There's never enough time in the day (or night for that matter). All you ever do is go to work/school, come home and take care of the family/do homework, and then have to go to bed. Then try throwing a sport into that, where you get run down all week, then have games during the weekend. I like being busy, but getting so worn out is hard. I find myself only wanting to sleep. and then I think, I actually get the chance to do these things. So many people in the world haven't even ridden in a car, while we sit here and do everything we can to convince our parents to get a car for our 16th Birthday. (which might I add is pretty ridiculous). I want to slap myself in the face every time I complain about something, when I could very well not have anything at all. And I praise God for giving me such an amazing life. It's so hard not to get sucked into the world.
And when people (including me and I'm pretty sure everyone has done this..) only talk about themselves. They have to relate everything to them and be the center of attention. I HATE that. Sometimes I just want to scream at them to shut up and look at the world around them. After that if they're still selfish enough to talk about themselves they have some serious searching to do. I've fallen into things like this before, I can't help it, I'm only human and not even close to perfect. But the coolest thing is that Jesus is. He came to this marvelous God-made, sin-stricken planet and made it without sinning once. EVER!!! meaning never ever ever ever ever! Not in his entire life as human. Why is it so hard for us to live this way? But God is the one who is truly all-knowing. We can't understand anything compared to Him. This is one of my favorite things about my relationship with God. Sure sometimes it can be frustrating, but the fact that I can put my total and complete faith in Him, but still know that he will NEVER let me down is incredible! I can't even begin to explain..well, anything. For all I know I could break my finger writing this blog. But God is the one who really knows. Every twitch of my nose to every hug of a friend. That's why I'm leaving my life to the indescribable I Am.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
a different world
last weekend I went to Jamaica on a mission trip. The thing I noticed most was the difference in lifestyles. I've been on trips before to poverty stricken places, but the shock follows behind you every time. The houses were no more than drift wood and old tin found lying on the ground. Their homes no bigger than two bathroom stalls, are slowly rotting away.
Most women grow up thinking they have nothing else to do in life than have kids. She gets pregnant, usually before she even turns 18, starts trying to raise this family, by herself, because there's no way the fathers going to come help, he already has three other families he should be taking care of why would he help her. That would mean he'd have to take care of everyone else too.
You can just see the cycle repeating generation after generation. I just want to steal all the little ones away, before it's too late, and teach them there's more to life. It breaks my heart to know where they're going.
But then you meet people like Violet. A wonderful woman fully devoted to God and her community. She's simple, but tries so hard to teach her family that there is more. At the church services she just belts it out, "Praise Jesus! Praise Jesus! Hallelujah, Praise Jesus!" over and over again. Violet glows, inside and out. She's a rock not to be moved into the stream of reality. Only to be left to disappear into sand like everyone else.
It's people like Violet that give you hope for the others. The ones who have given up on life. The one who think, "I'm done for anyway, why try?" They don't have to throw they're life away. They have a chance, but just need someone to show them.
Most women grow up thinking they have nothing else to do in life than have kids. She gets pregnant, usually before she even turns 18, starts trying to raise this family, by herself, because there's no way the fathers going to come help, he already has three other families he should be taking care of why would he help her. That would mean he'd have to take care of everyone else too.
You can just see the cycle repeating generation after generation. I just want to steal all the little ones away, before it's too late, and teach them there's more to life. It breaks my heart to know where they're going.
But then you meet people like Violet. A wonderful woman fully devoted to God and her community. She's simple, but tries so hard to teach her family that there is more. At the church services she just belts it out, "Praise Jesus! Praise Jesus! Hallelujah, Praise Jesus!" over and over again. Violet glows, inside and out. She's a rock not to be moved into the stream of reality. Only to be left to disappear into sand like everyone else.
It's people like Violet that give you hope for the others. The ones who have given up on life. The one who think, "I'm done for anyway, why try?" They don't have to throw they're life away. They have a chance, but just need someone to show them.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Answers..
So I just Googled the Rockefeller Christmas tree to see if I could get some answers on my many questions from before and I found some pretty interesting stuff:
The minimum requirements are 65 ft. tall and 35 ft. wide, but the manager prefers it to be between 75-90 ft. It is a real tree (usually a Norway Spruce) and since this kind of tree doesn't usually grow this big in forests, it is typically taken from someone's yard. Which is kind of a bummer for the owner, especially because they don't get paid anything, but hey, they get the satisfaction of it being their tree.
The only thing on the tree is lights (over 5 miles of them!) and the star. At the end of the year the tree is recycled and the mulch is given to the boy scouts. Which comes to be over 3 tons!..
The largest part of the trunk is given to the U.S. Equestrian team in New Jersey so they can use it as an obstacle jump.
So I have answered a few of my questions but if you have any more answers let me know.
The minimum requirements are 65 ft. tall and 35 ft. wide, but the manager prefers it to be between 75-90 ft. It is a real tree (usually a Norway Spruce) and since this kind of tree doesn't usually grow this big in forests, it is typically taken from someone's yard. Which is kind of a bummer for the owner, especially because they don't get paid anything, but hey, they get the satisfaction of it being their tree.
