessment next week to start the process of joining the En Vivo Spain team. I am glad she will be on the team with us. God is bringing us all together slow and she is definitely one of us!

Quote of the Post:
Most people don’t know there are angels whose only job is to make sure you don’t get too comfortable & fall asleep & miss your life.-Story People
“Word”/Phrase of the Post:
Social Chameleon- Someone who changes the way they interact with people depending on who they are with.

Chylton Out!

This is a letter to my future self. I would like all of you to read it

Dear future Chylton,
While you are experiencing the “present time” of your life, you often rarely understand why things are happening the way they are until later. Your “future self” will look back on your “past self” who is you, now in the present, and will make connections of why God placed certain people in your life, or why He didn’t let you get that job, or even why things didn’t work out with that girl (or guy).

As you look back on your life, you should kind of laugh at the way you use to see things. You use to be extremely mad at the fact that your parents decided to move to Atlanta, Ga when you were 15years old. You wanted to stay in New York to finish school. You wanted to continue the path of life that you thought you wanted. You wanted to be a Physiologist. You wanted to go to Michigan University. You wanted to travel back to Europe and live there for awhile.  The problem with all of this was that a lot of those things were what “You” wanted and not God. Then, that all changed, sort of at least, when you came to Ga.

Let me first say that you loved New York, always have, and always will. But Georgia is a totally different place in that of itself. The people are so much nicer. The food, though unhealthy at times, is flavorful. Moreover, as you eat it you can taste the love that was put into making the very colorful dish that you see before.

However, as you look back now, you never would have realized, because you were in it, how much your faith was growing while in this lovely state known for its peaches. You met some pretty amazing people who challenged you spiritually both in high school as well as in college. Great friends were made and strong relationships were formed. You love it and wouldn’t change it for anything. Remember that!

Love,

Chylton…from the Past

Everything happens for a reason!

I guess what I am trying to say is this. You never fully grasp why things are happening the way they are until you are out of them. I am sure we are all living testimonies of that. Have you ever played the “What If” game with yourself? What if you never got coffee with that friend and spent 3hrs having a great conversation?  What if you never traveled to that country? Or what if you never took that road trip with those people who you now call your bestfriends?

Sometimes we just need someone to remind us to that things happened for a reason.  If we take a step back and review our lives, I am sure we can point out those instances.  God will work it all out in the end. We just have to give to Him the control over our lives. He certainly knows more of what’s best for us than we do.

Quote of the Post:
“What if-the basis of all story. The small child asks all the what ifs. All of life is story, story unraveling and revealing meaning. Despite our inability to control circumstances, we are given the gift of being free to respond to them in our own way, creatively or destructively”- Madeleine L’Engle
“Word”/Phrase of the Post:
Strategic Dipping -Not double dipping! When a chip (or other dippable food) is dipped, bitten, and then turned over so that the tainted, bitten, and saliva covered part isn’t able to corrupt the dip.

Chylton Out!

This past weekend I sat down at Panera (a restaurant with great sandwiches) in Johnson City and wrote out a well put together blog post about your “future” self  looking back at your “present” self on how things developed and how God used certain situations in your past to get you to the very spot you are in right now. It was very well put together. However, I felt like there was something else that I need to inform you guys about that is a bit more important. Thus, in a couple of days, I will post what I spoke about earlier. But for now, I would like to share some exciting news with you!

So as I am sitting in Panera writing and I get a phone call from a good friend of mine, Cody Spencer. He starts the conversation off with a “Hey dude? Whats up?” And so we chat it up a bit for like 5 minutes and then he says “So yeah man, I wanted to let you know that I will be joining the Spain team with you and Amber (the other Spain team member)” . When he said this, I went crazy! I was so freaking exited that I wanted to yell “Heck yeah dude!” but decided not to because the old married couple sitting next to me looked as if they would have had a stroke if I startled them. Plus, it looked like they were on a date trying to rekindle their love. Thus, I did not want to ruin a good thing. I am a sucker for romance. Everyone should know this about me.

