tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35416029987712965042024-03-13T23:47:56.467-07:00Meek not Weak'Meekness is not weakness....it is strength under control'cjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843753388636394658noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-88276847387510892062011-03-23T16:16:00.000-07:002011-03-31T16:15:08.431-07:002012, The End of the World<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Axfpc8AgD1avIe27v1IcfdfiB8ibhXHgZqah5lzDLQPIE3ZhpuxUx6ilM2mT9qN-9gPIPq56nqUoe693gkDKDkczI5xtlixnyFyd06x1B2YfWwLVGg5-_RAV77dY_hf1TOjvx1Ym4g/s1600/21-12-2012-planet.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Axfpc8AgD1avIe27v1IcfdfiB8ibhXHgZqah5lzDLQPIE3ZhpuxUx6ilM2mT9qN-9gPIPq56nqUoe693gkDKDkczI5xtlixnyFyd06x1B2YfWwLVGg5-_RAV77dY_hf1TOjvx1Ym4g/s200/21-12-2012-planet.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590384722470567074" /></a><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Well guys, we have 630 days to live, maybe less(depending on when you read this post). According to the Mayan Calendar, written over 5,200 yeas ago, the Earth will be obliterated in some twisted, terrible way......<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ok, now relax, I'm kidding. I don't actually believe in the 2012 phenomenon or that the world will end because some ancient race says so, but I think there is something very interesting about how we all look at this "Crazy" theory. We have all heard someone, whether it be on the news, the internet, or in person talking about what they have done to prepare for the so called "Doom's Day." They blabber on, in the most serious and anxious tone, as we sit there, biting our lips, trying not to laugh. Now, I want us to take another look at this, let's evaluate why we believe this theory to be false. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I just want to clarify one more time, I don't believe that the Mayan Calendar dictates which day we will all die. However, there is someone who does do this, you guessed it, God. He knows the exact day we will leave this earth, and the exact moment he plans to come back. When we hear someone talk about the world ending in 2012, we automatically write it off as "insane." No one in their right mind actually does any research or even attempts to look up the arguments behind such claims, we laugh at it and then go our merry ways. What's wrong with this picture? It's not that we immediately doubt the validity of the Mayan's Calendar or that we make fun of the people who are living out their days as if it is really going to happen. The flaw in our behavior towards the 2012 apocalypse is that we act like this towards every thought of the world ending in the near future. We think about the end of the world and we shudder, we try to get the notion out of our heads and as far away as possible. Even though it will be a day of rejoicing and happiness, since our savior will return. I still don't like the sound of my peaceful little world ending, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> Looking at the odds, the world probably won't end in 2012</span>, but that doesn't mean it can't. Jesus told us that we should always be on the look out for when he returns, for he'll come like a thief in the night, and no one will see it coming. In fact most of us will probably be in the middle of something we would never even want even a common sinner to see us doing, let alone God.</div><div><br /></div><div> <blockquote><i>"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."</i><br />- (Matthew 24:43-44 ESV)</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>We don't know when he will come back, he could surprise us all and actually return on December 21, 2012. My point is that there are millions of Christians out there, including myself, who aren't living as if tomorrow is our last day, yet there are countless non-christians who are. When Noah tried to tell his neighbors that a great flood was coming that will annihilate every living thing on earth, they laughed at him, and told him he was crazy. Granted, the 2012 apocalypse enthusiasts were not told by God that the world will end in that year, but the fact of the matter is, they have the mindset that we should have, that tomorrow we may all be gone. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>That's just something to think about, I hope this comparison between Jesus' return and the mayan apocalypse helps anyone who reads this post to go through this day as if it is their last.</div><div><br /></div><div>-cj</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>cjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843753388636394658noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-10620975172282734832011-03-22T17:23:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:43:12.176-07:00Recommended Read: Crazy Love, by Francis Chan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0BTEzWoESUAU_A7PoRVBAyS7YqXKZvwLdPpS5GouWhYk_j4NiQ8MYl3tnFhBhTCpiHojp8zRPkQbA7Ol9CqGIpxP96WXHIaSbX9NEccZfZiP1b4gsy5v1_fnQ8UBNGcT11PmHCjxLA/s1600/crazy-love.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0BTEzWoESUAU_A7PoRVBAyS7YqXKZvwLdPpS5GouWhYk_j4NiQ8MYl3tnFhBhTCpiHojp8zRPkQbA7Ol9CqGIpxP96WXHIaSbX9NEccZfZiP1b4gsy5v1_fnQ8UBNGcT11PmHCjxLA/s320/crazy-love.