The only thing on the tree is lights (over 5 miles of them!) and the star. At the end of the year the tree is recycled and the mulch is given to the boy scouts. Which comes to be over 3 tons!..
The largest part of the trunk is given to the U.S. Equestrian team in New Jersey so they can use it as an obstacle jump.
So I have answered a few of my questions but if you have any more answers let me know.
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...
This weekend we went and got our Christmas tree. We went super early (before it was even open) don't ask me why because I have no idea.. but anyway it was really nice because no one was there except our family. It was the perfect weather, a slight crisp in the air. You could just look across the rows of trees, with a cold winter fog over them, they looked untouched. We hunted around for a little while until we found the perfect tree. It's said that when you find a nest in your tree it's good luck. My little brother gets pretty excited about this so my sister and I found a nest on the ground and were going to put it in the tree when he wasn't looking. When we went to put it in there was one already there!
After we cut it down we went to have it shaken out, at this point the nest usually falls out, but ours was in there so tight it wouldn't budge. This made my brother especially happy. He even made sure he marked the branch where the nest was with an ornament we have that is a bird in a nest.
My mind was just wandering a second ago, and I was thinking about the MASSIVE tree in New York. I was thinking about how many lights, ornaments and all that stuff. How much do you think they use? and How in the world to they find a tree so big, is it fake? where would they put it in the "off-season"? Well those are just a few questions rattling in my brain, maybe I'll google it.. As for you, have a marvelous Christmas season!
After we cut it down we went to have it shaken out, at this point the nest usually falls out, but ours was in there so tight it wouldn't budge. This made my brother especially happy. He even made sure he marked the branch where the nest was with an ornament we have that is a bird in a nest.
My mind was just wandering a second ago, and I was thinking about the MASSIVE tree in New York. I was thinking about how many lights, ornaments and all that stuff. How much do you think they use? and How in the world to they find a tree so big, is it fake? where would they put it in the "off-season"? Well those are just a few questions rattling in my brain, maybe I'll google it.. As for you, have a marvelous Christmas season!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
happy happy birthday!
This Friday was my sisters birthday. We didn't get to celebrate very much on the actual day, but she did have her friend Callie come down from Minnetonka then they went out to eat with some of her other friends. On Saturday she had two other friends come over, cooked dinner for them, and they celebrated her birthday. Then finally today, after a long wait, our family went to Greenmill after church to celebrate. It was a good weekend and Samantha seemed to have a good time so all is well in the Petersen household.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The Orange Glowing Light on my Computer
A faint glow comes from the bottom of my computer. The reflection coming from the desktop is no larger than a tip of a pen. It takes many seconds for my eyes to adjust to even scarcely see this light glow. I peer down the bottom of my typewriter too come across an orange oval. Very small indeed. Easily covered by the top of my fingertip. What could be the purpose of this glow? A controlling button or simply for the amusement of the writer? I don't dare push it at risk of shutting down my computer for all eternity. I look. That's all, just look. Wondering my days what this faint, speck of an orange glow does. Will I never find out? I don't entirely believe so. One day, in the distant future I may know. But for now, I simply look and wonder.
Taste the colors of the rainbow
How do you think colors got their names? Maybe some syllables were just thrown together until they made a word that sounded good. But then how would you know which word to give to which color? The whole concept of colors is pretty interesting in itself. How it reflects off the light and everything, it's kind of neat.
Do you ever imagine what the world would be like black and white? I'd like to try it for a day, just to see. Think of how people would react to a change like that. You would look at someone and think they were sick because there's no color in their face. How creepy would that be? But then it would be nice when the colors came back. The world would be so bright you couldn't help but look at it ALL the time!
Do you ever notice how when you are little everything has it's special color. Like plants for example, they are always colored green. Down to the very last leaf on the tree. The sky and water, always blue. The sun, yellow. But in reality the sky can be anywhere from the light blue we all know too well, to a deep red, we usually forget about. How crazy would it be if all the colors switched around day after day? Just to mess with your brains a little. Nothing was ever the same color two days in a row. What would you color everything? I think sometimes I wouldn't be able to figure out where I was, I'd be lost in my own room! YIKES!!
Which one would you rather live in? Black and White or The Forever Changing Colors? hmmm....
Do you ever imagine what the world would be like black and white? I'd like to try it for a day, just to see. Think of how people would react to a change like that. You would look at someone and think they were sick because there's no color in their face. How creepy would that be? But then it would be nice when the colors came back. The world would be so bright you couldn't help but look at it ALL the time!
Do you ever notice how when you are little everything has it's special color. Like plants for example, they are always colored green. Down to the very last leaf on the tree. The sky and water, always blue. The sun, yellow. But in reality the sky can be anywhere from the light blue we all know too well, to a deep red, we usually forget about. How crazy would it be if all the colors switched around day after day? Just to mess with your brains a little. Nothing was ever the same color two days in a row. What would you color everything? I think sometimes I wouldn't be able to figure out where I was, I'd be lost in my own room! YIKES!!
