YouNgbLooD rUles ThE dAy

As another Thanksgiving drew near we all knew the day would be filled with joy, fellowship, food, food, food, and there was the possibility of food. This year we were to travel to Mountain Home AR, to have a family thanksgiving. This was both exciting and dreadful because it is very scary to be in a competition with competitors that you are unfamiliar with. Once you get a feel for the abilities of those you are at war with, you have a much easier time achieving victory.

This year we had thanksgiving with grandparents, parents, cousins, second cousins, wives, and sisters. I have learned the needed effort to beat the known competitor, however, this year with the mass of opposition it was far more concerning - especially when I found out that there would be a young blood in the competition. As you all know, they come in with tremendous amount to prove, and have the will power to pull it off.

You may wonder what this competition thing is that I am talking about. If that is the case than you should read the previous Blog about the Thanksgiving of 2006. If you are indeed in the know, than you will be waiting with baited breath in wonder as to the results that would rise from this year's war in the big AR.

The beginning...


It's 8:36am. It's hotter in this house than I remember. The day starts with some unexpected surprises, yet we have come to the time...we need to weigh in for the day.

The Weigh in...
I am unfamiliar with this scale, will it be true to me?...I have great concern for the accuracy of this piece of machinery - although all have to use it so I realize that this will work because however off it may be they all will share the same fate.

The Day...
Today did not go as planned for most of the day, I was called upon for far more physical activity than desired or good for this competition. However, as it is a day for the family I participate wondering how this will effect my results...

Half hour before weigh in...
The big push starts...everyone realizes that this is go time, there is a push to put anything that seems to resemble something eatable and cram it in our mouths hoping that it will result in the victory we each covet.


Weigh in...

I am panicked...I don't think this is going to go as well as last year. Ben has eaten while I played outside. Jeremy seems calm....Far too calm. Steve is very unsure (as any rookie would be).
The weigh in now begins...Little Chris is the first. He came in at 64 in the morning and gets the numbers come back 6 then a 5. Chris has gained 1 pound for the day. Next comes Zach...He weighed in at 55 in the morning and so now the numbers come...5... then he hears the sad number to follow...5. Zach has not gained a pound for the day. Jeremy comes up. He now seems far more arrogant than he had about a half hour ago. This does not seem to be the same Jeremy I have beat in years past. So he steps on the scale and waits for the numbers to come back - 1 followed then followed by 8. We now wait to see the final number... it's a 2 Jeremy has weighed in and gained 7 pounds. Now Steve comes and as a rookie is still very nervous about this whole thing. He steps on the scale and the numbers come back... 1 followed by a 5 (he has a chance!) The 5 is now followed by a number that takes him out of the running all together. It's a zero. Steve has only gained 4 pounds. Ben (the young blood) steps up with a confident smile upon his young face (there was however the sign of some hidden pain) the numbers come in 1 followed by 3 - things are looking up for this young one...then the last 6...Ben has gained an amazing 8 pounds! This puts him in the front of the competition. There is only one left to weigh in but it is the reigning champ! Nathan steps on the scale and begins to wonder if the effort he has put forth will be enough. The numbers start to come back... 1 followed by 9 he has a strong possibility of taking this year for a third in a row, all he needs to know is the last number. If it's a 1 he ties for first. It's gotta be a 2. The final number comes - in it's a zero!!!! the reigning champ has fallen! Ben is now the champion! However, the news comes in that Ben has eaten 20 roles and 4 glasses of water in the final minutes of the competition. He is now lying on the floor and paying for his victory.

Please see pictures to com for illustration of the day.

Gone MisSiNg...

For what it's worth your life could be worse...
All you need to do is trust...
It's really not as bad as you think...

You should just pray and give it to God...
God is All-Powerful don't you think He can handle this little thing...


I wonder what David heard from people when he was being threatened by Saul at just about every turn?
Did people tell Daniel you just need to trust God more?

How did David muster up the strength to go against Goliath...and why in the heck did he even consider it in the first place?

what are the things in my life I need to have the courage to stand under and for?

if Gideon can be used...perhaps I am worse than a Gideon...what would it look like in my life to be a Gideon?

Trusting God seems so illusive to me...could it be as simple as a decision everyday?

my time with God leaves something to be desired.

If your the numero uno in terms of gods than why is it such a constant battle to trust and believe in you?

Just how different are things now, compared to Bible times?

were these great men of faith in Hebrews really all they seemed to be? could a man today become a great man of faith?...and if so what would that look like in my life?

could you maybe make this a little easier?

soul cravings...what does my soul crave?
1. I wish it craved God more
2. I want to crave my wife
3. Is there something wrong with Craving certain things...

what did Paul's conversations look like with percilla and AQuilla?
Were they the ones God gave to Paul to push him on as he warn down?
Did Paul ever wear-down...

If David was a man after God's own heart and Solomon was the wisest man ever, and those men and women in Hebrews were great people of Faith...and Grandpa Hum served the Lord till he died...then what will be said of me when I die?

