LABOR OF LOVE

It's not too often that I find the time to randomly blog.

Actually, I've barely done that.

So, here goes:

First, a little bit about myself. I am Jonathan McFadden, a junior mass communication (emphasis in journalism) major at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. I'm also the assistant news editor for The Johnsonian (Winthrop's student newspaper), as well as student leader for Taking Opportunities to Prevail Campus Ministry. Both of these "jobs" require a lot of time and attention.

As a junior, I am currently taking 18 semester hours.

I'm vice-president for WU's chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists

I'm active in ministry.

I'm a good student.

I'm sleepy.

Sometimes, my responsibilities collide like a rushing tidal wave. The wave feels like it can push me over the edge onto jagged rocks. Other times, I feel like crawling into a hole and taking a long nap. But I can't do that. God has a plan and purpose for my life. He has placed me in a mission-minded ministry. He has placed me in a rigorous academic environment. He has also placed me on the staff of a newspaper that values experience, accuracy, hard work and personal improvement.

While it can almost be too much at times, it's a labor of love.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says God will not put anything on us that we can not bear. I believe that fully. I also know, from experience, that we sometimes put more on our selves than we have to. Still, The Johnsonian & Taking Opportunities to Prevail are labors of love.

I love God. I love God's people. I understand the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and I seek to follow it.

I love the writing and reporting. I love talking to sources. I love crafting a story and trying to make it better than the last. I love the pumping adrenalin of an immediate deadline. I love seeing my byline in print.

These are labors of love. These are my current preoccupations.

This is a really random blog...got to start somewhere.