Which one would you rather live in? Black and White or The Forever Changing Colors? hmmm....
Sunday, November 2, 2008
it was a late night..
My sister is restraining me from writing this blog. She's REALLY distracting! We go off and talk about random stuff ALL the time. We were just talking about embarrassing moments and then Halloween. And we just realized that in her name, Samantha, has a WhOle bunch of vowels (going every other letter) and then out of the blue three consonants come piling into her name! It'd be way cooler if her name went like this: S-A-M-A-N-A-T-A-H-A. I don't know, that's just my personal opinion in the matter.
I LOVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!!! A whole extra hour of sleep..how much better can it get?? You feel so much more refreshed in the morning. I know it's not quite the same as getting to sleep in as long as you want, but it gives you that little boost to get you through the day. But then within a few weeks you get used to the change and it's just not quite the same anymore..oh darn...and BAM! out of nowhere you have to lose an hour, and everyone starts looking like zombies, walking around with their arms hanging out in front of them.
I'm going to take advantage of this extra hour and go to bed now. Good Night!!
I LOVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!!! A whole extra hour of sleep..how much better can it get?? You feel so much more refreshed in the morning. I know it's not quite the same as getting to sleep in as long as you want, but it gives you that little boost to get you through the day. But then within a few weeks you get used to the change and it's just not quite the same anymore..oh darn...and BAM! out of nowhere you have to lose an hour, and everyone starts looking like zombies, walking around with their arms hanging out in front of them.
I'm going to take advantage of this extra hour and go to bed now. Good Night!!
Happy Halloween!
On Halloween I watched a couple scary movies after going to the corn maze. The first one we watched was the Strangers. It's a pretty good movie about this couple that is staying at this summer home after a wedding. Out of nowhere these REALLY creepy people start trying to kill them, for no reason what so ever! It was fun to watch and kept you guessing about whats going to happen next, but then you get to the ending...Oh man the ending....I won't give it away or anything, but it totally leaves you hanging at the end. You don't know if she's going to live or die..what's going to happen to the little kids..or ANYTHING! It was kind of upsetting (if you couldn't tell).
So anyway, after about 10 minutes of complaining we decided to watch the other movie we rented, Dead End. Hoping it would have a better ending. Which it did, but the movie itself was just disturbing to watch! They didn't show much, but what they did was disgusting. The blood wasn't running or anything like you might expect it to. It was like red, melted chocolate. All gooey and disgusting just to look at. To be honest it kinda made me want to throw up a little. I couldn't watch half the movie because it was that strange.
The ending made you feel a little bit better about yourself than the first one, but you pretty much had to make up what really happened yourself. So, all together they were both kind of ridiculous, but we had fun anyway!
So anyway, after about 10 minutes of complaining we decided to watch the other movie we rented, Dead End. Hoping it would have a better ending. Which it did, but the movie itself was just disturbing to watch! They didn't show much, but what they did was disgusting. The blood wasn't running or anything like you might expect it to. It was like red, melted chocolate. All gooey and disgusting just to look at. To be honest it kinda made me want to throw up a little. I couldn't watch half the movie because it was that strange.
The ending made you feel a little bit better about yourself than the first one, but you pretty much had to make up what really happened yourself. So, all together they were both kind of ridiculous, but we had fun anyway!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
hmm...
It gets hard blogging on the spot. It takes me ten minutes to think of a topic, and then forever to write it. I don't mind writing the blogs and it's actually kind of fun, but I never know what to write about. I think about it all week and come up with a few ideas, but they usually don't have much to go off of. Sometimes I come up with a pretty good idea, but then by the time I get to a computer, I've forgotten it. So if you have any ideas let me know. Even if they are crazy-outrageous, sometimes those are the best to write about.
Nap Time!!
hello there,
As you walk down the halls of Albert Lea High School its as dead as a graveyard. Everyone walking by is half asleep and not really paying attention to where they are going. There's always groups of people heading to class together, but no one is talking because they're all too exhausted to let anything come out of their mouths. Teachers have a hard time getting some kids to focus and get involved in the class, which becomes an even bigger hassle to the already over worked educators.
Now, a lot of people say we should just start school later, but I don't really see how that would work for a lot of people. We get home late enough with church, sports, plays, and whatever else goes on in our busy lives. And then we have to stay up even later doing homework. So I have come up with a simple solution for this problem. Nap Time. (and I know it probably sounds easier than it actually is, and probably wouldn't work. But it's just one of those crazy ideas that would make a lot of people happy).
After 2nd hour or so we could just take a little nap to get us fired up for the day. (I've heard that you only need twenty minutes) And anyone who doesn't want to take a nap or needs to catch up on some homework can use this time as a study hall. [or you could do some devos too :)]
It's just a wild idea i think could keep some people awake in class every once in a while. Which in the long run would help improve grades and test scores. Of course you'd have to separate guys and girls, cuz you don't want any of that happening!...