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587065262548317890" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Lately I have been digging into a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I got to say, It's not just one of those books that you read, enjoy and never think about again, in fact after reading it I almost feel as if someone is trying to pick me up off of my couch in an attempt to get me to do something big for Christ, right there on the spot. I feel almost a spiritual need to go help someone in some third world country, and it isn't like a condemning or an obligatory feeling, as if I had to do something just because it's my duty as a Christian, or that I'm going to hell if I don't. I actually feel a desire to go feed the hungry, and a want to help the needy. It made me want to serve and follow Christ, not just out of duty, but also out of love. This book inspired me to get back into writing for this blog, and I hope you can find the time in your schedule to read this amazing book and be drawn closer to God through doing so.</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">-cj </span></span></span></p>cjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843753388636394658noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-33229369375208823942011-03-14T15:15:00.000-07:002011-03-15T11:55:24.049-07:00The Importance of Space Exploration<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; font-family:Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>This is just a speech I gave at a recent TAPPS(Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) competition, you may or may not be interested in it, I just thought I'd post it</b>.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">Since the creation of the world, man has stared up into the heavens and wondered at the celestial bodies scattered across the night sky, asking themselves, what are these beautiful lights that spread themselves out above us? How is it that their brightness never burns out? And most importantly, will we ever be privileged enough to visit them?</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">As humans, our curiosity has always far surpassed that of any species that dwell on this planet, giving us a natural urge to explore the unknown. Abraham of the Bible set out into the wilderness to start an entire nation, and Christopher Columbus devoted his entire life to a voyage across the Atlantic to eventually discover two continents, now we have been passed the torch of exploration and are faced with the final frontier, space. In the last fifty or so years we have been granted the tools necessary to do what no man has done before and what every man in history has dreamed of doing. However, there are some that believe space exploration is waste of our time and money and that we should be focusing our resources on taking care of our planet before we explore others. This would seem like a good point, but the fact of the matter is that they haven’t taken the time to research the endless advantages that exploring space has given us. They see space as an empty vacuum full of nothing but toxic gases, useless materials and well, nothingness, and that the only explanation for leaving this planet is to satisfy a bunch of space enthusiast’s curiosity. They couldn’t be more wrong. The benefits of exploring space doesn’t end at simply appeasing man’s natural desire to explore God’s creation, but in fact has given us countless advantages over the last five decades, including more advanced technology, improvement of education and even a better perspective on ourselves. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">Looking at space from an economic point of view, its exploration is admittedly very expensive and consumes quite a sum for seemingly small results. However, just like every expedition in the history of mankind, space exploration is an investment in many ways. The first being that through man’s desire to explore we naturally feel a sense of encouragement and inspiration when we see a space shuttle climb to the heavens from its launch pad and disappear into the clouds, whether it be a first hand experience, or through the technology of Television. We feel proud as we watch our generation make history in such a new and grand way, and do what no man has ever done before, and what every man has dreamed of doing since the beginning of time. This newfound inspiration is what drives many young students like myself to pursue an occupation in the field of science. In other words, space exploration is a key factor in inspiring kids to do better in school and work towards a better future. Perhaps the best example of this is how the first moon landing in 1969 excited so many kids about space that grades sky rocketed and almost every one of them wanted to go to the moon or mars as an astronaut. The truth is that a single trip to the moon helped to advance the education of millions of kids. