Christmas Through The Eyes Of... Rahab and Bathsheba, Beltway Park. December 11, 2011

Matthew 1:5-6

At one level we know itt is true - Jesus is enough for every sin.

Part of the journey of fatih - the process of growing to be like Jesus as His followers - is that answers must become answers.

The depths of God's forgiveness are both wonderful and offensive.

Joshua 2.

Joshua sends 2 spies to Jericho. Rahab risks her life by hiding them from getting captured.

Hebrews 11:31

Rahab, a non-jewish prostitute, was saved and put on the hall of fames.

Becomes one of the mothers of the Messiah.

It seems that from the very beginning of Jesus' story God wants to slap us across the face with the grandness of our sin and the greater grandness of His forgiveness.

2 Samuel 11.

David chose to not live the purpose of his kingship.

He goes on his roof top and sees Bathsheba.

He takes her, and sleeps with her. She gets pregnant and David finds a way to save himself from Uriah(Bathsheba's husband). In the end he sends Uriah to battle to die.

Jesus came that people might be forgiven, even those we think have crossed a line and are " unforgiveable " (including ourselves).

1 Timothy 1:15

We are the same with Hitler. The only thing different is "evilness".

Matthew 6:12 "as we", 6:14-15 "will not"

God's call to give forgiveness is both wonderful AND offensive.

Forgive people everytime.

God couldn't be any clearer on this issue. Extending forgiveness to others is not an option, and the consequences of unforgiveness are utterly detrimental ! (Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35)

Unforgiveness impairs our fellowship with God. And unforgiveness gives Satan legal rights to torture our lives.

As right as bitterness, unforgiveness, and the longing for revenge feel, it is a trap - and many, many people are hooked.

Key things:

1. We must regularly meditate on what God has done for us in Jesus.

The stand for forgiving someone else isn't to weigh the offense of what someone has done to me, but weigh the gift God has given me in Jesus.

Unforgiveness says that I have lost sight of or don't yet truly understand the depths of what I've been forgiven. It says I need more revelation of the actual depths of what I've been forgiven.

2. We must know forgiveness

Forgive is not the same as trust. Forgiveness doesn't mean things automatically go back to the way they were.

3. We must know what forgiveness is.

Forgiveness is agreeing to with consequences of another peron's sin. Reality is

Forgive is choosing not to hold someone's sin against them.

It is refusing to bring up old issues with the person who wronged us or with other who will listen.

Forgiveness is leaving vengence and justice to God.

Forgiveness is not a feelings, but a choice we make by faith.

Forgiveness is a process. Often forgiveness is a choice we must make regularly until the wound is healed.

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Vocation By Dr. Ricklytle. Cornerstone.

Vocation

Work is the form inwhich we make ourselves useful to others, we add value to others.

Many people use their callings to make a difference.

Presidents, athletes, singers, writers...

What do you want to be?

What is your vocation?

Who has God called you to be?

Think.

Lives can be changed for eternity.

Think about the higher call.

Training for vocaion

Living your vocation

Divine appointment:

Each of us have been put on a divine post. Granted by God and those around us. By our parents, friends, spouses, etc...

Be faithful to our divine appointments.

When we have been given a position, take charge.

Use the power we have.

The parable of the talents.

People we have been given talents and use them will be given more, those who don't use any will have their talentstaken away.

Jesus cursed the fig tree, because it didn't fulfill its purpose. The fig tree had no fruit. It had water, soil, and nutrients, but no fruit.

Story:

Adolf Hitler, asked to design a people's car. Porsche, created VolksWagen. He asks people what do they do at a work yard, many answered they just worked. But one man answered, "I build cathedrals..."

Take all your gifts that God has given you and make the world a better place.

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Shipwrecks and Snakebites by Jonathan Storment from Highland Church, Guest Speaker. Beltway.

RThe huge story of Jesus: eternal life, salvation, victory.

The significance of using the name of Jesus.

Genesis 3:1-6

Adam and Eve fall to pieces. Humans will fall and later on the sea; the flood.

Job 38:8-11

The sea was thought of a permitive force. That is monstrous.

Genesis 3:14-15

Women, birth.

Genesis 3:17-18

The ground before men is cursed.

Acts 27:13-26

They do not know went the weather will change. Scared to death.

Acts 28:1-6

They landed on an island and Paul was bitten by a viper. He shakes of the snake bite and did not die.

Jesus is still bigger.

Sometimes Jesus saves us through the storm. Sometimes the storm gives us perspectives. God is big enough to redeem all of it.

Acts 28:7-

Paul heals an important man on the island. Paul wasn't suppose to be at Malta, be bitten by a snake, or heal a sick man.

Satan does not have the last word. God takes all that happens and turns it into His works. God makes everything end with great glory.

The world can feel like its crashing you, but evil does not have the final word.

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Revealed Truth by Randy Harris , Cornerstone Week 11. Oct 7, 2011.

How revelation is a way of knowing?

Think about sports.

Bill Belichick.

Why do the pros and famous people think that he made a bad choice when the facts show that he made the right choice?

Bad choices made by bad arguments.

Think about God.

What can you trust about God?

There are people who want you to know about God but does not have your interest in their hearts.

Not all claims to Revelation are valid, but does that mean none are?

If there is a God, we would expect for God make himself known.

Can we have knowledge of God, or is faith disconnected from knowledge?

Revelation: Seeing the divine in the human.

Natural revelation vs. Special revelation:

Natural revelation: is how God revelas Himself through nature and reason.

Special revelation: is the things God does in history.

The Passion of Christ, the scourging of Christ scene:

Can you see "God" here?

Some people see Jesus giving His life for us.

Others see the gruesome, violence.

Authenticating Revelation:

Revelation brings with it, its own authentication.

Abraham sacrificing Isaac.

Did it out of the immediacy of God coming to him, thus he doesn't question what he was told to do.

But this is dangerous, so..

1.It has to match the character of God.

2.We have to trust a community around us.

If you have mentors and wise people around you to decide.

3. Your preparation to receive God's revelation.

The preparation of the individual

(Training of the Eyes)

What you train your eyes to look for your probably not going to see other things that you don't train.

The mystical tradition: to preceive God through prayer. That God will only come to you by His own choice and there's nothing you can do.

Our task is to stand where God is shooting. We have no control of the shooting; when, where, how. We can place ourselves in a postion to receive.

Conclusion:

I have never been more open...

I have never been more skeptical...

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Those People, The Manipulator. November 6, 2011. Week 2

Those People -- 2

Manipulating People

Examples from the Bible:

Two women manipulated. Herod Mark 6:21-28

Jacob manipulated Esau. Genesis 25:29-34

Delilah manipulated Samson. Judges 16:15-19

Judges 16:15-16

"Then she said to him, 'How can you say, "I love you," when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength.' With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death.'

COMMON TACTICS OF MANIPULATORS

1. Flatery

2. Threats

3. Guilt

A lot of us are giving into these three things. Letting some one else control the strings and making us dance.

BREAKING THE POWER OF MANIPULATION

1. God, help me recognize when someone is trying to manipulate me.

Matthew 16:21-22

"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' He said. 'This shall never happen to you!' "

Manipulators will pull you aside because they lose their strength in groups.

Some manipulations are good and bad.

Peter has good intentions because he doesn't want Jesus to die. But he is trying to stop Jesus from doing His will.

Other intentions are bad, abuse.

How do you know if you're being manipulated?

1.You often feel guilty and fine it hard to say "no."

2.You compromise your values to please others.

Peer pressure.

Relationship pressure.

Compromising your values to do something you won't do.

You have to be strong enough to fight against the controller.

2. God, empower me to put healthy boundaries in place.

Matthew 16:23

"Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.' "

If someone else has control of you, your committing the sin of idolatry. Your letting a person be your god.

In your life, you will have to make an important decision that will affect you greatly. Who will you let to make that decision? The manipulator? God?

Do not allow someone else to be in the role of god.

3. God, help me see my own need to control and surrender everything to you.

All of us want to control life. We think that because our lives are great, we worked hard and received success, then we do not need god. We think that we're a better god.

Isaiah 26:3-4

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock."

Trust in the Lord to make your decisions. Nothing is ours. All we have is God's. When we get to that place then we will have perfect peace. The reason we do not have peace is because we try to control and play god. Pray before God and uphold everything to Him, then peace is yours.

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Missional Impulse by Dr. Stephen Johnson, Cornerstone, 31 October 2011

What does it mean to think and act missionally?

How is missional living connected to Christian story?

How might a missional life begin now?

Bluegrass music.

Understanding Bluegrass music...

Is to understand the Apalachian Mountains.

The land in the mountains were cheap, most immigrants chose to live there. They brought their instruments, and started making new music. Influenced over time by the environment, politics, war, change.

Anykind of music carries all of this things. Having stories of their own...

What's your soundtrack of your own life?

Pop? Rock? Hip hop? Country? Latin? Christian?

We learn to be students of our mind/process/think/decisions.