But I think it would just be nice, and make everyone a little bit happier. :)
As you walk down the halls of Albert Lea High School its as dead as a graveyard. Everyone walking by is half asleep and not really paying attention to where they are going. There's always groups of people heading to class together, but no one is talking because they're all too exhausted to let anything come out of their mouths. Teachers have a hard time getting some kids to focus and get involved in the class, which becomes an even bigger hassle to the already over worked educators.
Now, a lot of people say we should just start school later, but I don't really see how that would work for a lot of people. We get home late enough with church, sports, plays, and whatever else goes on in our busy lives. And then we have to stay up even later doing homework. So I have come up with a simple solution for this problem. Nap Time. (and I know it probably sounds easier than it actually is, and probably wouldn't work. But it's just one of those crazy ideas that would make a lot of people happy).
After 2nd hour or so we could just take a little nap to get us fired up for the day. (I've heard that you only need twenty minutes) And anyone who doesn't want to take a nap or needs to catch up on some homework can use this time as a study hall. [or you could do some devos too :)]
It's just a wild idea i think could keep some people awake in class every once in a while. Which in the long run would help improve grades and test scores. Of course you'd have to separate guys and girls, cuz you don't want any of that happening!...
But I think it would just be nice, and make everyone a little bit happier. :)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
STIRKE!!!
ok so not really..
Wednesday I went bowling with some people from youth group. We also went to the football game (which I must say was pretty intense!) and then we went to visit an Austin youth group and did some worship with them. then we all headed out bowling. It was a really fun night, but my bowling experience isn't the greatest. You see, I haven't bowled in a few years, and when I went to bowl I kinda flung the ball up a little and it bounced a few times before going into the gutter...umm...yeah.. Oh but man it kept us laughing for awhile! I eventually caught on but I don't think my score got any higher than 60, if that even! I said we should have played with bumpers. Maybe I could have gotten a couple more in..hmm?...oh well, it was a fun night anyway!
Wednesday I went bowling with some people from youth group. We also went to the football game (which I must say was pretty intense!) and then we went to visit an Austin youth group and did some worship with them. then we all headed out bowling. It was a really fun night, but my bowling experience isn't the greatest. You see, I haven't bowled in a few years, and when I went to bowl I kinda flung the ball up a little and it bounced a few times before going into the gutter...umm...yeah.. Oh but man it kept us laughing for awhile! I eventually caught on but I don't think my score got any higher than 60, if that even! I said we should have played with bumpers. Maybe I could have gotten a couple more in..hmm?...oh well, it was a fun night anyway!
hmm...a breath of fall...
It's so beautiful this time of year. The beautiful reds and oranges bring a warmth to the soon approaching winter snow. The fall is a great time for long walks, bundled in a sweatshirt and gloves, you never see the same thing twice. One day the trees are green and the next they are bare. I love this time of year. Just to sit..and listen.. the cool wind seems to clear your mind. You get a break from the world spinning behind you. As the days go by the bright colors mix into a faded brown, then begin to glisten in the morning frost. There is just something about the fall that is almost indescribable..
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Ayúdeme! We're lost!!
Okay, picture yourself running through a cornfield, lost and confused. The golden corn rising FEET above you. With one swift scratch against the corn you could loose your hand! (ok well not really but maybe a few "paper" cuts). You spin round and round, wondering where to go next.. then suddenly, you see a light! A small glow leads you to an opening. STAMP!! haha got then next one!
This is how it was for me Friday night when I went to the corn maze. It was one of my lovely friends birthday's, and so we piled into cars and drove down to dear old Iowa. On the way one of the cars in our group took the wrong exit and headed to Lakeville instead of Northwood. They ended up getting pulled over because one of their lights was out. Apparently, there was three cops following them, but one decided to pull off, figuring two was enough. But I don't know.. I think they might have needed three, you know, for backup.
Well, eventually we all got caught up and headed into the maze. Me and dos amigas decided to go in together. We spaced ourselves from the groups ahead of us and walked into the darkness...(dramatic music)... we started off attempting to read the well drawn map shaped like the good ol' U.S. of A. but it was dark, we didn't have a flashlight, and none of us could read the map anyway.
A few minutes went by and we came across the first checkpoint. (Checkpoint are areas you try to find and punch a stamp through your map. There's also little facts you can read.) After that point we ditched the map completely and wandered around pretending we knew what we were doing. We started secretly following these kids around who were actually reading the map and seemed to know where they were going. The three of us got bored pretty quickly and felt kind of bad for following the kids, so we decided to go off on our own again.
We began to make a game out of it, and pretended we were secret agents. (kind of cheesy I know, but it was so much fun!) We ran around randomly yelling directions, but these weren't any directions. We came up with Code names for words like right and left. And anytime a person came by we'd yell "CORN STALK" and get as close to the edge of the path and pretend to be corn. Let me just say we got some pretty funny looks from some people... So we ran and ran yelling our codes until we FINALLY took the right turn and found Checkpoint Two. PUNCH! got it, and then we were off again.
