First time I have had time to actually go on the computer, which isn’t a bad thing, but that also means that I haven’t worked on applications and homework. Oh well. Looking forward to tonight, and the next day, and the next day, and even the next day. Merry Christmas =D
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Well...
I did the hard math (though not actually difficult) and it comes out I may have a possibility of actually still getting an A, but it still upsets me that I did so terrible. But should I really? I mean, it is a reflection on how little I heed directions or pay attention and how much more I should be studying, but it is just one grade. A superficial reflection of performance. I mean there are reasons colleges ask for recommendations from teachers and not just their transcript. On the other hand, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3:17 I have been given an opportunity to participate in Academic Decathlon and doing poorly in it is not giving thanks to God. I am not saying that you cannot ‘fail’ for Jesus, nor that getting an A is doing it in His name, but I don’t think that Jesus wants me to half-donkey it. He wants me to full-donkey it. (I have been waiting to use that =P ). In being in Decathlon I need to be an image of Christ in all manners, and I believe my work ethic is a part of that.
Well… I guess I should stop being a hypocrite and study and finish the homework for my Psych final tomorrow.
Ugh...
I hate how the class I actually spend the most time working on I get a B in. I do barely anything in the other classes and get As, but this one I fail the final because not that I didn’t study, but because I forgot to study a certain thing. This was a major thing, but I just plum forgot. I expected it to be important, but it just left my mind.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Oops!
Didn’t meet the deadline for a presidential scholarship for a college. Guess I’m not going there.
Monday, December 14, 2009
I just put all my classes into my iCal for next semester. :) I like feeling organized.
And I am trying to get into a religion class instead of taking statistics. I might as well make next semester 100% gen-ed free.
And I love being at home. Only one more final left on Wednesday, which means tomorrow I can pretty much just chill and do contact work at Pinnacle, hang out with the best friend before she leaves, then go to club. Freaking bomb!
Also, I plan on rearranging my room. My anticipated configuration is unfortunately kind of like my dorm room, but seeing as my room can be set up only 2 ways because of my lack of available wall space, it’s really just a weird coincidence. In any case, I am excited to do that too. I am in a really organizational mood and that makes me happy.
I suggest using Google Calendar if you have a Gmail because it can text you reminders if you want. It really helps me. =D
It is nice to know
that people remember my birthday.
My mom woke me and sang me the song before I could even realize it was that day. And then I got 2 texts right which warmed my heart and another 2 before I made it to school. When I got home there were 10 Happy Birthday’s on Facebook. Now I know from experience that people say Happy Birthday only because Facebook reminds them. Well as a partial test, I hid my birthday so no info could be found on Facebook about my birthday. So far I got 13 authentic birthday wishes, but maybe my mum’s shouldn’t count, so that brings it down to 12, but 2 people said it in person, and another 3 over phone, so that is at 17.
But it feels good knowing how sincere they are. =D
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sometimes I'm Just Really Stupid
For the past 2 days I had my camera with me and randomly took pictures and some good ones during math class. Then I went back to look at one I took and it said ‘no memory.” I was thinking, ‘how could that be,’ but then I realized earlier when I viewed the pictures it was right after them being there. I check the camera, and there is no card. Wow, I felt stupid. The camera was just taking photos, and showing them on the screen for a few seconds.
And then to finish it off I accidentally break the camera (my mom’s) by having it in my pocket without a case. No pictures and a broken, very nice, camera. Ouch. =(
Fun Fact
In Philosophy Club most people raised their hands in saying that they would hypothetically take money to allow a person to commit adultery with their newly married spouse. One person who didn’t said, “So you are putting a price on adultery?” Then a second question of, “Would you take 10 million dollars if someone you didn’t know had to die?” (Like that movie where they just push the button), and that same guy who was against the adulterous act raised his hand for this along with many others. The honor of a marriage is priceless, but a human life is not, wow. Pretty much everybody also said in the hypothetical situation of somebody coming into the classroom, putting a gun to their head, and telling them to pick somebody to die, that they could pick somebody out to take their place as the victim.
This all stemmed from the discussion of ‘human value,’ or the idea of one life being more valuable to another. You could say that we came to the conclusion that it really is completely relative, but a absolute true value would have to come down to either incalculable or equal.
If you are in AP english with Butler this year…oh man…let me just say you are going to be hearing a lot about human value. I hope it is better for you than it was for us. Good luck.
Yes, I have her next semester. Are these values brought about by discussion or from Mrs. Butler degrading us. I think it’ll be better cause her son won’t be in there this year.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
I am missing something.
Exodus 32
25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
27 Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’ ” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
How can God, the same God that is the loving Jesus, command such a random killing of the people?
