The Death Penalty

Here's ten reasons why i don't believe in the death penalty

"rational"

1. how does becoming a killer to punnish a killer make any sense.  Here's an interesting thought on this one.  If I bump into someone by accident, and they pay me back by bumping into me on purpose i'll probably get angry.  If i get angry then i'll do something worse to get that person back.  then that person will do something to get me back.  You see, its an endless cycle and the attacks just get worse and worse.  Here's another example, take the israeli palestinian conflict.  Israel attacks palestine.  Palestine attacks israel back with more fire power.  Israel attacks Palestine with the most firepower yet.  What do we get left with, a problem that keeps on growing, and a bunch of dead people and morning families.  Seems like a good idea to me...  When you respond to violence with violence you become just like the agressor, and then things escalate.

2.  The person to be killed has a family too.  Why should we create two struggling families.  How does that help the original

3.  We already see how well the threat of the death penalty keeps people from commiting crimes.  I mean look at the news, its all happy isn't, no crimes here...

4.What if all the person needed was love, and we go an kill them, thats humane, ain't it.

5.  Finally I just don't think anyone deserves to die, no matter what they've done.

"religious"

6.  That person deserves a chance at redemption

7.  We're all sinners, some people just commit different sins.  by imposing a death penalty we are taking the power out of God's hands and deciding what sins are worst in his eyes for Him.

8.  How can we expect people to not kill when the entire culture they live in thrives around killing

9.  Our saviour was the one who said "Father, please forgive them for they know not what they do" wasn't he.

10.  finally, What ever happened to turning the other cheek, or giving the coat along with the shirt?

HEY

Merry Christmas everyone, let me know what you all got.

Merry Christmas

The Christmas Story

Luke 1

Introduction

 1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^[a] among us, 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

 5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

 8Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.^[b]16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

 18Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

 19The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

 21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

 23When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

 26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

 34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

 35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."

 38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

 39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Mary's Song

 46And Mary said: 
   "My soul glorifies the Lord 
    47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 
 48for he has been mindful 
      of the humble state of his servant. 
   From now on all generations will call me blessed, 
    49for the Mighty One has done great things for me— 
      holy is his name. 
 50His mercy extends to those who fear him, 
      from generation to generation. 
 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; 
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 
 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones 
      but has lifted up the humble. 
 53He has filled the hungry with good things 
      but has sent the rich away empty. 
 54He has helped his servant Israel, 
      remembering to be merciful 
 55to Abraham and his descendants forever, 
      even as he said to our fathers."

 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

 57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."

 61They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."

 62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.

Zechariah's Song

 67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 
 68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, 
      because he has come and has redeemed his people. 
 69He has raised up a horn^[d] of salvation for us 
      in the house of his servant David 
 70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 
 71salvation from our enemies 
      and from the hand of all who hate us— 
 72to show mercy to our fathers 
      and to remember his holy covenant, 
 73the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 
 74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, 
      and to enable us to serve him without fear 
 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 
 76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; 
      for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 
 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation 
      through the forgiveness of their sins, 
 78because of the tender mercy of our God, 
      by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 
 79to shine on those living in darkness 
      and in the shadow of death, 
   to guide our feet into the path of peace."

 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3And everyone went to his own town to register.

 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 
 14"Glory to God in the highest, 
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"^[b]), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."^[c]

 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 
 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, 
      you now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace. 
 30For my eyes have seen your salvation, 
    31which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 
 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles 
      and for glory to your people Israel."

 33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

 36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

NIV

Who is most important in the Christmas Story

Today, I helped serve with the three and four year olds.  The lesson was on the Christmas story, big surprise.  At the end the kids were asked who was most important in the story.  The answer they all gave, which was correct was Jesus, but is it really correct?  Yeah Jesus is pretty huge, but i think the unsung heros of the Christmas story are the sheperds.  The sheperds really were the first disciples.  They were the first ones to stop what they were doing to come see Jesus.  After seeing him they went and told everyone, which is a major part of what Jesus teaches us to do as Disciples.  The Sheperds spread the news without being told to as well, and seeing as many people don't do that now even though they are told to, that was pretty big.  

So, when you read the Christmas story to, think about it.  Yeah, Jesus is huge, but so were the Sheperds, or should I say the first disciples.

My Attack of Christianity Part III

The Commision

So I've been telling you all about what we're not supposed to be doing, or what we've misinterpretted right?   Well here is what the bible says we should do.

First and foremost, we are called to be lovers to the world.  Notice the bolded to, it doesn't say of, it says to.  If you have any questions about loving the world you can see most of my previous posts, its kind of a favorite topic of mine <:).   The second thing we are called to do is to spread the good News.  This seems like a simple task, but it is actually quite difficult, because everything we say is constantly under attack, and we have to be quick on our feet.  Finally we are told to be spots of light in this dark world.  