What's up with the music?

Act I:

Missional Impulse: Incarnation

Begins with God, His son's death. His coming into the world.

Self-giving, grace, mercy.

He calls us into His misson, to embody for the same thing for the sake of the world.

We understand our identity, our vocation, primarily as the people of the world to give ourselves for the world.

Act II: Knowing the Community.

Missional Impulse: Meeting God in the Stranger

Men are strangers as called or describe in the Bible

Like Abraham and Sarah in the wilderness.

We sent into the world as someone for another.

As how we treat others, we are acting on what the Bible says that Jesus would treat you.

Conflict of Interest.

Act III: The Wilderness?

Slowing down...

You can't pay attention, simplify, be content with wshat you have.

Missonal Impulse: Meeting God at the Margin.

This notion is where Christians can find themselves in the 21st century.

Powerlessness will cause us to notice what we have.

Acts IV: New Jerusalem

To discover at the start, to have a vision of a goal/desire to live out for God.

How to make a difference...

Missional Impulse: Imagining God's Future into Reality.

To not thread the same path as Christians did before but to dream, to offer their lives for the world.

To pray thy kingdom come and thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The End.

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"Those People" - The Needy, October 30, 2011. Lifechurch

Those People
Those "overly needy" people.

Emotionally needy people.
Sometimes when we encounter needy people and don't help them in the right way, we hurt them and overselves.

Difference between relief & restoration:

Relief: Immediate & temporary assistance.
We should ambush them with the love of God. Be there for them in a massive way.

Restoration: Working with people to restore them to their God-given potential.
It takes a lot of time and effort, which is why not a lot of people do this. You help them work with their problems through long periods of time, and they might fall again and you will need to pick them up til they are secure.

The problem is, today, we tend to provide relief and not restoration.

Restoration:
Acts 3:1-8
"One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put everyday to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles become strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God."

The crippled man was provided relief by people by helping him to rich places so he can beg from the rich who want to look good.
Peter gave him restoration by reaching out to him, so that the man can pick himself up.


Three Prayers of a Restorer:

1. God help me give people what they truly need not just what they want.
Peter gave the man the ability to walk. People would ask for what they want rather than need. The crippled man "needed money" but Peter knew he needed a job.

There will be times when we are tempted to tell/give them what they want, but let God tell you what they need.

Acts 3:6

2. God help me stay out of your way by not continually rescuing people from their consequences.

Do not be decieved: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Galatians 6:7

When you sow stupid seeds, you reap stupid people.
Don't give stupid advice/help.

Consequences, consequences, consequences...

The prodigal son, who took his fortune and spent it all, ended up in a pig pen. His father did not look for him but let his son come to his senses to come back to his father.


3. God, help me remember that I'm in need too and that you are always the answer.

"Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay."
Psalm 70:5

When you and other another person realize that we're all in need, then both of you come together for a similar need. Mutually broken people in need of Christ.
Then we can come to our sens for our God-given potential.

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Switching, cause I love switching the lights off.

This blog is too awesome for me, so I've decided that I'll only post my notes( chapel, church, classes ) here.

I've been thinking about using wordpress, and so instead of making superdastic life event posts on blogspot, I'll post them on wordpress.

Cause it's not fair, firstly, for my friends, whom I honor, for their time spent coming to my blog when there is an update.

Second, I have never been updating anything about what is happening around; moreover, this blog is just filled with, really good spiritual exciting life changing bombastic phenomenal notes about God.

Third, I find it really, really, really weird that people search me on google(blogspot says "google" is spelled wrong, like if I am gonna put an apostrophe for Google)[wait... a minute...=_=] and to their dismay they find notes about God.... ACTUALLY :D that means that they can come here and read about God and then, like a good boy I am, I've planted a, well... sprinkled water on their life about God. Memoir here people, kudos to me.

Fourth, visitors that I get on my blog are usually searching on the subjects that I have on my notes. I'm happy if they find something useful, but deeply hurt that no one comments or gives a "thanks that really helped me". I guess it decreases spam mail, but who wouldn't want to be told that they were helpful? :P

Which makes me think, I should totally post a note on the top of this blog which states, "if this helped you please just give a thank you." I'ma genius 8B.

Fifth, I have big dreams so one day I wanna be freaking awesome and like awesome while still be doing something good.

So what now?

To my friends... if you like my notes, hey what ever floats your boat X) but if you wanna stalk me then its my wordpress.

To visitors who read this blog, don't hate meeeee.

To my stalkers, keep on rockin' :D

Jaelga "WHUUTTTTDDDDDDD????"

Its good-bye in korean "WHUUUUUTTTTT DDDDD:?????"

Yeah I know korean, lawyered.

Connerstone, Week 6: Decision Making by Dr. Jeanene Reese

Decisions...

Making the right decision in life.
God's will/purpose/destiny?
What will you decide?

Ability to think/logic/rationality = what seperates humans and animals.
This is wrong.
Learning how to think, makes you think better.

Ways of Knowing: keys to adaptive decision-making
1. Adaptations.
2. Sense-making.
3. Expertise.
4. Decision making.
Intuition.
Improvisation.

Baboons are scary. Like so scary...

Dr. Jeanene,
"God would always be the Lord of all decisions.
A woman of prayer.
Seek counsel of other brothers and sisters.
I would not regret the decisions I make.
I decidied to trust God not only with my decisions, but in them."

The truth is the bigger decision is how would you be a Christian in what you do.

What type of friends will I have? What will I do in my life?

Adjustment bureau people :P
Make your own choices, make your own path,
You have free will,
But do all these things in the light of God.

BOOM

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Passing the Test, Week 2: When we test God, October 23, 2011

Malachi 3:6-11 ESV
"For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statues and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, 'How shall we return?' 8Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. 9You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the window of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until tueres is no more need. 11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. "

10 Facts about the Tithe:

1. Tithe means 10 percent.
2. It describes the immediate gift of ten percent of your income at your first opportunity.
3. It's a symbol.
4. It is to be off the top.
5. It is a universal law like the Sabbath rest.
6. It was part of the law but predates the law and continues after the law.
7. It was practical throughout church history.
8. It was a thermometer of spiritual vitality.
9. It's important to God.
10. It's the starting place for New Testament giving.

Malachi 3:8-9
Do not rob God of what He has given to you. Imagine if God gave everyone around you first then left the last ten percent for you...

Akon robbed from God. Old Testament.

Acts 5, New Testament.

Malachi 3:10
God wants us to test Him when it comes to our financial needs. Give His portion and test Him to let Him provide for us.

90 percent with you and God is more than a 100 percent with you on your own.

Why Tithe to the Local Church?
1. You get the wisdom of a group.
2. It avoids "send and forget".
3. It avoids the tendency toward control.
4. Sow back into the fields that you have harvested from.

Malachi 3:10b
Put God to the test... "...and see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you."

Tithe is allocating ownership.
Tithing is saying everything I own belongs to God, and that I am giving back what should be God's.
Accountibility.
He has done so much for us, is it not "right" for us to repay Him?

Malachi 3:11 ESV
"I sill rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts."

Principles
1. Stealing from God has significant consequences.
2. Financial partnership with God brings significant blessings.
3. Faith comes before miraculous provision.
4. Prove the tithe.

Be challenged to tithe :)

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Passing the Test, Why God Tests Us. Week 1, Oct 16, 2011

James 1:1-5
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve trives in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your gaith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."


Joy is a supernatural Delight.

In the Person of God.

In the Purpose of God

In the People of God.


Verse 1-2
"Count it.. "
Consider, calculate, press down on your tests in life.

Ask Yourself :
1. What happened to me?
:Oooooooooo

2. Why am I here on earth?
Cause its 11:28 right now

3. How can what's happening to me advance the purpose for why I'm still here?
We're here because we show the superiority of God on earth.

Verse 3 "For you know the testing..."
Your faith is being tested.

God is always testing us. He tests all His children.

3 parts of questions to ask during God's test.

1. Do you believe that God is in control?

2. Do you believe that God is good?

3. Are you willing to wait by faith until you see it?

Consider tests as joy.
".... you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Verse 3.

Hooo po ne. Greek word.
Means - remain under.

The ability to remain under.
God is teaching us how to handle pressure.

When the pressure is on, we try to get out of it.
Escaping, run away, lash out, bail.

Verse 4 " and let hoopone have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. "

Hoopone is the single fundamental characteristic that through all Christian virtue/fruits grows.

If God can produce this characteristic in you, then you can have everything.

Verse 5 " if you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Don't ask why this is happening to me...
Rather ask God what does He want us to learn from this.
Then only then will He answer us.

What's the purpose?
What can I learn from this?

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Perspectives from the Arts, week 6, connerstone.

Dan McGregor

Artistic Questions:
What does art do

How do we know if a work of art us great?

Are value jugdgments important to thinking critically?


Making Aesthetic Judgments

A topomap, shows geographical map details.
Ansel Adams, "The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)"
Art, a different way of seeing and knowing things.