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">Speaking of advancements, not only has space given us an entire new field to study and explore, it has also provided us with technology that I guarantee would not exist if it were not for space. As new advancements are made for exploration, they are carried over to the consumer for use as every day items. NASA alone holds thousands of patents, many of which have become very useful spin offs for civilians. Artificial limbs, LED lighting, scratch proof glass and even memory foam. These are just a few of the many inventions that have stemmed from space exploration. Medicinal advances have also been made with the help of space. The way bacteria grows in space is almost identical to the way it grows in the human intestines, so we can easily simulate how certain bacteria will affect humans. It is all thanks to space and its most ambitious pioneers, that we have medicines that can fight off bacteria that cause typhoid fever as well as many others. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"> Space has provided us with the means to advance our technology and way of living, but what is next? These reasons cannot be the only ones for putting six people in a can and shooting them off into the darkness of space, and they aren’t. I want you to think about the size of our earth and compare it to the vastness of space, now think about how many discoveries have been made here and ask yourself how many could be made in a place that is infinitely bigger. Granted earth is very fertile and full of life, but with something as big as space the possibilities are endless. Just try to imagine what could be out there. Other planets? Resources? Everyone has thought about the prospect of life on other planets, could there other living organisms out there? Perhaps. Conscious beings? Maybe not, but scientists have found evidence of bacterial life in space, as well as hints that there may be water on mars, and where there is water, theirs is most likely life.. While actual findings of these unthinkable possibilities may not happen in our lifetime, I for one am fascinated with there even being a possibility! </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">Our galaxy is over one hundred thousand light years in diameter, the farthest star from earth is twelve billion light years away, that’s just what we can see with our technology here on earth, who knows what lies beyond our pitiful range of vision. We live on a little ball of water and earth no more than eight thousand miles wide spinning around a star at high velocities. It really puts us into perspective with the rest of the universe when you think about it. The more we explore space, the more we can see how fragile and insignificant are existence is. Through space exploration we have been given a small glimpse of the grandeur of the universe and in turn the realization that we are more finite than we ever knew.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">I believe God created the universe for more than to just sit there. I believe he wants us to explore its endless boundaries and vast measures so that we can gain a better understanding of how amazing he really his, and how privileged we are to be even noticed by someone so infinite. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial">If you read this far, then you're awesome. :)</p></span></div></span></b></span>cjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843753388636394658noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-46802614742023162632011-03-14T00:55:00.001-07:002011-03-14T00:55:15.195-07:00A Brief Update<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p> If you have read my last post, "Jump Starting Meek Not Weak," you already know that I have decided to re-enter the blogoshpere, and am attempting to pick up where I left off with Meek Not Weak. So I thought I'd give give you a quick update on the things that have been going on in the past two years of my life. To keep it simple, here is a list of the major things that have happened since I left.</p><p/><p>- I started private school(Lifegate Christian High school) during the winter of last year.</p><p/><p>- My dad will be coming home from Iraq in the summer(kind of an update for the future really).</p><p/><p>- I am currently involved in a program called NASA HAS(High school aerospace scholars), I'm hoping this will help propel me into the field of aerospace engineering.</p><p/><p>That's really all the important things that have happened since I utterly abandoned this blog. So until next time, I bid you all adieu!</p><p/><p>-cj</p><p/></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-13280537569547124542011-03-13T01:25:00.001-08:002011-03-13T01:25:29.461-08:00Jump Starting Meek Not Weak<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p> Wow, two years. You know, it really doesn't seem like it's been that long since I last published one of my poorly written posts. But when I look at the date on my last minute Chirstmas article "A King is born," December 22, 2008, I see that it's true. I really did cease to write for this blog, and not look back for over two years. I'm embarrassed to say that I quit blogging almost no reason at all. I could make the excuse that my schedule became too busy, or that the introduction of Facebook into my life distracted me and ultimately destroyed my blog. But I won't, because it is not true. I quit blogging simply because I became lazy. I let certain things get in the way of using this blog as a ministry for Christ, and for that I am sorry. I hope I can