tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125269302011-08-16T10:59:44.368-05:00Still so Much to Become, Still so Little Time!JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.comBlogger1631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-34460126387556992512010-11-18T09:44:00.006-06:002010-11-18T10:54:48.839-06:00

Which comes first, the prayer request or God's response? I know that at first glance this question seems really silly. After all, we bring the request before God, and He gives us one of 3 responses;Yes, No, and/or Wait. However, a long time ago i came to the conclusion that it may not be that simple. This idea / question / concept came up near the end of my senior year at Elim Bible Institute

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-4887810464286819412010-10-26T08:44:00.005-05:002010-10-26T09:29:12.258-05:00

I have been reading Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It is a book about Lincoln's rise to position, and his ability to unite even enemies to become teammates for the greater good of the country.I was struck by President Lincoln's history and boyhood. Particularly his passion for the written word. Education and good schools were rare and expensive

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-51563690842158806882010-09-24T14:21:00.002-05:002010-09-24T14:24:27.248-05:00

When was the last time you were really sorry about something? I mean really, really, wept over it sorry? Chances are, for most people the answer to that is that it's been a long time, if ever. Going back to our history lesson... The 11 tribes knew that what had happen in Gibea was horribly wrong. So much so that they knew that they were responsible to bring justice in the situation, and

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-11844442955705959002010-09-23T14:22:00.003-05:002010-09-23T14:27:55.270-05:00

Many times i've heard the saying that repentance means turning around and going in the opposite direction. That repentance is more than just something you say, it's something you do. To some extent i have agreed with that sentiment, to some extent it has always seemed a little too simplified. Kind of like explaining how to drive as; turning the key, starting it up, and driving. At the same

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-49732282627756915172010-05-19T07:36:00.006-05:002010-05-19T07:57:27.540-05:00

Dick Hardy is a pastor's pastor. He is a man that has a God given passion to reach out to other pastors to help them become more effective in the ministry. He is a Paul that speaks not only to Timothys, but also to other Pauls. You can clearly see this in his book 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask.27 Tough Questions is a primer on what you need to know but chances are haven't been told about

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-30594155959202304302010-05-18T06:50:00.008-05:002010-05-18T08:34:32.282-05:00

Mephibosheth was a man of honor now discarded and destroyed. He had little left in life. His grandfather, a former king (Saul), and his father had both died in battle when he was a child. He had both of his feet crushed when his nurse, while carrying him, fell and crushed them beneath her body.He was hiding out in the country for fear of retribution towards him for how badly his grandfather

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-92124903837501605382009-10-16T05:31:00.004-05:002009-10-16T06:49:30.171-05:00

At this point, staying or going is not about choice. I was brought on under the expectation of church growth. Our church has not grown as expected and finances are a major issue. The powers at be have decided that due to the financial crisis and since they do not see the numbers growth that they expected in the youth group, the inevitable is now. Either way, our time here has ended.However,

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-78800417971176677082009-10-16T05:11:00.002-05:002009-10-16T05:31:46.417-05:00

I handled a face to face confrontation very poorly. Instead of my giving logical and appropriate responses to what was said, much of it was unclear and emotion driven. Some of what was said to me took me so completely off guard that i couldn't even come close to expressing or explaining what was what because i just couldn't process the issues at all. Afterwards, there were a ton of issues that i

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-57260562698566236362009-04-09T08:08:00.006-05:002009-04-09T09:15:57.371-05:00

As time goes by i find that i am more a man who likes balance.  So often i hear people talk / preach / teach about something and my gut reaction is, "but what about!".  For instance this past Sunday at church the pastor and people were discussing how we are not to judge one another.  People brought up stories about how either they or people they knew stopped going to church because other people

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-43563619767045272009-01-30T08:04:00.007-06:002009-01-30T10:07:41.027-06:00

I'm a big fan of C.S.Lewis' writing, and this year i started reading The Business of Heaven. It's a one year devotional based on Lewis' writing. I started it late and don't always remember to read it every day, so i'm only just finished Jan 21-22 today (Jan 30), but i have been getting quite a bit out of it.Early on (Jan 3&4 i believe) there is an emphasis on understanding that rest and peace

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-72926576215717619132009-01-09T12:32:00.009-06:002009-01-09T16:12:28.104-06:00

I had a kind of strange dream this morning. I dreamed that i had a group of Jr. Highers at a lock in at a mall. We came to the mall and the youth were having a blast running around, eating, playing games, etc. It was around 3 or 4 in the morning and i had thought that the doors were locked. While i was standing there some older youth (mainly Sr. Highers) that i didn't know came to the door

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-29131821611371334262009-01-09T09:24:00.006-06:002009-01-09T10:10:02.629-06:00

This past week as part of the prayer week i have been taking some time away from recreational activities at home at the beginning of the day. This includes things like video games and getting online. Instead i have been spending more time in the word, praying, and spending more focused time with family.I find that whenever i do things like this, it always helps me in my relationship with God