So what exactly does it mean to be a light to this dark world (the other two are either self explanitory or are tackled in other posts).  Well it means quite a few things.  Most people know the song/psalm (i think its in psalms) about God that goes something like "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."  Well this is what we are called to do too.  You may be saying "Huh?  i thought that was talking about God?"  Yes it was, but remember also that we are the body of Christ so it falls onto our laps as well,  We nee to lead people to God and continue to help them until they are ready to lead others.  The next thing this means is that we are called to be moral towers to the world.  We need to hold ourselces to a higher standard, and though we will not meet it, that standard has to be perfection.  We have to strive to be like Christ in all we do, even if we are destined to not achieve that, it has to be our goal.  The final thing being a light to the world means that we have to be different.  People should notice that we are different.  And they will dislike us for it (buy a copy of "the irresistible revolution" to see a further description of why they will dislike us).

So we're told to spread the Good News, be a light to the world, and do both of those in unconditional love.  Sounds simple, but its not.  Its going to take a lot of work, and a lot of pain to do it.  But we have an all powerful and loving God on our side so, it can't be too bad.

Sorry about the lack of organization.  If you have any ideas for what i should do for the conclusion to this series let me know.  Please, i have no idea where i'm taking this to.

Until next time

God Speed

A break

While i continue compiling the next part of the current series "My Attack of Christianity" here is a quick break

News...

Our Pastor; Brian Jones is resuming blogging.  I really excited because i really enjoyed his previous posts before he stopped.  He is actually going to be writing three blogs.  You can find out more at his main site, brianjones.com.  check it out

Upcoming posts...

  After i finnish my current series I'm thinking about actually doing a blog on drumming since that is the address of the blog.  After that I will be mostly returning to my random ways.  However i am slowly trying to get an outreach ministry started in our youth group, so once that gets started a lot of posts will be about it.

Finally

I want to thank everyone who checks this blog where i present my ramblings

God Speed

My Attack of Christianity Part II

The Verse

There is one verse that almost everyone has memorized, christian and non-christians alike.  That verse, as I'm sure you have guessed by now, is John 3:16.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  This verse (along with a few others that say the same thing) is the foundation of most peoples faith.  That's a good thing, it should be the foundation of your faith.  Its what this is all about.  

By now you're probably wondering what I'm talking about.  Didn't I just say in my last post that there was one poorly misinterpreted verse that has created this pseudo-Christianity.  Yes I did, and let me tell you what I mean.  Yes this verse should be the center of your faith, but only if you truly understand it.  You may be saying, "truly understand it? it seems pretty simple to me" and that is where you are wrong.  Look at the verse more closely, specifically the words belief and Him.  The Greek word for belief is pisteuō. This is a Greek verb that translates as "to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in."  So belief right? (you're probably still thinking that you're just wasting your time by reading this but you're not I promise) yeah, seems like the definition of belief to me.  So lets look at the second word I brought up, Him.  For this we need not look at the Greek but who "Him" is referring to.  I'm sure you all know the answer to that question, Jesus Christ, the son of God.  (Now you're really thinking "way to go captain obvious") Here's my question for you, just who was(is) Jesus.  The son of God? Check!  A revolutionary? Check! A radical? Check!  A poor person? In the worldly sense of the word, check!  A saviour? Check.  A man who hung out with the outcasts, the lepers, the possessed, and the despised? Check!  A lover? Check!  The only perfect person ever? Check!  A teacher? Check!  All right, all right, you've got the point.  this was(and still is) one freaking awesome guy/son of God.  But i want you to think about everything I've said now.  The translation of pisteuō, being  "to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in. and the description of Him being all that it is.  Pay close attention to the place confidence in.  So we are told that by placing confidence in Christ, and by the transitive property, placing confidence in all that Christ was and is we are given salvation.  I don't know about you people, but when i place confidence in something it means I do it.  It means I think it will work.  (now you're thinking that i might not be so crazy after all)

What all that rambling was about is that, yes all that we need is belief in Christ in order to obtain salvation, but we have greatly misunderstood that belief as Christians.   Belief is not just something we do with our minds and hearts, its something we do with our body as well.  It is us showing just how much belief we have by our actions, not to please God and earn ourselves better spots in heaven, but because by truly believing in Christ we have gained His heart, and His compassions, and His love, and we want to share that with everyone.

Well once again thanks for reading my post.  If you haven't checked out the first one scroll down (if your not on my blog go to drummingandrew.blogspot.com).  Just a few more posts to go and you'll all be rid of me for a few days ;).  Its time we start living out our faith. BTW I apologise for the font issues, blogger went nuts and i didn't have the energy to fiddle with it.

Up next:   The Commission (which probably should have been the first post but ohh well)

(i got my greek from blueletterbible.org and my translation from studylight.org)

My Attack of Christianity Part 1 American Dream

This will be probably a four or five part installment.  Yes I am still a christian.  Yes I am being a hypocrite but I am slowly trying to change that.  Here Goes!!!