Anyhow, I am extremely grateful that God is slowly rebuilding the Spain team and things are coming together. The first time I met Amber was at Assessment in Indianapolis back in August and we hit it off very well. You ever meet someone and immediately hit it off from the start and like a day later you are like “yeah we are going to be great friends”? Well,  Amber was one of those people for me, as well as Cody. I love Cody and met him the first week I got back from Spain about 4.2 years ago (yes I said 4.2. just let it happen).  We are twins….besides him being really tall and not of the chocolate complexion. These two are great and I am looking forward to serving on a team with them in Spain soon.

(If you have seen Zoolander, I believe the face Cody is making is called “Blue Steel“)

I tried to find a normal picture but stole this one from Amber!

Next post will have a ‘Quote” of the Post and a “Word” of the Post. But until then…

Chylton Out!

So it started snowing here in Atlanta, Ga this past Sunday and I was snowed in both Sunday night and Monday night at my buddy Jeremy Lawler’s house. It was fun. No one should experience a snow day alone. If you did, that was unfortunate!

About 4 years ago, six of us stepped off of the bus from Madrid and planted our feet on the soil of Salamanca. I can remember it like it was yesterday. We halled all of our belongings from the bus station to this hostel that was about a block away from En Vivo. I’m pretty sure that the luggage of  at least 3 of the people with us broke. We had jet lag, we were tired, and we didn’t know our way around the city.  Anyway, Hernan, an intern at the time,  picked us up at the bus station and took us to a hostal were every exchange student team stays when they arrive until they find an apartment.  After that, we went to meet three students for dinner at a place which soon became my favorite. It was called Shawarma. They had these things called Doner Kebabs that are to die for along with this lemonade that we think, till this day, has some type of drug in it because it is sooooooo good! Below is a picture of a Doner…

Got this pic off the interweb. Its the closest thing to what it looks like. They are sooooo good!

Anyhow, that was the first time I met a girl by the name of Adriana. Apparently she didn’t speak any English. However, I proceed to find out that this was a lie. I ask “So you do not understand any English?” she shook her head “No”. I asked, “So you do not understand what I am saying to you right now?” she shook her head “No” And then finally I said, ‘I’m 100% sure you are lying because you understand are responding to all of my questions even though I am asking you in English.” She then looked at me and laughed as did the rest of the table.

This was my first day in Salamanca. That day was the first day I entered through the door of  En Vivo….

En Vivo at night (this picture was recently taken)

The very next day I proceed to meet Noemi, Paloma, Angel, Antonio, and Guiomar. Since then, they have been one of the reasons why I want to go back to Salamanca. The friendships we have formed and the things we have done have been great and are one of the many aspects that I want that to continue with more students that come to En Vivo.

Noemi is actually here now in the states and has been for about 2.5 weeks. It has been great having her here. She’s been here before so she has seen all the sites. Thus, she just spends most of her time hanging out with people that she knew when we were in Spain. She interned at the Globalscope in Chile so she has been hanging out with another student that is also here from Chile. His name is Felipe. Below is a picture of the both of them.

Felipe and Noemi

Quote of the Post: “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary” -Unknown

“Word” of the Post: Escalofrió…goosebumps in Spanish.

Anyhow, sorry for the long gap of not bloging in awhile! No excuse. But to end on a bit of good news, I am at 1.2% support raised. I thought it was 1.8 but I had to fix some things. It’s a slow start but its something. I am learning a lot about patients and how God sets things up for events later down the line. I am also learning the power of prayer which is INCREDIBLE! Thus, I hope you guys are all doing well.

Chylton Out!

The purpose of an analogy is to explain a similarity between features of two different things. It SHOULD help bring clarity to the topic at hand. However, I have been told by many that I am awful at trying to do this. They make sense to me in my head but as soon as I try to explain it, things go downhill.However this one is great. Partially because I did not come up with it!!!

