I was reading some of what I wrote a while ago, and I realized I never told you readers if I got into Oceanography. I did! That class was so much fun! I also took ASL 123, History of Rome, and English 271. Oh, and I can't forget volleyball and pickleball! So yeah, 23 credits!
I will be done in one year...I'm starting my accounting segments this coming quarter, and finishing my economics classes. The only classes I get to choose are a social science and an arts & humanities. I'm thinking literature! Easy! Especially compared to business law and statistics! Well, there ya have it...my education. Thanks for listening!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thoughts
Good morning, my dear readers!
I have promised to attempt to write more often, so I think 2 posts in one day is fulfilling that promise!
What to write, what to write?
Something that has been on my heart recently is World War II and how no one wanted to become involved with stopping Hitler, and how can we prevent that from happening again, in our present time? One of my favorite history teachers spent many weeks on just this subject, and through his lectures and other readings that I did during this class, I have become convinced that the policy of appeasement is to blame. I say policy, but policy is nothing without men and women to enforce it. Look at the treaty they made with Germany at the end of World War I!
It was a great policy, but no one enforced it because they were acting under a different policy: peace at any price. Because Britain and France and the U.S. all wanted peace, because they did not see how the slaughtering of millions of people affected their respective countries, Hitler literally got away with murder.
Readers, I will not attempt to apply that to your life; I know that it will fall short. But I hope that you see that peace at any cost will not result in peace. Abraham Kuyper said it beautifully, "When the principles that run against your deepest conviction begin to win the day, then the battle is your calling, and peace has become sin. You must at the price of dearest peace lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy with all the fire of your faith." [italics mine] Beloved readers, I hope that this has struck some chord in you, and I hope that the strike goes deep and resounds whenever you face a choice between peace and your convictions.
Something that has been on my heart recently is World War II and how no one wanted to become involved with stopping Hitler, and how can we prevent that from happening again, in our present time? One of my favorite history teachers spent many weeks on just this subject, and through his lectures and other readings that I did during this class, I have become convinced that the policy of appeasement is to blame. I say policy, but policy is nothing without men and women to enforce it. Look at the treaty they made with Germany at the end of World War I!
It was a great policy, but no one enforced it because they were acting under a different policy: peace at any price. Because Britain and France and the U.S. all wanted peace, because they did not see how the slaughtering of millions of people affected their respective countries, Hitler literally got away with murder.
Readers, I will not attempt to apply that to your life; I know that it will fall short. But I hope that you see that peace at any cost will not result in peace. Abraham Kuyper said it beautifully, "When the principles that run against your deepest conviction begin to win the day, then the battle is your calling, and peace has become sin. You must at the price of dearest peace lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy with all the fire of your faith." [italics mine] Beloved readers, I hope that this has struck some chord in you, and I hope that the strike goes deep and resounds whenever you face a choice between peace and your convictions.
Finishing my goals
Hello, dear readers. Well, as you can see, I did not accomplish my goal of writing every day, but guess what? There is an amazing song by Addison Road called "Start Over Again" that completely captures what I feel every single day. The song goes "It's never too late...to start over again...you can't change what you've done...but you can choose who you'll become."
So even though I haven't written every day in the past, that will not stop me from writing more frequently in the future. See, as long as I'm getting better at writing and I'm writing more often than I was before, I'm improving! When I made my goal, I started writing about the arguments against abortion. I don't really feel inspired about writing it, but I've learned that when I have the opportunity to finish something I've started, even if I don't want to, I should. Guilt is something that I continually have to surrender to the Lord, and the less I have to give Him, the better. I'm not saying that I'm acting independently of God; I'm saying that instead of allowing a foothold of guilt and then struggling over it and finally giving it to God, I'd rather finish the task and have it work for me, not against me.
So, the 2nd difference between an unborn child and a newborn baby is their levels of development. A five year old is more developed, physically, emotionally, and intellectually, than a 2 year old...does that make the 2 year old less human? I am more developed than that 5 year old...am I more human than the 5 year old? Of course not! Just because a child that has been born is more developed than a child that has not yet been born does not make the born child more human than the unborn!
The 3rd difference between a newborn baby and an unborn child is their environment. The newborn baby has just left the womb to come "into this world," as the cliche says. The unborn baby is still in the womb. They have simply changed "homes," so to speak. When I leave my house and go over to a friend's house, I have changed my environment, or my immediate surroundings. Do my surroundings affect how human I am? When you travel from home to work, does your level of human-ness vary? Of course not! Environment has absolutely nothing to do with how human you are!