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-21740245822727600522008-07-12T06:37:00.004-05:002008-07-12T08:30:47.350-05:00

I went for my walk this morning and went past some construction that is being done on a nearby major intersection. As i walked by this morning it looked so desolate; dry, dusty, lifeless, vacant. The businesses that were there looked the same way. Numerous of them were closed, and one of them had sprayed on the window that it was for sale. There was no one there, and it seemed as though

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-89019868348162261352008-04-19T06:38:00.004-05:002008-04-19T08:02:27.948-05:00

While speaking with a young man i was working with a couple of weeks ago we started talking about whether or not God changes, or changes His mind. This is the e-mail response that i sent to him. Please note: Names and dates have been changed to protect the innocent. No animals were killed in the making of this letter... severely maimed, maybe, killed, no.Alex,The question was posed, "Does God

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-91336597012282945752008-02-23T06:17:00.007-06:002008-02-23T07:20:44.151-06:00

Our youth and young adults need more than just to be treated as bigger children. They need to be challenged. They need to learn. They need to understand 1) who they are, 2) that they have a purpose & direction, and 3) what that direction and those purposes are. They need to have something to show for their results, something they can hold in their hands. They need something that they can put

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-16302441556565353532008-02-19T06:12:00.004-06:002008-02-19T07:04:25.233-06:00

What is my passion?  This question is so big that it's difficult to answer.  It's like asking the question, "How big is the ocean?".  My vision is for our society and culture to do a 270 degree turn.  To turn the complete opposite way and then some.  Right now in our culture our youth are treated like children.  They act like children because they are expected to act that way, and they are not

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-13907881980283939212008-01-04T06:36:00.000-06:002008-01-04T07:49:54.288-06:00

With the Iowa Caucuses in full force yesterday i was doing some research on the different candidates. I have become more and more interested in politics over the last 10-12 years and it's amazing how much actually goes on.It has become clear to me that in the scheme of things, 1 vote means absolutely nothing. Even if in reality 1 vote really did decide the election, there would be so much

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-46752872378522332422007-12-26T06:42:00.000-06:002007-12-26T07:00:42.606-06:00

Love = not giving up...Love = putting someone else first...Love = making a decision because it is what is best, not necessarily for myself...Love = frustration...Love = time...Love = work...Love = desire...Love = action...Love = being there...Love = hope...Love = doing what you can't stand in order to...Love = letting go...God = love...Love = ???

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-24593804290351219602007-11-20T06:08:00.000-06:002007-11-20T07:15:50.020-06:00

It's funny how God works sometimes. Just the subtle ways that He brings things into perspective. I was getting myself up and going this morning and i have tried to make it a habit of spending time praying for our church leaders each day, especially as we are going through the transition of searching for a new lead pastor.Prayer has been a real struggle for me lately. It seems like i have

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-70074334815349248522007-11-19T06:28:00.000-06:002007-11-19T06:51:11.073-06:00

Lord,I so don't even want to be doing what i'm doing. This is getting so old right now. It's hard to accept and deal with the job and the roles that you have for us to play sometimes. The fact that my numbers are not up to par doesn't help matters any either. I don't know. Lord there is so much going on i just don't know where to go with it all. Lord, i want to thank you for the many, many

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-91427164704261790422007-11-02T06:15:00.000-05:002007-11-02T07:32:34.872-05:00

I was doing some research on rites of passage and how they work when i came across some info that really brought some things together. A rite of passage is a ceremony or test that brings a person from one stage of life to another. For our sake, and as is most commonly seen. The rite of passage refers to the time at which a child becomes an adult. They go from living a life of very limited

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-25190095586624190362007-10-27T06:12:00.000-05:002007-10-27T07:38:06.566-05:00

History has become a very interesting subject to me. When i was in school i wasn't that interested in it as a subject as at the time it was more about a bunch of fact that we had to memorize than anything else. As time has gone by however, that has changed. I have begun to see history a bit more, and i have begun to recognize how it applies (or has not been applied) to today's culture. Many

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-81265208889673784972007-10-25T06:23:00.000-05:002007-10-25T08:24:19.335-05:00

There are so many things, so many frustrations in life right now (like there ever isn't?). It seems like there are problems and issues that i bring to God telling Him that they are too much to handle. I tell Him that i'm at an impasse and something needs to change. There are directions that i really want to go and doors that i really want to be open that aren't and that may not be anytime soon

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-40404492722031201092007-10-17T06:15:00.000-05:002007-10-17T07:30:18.997-05:00

The other day i was thinking about how the presence of the trinity in the Spiritual Armor and the Spiritual Gifts parallel one another, and how there are so many connections that exist that we never see or understand.As i was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is/= the Spirit of truth. He is the girdle of truth that protects the softest parts of our bodies. As a part of the spiritual armor he

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-49182586978785751902007-10-15T06:10:00.000-05:002007-10-15T07:29:28.625-05:00