You know when you get caught in the rain without an umbrella and you get soaked? Or when you go swimming and you forget a towel? You are drenched! And every time you hug someone, sit on something, or stand anywhere, they get wet. You drip all over the place leaving remnants of your wet self on everything you came in contact with. You are soaked  to the bone!

That is what it feels like sometimes with Christianity. If you are “soaked” in God’s word, “soaked” in obeying Him, “soaked” with joy, and “soaked” with the Holy Spirit, you can’t but help leave an impression of Christianity around those you come in contact with. That is what it is like when you are around CCF (Christian Campus Fellowship) or any community like it. That is partly the reason why Globalscope exists. Some people got “wet” from the love and such at CCF and wanted to get others “wet” all across the globe.

Heck that is why I want to go back to Spain….correction…that is why I AM going back to Spain. What this video. It was made at En Vivo (the name of college campus ministry in Salamanca, Spain that I will work at soon!) by one of my best friends Laura Bowers! Everyone that you see is either “soaked” with Christianity or has been touched by someone that was dripping and hopefully still is “soaked”!

All of what I just talked about is what I have been thinking about the past couple of days. And as soon as someone brought up that topic at small group, its has been all I could think about. So I wrote about it!

Quote of the Post (serious):“I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.” -E.B. White

“Word” of the Post: Congree (the love child of the words  “concur & agree”)

Update:

You can now support me going to Spain on the CMF Website! (insert motion to high five)

Just click this link–>http://cmfi.org/wherewework/spain and scroll down until you see my face (if you do not know what I look like then just look for the dark skinned brother of the page) and click the ‘Give” link. to the left.

Thanks sooo much to all of you for your prayers and support. If you would like to receive my prayer card, contact me at christopher.hylton@gmail.com.

Chylton Out!

~ Inspired by a Small Group Discussion~

Well people, the time has come and I have two words for you…SUIT UP! Why you ask? Because I am preparing to go back to Spain to do campus ministry! God has created such an amazing ministry over in Salamanca, Spain and I am fortunate enough that He is allowing me to be a part of that. I will be on the team in Salamanca Spain for 3 years with some amazing folks. One of those amazing people is  Amber Holland. As of right now, Amber and I are the only two future team members along with the best team leaders in the world, Jessie and Sophie Bentley.

I’ve created this blog to keep everyone I know updated on the progress of support raising (people raising) as well as updated on my life. You have my promise that I will keep all of you in the loop regarding what is going on in Spain at En Vivo (the name of the campus ministry) along with the shenanigans that I get into and create to get back over there. Thus, I invite all of you to be my wingmen (wingwomen for you ladies) in this journey. I will keep it interesting, entertaining hopefully, and informative. My goal is to make sure anyone reading this or listening to me talk feels as if they are a part of this incredible experience.

Quote of the Post (Funny):

Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother) -”Jesus waited three days to come back to life. It was perfect! If he had only waited one day, a lot of people wouldn’t have even heard he died. They’d be all, “Hey Jesus, what up?” and Jesus would probably be like, “What up? I died yesterday!” and they’d be all, “Uh, you look pretty alive to me, dude…” and then Jesus would have to explain how he was resurrected, and how it was a miracle, and the dude’d be like “Uhh okay, whatever you say, bro…” And he’s not gonna come back on a Saturday. Everybody’s busy, doing chores, workin’ the loom, trimmin’ the beard, NO. He waited the perfect number of days, three. Plus it’s Sunday, so everyone’s in church already, and they’re all in there like “Oh no, Jesus is dead”, and then BAM! He bursts in the back door, runnin’ up the aisle, everyone’s totally psyched, and FYI, that’s when he invented the high five. That’s why we wait three days to call a woman, because that’s how long Jesus wants us to wait…. True story.”

Word of the Post:

Delicious (because I say it all the time)

More coming soon!

If you would like to support me financially the option will be available soon. I will let you guys know when. Also, please feel free to contact me in anyway, shape, or form about ANYTHING I post, Gscope, life, etc. I love all of you!

Chylton Out!

~Inspired by How I Met Your Mother~