salvage what is left of this site and possibly pick up the wonderful hobby of blogging once more. I am currently working on a post about a book I am reading by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love." I hope it will be the rebirth of "Meek Not Weak" into the blogging world. </p><p/><p>Thank you,</p><p>-cj</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-31967175222503739742008-12-22T19:59:00.000-08:002008-12-22T20:35:02.546-08:00A King is BornAbout two thousand and nine years ago a King was born in a place where dirt and the smell of animals was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">abundant</span>. In the cold of winter with no way of keeping warm except a small blanket, he came into this world. This King is not King of just a country or even the entire world, this is a King who rules over everything, what we can see and what we cannot see, physical and spiritual. You know of whom I am talking about, it is Jesus. <br />But why a stable? Why would the God of such glory that we cannot even imagine, choose to enter this world through such a lowly place? Why not a palace? Or even just a normal house? God is not a God of earthly wealth or of earthly palaces. He is not interested in these things, he is interested in the only thing that is of real worth, himself. God did not choose to be born in an earthly palace because to him they are of no more worth to him than the stable. He is worth far more than any palace, therefore he chose not to show his greatness through wealth or huge palaces, he chose to show his greatness and worth by himself, for everything else fades away compared to him.<br /><br />There are two reasons a king gathers riches for himself. One, for pleasure, two, to show his power and his greatness. God did not come to this world to enjoy it's pleasures, and does not need it's wealth to show his power, he is great in himself.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-41592861176906601742008-12-09T16:11:00.000-08:002008-12-09T19:46:01.134-08:00Pro Life PetitionsDecember 10(<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tomorrow</span>), Pro-Life groups are presenting their petitions to end abortion, help in this cause to save innocent lives and click <a href="http://abortaware.com/?page_id=7">here</a> to sign the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">AbortAware</span>.com petition. It will take only a second.<br /><br />Thank you!<br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">cj</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-72061408541755327642008-12-06T17:53:00.000-08:002008-12-06T18:21:48.268-08:00A Quick Thank You, and a Prayer RequestI've been thinking about the last nine months I've been blogging, and how it has been so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">beneficial</span> to my soul in many ways. The main reason being the way you guys have encouraged, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">exhorted</span> and even once or twice corrected me. I thank God for you, it's been a blessing having you pray for me when I ask, and taking the time to spur me on to good works. <br /><br />Now I'd like to ask you to pray for me and my family, my dad is about to leave for Iraq for a job he got there. He'll be gone for about a year, maybe getting to visit us once. I realize this is going to be hard, and I am asking God to help us through this time. <br />I regret I cannot give any further info on what my dad will be doing there for his job.<br /><br />Merry Christmas!<br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">cj</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-76742376573917521202008-11-25T21:20:00.000-08:002008-11-25T21:25:26.478-08:00The Reasons for Suffering, and the Reasons for BlessingsI've noticed that, often when someone is suffering. People seem to think that because they are suffering, God must be punishing them for a certain sin. This is not so, even though all suffering is a result of the fall of man, all our suffering is not always a punishment for a particular sin. Suffering has more purposes in our lives than just punishing our sin. Lets look at what James has to say. <br /><br />James 1:2"Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For we know that the the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."<br /><br />From this passage it is obvious to us that there are more reasons for suffering than just for punishing sin, as many people tend to think.<br />If you read the book of Job, you will find that just because we are suffering doesn't mean that we are being punished for a particular sin, as Job's friends thought. The Bible says that Job was a righteous man, not perfect, but he was righteous. And from the conversation God has with Satan, it is obvious that he was not punishing him. Therefore, we know that God uses suffering to do many things, not just punish sin.<br /><br />God may use suffering in our lives to teach us to trust him more, to test our faith or maybe he his doing it for a reason he does not want to reveal to us.<br /><br />Now let's look at the opposite side of this. What if we are being blessed by God? Does that mean that we are being rewarded because of a good deed that we preformed? This can be the reason, but to say that our good deeds are the only reason for our blessings would be sort of placing credit where credit isn't due. The only reason we are even able to do good is because of God's Grace. We are blessed because the goodness of God's heart, not ours.