My new car

I recently bought a new car so i thought I'd psot some pics here for ya'll.  Actually scratch that.  I recently bought a used car. :)  But it's new to me.

Protection of Private Property

In the case Katko v. Briney, the Supreme Court of Iowa held the view that “The value of human life and limb… so outweighs the interest of a possessor of land in excluding from it those whom he is not willing to admit thereto that a possessor of land has… no privilege to use force intended or likely to cause death or serious harm against another whom the possessor sees about to enter his premises or meddle with his chattel, unless the intrusion threatens death or serious bodily harm to the occupiers or users of the premises.” Succinctly put, the court held that a landowner cannot use deadly or extremely dangerous force to protect his property from trespassers. The issue before us is whether it is a biblical principle that a property owner should be prohibited from using excessive force to defend his property.



We will begin by looking at the specific passages that address the issue. In the Old Testament we find only one key passage that really speaks to the heart of the issue. However we find many passages that lay down principles that apply to the issue. The key passage that addresses the issue is found in Exodus 22:2 which reads, “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.” The Mosaic Law provided that if a thief was found breaking in, at night, and the owner of the property struck and killed him, the owner would not be held guilty. Now the context of this passage was in reference to someone breaking in and stealing animals. We are not even addressing the actual dwelling place being broken into, but instead outlying cattle pens or buildings. The holding of the court said that a landowner cannot protect his or her property with deadly force. However this Scripture indicates that a landowner has the right to protect his or her property with whatever force necessary.



Now there is a principle in life that is very important to remember with regard to this issue. There are things in life that one can do, and other things that one should do. In this case the “legal” principle in the Bible, what one can do, is use deadly force against a thief and not be held liable for it. However there are many other passages that clearly indicate guidelines for what you should do.



In the New Testament Christ laid down certain principles for His disciples and followers to adhere to. Many times Old Testament commands were clarified or expanded by Christ’s teaching. For example, with regard to adultery, the Old Testament command was “thou shalt not commit adultery”. Christ expanded this command by saying, “Whoever looks on a woman to lust for her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” There were also some Old Testament commands that the religious leaders of His day had distorted to fit their personal agendas. The Old Testament commanded “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Jesus clarified this command by saying “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” The issue that we are considering was also addressed by some of Christ’s teaching. In Matthew 5:43-45 Christ said “You have heard that it was said ‘you shall love your neighbor and hate you enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies… that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good.” We should also consider the New Testament principle of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Both of these principles indicate to us the New Testament view of this issue. The principle is to love your enemies and treat them in the way that you would want to be treated. Putting your enemy’s life in danger in your quest to protect your property, is not applying these principles. The only way you can justify using deadly force is in the case where either your life, or your family’s life, is in danger. This force is justified because the duty to protect your family is higher than your duty to your fellow man. Therefore the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling, according to the New Testament, is what you should do.



So how do we reconcile these passages in the Old and New Testament that seem to contradict? Well one way to approach these passages is to come from the view that if commands from the Old Testament and Christ’s teachings contradict, then Christ’s teachings are the higher authority. However, in this instance, I believe that both teachings can coincide without contradicting each other. As I mentioned before, there are things in life that one can do, with regard to “legality”. But then there are other things that one should do, with regard to one’s duty. In this case the Old Testament principle lays out what you can do. You can use deadly force against a trespasser at night and not be held liable. Then Jesus teaching in the New Testament prescribes what you should do. You should treat the trespasser as you would want to be treated not use deadly force against him.



So in conclusion, did the ruling of the Supreme Court of Iowa follow biblical principles? The short answer is no. It is not the duty of government to prohibit the use of deadly force in protection of private property. Jesus commands concerning our treatment of others, concern those who are His followers. We are not to impose religion on others through the medium of law. Morality can be imposed by the government but not religion. When religion is imposed, even though we may adhere to it, that imposition of religion is an encroachment on the freedoms due to man. God has given to humans the ability to decide what they believe, therefore no authority has the right to try to force a certain belief. In this instance each person should be able to legally protect their property with deadly force if they so choose. However Christians should keep in mind that their duty is to care for their fellow man. Therefore they should avoid using deadly force whenever possible while protecting their property.

So...

I can tell that my last post REALLY interested you all. :)  No I understand, it was a little long and deep.  The orientation week at Oak Brook went very well.  I learned alot and was able to meet alot of new people.  There are 25 students in my class, the majority of them being older adults.  Right now I am finishing up my first lesson, which takes two weeks, and ready for a day of rest tomorrow.  Because of my studying I won't have alot of time to be on here doing new posts, but when I can I'll be sure and do some.  But don't be surprised if they start being more and more on the subject of law. I still need to finish up my WIBWIB though and post that, as well as a post on my thoughts regarding music.  Anyway, below is a picture of my class.

Law School Application Writing Sample

As I mentioned before, I recently got accepted to Oak Brook College of Law.  One of the admission requirements was for me to write a paper about law.  Sorry it's a little long, but that was the length required.

~
"The study of law is an honorable pursuit that many feel called to. However it is no mere walk in the park. In addition to the difficult academic aspect, there are many pitfalls and dangers that face the would-be law student. The dangers are usually based on ungodly worldly philosophies that come straight from the father of lies. These lies have permeated our culture in such a way that they are taught in secular law schools across the nation and, regretfully, have even infiltrated some Christian law schools. This has produced a generation of lawyers that care more about winning a case, than they do about what is just. They ignore the laws of nature and of nature’s God and rely on their faulty human reasoning to determine what is “right”. They may have the best of intentions in this, but good intentions do not make actions right.