In one of my earlier posts i had mentioned the trinity (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit) of God showing up in unexpected places. I wasn't expecting to come back to it so soon, but something i was thinking about while helping to get the house cleaned up yesterday really brought it to the forefront of my mind. I processed it with my wife, but i wanted to post it here as well. However, it may not all

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-72817128320271051962007-10-10T06:48:00.000-05:002007-10-12T07:25:57.281-05:00

It seems as thought now a days we as a church & a people see a pastors role as being simply that of a preacher, administrator, and one who encourages you when you are down. We expect the pastor to preach a good sermon on Sunday morning and to take care of church "things". Many times the pastor appears to be judged by how strong his preaching is and how much that preaching "feeds" us. But, is

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-9099291660322204882007-10-06T06:08:00.000-05:002007-10-07T07:21:32.030-05:00

It amazes me sometimes how often the trinity shows up in some very unexpected places. At least unexpected by me. A few years back i got into a discussion with someone who is involved in the oneness doctrine. The oneness doctrine teaches that there is no separation between the Father, Christ, & the Holy Spirit. No trinity, only 1... which is true. There is only 1 God. The Lord our God is One

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-46341001317593696282007-10-03T06:10:00.000-05:002007-10-07T06:55:20.193-05:00

What is the difference between the geek who constantly gets picked on and the cool kid? I wasn't really thinking about this so much on my own, but i had a dream that really started to make this a little more clear.First off, a little background. I was a geek growing up. I didn't have a ton of friends and the places that i excelled were in my classes. The more i am working with youth the more

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-18996828804895054052007-09-29T06:24:00.000-05:002007-09-29T07:28:29.663-05:00

How much of what we do in our lives is nothing more than extraneous crap? How much time do we spend just doing things for the sake of doing them and because we don't really have to put any effort into them, but that don't really do anything with any lasting significance? What happens when our jobs are there only to pay the bills? Do we create ways to have significance in other areas of our

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-38927838289754606182007-09-28T06:19:00.000-05:002007-09-28T07:20:31.101-05:00

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." When i was younger i read that verse and thought that it meant that if i seek the Lord, He will give me what i want. I still think in reality many times that is true. When we delight ourselves in God many times he gives us the things we desire. What i came to

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-26395662004389698622007-09-21T06:18:00.000-05:002007-09-26T07:18:34.443-05:00

The more i look at the world, the more i shake my head wondering what has happened. I started to notice it in high-school. I was walking down the hallway between classes and there was a group kids around fourth grade going down the hallway. Suddenly, it seemed like out of the blue, one of the younger kids starts making fun of one of high-schooler. I mean he just starts reaming on him,

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-54901187578887497422007-09-19T06:07:00.000-05:002007-09-19T07:14:20.031-05:00

A bunch of years back i came to the understanding that i have stated here previously. Everything is connected to everything else. The physical to the emotional to the spiritual to the intellectual. Everything is interconnected. As i was thinking about this interconnection in my prayer and devotional time i came across a correlation that really shocked me. The more i thought about it, the

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-50228389624093940462007-09-14T06:10:00.000-05:002007-09-14T07:26:17.694-05:00

It's interesting to me how i hear people talk about good and evil. Our society & the media seem to see good and evil as diametrically opposed forces. As if it is a battle between God and the devil. Black vs. white. Hot vs Cold. Two equally ranked brute titans battling for the ages and whoever is stronger wins. What is interesting to me is that in many ways they have it right without ever

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-89803836406201249322007-09-08T06:16:00.000-05:002007-09-08T07:37:35.692-05:00

One day a mother entered an antique store with her young son. She was looking for a gift for a friend and she knew that this shop owner would have it or know where she could find it. As she was talking with the owner her son starts to cry. They go over to investigate what the problem is. When she finds her son he is standing with his hand stuck in an ancient oriental vase. This vase is

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-14534008451523269842007-09-01T07:04:00.000-05:002007-09-05T07:10:37.605-05:00

This is part 2. Please see "Let's Talk About (More Than Just) Sex Baby" for part 1. In part 1 we were talking about how we as people are made up of interconnected parts or facets. When there is a problem with one aspect of our lives it affects the others as well. We were relating that to relationships and how we tend to (as a church) focus on the unhealthy physical aspects of a relationship.