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-22468359846639445172008-11-23T21:05:00.000-08:002008-11-23T22:58:13.228-08:00My Facebook ExperienceWell, I've officially been on "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Facebook</span>" for five days now. And you know what? It's not quite as bad as everyone makes it out to be, I mean if you stick with the right friends it can actually be a good way to keep in touch with one another(this isn't an official <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">endorsment</span>, I'm just giving you my take on it). I've also found several people who I have not seen in years, and it has been great to talk to them again.<br /><br />However, a lot of people have been telling me to be careful not to get addicted to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Facebook</span>, well I admit I was addicted for the first two days, and I couldn't stop checking for updates. But now after a little while longer I find that I am completely bored of it! It seems almost pointless now, I guess I'm just not the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Facebook</span> type. But then again since it is the only way I can keep in touch with family and friends back in San Diego, and there are a few other fun things to do there(i.e. Live Chat with buddies that I know from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">abortaware</span>.com). I guess I'll keep my account up and running.<br /><br />In Christ Alone<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cj</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-66174076528495423142008-11-18T19:51:00.000-08:002008-11-21T23:25:19.771-08:00Freedom of Choice ActPlease pass this on to everyone you know.<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><p>"Mr. Obama has indicated he will be signing the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as he gets into office which pretty much obliterates any steps that have been gained by people who are pro-Life – please consider signing the petition<br />against FOCA by following the website below.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.fightfoca.com/">http://www.fightfoca.com/</a>"<br /></p><ul><li>The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.<br /></li><li>FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.<br /></li><li>FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.<br /></li><li>FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions. </li></ul></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-36458223854481508962008-11-18T14:14:00.000-08:002008-11-18T14:18:09.279-08:00Tagged: Six Things I Have Learned This YearI've been tagged by Penn <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tomossatti</span> from the blog "<a href="http://all-grace.blogspot.com/">All of Grace</a>," to tell you six things I've learned this year(outside of school). Well, here they are!<br /><br /><br />1. The art of fence building, I've been <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">building</span> a lot of fence in the past few months.<br /><br />2. How to use a number of different saws(skill saw, chain saw, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">etc</span>.)<br /><br />3. I have learned so much of God's love and greatness.<br /><br />4. Some HTML and a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CSS</span> code.<br /><br />5. Over the past year my dad has been looking for a job, and with such a bad economy, I've had to do without a few things. So I guess what I have learned from that is to be content with very little(my dad has a pretty good job now, and were going to need a lot of prayer, I'll explain that in a later post).<br /><br />6. Lately I've gotten very interested in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">politics</span>, so I've learned a lot about that too.<br /><br />I won't be tagging anyone but if you would like to do this, you are completely welcome:)<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cj</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-62341184264026300272008-11-11T14:27:00.000-08:002008-11-13T19:03:01.230-08:00How Long do We Have?(This is a Must Read)This an email a friend sent me. It's interesting to see how our nation is slowly becoming a place so unlike the 'God fearing free country that it once was.'