The 4th difference between an unborn child and a newborn is their dependency on others. Newborns are obviously very dependent on other people for food, clean diapers, and comfort. They cannot do practically anything for themselves. An unborn child is the same way. It depends on its mother's body for food and warmth. Does that make them any different? Is one more human than the other? I have a 15 year old sister. My parents drive her places, feed her, provide a roof over her head and clothes for her body. She is dependent on them for a lot of things! Is she less human than my parents, because she depends on them for things? No, of course not! How dependent or independent one is does not affect how human one is!
Alright, readers, there you have it. The final 3 of the 4 differences between a newborn and an unborn baby. Consider them well, because the whole argument of the pro-abortion side is that an unborn child is not a human. But as you hopefully saw through these arguments presented here, there is really nothing different between an unborn and a newborn except for these 4 aspects; they are both human beings!
So even though I haven't written every day in the past, that will not stop me from writing more frequently in the future. See, as long as I'm getting better at writing and I'm writing more often than I was before, I'm improving! When I made my goal, I started writing about the arguments against abortion. I don't really feel inspired about writing it, but I've learned that when I have the opportunity to finish something I've started, even if I don't want to, I should. Guilt is something that I continually have to surrender to the Lord, and the less I have to give Him, the better. I'm not saying that I'm acting independently of God; I'm saying that instead of allowing a foothold of guilt and then struggling over it and finally giving it to God, I'd rather finish the task and have it work for me, not against me.
So, the 2nd difference between an unborn child and a newborn baby is their levels of development. A five year old is more developed, physically, emotionally, and intellectually, than a 2 year old...does that make the 2 year old less human? I am more developed than that 5 year old...am I more human than the 5 year old? Of course not! Just because a child that has been born is more developed than a child that has not yet been born does not make the born child more human than the unborn!
The 3rd difference between a newborn baby and an unborn child is their environment. The newborn baby has just left the womb to come "into this world," as the cliche says. The unborn baby is still in the womb. They have simply changed "homes," so to speak. When I leave my house and go over to a friend's house, I have changed my environment, or my immediate surroundings. Do my surroundings affect how human I am? When you travel from home to work, does your level of human-ness vary? Of course not! Environment has absolutely nothing to do with how human you are!
The 4th difference between an unborn child and a newborn is their dependency on others. Newborns are obviously very dependent on other people for food, clean diapers, and comfort. They cannot do practically anything for themselves. An unborn child is the same way. It depends on its mother's body for food and warmth. Does that make them any different? Is one more human than the other? I have a 15 year old sister. My parents drive her places, feed her, provide a roof over her head and clothes for her body. She is dependent on them for a lot of things! Is she less human than my parents, because she depends on them for things? No, of course not! How dependent or independent one is does not affect how human one is!
Alright, readers, there you have it. The final 3 of the 4 differences between a newborn and an unborn baby. Consider them well, because the whole argument of the pro-abortion side is that an unborn child is not a human. But as you hopefully saw through these arguments presented here, there is really nothing different between an unborn and a newborn except for these 4 aspects; they are both human beings!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Definitely some more thoughts...
There's this new movie coming out called Julia and Julie, and basically the modern lady has a blog and it turns into a book. So I've been thinking, what if my blog did that? What would it take to make my personal thoughts into a book? What would I even write about?!
So this is my new goal. Not to publish these simple thoughts, but to write more frequently. Because it seems that one of the main things Julie did was write every day, or close to every day. So I'm going to write more.
That being said, a goal is not a promise! There are things that come up, but at the same time, if Winston Churchill could write 1000 words every day, and he was also leading a country that was at war, I think I can write at least a few paragraphs several times a week. My only hesitation is this: what will I write about? Fiction? My experiences? History? Dreams? Essays? Novels?
I think what I will do is set on "paper" those arguments that I wish everyone could know and understand, because with understanding, the world will change. And I am, after all, a world changer and a history maker. First things first. One of the most important topics of our world today is abortion. Stay with me! I'm not going to get all political and start arguing semantics and actions and all that. I want to focus on the facts of a pregnancy, because if people knew what was really inside a woman's body, things would be a lot different.
Let me start by saying that one of the main arguments abortionists make is that the unborn baby is not a person. I will argue against that. There are only 4 differences between an unborn baby and a born baby. These differences are size, level of development, environment, and dependency.
Today I will discuss size. Size refers to the obvious: how big is the baby? Abortionists argue that because an unborn child is smaller, it is not a person. Let me apply that argument to some well known people. Andre the Giant is a bigger person than the Munchkins; does that make him more of a person than them? My dad is taller and heavier than I am; is he more of a person than I am? Obviously not, so person-hood is not dependent on size. Tomorrow I will talk about the level of development argument. I hope you enjoy!