What is aesthetics?
Aesthetics - branch of philosophy dealing with beauty or taste.

Art Auction

Tim Keller, his opinions about art.
"...most people know good art when they see it."

Bathos and pathos.
Bathos, just explains it. Exciting waterfall.
Pathos, makes you feel it. Surging water, from the heights of heavens.

Test Criterion for Great Art:
1. Popular Appeal.
Thomas Kinkade, Lakeside Manor (2006)
More of his art in peoples house than Michaelangelo.

2. Worth by Association
Celebrity worth, many people are fans of it.
Pablo Picasso, Boy with Pipe (1905)
Head of a Woman (1965)

3. Market Value
The more money is cost, then it must be good.

Damien Hirst, "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (1992, 2006)

Lawrence Alma-Tadema, "The Finding of Moses" (1904)
Was known so when in the early 20th century, later on was forgotten, and remembered again in 21st century.


4. Critical Recognition
If the experts say its a great art work, then we need to listen to them.

Tracey Emin
My Bed (1998)

So... how do we judge?
Creating the Canon.
All the arts, music, theater.

LOL.........
Takes a 100 years to see whether it is good.

Paul Schrader's
"Refurbished Criteria for a Film Canon"
1. Beauty
2. Strangeness
3. Unity of Form and Subject Matter
4. Tradition
5. Repeatability
6. Viewer Engagement
7. Morality

Repeatability, to be able to come back to an art and find new meaning to it.

Critical Thinking About Aesthetics

1. Give difficult art a fair shake before dismissing it.
2. Like what you like, divorced from both popular and critical opinion.
3. "Enjoyable" and "Great" aren't necessarily synonyms.

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Unleashed, October 9, 2011, Beltway Park

Acts 2:42-47

Talent show, fear of public speaking.
Has been a top ten fear for years.
The problem is what to show during show n tell?




Part of who we are as followers of Jesus is a witness. (Acts 1:8) How do I live as a witness?

Show and tell.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to be everything we need to be.


1. We show the gospel by walking the walk.

The original idea of a hypocrite was one who wears a mask as an actor - one who plays multiple roles.

Roman actors were called hypocrites as they acted out roles during ancient times.

Integrity, integer. A number that is not a fraction, but complete. A whole.

The utter opposite of hypocrisy. The opposite of coming into to church and to agree and but go out and live out a different way.

We have not been living out a Christian life as we say we should.


Integrity is conducting our lives in a Christian way. It doesn't mean I'm perfect and have it all together.

If we are "working out our salvation," it means we are growing. If we're growing, we haven't arrived and don't have it all together - but we are growing. (Phil 2:12)

People appreciate - people admire - those who are willing to strive to live like they say they believe.

And people are sure more willing to listen to what we might tell them when we have already shown them the joys of the gospel through our own lives.

2. We show the gospel by deeply loving each other.

The people were amazed by what they saw.
John 13:35

Meet together in homes, live together, ate together. Loved each other. Acts 2:46

Spirit empowered generosity, Acts 2:44


As a result of the radical love in the early church they were "enjoying the favor of all people." How did all the people - meaning those who were part of the community of faith as well as those who weren't - how did they know all this was happening?

Those early followers of Jesus were always inviting people to join them.

When people did join them, they saw imperfec messed up people honestly asking God to help them grow. They saw people give to - pray for - love each other.

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

But one they see how much we care, they might care to know why we care so much. And we can tell them about what we know. Or, more accurately, we can tell them about why we know.

Believe it or not, the simple invititation to come and see - come and join me in worship on Sunday, come and join me at my LifeGroup - a low pressure invitation to come and see is likely the most common first step in being a witness.

3. We show the gospel by encountering the presence of God .

Christianity isn't merely a philosophy of life of doctrines to be believed or principles to be followed.

It is all those things, but at the core Christianity is vibrant relationship with a loving Father who is working powerfully among His people today.

Awe inspiring things still are happening. Miracles still happen today.

Jesus said we should expect the Father to work in powerful, awe inspiring ways to confirm to people the message we have regarding Jesus. (Mark 16:16-18)

Live out our lives, so that people can see that this guy is something else.

What if we started asking God to show us opportunities where we can pray for people?

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Dating, College Park. Both Guys and Girls :)

The lose type of relationship.
And the extreme type of relationship.

Extremes in God.
Living in fear while in a relationship.
God wants you to be married.
It is ok to feel attracted to the opposite sex.
God created us to be attracted.
The issue is whether we're gonna do it in the light of God.

What defines, what dating really ought to be like? Or look like?
Do let Jesus to allow show you how it looks like?
Do we trust Him?
Will you really trust what God has to say about dating?

Godly dating?
No scripture. No text, no paul.
Nothing to tell us what to do.

Is it possible to understand what dating is, in this century?

Discover when God calls us a man/woman.
Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Define the most important part of dating:
Your singleness is the most important part.
Who you are when your single is who you would be when your dating.

1. Define who you are in Christ.
Where you long for Christ to change you from the inside out.

Galatians 2: 20
"I have crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live. But Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

If your singleness is not right, then your heading towards turmoil.
Two sinful people does not make a right.

2. Maturity in God
Ephesians 4, unity and mature. To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

It does not have to do with perfection.
You do not have to be perfect to date.
Maturity happens when we die in our problems and ask God to help us.

Relationships work when both parties hold each other up to work together and grow in Christ.
God wants to root out all the sinful secret junk.
God wants us to deal with our secret sin, to be honest.
If you haven't dealt with it, then the relationship will not work out.
You will self-implode, when you wait to solve your secret sin.
Honesty.
Many married couples are in distraught because the wives are weeping because their husbands are locked down to pornography.
Being in a relationship does not stop pornography.



Godly Community.
Use this season of singleness to solve your problems.
Be right now, before you move on.

If you get along great with the opposite sex, there's probably something wrong you have with the same sex.

It is wrong to be in a relationship and having close friends who are the opposite sex. Your partner will not be happy.

Healthy Interaction with the Opposite Sex.
1 Timothy 5: 5
"Do not rebuke older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity."
It is bad to use woman to your own self pleasure.
Vice versa to woman.
Do not treat men other than brothers.

For guys:
1. Biblical man, in the scriptures when it comes to dating.
2. Called to be of honor, called to comminucate, called to pursue.
3. Reject being a pansy. Lol... man up. Don't be some limping puppy.
Biblical dating is about Biblical manhood, and God is whom we should copy.

Romans 12:9-10
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

Men start to honor, are when they start to communicate.
You honor a girl by saying what your thinking and doing what you said.
Don't be a chicken, do what you say.
Be king of the DTR. Define The Relationship.

Dudes should be the one leading the way that defines the relationship.
Men are the ones whom should be chasing the women.

If you like a girl, be honest and say something like:
"Hey I really enjoyed hanging out with you, would you like to hang out soon. Could I call you and go to lifegroup?"
That's what lifegroup is for :D
Taking time to let her know that your interested in her.

Friends, "intentional friendship", Relationship. :P

It is important to know the girl in her community.
To see what she's like, how she lives with her friends, peers, leaders. Know who she is.


Girls stop wondering what guys are thinking.
But if he calls you and wants to hang out with you with some friends then you know what his thinking.
Girls you have every right to say yes/no.
You have more control.
1000 years ago women were traded like possessions.
Don't listen to the world.
The world is brutal to women.
Woman are the 50% of the creation.
Guys have to wait too, if God did not give him the green light then he does not deserve you.

Proverbs 4:23
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, ..."

When the time has been spent in the intentional friendship.
The guys, you have the chance to ask her out, to be honest.

The girls, you have the right to say yes or no.
Be honest with them.

Guys, you supremely honor. Pay for everything.
Use de-odorant. Open the door.
Do all of this, because when time passes and she feels that your not keeping her, then she can walk away.

Ladies, too keep your heart, if the dude only talks about apples and rashes, walk away.
Don't lie, don't give the God told me this or that.....
You do not worry about hurting people's feelings, because God wants you to be honest. He handles everything.
Cause the hurt can look to God for help.


When it goes well, you spent time with each other in community and dating. If the people around you agree and she also feels the same then it is time to move on.

Time to give gifts, write notes, flowers.
Share hearts.
There are no rules, but be faithful and honor God, in a Godly way.

Measure of physical interaction:
Men, you define the relationship.
Men you talk about the boundaries.

The moronic question :
How far is too far?
The real question is,
How far is too far till you anger God?

When you go pass those boundaries with someone your not in covenant with, you will start to rot.
You won't be able to lead out as a Biblical man.
You dishonor your wife.

What if we're not physically compatible?
Then you have your whole marriage.

If your seeking to do as much as you do and get away with it, then your destroying your life.

Guys, man-up, the most honest thing you can do, is ask the girl's father whether you can be in a relationship with her.
Make him know that you will honor her in everyway.
The girl is worth it to do that.
Don't worry about the father, any father would feel honored to know that a guy wants to honor his daugther.

