Olive Tree Clothing

It's been about three weeks since I've updated this blog...and for some strange reason, I can't seem to recall where those three weeks have gone. They seem like such a blur. This semester, in general, has flown by entirely too fast. Growing up, people warned me that as I got older, time would move faster. I find this so true, and I haven't even been around that long. To try and write a post about what's been going in my life since the last time I wrote would be rather trying. Mainly because I'm having trouble placing days and events together since they've gone by so quickly; but also because three weeks can contain a lot of activities and information. The entry would be overwhelming. Plus, it's finals week and my time should be spent studying, rather than blogging. (sadly)

Instead, I'm just going to post an article that I recently wrote. It was the final article for my feature writing class that I turned in and presented on Friday. For our last assignment, my professor let us do an independent feature; he let us choose which type of feature we would like to write and what we would like to write about. I chose to write a feature on Olive Tree Clothing, an inspirational clothing company started by a guy named Caleb Harris. Although I don't personally know him, he seems like a really genuine guy who is trying to follow God's will wholeheartedly. Whether or not you actually enjoy reading the article, I hope you will check out his website.

Also, I would appreciate any comments, positive or constructive, that you would be willing to offer. I know that what I write isn't perfect-I'm a student and I'm still learning. My desire is to grow as a writer; to learn how to write to the best of my ability in order to glorify God. So, please, don't be shy. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy :)

“He is the potter and I am the clay. The clay hardened, and the only way to re-mold it was to shatter it and start over spinning it in new water. The Potter broke me, grinded me down, and added new water, and in that water was Olive Tree Clothing.”

Olive Tree clothing is an inspirational clothing line that was started in April of 2009 by Caleb Harris, a nineteen-year-old with an eye for graphic design and a passion for sharing the Gospel.

A 2008 graduate from Arkansas Baptist High School, Harris went on to study digital media and design at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock the following August. However, at the end of his freshman year, he felt God calling him in a different direction: Olive Tree Clothing.

What inspires a college freshman to begin his own clothing line?

“To be honest, I didn’t really have a choice in the matter,” Harris said. About a year ago, three major changes interrupted the plan that Harris had laid out for his future. He and his girlfriend, who he was planning to propose to, broke up; the Christian band he was a member of that was planning a tour broke up; and the Christ-like graphic design internship he had applied for that summer chose someone else.

“I simply asked God to show me what the heck He was doing, and why He would do this. That night, He kept me up all night, practically haunting me with the idea for Olive Tree Clothing. I couldn’t get it out of my head,” said Harris.

In one night, Harris designed three shirts and built an online store.

“From then on, it’s been the craziest, wildest ride I’ve ever been on. It’s beautiful because I get it now. If I would’ve married that girl, I wouldn’t have had the money to start OTC. If I was still in that band, I wouldn’t have had the time to start OTC. If I would’ve gotten that internship, I wouldn’t have had the designs to start OTC. God knew the plans He had for me…plans to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future. The life I was living was good, but the life He has planned out for me is great!” Harris said.

Harris’s interest in graphic design began about five years ago when the band he was in decided to make t-shirts.

“We were 14 years old and had no money to pay a designer, so I said, ‘Hey, I’ll make one!’ and started working in Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10. Since then, I’ve been in love,” said Harris.

Since it was first started a year ago, Olive Tree Clothing has printed t-shirts, V-necks, tanks tops, hoodies, baseball tees, military hats, tote bags, 1” buttons and stickers bearing inspirational messages. So far, Olive Tree Clothing has produced 17 designs on 28 different products. Most recently, the spring line consists of three new designs on five new shirts that focus on the scripture Matthew 10:27, which says, “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.” (NASB)

After the tragic earthquake that hit the island nation of Haiti on January 12, Harris began a “Hope for Haiti” campaign with his clothing line. Two shirts featuring the phrase “Hope for Haiti” with the Olive Tree Clothing logo as the “o” in “hope” were printed for the purpose of sending money to the women and children struggling in Haiti.

“I always want OTC to help in tragedies, whether local or global. We are called to take care of the widows and orphans, and so we released the Hope for Haiti shirts to do just that,” said Harris.

For every shirt sold, $10 was sent to Compassion International for the organization’s relief efforts in Haiti.

In the past year, Harris has had the opportunity to travel to 18 different states, go on four different band tours over a span of two months, and attend four major Christian music festivals. He has been interviewed for multiple newspaper and magazine articles and has sold approximately 2,000 shirts.

“But none of that amounts to the time I was on Facebook and I saw someone’s status that said ‘Take Root. Bear Fruit.’ which is one of the OTC shirts,” said Harris. After reading the comments on the status, he saw that a girl shared that she had come to a festival an atheist, saw the Olive Tree Clothing booth and all of the shirts, talked to them, and left the festival believing in God.

“Or the countless times that I’ve gotten to share my story with other people struggling and feeling hopeless…they are encouraged and strengthened by what God is doing in my life!” added Harris. “These are the real accomplishments…when God can somehow supernaturally use a t-shirt to radically change someone’s heart.”

A typical day of running Olive Tree Clothing begins with waking up and getting into the Word. After that, it’s filled with marketing on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; designing, both for Olive Tree Clothing and freelance jobs; and packaging and shipping orders. Harris plans to spend the summer traveling, in order to find businesses who might be interested in supporting Olive Tree Clothing or carrying its products at their store. There are also nine music festivals Harris would like to attend.

“Just last week a man in Arkansas donated a van to OTC, so I’d pretty much be willing to travel anywhere and spread the Word through OTC,” said Harris.

Olive Tree Clothing currently endorses seven bands: A Bullet for Pretty Boy, Harp and Lyre, Fit for a King, Progress in Color, The Overseer, Abandon Kansas, and Sons of God.

“They’re all great people with great music. Expect to see big things out of all of them!” said Harris.

As for the future of Olive Tree Clothing, Harris said his prayer is “that Olive Tree Clothing will never exist to spread the name of Olive Tree Clothing. It exists to spread the message of real hope in Christ.”

In the fourth chapter of the book of James in the Bible, James warns against specific planning, said Harris. James 4:13-15 says, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” (NASB)

“I foresee Olive Tree Clothing glorifying God. Only the Lord knows what tomorrow will look like.” Harris said.

Harris said that the sole purpose of the Olive Tree Clothing shirts is to “express what we believe on our chests so that everyone may have a chance to see our Lord.” He compares it to wearing a tract; instead of reading words in a pamphlet, people will see Christ through their actions.

“God deserves the credit for every good thing that has happened through me and Olive Tree Clothing. I am nothing but a fragile clay lump that He trusts to hold his treasure. His oil burns and shines through my imperfections. Every light you see in me or Olive Tree Clothing is simply His love shining through. All the glory to Him!” said Harris.

For some reason, a few of the paragraphs near the end lost their indentions. When I tried to fix it, the font went crazy. Since I'm no technical guru, it will simply have to remain wrong for now, even though it kind of drives me crazy. I hope it wasn't too distracting.
Thanks for reading! :)