One of the primary dangers a law student must avoid is relying on his own reasoning powers and intellect in order to succeed. Worldly, human reasoning is found commonplace in the field of law, but it is a path that is sure to lead to destruction. Instead of following this well trod path, he must daily immerse himself in the Word of God and in seeking God’s face. He must ask, as Solomon asked, for “an understanding heart, to judge Your people,” for without this his best efforts will be in vain. Before he even begins to study law, he should seek to identify the various strongholds in order that, when they appear in his study and practice of law, he can be ready to quickly identify and refute them. This primary stronghold, the following of human reasoning, is the stronghold from which the others directly stem. For all the strongholds are based in human reasoning.






One of the worst of these is that man is the only source of law. Laws are one of the greatest controlling influences in our lives, and when you put man in the position to be the only source for those laws, you deliver to him an immense amount of power. If man is the only authority behind law, then he can change the law whenever he wishes. Man is finite and as such, when relying on his own intellect, he will create finite laws. However our infinite God creates infinite laws. When we refer to “the laws of nature” we are speaking of those laws that have been in place since the beginning of the world, put in place and held in place eternally by the Divine Author. He created the world and everything in it; therefore it is fitting that He be the one to institute the laws by which His creation is governed. Man, on the other hand, has no authority in himself over the creation. His authority is given to him by God Himself therefore man, ultimately, is not the source of any law. Any law that man institutes is based on the authority that man has been given by God. When man tries to remove himself from that authority, laws are created with deadly results.






Another false idea that has permeated the field of law is that fairness is the same as justice. Many expect a judge to be fair in his ruling instead of just. They want what seems right for one or both parties, not what they, by law, deserve. Many legal decisions these days are merely an attempt to “balance the interests” of the parties involved. This shows a sort of pacifist mentality that, if we can just keep everybody happy, then we have done what is right. Of course in the cases of crimes like murder, the decision is clear. The judge in this case does not seek to weigh the interests of the victim and perpetrator. If the man is found guilty, then he receives his just sentence. But in many other cases the judges do not seem to find the decision as clear. The cases in which a child is involved, most frequently involve this sort of “what is fair” mentality. The judge seeks to determine what is in the best interests of the child, usually from his point of view. Many times custody will be given to the worldlier of the two parents, in order to give the child a “well rounded life”. Many times parents must “justify” their authority to the state, as if their child belonged to that state. In many states the Juvenile Code states that a child can refuse to live at home and then the court will decide where the child should be placed. Even when there is not abuse of neglect involved, a child can refuse to remain at home, merely because his parents are “too restrictive”. However, a correct legal view is that the state can only remove a child from a home if there is abuse or neglect. This is a case where what may seem “fair” for the child, is not what is just.






In addition to the many strongholds in the general field of law, we discover many in the specific field of litigation. The word literally means a contest or debate, and most lawyers view it as just that. Because of this picture of a “battle” taking place in the courtroom, there is an assumption of a winner and loser. Should Christians be involved in such an arena? If their only motive in the court is to seek to win and “put the other lawyer in his place”, then they should reexamine why they are there. The Christians goal and attitude in court should not be win/lose, but instead he should strive to be an advocate for truth, and present it in a humble, peaceable way. The courtroom should be viewed as a place where facts are determined, and righteous causes argued. The Christian attorney must surrender his reputation to God, in order to be used to properly defend truth. He must also be convinced that he is defending a righteous cause, or a person with a righteous claim. If these are both true, then he can truly become an advocate for truth.






Before one begins to study law, he must ask himself “what is the purpose of law?” A deadly stronghold is that law is merely a means to an end. It is only in place to get what we want, be it justice, reconciliation, or our own selfish ambition. We see an example of this in the Biblical example of the law of the Medes and Persians. King Darius was persuaded to create a law, merely for his benefit, that required all men to pray to him. The king did not stop to determine whether the decree was right of wrong, or whether it was within his authority to make the decree. He liked the idea, so he passed the law. Then when he realized that the new law affected Daniel, one of his chief rulers, he spent long hours searching for some way to change that law. God could have brought about deliverance for Daniel through some loophole that the king found, however God had a different plan. Darius was to discover that when a law is made for merely the king’s benefit sometimes the affects are unexpected and unwanted. The king had to obey the law he decreed, and he had to face the consequences. In the same way, if we today seek to pass laws merely for our benefit, we will see terrible results, not only in our generation, but in generations to come.






Many of these strongholds may seem reasonable and perhaps contain some truth. But that is what makes them so dangerous. Mouse poison is ninety-nine percent good food. This draws the mouse in so that the one percent poison will kill it. We must watch for the pitfalls that seek to draw us in with something that seems good, but its lasting effects are devastating. The stronghold of comparison is one of those that seem reasonable. But if we allow comparison into our practice and study of law, it will hinder us as we seek to serve God. In our academics we must be careful to avoid comparing grades, abilities, and skills among the students. It is the responsibility of the teachers to evaluate performance, not the students. Seek to glorify God in your studies and not be focused on how you compare to the rest of the class.






A stronghold closely related to that of comparison, is the stronghold of pride and selfish ambition. In fact most of the strongholds we have discussed find their roots in this final stronghold of pride. Pride originated with Satan desiring to be equal with God. We must seek to avoid this pitfall and rely on God to help us in our weaknesses. Without Him we can do nothing, so we must ask Him to use us for His glory, not ours, to be vessels for His use, exposing the many strongholds in law.