Sorry Richie Rich

Christianity today has become something unrecognizable.  If the early church were here we wouldn't even be considered pretend Christians.  If Paul were here there would be about thirty books of "To the Church in its current state" and each independent letter would be detailing worse things than are detailed in all of Paul's letters combined.  If Jesus were here in the flesh I imagine we would see Him weep (I imagine He is weeping right now).  Mainstream Christianity has strayed so far from the truth that even the world knows there is something wrong with it (just ask the atheists).  The foundation of today's Christianity is one of belief.  It is that all that is needed to make someone a disciple of Christ is belief in Christ.  Well guess what people... That's not all we need.  This idea came from one poorly interpreted verse (to be discussed later).  There are enough other verses in the bible that say that action is required in addition to belief.  (warning, this is about to get dangerous)  Here's a news flash everyone, you all already know this but choose to ignore it.   Here's what we are truly called to do as Christians.  First we cannot be rich in the worldly sense of the world.  There are so many verses and stories that state this fact that I won't bother recanting any here (if you're looking for some try opening your bible and reading any gospel or letter...).  I lied, here are three.  The book of James in the fifth chapter tells the rich to "weep and groan with anguish" for their "wealth is rotting away" and "the treasure (they) have accumulated will stand as evidence against (them) on the day of Judgement."  In the book of Luke, in the 16th chapter, Jesus says "use you worldly resources to benefit others and make friends.  Then when your earthly possessions are gone they will welcome you to an eternal home."  Jesus goes on to tell the parable of a rich man and Lazarus (look it up on your own Luke 16.19-31).  Early in Luke Jesus says "You cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own!" and "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed.  Life is not measured by how much you own" (13.3 and 12.15 respectively).  As you can see Jesus did not like wealth at all.  Everyone knows where He says "it is easier for an elephant (or some animal of the sort) to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven" (i don't remember the specific verse right now so if you find it let me know).  So part of being a christian is not having wealth, and i guess not being American, seeing as capitalism is all about getting as much as you can.  So how many did i offend there, well guess what, there are no sorrys anymore.  There have been enough sorrys and enough masking of the truth to last a long time.  Its time that the Church became a living being again, "picked up and dusted off their sword) and started emulating Christ in their lives.   

Are you not offended enough yet? OK stick around for the next installments then come talk to me.

I'm not trying to offend people, its just that from experience i know that when peoples beliefs are attacked they get defensive.

Up next "The Verse"

I will be spending the rest of thanksgiving break in hollywood with the band.  I apologize for not posting in a while, and it will be a while longer.  I'll be back on wednesday so until then...

Peace

NICE

Yeahhhhhhhhhh boiiiiiiiiiii

can you say three peat

thats right, Spring-Ford is once again ACC's champs

numerous things

first, good luck to the Spring-Ford Golden Ram Marching Band tomorrow as they travel to J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania to compete in Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Group 4 Championships and look to defend their Champion status

Second I want to tell you about something i read recently.  It comes from The Irresistable Revolution.  In this book the author poses an idea (i think he got it from a cartoon).  He says, imagine a man talking to God.  The man asks "Why do you allow all the pain and homelessness and disease and all this other bad stuff to go on?"  God answers him "Why do you?"  This illustration is brilliant.  We are on this earth as God's body, it is our job to help stop these things, not complain about them to God.  Granted, God will aid us, but it is our job.  To go along with that heres a good song that illustrates the point further. (btw, i would suggest reading the book)

Haha

So yeah, another brilliant performance by Spring-Ford at COB's Championships earning a first place trophy, High percussion, High Visual, High overall effect, and High music.  We scored a 98.10, rumored to be the highest score ever achieved at a cavalcade championship.  This weekend we will be traveling to Allentown, PA for TOB's ACC championships.

SFMB

Tomorrow SFMB will be traveling to hershey, pa, to compete in Cavalcade of Bands Championships.  This is the first year in a long time Spring-Ford will be competing in COB's Championships.  Wish us luck.

Brilliant

Its not like me to make two posts in one day, let alone in two, but this was two good to pass up.

two authors that i have read have perfectly described God's presence in this world.  I'll start with my favorite Ted Dekker.  First of all I would recomend his books to anyone, they combine action with thought provoking questions of faith.  If you wish to read i would suggest starting with his circle triology and going from there.  All of his books are connected, but other than the Circle trilogy they do not need to read in any order.  Anyway back to the topic of this post.  Dekkers description goes something like this.  Your at a doorway, with someone on the other side.  Close the door, is the other person still there?  There is no way you can know for certain, but we can assume yes even though none of our "senses" tell us that person is.  Can you see how this can be applied to God?  He's always there, just not visible to our human senses.  We can infer He's there through His influence in our life and our faith but there is not one of our senses firing impulses to our brain to confirm this knowledge.

Now for the next idea.  this one comes from Tim Lahaye (coauthor of the left behind series) and Bob Phillips.  Their description is laid out as follows; imagine a kite.  You let the string of the kite unravel until it is so far away that you can no longer see it.  How do you know the kite is still there?  The only way is through the slight tug on the string.  Well think of God as the kite.  He is out of our life visibly, but remains connected through that little string.  He tugs on our heart to make the right decisions.  He tugs on others hearts so they make the right decisions.  

