Tonight was another night at juvee. The guys seem to really be opening up now and are becoming more comfortable with the random guy that shows up on Wednesday nights to talk and play basketball. I myself am getting more comfortable with it as well.
Tonight we talked about not wasting one's life, how even when many people in the Bible such as Daniel, Joseph, or Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego were at some pretty low points in their lives things still turned around for the better thanks to God. (When I began to talk about some of these people it was one of the guys in there that mentioned the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It's surprising what these guys have heard of before.) It was then mentioned how if these guys are ever gonna turn their lives around they're gonna need Christ's help. Without Christ we can do nothing, but with Him we can do everything. When asked if they had any prayer requests many of the guys mentioned that they did want to get their lives on the right track once they get out of here. They did want to change. They don't want to spend the rest of their lives incarcerated. These guys have dreams that they want to see become reality someday, and serving a life sentence isn't one of them. But they're gonna need a lot of help and a lot of prayer to get to that place. Which brings me to the reason that I began typing up this post anyway. I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe what the Bible says about prayer (1 John 5:14-15 and Matthew 18:20 come to mind). If ya'll would pray for these guys with me it would really mean a lot to them.
Z. - to get his life right once he gets out Sunday
D. - to get his life on the right track, to comfort his family, and that his court date will go well
K. - to comfort his family, and that the court date will go well
Z. - for his family, and for the court date to go well
D. - to get his life right, for his family, and that the court date will go well
N. - to comfort his family, and that he won't be in there until he's 18
As you can see, court dates and family are the two most popular requests. These guys really care about their families and their court dates are days that essentially decide what's gonna happen to them for either a small or large part of their immediate future. Both issues need prayer.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Stereotypical Guide to Recognizing Majors
Though I have not been at college as long as many other people, I have been here long enough to realize that one of the most common questions that one will be asked is, "So, what's your major?". Around the end of one's second semester of college one quickly tires of hearing and/or asking this question, and frankly, simply doesn't need to ask this question to others because one can already tell what another's major is just by looking at them. The following list is a guide to help to put an end to this needless question, as well as to be able to impress people that you have just met by being able to state their major before you even know anything else about them besides their name:
religion/philosophy - students of these majors tend to have very impressive facial hair, particularly beards. Even the professors seem to follow this trend for some unknown reason. (Note: this does not also apply to females, as they never major in either of these)
mathematics - students of this major are easily spotted thanks to what is known as a 'math sweater'. A math sweater is a sweater that though not considered hideous, comes very close to crossing that line.
kinesiology/exercise science/athletic training - these people are the ones that walk around campus carrying gymbags. They need these to carry around their clothes and equipment for extremely difficult classes such as: badminton, ping pong, tumbling, or bowling. All athletes also fall under these majors. Athletes can be recognized by their obvious lack of being in dress code in class (such as shorts, wife beaters, or sweat pants) or extremely long hair.
Spanish - students of this major can be recognized by their apparel or accesories. Males within this major will almost certainly wear a Latino looking hoodie that they purchased while on their missions trip/family cruise to Mexico, while females will carry a brightly colored striped purse/bag thingy that they got on their missions trip/family cruise to Mexico.
youth ministry/worship - these people can be consistently spotted due to their constant wearing of flip flops and flannel. Hair resembling Justin Beiber or the carrying of a guitar case also classify one as a youth ministry/worship major. Youth ministry/worship majors tend to come out in droves in the warmer months where they can be found all over campus grounds playing guitars and singing to females.
So, here's a very basic list of some very basic majors. Though this list is certainly not exhaustive, these majors tend to comprise the majority of a campus, and are a good starting point for being able to recognize other majors such as engineering. I hope that this comes in handy.
business/communications - students of these majors are very easy to identify. If one spots a male dressed up very nicely in a tie and suit, he is a business major. However, if a female is dressed very nicely in business atire, she is a communications major. There is little to no leeway here. Briefcases are another obvious sign that one falls within this group.
kinesiology/exercise science/athletic training - these people are the ones that walk around campus carrying gymbags. They need these to carry around their clothes and equipment for extremely difficult classes such as: badminton, ping pong, tumbling, or bowling. All athletes also fall under these majors. Athletes can be recognized by their obvious lack of being in dress code in class (such as shorts, wife beaters, or sweat pants) or extremely long hair.