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-17040519010487668242007-08-31T06:15:00.001-05:002007-09-01T07:03:05.388-05:00

The Youth Pastor (and interim Head Pastor) at our church began a series this week with the Sr. High youth about dating. He had some really good material to work with and i will have to get a copy of his notes. They cover many of the same concepts and topics i would have covered but with a little bit of a better structure. When he was speaking it reminded me of some things... some cultural &

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-83138222130457675492007-08-29T06:16:00.000-05:002007-08-29T07:24:38.707-05:00

There is so much about prayer that i don't understand at times. Then there are other times that pieces begin to fit together that didn't fit before. For instance the connection between prayer and worship. Years ago when i was in high school Scott Laird, the worship leader at my church, made a comment about how they were connected. He mentioned how many times when we worship God we are

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-76503011043973951812007-08-27T06:12:00.000-05:002007-08-27T06:55:54.340-05:00

It's a funny thing about prayer. My undergraduate work was in Bible and Youth Ministry. While i was in Bible college i got myself into this habit of getting up an extra hour and a half to two and a half hours early to pray. Most everyone else was still asleep, but i was up in the prayer room studying, praying, and worshiping. Going to bed early and a well needed nap were necessary at the

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-50232920026475875202007-08-25T06:38:00.000-05:002007-08-25T07:22:45.485-05:00

How much are Jr. High youth able to handle? Do we give them credit where credit is due? We have been working on a series with the Jr. High youth that talks about what God is like. Each week we look at another facet of God's personality and the kinds of things He is or does. For instance we talked about how God is an inventor, a rescue worker, a servant, etc. Each week we do different

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-10712833984899512982007-08-22T06:18:00.000-05:002007-08-25T06:37:59.825-05:00

Our (western, first world country) world is in such a rush. People running here and there. A thousand things have to get done in the day, and when the day is done there are a hundred other things that we want to do. We plunge onto the couch to watch tv. We sit down at the computer to read and surf the net. We IM each other to stay in touch. Everything is about staying busy doing

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-77758230718245139052007-08-16T07:49:00.000-05:002007-08-17T06:12:39.199-05:00

One of the problems that comes with our focus on and demand for individuality, self-reliance, and independence is that every decision that we makes affects not only us, but everyone around us. We are not an island in and of ourselves. We are not self-sustaining nor are we simply self-affecting. It's easy for us to look at our lives and our world and try to convince ourselves that we are only

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-73051218418178164112007-08-13T07:02:00.000-05:002007-08-13T06:51:48.005-05:00

One of the hallmarks of our society is the mentality of independence, self-reliance, and individuality. The focus is on standing out and being yourself. "Be faithful to yourself" It's what we are taught in school. It's what we see in life. It's a major focus in our society. Make what is around you fit your personality and style. Is there necessarily anything wrong with these concepts?

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-8959737552206072782007-08-04T06:11:00.000-05:002007-08-04T07:27:21.420-05:00

There are so many things that we have lost with the advance of technology in our modern and post-modern age. So many things that are key to our success and survival. Our views and mentalities have changed, and as a result we are slowly losing parts of ourselves. There is so much of who we are that is linked to the past. Yet the past is being discarded in the face of the future.So many times

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-66847367359084088392007-08-01T06:40:00.000-05:002007-08-01T07:21:06.578-05:00

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it."Proverbs 22:6How are we training our children? What do we want our children to become? It's funny, because many times we send our kids off to school to be raised and trained by other people. We may see them in the evening when they come home from school and we get home from work, and at that point we as

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-3249795494932269132007-07-30T06:13:00.000-05:002007-07-30T07:10:36.959-05:00

There are so many things that can be done. There are so many things that need to be done. There is so much work that my mind gets lost just thinking about what is needed to even start (not that it's difficult for my mind to get lost or anything). The obvious starting point is with myself and my own family, but what next. My wife and i are getting more involved with the youth group in our

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-35425013812531834712007-07-28T06:33:00.000-05:002007-07-30T06:16:35.532-05:00

So now what? This is the difficult part. I see and for the most part understand the problem. That's the easy part. It's what to do next that is the difficult part. The problem exists on so many levels in our society that it is nigh impossible to tackle it all. It deals with institutions and views that are ingrained into our society and that have been a part of this culture and environment

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-69347303249559445512007-07-27T06:13:00.000-05:002007-07-27T07:39:25.409-05:00

It's nice to not be feeling miserable all the time. Now i just need to get past the complete exhaustion phase and the massively stressed out one. Anyways, that's neither here nor there.I think it's time to reiterate and refine my vision, and to look at what i am doing and needing to do to bring that vision to fruition.What is my vision? My vision is to have youth and young adults prepared for

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-46830413240232022312007-07-20T06:17:00.000-05:002007-07-20T07:20:46.999-05:00

So, how do we develop growth and maturity in young adults? How do we nurture it and encourage it? I don't think that there is an easy answer to these questions. It's like asking a salesman how to sell something to someone. You could ask 100 different salesmen and get 100 different answers. Ultimately the core of the issue is that when a young person is encouraged to act immaturely, chances

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-77983073214703075662007-07-18T06:05:00.000-05:002007-07-18T07:24:03.671-05:00

What does it take for a person, a group of people to grow and mature? When i look at our youth today i can see that many times a young adult can act mature and grow to become a healthy adult in an environment that is less than healthy. In these situations there are a couple of things that build this support, 1) people that stand in the gap, 2) their willingness to be that mature person, and 3)

