If you would like to see more pictures from the race, please click here to go to the Facebook album.
3.24.2008
If you ain't first, you're last!
If you would like to see more pictures from the race, please click here to go to the Facebook album.
3.20.2008
¿Missing Verses?
The other week in class, we encountered a passage where some people's Bible had a verse (KJV) and others (NIV, ESV, etc.) did not.
A friend of mine wrote an article about times when different translations might choose to include or not include a verse that I think explains this really well. So if you're wondering about what is involved in this aspect of Bible translating, why not stop by and read it?
The Case of the Missing Verse: John 5:4
A friend of mine wrote an article about times when different translations might choose to include or not include a verse that I think explains this really well. So if you're wondering about what is involved in this aspect of Bible translating, why not stop by and read it?
The Case of the Missing Verse: John 5:4
3.13.2008
Anyone else starting to get excited about the summer?
I absolutely love warm weather and don't like cold weather. Even more than cold weather, I
don't like daylight savings time, when it gets dark by like 4pm. Today it is really nice outside. The preschool at church had their easter egg hunt, and Frances Meador came over as the Easter Bunny. I got to help hide the eggs.
It's a nice day.
I'm already getting excited now about VBS and Camp and all the other stuff we're going to be able to do now that it's finally getting warm enough to get out there and do it!
How about you guys?
don't like daylight savings time, when it gets dark by like 4pm. Today it is really nice outside. The preschool at church had their easter egg hunt, and Frances Meador came over as the Easter Bunny. I got to help hide the eggs.
It's a nice day.
I'm already getting excited now about VBS and Camp and all the other stuff we're going to be able to do now that it's finally getting warm enough to get out there and do it!
How about you guys?
3.11.2008
1 in 4
Hey guys and gals,
I just ran across a scary news article. If you want to read it, here's the link to it.
This report was specifically about women getting sexually transmitted diseases. The average is that 1 in 4 sexually active women under the age of 25 has an STD. Think about that! If you were to line up all the kids at your school who are sleeping around, you can actually go down the line counting "1, 2, 3, STD!, 1, 2, 3, STD! 1, 2, 3, STD!" It's not just the ladies...it's the guys who are transmitting these things around, too. This stuff is real, and terrible if you get it. Warts, puss, itching, pain for days at a time, sometimes you end up unable to have children, and some STD's even cause you to go insane and die!
God loves us, and he made us in his image. The world around us tells us that it's a good thing to treat our bodies like they are just pieces of meat. As Christians, it's so important to save yourself for your future husband/wife, even if you have no idea who that person might be! Don't let anyone convince you that you aren't worth waiting for. If someone will only spend time with you if you give them what they want, then they aren't worth being with anyway. You are more valuable than that.
And if the fact that it's wrong isn't enough to convince you not to do it...look at the huge risk involved! Would you pull the trigger of a gun pointed at your head just because someone said, "There's only a 1 in 6 chance it's got a bullet in it"?
We're talking 1 in 4! And some of these STD's are as deadly as bullets, only you die much more slowly and painfully than getting shot. Birth control methods might help prevent pregnancy sometimes, but they do little to stop STD's. The only 100% safe way to avoid STD's is to not let people treat you like you're only a piece of meat. Your body is the temple of God. Keep it pure. Save it for your spouse.
When people are young and aren't serious about life, loose girls can get a lot of attention. But if you are serious about wanting a good life and a good spouse, people want to marry someone who is pure and who respects himself/herself. Be that person. And even if you haven't been perfect up until now, then you can at least decide that from now on you will do the right thing. You'll never regret honoring God, especially when honoring God is something that's hard to do.
Sorry to get up on a soap box there, but I love you all too much, and it makes me sick to think of any of you becoming a statistic.
I pray that you all make good decisions,
Mark <><
I just ran across a scary news article. If you want to read it, here's the link to it.