We continued our mission for Checkpoint Three, but after about an hour since we started we still hadn't found it. And so, as a team, we decided to turn back. We had a new mission now..to find the enterance! About fifteen minutes later we emerged into the lights of outside the maze. At the same time we came out the enterance a fellow birthday partyer of our came out the exit, his map completely finished! After a little while we as a new team of four headed back into the maze (through the exit) on the search to find and scare some of our other friends. We stayed in there for awhile and collected a few more stamps, and then came out and talked about scary movies we had seen. We ended the night with cake and ice cream; the cherry on top of the sundae. But a real, handpicked-off-the-cherry-tree cherry, not those silly canned ones..they just aren't quite the same..
This is how it was for me Friday night when I went to the corn maze. It was one of my lovely friends birthday's, and so we piled into cars and drove down to dear old Iowa. On the way one of the cars in our group took the wrong exit and headed to Lakeville instead of Northwood. They ended up getting pulled over because one of their lights was out. Apparently, there was three cops following them, but one decided to pull off, figuring two was enough. But I don't know.. I think they might have needed three, you know, for backup.
Well, eventually we all got caught up and headed into the maze. Me and dos amigas decided to go in together. We spaced ourselves from the groups ahead of us and walked into the darkness...(dramatic music)... we started off attempting to read the well drawn map shaped like the good ol' U.S. of A. but it was dark, we didn't have a flashlight, and none of us could read the map anyway.
A few minutes went by and we came across the first checkpoint. (Checkpoint are areas you try to find and punch a stamp through your map. There's also little facts you can read.) After that point we ditched the map completely and wandered around pretending we knew what we were doing. We started secretly following these kids around who were actually reading the map and seemed to know where they were going. The three of us got bored pretty quickly and felt kind of bad for following the kids, so we decided to go off on our own again.
We began to make a game out of it, and pretended we were secret agents. (kind of cheesy I know, but it was so much fun!) We ran around randomly yelling directions, but these weren't any directions. We came up with Code names for words like right and left. And anytime a person came by we'd yell "CORN STALK" and get as close to the edge of the path and pretend to be corn. Let me just say we got some pretty funny looks from some people... So we ran and ran yelling our codes until we FINALLY took the right turn and found Checkpoint Two. PUNCH! got it, and then we were off again.
We continued our mission for Checkpoint Three, but after about an hour since we started we still hadn't found it. And so, as a team, we decided to turn back. We had a new mission now..to find the enterance! About fifteen minutes later we emerged into the lights of outside the maze. At the same time we came out the enterance a fellow birthday partyer of our came out the exit, his map completely finished! After a little while we as a new team of four headed back into the maze (through the exit) on the search to find and scare some of our other friends. We stayed in there for awhile and collected a few more stamps, and then came out and talked about scary movies we had seen. We ended the night with cake and ice cream; the cherry on top of the sundae. But a real, handpicked-off-the-cherry-tree cherry, not those silly canned ones..they just aren't quite the same..
Sunday, October 5, 2008
the beginning?
hey there,
So, I have this tough topic on my mind tonight. Evolution or Creation? It's not on my mind of which one is true, and which one isn't; my thoughts are more, the mix of the two, is it possible to mix them? I don't mean the change of characteristics in animals over time, I'm talking more about how it's said we evolved from tiny specks way back when. I don't see how that can really be true. It's been proven that things scientists have been going off of to come up with this theory about evolution aren't accurate.
I have been talking to my friends about this topic and learned what some of their opinions were. Someone brought up the topic about possibly mixing the two. And how since God's days could be longer than ours, when he created the animals sometime in those days we evolved. But I can't see how this can be true. In the bible it says God created the animals. Later, he created man to watch over the animals, and to name every kind. We were put on this earth to watch over it, now how good of a job we're doing, I'm not quite sure, but that was God's intention for us.
The Bible says God took his very hands and molded man from the dirt in the ground. Now if you can tie that with us being monkeys?...let me know. The Bible goes on to say that man feel into a DEEP sleep (like knock-me-out sleep!) took a rib from the man and made woman.
So do you see where I'm coming from, how could we have evolved? And how could the two be intertwined? I just don't see it. Especially if you believe God's word, but then think we evolved. They were to separate times. I'm just torn between what to say without pushing them away. How do you deal with something you know to be true and you thought the same of the other person, but then it turns out you are on two totally different pages? I pray for this person constantly and I ask if you have just read this and can see where I am coming from, that you too will pray for them.
So, I have this tough topic on my mind tonight. Evolution or Creation? It's not on my mind of which one is true, and which one isn't; my thoughts are more, the mix of the two, is it possible to mix them? I don't mean the change of characteristics in animals over time, I'm talking more about how it's said we evolved from tiny specks way back when. I don't see how that can really be true. It's been proven that things scientists have been going off of to come up with this theory about evolution aren't accurate.