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-38080916242485709182007-07-16T06:04:00.000-05:002007-07-16T06:35:16.083-05:00

It's so easy to get distracted in who we are that we lose focus on who God is and who He wants us to be. It's easy to get caught up in the things that are frustrating and distracting, the things that suck our attention and we lose focus on the things that really need our attention. It becomes, "what will make me feel better?", "what do i want?", or even "what am i supposed to do?" rather than,

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-34565435725415983022007-07-14T06:23:00.000-05:002007-07-14T07:21:05.177-05:00

So what is so special about faithfulness? I have been really mulling this over in my mind for the last few days or so. I have come to realize that faithfulness is something existent in all people. Everyone is faithful to something or someone. Even those of us that we would call unfaithful are faithful to something; whether it be our emotional desires at the time, our selfish wants, or what

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-63138686789539993912007-07-13T06:10:00.000-05:002007-07-14T06:16:36.566-05:00

I have been working on a lesson for the Jr. High youth this past week. I am finding that curriculum's over all to me tend to be more limiting than necessarily helpful. They have some good ideas for games and such, but when it comes to the lesson, especially in this one we are using right now, it tends to be a little simple minded and milk minded rather than meat minded. It's the kind of lesson

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-17509568072187431252007-07-11T06:08:00.000-05:002007-07-11T08:55:59.453-05:00

I think i'm beginning to understand things on a completely different level. I don't really like my job a whole lot. I basically work the job to pay the bills and have the insurance so that i can come home, spend some time with my family, work with the youth, etc. Last night, however, i began to see a little better how the other side lives. All my life i have spent in a Christian environment.

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-83562036389256751302007-07-09T06:07:00.000-05:002007-07-09T07:05:03.265-05:00

It's amazing looking at the names of God. God has so many names that we don't consider at times. Each of His names have a reason, have a story, and have power. For example:JHWH-Rapha’ (Raphah) – “The God that Heals You” Exodus 15:22-27The Israelite people had just left Egypt where they had seen God work and do some amazing things there. God had taken one of the most powerful nations in the

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-32681695833734254572007-07-07T06:08:00.000-05:002007-07-07T08:34:22.668-05:00

Why is it that we assume that teenagers are supposed to be immature and make stupid decisions? I know that i caught myself doing it yesterday. I was at work and i was talking with someone about their teenaged grandson. From what this lady was saying, it sounded like her grandson was making very wise decisions about his relationships, dating, and girls. The more i listened to her talking about

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-44480117362860412672007-07-04T06:07:00.000-05:002007-07-04T09:02:17.606-05:00

It being 4th of July and all, i have been so tempted to write an article "celebrating" America's freedom. Our freedom to become slaves to media franchises with their own (not so) hidden agendas. Our freedom to work so hard that we alienate our children and place them under government care to be raised & instructed. Our freedom to allow Supreme Court Justices to make decisions for the people

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-19454048662923115012007-07-02T06:10:00.000-05:002007-07-02T06:51:42.036-05:00

It's amazing when you have the vision and the desire for something and that desire is so big that you can't even function properly in your daily life. Going to work only makes sense because you need to pay the bills so that you can do what has been laid on your heart to do. You would rather be doing that thing for your job than the job that you have. More and more, this is where my wife and i

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-52108569228822261242007-06-30T06:21:00.000-05:002007-06-30T07:17:48.680-05:00

It is so easy for us to get distracted doing things for God, even good and right things, instead of doing what God tells us to do. God criticizes King Saul for this in I Samuel 15:22. God had commanded King Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Instead he kept the choice sheep and other cattle as well as King Agag alive. Samuel the prophet criticizes and speaks to Saul about this.1Sa 15:22

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-50955573269324275342007-06-29T06:24:00.000-05:002007-06-29T07:23:19.077-05:00

It amazes me sometimes how much a person grows and matures in difficulties. So often we want things to be easy. We want to have things given to us. We don't want to have the difficulties, and yet... that is the only way that we can grow. With troubles and trials comes growth. With problems and adversity comes the potential for maturity. When everything we want is handed to us, we tend to

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-58019356217562278952007-06-23T06:00:00.000-05:002007-06-23T07:27:22.067-05:00

Our lives are filled with so much frustration and difficulty sometimes. Most of the time it is of our making, but not always. The question becomes, what do we do with them? When our world starts to fall apart, what do we do? How do we handle it?The job that i currently have to pay the bills is one dealing with people. It is a job in which i talk to random people, help them with their

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-31520600865700303902007-06-16T06:28:00.000-05:002007-06-16T07:31:22.304-05:00

I think that the fall has hit women harder than it has hit man. While man was created out in the wilderness and before the garden; woman was formed from man when man was in the garden. When woman was created, her very first experiences were in this perfect luxury. It was the best of every part of creation all come together. What she saw and what she knew was the beauty, the scents, the sounds

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-87229726619429708582007-06-06T23:22:00.000-05:002007-06-07T00:21:01.254-05:00