Spanish - students of this major can be recognized by their apparel or accesories. Males within this major will almost certainly wear a Latino looking hoodie that they purchased while on their missions trip/family cruise to Mexico, while females will carry a brightly colored striped purse/bag thingy that they got on their missions trip/family cruise to Mexico.
So, here's a very basic list of some very basic majors. Though this list is certainly not exhaustive, these majors tend to comprise the majority of a campus, and are a good starting point for being able to recognize other majors such as engineering. I hope that this comes in handy.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
All We Have to Do is Try
So, Wednesday nights are the night that I go to the juvenile detention center here in town for a Bible study with the guys there, with a hope of getting to play a little basketball with them too. I look forward to this time of the week because I feel that it is one of the times that I'm actually actively doing something to further His kingdom and it is very exciting to see the results that God brings to the place. One of the first things that one realizes upon setting foot in this place is that the people there are just like you. They aren't always straight up thugs and punks as the media will lead one to believe, but people just like you or me. They like the same stuff, play the same games, and eat the same food as me. They also have dreams, desires, and goals for their life.They don't want to be in prison for the rest of their lives, they want to do something with their lives, they want to have a future.
Tonight one of my friends from the dorm named Abe* came to the prison with me. Abe is one of my newer friends on the hall, seeing that he just moved in about three weeks ago, but he's been a great guy. He's been through a lot with his life. Everything from drug dealing, to weapon sales, to some pretty nasty fights, he's been in it. But within the past two years or so, thanks to a pretty intense boot camp called Teen Challenge, Abe came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior and he's been living differently ever since. He's been on mission trips to Guatemala, given his testimony to hundreds of people, and gotten away from his past life.
Tonight after we'd finished playing basketball with the guys there, Abe gave his testimony. He told about how deep he had been into the world of drugs, how he should have been in either prison or a casket, but God had better plans for his life. God kept him from those places through some pretty miraculous events as well as some pretty miraculous people.
After Abe was finished we split the guys up into two different groups to talk about what they had just heard. One would expect these guys to just shrug it off and not pay attention, but instead they were sincerely interested in what had just been said. They thought it was amazing that Abe had been through all that and how he had gotten out, and they told very similar scary stories from their own lives about how they could have ended up in prison for a very long time but miraculously ended up there instead. One of the guys was even interested in the boot camp that Abe had gone to, saying that he had been looking for something like that for a while to get his life back in line. Make no mistake, these guys do want to change, they don't want to live like this forever, and they are seeking for answers how. They are incredibly open to the Gospel, all they need is for someone to tell them about it.
After an amazing night like tonight it makes one wonder if Christians realize that it is much easier to share the Gospel with others than one might originally think. People aren't always going to completely stop what you're saying and tell you to leave. People are wandering through life...and they're sick of it. They want someone to tell them how they might have hope, how to add meaning to their life. As Christians, all we have to do is try. You might be amazed at the results.
*name changed for his own privacy's sake
Tonight one of my friends from the dorm named Abe* came to the prison with me. Abe is one of my newer friends on the hall, seeing that he just moved in about three weeks ago, but he's been a great guy. He's been through a lot with his life. Everything from drug dealing, to weapon sales, to some pretty nasty fights, he's been in it. But within the past two years or so, thanks to a pretty intense boot camp called Teen Challenge, Abe came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior and he's been living differently ever since. He's been on mission trips to Guatemala, given his testimony to hundreds of people, and gotten away from his past life.
