Monday, September 9, 2013

I Want to be Unique!

 
 
The contest:
Five minutes.
Most unique rock.
 
Within the five minutes I spotted several that I thought looked interesting, and I even picked up three or four others. But at the end of the five minutes I decided this one was the most unique. What made me pick this one up? What about it drew my eyes? As the waves of Lake Michigan kept rolling over all the rocks, my eyes were constantly scanning for something different. Color was the thing that caught my eye most of the time. This one had a yellow tone to it. Looking at it even from a distance, I noticed the beautiful black stripe on it. None of the other rocks I saw had that definite of a stripe or that boldness of contrasting colors. So I chose this one.
 
My desire is to be like this rock. I want to be unique. I want to stand out. I want my love for Jesus and people to be as bold as that black stripe.
 
 I noticed that this rock was that it was more colorful when it was wet than when it was dry. If it had been dry when I first saw it, I don't think I would've even given it a second thought. The water made it shiny and beautifully bold.
 
If I'm dry, I'll just blend in with the world. In order to be unique and stand out, I must be constantly submerging myself in the Living Water, who is Jesus. The more time I spend with Him and the more I get to know Him, the more I will shine and uniquely stand out!
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Texing While Driving

      Mark Hanna is an insurance expert who has voiced his support for a ban on texting when driving in Texas. He believes that drivers who are texting are more dangerous than drivers who are drunk. I think it is true that it can be dangerous to text and drive. When someone is texting while driving, they have to take their eyes off the road for at least a little bit, and that can always end in an accident. Also, when texting, a driver can be very distracted and unable to focus on driving.
       On the other hand, people are constantly taking their eyes off the road or not focusing on driving. Parents look back at their kids, people listen to music, talk to the person in the passenger seat, do makeup, eat, and many other things that are potential distractions.
       Much of it depends on the person driving. For instance, a young teenage girl who just got her lisence and is texting her boyfriend would most likely be more dangerous than a middle aged woman who is texing one of her friends.
       But experience isn't the only factor. When someone is driving, they aren't the only car on the road. Someone could be the safest driver there ever was and still end up in an accident because of another person's mistake. That is one of the reasons that it's so important to be alert and aware of what's going on. If someone is texting, it is more difficult to anticipate and avoid other's mistakes
       When someone is drunk, they are totally unable to think straight and they are often unable to control their actions. Putting that and driving together can result in an unfortunate event. Although when someone is texting their brain isn't focusing on driving, the brain is still in correct working order and they are able to make decisions. The brain's reaction time may be a bit slower when someone is texing, but not as slow as when they're drunk. So even though texing while driving is dangerous, It's not as dangerous as drinking and driving.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Stand up! Stand up!

       Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood up for what they believed in, despite severe consequenses. They were threatened with being thrown in a blazing furnace if they didn't bow down to a golden statue and they simply said, "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."  (Daniel 3:16-18)  This made the king furious and he ordered the furnace to to be made 7 times more hot than usual and ordered them thrown in.  It was so hot that the men who threw them in died, but Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego were protected by God and they were not at all hurt by the fire. They are a wonderful example to us to always stand up for our beliefs, even if it means possible death.  Trusting in God, they refused to worship the gold statue.  They knew it was a possibility that they wouldn't survive the furnace, but they were willing to die for what they believed in.
       Christian business owners are facing a challenge that goes against what they believe in and many of them are standing up, even if it means consequences. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a mandate last year as a part of the heatlth care bill that President Obama signed in 2010 that employers with more than 50 full-time workers have to provide "preventative services" in their insurance plans.  The "preventative services" include birth control pills, sterilization, and "emergency contraception" that may be considered abortions.  Any company that doesn't offer the drugs faces fines of $100 a day per employee.  For the craft store, Hobby Lobby, that has 13,000 employees, the fines would be up to $1.3 million. On their website they say that the company is comitted to "honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles." The owner and CEO, David Green,  says that it would go against his religious beliefs to pay for "emergency contraception."  Hobby Lobby is just one of 14 for-profit oraganizations that have filed suits against HHS. They all say the mandate violates their Christian beliefs.  But the government says that Christian business owners don't have religious freedom when it comes to managing their companies.  The fourteen companies may only be a small number in the business world, but they are standing up for what they believe in, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
       We should follow the example from the men of long ago, and the men of today, and always stand up for what we know is right, even if there is a consequence.