I guess that i just don't get it sometimes. It amazes me how important it is to people, how important it is to me at times, to win. As time has gone by i'm starting to recognize more and more how driven we are, not only to do well and succeed, but to be number 1. Not that being number one is necessarily bad, but too often being number one comes at the cost of everything / everyone else.I like

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-3682900514484871692007-06-02T06:51:00.000-05:002007-06-02T07:29:51.096-05:00

Everybody knows that there are differences between men and women. Some try to deny them and state that the only difference are those created by our societies in order to push women down, but it doesn't take a genius to recognize the obvious problems with that argument. Either way we're not here to argue that debate at this point. I did want to help us understand better how and why some of

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-8987494430046737312007-05-19T06:07:00.000-05:002007-05-19T07:43:29.929-05:00

I've been getting a little distracted lately. I started getting back into this in order to write about marriage and marriage issues, and instead i have ended up doing a commentary on Genesis. I apologize. There are a couple of more things i want to touch on here then i need to get out of Genesis. It's turning into a crutch.God drew Adam & Eve out of hiding after their eating of the fruit. He

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-89677608937554044632007-05-12T06:47:00.000-05:002007-05-12T07:51:38.029-05:00

What is it about us and our lives that makes us think that we can hide from God. We as humans have created so many ways to attempt to hide from God that it would be impossible to list them all. There is the "attempt to recreate God in my own image so that i don't have to acknowledge who He really is" method. There is the "try to convince myself and everyone else that God doesn't exist thereby

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-5437601639002427372007-05-05T06:21:00.000-05:002007-05-05T07:41:46.880-05:00

I think it's interesting that after eating the forbidden fruit, and their eyes being open to the knowledge of the good and evil, the very first thing that Adam and Eve notice, outside of the decision and direct consequences, is that they are naked. And, that they were ashamed of it. They had been naked the entire time previously. They had seen each other naked day after day hour after hour,

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-9074915115560736592007-04-28T06:06:00.000-05:002007-04-28T07:22:10.045-05:00

Please be aware that this post is a continuation of the previous week's post. In my mind there is no doubt that Adam recognized a difference in his wife when she offered him the fruit. One cannot go from a perfectly made human being to much, much less than that without it being clear as day. Sin creates a separation, a gap, a chasm between that which is holy and that which is not. As a result,

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-7609080989375473062007-04-21T06:13:00.000-05:002007-04-21T07:35:45.679-05:00

"She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."Genesis 3:6I really have to wonder what was going on in Adam's head when his wife Eve gave him the forbidden fruit. I have already commented about what the text states here; that Adam was with Eve at the time. When researching this word it appears that by Adam being "with" Eve he was in the very near vicinity if not right next to her at the

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1176552071959539412007-04-14T06:16:00.000-05:002007-04-14T07:27:16.063-05:00

"Eve gave the fruit to her husband who was with her, and he ate it." I remember when i was in college and one of the guys i was rooming with at the time and i were talking about this. We were assigned to read a theology book by one of the major denominations as part of a class. The chapter was on sin and the fall of man. I don't remember exactly how it was stated but i remember the basic gist

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1175946385241161712007-04-07T06:08:00.000-05:002007-04-07T08:00:50.956-05:00

Genesis 3:6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.It's interesting to see here how this all plays out. Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was 1) good for food, 2) pleasing to the eyes, & 3) desirable to make one wise. Why

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1175347038070247392007-03-31T09:15:00.000-05:002007-03-31T09:19:51.343-05:00

With that seed of doubt firmly planted in the woman's mind, the serpent than fertilizes and waters that seeds with partial truth. This develops a lie that ultimately brings Eve and all of mankind to destruction. The enemy simply tells Eve "You will not die. For the Lord knows that in the day that you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good from evil"1) "You

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1174737048014701302007-03-24T07:50:00.000-05:002007-03-24T08:49:34.443-05:00

So how does it all begin? What leads up to sin entering the world? There are numerous small steps that occur that bring this destruction and end.Step 1) Doubt. The serpent, who is more cunning than the beasts of the field, comes to Eve and plants a simple seed in her mind. It is a seed of doubt. "Did God really say not to eat of the tree?"It's interesting, something as tiny as a seed can

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1174218904777252132007-03-18T07:09:00.000-05:002007-03-18T08:55:55.176-05:00

I think that there are some important things to consider when looking at the creation of man and the roles and responsibilities of man and woman as they were created. God created man. God instructed / blessed man saying "(1) be fruitful and multiply, (2) fill the earth and subdue it, (3)have dominion over..." These were the instructions that defined man, gave him a purpose, and gave him

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1173535099837057582007-03-10T07:53:00.000-06:002007-03-24T07:15:38.920-05:00

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.And they were both naked, the man and his wife and they were not ashamed"I really don't understand it. Why the stigma about sex? It seems like it is such a fired up topic. It's like there is a shame stigma that everyone has attached to sex, and fighting that stigma is a way to rebel