Tonight after we'd finished playing basketball with the guys there, Abe gave his testimony. He told about how deep he had been into the world of drugs, how he should have been in either prison or a casket, but God had better plans for his life. God kept him from those places through some pretty miraculous events as well as some pretty miraculous people.
After Abe was finished we split the guys up into two different groups to talk about what they had just heard. One would expect these guys to just shrug it off and not pay attention, but instead they were sincerely interested in what had just been said. They thought it was amazing that Abe had been through all that and how he had gotten out, and they told very similar scary stories from their own lives about how they could have ended up in prison for a very long time but miraculously ended up there instead. One of the guys was even interested in the boot camp that Abe had gone to, saying that he had been looking for something like that for a while to get his life back in line. Make no mistake, these guys do want to change, they don't want to live like this forever, and they are seeking for answers how. They are incredibly open to the Gospel, all they need is for someone to tell them about it.
After an amazing night like tonight it makes one wonder if Christians realize that it is much easier to share the Gospel with others than one might originally think. People aren't always going to completely stop what you're saying and tell you to leave. People are wandering through life...and they're sick of it. They want someone to tell them how they might have hope, how to add meaning to their life. As Christians, all we have to do is try. You might be amazed at the results.
*name changed for his own privacy's sake
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Today I...
...learned some Korean, ate a banana, saw a guy with a bowl cut, fenced, did some homework, watched a girl get slung into the air after her feet let go of the seat while on the lat pulldown machine, took a nap, thought about China, felt bad for the employees at the Tilley who have to listen to the scream-o concert, read a hilarious website, reminisced about my senior trip, considered phlebotomy, learned how to read an EKG, almost lost my toes, walked from class to my dorm barefoot (closely related to the losing of the toes), read the Koran (and the Bible too),spent too much time on facebook,debated between physician assistant or physical therapy school, talked to my mom, and ate some really good chicken.
Oh yeah, here's the website - Funny Stuff
Oh yeah, here's the website - Funny Stuff
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Why Won't We Witness?
I saw this video a while back and it got me to thinking (and not just because it mentions my name)...
A Letter From Hell
I feel that as a whole, the church in America has forgotten to and how to witness. When I look at other parts of the world where the church is booming such as East Asia, Africa, and the Middle East I wonder how the church is able to grow that rapidly with all of the persecution that occurs there while the church here is indeed growing, but nowhere near the rate as it is in other parts of the world. It seems kind of ironic that where we have religious freedom we have become apathetic and scared regarding witnessing, but where people can be put to death for believing in Christ they view witnessing as an essential part of daily life. How have we become this way? Though I am certainly no anthropologist, after thinking about it for a while I think that these are a few of the reasons:
1) Materialism - Here in North America, people have definately been blessed materially. However, I believe that people have grown content and comfortable with their possessions. They receive a sense of security through things. To be frank, people in other countries typically don't have as much as we do over here and I think this causes them to act as if they have nothing to lose, while we act as if witnessing will cause us to lose everything.
2) A passiveness about where others spend eternity - We have become perfectly content with where things are at now. We think that if God wants somebody to be saved that they will find a way somehow, while we do nothing to help. I don't understand how people can do this. These are our brothers, sisters, coworkers, neighbors, parents, and friends we are talking about, and yet we care nothing about where these people will spend eternity.
3) Fear - We have become afraid of what others will say or think about us. We've become afraid that someone might not like us anymore, that we'll offend someone, or that we'll be made fun of. How have we gotten to the point that we have become so self-absorbed that we care more about our own temporary comfort rather than others' eternal destiny?
4) The "I witness through the way I live" excuse - Yes, we are supposed to live a Godly lifestyle. But if one looks at Jesus' life, He not only lived in a God pleasing way, but He actively witnessed as well. Everywhere Christ went He was telling others about how they could be reconciled with God. What would have happened had He just went through His life completely silent regarding the matter as many of us are doing today? I feel that this is nothing more than an excuse to get one's self out of some potentially uncomfortable situations.