When we remove these strongholds, we must replace them with truth. We must search out and discover what God’s view of law is, and follow Christ’s example of the perfect advocate. If we seek the truth it will set us free and show the world how faulty their wisdom really is. For many of us the way we think about law must be changed before we begin the process of studying it. Law students today are taught that law is now derived from previous cases, not from an ultimate source of authority. But the truth is that our laws are derived from principles of morality, rooted in the Bible. Our Founding Fathers had a certain view of law that we should, as good law students, seek to follow. Their view of law was based primarily on the writings of William Blackstone. Blackstone’s definition of law was a “rule of action prescribed by some superior, and which the inferior is bound to obey”. He then acknowledged that the “Supreme Being… impressed certain principles” upon His creation “from which it can never depart, and without which it would cease to be.” This was the view of law that the Founding Fathers also held as seen in some of our nations founding documents. In the Declaration the writers referred to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” as their basis for the split with England. They acknowledged the Common Law of England (based on Blackstone’s writings) as the law applying to them in America. And they had the mindset that man’s actions and laws must be in accordance with the “Law of Nature” to have any validity. But the Founding Fathers were not alone in this view of law, many of the leading law professors at that time held the same position. Theodore Sedgwick wrote “The moment that he (man) comes into existence, he is the subject of the will of God, as declared in what we term the laws of nature”. It is clear from these and other documents, that our nation’s laws were based on the Bible. Therefore we must seek to discover what the Biblical principles of law really are.






God has put in place certain jurisdictions in law that must be followed. It is not enough to merely determine whether something is right or wrong; we must also determine who has the duty to enforce the law in a given area. God has given us four jurisdictions of authority; civil authority, church authority, family authority, and self authority. Each of us is directly accountable to God for our actions. However we may also find that we must give account to God ordained authority in some cases. However, these authorities have jurisdiction over only our actions, not our thoughts. God is the only one in a position to judge our thoughts and motives. Basically, the jurisdictions of each authority are limited to those actions related to their jurisdiction. The civil authority is responsible to judge civil conduct, the family authority for conduct in the family, and the church authority is responsible for the conduct in regard to the church. These jurisdictions may overlap, but they are not to exercise control over one another.






The final truth we must establish is that the different aspects of common law have their roots in Biblical principles. The law of contracts, for example, has its roots in the Mosaic Law, and even before that time in the form of covenants. It is one of our God-given, unalienable rights to be able to enter into agreements with others. However certain rules must apply to those contracts in order for them to be valid. If one party decides not to keep their part of the contract, a means must be in place for the other party to receive their just due. The various aspects of contracts can be found in the Bible. To break a contract constitutes lying which the Bible clearly states as sin. Since we are made in God’s image, it is our duty to reflect His nature, and since God is truth and cannot lie, we must be held to contracts. The law of torts also has its basis in the fact that we are created in God’s image. However it also comes from the biblical principle of restitution. If someone intentionally or negligently causes injury to another, he must be required to make restitution. The biblical principle of fault is another basis for tort law. The accused party must be at fault to be held responsible. This concept is also the basis for the principle of criminal law. The person had to commit the crime either intentionally or through negligence in order to be held responsible. Criminal Law has its roots near the very beginning of time when God said that whoever intentionally killed another man; by man his blood would be shed. This was the first criminal law, and it also established civil government. This civil government was given the authority to administer capital punishment (as in the case of murder), and corporal punishment (for lesser crimes). These forms of punishment were not instituted in order to “get back” at the criminal. Instead their purpose was to seek to restore the criminal and make restitution. The punishment was to be proportional to the transgression and the blame of the criminal. We also find in Scripture the principle that we are not to show partiality in our judgments. When we show partiality we begin to pervert justice. It is no longer a determination of what is fact and truth, but instead it is granting special privileges to those who “meet your standards”. It is difficult not to make a predetermined judgment based on a person’s appearance, for example, but remember all of us are made in the image of God and because of that everyone has unalienable rights. Law is a tool intended by God for great good, and, when used properly, promotes freedom and protects our liberties.






As you study law remember to avoid the strongholds, build upon truth, and recognize that the primary purpose of law is to uphold and reflect the image of God in each of us. Yield yourself to God, humble yourself before Him, and then watch Him use you to affect the world for His honor and glory."

And so begins my 19th year

Some of you may wonder why it seems I've been "forgetting" my blog.  I asked you all for some post ideas, posted on the first few, and then stopped posting.  Well as usual I have my excuse of... I've been REALLY busy.:)  But this time I am totally serious.  Probably the biggest thing that is using my time right now, is what I alluded to in my last post at the very end.  I figured I'd at least get one comment about it, but I suppose no one was reading the whole post.  Anyway that's starting a week from tomorrow, so I'm studying, purchasing books, gettting paperwork done, stuff like that.  Than the past couple of days we were staying in Louisville for the VBS, and I'm still working on the last couple things for high school.  Today, as you probably figured from the title, is my 18th birthday.  So we'll probably be doing stuff along those lines.  And I'm just starting to ramble.  I'll have some more specific posts later on.

1st Five Day Club-Louisville, NE

You may wonder why we are almost to August, and I haven’t posted an update, but this is my first 5 Day Club assignment. Angela and I will be going this upcoming week to a VBS in Louisville, NE along with four other CEF'ers. They estimate 60-80 kids will be there. It is at a Methodist church, which usually doesn't happen but... we were invited so we'll give it a try. It goes Sunday through Thursday, 6:30-8:30PM. I have been assigned to the older children and Angela with the preschoolers. Some prayer requests would be:




1. That I would have clarity of mind and good recall on the material since I haven’t done a club for a few months.

2. That God would be preparing the children's hearts even now to be receptive to the message we are bringing.

3. That God would help everything to go smoothly as far as the People from the Methodist church are concerned. That we would be able to share the gospel without creating conflict.

4. That we would have safety in our travel each day.

5. That we would be given grace in dealing with the children, in order that we might show God's love to them.

6. That all six of us would function well together, especially since Angela and I have not met the other four before.

7. Last but defiantly not least, that it would all bring glory to God.

Thank you all again for praying.




PS. I recently was accepted at Oak Brook college of Law. If you all could also pray for me as I begin my studies there August 8th.