I think these are really good ideas and wanted to share them with you.  

Have a nice day  

What's in a name?

A very wise person once asked that question, and answered it.  It was posed by Shakespeare, the great playright in his Romeo and Juliet.  Let me give you the background.  Romeo and Juliet are conversing, and contemplating the fact that their family's are at war.  Juliet asks Romeo "What's in a name?" and tells him that its nothing at all.  she even goes on to say "that which we call a rose/by any other name would smell as sweet."  Its a useless piece of identification.  Well, Shakespeare was right.  Names are useless outside of identification purposes (and stories of course).  Way back when names actually meant something they were a little more useful.  Last names used to describe the occupation of the person, or in certain cultures (such as french) their town of origin.  Still however these names were little more than identification.

So what's my beef?  why am i writing a post attacking names.  Well basically its just because i wanted to tell people that their name has nothing to do with who they are.  It does not make them more likely to be silly or funny or dumb or smart.  A name is a name, its a tool for vocal discrimination and there its usefulness ends.  Of course in literature names often take on significance, but i'm talking real life here.  So for all those people who want to get a name change, is it really necessary? Is it really gonna fufill your life in some way?  I won't tell you if you should or shouldn't, but think about it first.

Congrats again

Once again a congrats goes out to Spring-ford Golden Ram Marching band for their stellar first place performance at chapter championships earning a 94.35 and taking high auxilliary, high brass, and high woodwinds.  this is the third year in a row Spring-ford has won chapter championships.  Next week the Golden Rams will head to hershey to compete in the COB championships and the week after they head to allentown for Atlantic Coast Championships.  Currently Spring-Ford is seated first in both COB and TOB.

SFMGRB

Chapter Championships tomorrow at West Chester university.  Anyone who wants to go can check out sfgrmu.org for more info.  Wish us luck as this will decide our seating for ACCS (atlantic coast championships).  Happy Halloween.

World Champions

yep thats right, way to go phillies

hmm

I found this picture online and put a verse to it.  now its my background

A Good Year for Southeast Pennsylvania

This academic year appears to be one for the history books, at least in southeast PA it is.  Philadelphia appears ready to break the curse of DeJesus, with the Phillies going for the World Series tonight.  The Eagles are starting to look like they could have a good year.  The Flyers have pulled out of their slump and are looking like the team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.  The Sixers are looking to make it to their second consecutive postseason.  And, Spring-Ford's very own Golden Ram Marching (who i happen to be a proud member of) is poised to take two championships from two different circuits, take a trip to Calafornia to play in the nationally televised Hollywood parade, and will represent as the best concert band in the state of Pennsylvania this spring.  Ohh yeah, i think, but am not certain, that the philadelphia soul won a championship sometime in the near past.  There's also the fact that CCV is in the process of building its student building, which should be awesome.  So yeah, sounds like a pretty freaking good year.

Think about it

Here is an excerpt of Paul's letter to the Galatians.

17But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law.  Would that mean Christ has led us into sin?  Absolutely not!  18Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of the law I already tore down.  19For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me.  So I died to the law-I stopped trying to meet all its requirements-so that I might live for God.  20My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  21I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.  For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Paul is saying that the old laws are dead.  They no longer say whether we are good people or not anymore, for we are all made good through Christ.  We all need to stop trying to be good, and start trying to be like God.  We need to do things, first and foremost to please God, second to emulate God so that others here on earth may better understand the good news, and third to try and please others.  The old way of trying to up-hold the law is dead.  It no longer makes us Holy in God's eyes.  Its is, I believe, an act of narcissism.  When we try to live our life according to the law, we only do it to make ourselves look better.  However when we try to live for God, then, and only then are we fully focused on others.  We, as imperfect humans, can do nothing other than believe and trust in Christ to save oursleves.

Now I am not saying we should go around sinning, for we still need to hold ourselves to a standard, but that standard is trying to emulate Christ in all that we do, no easy task no doubt.  Luckily for us Christ has died for us because He knew that we could never be fully like Him.  Is it going to be easy to make this change, from an act of narcissism to an act of the utmost altruism.  

So are you willing to try and change your thinking, willing to stop doing things for you, and start doing things for others?  I think some are, and there are some out there who have.  But for those out there who haven't take a week and see if you can do it.

Best of luck to all

Good luck Phillies

mighty to save

last night we sung this song at youth group, its one of my favorites of all time

Drinkability

Once again i'll take a strike at an alcoholic drink's slogan.

the puclicity masters at Budweiser have come up with the slogan, "It's all about drinkability."  Well as Christians, being of a religion of prothelitizing nature, when we go evangelizing "drinkability" should be our number one priority.  See we have the difficult task of being well educated in the Word, and using it, but not so much as to drive away potential converts.  We have to be stern enough to convey our point, but understanding enough to withhold judgement.  Finally when we start to win over the person we are dedicating our attentions to, we have to have the sense, knowledge, and restraint to pace ourselfs.  So you see, as Christians we have to worry about how we come across, there is a small middle ground between being too stern and too "flimsy" that we must search out if we are to prove effective.  So are you "all about drinkability?"

yeah...

the audacity of some people...