I have been talking to my friends about this topic and learned what some of their opinions were. Someone brought up the topic about possibly mixing the two. And how since God's days could be longer than ours, when he created the animals sometime in those days we evolved. But I can't see how this can be true. In the bible it says God created the animals. Later, he created man to watch over the animals, and to name every kind. We were put on this earth to watch over it, now how good of a job we're doing, I'm not quite sure, but that was God's intention for us.
The Bible says God took his very hands and molded man from the dirt in the ground. Now if you can tie that with us being monkeys?...let me know. The Bible goes on to say that man feel into a DEEP sleep (like knock-me-out sleep!) took a rib from the man and made woman.
So do you see where I'm coming from, how could we have evolved? And how could the two be intertwined? I just don't see it. Especially if you believe God's word, but then think we evolved. They were to separate times. I'm just torn between what to say without pushing them away. How do you deal with something you know to be true and you thought the same of the other person, but then it turns out you are on two totally different pages? I pray for this person constantly and I ask if you have just read this and can see where I am coming from, that you too will pray for them.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
A few things to live by..
Life can get to be pretty boring sometimes, with the same old routine you did last Tuesday. So I challenge you to change it up a little. With simple things as easy as making a silly face at someone when you pass them in the hallway. Put a little laughter in the school. But before you do this I think something you should keep in mind is learning to laugh at yourself. Everybody makes stupid mistakes, and you really shouldn't feel bad if you make them. If you laugh at yourself for them it lightens up the mood and people will probably forget about them anyway. If they do tease you about it later you'll feel comfortable about it, and have another good laugh anyway. Hey, laughing makes you live longer!
Another thing you can do to make the world a brighter place is to get to know the people who most people call the outcasts. If you see someone sitting by themselves go talk to them. You'll probably find out something interesting about them you never knew. Who knows they might be a really cool person and you could become best friends. I mean look at Michael Phelps, when he was little he was picked on all the time by other kids. Look at who he is now. What if the boy sitting in the corner by himself turns out to be your future boss? How would that look?...
So the next time your feeling gloomy try to brighten someone's day, it'll probably put a smile on your face too.
Another thing you can do to make the world a brighter place is to get to know the people who most people call the outcasts. If you see someone sitting by themselves go talk to them. You'll probably find out something interesting about them you never knew. Who knows they might be a really cool person and you could become best friends. I mean look at Michael Phelps, when he was little he was picked on all the time by other kids. Look at who he is now. What if the boy sitting in the corner by himself turns out to be your future boss? How would that look?...
So the next time your feeling gloomy try to brighten someone's day, it'll probably put a smile on your face too.
To Play or Not to Play..?
The tennis season recently ended for me. I'm pretty sad about it, but it got me thinking about sports and the pros/cons of playing them. To start with the pros, playing sports is not just a great way to get in shape but it also helps you meet a lot of new, and different people. Some of my best friends are in the sports I play. Through sports I've also become friends with people I probably wouldn't have gotten to know otherwise. For example, my basketball team. There are many different groups of people I get the chance to play with. We all come from very different backrounds yet we still have that connection of basketball. In reality it took a few years for us to get to the point where we were comfortable with each other. We seemed so different from one another we didn't quite know how to act, but then this past year it clicked in our heads that it really didn't matter where we come from or who our other friends were. Our team as a whole grew into more than just a basketball team. Just think; that was only one year. We still have at least three left. So, you see how friendships can sprout so quickly.
Sports also help with grades. In order to remain playing on the team you have to have at least passing grades, and some schools now require more than just passing. It helps motivate students who normally would say hey just forget it, but now want the chance to show who they can really be. And keep this important part of their life going.
There are also some disadvantages to sports. First off there's always those crazy parents who are never satisfied with the way the coach is running things, or how much playing time their child gets. It's always a big downer when there are parents like that, especially when the coach really is trying their best. Sports also take up a lot of time. Which isn't always a problem, but after awhile you can get pretty worn out.
In the long run I think sports are a good thing. They provide so many opportunities, and connect you with so many people. So I would play if you get the chance, and even if you don't want to play organized sports go play around with your friends. It's really fun!
Sports also help with grades. In order to remain playing on the team you have to have at least passing grades, and some schools now require more than just passing. It helps motivate students who normally would say hey just forget it, but now want the chance to show who they can really be. And keep this important part of their life going.
There are also some disadvantages to sports. First off there's always those crazy parents who are never satisfied with the way the coach is running things, or how much playing time their child gets. It's always a big downer when there are parents like that, especially when the coach really is trying their best. Sports also take up a lot of time. Which isn't always a problem, but after awhile you can get pretty worn out.