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1173013970778506362007-03-04T06:33:00.000-06:002007-03-04T07:20:28.543-06:00

On more of a personal side note, i had an interesting incident with my younger daughter on my way to work yesterday. I currently have 2 jobs. My (temporary) primary job is with the phone company, and my second one is currently only on Saturdays with a video game store. When i go to work at the phone company i always bring my Bible. I have an hour long lunch break and rather than waste 45

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1172929779033586332007-03-03T06:50:00.000-06:002007-03-03T07:49:39.073-06:00

So God put man to sleep, removed a part of him, formed a new being from him, and brought her to him. Now it's interesting in comparing & contrasting men & women how this text explains some of the differences.Man was created in the wild. He was created out in the wilderness of the world. That was his first experience and what he based his life on. He was not placed into the garden until later.

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1172411559763565742007-02-25T06:59:00.000-06:002007-03-03T06:47:26.436-06:00

So God formed woman from man. God recognized that nothing outside of man was going to be comparable. So He did something different. He took 1 body, 1 soul, 1 will, and created 2. So the question is, what happens when you put two wills together?There is a great deal of potential for 1 person. One person can spend their life sitting around doing as little as possible and just barely getting by

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1172324446613909592007-02-24T06:32:00.000-06:002007-02-24T07:40:46.680-06:00

It's important to understand that it is not good for a man or a woman to be alone. Neither are they complete in and of themselves. She needs more than herself, he and God alone is not good. Man needs woman and woman needs man. We are each incomplete alone.However, it must also be stated that an incomplete man and an incomplete woman together are not complete. To understand this i will use 2

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1171895714454942552007-02-19T07:25:00.000-06:002007-02-19T08:35:14.520-06:00

It's interesting that in the passage where God says that it is not good for man to be alone that He talks about a partner that is suitable to him. I like how Young's Living Translation puts it "make to him an helper--as his counterpart.' " So He brought Man all of the animals and man named them, but none was found suitable for him. No other creation could be considered man's counterpart.

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1171719305542850752007-02-17T06:39:00.000-06:002007-02-17T09:45:41.763-06:00

I think the first step to really understand marriage is to look at the source. Why does marriage exist? Where did it come from?For that we need to go to Genesis 1-3. First, God created the heavens and the earth.1) On the first day God created light and separated it from the darkness.2) Next He created a firmament & divided the waters from the waters.3) On day 3 He created dry land4 - 1a) After

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1171113958654079732007-02-10T07:01:00.000-06:002007-02-10T07:25:58.680-06:00

That seems like a silly question. Everyone knows what marriage is. . . don't they?You would think that it is a simple question with a simple answer, but that's not so much anymore. With the divorce rate so high and so many broken marriages, the concept of what marriage is seems to be much different than it used to be.One of the books i'm looking at writing deals with this issue of what

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1171112397526619632007-02-10T06:40:00.000-06:002007-02-10T07:33:35.983-06:00

Changes in the way we do business! I have not been very good at updating my blog lately so i'm going to attempt to make changes to how i do it.Don't get me wrong. It's not that i don't write. In fact i write in one form or another almost every day. I just don't usually do it on my computer. So i decided that since everything we do (or don't do) is about priorities and making time for what is

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1169309769915611722007-01-20T09:19:00.000-06:002007-01-20T10:21:09.236-06:00

It's funny to me how we as people tend to look at our world and society and assume it is so great. The mentality is that we are the most "advanced" and the most "civilized" society. Our view (American/first world nations) of this comes not only from where we are, but who we are. We look at where we are compared to where we have come and assume that we are in a better situation now than in

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1156767730892736512006-08-28T06:58:00.000-05:002006-08-31T06:59:10.843-05:00

I have just recently finished filling up an old devotional/sermon notes notebook and before really getting into a new one i wanted to go through and highlight some of what i thought were key notes. Due to wanting to limit my space, this is just a sampling of my notes. You can read all of the posted ones at my googlepages page.Keep in mind, some of these things are not necessarily statements of

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1155643439217216232006-08-15T06:44:00.000-05:002006-08-15T09:53:40.450-05:00

The bulletin below has been making the rounds on myspace and i had to comment on it. This principle is one of my major pet-peves.I know way too many really beautiful girls who think they don't look good... It hurts... because it's our fault, guys I mean YOU. We make girls feel like they have to be perfect. You know what I mean, flat stomach, big boobs, round booty, long legs, sexy lips, and on

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1155335692533724442006-08-11T16:18:00.000-05:002006-08-11T18:28:30.676-05:00

Mike posted this comment and i thought it would be good to try to answer his question for him.Ok, strange question. You're confident that Jesus Christ spoke with God and is his last true prophet, right?Why do you think devout believers of another religon disagree? I'm especially curious about the ones who spoke with God after Jesus, such as muslims, and mormans.This is not a question that has a