Suit against God thrown out over lack of address

3 hours ago 
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LINCOLN, Neb. — A judge has thrown out a Nebraska legislator's lawsuit against God, saying the Almighty wasn't properly served due to his unlisted home address. State Sen. Ernie Chambers filed the lawsuit last year seeking a permanent injunction against God.

He said God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents in Omaha, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers has said he filed the lawsuit to make the point that everyone should have access to the courts regardless of whether they are rich or poor.

On Tuesday, however, Douglas County District Court Judge Marlon Polk ruled that under state law a plaintiff must have access to the defendant for a lawsuit to move forward.

"Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice," Polk wrote.

Chambers, who graduated from law school but never took the bar exam, thinks he's found a hole in the judge's ruling.

"The court itself acknowledges the existence of God," Chambers said Wednesday. "A consequence of that acknowledgment is a recognition of God's omniscience."

Therefore, Chambers said, "Since God knows everything, God has notice of this lawsuit."

Chambers has 30 days to decide whether to appeal. He said he hasn't decided yet.

Chambers, who has served a record 38 years in the Nebraska Legislature, is not returning next year because of term limits. He skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Congrats

Congrats Spring-Ford Golden Ram Marching Band and SFP, taking first place with an 88.95 and hiph percussion at Bensalem.  This marks the first time Spring-Ford has beaten Upper Darby for the Percussion award.  It was also a over a three point spread for the overall score.

Paul and Love/Love Them Like Jesus/A Tribute to our Soldiers

Yeah, I know this is all I ever write about, but I like what I found so deal with it, haha. I promise this will be the last time in a while.  Ohh btw, I strongly suggest both vids at the bottom, you can prbably just listen to the first one as you read, but you really need to watch and listen to the second one.

The book of 1 Corinthians is actually a letter written by Paul to the church of Corinth. In it he answers various questions he has received, gives insight into the will of God, reminds the member of the church how to lead a wholesome life, gives advice on the matters of the church, and tries to keep the people on track with what is true teaching and what is false. It is in this letter that we find one of the most complete accounts of Christian Love.

The first time Paul mentions love is in the 8th chapter verse 1. He writes "But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church" (NLT). Paul is telling the people of Corinth that, though knowledge is good and will help you in the world, love is what the church needs. Think about it, if you have the brightest people in the world running the church but they have no respect for each other where will that get you? Whereas, if you have a group of people, adept at what they are doing, but not the premier of the world, who all love each other and want the best for each other and the church, just what could you accomplish.

The next time Paul focuses on Love is in the entirety of chapter 13, which coincidently has 13 verses. It is in this chapter that perhaps the most thought out, and full description of what Christian Love should look like is recorded. Paul writes;

1If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. 3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

4Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

11When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then i will know everything completely, just as god now knows me completely.

The first "paragraph," containing verses 1-3, and the third "paragraph," containing verses 8-10, say pretty much the same thing.  The topic for both is that without love no spiritual gifts are useful.  It takes a love of what you are doing, a love of the people you are doing it for, and a love of the creator who gave you the gift for them to have any effect at all.  The third paragraph goes in more depth saying that eventually the usefullness of spitiual girts will dissapear, but the power of love is eternal.  It says that a day is comping when all things will be known, and the gifts of prophecy and tongues and knowledge will be useless.  it is in the second paragraph(verses4-7) that Paul really goes at it.  He tells us every possible description of what christian love should look like.  He tells us exactly what true love should look like.  In this one paragraph Paul essentially sums up the teachings of the bible separate from the Good News.  

The final paragraph is a little weird.  Paul speaks of a time in the future when everything will  be clear, when we will know everything, when our knowledge now will look like that of a child, but he never tells us when that time is.  I'm not sure I know either, Paul could be speaking of Revelations, or of our time in heaven, or perhaps some future point in our life.  I don't know for shure, though I would assume its one of the former two.  So since we all know what happens when we assume I'll leave it up to someone else to inform me later in my life.

The more attentive of you may have noticed that while introducing Chapter 13 I said there were 13 verses, which is true.  However if you examine the quote of chapter thirteen I only included 12 verses.  Thats because I was saving the best for last.

13Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love. 

congrats/What This World Needs

Congratulations Phillies, good luck against the dodgers, i'll be cheering you on all the way




heres another song for the day, once again i won't explain what i like about it, think about it for yourself.

What this world needs
Is a Savior who will rescue,
A Spirit who will lead,
A Father who will love them in their time of need.

A Savior who will rescue,
A Spirit who will lead,
A Father who will love,
That's what this world needs.

What this world needs
Is for us to care more about the inside than the outside.
Have we become so blind that we can't see?
God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt.

What this world needs
Is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance.
Blendin` in so well that people can't see the difference
And it's the difference that sets the world free.