In the long run I think sports are a good thing. They provide so many opportunities, and connect you with so many people. So I would play if you get the chance, and even if you don't want to play organized sports go play around with your friends. It's really fun!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Struck by Poverty
hello again,
This Wednesday is See You At The Pole. Which is a time once a year where people all around the country meet out in front of the flag pole to pray and spend some time worshiping God. It's a really great experience so I really suggest it if your school does it, and if not there's still time to make it happen! Anyway, earlier tonight there was a rally to talk about what we're going to be doing this Wednesday and what we still need to do to prepare for it. A lot of the local churches gathered together and we did some worship and prayed. Then we broke off into groups by our schools and talked about whats going to be happening. It was a good time to get everyone on the same page and also to get new ideas. When we joined back up as a big group we watched this really moving video. It was a poem this girl had written to God about the world and the suffering going on around us. It started from creation and how there was no sin when God made the earth, but then the tree came along and Eve ate the apple, and then sin entered our world. And it kept getting worse from there.. blood was shed, persecution for beliefs, the cry of those who everyday struggle just to get a meal, and pain we can't even begin to imagine. It really touched me. How can people have nothing, less than nothing, but still be so happy. While we have so much, yet we're never satisfied. Is this the kind of world we want to live in? At the same time, it opens my eyes to what true faith in God is. We should be able to be struck down by poverty, but still see how beautiful the world around us is. We should be able to lose everyone we care about, but still wake up in the morning with a smile on our face. What bothers me is we are so blind to see this! We're so caught up in our own worlds we're oblivious to what's going on on the outside. It breaks my heart to know that there are people out there dying of disease wishing they could walk one more day, while there's other people pretending to be sick just so they don't have to go to school. Now I'm not saying you have to go out and start an organization, although that would be great, but I just ask that you pray for these people. Pray deeply, with compassion. We can't suddenly stop poverty, but we can at least to this simple task.
This Wednesday is See You At The Pole. Which is a time once a year where people all around the country meet out in front of the flag pole to pray and spend some time worshiping God. It's a really great experience so I really suggest it if your school does it, and if not there's still time to make it happen! Anyway, earlier tonight there was a rally to talk about what we're going to be doing this Wednesday and what we still need to do to prepare for it. A lot of the local churches gathered together and we did some worship and prayed. Then we broke off into groups by our schools and talked about whats going to be happening. It was a good time to get everyone on the same page and also to get new ideas. When we joined back up as a big group we watched this really moving video. It was a poem this girl had written to God about the world and the suffering going on around us. It started from creation and how there was no sin when God made the earth, but then the tree came along and Eve ate the apple, and then sin entered our world. And it kept getting worse from there.. blood was shed, persecution for beliefs, the cry of those who everyday struggle just to get a meal, and pain we can't even begin to imagine. It really touched me. How can people have nothing, less than nothing, but still be so happy. While we have so much, yet we're never satisfied. Is this the kind of world we want to live in? At the same time, it opens my eyes to what true faith in God is. We should be able to be struck down by poverty, but still see how beautiful the world around us is. We should be able to lose everyone we care about, but still wake up in the morning with a smile on our face. What bothers me is we are so blind to see this! We're so caught up in our own worlds we're oblivious to what's going on on the outside. It breaks my heart to know that there are people out there dying of disease wishing they could walk one more day, while there's other people pretending to be sick just so they don't have to go to school. Now I'm not saying you have to go out and start an organization, although that would be great, but I just ask that you pray for these people. Pray deeply, with compassion. We can't suddenly stop poverty, but we can at least to this simple task.
A Day in Downtown Minneapolis
hey there!
This weekend I went to downtown Minneapolis with a group of kids from my church. We went to a hip hop studio called Peace Palace. In the morning we split into groups and did community work around the area. Later we met back up and had lunch in the park. It was really fun because there were a bunch of kids there and we were playing around with them. And I suppose that sounds pretty normal for a park, but the kids started doing flips off the equipment! It was so crazy! The best part was one of the kids drank his pop when he flipped off. Now thats talent!
After that we headed over to Peace Palace and they taught us how to hip hop. It was SO much fun! Just picture a whole bunch of kids who have NO idea what we're doing trying to breakdance. .. not a pretty sight! But, after lots of laughs and a few falls, we pulled it off. We even learned some dances and had a dance off at the end.
Another thing they had us do was write raps. They were REALLY funny! We rapped about playgrounds, books, music, and even BIG JUICY GRAPES! It was such a great experience I wouldn't trade it for anything. If you ever get the chance to learn to hip hop, do it. You learn about the culture and what it really means to people. Plus you meet some awesome friends!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Just Goofing Around..
hello again!
I was reading the paper recently and there was an article about young people doing different kinds of pranks across the country. It just cracked me up! Some of the pranks being done were really funny. In one of them there were people lined in a subway car mirroring each other. Another prank was a finish line put up with people cheering along the sidelines, while unsuspecting bikers/joggers would find themselves caught in a marathon race. There were so many other outrageous ones too, but what I found was really cool was that the people pulling off these pranks were just trying to spice up the world a little. Get everyone out of their old boring routines. I think that's important for our world today. Some people our too caught up in what's going on they don't take the time to laugh a little.
