5 classes
4 people in my Orientation Room
3 days in LaGrange
2 new friends
1 roommate
To say the least, orientation was amazing. We signed up for classes and learned a lot about the school. I'm going to be in Calc II, General Chemistry, Honors English, and Choices in Film and Lit which is about the choices that characters have to make in 4 movies and 4 books. Sounds like my kind of Lit class! We also have to have a 1 month pass/fail class for freshmen. So between Calc II, Chem Lab, and that pass/fail class I have an 8 or 8:30 class every day for the first month. Boo. But hey it least I don't have to drive the 20 minutes to school I did for high school! I'm very excited about the class.
I also met my roommate! I met her through a facebook app and it's finally officially that we are going to room together! She is a really cool, fun girl who loves the Lord and music. I know this year is going to be fantastic and I am looking forward to it. I know God is going to grow me in new ways and I'm excited to see what is down this road!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The "If God is Good..." discussion
I was on the internet tonight and found an interesting article about the goodness of God from an atheists perspective, "if" there was one that is. (in her mind)
Read this article FIRST before reading the rest of my blog.
http://thefeministbreeder.com/this-is-no-way-to-convert-me-to-christianity/
I agree, that lady did a pretty bad job of wanting to convert her to Christianity. I get the motive, but that is an incredibly bad way to do it. It hurts me to see other Christians talk like that. Is it true? Yeah. Is it productive to use it as an argument for coming to Christ? No.
Now let's discuss what she said.
"Can you imagine if I told someone “You should really consider breastfeeding because if you don’t you will BURN IN HELL!!!” (<—-notice my tongue planted firmly in my cheek there.)"
Okay girl. Maybe I'm crazy, but breastfeeding verses other ways of feeding your child are a *little* different than God vs No God. Just a thought.
"I know that I’m a good person."
You either have the best confidence I've ever seen or the biggest head. I'm not sure which.
"Besides the fact that I have people sending me 3-5 email reminders each week telling me what a good person I am, I am a constant do-gooder. Always have been. Even when I was drinking and staying out all hours of the night having premarital sex with total strangers, I was still a good person."
Umm...ok. I don't get it. You say "just because I do these things doesn't mean I'm bad -- in fact I'm still good."
Going on a rabbit trail here, but so many of us think that way! "Yeah I mess up some times, but basically I'm good." Sorry, chica (or chico). Even as Christians we try to earn our way into heaven. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47
We have a much easier time understanding the weight of our sins AFTER we do something huge, but for those of us who haven't done anything "big", it's easier to say we're good people. And it's easier to point the finger at those who don't. I could easier point the finger at this lady because she's spiritually sick. (It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick Mark 2:17) Yes, I'm poking holes in her argument, but I'm not hating on HER, just what she's saying. No, she does not have the same values I do because (duh) she's not a Christian. I gotta love the sinner and not judge her. I bet we'd get along just fine. Besides, I'm a sinner too. How dare I not love and respect her?
Ok now that I've chased that rabbit trail lets move on...
" I don’t cheat or steal because I believe the universe has an energy that, when disrupted, carries negativity back to that person. Some call that Karma. I sometimes think of it as Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart. Call it what you will, but that’s about as spiritual as I get."
Again, call me crazy, but I think that takes more faith than believing in God. Dictionary.com says energy is "the capacity for vigorous activity; available power". So... the "available power" of the universe defines morality. Last time I checked, energy doesn't reason. It's used and transferred. That doesn't even make sense.
"And to me, if there were a God, he wouldn’t be sending Good People like me to burn in hell for all of eternity just because I don’t believe in him."
Wow woman, ego!
"But I’m going to be honest with you, it’s stuff like this that makes me really scared of Religious Types. Seriously. I’m more terrified of a group of religious fanatics than I am a dark alley filled with gang-bangers in my old drug-infested neighborhood. At least the gang-bangers don’t creep into my inbox telling me I’m going to burn in hell forever."
Warning to all Christians -- this is how we are perceived a lot of the time. Don't fall into that category. Stay close to God and speak HIS words. If it comes just from you, this could be the outcome.
Conclusion: God is good. He made us, we screwed up, and he helped us out of the deep hole we've dug. If you're alive and breathing, you're a sinner. The reason He is so good is that he gave us 1 opportunity to get out of the eternal punishment for our sin! If that's not good, what is? We deserve hell, yet he gave us a way out. Amazing.
Read this article FIRST before reading the rest of my blog.
http://thefeministbreeder.com/this-is-no-way-to-convert-me-to-christianity/
I agree, that lady did a pretty bad job of wanting to convert her to Christianity. I get the motive, but that is an incredibly bad way to do it. It hurts me to see other Christians talk like that. Is it true? Yeah. Is it productive to use it as an argument for coming to Christ? No.
Now let's discuss what she said.
"Can you imagine if I told someone “You should really consider breastfeeding because if you don’t you will BURN IN HELL!!!” (<—-notice my tongue planted firmly in my cheek there.)"
Okay girl. Maybe I'm crazy, but breastfeeding verses other ways of feeding your child are a *little* different than God vs No God. Just a thought.
"I know that I’m a good person."
You either have the best confidence I've ever seen or the biggest head. I'm not sure which.
"Besides the fact that I have people sending me 3-5 email reminders each week telling me what a good person I am, I am a constant do-gooder. Always have been. Even when I was drinking and staying out all hours of the night having premarital sex with total strangers, I was still a good person."
Umm...ok. I don't get it. You say "just because I do these things doesn't mean I'm bad -- in fact I'm still good."