What this world needs
Is a Savior who will rescue,
A Spirit who will lead,
A Father who will love them in their time of need.

A Savior who will rescue,
A Spirit who will lead,
A Father who will love,
That's what this world needs.

(Spoken)
People aren't confused by the gospel,
They're confused by us.
Jesus is the only way to God,
But we are not the only way to Jesus.
This world doesn't need
My tie, my hoodie,
My denomination, or my translation of the Bible,
They just need Jesus.
We can be passionate about what we believe,
But we can't strap ourselves to the gospels.
Because we're slowing it down
Jesus is going to save the world,
But maybe the best thing we can do
Is just get out of the way.

What this world needs
Is a Savior who will rescue,
A Spirit who will lead,
A Father who will love them in their time of need.

A Savior who will rescue,
A Spirit who will lead,
A Father who will love,
That's what this world needs.

Jesus is our Savior,
That's what this world needs
Father's arms around you,
That's what this world needs
That's what this world needs

spring-ford

Our Performance at our home show.
we got a 85.4 and lost by a tenth of a point to LC...

Home Show

Tomorrow marks Spring-Ford's Home Show. 11 bands will be there, and will be marching on the new turf. It would be cool if a lot of people could show up because we went from having 20 bands to eleven thanks to some, ahem, problems with the authorities. Its sure to be a great show by all. Come follow our band as we make the push to, once again, be number one.

What If His People Prayed

What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captive free
And not let satan have one more

What if the Church, for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God's promise
And stormed hell's rusty gates

Chorus I:
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His faith, yeah
And turn from their old ways

And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the truth
What if the family turned to Jesus
Stopped asking Oprah what to do

Chorus I:
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face yeah
And turn from their own way
Chorus II:
He said that He would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear, yeah
If only we would pray

Bridge:
If My people call by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray
If My people call by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray

Choruses:
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face, yeah
And turn from their old ways
He said that He would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear yeaah
If only we would pray


So, What would happen. Let me know what you think. please...

If you haven't noticed i've decided to go through and find songs from my library that I like the lyrics of. i don't feel like going into this one now, so you let me know what you think.

If Everyone Cared

Another great song from an band not necessarily known for their moral lyrics, Nickleback hits home on the problem of the world.

"If Everyone Cared"

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)

[Chorus x2]

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

[Chorus]

We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died


Just read the chorus,

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

Think about it, if everyone cared, if everyone loved, those two things right there, thats what the world needs (another good song). If no one lied, if everyone swallowed their pride? Why is it that its always the people of the secular world who figure this stuff out first. We as disciples have been complacent and thus the rest of the world has taken our job of making the world a better place. Maybe its time to once again become the members of the world everyone wants to be around because of our compassion. Maybe its time to start finding new ideas instead of using the old ones.

Once again we need to love the world, its a world in need of a bandaid, and the bandaid is us and our compassion.

BTW watch the video, and read everything pops up, Just Do It :)

Attempt numero Uno

Tonight will be the first attempt to kick off a new ministry for students at ccv. It doesn't have a name right now but its purpose is to provide a place for students to serve the community and world they live in. I hope it works out. For more information go to RIOT tonight, or contact me directly.

Ok so it didn't work out, try try again i guess

Fear

very few people today are in fear of God. We always portray Him as kind, compassionate, and not going to hurt anyone or anything. We have no fear of God, even though we know His might and power. He could eliminate us without even raising a finger but we don't live in fear of Him. We think of him as a big teddy bear. Cute, kind, and soft. Is that how God really is? Or is that how we want him to be. In the book of Acts it is recorded that "31The church then had found peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in fear of the Lord." (Acts 9.31).

This topic is a common occurrence in the book of Acts. It is recanted in some way or other in Acts 2.5, 7.32, 9.31, 10.2, 10.4, 10.22, 10.35, 13.26, 13.50, 17.4, 17.17, and 19.17. In fact, God-fearing men, is one of the most common ways members of the early church referred to one another. Being God fearing was always a good thing. In Acts 9.31 fearing God strengthened the fellowship of believers. In Acts 10.34-36 Peter preaches that God "accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." Being afraid of God was a good thing in the early church, and it made the believers strong. It gave them a will to go on. It gave them a reason to continue spreading the good news in the face of adversity because there was an all powerful being to fear if they didn't. The numbers of the Church "grew daily" all because they all feared God and therefore strove to do what was right.

So once again I ask you, has God changed, or have we changed. God is all powerful. He is mighty. He is something to be feared, and yet we don't. We don't spread his word because we are scared of what others will think. We don't live in fear of God and the growth of the Church has become stagnant. May be its time that we remembered just who our God is, and start living in fear of him again.

Now I'm not suggesting God is going to start randomly hurting people, because God is love, and He loves us dearly. But we have to remember that He is all powerful, and can do whatever He wants to, and just that fact should keep us in fear.

Leadership Vs. Service

Did you know that 3+4=5? It's true, at least when using vectors in physics. How bout this, did you know that leadership=service? Well it does, actually, depending on what perspective you take.

