%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  This contains entries to Take up Your Cross, Space Blog, Blog City PF and BC of Friends |
 Thank you, Sum1's Home  Courtesy of Blogging Circle of Friends ![Merit Badge in BCOF
[Click For More Info]
Congratulations](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-BCOF-1901868_10.gif) ThirteenTime Blogger of the Week on Blogging Circle of Friends Last was December 6-December 12, 2020 ![Merit Badge in Space Blog Merit Badge
[Click For More Info]
Congratulations on your new merit badge! Thank you for supporting the Writing.Com community with your inspirations, participation and activities. We sincerely appreciate it! -SMs](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Space_Blog_Merit_Badge-2223888_14.gif){kind=icon}   Best Group, Best Blog |
"January 31, 2019"      James 4: 7 says "Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."What does this scripture mean to you? I doubt that I have ever dealt with true demonic oppression. Usually when I am led astray it is my own evil desires that lead me astray. The devil is a created being. He can only be in one place at one time so the possibility of my ever encountering him personally is between slim and zero. He has bigger fish to fry than to mess around with me. On the other hand my flesh is evil. It is with me all the time. So when I resist my evil desires I find that they go away and become less and less evil over time. Evil will run from you if you resist it. Prompt: "Use this in formation to inspire your blog entry today: 50mph wind gusts,snow squalls,the lights flickered and .... It's you blog run with it"The weather these past few days has been bitter cold. My school even cancelled class due to inclement weather. When my school decides to cancel class you can bet that it's cold. I am glad the weather has been cold though because it will destroy some of the disease carrying insects in the area. Gnats and other insects were terrible around here last summer because we had no real cold snaps like this last winter to kill some of them off. Perhaps this year they will be thinned out some. The 50MPH wind gusts are dropping temperatures to well below zero around here and this are does not see a lot of cold temperatures. Snow squalls are rare here though they do happen. I have lived here nearly two years and have never seen more than an inch of snow at any given time. I hope it remains that way. Where I am from we often saw snow that was measured in feet instead of inches and I'm tired of snow. The lights have not flickered here and I hope they do not do so. My heat is electrical so I don't want to lose power. I have seen times when the whole city was without power for weeks. I delivered newspapers at that time and I always tried to get the newspaper to my customers because many had no other source of news. Radios and television were out unless one had a generator. It was bad. "Prompt: "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." Dorothy Parker What is your take on this?"I would have to agree with Parker. Curiosity cures boredom for me because it drives me to always be learning something. I do my homework pretty readily but often do it twice just to have something to do or see if I can learn something new. I am all about learning. I often sit and watch documentaries just for the knowledge I can get from them. So boredom does not have to be. If I'm bored I'm probably missing an opportunity to learn. The day I stop learning I hope I also stop breathing!    |
| "January 30, 2019" "Prompt: Galatians 3: 24 says "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." What does it mean to be justified?" Justified means to be declared "not guilty" in the eyes of God. More than that it means that God looks upon us "just as if I'd never sinned". So I am declared not guilty and placed back in right standing with God. Justified then is a legal term used by the courts of heaven to declare sinners innocent of all charges and place us back into fellowship with God. "Prompt: Life is what happens when you have dreams and are busy making plans. What do you think this means?"I think we can plan all we want but if God has other plans for us then our planning is in vain. James tells us "Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes. Instead you ought to say "If it is the Lord;s will we will do this and that." We can make all the plans we want. In fact it is good to plan ahead. However we must remember who is actually in control. God can thwart our plans with a mere thought so we must be acting in accordance to His will. Prompt: "Well, January is almost gone, where did the time go? Unfortunately, I was in bed more than I was out. Let's talk about what you accomplished thus far in the new year. Did you make a resolution? Are you keeping it or is it already tossed aside? Did you set any writing goals? How are they going? Is there something you're excited about that's going well thus far?"I made a New Years Resolution that I was going to repent of a sin that I kept finding myself walking right into. Thus far I have seen drastic improvement in that area. God isn't taking it all completely away because doing so would lead to much greater temptation but He is helping me overcome it. For that I am grateful. |