That being said, a goal is not a promise! There are things that come up, but at the same time, if Winston Churchill could write 1000 words every day, and he was also leading a country that was at war, I think I can write at least a few paragraphs several times a week. My only hesitation is this: what will I write about? Fiction? My experiences? History? Dreams? Essays? Novels?
I think what I will do is set on "paper" those arguments that I wish everyone could know and understand, because with understanding, the world will change. And I am, after all, a world changer and a history maker. First things first. One of the most important topics of our world today is abortion. Stay with me! I'm not going to get all political and start arguing semantics and actions and all that. I want to focus on the facts of a pregnancy, because if people knew what was really inside a woman's body, things would be a lot different.
Let me start by saying that one of the main arguments abortionists make is that the unborn baby is not a person. I will argue against that. There are only 4 differences between an unborn baby and a born baby. These differences are size, level of development, environment, and dependency.
Today I will discuss size. Size refers to the obvious: how big is the baby? Abortionists argue that because an unborn child is smaller, it is not a person. Let me apply that argument to some well known people. Andre the Giant is a bigger person than the Munchkins; does that make him more of a person than them? My dad is taller and heavier than I am; is he more of a person than I am? Obviously not, so person-hood is not dependent on size. Tomorrow I will talk about the level of development argument. I hope you enjoy!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Summer Thoughts
Oh my goodness, thank the Lord that summer is FINALLY here! Whew! It took its sweet time to get here, didn't it? But now that it's here, praise Him!
So I was showing my sis my blog, and I realized that I haven't done anything since the beginning of March! That is not ok! So here are my thoughts about summer and other related [sorta] topics.
Sunshine is the BEST gift [aside from Jesus] from God EVER! Seriously, it provides Vit D, warmth, green grass, tans, smiles on people's faces, and you can roll down your car windows all the time!
School is going well. I'm taking one class this summer, just to catch up. To update you, I did take 23 credits last quarter, so right now I have 55ish credits. Unfortunately, my foreign language, although 3 quarters are needed, only one counts towards my A & H credits. So I'm one class behind, so summer quarter it is. I'm totally fine with it. The teacher rocks, and I'm understanding all the concepts so far.
I'm working at a day camp this summer, and I'm pretty much in love with two of these little campers...OMG they're adorable! One of them is Vaughn, and the other one is JJ. They're both like 5-6, and Vaughn wears these glasses, and his eyes are really blue, and he's very opinionated and vocal!!! JJ is little and he's a sweetheart. He has a little brother that isn't walking yet, and JJ hugs him goodbye every morning. He hurt his knee yesterday, and I held his hand and brought him upstairs and I had hurt my knee also, so we washed our knees and then put bandaids on them together. Before we even went outside, he was lined up, and I was talking with some other kids, and JJ just kinda leaned on me without even realizing it. He is SO cute! I guess I should add these two to my list of kids under the age of 8 that I'm going to marry someday. :)
So I was showing my sis my blog, and I realized that I haven't done anything since the beginning of March! That is not ok! So here are my thoughts about summer and other related [sorta] topics.
Sunshine is the BEST gift [aside from Jesus] from God EVER! Seriously, it provides Vit D, warmth, green grass, tans, smiles on people's faces, and you can roll down your car windows all the time!
School is going well. I'm taking one class this summer, just to catch up. To update you, I did take 23 credits last quarter, so right now I have 55ish credits. Unfortunately, my foreign language, although 3 quarters are needed, only one counts towards my A & H credits. So I'm one class behind, so summer quarter it is. I'm totally fine with it. The teacher rocks, and I'm understanding all the concepts so far.
I'm working at a day camp this summer, and I'm pretty much in love with two of these little campers...OMG they're adorable! One of them is Vaughn, and the other one is JJ. They're both like 5-6, and Vaughn wears these glasses, and his eyes are really blue, and he's very opinionated and vocal!!! JJ is little and he's a sweetheart. He has a little brother that isn't walking yet, and JJ hugs him goodbye every morning. He hurt his knee yesterday, and I held his hand and brought him upstairs and I had hurt my knee also, so we washed our knees and then put bandaids on them together. Before we even went outside, he was lined up, and I was talking with some other kids, and JJ just kinda leaned on me without even realizing it. He is SO cute! I guess I should add these two to my list of kids under the age of 8 that I'm going to marry someday. :)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Update
OK, so here's an update on what's going down. My schedule for next quarter is improved.
I might be taking 23 credits, but 17 if I don't get into Oceanography. The good new is, I'm now 7th on the waiting list, and the teacher figures he can give me the blue card [needed to register from the waiting list] if I come to the first day of class and am dedicated and all that jazz. Well, that's me, so it's pretty much a go.