Going on a rabbit trail here, but so many of us think that way! "Yeah I mess up some times, but basically I'm good." Sorry, chica (or chico). Even as Christians we try to earn our way into heaven. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47
We have a much easier time understanding the weight of our sins AFTER we do something huge, but for those of us who haven't done anything "big", it's easier to say we're good people. And it's easier to point the finger at those who don't. I could easier point the finger at this lady because she's spiritually sick. (It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick Mark 2:17) Yes, I'm poking holes in her argument, but I'm not hating on HER, just what she's saying. No, she does not have the same values I do because (duh) she's not a Christian. I gotta love the sinner and not judge her. I bet we'd get along just fine. Besides, I'm a sinner too. How dare I not love and respect her?
Ok now that I've chased that rabbit trail lets move on...
" I don’t cheat or steal because I believe the universe has an energy that, when disrupted, carries negativity back to that person. Some call that Karma. I sometimes think of it as Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart. Call it what you will, but that’s about as spiritual as I get."
Again, call me crazy, but I think that takes more faith than believing in God. Dictionary.com says energy is "the capacity for vigorous activity; available power". So... the "available power" of the universe defines morality. Last time I checked, energy doesn't reason. It's used and transferred. That doesn't even make sense.
"And to me, if there were a God, he wouldn’t be sending Good People like me to burn in hell for all of eternity just because I don’t believe in him."
Wow woman, ego!
"But I’m going to be honest with you, it’s stuff like this that makes me really scared of Religious Types. Seriously. I’m more terrified of a group of religious fanatics than I am a dark alley filled with gang-bangers in my old drug-infested neighborhood. At least the gang-bangers don’t creep into my inbox telling me I’m going to burn in hell forever."
Warning to all Christians -- this is how we are perceived a lot of the time. Don't fall into that category. Stay close to God and speak HIS words. If it comes just from you, this could be the outcome.
Conclusion: God is good. He made us, we screwed up, and he helped us out of the deep hole we've dug. If you're alive and breathing, you're a sinner. The reason He is so good is that he gave us 1 opportunity to get out of the eternal punishment for our sin! If that's not good, what is? We deserve hell, yet he gave us a way out. Amazing.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Old Friends, New Friends
This week has been fantastic.
Thursday I went to Downtown Suwanee and explored with my friend. We got some frozen yogurt (yum), some chocolate-on-a-stick sorta things and just walked around in the park. I know this may sound fairly simple, but she's not JUST a friend I know from school, although that is true.
When I was in second grade, new neighbors moved in right next to us. We soon found out that their daughter goes to the same Christian school we do. We met and were immediately friends. She has been like a sister to me for many, many years and it was great to get to spend some time with her.
Friday me and my best friends from school went to Stone Mtn to climb the mountain and watch the laser show. Although the climb was quite rough because it was 90 degrees outside and we're all out of shape, it was a lot of fun overall! The show was so neat and I had a great time.
Speaking of Old Friends, while we were there before the show one of my close friends from elementary school showed up! It was great visiting with her. I had not seen her in a very long time.
Now that I've addressed the old friends, I am going to talk about the new ones. Wednesday I went to Newnan, GA (near LaGrange) to meet a girl who will also be attending LaGrange College with me in the fall. She will not be my roommate (as many of you have asked), but she is an awesome girl and I can't wait to spend more time with her. We went to see Pirates 4 in theaters and then went to Zaxby's. Apparently, there are no Zaxby's in Kentucky (where she is from), so it is a treat for her.
In a few weeks, I will be meeting another girl who will be going to LaGrange.
I'm in an interesting place now. I have some awesome friends from this area who have known me for awhile, and now I will be going to college where no one knows me and I'll get the opportunity to meet new people. I will literally be starting from scratch. It's made me think that I need to think about who God wants me to be, and be that person. Not in the sense of being someone I'm not, but being more ME, who God wants me to be. Now is the perfect opportunity to do that, and I hope God is pleased with the results. Feel free to be praying that I do just that.
Thursday I went to Downtown Suwanee and explored with my friend. We got some frozen yogurt (yum), some chocolate-on-a-stick sorta things and just walked around in the park. I know this may sound fairly simple, but she's not JUST a friend I know from school, although that is true.
When I was in second grade, new neighbors moved in right next to us. We soon found out that their daughter goes to the same Christian school we do. We met and were immediately friends. She has been like a sister to me for many, many years and it was great to get to spend some time with her.
Friday me and my best friends from school went to Stone Mtn to climb the mountain and watch the laser show. Although the climb was quite rough because it was 90 degrees outside and we're all out of shape, it was a lot of fun overall! The show was so neat and I had a great time.
Speaking of Old Friends, while we were there before the show one of my close friends from elementary school showed up! It was great visiting with her. I had not seen her in a very long time.
Now that I've addressed the old friends, I am going to talk about the new ones. Wednesday I went to Newnan, GA (near LaGrange) to meet a girl who will also be attending LaGrange College with me in the fall. She will not be my roommate (as many of you have asked), but she is an awesome girl and I can't wait to spend more time with her. We went to see Pirates 4 in theaters and then went to Zaxby's. Apparently, there are no Zaxby's in Kentucky (where she is from), so it is a treat for her.
In a few weeks, I will be meeting another girl who will be going to LaGrange.
I'm in an interesting place now. I have some awesome friends from this area who have known me for awhile, and now I will be going to college where no one knows me and I'll get the opportunity to meet new people. I will literally be starting from scratch. It's made me think that I need to think about who God wants me to be, and be that person. Not in the sense of being someone I'm not, but being more ME, who God wants me to be. Now is the perfect opportunity to do that, and I hope God is pleased with the results. Feel free to be praying that I do just that.
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