tapiocapuddin

I took my theo quiz before 10:00, can you believe it?? :-D

Ok, I know I've had two big weekends I haven't posted on, but I don't feel like it. Words evade me. At least for the Awana Weekend, you kinda had to be there or have done it to understand. Hmm... That excuse doesn't work 'cause most of you have. :P Oh well, same old same old, huh? ;-) How about this, if you'd really like to know, IM me.

Camping is a huge story in and of itself, but the longness of it is daunting. Who knows, maybe I'll get up the courage to face it head on. Until then, the IM principle remains the same. :-)

Noooooooooo!!!! Chris Webber, Matt Barnes, and Michael Bradley were traded yesterday. *cries*

I came across this article and couldn't help but laugh.

"...gentlemen exit from vehicles before ladies--in order to help them out or, in case of disaster, to sacrifice themselves as a more agreeable object than the pavement for ladies to fall on."

Oh yeah, I kept forgetting to post this. There were two tornadoes only a hour away from my house yesterday!! Very weird. In case you don't know, I don't live in Kansas. So there you have it, my exciting life!

...more than stuffed animals.

A beanie, according to the dictionary, is "a small brimless cap." According to me it's a hat worn to keep your head warm. If you're really curious and wanna know what mine looks like, go here and scroll down to "Three Sisters Beanie." (I wanna know who names them!) The only difference is that mine is dark red, orange, light pink, and cream instead of all bluey.

This post written for a special friend, don't ask. ;-)

EDIT: Since we were discussing beanies, I thought you might like to know that other important people wear them too. Enjoy! ;-)

The Scout Oath

On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my Country; and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

This post is in honor of my cousin Jonathan. I'm so proud of him! Last Sunday was his Eagle Scout ceremony. Each time I hear about all the work it takes to achieve this rank I'm amazed. I've watched him grow up from being one of the "little kids" to a young man of sixteen. They had a video production with pictures of him from when he first joined Scouts up to his last project. It ended with this verse:

"...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:37-39

Keep serving Him, JP!

You thought our late nights were bad? Well, here's a sample of what early mornings are like! ;-)

L: posted
M: yay!
L: well, I already see one mistake in it but I'm too tired to make it flow
M: hahe
L: lol!
L: that's a new one
M: :-)
M: how about this:
M: heha
L: lol
M: heehaw, heehaw
L: a donkey
M: moo moo

M: Delerium occurs after midnight and before sunrise
M: also called, late night studying
M: but the term "delerium" is not used in the syllabus
M: our final hope is graduation--it is the consummation of our studying
M: the ultra-smart ones do not pass through delirium to reach graduation, but we will all graduate at the same time
L: whoa, theo is really getting to you...
M: delirium is a state of conscious bliss...though some prefer to think of it as unconciousness
L: I'll wave at you when they burn you at the stake

Go here to see.

L: I'm hitting the very verbose stage of weariness
L: "if anyone wants to know anything about me, now it the time to find out!!"
M: haha!
M: hmmm
M: evil grin
L: "it's spill my guys time'!"
L: *guts
M: yeah, I didn't even read it as guys, that's how weary I am

L: great mind... ;-)
L: *s
M: hehe
M: spell wrong at night ;-)

L: he corrected your speling??
L: *spelling
M: LOL
M: oh that was classic Lyds
M: :-D

What can I say?? O:-):-D

This is dedicated to a friend.

Have you ever IMed someone, and they don't respond? Have you ever IMed someone for a week, and they never respond? A month? Longer? If you said 'yes' to any of the above, you have been the victim of what is becoming known as "theworldisacoldmeanplace" syndrome. More common names are:

Ignoredness
Slightedness
Cold-shoulderness
Rejectedness
Snubbedness

Sometimes I just feel like saying "Hello, if you don't wanna talk to me, at least block me so I don't know I'm being shunned!!" :P Now I can understand ignoring/blocking flirty creeps, but I dare any of them to say I was flirting with them! Such words will not benefit your health, let me tell you! >:-O

End of post dedicated to said friend.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

"The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact." -Oscar Wilde

"hurting yourself to bleed is taking Valentine's Day too seriously"

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE:
"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." -Roger, age 9

"I feel an emotion that I don't feel for many people!" -my younger sister in a dramatic voice

"Opposites do seem to attract--and then they attack."

"I knew I married 'Miss Right'... I just didn't know that her first name was 'Always.'"