<br /><br />"About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:<br /><br />'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'<br /><br />'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'<br /><br />'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'<br /><br />'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'<br /><br />'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:<br /><br />1. from bondage to spiritual faith;<br /><br />2. from spiritual faith to great courage;<br /><br />3. from courage to liberty;<br /><br />4. from liberty to abundance;<br /><br />5. from abundance to complacency;<br /><br />6. from complacency to apathy;<br /><br />7. from apathy to dependence;<br /><br />8. from dependence back into bondage'<br /><br />Some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:<br /><br />Number of States won by: Democrats: 19, Republicans: 29<br /><br />Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000, Republicans: 2,427,000<br /><br />Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million, Republicans: 143 million<br /><br />Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2, Republicans: 2.1<br /><br />In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...' Some believe the United States is now somewhere between the 'complacency and apathy' phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the 'governmental dependency' phase. If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years. If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy and ignorance is the greatest danger to our freedom.<br /><br />WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-51852020014315737202008-11-08T13:50:00.000-08:002008-11-10T10:08:18.775-08:00A decisionWith much prayer, consideration and help from all of you, I have made a decision about my blog. For the time being I'll continue to post here, at "Blogger," but I intend to move to "Wordpress" sometime in the future.<br /><br />I have totally enjoyed "Blogger," and would recommend it to anybody new to blogging. Also, I would like thank everyone who lent their sound advice and voted in the poll concerning this issue.<br /><br />In Christ<br />-cjUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-59398249360792373122008-11-04T20:54:00.000-08:002008-11-06T14:02:23.216-08:00Barrak Obama, Our PresidentWith the arrival of the news that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Barrak</span> Obama is our next president, there is one thing that I do not regret about this. I am glad that we now have a president who is African American. But what makes a man qualified to be president? Is it the color of his skin? Or his experience and knowledge of how to efficiently do the job? America was so anxious, so ready to get a black man in the White House that we were willing to turn a blind eye to everything this man stands for, to sacrifice everything America stands for and to embrace what America has fought against since the day it was founded, namely socialism. For those who doubt that Obama could possibly be socialist I have a few words for you. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Obama's</span> "Spread the wealth" idea is the very foundation of socialism. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">quote</span> Karl Marx(founder of socialism)<br /><br /><br /><br />"To those according to their need, from those according to what they have."<br /><br />In other words, Give to those who do not have(and will not labor for) what the man who has worked hard owns.<br /><br />But what will we do? Will we sit back and watch our country turn against the very principals that it was built on? No! I urge you not to give up, but to continue to fight for what is right and good. So please, do not be discouraged, be encouraged! For after all, God always has the first, the present and the last word in everything.<br /><br />-cj<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Written for <a href="http://www.teenssetapart.com/">Teens Set Apart</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-44474388275552458172008-11-01T17:15:00.000-07:002008-11-01T19:12:52.530-07:00One more heart stoppedHey everyone, I'm sorry I haven't been posting regularly lately, I've been very busy. ..but I'll be doing my best to post regularly from now on. Anyway, I found this on <a href="http://www.abortaware.com/">Abortwaware.com</a>. It is a very powerful and heartbreaking post where an unborn baby silently communicates with his mother. <br /><br />"Month One<br />Mommy I am only 8 inches long but I have all my organs. I love the sound of your voice. Every time I hear it I wave my arms and legs. The sound of your heart beat is my favorite lullaby.<br /><br />Month Two<br />Mommy today I learned how to suck my thumb. If you could see me you could definitely tell that I am a baby. I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though. It is so nice and warm in here.<br /><br />Month Three<br />You know what Mommy I'm a boy!! I hope that makes you happy. I always want you to be happy. I don't like it when you cry. You sound so sad. It makes me sad too and I cry with you even though you can't hear me.<br /><br />Month Four<br />Mommy my hair is starting to grow. It is very short and fine but I will have a lot of it. I spend a lot of my time exercising. I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes and stretch my arms and legs. I am becoming quite good at it too.<br /><br />Month Five<br />You went to the doctor today. Mommy, he lied to you. He said that I'm not a baby. I am a baby Mommy, your baby. I think and feel. Mommy, what's abortion?<br /><br />Month Six<br />I can hear that doctor again. I don't like him. He seems cold and heartless. Something is intruding my home. The doctor called it a needle. Mommy what is it? It burns! Please make him stop! I can't get away from it! Mommy! HELP me!<br /><br />Month Seven<br />Mommy I am okay. I am in Jesus's arms. He is holding me. . . He told me about abortion. . . Why didn't you want me Mommy?