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I’m going to give you the limited view of this, which has partly been learned from my class which is Exodus/Deuteronomy, and partly my own little spin. I recommend you read with a bible right next to you, so you can look it up as I go through. Here goes.
Pre-killing, Moses was getting ready to go to the Mountain of God, where God would give him His laws. The Israelites, being the stupid people they are, thought it would be good to turn on God multiple times already.
- When God was sending Moses to save them, they followed him at first, but as soon as Pharaoh increased the workload, they cried out against God.
- God did these sweet miracles for the Israelites, also known as the plagues, and when they finally got to the Sea of Reeds to cross, they cried out, asking why God had led them into the wilderness to die.
- God parted the Sea of Reeds, and they crossed, they sang songs of ecstasy and joy (Ex. 15:1-21) and then, in verse 24 “grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’”
- God made the bitter water sweet, and then in chapter 16 they complained about not having food.
- God sent manna and quail for them to eat, and they were full, then they quarreled with Moses yet again, saying “Give us water to drink” (Ex. 17:2). God gave them water.
So these are the instances that precede this little extravaganza that you have read about, so the Israelites aren’t exactly a flawless people up to this point. In Chapter 19, at Mount Sinai, Moses prepares to go up the mountain to receive the law. There is an ominous black cloud hovering over the mountain, with thunder and lightning (Ex. 19:16). This cloud was there to basically show the Israelites who was boss. You may be saying, they’ve already seen all these miracles, and they’ve grumbled but been saved, why should God prove himself in a cloud? I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that God is once again making it apparent that He is in control of things. No one except Moses is even supposed to touch the mountain, or he will be stoned or shot with arrows (Ex. 19:12) This mountain is where the presence of God is. This mountain is a scary place. The Israelites were shaking in their sneakers (Ex. 19:16). Then Moses leaves the people, and goes up to talk to God. The first words God says are, and I quote, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:2-4) In Exodus 20:23 is says plainly, “Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or of gold.”
So then we get to chapter 32. What does Aaron do? He makes a golden calf. This golden calf he tries to pass off in verse 5 as the Lord, which would be breaking the command in Ex. 20:4 for the people, but it was originally intended as a god on its own by Aaron, which is a violation of Ex 20:3. So the first two commandments are broken by the leader-in-absence of the Israelites because the real leader is gone for 40 days. Not good. The Israelites didn’t really get it.
(Incidentally, this may never have happened if Moses didn’t avoid God’s first call to Egypt, because God may have been intending to heal his speech impediment, but when Moses refused, he sent Aaron with him. And Aaron was the one who made the golden calf.)
(Another incident. In the following verses of Exodus 32, Moses has the opportunity to have a great nation made out of him, but he refuses. He even offers to have his name removed from “the book you have written” (Ex. 32:32). This marks a stark contrast from him before the burning bush, when he was refusing to lay his life on the line for his people in their oppression. Spending time with God really does change you.)
So now Moses gets back, and tells them “WHOEVER IS FOR THE LORD, COME TO ME.” By refusing this call, have not those running around made a choice to not be for the LORD? If they have chosen this, then are they not against the LORD, and standing in His way? They have been given many opportunities, and it has been shown to them many times. This was the last straw, and it wasn’t even a petty thing.
So if there was any argument that they didn’t know what they were doing, it should be gone when you read what Aaron says to Moses in verse 24. He basically lies to Moses’ face about the calf, saying “Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire and out came this calf.” Aaron knew he was wrong, and even though he was in charge, he didn’t have any special knowledge apart from the people. They all knew it was wrong, yet they did it anyways.
So there it is. The Israelites, after many chances to do right, many signs, and many miracles, screwed up again. God said something about wiping them out and fulfilling his promise through Moses only, but Moses pleaded on the Israelites’ behalf. If you think about it, this fate isn’t too bad of a deal? 3000, as opposed to everyone? I think God was pretty merciful.
And if that didn’t sell you on it, how about this. In the bible, Murder is responded to with capital punishment. Extreme value is placed on human life, compared to other laws of the time, like Hammurabi’s Code, but there were still laws that were punishable by death. Striking and killing another man intentionally, attacking one’s father or mother, kidnapping another and selling them, cursing one’s father or mother. And that’s just in Exodus 21. (Did you catch the cursing one’s father or mother? Is God Israel’s father? Yes.)