This report was specifically about women getting sexually transmitted diseases. The average is that 1 in 4 sexually active women under the age of 25 has an STD. Think about that! If you were to line up all the kids at your school who are sleeping around, you can actually go down the line counting "1, 2, 3, STD!, 1, 2, 3, STD! 1, 2, 3, STD!" It's not just the ladies...it's the guys who are transmitting these things around, too. This stuff is real, and terrible if you get it. Warts, puss, itching, pain for days at a time, sometimes you end up unable to have children, and some STD's even cause you to go insane and die!
God loves us, and he made us in his image. The world around us tells us that it's a good thing to treat our bodies like they are just pieces of meat. As Christians, it's so important to save yourself for your future husband/wife, even if you have no idea who that person might be! Don't let anyone convince you that you aren't worth waiting for. If someone will only spend time with you if you give them what they want, then they aren't worth being with anyway. You are more valuable than that.
And if the fact that it's wrong isn't enough to convince you not to do it...look at the huge risk involved! Would you pull the trigger of a gun pointed at your head just because someone said, "There's only a 1 in 6 chance it's got a bullet in it"?
We're talking 1 in 4! And some of these STD's are as deadly as bullets, only you die much more slowly and painfully than getting shot. Birth control methods might help prevent pregnancy sometimes, but they do little to stop STD's. The only 100% safe way to avoid STD's is to not let people treat you like you're only a piece of meat. Your body is the temple of God. Keep it pure. Save it for your spouse.
When people are young and aren't serious about life, loose girls can get a lot of attention. But if you are serious about wanting a good life and a good spouse, people want to marry someone who is pure and who respects himself/herself. Be that person. And even if you haven't been perfect up until now, then you can at least decide that from now on you will do the right thing. You'll never regret honoring God, especially when honoring God is something that's hard to do.
Sorry to get up on a soap box there, but I love you all too much, and it makes me sick to think of any of you becoming a statistic.
I pray that you all make good decisions,
Mark <><
3.07.2008
The Future You
The other day, Carolina and I discovered lots of old church directories filed away in the office. The earliest one with pictures we found was from 1972, and the most recent one we came across was from 2000. Different pictures strike you in different ways. There were several that made us laugh until we cried. Some people have changed so much, it's hard to believe! We also loved finding out just how many people are related to other people here. There are so many brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles that I had no idea about.I especially got a kick out of some of my youth group kids as little boys and girls in their sailor suits and lacy dresses. I will have to say my personal favorite was one of the dads of my youth group who was sporting an incredible mullet in the early 90's. I'm fighting hard to resist the temptation to scan those puppies and get them up on Facebook, but I think I would be biting off more than I can chew. The pictures on this post are some I found on the internet from someone's reunion where they did before and after shots of people. Everyone grows up and gets older!
The other day at church, a man handed me a paper with this little essay on it that I think is worth reading and reflecting on; especially if you are a young person.The Future You
The person you are to become is always watching the person you are right now. The image you have of yourself tomorrow depends on the actions you watch yourself take today. The confidence with which you live next month will be based on the integrity of your actions this week.
You can always hide and conceal things from just about anyone, but the person you are to become is always watching. That person's opinion of you will play a major role in your life.
Will you be proud tomorrow of what you did today? Will your future self find strength in your present actions and attitudes? Will you learn from your mistakes and from your successes? The you of tomorrow is watching, waiting, hoping and depending upon the you of today.
Live each moment like someone is watching because that someone can make you or break you. Live so that the person you become in the future can look back with gratitude and admiration at the person you are right now.
Trials, temptations, disappointments - all these are helps instead of hindrances if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fiber of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.
3.05.2008
Congratulations to Hannah
As you all know, we've been praying fervently for Hannah. In fact, Chris has been circulating a list of time slots, encouraging people to be praying for her at least twice every hour of the day as she's preparing for surgery.The most important thing that anybody can do to prepare is to make sure they are in a right relationship with God. I've never doubted that Hannah loves Jesus and is dedicated to being a good person, but she decided to make this commitment personal and public yesterday by being baptized into Christ, and I know we're all really excited and happy for her.
Luke 15:10 says that when even one person repents, the angels rejoice in heaven.
Matthew 10:32 says, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven."
Please keep your new sister in your prayers.
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