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1155133734027743092006-08-09T09:27:00.000-05:002006-08-09T09:28:54.046-05:00

This is part of my testimony and some of who i am.I grew up in a Christian home and was saved at a young age. As i grew older i knew that God was real and working in my life.When i was around 10 or 11 years old God came to me asking me if i loved Him more than something else that was very important in my life. It took me a moment to look at what I saw of the church and decide that if all of these

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1154782094230505412006-08-05T07:46:00.000-05:002006-08-05T07:48:14.230-05:00

By the way, i am actually on MySpace. Can you guess what the address is.... wait for it... wait for it... That's right! http://www.myspace.com/jcmasterpiece

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1154781958545698272006-08-05T07:42:00.000-05:002006-08-05T07:45:58.573-05:00

I posted this on my MySpace blog on Thursday... What Mike commented in my last post is exactly along the lines of this. This morning i woke up from a not so great dream and was thinking some more about anger. In my dream i had gotten completely fed up with a bunch of crap people were giving me and i blew up. It reminded me how much anger comes from pain. When God created us, he created us

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1154555137966242192006-08-02T16:44:00.000-05:002006-08-02T16:45:46.263-05:00

These are some of my thought while i was doing my devotions this morning. Psalm 2:1 asks,Why do the nations rage,And the people plot a vain thing?The chapter goes on to talk about how the wicked attempt to stand against God's anointed, and God promises to/about His Son and the kings.The first line of the first verse is what i was really focused on this morning. Why do the nations rage? Why do

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The job hunt has been really stressful for both Lori and i. We had been wanting to leave Arkansas pretty much since the moment we got there. We finally felt like we got released from there in the beginning of June. We had felt like the move from Pocahontas to Hartford was more about faith and trust in God than about the job.Since we have moved here i have been working very hard to find a job. It

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I wrote in earlier posts about the World Question and what my response would be to last years question of what i believe to be true even though i cannot prove it. I promised that i would write about this year's question "What is my dangerous idea?", so here it is.My dangerous idea is that our modern public educational system is almost completely failing today's youth. If the purpose of the

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Isaiah 66:1-2Thus says the Lord,"Heaven (is) My throneAnd earth (is) My footstoolWhere (is) the house that you will build Me?And where (is) the place of My rest?For all those (things) My hand has madeAnd all those (things) exist"Says the Lord."But on this (one) will I lookOn (him who is) poor and of a contrite spiritAnd who trembles at My word.This passage talks about how we tend to focus on what

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Isaiah 61:10-11א) I will greatly rejoice in the Lordב) My soul will be joyful to my Godא) For He has clothed me with the garments of salvationב) He has covered me with the robe of righteousnessא) As a bridegroom decks (himself) in ornamentsב) And a bride adorns (herself) in her jewelsא) For as the earth brings forth its budsב) And a garden causes what has been sown in it to spring forthג)

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1138284217548628302006-01-26T07:37:00.000-06:002006-01-26T08:04:50.406-06:00

Yesterday something i was reading pointed out the first of these two intelligence tests. Being someone who enjoys these kinds of things i was naturally interested,... then caught in the trap. Because of these tests i wasted most of the productive time that i had had yesterday (thankfully i still got the work done that i needed to). But, being the kind person that i am, i decided to share to

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After reading the comments on my last post i decided to pose some questions for the readers and commentators of this site. Kim made the comment that "Society is sexualizing our children at younger ages than ever before", and that this could be causing numerous problems. I commented that i agreed with her, but let's see what you have to say. 1) Do you agree that our society is sexualizing our

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I have been working on and trying to get this post done since about Thursday. Now it's Sunday and i still don't have it finished. I get the feeling that if i don't post this soon, i never will. So here's an unrefined but postable draft.A friend of mine that i work with found the article, Politically Incorrect Advice for Young Men and bookmarked it. I was focused on getting necessary work

JCMasterpiecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07370710324080388450noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12526930.post-1136650078219874182006-01-07T10:07:00.000-06:002006-01-07T10:07:58.576-06:00

Last year’s World Question was “What do You Believe is True Even Though You Cannot Prove it?”  I suppose that there are a great many things that i believe, and that i cannot prove.  For instance i believe that no one is an accident.  I believe that every human being has a purpose greater than themself that they can reach/attain, or not, but never on their own.  I believe that every person has the

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It appears that each year the Edge Foundation, Inc. asks an annual "World Question" inviting scientists and intellectuals all over the world to respond with thieir thoughts and ideas. Many of responses end up published in a book. Last year's question was "What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it", with the responses published in the book What We Believe But Cannot Prove:

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There are many that say that homosexuality is a nature (as opposed to nurture) issue and that the idea that a person can "become" homosexual due to circumstances is rediculous.There is an article on C|Net.com about how a Boy Joins a Sordid Online World Through His Webcam. It's about how he got online with his webcam to meet girls and ended up as a major player in the online child pornography

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