<br /><br />Every abortion is just . . . One more heart that was stopped.<br />Two more eyes that will never see.<br />Two more hands that will never touch.<br />Two more legs that will never run.<br />One more mouth that will never speak.<br /><br />It <strong>is</strong> a baby and abortion <strong>is</strong> murder. We must end abortion. Defend those who can not speak for themselves yet."<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:78%;">Taken from Elisha Cross' blog.</span></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-33183954755303587802008-10-24T20:47:00.000-07:002008-10-24T20:48:34.210-07:00"Job: When the Righteous Suffer"<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I just got back from the conference "Job: When the Righteous Suffer", it was awesome! John Piper was the only speaker, but he did a very good job.<br /><br />Here are some things that I learned while I was there.<br /><br />Satan has two weapens which he atempts to destroy our faith with. They are, suffering and prosperity (In America he usually uses the latter). When he uses suffering it will do one of two things, either it will bring us closer to God or it will push us further away from God. Ofcourse, Satan always wants us to move further away from God.<br />Job's friends tried to tell him that the reason for his suffering was that he had great sin, that since he was suffering greatly, therefore he must be sinning greatly. But obviously this is not true. God has many different reasons for our suffering. Everything that has ever happened in history God had not just one reason for, but many reasons. But he does not always reveal them all to us.<br />The bible gives all the answers we need for our suffering, but not always all the answers we want.<br />- John Piper<br /><br />We need to be content with what God does reveal to us, it is the only way we will be content with what we are going through, whether it be suffering or not. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-23115298810192628102008-10-15T08:56:00.000-07:002008-10-15T15:14:05.032-07:00What to do?Well, I've come to a conclusion for my blog, It's time for something new. I've been thinking about doing a few different things. I'm asking you to help me decide what to do by voting in the poll on the sidebar. Here are the options:<br /><br />1. Move to wordpress<br /><br />2. Shut down this blog and only post at TSA(Teens Set Apart).<br /><br />3. Create a whole new website<br /><br />4. take no actionUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-78219573504096399372008-10-13T11:05:00.000-07:002008-10-13T12:08:05.658-07:00Thoughts on Legalism<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What is the main focus in our lives? You probaly already know that our main focus should always be Christ. The first commandment says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." This means that the most precious thing in our lives should be God, nothing should be more valuble to us than him... but sometimes this is not the case. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Legalism is a sign that Christ is not our main focus. Legalism is when we add man made rules to God's law, and we get so caught up in pressing that rule on other Christians that we forget what really matters. When our focus is on our made up rules, it is not on Christ. We never want this to be the case, so in order to keep Christ our main focus we must always look to scripture for what God would have us do. Life has many distractions, we can easily get caught up in the things of this world. legalism is one of those things, and we should always strive not to become legalistic.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-68660833267242016812008-10-09T08:17:00.000-07:002008-10-09T09:14:33.025-07:00I've been Tagged!<a href="http://readyalways.wordpress.com/">Meshaay</a> from <a href="http://readyalways.wordpress.com/">More Than the Here and Now</a> blog has tagged me.<br /><br />This is the first time I have ever been tagged by anyone. Here are the rules to this thing:<br /><br />1. Link to the person(s) who tagged you.<br /><br />2. Post the rules on your blog.<br /><br />3. Write six random things about yourself<br /><br />4. Tag sixish people at the end of your post.<br /><br />5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged<br /><br />6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up<br /><br />Well, here are six random things about myself:<br /><br />1. I've never broken a bone.<br /><br />2. I've never been out of the United States(Mexico doesn't count:)<br /><br />3. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was "Jurrasic Park."<br /><br />4. I have eight brothers and sisters.<br /><br />5. I have read "The Chronicles of Narnia" three times.<br /><br />6. I hate oatmeal.