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman, in possession of anything at all, must be in want of a husband. However little the feelings or views of such a woman may be known, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of matchmakers everywhere that she is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their brothers." -Joshua Carden
"...or sons :-(" -A

Yay! Now I know what to tell J, though I'm not sure how this explains why he always loses me. :P

You Have A Type B+ Personality

B+ You're a pro at going with the flow You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer A total joy to be around, people crave your stability. While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity. Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done You're passionate - just selective about your passions

_

Now this has got to be the funniest comparison yet! PHC has been declared the "intellectual equivalent of [a] Tupperware box..."! And when was the last time they read any of C. S. Lewis' works?? *rolls eyes*

Read about it here.
_

This certifies that I, tapiocapuddin, Have Become Cooler Than I was Before

You too can Become Cooler at flooble

Lauren kissing a frog

_

I wonder how many of us really care that there are people out there dying and going to Hell. If someone was about to run out into the middle of a street and get hit, would you stop them? I would! Why then are we not going out there proclaiming the Gospel, pleading with people to come to Christ?? Even atheists see our problem of not acting on what we preach. At the bottom of my blog is a new counter. Everyone time you get on here, it ticks off the number of people dying in the world as you sit there. Keep in mind that most of those are dying without Christ!

"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for."
-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"You are Eliza Bennett from Pride and Prejudice!
Yay, you! Perhaps the brightest and best character
in all of English literature, you are intelligent, lively,
lovely-- in short, you are the best of company."

Hmm... This is open for debate. ;-)

Today's annoyance: Inconsistent People

You ever notice how people will say one thing one moment, then say the opposite the next? Bug you too? What's worse is when it's class material! Last week we studied how justification was the result of faith and repentance, also known as lordship salvation. Then on our quiz ('cause it was somewhere in our reading; yup, the same reading that denounced the idea it then portrayed), it had repentance as being the fruit of our justification! This week we had that same writer saying that repentance is not "a critical element of genuine faith"! Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

By the way, can something be confusing and still be right?? You can be totally confused as to the meaning of this post, but does that make the post necessarily wrong?? Something to think about.

Ok, back from that logical bunny trail. As one person said, "sometimes [the writers] do seem to contradict themselves when proving that others contradict themselves." I sure wish these people would figure out what they believe and stick to it!!!

Aren't y'all happy? Logic lessons abound when I'm not optime. ;-) Maybe I should become one of those people that don't try to understand their lessons and instead memorize Latin quotes. :-S It might help my grades...

Ok, I told myself I wouldn't get into this debate on the DL board, just post one thing I had to get out, but now... :-/ So I'm posting it here! :-D

Italics - me
Regular - the other person
Bold - my reply


How can the words "terrorist" and "very moral" go together? Is there a just reason for a group to go around to other countries attacking innocent civilians?? On another level, can unbelievers even really be considered "very moral"?

What defines a "terrorist"? Your definition that you provided in your next sentence was "one who attacks innocent civilians." If this is this case, then Americans are the most evil terrorists in the world, because we have brutally murdered an estimated 45-50 million of our own citizens in the past 40 years.

Actually, I was referring to 9/11. A terrorist is a person/group that performs acts of terrorism. Terrorism is "The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons."* First of all, abortionists are not "innocent." Secondly, while abortion is homicide, it is not, by definition, terrorism.

Can unbelievers be considered moral? Yes. Jesus recognized this countless of times, but always pointed out to people that it matters little whether they are moral or not for eternity (remember the "whitewashed sepulchers"?). What counts is what is on the inside. In this case though, it is completely valid to say that the Islamic countries are more moral than we. To really get a glimpse of the moral difference, look at the crime rates of both spheres. In Islamic countries, they have solidly cemented views of right and wrong. In America, everything is relative. In Islamic countries, violent crime rates are very low and punishments (always very harsh punishments, mind you) are adminstered quickly so that justice prevails. In America, violent crime is the norm, especially in the big cities. Our entertainment industry (which is a reflection of our morals) even lauds crime and violence. And it is quite easy to go murder someone and then live the rest of your life in comfort and just have your government-hired lawyer keep appealing. The differences in morality between us and them are incredible.

When I took it to this level, I was actually talking about the spiritual side. Unbelievers are not moral. Believers, on the other hand, are pure, clean, moral, and right because we are washed by the blood of Christ!

Now back to the Islamic terrorists, because this is who I'm referring to. They are not moral! God defines morality, and they do not meet up! They worship another god. They believe lying to the infidels (us!) is ok. They believe murdering the infidels (us!) is ok. These sins are even commended!! So some things are overlooked because to their eyes, they are not wrong. And also, just because they have standards does not mean their standards are right! I'm not comparing them to America, but to God's standard. Islamic terrorists are not moral!!

As a side note, if any of you have read any of the Koran, you will find that it commands Muslims to eliminate evil from the earth. Christians are even commanded to do that in the Old Testament. Israel wiped out evil races repeatedly (Canaanites, Moabites, Edomites, and Amalekites come to mind), for example. The so-called "terrorists" are simply looking across the Pacific Ocean and seeing the world's Capitol of Evil. To stop evil's spread, they think that they must kill all the evil Americans who live here in sin. That is why the Fundamentalist Arabs are after us. It is not because we are powerful and they are jealous (although they would like to get all of our power for Allah), and it is not because we are rich and arrogant. It is because we are evil and we flaunt our wickedness and try to spread it around the world.