First lets look at the world's philosophy. According to my good friends at over at Merriam-Webster the definition of leadership is "1. the office or position of a person who has commanding authority or influence." The same people define service as "contribution to the welfare of others." So how the heck are these two even related? Well in our world today, they aren't, but according to the bible they are.

Before the Last Supper Jesus does something no one ever expected. He bent over, got on his hands and knees, and started washing his disciple's feet. This was a job that was only ever done when a student, or disciple, wanted to show that they were fully devoted to their teacher, or master (normally it was done by the person themselves, or by a servant). The fact that Jesus washed his disciple's feet would have been as unbelievable as if George Bush were to walk up and start washing your feet. This was unheard of. It was an unspeakable act of love, and humbleness.

After washing His disciples feet Jesus said to them, "13 You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right, because that's what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." (John 13.13-15). He is setting the example of what true Leadership should be, undying love, devotion, and servitude to those who follow you. He is also saying that leadership is not something that you can be given, nor is it something you can randomly decide you want, it is something that you have to earn.

Leadership could be better defined as "love so strong for someone that they wish to be like you." At least true leadership that is. Working for someone or something, and putting maximum amounts of efforts into it is the best way to earn the status of a leader. It takes an uncanny amount of devotion.

Leadership is something that is impossible to have without God. It is extremely taxing, and wears you down. That is why you need God. You need Him to keep you energized. You need Him to help keep your heart in it. Finally you just need Him period.

Though Leadership is trying, and difficult, it is also very rewarding. It helps to build strong friendships, it is enjoyable, and it is something we are called to do as Disciples of Christ. We need to be leaders (and thus servants) to the world we live in. We need to make everyone look to us with our undying love. We need to be the men and women God has called us to be.

A Beautiful Disaster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q39XH3D0R9o
(stupid youtube disabled the embed code, sorry, you'll have to visit the page to view the vid)

John McLaughlin
I don't know much about him, but if this song says anything he knows a lot about this world. Just listen to the lyrics...
(for those of you who don't want to listen to the whole song here they are)
She loves her mama's lemonade,
Hates the sound that goodbyes make.
She prays one day she'll find someone to need her.
She swears that there's no difference,
Between the lies and compliments.
It's all the same if everybody leaves her.

And every magazine tells her she's not good enough,
The pictures that she sees make her cry.

And she would change everything, everything just ask her.
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,
And she just needs someone to take her home.

She's giving boys what they want, tries to act so nonchalant,
Afraid they'll see that she's lost her direction.
She never stays the same for long,
Assuming that she'll get it wrong.
Perfect only in her imperfections.

She's not a drama queen,
She doesn't want to feel this way, only seventeen but tired

She would change everything for happy ever after.
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,
But she just needs someone to take her home.

Cuz she's just the way she is, but no ones told her that's ok.

And she would change everything, everything just ask her.
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster,

And she would change everything for happy ever after.
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster,

But she just needs someone to take her home
And she just needs someone to take her home.


Mclaughlin is right. The world has told girls they are useless. It has told them that if they aren't "hot" or "sexy" then they are a waste. Its no wonder that there are so many people who are clinically depressed, anemic, bulimic, cutters, or thinking of committing suicide. Most of the females in this world are living in a world where they can never feel good enough. They are told through music, tv, the internet, even their "friends" that they aren't ever going to be considered beautiful.

Just so everyone one knows, there is no such thing as good enough, because everyone is good enough. God loves you, and your true friends will love you, no matter how you look, act, talk, or think.

For the Disciples out there we need to start loving everyone again, no matter who they are. Jesus showed us unconditional love, now its our turn. We need to be the people who tell people their true value, as God sees their true value.

the wonderful forwardings of my grandmother

UNITED STATES MAP



A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little
girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like, so he tore a
sheetout of his magazine, on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing
it into small pieces, he gave it to his daughter and said, go into the other room
and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country.

After a few minutes, the little girl returned and handed him the map,
correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she
had finished so quickly.

Oh,she said, on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got
Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.



haha, i have no clue who wrote this but its very funny, and true

A Foundation of Love

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
18 There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.
(John 3 17-18 NLT)



We are so lucky to have such a loving God, for he judges not, and loves us regardless of our sins and faults. God is the ultimate parent. He gave us a clear set of rules as far as what we can and can't do. When we break these rules He does not anger, but instead gently nudges us back onto the right path. However; this doesn't mean that we can go and do whatever we want and then expect Him to forgive us. Will He? Yes, i believe He will, but still, shouldn't we want to do better for someone who is so kind to us? As God plays the ultimate parent, we should become the ultimate children. In everything we do we should strive to be like Him. Our greatest goal in life should be to make Him happy by doing what He has given us to do.