WIBWIB Post #1

I. The Scriptures


I begin with the topic of the Scriptures because they are the basis for every other topic I will cover. If they were not inspired by our Creator and God then why must we obey their commands? If they contain errors then how can we know that anything written in them is true? And if they will not last and remain then how can we trust in them to be our guide? Therefore it is crucial to establish the Scriptures as the foundation and to establish that they are inspired, inerrant, and infallible.

1. The Scriptures Are Inspired

More than twenty men constituted the writers of the Holy Scriptures. They wrote at various times and various places and almost all of them never met. Yet all of the Scriptures fit together as perfectly as if it had been one writer. Yet we find that even if only one person writes an entire book, multiple errors are still to be found. For man is fallible and many times does not have the whole picture. But in the Scriptures we find no such errors. Why? It is without error because all those many writers had one thing in common. They were all inspired and directed in their writing by One who is infallible. God in His grace determined to leave us a record of His dealings with His people over the years, to tell us of His love for us throughout history, and to warn us of a coming judgment. And He chose to do this through humans. They each had a different style of writing, wrote to different audiences, lived in different cultures, and many times wrote in different languages. Yet when compiled all the different writers point to Christ. If you believe this could have happened by chance without a divine author then try this. Gather just three writers together. Assign a topic that all three are familiar with. Assign one to write about the topic from a historical standpoint. Assign the second to write about it from a philosophical standpoint. Then assign the third to write about the same topic from the standpoint of its effect on the future. Then look at the results you get. Could you just add their three works together just one after the other and have it make any sense? Or would their accounts contradict and differ greatly? And you merely had three writers writing in the same culture, same language, and same era. So if you think the writers of the Bible had no common thread of inspiration, think again.

Without the Inspiration of Scripture, there is no hope for salvation. If the writers were merely fallible men, then how can we trust that what they tell us is true? How can we the Bible when it says “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” if that is merely the opinion of one writer? Therefore the Inspiration of the Scriptures are a crucial foundation to our theology.

There are multiple verses that expressly indicate divine inspiration such as 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…” and 2 Peter 1:20-21 “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” There are also many references in the Old Testament that contain this phrase “The Word of the Lord to Israel by…” such as Ezekiel 1:3, Haggai 2:1, Zechariah 4:6, and Malachi 1:1. From these we can see an obvious example of God inspiring the writers.

2. The Scriptures Are Inerrant

The Inerrancy of Scripture succinctly put means that the Scriptures are without error. Throughout the ages many have come forward with apparent discrepancies that they have found in the Scriptures. However upon closer study it is discovered that the Bible always agrees with itself. Others will bring forward passages in which the Bible states something that is unscientific. But then science continues advancing and discovers that the Bible was right all along and it was the science that contained errors. This issue directly flows from the previous one. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then you must believe that the Bible is without error. For how can an all powerful, all knowing God inspire men to write that which is false? He cannot lie, therefore any Word we receive from Him must be Inerrant.

3. Are Infallible

This subject is closely tied with the previous. In essence infallible means the Scriptures will last forever. God’s word is unchanging as it says in Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever.” Four times in the gospels in Matthew 5:18, Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33 Jesus states that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will be no means pass away.” God’s Word lasts through all the ages. It was as applicable and accurate in the day it was written as it is today almost two thousand years later. Just as God is unchanging, His Word is also unchanging.

Judging Others

Chloe asked that I do a post on the topic of judging others. I read her comment last night and began thinking about it. Then this morning I received word that an older gentleman in our area unexpectedly passed away. As I thought about it I realized that I had been guilty of judging him! I found it interesting that this happened right after Chloe asked me to write about the subject. So I’ll share with you all what I have learned about the subject.




First of all I think we should define what we mean by “judging someone”. We are not speaking of those cases in which it is your rightful duty to judge someone. That is the duty of parents, pastors, rulers, and others. We are not speaking of that form of judging. Instead we are speaking of when you have no authority over a person and decide it is your responsibility to determine whether they are in the wrong. And just because you are correct in your judgment of someone, does not mean that it is right for you to judge them. I think we all realize that you can speak the truth, but be in the wrong. However many times when we judge others we are incorrect in our judgment of them. Appearances can be very deceiving. And when it is our place to judge we must be very careful to weigh all the evidence, before we pass judgment. But we are not speaking here about how to judge rightly but instead whether you have the right to judge. Now in some instances we must determine whether or not a certain person may be a suitable friend. We must judge their character to determine this for ourselves. But once we have made a judgment of them we should not go and “spread the word” to others because, as I said before, your judgment may be inaccurate. Now what did Jesus say about judging? In Matthew 7:1-2 He says “Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged;” For example if you decide that someone drinks too much soda, and start telling others what you think, then they will start watching how much you drink. Now does this mean that we should never condemn sin that we see, because we may fall into that same sin? No, instead I would say that we should condemn the person’s sin, not the person.



So what are some practical ways we can apply this to our lives? Well I would say, before you talk to someone about what you think of a person, ask yourself this “Is it my place to judge this person?” “Does this person I am speaking to really need to know what I think of so-in-so?” And most importantly “Would God be pleased with me sharing my judgment of this person?”. Now what if you have made a judgment of a person that you are not sure is accurate or not? Well for a young person I would say ask your parents. And for an older person talk to your pastor or some other godly adult that knows the person. And in talking to them make sure that you don’t just make it a gossip session, but instead sincerely seek their advice as to whether or not you have made an accurate judgment of the person. However some times you may not even need someone else’s advice. Many times your conscience will tell you whether it is a right judgment or not. And of course in all of this remember to go to God in prayer about the matter. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.”