There is no sex in dating. It would be all about your selfishness. Even if you are still a virgin and did everything else under the sun then you have sinned.
Sexual immorality is sin.

1 Corinthians 6:19b -20
"You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Jesus can purify anything. If you have sinned, do not lose hope, do not think you horrible. God is creator. God makes all things new. Through all things are pure. through Him you can stand pure at your wedding day.

Date in a Godly way.

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Dr. Jon Camp, Social Sciences.

What are the Social Sciences?
A set of analytical tools to help us explore the complexity of human experiences.

Social science at the drive-thru?

Persepctives from the social sciences.

1.What are the social sciences?

2.What counts as evidence in the social sciences?

3.How do the social sciences help us think critically?

Perception is Weird.
We don't always know what is going on about people.
A society of making decisions without knowing the consequences of our minds.

Awareness test; moonwalking bear. :P

Truth does not reveal itself to lazy thinkers.
The brain only runs a dim lightbulb.

What do we social scientists actually do?
What are social sciences?
Methods
It is based on grounded information


Quantitative methods:
Surveys and satistical analyses
Patterns


Qualitative methods:
In-depth interviews and observation.
Not measuring but specificness, and details.

Critical ethnography:
Research that specifically challenges status quo.

People think social science
Soft sciences, not real, not smart enough science.

Broad patterns
The media influences our perception.

Limitations?
It is closed ended answers. Fixed answers.

Qualitative is open.
Virtue of attentiveness.

Social science
It can be a powerful weapon for those who are oppressed.

Dwight Conquorgood.
Did research on the social activities that lead to gang activities.
To respond to the world justly, you first have to perceive it clearly.
The problem for the people were there weren't enough jobs.

Research or agenda pushing?
His ability to be objective?

If we lose objectivity, have we lost our validity?
Objectivity and critical thinking.

1. We should try to remain objective, but we need to be intellectually honest.

2. Even when we might lose some objectivity in research, we haven't necessesarily lost validity as long as our methods are sound and transparent.

What does this have to do with my major?
Ethtical care.

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Identity crisis, engage the mission of God

AWho am I?
We try to be someone, to try to look cool.
We think that if we had a certain level of something we would look cool.



Do we care about the things of God because it will make us look good?

If we don't understand our identity we won't be able to do the mission of God.

Bear a burden that you will never meant to carry.
More concerned with our calling then with our identity.
Who is God?
Who am I?
What is God's will for my life?

Focused on our identity than on the need of others.
If you wanna know who you are in God then we need to meditate. To relate with Him.

We are the Sons and Daughters of God.

If we think about ourself, do we really believe it?
If we do then we are free to go out and care for someone else. Motivation is getting identity or compassion?
We need to settle ourself so that we can help others.
If we are secure with ourselves with God then we can think about others who are not secure.

To pray for compassion to understand the needs of the world.
Don't take it as, a command to do something.
Be secure with ourselves. It is not a need for us to become someone in Christ. We already are.
Then have compassion for others.

When the need is our focus, we start doing nosense.
People then tell us it is our gift or calling. ?? ????

We need to care about the needs around us.
When we start doing the needs then we can find our gifting.
But when we start doing the needs of the world then we can see that it doesn't matter what our gifts are but the burning desire to do help.

Do we discount the needs of other things because we are not there or because we can't do it?

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
In trusted, commited:
God has commited to us this message.
There is no plan B.
We are ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 24:14
Ethnos

2 Peter 3:9
God isn't slow with His promise
He is patient to allow time for people to be saved.
That is the compassion of God for men.

There are many things happening in other nations.
People are suffering out there.
Neighbors, right infront of us.

Do we see the needs out there? The darkness that needs our light?
We are the light of the world. Jesus said He is the light of the world and told us we are too.

Find the needs, look at the needs of others.
Then we can change people.
We are somebody then go do something.

Let our focus be of burning and compassion, and one that loves Jesus.

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Fire

To build a good fire, we need a good spark.
The key to a good fire is actually having good fuel.

Looking for spiritual sparks.
But missing the spiritual fuel.
Seminars, to get excited.
Events, and talks.

What is the fuel?
Walking in the body of Christ and as a disciple.
We are not alone, together with Christians it keeps the fire going.
We case after the experience,
Challenges keeps us going.

Challenge:
World's worst lifegroup
Boring church
Hurt by the church

What is church?
Church is the body of Christ. The people, christians, are Christs body. He is the head. We the people need to work together to make it work like a body shoul work. Everyone has a specific role, talent, gifts. Together it forms the church and teamwork is needed.
The church is a place where people can go to spend time with God. To bring other people so that they can learn about Jesus.

Is church a culture?
Is it how we perceived it to be?
Is it a value we have?

Figure out what the church is.
Church means called out ones in greek.

Matthew 16:18

Ephesians.
We are the body. The fullness of Him on this earth.

Ephesians 3:10
The church is Gods vehicle.

The bride to Christ.

On fire for God.

Turn church into a consumer church
Hopping from church to church.
To consume from different parts to fulfill yourself.

Matthew 28:18-
The great commission.
Love.

4 commands
1. Go
It is not them who we ask to come, but us who go to them.

2. Make disciples of all nations
Discipleship is to help people to become disciples of Jesus.


3. Baptism
Causes people to go, energize


4. Teaching to obey.
Modeled lifestyle.
To help people to learn how to learn from God.
Deceived ourselves by teaching people.
Hears the Word and puts it into practice.
Learn to obey.
Heart of love.
Ask Jesus to obey.
The lifegroup can impact the world.
Sacrifice for others.

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Treasure Your Treasure, Beltway College Park 2011 Fall Retreat.

E3
Encounter Jesus
Embrace the church
Engage His mission

Treasures of the kingdom.
The treasures that people find, what do they do with it?
Do they keep it?
Do they try to save it for themselves?
Do they try to find a way to get it?

To treasure our treasures from God. To protect it, to sell all we have for it.

1.The hard ground.
Hearing the Word, and not receive it.

2.The rocks.
Trials, droughts. There will be these in our lives.
We need a root system. Good roots in Jesus will allow us to tap in to Jesus even when in dry times. Build a good relationship with Jesus. In conflict you pull together, not apart. To press in when pushed out.
We need to know our relationship with Jesus.
In hard times we build our relationship with Him.

3. Thorns
Distractions from growing; to stop our maturity.
We are bad at distiguishing structure and values.
Different phases of our lives : each with a new way of spiritual living. With new seasons in our lives we need to press in to know how to fit everything in properly, so that we do not fall out. To go through life with God.
Get pumped up about God.
To reenergize.
To recharge.
Start anew.

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Put It To The Test : Science; Scientific Method. connerstone spotlight week 3

Dr. Autumn Sutherlin

What defines science?
What assumptions does Science make?
What are the limitations of science?
What do scientists do?

1. Definition:
Observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural and physical world.

Intellectual activity carried out by humans to undrstand the structure and functions


What science is not.

Science is not technology.
Science is not certainty.
Science is not nature.

2. Assumptions of science.
There is a real universe.
The universe is ordered.
We can discover the principles on which it is ordered.
Subjected to change.

Lord Calvin:
"There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now; all that remains is more and more precise measurement."

Albert abraham nickelson "The more important fundamental laws and facts of physical science have all been discovered, abd these are so firmly establish that the possibility of their ever being supplanted in consequence of new discoveries is exceedingly remote.

Nevertheless, it has been found that there are apparent exceptions to most of these laws, and this particularly true when the oveservation are pushed...


3. Limitations of science.
Only answer a few things.
Why? What? When? How? Where?

It can't answer:
Beauty, morality, ethics.
Supernatural
Spiritual

The process of science.
Scientific method.

Ask a question
Do background research
Construct hypothesis
Do experiment
Analyze your results
Draw conclusion
Communicate results
Retest results

10 myths of the Scientific method:
myth 1. hypotheses turn into theories which eventually become as laws.
Myth 2. Hypotheses are reallt only educated guesses.
Myth 3. There exists a scientific method that is general and universal.
Myth 4. Certainty results when facts are accumulated and analyzed.
Myth 5. ....
Myth 6. Science is less creative than it is procedural.
Myth 7. All questions can be answered via the scientific method.
Myth 8. High objectivity is the hallmark of science.
Myth 9. Scientific knowledge is based mainly on experiment.
Myth 10. Scientists always review and check the work of their colleagues.

Scientist are curious.
Skeptical.
Work together with people.

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Change Your World in 52 Days, Week 2: The Leader in You

To make a difference in this world. You don't have to be the best. You just have to care the most.

A "Change Your World" Leader.

1. Defines the mission clearly.

The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king," if it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild (the wall)." Nehemiah 2:4-5

If you can't define your mission in your life then you can't do it. You have to be specific with your mission.

"Love everyone" - not specific enough

"Love children" - which children?

"Love the homeless children in peru" - make sure your mission is specific and doable.

What is God leading you to do?