5) The "I don't know how/am not trained enough" excuse - Many people will quickly give this as an excuse as to why they will not or don't witness. We in America have been blessed with religious freedom and many, though certainly not all, have been going to church for a very long time, if not a majority of our life. After this much time as a Christian and this much time in church, Bible studies, weekend retreats, personal devotions, etc. how are you not prepared to share the Gospel? If you compare yourself with many Christians in places such as the Middle East who have just come to Christ, how is it that they are willing to share their faith with others immediately though they certainly do not have near the amount of training that the majority of us have today?
These are only a few (I ended up counting 10, I might post the rest later...) of what I believe to be some of the reasons that the church in America has forgotten/forsaken the command to actively witness. I believe that we can certainly do much better than we are now. It is my prayer that God would open up the eyes of believers throughout America and cause them to see people through Christ's eyes. By seeing people in this way it becomes impossible to not desire to do something to reach out to the people whom surround us. May God open our eyes and put a passion in our hearts to reach the lost.
A Letter From Hell
I feel that as a whole, the church in America has forgotten to and how to witness. When I look at other parts of the world where the church is booming such as East Asia, Africa, and the Middle East I wonder how the church is able to grow that rapidly with all of the persecution that occurs there while the church here is indeed growing, but nowhere near the rate as it is in other parts of the world. It seems kind of ironic that where we have religious freedom we have become apathetic and scared regarding witnessing, but where people can be put to death for believing in Christ they view witnessing as an essential part of daily life. How have we become this way? Though I am certainly no anthropologist, after thinking about it for a while I think that these are a few of the reasons:
1) Materialism - Here in North America, people have definately been blessed materially. However, I believe that people have grown content and comfortable with their possessions. They receive a sense of security through things. To be frank, people in other countries typically don't have as much as we do over here and I think this causes them to act as if they have nothing to lose, while we act as if witnessing will cause us to lose everything.
2) A passiveness about where others spend eternity - We have become perfectly content with where things are at now. We think that if God wants somebody to be saved that they will find a way somehow, while we do nothing to help. I don't understand how people can do this. These are our brothers, sisters, coworkers, neighbors, parents, and friends we are talking about, and yet we care nothing about where these people will spend eternity.
3) Fear - We have become afraid of what others will say or think about us. We've become afraid that someone might not like us anymore, that we'll offend someone, or that we'll be made fun of. How have we gotten to the point that we have become so self-absorbed that we care more about our own temporary comfort rather than others' eternal destiny?
4) The "I witness through the way I live" excuse - Yes, we are supposed to live a Godly lifestyle. But if one looks at Jesus' life, He not only lived in a God pleasing way, but He actively witnessed as well. Everywhere Christ went He was telling others about how they could be reconciled with God. What would have happened had He just went through His life completely silent regarding the matter as many of us are doing today? I feel that this is nothing more than an excuse to get one's self out of some potentially uncomfortable situations.
5) The "I don't know how/am not trained enough" excuse - Many people will quickly give this as an excuse as to why they will not or don't witness. We in America have been blessed with religious freedom and many, though certainly not all, have been going to church for a very long time, if not a majority of our life. After this much time as a Christian and this much time in church, Bible studies, weekend retreats, personal devotions, etc. how are you not prepared to share the Gospel? If you compare yourself with many Christians in places such as the Middle East who have just come to Christ, how is it that they are willing to share their faith with others immediately though they certainly do not have near the amount of training that the majority of us have today?
These are only a few (I ended up counting 10, I might post the rest later...) of what I believe to be some of the reasons that the church in America has forgotten/forsaken the command to actively witness. I believe that we can certainly do much better than we are now. It is my prayer that God would open up the eyes of believers throughout America and cause them to see people through Christ's eyes. By seeing people in this way it becomes impossible to not desire to do something to reach out to the people whom surround us. May God open our eyes and put a passion in our hearts to reach the lost.
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