I've never heard that the Koran says to eliminate evil, but I do know that it says to kill all the infidels (us!). Now compare that to what the Bible says: "Love you enemies," "Do good to those that hate you," and "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." No longer is God telling us to go kill every unbeliever, instead we are to witness to them and bring them to Christ. These Islamic terrorists, because they are driven by the Koran and the promises of rewards, want to kill us because of our faith!!

Equating the "American soldier" with Abu Ghraib is frankly very offensive... Even suggesting that is over the line. Yes, those people were wrong and are being punished; I'm not denying that. But my dad and your dad gave part of their lives to serve our country. Many have died rather than give up their honor and country. These are the ones we should hold up as the "American soldier." To do anything less is to cheapen their sacrifice.

True, not all American soldiers are like the ones at Abu Ghraib, but American soldiers can only be as good as their society. I think that all of us would freely admit that morality in our nation is completely horrendous. Americans try to hold up their soldiers as bastions of freedom and morality and the epitome of American spirit. This is simply not true, and it is quite unfair to these people to place them on such a high pedestal. As far as the 'sacrifice' goes, I respect the fact that these people love their government so much that they are willing to die to allow the USG to continue to do what it wants.

Actually, no! You cannot blame society for man's sins! Should we view the military through Abu Ghraib glasses and hope they someday get it all together?? No! We should hold up the people who have come before them, raise the standard! Admittedly, some people join the military for money or respect, or because they don't know what to do with their lives. But you know what? The "American soldier" is willing to fight because he holds dear his God-given liberties and will die in order to preserve them for posterity.

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” -Patrick Henry


*Dictionary.com definition

Tada! Fresh off the press, my grade from Jeremy's quiz!!:

Lydia - La Princesca Loca (And I spelled it like that on purpose. I'm testing it out. I'm thinking of starting up a soft drink like with that name.)

You are, well, not stereotypical. Which makes my job harder. And don't deny that that pleases you, you little whippersnapper, you. You are creative and independent and have high ideals. When people ask you what superpowers you'd like, you promptly respond with "indestructibility." I mean, c'mon! That is soooo unfair. And totally takes the fun out of it. Being perfect takes the challenge out of it! But you like perfection. And like surrounding yourself with like-minded, helpful people (don't ask me why you didn't include Jar Jar Binks in that little posse of yours...). And while Anne of Green Gables isn't in your top ten, I'd bet it's the eleventh. Can't hide from me, you Anne fan. But, actually, a true AGG conossieur could never REALLY want Anne to accept Gilbert in the first place. I mean, wouldn't that make everything too simple? Don't you girls LIKE making everything complicated??? Besides, the series would have been sooooo much shorter if she had done that. So clearly you aren't going into marketing. People love conflict and pain. Just ask my therapist. While you are a principled perfectionist, you do, alas, have a few faults. Hopeless idealism is one. Don't be silly, all Jedis die. It's part of the tragic code. None of them survive, that would break some rule. *Is still quite miffed that they killed off Qui-gon Jin* That and your dislike of Country. But I forgive you your faults. This time.

A hooty hoot! What a funny night. Dinner, picking songs, practicing, talking, etc. was normal at the Ds until Ali got out a new game..."The Worst-Case Scenario" board game! I don't like many games, but this one is good. At least with the Ds it is... I now am a little smarter and ready to face the world because of it! We also figured out that the moms are not the ones to go to in worst-case scenarios. ;-) Bring on the jellyfish tentacles, avalanches, undrinkable water, mudslides, jungles, sharks, boils, and frostbite! Below are a few tips just for you!

In order to avoid frostbite on your face, continually screw it up in funny faces. Not only will it entertain everyone, but their laughing will also help them avoid frostbite too! (Note: This will not work if you have had Botox lately. Please consult your doctor before venturing out into the cold. ;-)

If chased by a mudslide, run to the nearest hill. Mudslides are too lazy to climb them, and you will be safe. (Note: Running into the mudslide to swim or trying to sled in it is not good for your health!)

When covered by an avalanche, dig a small hole and spit into it. The spit will travel down, and you will know which way to dig to get out. (I'm not even going to get into the specifics of how to tell which way the spit is traveling...)

Think you're a pro at surfing the web? You ain't nothing yet until you've tried Firefox. I got it a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it!! Tabbed browsing is the way to go!

My grandpa's surgery went well, and you know he was feeling good 'cause he begged for a phone a couple hours later and called home to see what everyone was doing, lol. Complications have come up, though, and he's having to stay in ICU because of a heart problem that requires IV treatment. I sent him a letter that fully shares the Gospel. Keep praying that he'll be saved!!