<br /><br />Now, who should I tag? How about:<br /><br />Eric(<a href="http://ericnovak.com/">The Voice of Experiance</a>)<br /><br />Erik(<a href="http://ecbrownblog.com/">Erik B.'s Blog</a>)<br /><br />Bryanna(<a href="http://www.adaughterofthekingblog.blogspot.com/">A daughter of the King</a>)<br /><br />Caleb(<a href="http://2tim2twenty2thepursuit.blogspot.com/">The Pursuit</a>)<br /><br />Sean(<a href="http://passion614.blogspot.com/">Passion 614</a>)<br /><br />Charlie(<a href="http://unitedunderchrist.blogspot.com/">United Under Christ</a>)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-35286951260180616142008-10-03T09:33:00.000-07:002008-10-06T12:46:10.843-07:00Teens Set ApartMany of you do not know this, but in the past few weeks, Josiah Robertson of "Pro-Life Teenagers" and I have been busy creating a website called "Teens Set Apart" (T.S.A.). The official launch date is Tuesday, October 7.<br /><br />What is "Teens Set Apart" about? As Christians we are called to stand out, to be different from the rest of the world. The world says we should "Go with the flow" and be more tolerant of sin, but God has called us to live a life that would glorify him, tolerating sin maybe easier but it does not glorify him. We have created this website to encourage other Christian teens to strive for rightousness, to have a place where we can share our prayer requests and simply to have a good time:)<br /><br />Here is the link: <a href="http://www.teenssetapart.com/">http://www.teenssetapart.com/</a><br /><br />Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-57716985840270852872008-10-01T06:29:00.000-07:002008-10-01T09:21:34.643-07:00Anger, Part 2Anger, Part 2<br /><br />Do not be quick to anger.<br /><br />"Know this, my brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires." - James 1:19-20<br /><br />Man's anger is sinful, because it is for the wrong reasons.<br /><br />The man who is Slow to anger has "Great understanding"<br /><br />"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." - Proverbs 14:29<br /><br />According to "Websters New World Dictionary" the word "Understanding" means:"The power to think and learn; intelligence." The "Bible" calls a man who is slow to anger, intelligent. We often get angry because our pride has been hurt, and pride is a huge <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">obstacle</span> for someone who wants to gain knowledge and understanding. Because we often don't want to admit that we are ignorant about some things, we don't learn anything. Someone who is quick to anger is not patient, and it takes a lot of patience to gain understanding.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-44739216810034492472008-09-26T08:52:00.000-07:002008-09-26T08:54:56.562-07:00Dear Mr. Obama<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Before I post "Anger Part 2" I would like to share with you a very powerful video.<br /></span><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TG4fe9GlWS8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TG4fe9GlWS8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-73954204168408613452008-09-22T16:45:00.000-07:002008-09-25T20:35:11.308-07:00"Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die" & "Why Courage Matters"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjAbgMsQlgCT65DFyrPWYYn2ySAiy4HSWQPn0QmtkmJ-3JyTsH-i9JKZhVEfibKqEekt6vcrwpO3CbLtNCkIsl-G-VhYZu7fdXgZWUgZL5CxYng09GzAEgZ9pMe0evs-YMNGu7imyKMs/s1600-h/Fifty.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249003218361299138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjAbgMsQlgCT65DFyrPWYYn2ySAiy4HSWQPn0QmtkmJ-3JyTsH-i9JKZhVEfibKqEekt6vcrwpO3CbLtNCkIsl-G-VhYZu7fdXgZWUgZL5CxYng09GzAEgZ9pMe0evs-YMNGu7imyKMs/s200/Fifty.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Fifty Reasons Why Jesus came to Die" by John Piper has been an encouraging and informative book, it has given me a much wider knowledge of our Lord Jesus. if I were to rate this book on a 1-10 scale, I would rate it a perfect 10!</span><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjDMCV-EJgqg1eucp4KyCyp3lVpu9qbEK00hkypvzp2reOF65R1sZjutoKmR6YJ2gHupbD6EItbW7Yc3D43AChSnbla1eM-eds9FvPqK2yANL3n-TGbPcLk7O2JLzwhhQgrPlOetPn1A/s1600-h/Why.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249002631239411202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjDMCV-EJgqg1eucp4KyCyp3lVpu9qbEK00hkypvzp2reOF65R1sZjutoKmR6YJ2gHupbD6EItbW7Yc3D43AChSnbla1eM-eds9FvPqK2yANL3n-TGbPcLk7O2JLzwhhQgrPlOetPn1A/s200/Why.jpg" width="120" border="0" /></a>"Why Courage Matters" by John McCain. If you have read any of my latest post you probably already know that I greatly enjoyed this book. Anyway, if you want to know more about John McCain, who possibly might be our next president then I would recommend that you read this book.</span> </div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3541602998771296504.post-24533315060914645272008-09-22T15:48:00.000-07:002008-09-22T17:35:44.404-07:00Anger, Part 1<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Is it ever OK to be angry?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Someone who is angry only because they have been wronged or think they have been wronged is not righteously angry, that is a sinful anger. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, it is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." - Matthew 21:12-13</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here, Jesus is angry that God's house has been defiled, he is angry because God has been wronged, not because his comfort has been disturbed or he has been inconvenienced but because the God of the universe has been greatly sinned against.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2