2. Makes plans carefully.

...It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said him,"If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates... and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" Nehemiah 2:6-8

Make plans and preperations behind the scene. Nehemiah was planning behind the scenes to know who is incharge of the timber.

Make your plans step by step. Think, what is the first step. Start from there, then ask what is the next step.

Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem, during the night he inspects the wall. Later on he gathers the people, and defines to the people the mission.

3. Inspires people passionately.

Then I said to them," You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replies,"Let us start rebuilding ." So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18

If you light yourself with passion, people from everywhere will come and see you.

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Summit "Enough", 3rd Night, , Mark Hamilton

A text of hope.
What am I suppose to make out from this book?
One minute we hear God's coming and His greatness, His house.
Or, a counsellor, Prince of Peace.

But instead, we choose syria, war, hardship

Is Isaiah a beautiful movie
Or
A movie that is grey and faded, lost

Maybe Isaiah is this...
Exile, lost, alienation.

Exile has two parts when put together its pain.
1. Alienation, alone.
2. Lost, the world looks different. Lost of history, the lost of man, the lost future.
The future is tied together.

Exile isn't just about the lost of place, it is about the lost of the past and future.
To think what happened.
What lost the past which loses the future.

Exile isn't just about the people walking past us, but in a different way it can happen to all of us.

Exile is a reality.
We have lost track of who we are, we lost our paths.
We lost our Christian dream and our present lives.
We think its normal because we're human. We look to history and latch on to it to find an answer. Our fetish for celebrity, wealth, or to live without responsibility. Admit it, we know it.
It's a bit starting to sound like the grey movie.
There's Israel, despondent.
Another character, the nations. The proud, believing they have succeeded in everything.
Then there's the prophets, speaks for God and the people and gets stuck in the middle.
The hardest character of them all is God. Where is God? Where is he?

Maybe I won't do a movie anymore, I'll just stick to preaching.

Isaiah fixates on Israel, how it continuely talks about doom.
We tend to look at the good side of Israel and avoid the bad side.
We choose the life of the ugly, the bad, and the false.
In truth, God really only looks to those that listen to Him.
If God's power came and kissed us on our faces, would we know it?

We are lost in God's language.
God gave me this parking lot.
No He didn't, I doubt that.
I too was looking for one.

Redeemer and Holy One.
How do I know God is holy and majestic?
God reaches down to us, heals us.
That is when I see Him.
God is the author.
He is not my co-pilot, or fishing buddy.

Isaiah keeps saying "God said, God talks"
We keep passing by it, thinking " ohh God spoke"
It is a big deal.

God spoke, we think " Okay God spoke, He spoke and created the earth, wow...."
But why don't we think, " GOD SPOKE, OH MY, GOD SPOKE!!"

Maybe its the truth that we can go home.
Like Israel, they could go home from Babylon.

God has started giving us passions and dreams.
Kindling in us a fire.
It is a important fire that we should be open to it.
We are accountable to it. We need to dream His dreams.
What are our dreams?
What will it look like when we go home to heaven?
Or rather His home is with us now.
The church, a place of safety and hospitality that people could go to meet God.
The church can't look like one person, but everybody. To have diversity. We are in a culture where we look down on people who are different from us. This is not Christianity.
A church that is willing to give up everything to Christ even if it means to give up the world around us.
A place that will not worry about the materials but what will it be when we end up before the judgment seat of God.
Let Him say well done, not because of the great pictures or great job, but rather His will in us.

The church is in exile, when we struggle in identity and focus on the wrong stuff.
We are a bit confuse to who we are. We take for granted things in culture or being a Christian.
We hold things tighter to things we should hold lose and hold some things lose to things we should hold tighter.

We have to let go of things around us, like patriotism, politics, Christ died for us and not those stuff.

The tools we have are to be used to help others. God gave us these things to help others.

Lol this summit is hard, a whole lot of information, stories and stuff. So its hard to get what the speaker is trying to says. All of them have so many main points :P.

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Change Your World In 52 Days, Week One: Ordinary World Changers

"1.The words of Nehemah son of Hacaliah: In the month Kislev(november/december, 444 B.C.) in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa(Iran), 2.Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3. They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." 4. When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. "
Nehemiah 1:1-4

The people of God were sad/depressed because their home was unprotected. Imagine your country without any self-defence to protect you and your family.

The Jews were taken from their home, because they disobeyed God's command. And now it came down to a cup bearer, Nehemiah, who was equivalent to a butler, to save his home.

Somebody gots to do something about it, and that's got to be me( it may as well be me).

Ordinary World Changers

1. Sit DOWN TO cry.
"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept."
Nehemiah 1:4

What breaks your heart?
What is it that breaks your heart that breaks God's heart?
Abuse?
Bullies?
Human trafficing?
Why doesn't anyone else care about this like I do?
Because God put it in your heart, it burdens you, and it may as be you.

2. Knell DOWN TO pray.

"...For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven."
Nehemiah 1:4

You can pray!
Prayer is great, strong, powerful.
Pray for your burdens, work on it.

3. Stand UP TO act.

"... I said to the king,"May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" 4. The king said to me "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5. and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."
Nehemiah 2:3-5

He didn't just sit around and did nothing, but he went to the king for help.
Don't just complained about it, make your burden your ministry.
You can't do everything, but you can do something.

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TwoGather, Week 2 :Where Everybody Knows Your Name. Sept 11, 2011

Pastor Chris

1. Be a steward of Christ
2. Change lives everyday

The Bible can be described in one word, relationships.
Our lives are decided by our relationships.
Where we are now, is determined by our relationships.


"For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."
Matther 18:20

Our gatherings should be intentional. Our groups can impact us.

"There was a man all alone; he he'd neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth... "
Ecclesiastes 4:8

Walking alone never works.

Five reasons why we don't join a group:
1. Naivety.
"I don't need the group, I can do it bymyself."
2. Temperament.
"I don't have the personality to meet people"
3. Fear.
"What happens if I go?"
4. Past experiences
"I was hurt and I do not want to go through a relationship like that again."
5. Busy
"I'd like to do it but I do not have the time, because my schedule is filled up."

We all desire to be in a group; to have someone close to us that we can relate too.

"Since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. "
Romans 12:5

Four things we need:

1. Arena - I know and you know.
I need people who really knows me.
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?... "
1 Corinthians 2:11

2. Mask - I know but you don't know.
I need people who will see the real me.
"We refuse to wear masks and play games... Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open... "
2 Corinthians 4:2

"...Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed... " James 5:16

Don't keep secrets from people, in the end we can be harmed by our secrets.

3. Blind spots - I don't know but you know.
I need people who will be honest with me.
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
Proverb 27:6

God's system is to be connected with other people. We are the body of Christ. Parts, each part does its own part. We grow together.

4. Potential - I don't know and I need help.
I need people who will grow me
"...As each part does its work, it helps the other parts grow, so Christ's whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."
Ephesians 4:16

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Proverbs 18:24

We need people to be close with us.

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Connerstone, Week 2 " critical thinking "

What do I know about how I think?
What kinds of thinkers are there?
Do I control ny own thinking?
What are the parts of critical thinking?

Kinds of thinkers :
1. Naïve thinker
2. Selfish thinker
3. Fair-minded

Outsourcing
To obtain goods or services from an outside source, esp. In place of an internal source.

Crysler ad

Assumptions
Evidence
Implications

Assumptions
Steel, hardened from fire - detriot
They're not sin city, fun city, wind city but car city

Evidence
Working hard, running, skater
Empty factories

Implications
Trust crysler, detriot
Emineem says this is the motor city xP

Critical thinking :
1. Check assumptions
2. Evaluating evidence
3. Consider implications

8 parts of critical thinking :
1. Purpose of our thinking
2. Questions we are trying to answer
3. Information needed to answer the question
4. Inferences or conclusions we are coming to
5. Concepts or key ideas we are using in our thinking
6. Assumptions we are taking for granted
7. Implications and consequences of our thinking
8. Points of view we need to consider

Funny in Farsi - Ham


8 intellectual traits in a thinker :
1. Humility - not always right.
2. Autonomy - thinks independently.
3. Intergrity - honest, evidence and support to their thoughts and best information and sources.
4. Courage - to stand up and speak out.
5. Confidence in reason - to know that you have done everything you could do to come to your conclusion.
6. Empathy - to think about other people.
7. Perseverance - takes time to research, to endure finding information.
8. Fair Mindedness

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TwoGather, September 4, Week 1: Heart and Soul by Pastor Craig

Matthew 18:20
Two or three gather..
I am there..
Among them..

You'll never do all God wants you to do without the right people around.

Though it is important to have company, we still need to choose correctly who we are around.
The dominate people we spend time with, will effect us.

1 Samuel 14:1
He did not tell his father..

The Right People To Help Us :

1. Navigate obsticles and

1 Samuel 14:4
Bozez, slippery.
Senneh, thorny.

2. Overcome wavering faith.

1 Samuel 14:6
Jonathan was doubtful but believing, but doubtful.
He says "Perphas"
The Right People :

1. Are with you heart and soul.

1 Samuel 14:7
Do all that you have in mind,
With you heart and soul.

We need people with us heart and soul.