| "January 28, 2019" What is wisdom? Wisdom is knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The book of Proverbs talks a lot about wisdom. Wisdom for King Solomon was knowing God. Of course the Jews did not have Jesus. Jesus had not yet been revealed when Solomon wrote the Proverbs. The Jews were under the Law so wisdom to Solomon was knowing and keeping the Law. Christians are not under Law. We live by grace that comes from Jesus Christ but the principle still applies. Wisdom is having a knowledge of and obedience to God in the person of Jesus Christ. "Prompt: Kindness, Gratitude, Beauty."While beauty and gratitude are not fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5: 22 they very easily could be. A Christian has an inner beauty that is visible to the world. When I was saved people knew I was saved. I was very different than I was before. At first the difference was not profound. In fact the only real difference in me for years was the fact that I hungered for God's word. Sin still clung to me like an old suit. However people would tell me even then that I was different because I hungered for God's word. The Holy Spirit changed me slowly but the changes were seen. I became instantly hungry for God's word and even though I did not achieve it right away I thirsted for righteousness. I don't know how many times I fell flat on my face but unlike before I was saved I was now aware of falling flat on my face. People would comment on the fact that I now had a conscience. It was an inner beauty that shined through. Nobody was willing to write me off like they had been before. The gratitude I had slowly became obvious. Like a seed it began to grow and over the years has become almost more than I can express. My biggest gratitude is that the Lord did not change me instantly but rather grew slowly within me. I know that if the changes had been instantaneous I probably would have become self-righteous and unbearable. Instead the Holy Spirit started out as a small seed and slowly grew in my life. Each of my struggles was a lesson and for them I will be eternally grateful. So while beauty and gratitude are not listed as fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 22 I feel they easily could be. "Prompt: “You will never say goodbye to the past, until you understand why the flashbacks haunt you.”― Shannon L. Alder What do you think of the quote? Write a story or a poem, if you wish." I think people are getting ridiculous about the past. The past is what it is. It is set in stone and cannot be changed. Did we make mistakes in the past? You bet we did! Some of those mistakes were tragic but complaining about the past and tearing down the monuments we have built about the past will not change the past! The college I go to has a building called Jenkins Hall. It is named after a former plantation and slave owner. There was a big movement to rename Jenkins Hall and as far as I know the movement is ongoing. What good would it do to rename it? Will changing it change the fact that the man it was named after was a scoundrel? No! It would change nothing except take away a reminder that we made a lot of mistakes in our past. If we change every monument in the country that serves to immortalize a slave owner then we need to take George Washington off of the dollar bill, Thomas Jefferson off of the two dollar bill, and Benjamin Franklin off of the one hundred dollar bill because they were all slave owners! Of course those memorials will not change so why tear down statues of some of the most famous (or infamous) people in history? It seems ludicrous to cry over the past. What we should do is learn from our past so we don't make the same mistakes in the future! |
| "January 26, 2019" ** Image ID #1991183 Unavailable ** Prompt: How would you convince a person of a foriegn faith to take Christianity seriously? I have talked to many people of other faiths such as Islam, Wicca, Buddhism, and atheism. Yes, I consider atheism a faith even though an atheist would argue the point. I respect people's right to hold other faiths but believe those faiths are seriously flawed and sinful. My way of trying to present the gospel to a person of another faith is by using a discipline we hold in common. I use science to show how science gives validity to the Bible. I use archaeology for example to show how the Bible has been spot on accurate from its conception. In fact, one of the world's foremost secular organizations, the Smithsonian Institute, uses the Bible for research. The director of the Smithsonian has said that the organization has found that the Bible is very accurate and if they want to research a lost civilization they search the Bible for clues. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, (NASA) has also shown the validity of the Bible. Using star charts and mapping the positions of the stars at any given point in time NASA has proven for example that the Star of Bethlehem, which heralded the birth of Jesus, was a real event. Other scientific laws and theories support the validity of the Bible and some sciences, such as marine navigation, have their roots in the Bible. The mariner who discovered the modern shipping lanes in the ocean read a passage in Psalms that discussed "routes" in the sea. He knew that if the Bible discussed "roads" or "routes" in the ocean it could only be referring to prevailing currents and trade winds. He researched and found the shipping lanes widely used today. These are just a few examples of the ways modern science has proven the validity of the Bible. Research will prove that the Bible made claims thousands of years beforehand that were later fulfilled. One prophecy fulfilled might be written off as a coincidence or lucky guess. The Bible however made hundreds of prophecies that were later fulfilled and it makes even more which are only now seeing fulfillment. No other sacred text can make this claim. The Qur'an made no prophecies which were one hundred percent fulfilled. The sacred Hindu texts made no such prophecies. The Buddhist texts made no such prophecies. The only sacred book which ever made prophecies with one hundred percent accuracy was the Holy Bible. Now I don't know about anybody else but I believe a book like that deserves at least a reading and serious consideration. Do you not agree? Prompt: "We have these ingredients to work with: one wanted poster, something is missing, the door is busted, and the mayor wants to know why the law enforcement hasn't solved the case. Oh yeah, you're a journalist visiting family in town. Have fun!"I normally try to take a prompt and run with it but Saturday is my day off. I also have a ton of homework so I think I'm going to pass on this one. Besides my muse's get up and go got up and went! Sorry. "Prompt: “Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." ― Pablo Picasso” Use this to inspire you blog entry."I disagree with Picasso. In the beginning God created everything, which implies there was nothing to destroy when He did so except Himself. God certainly is not going to destroy Himself. In fact He cannot be destroyed. So Pablo was wrong! |