Another thing I was thinking of when I read this article is what it would be like to have that happen to you. So your just walking down the street and out of nowhere strangers burst into song and dance around the streets as if no one is there but them. How outrageous would that be? If it happened to me, I would probably have to join them!
Have you ever thought about doing something crazy like that? I mean besides the fun, spontaneous things you may do with your friends, but getting a huge group of people, most of whom you probably don't even know, and acting totally crazy! I think it would be so much fun! I'm sure you might get some pretty strange looks, but isn't that half the fun of it? So, next time you see someone walking down the street looking pretty gloomy, try and brighten their day with something as simple as a smile.
I was reading the paper recently and there was an article about young people doing different kinds of pranks across the country. It just cracked me up! Some of the pranks being done were really funny. In one of them there were people lined in a subway car mirroring each other. Another prank was a finish line put up with people cheering along the sidelines, while unsuspecting bikers/joggers would find themselves caught in a marathon race. There were so many other outrageous ones too, but what I found was really cool was that the people pulling off these pranks were just trying to spice up the world a little. Get everyone out of their old boring routines. I think that's important for our world today. Some people our too caught up in what's going on they don't take the time to laugh a little.
Another thing I was thinking of when I read this article is what it would be like to have that happen to you. So your just walking down the street and out of nowhere strangers burst into song and dance around the streets as if no one is there but them. How outrageous would that be? If it happened to me, I would probably have to join them!
Have you ever thought about doing something crazy like that? I mean besides the fun, spontaneous things you may do with your friends, but getting a huge group of people, most of whom you probably don't even know, and acting totally crazy! I think it would be so much fun! I'm sure you might get some pretty strange looks, but isn't that half the fun of it? So, next time you see someone walking down the street looking pretty gloomy, try and brighten their day with something as simple as a smile.
procrastination is not a good destination...
hey readers!
I have a bit of a problem. I'm what you would call a procrastinator. For those of you who may not know what that means, it's someone who puts things off until the last minute. In my J-10 class we're supposed to blog twice a week as part of our grade, but being the procrastinator I am, just started blogging today. Sorry Mr. Worth! So, I decided to write this blog about procrastinating and why it isn't the best choice. By doing this maybe I'll be able to convince some of my fellow procrastinators (including me!) to not put things off anymore.
I tend to procrastinate a lot, which can be a problem. Procrastinating causes a lot of late nights, and rushed feelings to the point where you really aren't doing your best. Researching on the computer, I recently learned that procrastinating is out of habit, so if you haven't started, DON'T! It gets to be a pain! I'm a pretty busy person so when I do get a chance to relax, homework isn't really the first thing I want to do. If my homework is due the next day, I'll do it right away (a cheesy little rhyme for you). The problem really comes when the assignments are due a week later, those are the ones I wait until the night before to finish. I always have it done in time, (grades are really important to me) but I tend to have to stay up late in order to finish them.
There are a few things I haven't procrastinated on, and I've found it's so much easier to do it right away. Then later in the week I don't have to worry about it. But still I tend to fall back on my old habit, and put the next assignment off until the day before it's due..so, I've made a plan. I've decided that as soon as I get the assignment I'm going to split up the work I have to do equally between the days. That way when it's due I'll already have it done, which means..no more late nights! Now I've realized this sounds a lot easier than it probably is, but i have to do something to get out of this nasty habit. So, I'm really going to try...starting tomorrow.
I have a bit of a problem. I'm what you would call a procrastinator. For those of you who may not know what that means, it's someone who puts things off until the last minute. In my J-10 class we're supposed to blog twice a week as part of our grade, but being the procrastinator I am, just started blogging today. Sorry Mr. Worth! So, I decided to write this blog about procrastinating and why it isn't the best choice. By doing this maybe I'll be able to convince some of my fellow procrastinators (including me!) to not put things off anymore.
I tend to procrastinate a lot, which can be a problem. Procrastinating causes a lot of late nights, and rushed feelings to the point where you really aren't doing your best. Researching on the computer, I recently learned that procrastinating is out of habit, so if you haven't started, DON'T! It gets to be a pain! I'm a pretty busy person so when I do get a chance to relax, homework isn't really the first thing I want to do. If my homework is due the next day, I'll do it right away (a cheesy little rhyme for you). The problem really comes when the assignments are due a week later, those are the ones I wait until the night before to finish. I always have it done in time, (grades are really important to me) but I tend to have to stay up late in order to finish them.
There are a few things I haven't procrastinated on, and I've found it's so much easier to do it right away. Then later in the week I don't have to worry about it. But still I tend to fall back on my old habit, and put the next assignment off until the day before it's due..so, I've made a plan. I've decided that as soon as I get the assignment I'm going to split up the work I have to do equally between the days. That way when it's due I'll already have it done, which means..no more late nights! Now I've realized this sounds a lot easier than it probably is, but i have to do something to get out of this nasty habit. So, I'm really going to try...starting tomorrow.
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