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Connerstone, 1st Week

Dr. Richard Beck, pschology.

Spotlights.
Chapel talk/ classroom

Banality of Evil
Review the questions.
Tries to get you to think, critically.
Muktiple perspectives.

When we aren't critixcal there are dangerous circumstances
Love sinners and hate the sinners
We live in an era whereby our co-workers have different religions and ethtics

Isit possible to love a sinner and hate their sin?
Its a fine idea but isit possible?
Answers: agrees
1. Don't gjve up the relationship just bcuz he or she has a fault.


Disagree
1. Conflict.

Underneath the psychology :P
Adventures in Magical Thinking

Pharisees and Jesus.
The difference between sacrificial, purity and giving, helping.

How people reason with purity.
Boundary monitarying, saliva in the cup

Similarity, the bed pen and lemonade
Because they do things reflexively this causes habits to pop out.
Jesus eating with the sinners, looks bad.

Once something is judged its hard to change back.
Repentence of sin.

Negativity nominance.
When a purity and polutant comes together the polutant is th strongest.
It makes sense with food, but when with people.
Like the. Pharisees as they see Jesus being "contanminated" by the sinners.

Contatc wuth Jesus purifies.


What does this have to do with my major?
We need to stop and think critically.
Think outside the box.

Adolf eichmann
Trivial, banal
Something trite, cliched

The problem with eichmann was that he never thought or imagine or see from another person's perspective.
He lived on cliches.

Evil comes from mindlessness.

We're here to overcome mindlessness.

Stanley milgram.
tested pain, by using normal ppl to administer them.
How far would they go?


Students,
Ask yourselves whether you would play the game?
To step back and look at the situation your going into?
That through critical thinking it can be done.

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The Main Thing Lives by God's Word, August 28 2011.

Beltway, Pastor David

Ephesians 6:13-17

Hebrews 4:9-12

The irony of ironies is this:
Rest is the result of obedience.

The Bible is not just any book. It has remained on this earth since the ancient of days. The Bible has changed the world.
Why?

The sword of the Spirit: Word of God.

The Word of God is special, the Old Testament being translated from Hebrew and the New from Greek. There is no major preaching of the Word of God, so we don't have to worry whether we need to learn Hebrew or Greek.

Logos means word in Greek, but when the Bible says Word of God it means Rhema.

The Word of God is this arsenal, this stockpile of weapons.
But the Word of God, the sword of this Spirit, is the deployment of that weapon into a specific situatio.

The sword is the truth of the Word of God applies by the Spirit and followed obediently by us in a specific situation where the enemy is attempting to deceive us and rob God's rest from us.

Each time Jesus was tested, how did he respond? It is written. He responded with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God fro that situation.

Matthew 4:1-11
When Jesus was fasting the devil came and tempted him, each time Jesus responded with the Word of God to rebuke the devil.

A fighter has his sword, he has it with him everyday. And his sword becomes an extention of himself, giving him a longer reach.

Paul says to take up the sword of the Spirit.

The word "free" in John 8:32 and the word "rest" in Hebrews 4:11 (both of which are so appealing) ultimately refer to the same thing - we all hunger for both.

The fulfillment of those desires hinge on one condition. "If you abide in my word."

To abide in God's Word is to have it regularly be part of our lives. It is to train like a soldier with God's Word so that when the attack comes, God's Spirit has something to apply to our situation.

The sword is so sharp it penetrates the body.

Often we do not pray or read the Word or do other things that posiition us to be close to Jesus to hear Him because we don't want to change.

When it comes down to it, we don't want to be told what to do.



Obedience is not a negative word.

John 14:15
Luke 11:28
Matthew 7:24

They take up the sword and put it into practice.

Obedience is the invitation of the Father because He longs for what is best for us. And, in this case, Father really does know best.

God restricts things to protect us; He demands things to mature us; He allows things to shake us - all for our good.
Romans 8:28, 31

Rarely, if ever, does God reveal how He is going to use our obedience to do things He has promised.

Almost always obedience preceeds actual understanding

We have to take up the sword of the Spirit - meaning we have to be will to both learn God's Word and apply God's Word to our lives.

Knowledge does not equal power.
Knowledge is what is inside us.

Main thing: a fully developing follower of Jesus seeks to in an increasing way to live by the God's Word.

Why? So we can enter the rest of God - so we can stand against the enemy during this day of evil - so we can know deeply the truth that sets us free - so we can have a life built solid foundation on a that will stand strong when the storms of life hit.

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Who am I? Chapel, Wed 24th, 2011

1 Peter 1:13-16
Few go to the creek, that have many wonderful fishes.
Many do not believe but few go through the narrow road.

Like the Israelites that left Egypt and complained that back home is better. They hold baggage and fear that keeps them from success.

1. You may let your baggage define who you are.
We aren't able to let go of our baggage.

2. Fear of failure
Holds you back, peer pressure.
Like buffalo, they build their life on what others around them are doing. If all are running and if one is tired, the single buffalo would keep on running.
They can't look forward, thus can't do their own things.

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Getting Past Your Past, Week 2, Forgiving Those Who Hurt You

We all have been hurt by some one or some thing, we try to push it away and we forget about it. But one day something sparks us to remember it and we get so angry. This shows that we still haven't dealt with those hurts Biblically.

Mark 11:25
When you pray, if you hold anything against anyone forgive him, so that God may forgive your sins.

Sometimes its easy to forgive if the hurt is towards us, but when it is towards some one we love then it is so hard to forgive.

Who Has Hurt You?

Why Should I Forgive?

1. Because Unforgiveness Hurts Me.
Hebrews 12:15
See to it... that no bitter root grows... cause trouble and defile many.

Unforgiveness is like drinking rat poison hoping it kills the other person.

2. Because I'll Need Forgiveness Again.
Matthew 6:14-15
If you forgive men who sin against you, God will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, God will not forgive yours.

Matthew 18, the Parable of the Master and Servant
Matthew 18:32-35
If you do not forgive, you will be in a bad state until you forgive from the bottom of your heart.

Jesus could forgive others, while they were hurting him on the cross.

How Can I Forgive Someone Who Hurts Me?

1. Pray For Those Who Hurt You

Matthew 5:43-44
Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you.

The prayer you have for others might not change them but it will change you. God will start to work on your heart.
Start with prayer.

2. Forgive As You've Been Forgiven.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other... forgive whatever grieves you have... forgive as the Lord forgave you.

If your in an abusive relationship, and the guy is hurting you, don't stay in the house and forgive him, but go to some where safe and forgive him. Your safety is important then comes forgiveness.

As we forgive others, God sets a prisoner free and that prisoner is not those who hurt us, but ourselves that gain freedom.

Pray for healing, forgiveness, a change of heart, then move on in your life forgiving others. Get help, stand together with believers to hold each other up.

posted from Bloggeroid

Getting Past Your Past, Week 1, Breaking the Labels that Bind

Usually we can't forgive ourselves for our past even though God has forgiven us.

In life people would label us, like Winnie the Pooh, Attilla the Hun, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc..

WHAT NEGATIVE LABEL FOLLOWS YOUR NAME?
_ the
(Your Name) (Label)

God's power is greater than your past.
God's truth is greater than your label.

Today you will get,
A NEW GOD-CENTERED VIEW OF YOU
(2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)
Become a new person, old gone, new begun...

3 thoughts on our new life :

1. God Will Give You A New (Name).
Isaiah 62:2
Called... a new name... the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

Abram & Sarai to Abraham & Sarah.
We all have new names that God has given or will give.
We might feel that we don't deserve the new name because we're the exact opposite of our new name,
But we will grow into our new names.
Though we won't feel it, we will grow into it.

2. God Will Give You A New (Purpose).
Like Peter who was a fisherman but became the fisher of men.
Matthew 16:17-18
Simon was renamed as Peter, the rock, on which Christ's church will be built and the gates of Hell cannot overcome it.

We all know that Peter messed up so many times, moreover, denying Jesus three times.
But Peter worked on it, and grew into his name.
On Pentacost because of him many were saved.
He didn't start of as a rock but he grew into it and died as one.

You will receive a new name, and from that new name you will be given a new purpose.

3. God Will Give You A New (Future).

Jeremiah 29:11

We feel like were failures, divorcees/ers, unable to engage with our family, in debt, loveless, wronged.
But God has a plan for us, He plans to prosper us, not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.

Like in Joshua, Rehab, the prostitute who risked her life to protect the 2 spies and by doing that God changed her heart, and He used her to bring in a important people through, and those important people happened to be David, Solomon, and Jesus. If God can use some one so broken like Rehab, He definitely can use us.

Don't let any label hold us back.

Philippians 3:13-14
Forget your past that is straining our future..
Press on to your goal to win the price which God has for us.