This evening I heard that Alex and Brett Harris' mother just passed away. I hope we will all remember them in our prayers. I'm sure each of us have lost a close loved one at some point so we somewhat know what they are going through. As I thought about her passing I was suddenly struck with how much of an impact she had. She was key in the raising of her sons who in turn have impacted millions of young people across the US and around the world. How true that the hand that rocked the cradle changed the world. Thank you Mrs. Harris for your impact and the blessing you were. We will see you on the other side. Until then may we each strive to affect others as you affected us.

Post Topics

I've had alot of trouble coming up with posts lately.  I havn't done any topical posts in awhile mainly because I don't know what to write.  And posts about my life I find... BORING.  So I thought I'd give you all the chance to kind of decide the subjects.  Just comment on this post with the topic you want me to cover.  It can be about what I've been doing, a post about a Biblical topic, or really anything you like.  Ever wanted to get my thoughts on a subject? Well here's your chance.  Of course I will use my discretion as to whether or not a subject is inappropriate.  But other than that it's first come first serve.  And if you like you can even post anonymously.:) 

CYIA ~ Part 1

CYIA Central was an amazing camp.  The first week consisted of training and the second actually doing a 5-day club.  This is the picture of all the students and staff.  I made alot of new friends and really enjoyed it.  There will be more posts to come later.  I'm third in from the right on the first row.

Voting - A BIG Pain

This year will be my first year to vote.  So... I'm trying to find information on the canidates, getting registerd, campaining some canidates (very little since I'm so busy), and trying to find information on the canidates.  Oh and did I mention trying to find information on the canidates?  I never guessed how hard it would be to find information on the different canidates!  Our primary here in Iowa is Tuesday of next week.  We have a gubernatorial race in the primary this year, as well as local officials.  I can find info on the governor race, but not on anything else.  So if any of you have advice on where I can find that information, I'd appreciate it. :)  I think I now know why so many people don't vote.  They don't want to put the effort forth to study up on the canidates, and then go out on election day and vote.  I guess I can't say much.  I won't even be here for the primary next Tuesday.  I'll be in Nebraska at CYIA!  It's okay though cause I'm still seventeen.  I'll be eighteen in November though.  Angie though... well she just won't vote. :)

A short quote to think on

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing is so gentle as real strength"

Prayer Support Needed

This summer I will be participating in the local CEF ministry which includes attending a two week training camp, and then participating in five day clubs throughout the summer. For those of you who are not familiar with the ministry of CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship), they are "a Bible-centered, worldwide organization that is dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church." I will be attending the training at a camp in Nebraska June 8-19. It will include one week of classroom training, and then one week of "hands on" experience (teaching some five day clubs). Then, throughout the summer, I will be what they call a "summer missionary". I will be helping teach different five day clubs throughout Nebraska. Of course, as with any missionary work, I will need prayer. Especially since I will be working alot with kids, which can get interesting sometimes.  So I want you all to please be praying for me throughout this summer especially during the two week training.  I am currently trying to get ten specific prayer partners commited to praying for me this summer, but I would really appreciate it if you all would keep me in your prayers as well.  Thanks in advance and God bless.

Love!!!

"A bell is not a bell til its rung,
A song is not a song til its sung,
and love is not love until it's given away."

Love is not merely a feeling that you can have for a person.  Instead love constitutes actions.  You must show your love through what you do.  You can go on and on talking about how much love you have for a person, but if you never do anything to prove that love, then it is worthless and not true love.  If you love someone, then prove it by the things you do!

Just a Piece of Paper

Last night I attended the GED graduation ceremony at Iowa Western (the community college I earned my GED through). It was a short ceremony that was really geared more toward those who were unable to complete high school, not those, like me, who had completed high school and just needed the certificate. But there were many good points that were brought out in the ceremony. One of the speakers talked about the statistics of GED grads. Another talked about his personal experience in earning his GED. But one of the speakers said something that really stuck in my mind. He said his sister used to get on him for all his “pieces of paper”. She was referring to his different college degrees, that she viewed as merely a piece of paper. I’ve heard that same comment made that a college degree is just an expensive piece of paper put in a nice frame. The speaker brought out the fact that in a way that’s true. If, in my case, I go through the effort to earn my GED, and then do nothing with it, then that piece of paper cost me about $85 and earned me nothing. If I go on to college and earn a bachelors degree, but then do nothing with it, then that piece of paper cost me a couple thousand dollars, and earned me nothing. And if I move on from college and go to a trade school, but do nothing with that, then that piece of paper can cost me over $100,000 dollars, and earn me nothing. So if you earn your GED, use it! If you get a college degree, use it! If you get a doctorate degree, use it! Don’t let them merely be wall ornaments gathering dust, because then they truly are “just a piece of paper”.




But as I thought about his exhortation, I realized that this is also true in the spiritual realm. We have been given a Book that has lasted over hundreds of years and its message is still just as applicable today as it was when it was written. We can find comfort, peace, rest, encouragement, and ultimately salvation in those blessed pages. But merely owning a Bible is not enough. You can go out and buy the most expensive Bible there is but it will do you no more good on your shelf at home, then it did on the shelf at the store. If you neglect to read God’s Word you will not find the comfort, peace, and rest it can afford. Many times people who own a Bible get a false sense of security. The Bible cannot show you the path to life if it lies unopened on your shelf gathering dust. You must read it in order to benefit from it. But just reading it is not enough. Many go through the motions of getting their Bible out to read it every day, but do not let it affect their lives. You must read with a heart open and willing to understand and obey. If the Bible does not change your life, it will do you as much good as an unused diploma. It will merely be “just a piece of paper”.

Slightly Busy...