In order to do this, we really only have one rule to follow, and that is love. As you may be able to tell from previous posts i have a firm belief that love is what this world need. The reason why i think this, is first of all outlined in the research i wrote under the same title, but also because of our relationship with God. God has based how he interacts with us on love. He created man-kind and "saw that it was good." He gave his only son so that we as sinners may be saved. Our God is a god of love. That is why i say that all of our relationships in this short lifetime we have been granted should be based off of love to. Just imagine how much better the world would become. There would never be any problem getting things done. People would get hurt less. Cures to diseases could be found more quickly. Love is the tylenol for the world. Would it stop all pain? No, but it sure would make the world a better place to live in.

Unfortunately it is very difficult for every interaction we have to be based off of love, but that should be our goal. I hold a firm belief that the understanding of true and untainted love equals a firm understanding of the Bible, and makes it much easier to follow everything it contains.

For you are the Lord
And You are God above
Your love goes on and on
~The Everlasting by Third Day~

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
~You Never Let Go by Matt Redman~

Just remember, God will never let go of you, so never let go of Him or each other.

Yo

Just so everyone knows, I'm taking a break from blogging as i settle into the school year. I'll try to have something up this weekend or at the latest by next week.

Talk to you later
Keep walkin the walk

hey all

I just found out today that i am auditioning for the Delaware county youth orchestra. I have not prepared, because i was unaware of the audition date. I hate auditions to begin with anyway. So if you could just offer up a prayer on my behalf it would be great. Thank you.

Once again, for those of you who have challenged me on my last post, i have some good responses. I'll put them up later when i have more time to thoroughly think through them.

Just wanted to let everyone know i made it

Also, i am looking for some new ideas to blog on, so if you have any, let me know

If I was a teacher

To everyone who has challenged me, thank you, i'll get to answering them as soon as i can, but i will be busy for the rest of the day. I will hopefully be able t get to them tomorrow. Once again thanks

As everyone begins to head back to school the first day or so is always reserved for one thing, rules. These days are often the most boring and most useless days of the year. That's why, if i was a teacher, i would only have one rule, Love Each Other.

In reality, that is the only rule we need. Think about it, if we trully loved everyone else in the class room why would we need rules like "respect others and their property", or "don't be disruptive", or even "have all materials you need for class?" We wouldn't. Also, if i were to ever to be president i would only have one rule, and it would be the sae as my rule fo teachin. ;)


Listen, i'm asking for some audience participation in this one, if you think you can come up with a rule that doesn't relate back to love then let me know and i'll try and tell you how it relates. I bet you that no one can stump me, so give it a whirl, what do you have to lose.

From Evan
"School dress code"

My Response
that is a tuffy, and technically thats not a classroom rule but i'll give it a go anyway

School dress code is relatable back to love but its a stretch.

First of all i view the dress code as a means of making sure that no offensive material is in the classroom. Out of respect for other people is where the dress code comes from, and respect is definitely a thing of love.

Also, love is not just reserved for others. It should also be applied to yourself. If you truly love yourself then why are you going to dress yourself in a way tha does not comply to the dress code. Why do you need to expose your middriff, or why do you need to where your pants around your knees. In my opinion people just do these things because they want attention. If you truly loved yourself, then you would not be desperate for attention.

Well there's my attempt for that one, and i'll admit i was difficult, but i think i succeeded without too much of a stretch.

From Evan
"being on time"

My response
Being on time is a thing of respect. By being on time you are showing respect to your teacher, by making to extra effort to get around the school quickly. You are also respecting your classmates by leaving their learning undisturbed without interruptions of people coming in after the teaching has started.

Mikey G.
"If the rule is to love everyone then i can have my way with my girlfriend in the bathroom right"

My response
No. If you truly loved that person you would not make them hav sex out wedlock, because you would be afraid that you could be ruining their future marriage. Even if your girlfriend was willing, then you would not want to do it because your would know it would not be in your girfriend's best interest.

Also. Love includes loving yourself, and if you truly loved yourself you would not want to give yourself away until you are in a life-long relationship. And so would your girlfriend.

From Jeff
"the necessity to wear sneakers in some classes"

My Response
We are required to wear sneakers for our own well being. It is out of love for ourselves and the body that God has given us that we should wear sneakers in order to keep ourselves safe.

from Mikey, reffering to his preview question
"What if that's how we show our love"

My Response
First of all Mikey you have to realize that this would only work in an ideal world. Second, I perceive Love and Lust as two entirely separate things. I view Love as entirely emotional. Love has absolutely nothing to do with physical appearances, or actions. Lust on the other hand does. Lust tries to disguise itself as love, however it is always based off physical attraction. Can lust and love go hand in hand, yes, and in the pretext of marriage this is perfectly fine, but, my rule was that you have to love one another, not lust after one another.

To everything Mikey just said
No, an ideal world would not mean it was perfect in this case, nor would it mean that everone was christian, it would only mean that everyone understood what true love is.

To what Evan just said
If you loved yourself, then you would not skip class, causing you to increase your chances of failing a test. Also, if everyone loved everyone then there would be no need for a "no cell phones" rule durring free time.

An extended thank you to all
If my response does not satisfy you then let me know and i can try a different route.