Through Christ you are made new.

posted from Bloggeroid

WEiRD, Week 5 A Weird View of Money

Guest Speaker : Dave Ramsey

We Christians view money is a weird way(bad way) we think that we can't be rich and all our money must go to charity or some missionary.

Anyways, to be wealthy is weird (not bad way)

5 Weird behaviours to get weird ways which takes time:

1. Written Game Plan
People don't and at the end of the month they wonder why they spend so much. Plan a day in the month to budget yourself and plan for the future by learning from past mistakes.

2. Act Your Wage
Live on less than you make. Even if it means to lower your standards of living.

3. Save Money
a. A storage fund/rainy day fund/emergency
b. Pay cash for things
You feel pain/hurts when you pay cash, this causes you to spend less.
c. Invest
Let your money work for you, don't just save but take a percentage of your income and invest it.
d. Debt is stupid
There is not one time in the Bible where it says debt is good. Debt has always been foolish, but it doesn't mean that God loves you less because your in it, even if your in or out of it His still crazy for you. Be free from payments, stress, painful, sleepless nights.
e. Give
God loves a cheerful giver. You can't help other people if your broke. Get control of your life. Tidings is a basic thing.

Weird is weird, to act weird is to be weird, wealth is weird, and to be wealthy is to act weird and thus be weird? :p

posted from Bloggeroid

WEiRD - Weird Way To Save the World, EASTER WEEKEND.

Matther 7:13-14
Destruction, many enter
Life, few find it

Two Views of God

The normal way:
1. Religion: Man's normal attempt to reach God.
Isaiah 29:13
Hearts are far from me
Rules taught by men

Religion is an outward show.

Religion leads to:
1. Pride
2. Despair

Pride, we think we right and better than others.
Despair, I try but I'm not that spiritual, not good enough.


The weird way:
2. Christ: God's weird way to reach man.
Philippians 3:4-7
Paul did everything right a religious person could do, but all of it is rubbish.

Isaiah 3: 8b-9
Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord
Lost all things, consider them rubbish.
Through faith in Christ
The righteousness that comes from God

Rubbish: skúbala (scoo'-ba-la) , garbage, human or animal dung.
Skúbala happens.

You can take all the religious things and works but it is still poo.
No matter how mich you have, its still poo.

Through faith in Christ
Righteousness that comes from God
The purpose of the law is to show that you need a Saviour.
Jesus took all our bad things from us.
John 11:25-26

posted from Bloggeroid

WEiRD, because normal isn't working. Weird Desires.

If you want what normal people have, do what normal people do.

If you want what few people have, do what few people do.

For example, Eve wanted the fruit that was forbidden.
David wanted another man's wife.
You want friendship of others from others.

1 John 2:16-17 NLT :
1. Physical pleasure
2. Everything we see
3. Achievements and possessions
4. From this world
5. Everything that people crave.

Normal people do what they want, what feels right.

Normal People

1. Want what they want now not later.
Luke 15:12 NLT
The prodigal son, wanted his share now.
Now, now, now.
Ice cream before dinner now.
Wanting to do what we're only suppose to do in marriage.
To show our anger now.


2. Trade the ultimate for the immediate.
Genesis 25:29-32
Jacob & Esau
Esau wanted to eat now.
Esau said, "I am about to die," and "What good is the birthright to me?"
He does the most unthinkable thing, to traded his birthright for a bowl stew.
We think who would be so foolish to do that trade.
Normal people do that everyday.

We trade God for a bowl of stew.
It builds up by each small bowl of stew.

Like a girl who loves the boy, and wants to honor God but the boy pushes and she gives in and traded the ultimate for the immediate.

Most of us do it all the time.
3. What's your bowl of stew?
___

Oh.... like wanting a relationship with a person so much that we push away God and our attention and concentration goes to pushing that relationship to happen now, now, now.



Weird People
1. Know later is often better than now.
Proverbs 16:32 NLT
Patient, self-control.
Like to a kid, you offer him a cookie now but wait! You say, if waited for an hour you get another one. Which is better?

Normal people buy liabilities, weird people buy assets.

2. Seek God until God's desires become their desires.
Psalms 37:4
Delight your in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
You desire God's desires, to help people, to love God.

Galatians 5:16-17 NLT
You won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
The Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.

Say you can wait, trade your immediate for your ultimate.
When you seek him they will call you weird but embrace it.

posted from Bloggeroid

Weird~ Pastor Craig

Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus said that people are on the wrong road that does not lead to life.
Normal the life leading to death.
Being normal, taking out the Bible and looking at it worldly,
is getting divorce, premaritial sex, adultery, looks, bankruptcy.

1. If you want what normal people have, do what normal people do.

2. If you want what few people, do what few people do.
(Get weird)

Weird People
Weird people don't like normal people.
1. Don't think like normal people think.

Romans 12:2 NlrV
Romans 12:2 MSG

Paul says to let your way of thinking be completely changed.
Don't go into a vegetative whereby you become your culture and don't think.

Weird teaches you to think differently about:
1. Time
2. Money
3. Relationships
4. Sex
5. Values

2. Don't live like normal people live.
Everybody is doing it so it must be ok :D.....

1 Peter 2:11-12

Don't copy other people's weird because God will give you your own weird.

HOW IS GOD LEADING YOU AWAY FROM NORMAL INTO THE GOD-KIND OF WEIRD?

posted from Bloggeroid

Sunday, ?? March, 2011

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Overcomer, Pastor Craig

Overcome things to build our faith.

1. With Christ, You Are An Overcomer
Romans 8:31-32, 35, 37

We still battle trouble or hardship; persecution, famine, danger.
We are more than conquerors, through Christ who loved us.
Hupernikao (hoop-er-nik-ah'-o): to vanquish beyond recognition, gain o decisive victory, exceedingly more than a conqueror.

John 16:33 though we are more than conquerors doesn't mean we won't have troubles. We will overcome these things through Christ, by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.


As An Overcomer

1. Fight With Conquering Attitudes.

We always have a victim thinking, that we will never get out of our problems; depression, sadness, loneliness etc.

2 Corinthians 10:5
Always know that we can do it through Christ.
Nothing can seperate us from God

Psalm 18:29
Stop whining and start thinking/doing that God can bring us through our walls

2. Fight With Spiritual Weapons!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Divine powers to fight.
Don't think that all we can do is pray.
Fight like a Man of God.
Affirm that God can do it.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9
1 John 4:4
No weapon formed against us shall prosper.

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Who do you think you are?

Without Christ, there's something wrong with you.
Eph. 2:1, 3-5.

With christ you are God's master piece.
Eph. 2:8-10
Salvation is not for the good things we have done.
We are saved for good works.
We are saved by grace by faith through Christ.
God don't make no junk.

As God's Masterpiece

You are created for the Master's purpose,work.
Psalm 139:13-16

We are created at this time for this time.
But we some times don't know what's the master purpose.

If you don't know the pupose of the thing you will abuse it.
The oxygen mask xD

You have everything you need to do everything that God wants you to do.
2 Peter 1:3

We sometimes envy others, and forget what we are and what God wants us to do.
Stop looking at what we can't do and then we can see what we can do. Believe it!

God uses everything to bring about His purposes.
Romans 8:28

God takes/uses the hard things and bad things for your own good. But not for anyone but only for those who love Him and is called according to His purpose.

If you don't like your life.
Let God remake you.
Jeremiah 18:3-4

God is the potter we are the clay. If we don't agree with what we have done let Him remold us.

From my Desire Z (G2)


NVC translation

posted from Bloggeroid

Major Accomplishment

At the plight of snow going away, the sun is coming back unto Abilene =)
Everything is starting to grow again and I can't wait to see when everything is all green and to say Spring is here =D

"Wheresss that wabbitttt" =B

This week I manage to accomplish something!

I wore less clothes!!

I'm so proud of myself, usually, because of the cold, I would wear for layers of clothes.

Then since last week I manage to slowly cut down to TREE layers =)

On Tuesday I wore 2!!!!

Then yesterday I only had a shirt and jeans.

Finally..

today I wore my crocs.. a shirt... SHORT pants.

GASPINGGGG FIVEEEE

It's still cold in the morning, and when it's chapel time and we have to walk to the back of the school where there is less sunlight, I'll get shivers but I'm getting used to it =D

Ok so on the topic of coldness in Abilene.

It's equal to a meat freezer =)

*LoL just played a word in Word For Friends on my phone and owned with the word gramp for 42 points =) with the help of a word builder*

The cold here is not like the kind of cold where by we step outside and don't feel cold. It's like you open the door and bang its just cold cold cold cold. So cold that if you don't use lotion your skin will start to crack and it hurts.

When it gets to below 0 Celsius its just so hard to get around, the fact that my classes are not in an enclosed building makes it worst. Getting to the first class is hard, warm up then after 45mins I have to change class and start the whole process again. To put my bum on a cold seat is so cruel =( worst than that is to put my bum on a cold toilet seat, life changing period.