Well the past couple weeks I haven't really been keeping up with posting.  And of course I have the usual excuse of being way too busy.  But I figured I'd do a short post just to let you all know what I've been up to.  Of course I have the usual of school and work at the ice cream shop.  I've kinda gotten a little more focused on my school since I plan to graduate this year.  I've got a couple "senior year projects" that I still need to finish.  One of them is a paper entitled "Why I Believe, What I Believe" (WIBWIB for short).  Another one of my projects has been teaching my youngest brother Matthew how to read.  He's a pretty good student and really wants to learn so that makes it easier.  We also have alot of church activities this month, mostly graduation parties.  Two Sundays ago the Stangl family did a fundraising concert at our church in the evening.  Thier son Ben is raising funds for a trip to Africa this summer, and thier daughter Ellie is raising funds to fund building an orphanage.  They asked me to film the concert so now I'm editing the footage.  That's keeping me pretty busy right there.  I've finished with phase one of the project and plan to give that to them next time I see them.  It's just the rough cut.  Now I'm going through and doing the more detailed editing.  Minor things you know.  So anyway, yeah I've been busy.  I'm working on coming up with a new post.  Can't think of what to write on though.  If you have any ideas please let me know.

Post #100... Thank You Mom

When I noticed that this post would be my one hundredth post I began trying to think of something special to post. Well with Mother's Day coming up, and certain other events, I decided to do a post just thanking my Mom for the great mom and teacher that she is. I recently began the process to obtain my GED. Since I plan to attend an online college, and I've been homeschooled, it seemed the best way to get a high school diploma that would be recognized at the college. I went and took the initial tests last Thursday. The first two were a reading and math evaluation. The tutor decided to try my on the highest grade level for each. After I finished he graded both and told me he was surprised to find that on reading I only missed one question, and on math I didn't miss any. He said he had never had that happen on the math test before. The issue had already come up before that I was homeschooled so he asked who did most of my teaching. I told him my mom did and he said to tell her that she did an amazing job. He then decided that I was ready to go straight to the actual GED tests. I came back that evening and completed the Reading, Social Sciences, and Literature tests. Then this Monday I went and took my final two Math and Science. I just got a call from them and discovered that I passed all five tests with an overall average of 95% and score of 696.  I should have my GED certificate within a couple of weeks.




Throughout this process I have become very grateful for the decision my parents made to homeschool me. My mom spent countless hours patiently teaching me day after day. Even on those hard days, where I wasn't the best of students, she still persisted. I feel that I was given one of the best educations I could expect and at the same time was also given many real life experiences throughout my school years. My mom has always been really good about finding interesting, hands on activities to teach us things we would never learn in a public school classroom. At my graduation I already have skills in plumbing, electricity, construction, farming, video filming and editing, accounting, and many other fields. My mom prepared me for the academic world but also for the business world. So a big thank you to my mom this Mother's Day. Of course I'm biased, but she's the best!

Finally Pictures...(NCHEA)

Well I know that our trip to Texas came first, but pictures from the kid's conference were availible first so I figured I'd go ahead and post them. 

These are all the volunteers for the conference.  I'm on the back row just left of the center.

This is the small group I was with.  That's Emily Hipps standing next to me on the left side.  She was our team leader and did a great job.  And that's Karlie Schriener and Jennifer Miszuk on the other end.

The large group sessions consisted of many activities including songs...

(Led by Matthias and Rachel Wissmann)

An well done drama which the kids (and teachers) enjoyed.

(Colonist Homeowner (Mr. Rehm) talking to two British soldiers

(Matthias and Stephen Wissmann))

Even Yankee Doodle stopped by to talk to the kids.

(Sam Lyons)

Ellie and Zac Stangl made a great team in teaching the memory verses.

That's Emily with two of the little girls in our group watching the drama.

This was my sister Angela's team.  That's her team leader Alatheia Larson on the far left next to her, and then Nate Waldo on the right side.

This was my brother Caleb's group that's him on the far left next to Lydia Stangl, and then thier team leader Aaron Grady on the far right.

Well it's been awhile since I've posted mainly because I've been REALLY busy. My family recently took a trip to Texas for my oldest brother's wedding. While there we visited the Prislovsky family at thier ranch which was alot of fun. Then this past week Caleb, Angela, and I helped at the NCHEA kid's conference. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I actually got the chance to be the one to share the gospel with the group of kid's I was helping Emily Hipps teach. I'll post pictures as soon as I can get them. Cause I know how much you all like pictures.

"There's gotta be something more. Gotta be more than this." I heard this song recently and it got me thinking. It's this person singing about thier job. By the end of the song they've quit thier job and are at home drinking wine! So thier view of "something more" is a life of laziness and ease. But as Christians we know what that "something more" is. We have something to live for far more than just a good job. But those unsaved in the world know deep inside that something in thier life is missing. They are looking for "something more" and we have the answer. So as we are in the world let us strive to be a light in the darknes and show the way to the lost.

My New Glasses

I know I just posted last night but since I recently got new glasses, and ya'll keep asking for more pictures, I decided since I finally got some that I'd post them.

These were taken while I was watching the practice this past Sunday for a drama.

It's for the NCHEA Conference that I'll be helping with in the beginning of April.

Julia Rehm took both of those pictures.

Grace Nelson got this one while I was out in the hall.

I have two parts in the drama, one as a ship captian and the other as a Redcoat.

Caption Challenge

In my last post I mentioned some more pictures from our zoo trip and also said they should have some pretty funny captions.  Well I tried to think of some but didn't come up with much so...

I'm letting you come up with the captions.

Below are the three pictures and it's your job to think up creative captions for each of them.
And the winner gets... well havn't thought about that yet.

Our trip to the Zoo

Yesterday my family visited the Omaha Henry Dorely Zoo.

The passes expire April 1st and it was a nice day so...

Our first stop was the butterfly exibit (a family favorite).

Josh was kind enough to let me use his camera so I became "photographer" for the visit.