What should I seek to have for a legacy? Why would I want to get up and go through each day of my life? What is the purpose?

There is the big picture of Glorifying God...but on a personal and smaller scale what avenue has God given to me to do such a thing?

@ - A Wife
# - Two Solid Families
* - Solid teaching
@ - A heart of compassion
& - Love for people hurting
9 - Athletic ability
^ - a desire to do what is right
$ - Charisma
+ - Some teaching skills
! - Flexible
% - Amiable
# - a heart for young people
% - A wife with Amazing Musical abiliTy

If you could do anything what would you do and why would you do it?

work with young people be used by God to teach them scripture and why it is so important to life and how it can effect our everyday lives.
WHY? For the purpose of developing a new generation that understands Who God is in a livable way. so that God would be Glorified in their lives and their children's lives.

Work in a solid local church in the states in a place with culture to enable a unique setting for Carla to be used in her desires for musical endeavors. WHY? So that there might be a revival of culture and Arts that God has created, so that God might be honored through those awesome gifts He has given people to use.

have opportunity to help people through their hard struggles as they learn to trust God through the realities of this very difficult life. WHY? because as awesome as God is this life has some very harsh realities to it, and I want to be an extension of God's loving compassion for those realities we will all come face to face with.


What might people say at the end of a life?
He was selfish
He needed to be loved
He was desperate at the end
He was scared at the end...
He loved God
He loved his family in a special way
He loved people in a way only possible through the power of Christ
He gave more than he took
Why are we even talking about him?
He was used by God to effect my life in a life-altering way
He sure struggled with trusting God
Why are we talking about him?
He has three kids who love and are serving God
He was so tender to his wife and kids
He always made time for people hurting
He sure was excited there at the end
He sure was at peace
He sure was Giving
He always loved more than needed to be loved
Could you get me a drink of water? this is terribly boring...

Forthosewhoknewhimtheywereeffectedinanerreversableway.

"The First Cause Argument

The first cause argument is very popular among theists. It is based on the assumption that everything has a cause, and from this assumption it is argued that the universe must have had a cause, and that this cause is a god.

However, if everything has a cause, then the god must also have a cause, and that cause must have a cause and so on infinitely. This is a conclusion that I think isn't palatable for any theist. If the theists, to counter this, claims that his god is uncaused, then he has contradicted the assumption on which the argument is based and has therefore invalidated it.

Furthermore even if the argument were correct, all it would tell us would be that there is a first cause. Calling this first cause "God", doesn't give it any of the properties, which are normally ascribed to gods, it could be some perfectly natural occurrence. I might as well say "I call the chair, I'm sitting on, 'God', therefore God exists"

Why Morton Monrad Pedersen I am filled with sorrow! Why you may ask? I am filled with sorrow because either the Creationists you have talked too have not explained the argument to you in full or you have just simply chosen to ignore the most important part. It is true this is one of our (theists) favorite arguments and it might be between this, intelligent design (which I saw you seek to debunk as well) & the one of my fav's the morality argument (which I have yet to get a good answer too). Since this is indeed one that I am sure you have heard over and over again I will not repeat the whole of the argument simply I will add what you or the persons you have heard this from forgot. The argument is that their at some point had to be an eternal thing (that is something that never needed to be created). This eternal thing from the theists point of view/argument is God. We draw this conclusion from other things but in this argument the conclusion is drawn from whence the argument starts, the cause and effect of which we view all around us. The universe in which we live in is dominated by this rule. For every effect there is and must be a cause. Since we view this everywhere we look the theist asks the question: if this is true and testable in the universe in which I live now perhaps there is a reason for this? But, what oh what could it be? We then go through several other steps and as those steps are put side by side with this we get to a conclusion that there must be a cause for the universe in which we live, and that cause must be eternal.
Let me address the Atheists argument to this (as far as it has been relayed to me through the mouths of Atheists). You say, yes there must be an eternal thing. But you say that eternal thing was matter. it always existed and one day decided to blow up. This however, does not answer another argument, that oder has never been observed to come from disorder. meaning if you look at a watch you say what an awesome watch maker! not I wonder how many millions of years that took to evolve.

The long and short of it Mr. Pederson is that I hope that in the future you would make sure to include the whole argument or at least check on the reliability of what you have heard.

An aTroSitY NoT sO clEarLy vEiLed!

SISTERS, Oregon (AP) -- During his eight days as a part-time high school biology teacher, Kris Helphinstine included Biblical references in material he provided to students and gave a PowerPoint presentation that made links between evolution, Nazi Germany and Planned Parenthood.

That was enough for the Sisters School Board, which fired the teacher Monday night for deviating from the curriculum on the theory of evolution.

"I think his performance was not just a little bit over the line," board member Jeff Smith said. "It was a severe contradiction of what we trust teachers to do in our classrooms."

Helphinstine, 27, said in a phone interview with The Bulletin newspaper of Bend that he included the supplemental material to teach students about bias in sources, and his only agenda was to teach critical thinking.