I kinda get now why my sister now says 14-16 Celsius is warm and can sweat XD

Yesterday my host mom told me

"Danzel.. at night you need to watch out, because theres coyotes running about outside."

Stories of giant spiders

scorpions

weird bugs

big bugs

rattle snakes

Classmates trying to pull a prank at night at my place, which reminds me to remind them bout the coyotes,

Life's really lonely on the ranch =D

Oh and when I come home, I like to sing home home on the range =P

Until something exciting happens =)

TREE Trees =)

Bro post

Do I hate blogging?

Well, yes I do! =D

Firstly, I miss my wingman!

Do you know how hard it is to keep in contact with people living 14hours away!

It's like when I'm awake they are asleep and when I'm asleep their awake.

Oh honey :/

Everyday I crave for Nasi Lemak, I long for the burn that I can feel from the start to the end as it leaves me. I want the half cooked fried egg to just spill its glorious substance into my mouth.

I miss curry mee, how it holds me with its thick mee, while covering me with bee hoon.

Anyways this post is definitely for Lenix!

Cause I can' speak to him for a long time so I can't tell him what has been happening.

Okay so... everyone in Abilene is nice. Like really nice, because the people are nice so Abilene must be nice lor? Right? Right?

Studying here was kinda weird I mean like I wasn't use to taking notes and listening to some one TEACHING, gosh its been like freaking long since I was in a classroom sitting on a desk listening to some one. I have like 8 periods of 45mins everyday. school starts at 8:00 and like from 8:00-8:40 I have a subject called Math Applications its like normal math that we all learn but it's on a computer. So everyday I have to go to the lab a.k.a computer room I didn't know that =P First like 2-3 weeks I didn't do anything in that class because they have not sent me the program so I sat there like an idiot looking at people do math for the first few days, after that I started playing minesweeper and people got mesmerized by the malaysian intelligence I had =D

But on the computer I used to use there was some idiot's high score that I couldn't beat so I hated that. After a few days from school I started to get work so I studied in that class, nothing much else to do. Then I finally got my program and the teacher, Mrs. Mckonell (something like that la == its not like she'll fail me for not spelling her name right in math), moved me 2 rows down and i started using that computer, later on that computer got screwed up because I was too awesome(the program couldn't start some error problem), then I moved one more row down and thats where I am currently sitting.

How does the program work?

Its like you start it up and load your profile then on it, it has like 10 topics of math divided into like about 10 sections with a review at the end. Anyways dont think so canggih its a simple program.

Questions page taking up 3/4 of screen while the other quarter is like buttons to press.

So how to get pass each sections? You have to take a test(or as they say it "certify") then you do about 10-20(maybe) questions and if you dont get mistakes that goes pass the mistake limit then you get a CONGRATULATIONS!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! You print out the slip and pass it to the teacher, but now she says dont print it just tell her. Others have to show her, but I dont cause she trust me =D YAY!

Okay... thats first period phew..

Its like 8:45-9:00 i think..After first period on mon,wed,fri we have chapel, while on tues & thurs its homeroom like a class meeting.

2nd period is GOV/ECON 9:00/05-9:45/50 I took the class to review H&G but so happens the teacher(Mrs. robbins) says we dont need history so shes gonna teach us about Econ cause we all going to college ==......

But shes the funniest teacher out of all.

Then we have break at like 9:50 if you dont line up fast the food finishes thats annoying ==.

The break food that is served is nice I think you would like it but after awhile everyone gets sien of the pizzas imagine a small circle pie and thats the pizza =) They have donuts everyday and it aint the stale kinds its like eating j.co its soft.

Thats what they serve all the times but other days theres nicer stuff like bread with egg and meat or like sausages or french fries, or other stuff which I still dono 0.o

So the break ends at like 10:05-11 then 3rd period ENGLISH*jeng.. jeng jeng....* at like 10:10

I really don't like english now, last time I didnt mind it but now I dont.

Her name is Mrs. Gillberth a great a teacher and super strict teacher, nice person, a more cultured version of teacher evelyn but shes a better person, sometimes =P

Anyways the work she gives is hard =/ and not simple I guess its good for me but I hate it.

11:00-11:40

Then next period, 4th period Bible I like Bible cause its in the same room and I dont have to walk out of the class and I also have the books I need in my bag so I just sit there. Bible class is easy =) and interesting, Mr. & Mrs. Fisher teaches us, mostly the teaching is done by the wife. on wed, we have a thing called Pals whereby seniors are partnered with little kids and you just hang with them during their lunch time and play with them afterwards, I have this kid called sidney nice boy likes football and plays it all the time, commentates his own games too XD knows whats his talkng about but i dont XD

11:50-12:40

Next is biology, the most lawless class XD cause you can use your phone or listen to music and do whatever if the teacher(Dr.Hood, a woman) is not teaching. Biology, well theres not really any teaching to it, she just gives us notes and we fill them up with our biology book and after a few weeks she gives us a test which she tells us what to study. Thats how biology should be taught!! =P

After this is lunch and sometimes Dr.Hood lets us out early, but sometimes not, only if your leaving campus to go and eat. As seniors we're really quite free and easy we get to leave campus whenever we want as long as theres no class. we dont get study halls(study by yourself) but free period. Best part about biology is that I can take dual credit and bring it over to uni =) so i get like 4hours for 200+ doauwwwlars but right now, as usual, im getting problems with the registrations la the payment la, and even telling me im not in the class la ==!!!!

Ok so lunch either eat in or out, I rarely eat out only if like they offer. But lunch is fine at school aint that bad and its not like its not edible. Though a tad bit exp =).

eat eat eat bla bla bla 1:10 is the next period

1:15-2:00

6th period CISBA, Mrs. HATTICKS. Gosh that teacher has some kind of problem with the class except for special people, shes the only teacher who told me my hair is long and that I need to cut it == screwed up teacher. CISBA is computer class. Right now we're on video editting as you know already. They just extended..

Damn just went to the school website to check my english grades and she still hasnt mark my test gosh so stressful...

they just extended the dateline for the video to be dued few less stress.

Ok so next is 7th period 2:05 to 2:45, mon, wed I have english/reading lab. Mrs. Gillberth again its like to help those who are sitting for SAT or ACT or like me GED or like me again both =). Its a random class just really random like sometimes its work sometimes its not sometimes she just asks us to do something else. On tues,thurs I have choir its fun sometimes but really annoying cause no kawan/gang to hang with. The worst part you those like of orang hitam dari Ahfreeka like cakap banyak, hypocrites, dia duduk di kanan saya. Anyways so it ishmeih of the ashsay? =P lol.. does kind of people who get on your nerves even though their not your nerves, spoils the period. LOL.... =P my choir teacher are Mrs.baker and Mrs.Rosie really funny partners XD

On fridays 7th period is free period for me so I usually go to the library and talk with the librarian Mrs. Louise a really sweet lady, love having conversations with her, either that or I study or angry birds =)

2:50-3:40

8th period, mon,wed,fri its Anthropology while tues,thurs I can live school early if I want to but usually i just chill till school over then go home. So Ted Presley teaches that subject. I get dual credit for this class too. Ted Presley is the same person from Eli360 so in class I usually have problems to what to call him mr. presley? ted? opa? XD opa is just for fun, german for grandfather SO WHAT IF YOU KNOW THAT ILL STIL TELL U =P

Anthropology is hard to understand but its really good la, he teaches like in university style so its hard to grasp, its those kind of classes you just wade tru it.

After all that at 3:40 school is over.

Thats how I spend my days =D

EVERYDAY school like that took a long while to get used to it weihh.

First few weeks I have to keep looking at the schedule paper after each class to know whats next, which room to go to, and whos the teacher ==!!!

School life, friends and all well its like normal thing clicks as usual, not everyone is everyone's friend but since its Abilene and Abilene is nice THUS formulating that they are candy? =D

The international students hang together, but more specifically the asians =)

I have a couple of frens but not alot and not a bunch lols. Luckily still got my awesome frens at hsu and lubbock! phew.

Days are fun when I get to hang out with steph caryn and more malaysians, the song of malaysians talking is like tanbun biscuits =) lols i kno i totally said that correclty =P

staying at home is either boring or studying with stress ntothing much =/

Which is why i prefer hanging with everyone from hsu from happening, malaysian gossiping, thumbs up.

Bro FIVE!!

Okay this like my daily life church on sundays i to go steph's church called ubc, it has a band. O m g man, I cant stand acapella and hymns sometimes organs. ITS TOO TORTURINGGGG dude when you come here ill bring you to their usual chuches =P then show you to ubc then can appreciate it dy XD

Ah i rmbered what i wanted to say. sometimes i just cant totally feel that im actually here bymyself without my family and frens and home and stuff doing everything bymyself, with the help of frens here too. Kinda hard to feel that its real! Weird thing here i dont have cbs as a channel so i cant himym or bbt dang =/ anyways kevin really great to upload it to dropbox so i can watch =D.

Next post ill get more detailed and stuff =D