The exibit houses some other animals, some quite interesting.

Here's the two youngest (Joy and Matthew) on the octapus.

One thing that was new for me was being the oldest child on the trip.

(Angie was visiting a friend and Caleb was roofing)

Our next stop was the aquarium.

This was Matthews favorite fish (he loves orange)

I was surprised to find they have a large penguin exibit.

Some of the penguins had some funny antics

The pond that this creature found itself in had a sign by it that

said they think this was the type of condition in which life first began. (A flooded forest.)

I didn't realize how hard it was to photograph sharks... until I tried it myself.

This was the best picture I got and as you can see it was pretty bad.

A black and white fish is alot easier to photograph. :)

and siloetes are pretty easy too. :)

If anyone can tell me who this aquarium watcher was I'd really appreciate it. :)

I got some other pictures that should have some great captions.

They'll come later as soon as I can think of some.

Skating

This past Friday we went to Skate Daze in Omaha for a homeschool skating party.  The Stangl family puts one on in our area every year.  It was alot of fun despite the fact that I had never been to a skating rink before.  But I was able to learn quick (from some great teachers). 

I think this picture is my personal favorite.  I'm not real sure how my brother managed to capture the three of us in about the same position.  That's David Rehm, Lydia Stangl, and Me.

There's me again skating.  I actually started out on skates but then switched to blades hoping they would work better for me.

There were quite a few "teachers" at the rink.  Those that didn't mind going slower to help the newer skaters.  Here's two of them here. That's Ellie Stangl in the blue shirt, and Sam Lyons in the black.  If it wasn't for him I doubt I would havbe stayed with the blades.  He gave me some great pointers.

Every once in awhile it got kinda crowded in certain spots. 

More pictures will come later.

I actually only got one picture of someone falling.

That's one picture that won't be coming later for obvious reasons.

Snowboarding and the Righteous Man

Well it seems this is becoming a series drawing analogies from my recent snowboarding trip. I have at least one more topic in mind after this one. So if any of you have something against snowboarding, then I’m sorry but you’ll just have to bear with me a little longer.




Despite the lack of evidence from the pictures taken, I did fall quite a few times during the day. The majority of those falls occurred in the first part of the day when I was first practicing the basics of being able to keep my balance. We got our gear on and went out to the bunny slope first thing. Micah explained the basics and then we each tried it. I started down and of course I fell. Now that area wasn’t exactly private and it’s kind of hard to fall and maintain your dignity. Usually you roll a couple times and depending on how you fall, you can end up in some pretty interesting, and embarrassing, positions. Also you get covered with snow which soon melts and becomes very uncomfortable. And when you barely get started down the bunny slope and then fall it can be kind of discouraging and seem hopeless that you will ever learn. All these things could have caused me to give up then and there, turn around, and give up trying. But I got back up, went to the top of the hill, got some pointers from Micah, tried it again, and once again fell. I fell multiple times just going down the bunny slope and never actually did it correctly. And most of the time it was because I made the exact same mistake of leaning too far back. After a half dozen tries or so Micah said it was time to move on to the bigger hill. The main factors that added was speed, which made falls harder, and obstacles, which made it harder to stay up until steering was mastered. But even when steering was mastered you sometimes didn’t have a choice. I soon mastered the art of quickly recovering from a fall. The less time I spent on the ground the better. So when I continued to fall, and it may have seemed hopeless, what was it that caused me to continue to get back up and try again? Well I think the main thing was what I had invested in it. I already paid and they don’t give a chicken rebate, so there was the aspect of wanting to get my money’s worth. There was also the aspect of the people around me. Sure they all were seeing me fall over and over. But which would have been worse, having them see me fall over and over, or them seeing me fall and then give up? Also I saw them falling as well. It wasn’t like I was the only one down on the ground out there on that slope. But I think there was one primary reason. I wasn’t about to go home to my Dad and tell him, “Yeah I went there and spent the money to try snowboarding, but I fell down so I decided to give up”.



Now let’s look at an example of a new believer. He’s has recently confessed Christ and now seeks to live a life pleasing to Him. He wishes to leave the life he once knew and live for Christ. But not long after his conversion, he falls into sin! The discouragement is intense. He thought that after he became a believer, his life would be different. But here he fell; possibly back into the same sin he was in before he was saved. Those around him heard his profession, and now they all watch him fall. It is very embarrassing to him to be in this position. And he feels hurt that it seems he has been forsaken. Everything seems to tell him to give up. But he summons courage, gets back up, goes and asks his teacher for advice, starts off again, and before long he again falls! And he is still on the bunny slopes of Christianity. These things that are causing him to fall are simple things. But over and over they cause him to fall. And most of the time it’s the same problem as before. But he keeps trying and before long he is moving forward in his Christian walk. He is gaining ground and despite the fact that the temptations and trials are greater, his falls are still becoming less and less frequent. And he has now learned how to quickly recover from his falls. The less time he spends on the ground of defeat, the better. The Bible says “The righteous man falls seven times, and rises again”. The point here has nothing to do with the number of times he falls. Instead the point here is that he will always rise again. So why do they always rise? Well it could be because of that which they have invested in it. I could also be the fear of what those watching may think if they see them easily give up. They may be encouraged when they learn that other Christians fall as well so it is not just a problem they have. But what is the greatest motivation to them? They will not go home to their heavenly Father and say that they gave up after once failing. They wish to please their heavenly Father so they continue on despite the trials they encounter. This is a test as to whether one is a true believer or not. Because the verse goes on to say that the wicked fall into evil. When they fall they stay there and wallow in their evil. Their false profession goes by the wayside as they indulge in the evil. So when you fall, and the Bible says you will, remember that a righteous man falls, but he always gets back up.