| "January 25, 2019" What is the authority in your life? We all have an authority whether we admit it or not. For some the authority is the government. For others it is a parent or a boss. We all have authorities. My authority is the word of God revealed to me by Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is my guide and my mentor. He leads me down the right paths. I trust him completely. Prompt: "Describe what goes through your mind when you look at book you're contemplating purchasing. Does the cover attract you? Someone's recommendation? You've read the author before? What makes you commit to spending the money for the book? Especially, when there are e-books, libraries available yet you still buy the book. "Authors will come to hate e-books. I lost a lot of money on my books because somebody shared a copy of an e-book and cheated me out of my royalties. I always buy any book I'm interested in or at least rent it. Prompt: "What words do you commonly mix up when writing like for example: accept and except, or maybe their or they're or there? I know I'm always finding I forget as I write you're I put it your. Do you see your mistakes or does some one catch them for you?"I often mix up "to" and "too" or "accept" and "except".It's usually because words are pouring out of my brain faster than I can type them. I never proof read or I didn't for a long time. Now I do if it's a contest piece. Blogs are usually on their own as I typically blog before class and I;m in a hurry. |
| "January 24, 2019" Prompt: How do you deal with temptation? The first thing I have to bear in mind is that temptation is not sin. All humans, even Jesus were and are tempted. However dwelling on the temptation leads to sin. When I am tempted I have learned to deal with temptation the way Jesus did, I quote a fitting scripture as to why it is sin to do whatever I am tempted to do. If I cannot remember one I will quote I Corinthians 10:13 or Philippians 4:13. Look them up and use them! Prompt: "If you could only use music to describe yourself to someone, what song would it be and why? If you can add the youtube link so we can hear it too.The song that describes me is "Just As I Am". This is because I approach God just as I am. He accepts me warts and all because I am covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. I also expect people to accept me just as I am so the title fits either way. Prompt: “I saw the world from the stars' point of view, and it looked unbearably lonely.” ― Shaun David Hutchinson,It's interesting how different our perception can be, Discuss the different perspectives and examples of perceptions in your life." I probably have a different worldview than most. I see people as a counselor sees them because I am a therapist or nearly so. My degree will give me the credentials to be a therapist. I feel that it is our past that drives our present. Things happen to us that make us angry, happy, sad, joyful, whatever and this drives our behavior in the present. Empathy is how we look at things from the other person's perspective. If one masters empathy one can get along well. {image;2118746-33%}https://www.youtube.comwatch?v=G9oSB3elWY4 MarvinDSchrebe |
| "January 23, 2019" What do you think of Bible translations? Do you have a favorite? I know there are many people who swear by the King James Version. To hear them say so you would think the King James was the original document inspired by God and written by the authors. However the KJV is merely a translation like all other English Bibles and it has some faults. My belief however is that God is going to protect His word. There may indeed be some tiny translation errors but they are not going to significantly alter the message or the gospel. I personally like the New International Version the best and have read it cover to cover at least nine times. I have also read the King James Version at least eleven times cover to cover and the New King James Version at least four times. I have also read other versions such as the New Century Version, the New American Standard, the American Standard, and the New Living Translation. I am currently one third of the way through the New Living Translation again. The point is that God's word does not change. God will protect His word so that no matter what translation one uses the message will be accurate. Prompt: "Use this quote in your post today: "Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. Its potential value far surpasses money and power and influence."~ Og Mandino "I believe enthusiasm is indeed the greatest commodity. I agree with this quote. I know enthusiasm keeps me going as a student. There are days I dread going to class. there is no particular reason for dreading it. I just do. When I do it makes it difficult to drag myself out the door to go. On the other hand, when I replace the dread with enthusiasm going to class is something I look forward to. So I often reward myself for going to class. I buy a double chocolate frappacino at Starbucks. I love them and they are my reward for suiting up and showing up. Then I take it to class and nurse it through the class. I find that knowing I have one of those waiting for me on campus makes it much easier and gives me the spurt of enthusiasm I need to make it through the day. One day at a time I am whittling away at my education. I am now five credits from my Regents Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis on psychology. Once I graduate I will apply to graduate school and attempt a masters degree in counseling. Enthusiasm is carrying me toward my goal. "Prompt:"To succeed in life you need three things: a wish bone, a back bone and a funny bone." Reba McEntire Do you agree?"I would have to say that Reba nailed it. In order to succeed in life one definitely needs to have a wish. My current wish is to qualify to work as either a chaplain or a counselor. In order to do so I need an education. This is where the backbone comes in there. Education isn't easy. There is a lot of work in college. I have nearly completed that work but still need the credits I am currently working on and an additional five credits. I will have them by 2020 if my backbone holds out. I also need a funny bone because some of the stuff I encounter in college is absolutely laughable. Evolution is a good example. I don't know about anybody else but I have more respect for myself than to believe I was ever in any way related to an earthworm or any other life than human! So I laugh at evolution. Funny bones must have evolved! Image #2147967 over display limit. -?- |
