The President’s Circle September 2021

The BEST Pillow to Possess

Dr. Mark O’Farrell, September 10, 2021

You have heard of Mike Lindell … the ‘pillow man’ … right? If not, he is the person that has built a multimillion-dollar business by selling the perfect pillow for you. He has all types including the ‘travel pillows.’ I have two and they are wonderful! I have other pillows that I have collected over the years, some I like, some I do not like. The right pillows for the head are fundamental for good sleeping posture for the next day’s challenges.

I want to introduce you to the BEST PILLOW you can possess. It is simply the best! Charles Spurgeon discovered this ‘pillow’ when he wrote the following: “They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to sleep. No pillow so soft as a promise.” That pillow is simply the “Promises of God!’ Your head … your thinking … will always be better when you are ‘resting on the promise of God.’ You will not have a ‘sore neck’ resting on this pillow. You will sleep very well with this pillow. It is simply the best. These pillows are all through Scriptures. There are hundreds of them, literally thousands of them, for YOU! And they are very good ‘travel pillows.’ Let me show you some of them:

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust.” Psalm 40:4
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
“Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
“… I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

There are SO MANY MORE. Look at the actions you do and the results you receive when you embrace that ‘pillow promise.’ Rest your head (thinking) on one of these pillows! You will feel differently through the power of the Holy Spirit. There will be rest, comfort, joy, hope, and strength. Peace will be your portion! Write it down … stretch out and put your head on it! See what happens! The Spirit will take the Word of God and make it alive for YOU personally. Your thinking will be different and your feeling will be different! You will be DIFFERENT! Let’s Honor the Lord by Honoring His Promise … and Believe by our Actions: Listen to the heart of Warren Wiersbe:

“We need revival. New life. New cleansing. New love. New unity. New power. Oh, how we need it! How I need it! Not because billions of people in this doomed world need to hear the gospel. Not because the church needs a housecleaning; not because we are embarrassed and ashamed and want to start looking good again; not because we have lost integrity and the world does not trust us anymore. We need revival because we have not been honoring God and bringing Him the glory He deserves. When God is not glorified, everything else goes wrong.” The Integrity Crisis by Warren W. Wiersbe, page 131

Grab the ‘pillow promise’ for His Glory and let’s be about the King’s Business!

News to Use …

Something New at Trinity: Our Dining Service area has been remodeled. New flooring, lighting, receptacles for computers, new tables, new outside dining area, new windows and much more have been added. New booths have been manufactured for the area and will soon be installed. It will be a place to eat, study, and fellowship. Fountain drinks will also be available. Come and See!!

Something Unique and Special at Trinity: In order to provide safety and security for our students, a new gate entrance has been installed. Each student, faculty, and staff member will have their own personal entrance code. There will be easy access for visitors.

The College is on 40 acres of land surrounded by intensive building and construction. The road in front of the school will soon be completed to State Road 54. This attracts many visitors and requires additional precautions. In addition, large boulders have been placed to add landscape beauty and protection. Come and See!!

Memorabilia… Something Beautiful: Cabinets are being constructed in the Raymond H. Center, MD Library to display the
journeys of Ruth Munce and Billy Graham. It will be handcrafted for appearance and usefulness. Come and See!!

Items of Interest

The ABHE Reaccreditation Final Report has been finalized, submitted, and acknowledged. An onsite visit of ABHE accreditors occurred before the summer. Once approved, the college will be accredited for another 10 years. Regional and National Accreditation are considered equal partners in excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.

COVID-19 Issues continue to be a part of the challenges this semester. New guidelines have been reinstated that involve masks and distancing. The guidelines are detailed on our website, www.trinitycollege.edu. Some faculty members, students, and staff have been affected, having acquired the virus or quarantined for symptoms.

An Educational Trip to Washington D.C. will be October 6-9, 2021. It will be sponsored by the Honors Program of Trinity College of Florida and C.S. Lewis Society. The Museum of the Bible and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum are on the agenda.

Dr. Eric Bargerhuff, Vice President for Academic Affairs, has been selected by ABHE to present at the upcoming Academic Officers Conference in Orlando, Florida. His theme will be “Shepherding the Faculty – Living in the Grace/Excellence Tension.”

The rainy season has had an impact on Trinity. Lightning struck the utility pole at the edge of the campus causing power outages in three of the four buildings. Classes had to be cancelled for a day. All equipment has been restored at this time.

Sports activities are underway with CDC Guidelines in place.

Trinity’s headcount stands at 206 including 74 online students.

Prayer Requests

Please Pray for our students as they adjust to new protocols regarding COVID-19. Others have been affected including our food service personnel and some members of our faculty and staff. Please Pray for new donors and their interest regarding the mission and vision of Trinity College of Florida. Pray for our contributions. Pray that we will utilize them to the best of our ability.
Please Pray regarding openings within our staff in these areas: Business and Finance, Admissions, Maintenance, and other areas.
Contacts are being made outside the college in churches and business settings.

If you have interest or know of one who has interest in serving in one of these departments, contact the President’s Office by calling 727-569-1401 or emailing mofarrell@trinitycollege.edu. Please Pray for the safety of students and others traveling on the educational trip to Washington, DC, in October. Please Pray for our athletic program as they navigate restrictions generated by the pandemic.

Something to Think About

“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” – Charles Swindoll
“When God puts us in the furnace, His hand is on the thermostat and His eye is on the clock.” – Unknown Author
“In the greatest difficulties, in the heaviest trials, in the deepest poverty and necessities, He has never failed me.” – George Muller

Serving the King of kings and Lord of lords with you,

Mark T. O’Farrell
President
Trinity College of Florida

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Meet the President

In May 2005, Dr. Mark T. O’Farrell was elected the eighth President of Trinity College of Florida. Dr. O’Farrell has served in several pastorates in Georgia and Florida, before becoming the Assistant to the District Superintendent/Church Planting Director for the Southeastern District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He was later elected, and subsequently re-elected as District Superintendent of the Southeastern District, serving for 12 years and is a recipient of the Antioch Award (2005) for his efforts in starting churches. Dr. O’Farrell has served as a trustee on several higher education boards, denominational boards, adult retirement communities, and auxiliary ministries.

Dr. O’Farrell earned a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia International University, Columbia, South Carolina and received a Doctor of Divinity from Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls, Georgia. Dr. O’Farrell and his wife, Billie, have four children and six grandchildren.