"Critical thinking is vital to scientific inquiry," said Helphinstine, who has a master's degree in science from Oregon State. "My whole purpose was to give accurate information and to get them thinking."

Helphinstine said he did not teach the idea that God created the world. "I never taught creationism," he said. "I know what it is, and I went out of my way not to teach it."

Parent John Rahm told the newspaper that he became concerned when his freshman daughter said she was confused by the supplemental material provided by Helphinstine.

"He took passages that had all kinds of Biblical references," Rahm said. "It prevented her from learning what she needed to learn."

Board members met with Helphinstine privately for about 90 minutes before the meeting. The teacher did not stay for the public portion.

"How many minds did he pollute?" Dan Harrison, the father of a student in Helphinstine's class, said at the meeting. "It's a thinly veiled attempt to hide his own agenda."

(Above taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/20/teacherfired.ap.ap/index.html)


I for one cannot believe the amazing atrocities that this young teacher was committing! How dare he do such a thing! The very thought of what he did brings chills to my mind, I myself am scared for our children's very lives! This man is wicked to the core, there can be no hope for him or his teaching carrier.

If Helphinstine be a smart man he would just stop this horrific plan of his right where it started...his ability to think.

Let's just examine this a little and think (oops I know thats a no, no). Thinking for ourselves should never take place! & we certainly do not want to teach our young people to think for themselves! What would happen then? They might find out that our schools are lying to them and that they are being brain washed to not question anything they are taught by their teachers. How horrid!!!!!!

Sure there are a lot worse things we can worry about than weather our children will start to think for themselves, and learn to question things that don't match the facts. But, do you really want them to start seeking REAL truth? I for one am just scared at what might happen!

If we were to focus our time and effort on other things like solving world hunger, or how to cure cancer, or why we are all here in the first place, sure more important things would be accomplished, but in the end who really wants to make a difference in this world anyway?

well, I am outy, hope you found this to be as amusingly horrific as I did.

Late

hIlArioUslY RidIcUlouS

It's been a while since I have posted anything, I have been distracted with Facebook. It is evil to the core, it is so user friendly and fun you get hooked right away!

Anyway, back to the reason for this post. If you follow the link that is attached to this post you will find yourself at www.infidels.org a funny place indeed. The particular link you will go to is a commentary on the book Evidence that demands a verdict, by one Josh McDowell. Jefferey Jay Lowder has some interesting views on the book. It seems that history is not real history unless you want it to be, and that history proves nothing. All the book is trying to say is make a choice cause there are a lot of historical documents that say Christ existed, so you have to decide what you want to believe about Him. Basically, don't try and deny that He existed just be honest with yourself and decide who you think He was. Obviously Jefferey has made his decision.

Oh well...it's only eternity right?



http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/jury/chap5.htm

YoUr fAcE is ConTraRy tO YoUR DesIGn

"Public prayer forces the peers of school children to jump on the band wagon and pray. We are all aware that the church is simply a business which employs tactics similar to that of tobacco industries in recruiting consumers. Get the kids while they are young and vulnerable so that they become donating members of the church when they reach adulthood." From EvilBible.com



The Funny thing about that is, if that's our goal-we are doing a pretty crappy job of it. In recent polls I have look into, we are now loosing more and more of the young adult attendee and they are unsure if they would ever return. Meaning we are not going to have those "recruits" for supply our supposed greed.



I wonder...

How many companies have food closets for the poor and needy?

How many companies welcome in a drug addict into their building and ask them if they

would like something warm to drink,

with a side of an eternity spent with God in Heaven?





How many

companies

are available 24-7 for counseling or to just talk if you need someone to lean on.





I wonder...



Maybe Exons, leaders would like to share their plan for the betterment of society?



Maybe,

Philip Morris would care to share what they plan on doing to stop the spread of cancer through their wonderful inve-

ntion the cigarette!



My guess is that as we look into companies all over the world and compare their philosophy or goal to which they base all their decisions

and then look at the churches philosophy or goal for their existence

you will find one glaring difference...

they are out to make money, the Church is out to change lives!











May we all fight and bicker now, & lose all sight of direction for which we came.

The Sunday I Died...eRr...The SunDay thAt SnoW Came

This sunday I will be preaching in church for the first time, and am nervous and excited all at the same time. I have seen God use the preparation in my own life and look forward to letting people in on the challenge that God has posted to me.

I pray that this will be encouraging and challenging to those who hear and that I would not get in the way of God's word being proclaimed.



(THis is IN rEspOnse to My SiSteRs Q'S)
We got so much snow on Sunday that the church canceled. I will be rescheduled and will fill in when the time comes.


The new time and date for the death of my person, will be this coming Sunday, at approx. 9:26am, I now will be preaching in front of Bob my supervising Pastor. I look forward to God showing His purpose for canceling last week, As of right now all I can think of is that He wanted me to be able to REALLY feel the severity of my decision to be in the ministry and how much I will feel unequipped and at His mercy alone! All in His time and plan.

Thanks for your prayers!