Also, this is completely off topic, just to warn you, you NEED to read this book called "The Shack." It's by William Young, and it pretty much transformed my life and how I think. I won't give away the plot, but basically this guy spends a weekend at God's house. Seriously. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost live at this house, and the guy spends a weekend with the 3 of them and has these conversations that, just by themselves are incredible and life-changing, but together rock your world upside down, inside out, and never leave it the same.
Trust me. Read this book. I still have my favorite part on the side of my computer so that I can read it every day, several times a day. It took me SO long to get this, and even now I marvel. It goes "...your choices are not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome." -Papa. Oh my goodness, just read it! That's all I have to say right now, but let me know what you think of the book!
**Update: there have been many conversations regarding the theology of this book, and while I know it is not 100% Scriptural, I think that there are some parts of the story that can bring freedom to believers. However, I would not recommend this book to not-yet or new-believers; discernment and knowledge of the Word is crucial.**
I might be taking 23 credits, but 17 if I don't get into Oceanography. The good new is, I'm now 7th on the waiting list, and the teacher figures he can give me the blue card [needed to register from the waiting list] if I come to the first day of class and am dedicated and all that jazz. Well, that's me, so it's pretty much a go.
Also, this is completely off topic, just to warn you, you NEED to read this book called "The Shack." It's by William Young, and it pretty much transformed my life and how I think. I won't give away the plot, but basically this guy spends a weekend at God's house. Seriously. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost live at this house, and the guy spends a weekend with the 3 of them and has these conversations that, just by themselves are incredible and life-changing, but together rock your world upside down, inside out, and never leave it the same.
Trust me. Read this book. I still have my favorite part on the side of my computer so that I can read it every day, several times a day. It took me SO long to get this, and even now I marvel. It goes "...your choices are not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome." -Papa. Oh my goodness, just read it! That's all I have to say right now, but let me know what you think of the book!
**Update: there have been many conversations regarding the theology of this book, and while I know it is not 100% Scriptural, I think that there are some parts of the story that can bring freedom to believers. However, I would not recommend this book to not-yet or new-believers; discernment and knowledge of the Word is crucial.**
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Some thoughts
So I've been thinking about trust a lot recently. The school I'm attending just released the schedule for the next quarter, and the general consensus on campus is that Spring Quarter sucks. All the classes are arranged so oddly that it feels impossible to get just the right schedule.
So I sat down with my wise father one evening, and we worked out a schedule. It was a great schedule...just notice I used the past tense there. The class I wanted was full; a teacher recommended that I not take a certain class online; and now I'm in a different class than the rest of my foreign language friends. AUGH! So as I wait to hear back from the science teacher about my chances of getting into his class this coming quarter, since I'm 8th on the waiting list, I hear the Lord whispering, "Rest and trust, My daughter; rest and trust that I have it all taken care of." And I know that, in my spirit, but sometimes my mind freaks out and just goes BLAH! I want to take care of it all, NOW!
But my spirit wins. That's the good news. I have to consciously choose, several times a day, really, to not give in to fear and doubts and what-ifs, but to let the Lord handle it all in His perfect timing and way. I mean, He's God! What can't He do?!
My church watched the video of Louie Giglio last week, about how amazingly GIGANTIC the universe is, and then realizing that God holds all of that in the palm of His hand. So my class schedule is SO not an issue for Him! It may seems like the biggest thing in my life, but God can totally handle it! So let me encourage you to rest and trust. He's got it. That's all you need.
So I sat down with my wise father one evening, and we worked out a schedule. It was a great schedule...just notice I used the past tense there. The class I wanted was full; a teacher recommended that I not take a certain class online; and now I'm in a different class than the rest of my foreign language friends. AUGH! So as I wait to hear back from the science teacher about my chances of getting into his class this coming quarter, since I'm 8th on the waiting list, I hear the Lord whispering, "Rest and trust, My daughter; rest and trust that I have it all taken care of." And I know that, in my spirit, but sometimes my mind freaks out and just goes BLAH! I want to take care of it all, NOW!
But my spirit wins. That's the good news. I have to consciously choose, several times a day, really, to not give in to fear and doubts and what-ifs, but to let the Lord handle it all in His perfect timing and way. I mean, He's God! What can't He do?!
My church watched the video of Louie Giglio last week, about how amazingly GIGANTIC the universe is, and then realizing that God holds all of that in the palm of His hand. So my class schedule is SO not an issue for Him! It may seems like the biggest thing in my life, but God can totally handle it! So let me encourage you to rest and trust. He's got it. That's all you need.
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