In Deuteronomy, basically Moses’ farewell address to the people of Israel as he is about to be taken away and die or whatever it is he does, he reminds the people what they should know before entering the promised land. In Deuteronomy, he gives them the shema, which is still used in jewish services today. It is Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where Moses said, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Shema is the Hebrew word for hear, so in Hebrew, the first two words of this are “Shema Yisrael,” which translate as “Hear, O Israel.” Interestingly enough, Hear and Obey are the same word in Hebrew, so it could also be translated as “Obey, O Israel.” This Shema isn’t light stuff, and it’s meant to be obeyed. The Israelites didn’t really do that when they were worshipping a calf they made of Gold. (Interestingly enough, God INSTRUCTED them to plunder the Egyptians, back-wages for 500 years of slavery, so they took the riches God gave them to make this calf. Talk about a slap in the face. That’s like using your allowance to go out and buy new parents.)
And if that’s not enough for you, how’s this example. You asked “the same God that is the loving Jesus” responding this way. While how about this. In Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heard and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greates commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and prophets hang on these two commandments.”” (Jesus was citing the Shema with his first reference, and the second one he cited Leviticus 19:18).
Basically, Jesus said that loving God was more important than loving your neighbor. If failure to uphold the “loving your neighbor” commandment was punishable by death, than who is to say that failing to uphold the “loving your God” commandment isn’t as well? And they were also leading their neighbors to sin, because each time they bowed down before the calf, or sang to it, there was pressure placed upon the others to follow the norm. Not only were they sinning against God, but they were causing others to do it.
That’s all I got on that right now though. I wish I remembered more from my Exo/deut class, but that’s all I have on the topic. Maybe I’ll be able to talk to my teacher on Friday and ask him, but that’s my last class period with him, so I can’t promise anything.
Muchas gracias. I am no longer missing something.
I am missing something.
Exodus 32
25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
27 Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’ ” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
How can God, the same God that is the loving Jesus, command such a random killing of the people?
Really?!?!
Why do scientists/the media seem to always use the once ridiculed ideas to support theirs, such as: the theory of continental drift, the fact that rocks fall from the sky, the notion that the Earth revolves around the sun. Yet a belief that has been around for as long as human’s have existed and doesn’t contradict any science can in no way be true, according to many people. And yes, I am talking about God.
Fun Fact
In Philosophy Club most people raised their hands in saying that they would hypothetically take money to allow a person to commit adultery with their newly married spouse. One person who didn’t said, “So you are putting a price on adultery?” Then a second question of, “Would you take 10 million dollars if someone you didn’t know had to die?” (Like that movie where they just push the button), and that same guy who was against the adulterous act raised his hand for this along with many others. The honor of a marriage is priceless, but a human life is not, wow. Pretty much everybody also said in the hypothetical situation of somebody coming into the classroom, putting a gun to their head, and telling them to pick somebody to die, that they could pick somebody out to take their place as the victim.
This all stemmed from the discussion of ‘human value,’ or the idea of one life being more valuable to another. You could say that we came to the conclusion that it really is completely relative, but a absolute true value would have to come down to either incalculable or equal.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Arg...
I was going to say something funny, but I completely forgot what it was. I think it was something my grandma said, but I can’t remember. ARG!!!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Light railing it
So I want to visit my friend Ryan over in Tempe tonight and I took the light rail because I didn’t want to waste gas in my car and stuff. So I stayed until like midnight and then headed back. Well there were only a few people in the car I was in and there was one guy in the adjoining car. Well the adjoining car guy kept glancing over and it was weirding me out. So then he actually came into my car and sat down across from me and started chatting it up. It was super awkward. I think he was drunk and he introduced himself like 3 times. It reminded me of the “Hi I’m Tom” guy from 50 First Dates. And coincidentally this guy’s name was Thomas. So after like 10 minutes 2 police officers came on the train to check passes and obviously they stayed on after that because they saw that the guy was being a creeper. They stayed on all the way until I got off which was really awesome. It made the guy seem a lot less creepy and a I saw the humor in the situation a little more. And the male policeman yelled at the guy for saying the F-word, which was awesome. Anyways, the guy kept jabbering on about being an alcoholic and getting a ticket for walking across the train tracks and telling me how you shouldn’t drink because then the Devil and spirits take over your mind. It was super weird. I just started ignoring him after a bit, flipping through my Bible and saying “yep” every so often. And a couple minutes before I got off one of the other passengers came over and sat down and asked me if I was ok. Even though the police were there watching out and everything. It was such a genuine thing to do.
So that was my first crazy light rail experience. I really hope something like that never happens again. Next time: first car near the driver instead of the last one. More people ride there. I am exhausted now. I think I am going to collapse in bed with my normal clothes on. Yeah, I’m that tired. Goodnight.
My first time going on the light rail was in the evening with quite a bit of people on it and with my youth group, but there was this guy who had to at least be drunk and he threw candy at me from across the train. It was completely random and a piece of candy just hit me on the head. Took me awhile to find the source. Then when we got off he followed us for about 3 blocks, while foaming at the mouth. Very strange indeed.
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