Snowboarding and Sin

I think my snowboarding this past Saturday is gonna be a lot more profitable than I originally thought. I keep thinking of similarities between snowboarding and life itself. Well before I get into this post let me first clarify the title. I’m in no way saying that snowboarding is sin. Of course, like anything else, it can become sin if we let it come between us and God. But that is not the focus of this post. Instead, like the last post, I’ll be bringing out similarities between snowboarding and a certain topic. In this case that topic is sin.




While snowboarding this past Saturday I must say that I really enjoyed myself. Sure there were disadvantages like the cost, but I still had fun. I had plenty of falls, but really not a lot of pain associated with them. It’s kinda hard to get seriously injured falling onto snow. I know it is possible but it’s not very probable. Especially at the kind of speed I was going. Anyway on the trip home I felt okay. Sure there was a little pain (mainly from the backward falls) but overall I felt pretty good. Then came Sunday which meant traveling an hour to church, sitting in church for the services, and then an hour in the car back home. I had started to feel some aches but nothing unusual considering what I was doing Saturday. Then came Monday, and boy did I start feeling it. It seemed like every muscle in my body had been stressed by the snowboarding. From my neck all the way down to my legs, everything was sore. The effects came long after the fun was over. And once I had finished the fun, there wasn’t really a way I could prevent the effects.



The same is true in regard to sin in our lives. We may recognize some of the disadvantages to the sin beforehand, but it looks like it will be so much fun. So we go ahead and do it. And guess what? Sin is fun! That is a Biblical fact. It speaks of the pleasures that sin affords. But it also speaks of them as passing pleasures. Just like the snowboarding, the pleasures sin offers are very short term. They offer temporary enjoyment without a warning as to the effects that they bring. And many times the effects that we experience from sin are not merely temporal, many are eternal. Many times we are left with a scar on our souls that will be with us the rest of our lives. Sometimes, unfortunately, we unknowingly hurt others by our sins. And sometimes we may even cause another brother to stumble by the example he sees in us. After we commit the sin we have no control over the consequences. There is a saying “You can chose your actions, but you cannot chose the consequences.” Once that sin is commited, the results are out of your control. Yes you can repent, but even though David repented of his sin with Bathsheba, there were still consequences. The child had to die. Do you think it ever crossed David’s mind, as he sent for Bathsheba, that because of this sin he was about to commit, an innocent child of his would die? No the only thought on his mind was the passing pleasure it would afford. So it is with us. We view this thing that looks so appealing as merely something which may cause us a few problems later on. Many times we have no idea how drastically it will affect our life and the lives of so many others. May we each, when temptation comes, remember this truth “The actions we chose today, will affect the rest of our lives.”

Snowboarding and the Christian Life

As you know from my last post, I went snowboarding this past Saturday. It was my first time so I had to be taught everything. I had to be shown how to steer, balance, adjust my speed, and of course how to stop. By the end of the day I had most of the basics pretty much down and was ready to move on to the more advanced slopes and challenges. But I was out of time. Looking back now I wish I had been less cautious about trying out the harder slopes since that’s probably the only chance I’ll have there this season. Now this is a good example of what we see in our lives as Christians. When we first start out, we have to be taught everything. We must be taught how to make our way through life and how to steer, if you will, through the many trials and obstacles we face. We must be taught to keep a proper balance in our life between our ministry to those in the world, but also our ministry to those in our own home. We must balance between the things of God and the things of this world. Also we must be taught to adjust the speed of our lives. Not always being so busy that we wear ourselves out (burning the candle at both ends) but at the same time not merely meandering through life at an easy pace. And of course we must be taught when and where we must stop in our Christian walk to make sure we are still in God’s plan for our lives. So just like me snowboarding, as Christians we have to learn the basics. But then, again like me, as Christians we many times learn the basics and then just keep practicing those basics for the rest of our lives. We never move beyond those first easy slopes because we’re too timid and cautious to try those more advanced slopes. Instead of gaining new heights every day, we just wander around on the lowest couple of plateaus planning on climbing those heights later on in life. We go through the motions and never try anything difficult. Like me we may try the more difficult slopes a few times and decide to stick with the simple ones. Then we near the end of our lives and realize that those more advanced trials and obstacles had to be conquered earlier in life. When we are out of time it is too late. We cannot go back and give it a second try because the season has passed. Just like I did not know that the weather would warn this next week, even so we as Christians do not know the day or the hour that our Savior will call us home. So let live our lives today to the fullest, taking new ground, overcoming those obstacles that slow us down, and always keep pressing on the upward way. Because tomorrow may be too late.

Snowboarding

This past Saturday, Angela, Caleb, and I went to Mt. Cresent to learn snowboarding.

Micah Nelson, a friend from church, agreed to come and teach us.

Since Angela, my sister, is a photographer, she got plenty of pictures.

And since ya'll always seem to want more pictures, I thought I'd post some.

Here's our group L to R Angela, Micah, Caleb, and Me

One of the first things Micah taught us was called snow plowing. 

It's the only way to slow/stop and still retain your footing (and dignity).

After getting the basics down on the bunny slopes, I spent the majority of the day on this hill.

This was one of the rare times that the slope was relatively clear.

This hill has been nicknamed "Show-off Slope". 

Called such because of all the various jumps and ramps, as well as the steep hill just before it. 

This was one of the three times I tried that slope. 

And no I did not try any of the jumps.

My teacher Micah on the other hand did take the jumps. 

And as you can see did quite well.

I was content to stick with the basics.

I was glad I was able to make it down the slope a couple times without incident.

But every once in awhile... yeah.

I leaned too far forward there and the front edge of the snowboard caught the snow.

But overall I did enjoy myself.

I definantly want to try it again sometime.

Maybe after the soreness wears off at least.

And after I refill my wallet.