| "January 22, 2019" Image #2177637 over display limit. -?- Image #1997652 over display limit. -?- Image #1971183 over display limit. -?- Image #2177637 over display limit. -?- What are you praying for? I have been praying that the Holy Spirit will get me through my science classes. I am taking Living Systems this semester, which is basically biology. Of course evolution is being pushed hard in class and I do not believe in evolution. The sad thing is that the school is also pushing evolution in two of my history classes. It makes me want to withdraw altogether. So my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will help me tolerate the ignorance and stupidity being taught in class. Image #1997652 over display limit. -?- "Prompt: Night Flowers." I really don't know what to do with night flowers! I imagine that there are many flowers that bloom at night but I don't know much about them. I know that morning glories are a flower that blooms at night. This is where they get their name. I remember going to the garden a lot as a child and seeing the morning glories that had bloomed during the night. Thus the morning glory is a night flower. Aside from that I really know nothing about night flowers. Image #2098718 over display limit. -?- Image #2118746 over display limit. -?- Image #2147967 over display limit. -?- Image #1971183 over display limit. -?- "Prompt:“The image in the mind’s eye. For me, it’s where the obsession began. It’s what keeps me going, it never fails to excite me.” -Martin Scorsese What do you think of obsessions? As a creative writer, are you as happy as Martin Scorsese about your own obsessions?" My obsessions are usually the result of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder so I doubt that is what Martin is driving at. No, my obsessions do not benefit my writing. Actually perhaps they do. When I sit to write I don't stop until I am done so maybe they do help. |
| "January 21, 2019" Image #2177637 over display limit. -?- Image #1997652 over display limit. -?- Image #1971183 over display limit. -?- Image #2177637 over display limit. -?- Prompt: Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. MLK represents great strides forward in American history. As a minister MLK preached love and acceptance just as Jesus did. If Jesus preached love then why do we still have churches that teach hatred and discrimination? This is a question answered best by the Apostle John. He said "He who knows not love knows not God for God is love, 1 John 4: 8. Some people claim to be Christians but they really are not. Christians love without prejudice and such. Image #1997652 over display limit. -?- "Prompt: Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Let this quote inspire your blog entry: "Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service." Martin Luther King, Jr. " I think love is all about service. It is putting the needs of others ahead of one's own needs. King had it right. Image #1971183 over display limit. -?- "Prompt: A retort is a sharp or wittily biting reply to an aggressive remark. Is there such a thing as the art of retort, and are you good at it? Are there any instances of it that you can recall either in your life or those that you have witnessed?" Yes there is an art of retort but right at the moment mine is gone. Image #2098718 over display limit. -?- Image #2118746 over display limit. -?- Image #2147967 over display limit. -?- |
| "January 19, 2019" Image #2142594 over display limit. -?- Image #1997652 over display limit. -?- Image #1971183 over display limit. -?- I am playing catch up today. I had a reading assignment for one of my classes that turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought. I went to sleep reading it and started immediately when I woke up. Essentially, school side tracked me. Image #2177637 over display limit. -?- How do we know the Holy Bible can be trusted as God's word? God's word confirms itself in 2: Timothy 3: 16, which says "All scripture is God breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work." We also know that God's word is from God because every prophecy in it was fulfilled. Prophecies are predictions made decades oor even centuries before their fulfillment. Onne might say they were merely lucky guesses but lucky guesses would not be one hundred percent accurate one hundred percent of the time. These prophecies were very detailed and every detail was fulfilled. Only God can see the future that accurately. Image #1997652 over display limit. -?- "Prompt: Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics. Victor Pinchuk What do you think? Can creativity change society?" Yes. I believe creativity can change society.After all society has changed drastically since the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution. Most of that change has come about due to the changes brought about by inventors. Inventors definitely have a lot of imagination, which flows from creativity. Image #1971183 over display limit. -?- Have you set a writing plan for 2019? If not why not? Do you feel planning makes you more productive or less productive? No. I never make writing plans. I am also a student so my writing is sporadic, especially when you consider that I am an upperclassman so my work load is really heavy. I get on here when I can but other days it is not possible or I simply get sidetracked easily. Yesterday was an example. I was sidetracked by a textbook I was reading. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
