Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Meet Judah.

The new addition to my family. Thanks to Judy (and Jesus) who help me get him. When I let him loose in my home, he went straight into the prayer room and started meowing...Already living up to his name!! :)

He's only a few weeks old. In good health, except he has a cold. He was left on someone's doorstep this morning and they took him to the animal hospital. My friend called and I ended up taking him. He's so precious and sooo tiny!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Saw IV and, possibly, V?

How in the world can this be the number one movie again?!? What is wrong with people? How can you sit through two hours of someone even pretending to hack people to death.

And then we cry about horrible murders, kids killing kids, etc. Wait, most of us don't cry over it. We think, how terrible, and go back to our dinners...

So, you still think that movies, television, and video games have NO effect on our children?!? (You know that middle and high school kids are seeing this movie...don't deny it...)


'Saw IV' Slays in $32.1M Debut Weekend
Oct. 28, 2007, 12:32 PM EST
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- The killer of the "Saw" franchise may be dead, but his sadistic spirit lives on. Lionsgate's "Saw IV" led the weekend box office with $32.1 million, maintaining the horror franchise's position as a Halloween perennial, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Debuting at No. 2 was Disney's "Dan in Real Life," a romance starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook that took in $12.1 million.

Overall Hollywood revenues declined for the sixth-straight weekend, though business was off only a fraction compared to the same weekend last year. The top-12 movies took in $86.1 million, down 2 percent, better results than the previous weeks, when business had fallen significantly more.

The results for "Saw IV" were on par with the debut of "Saw III," which pulled in $33.6 million over the same weekend last year. Since the original low-budget "Saw" became an out-of-nowhere fright sensation in 2004, Lionsgate has released a new chapter each October, all hits.

"I would expect to see 'Saw V' next year, `Saw VI' the year after that and `Saw VII' the following year if they can keep it up," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "There's just something inherently gruesome and compelling about these movies. I don't know what that says about society in general, but it certainly works at the box office."

"Saw IV" features post-mortem horrors concocted by the fiendish killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, seen in flashbacks), whose autopsy turns up a cassette tape in his entrails that leads the cops into a new snare of torture puzzles the madman left behind.

Change in Setting

Anyone can leave comments. Sorry for making most of you join. Stop yelling at me now!

Love y'all!

The Scene from My Balcony Tonight

When do the fireworks stop!?!?!?!?

Afternoon in Anping.

Irene, Tina, and I went to Anping after lunch. I like Anping. I'm glad I live so close to it. I love these puppets. They're so ugly!





An Aboriginal Cafe

This is from last Sunday. I saw an ad for this place. It was actually pretty good. I ate WILD BOAR!!! (It's the 3rd picture down). The last picture is fermented plum. It smelled like wine and tasted much stronger. Needless to say, I couldn't eat it.




Feeling Great.

So, finally, we had another meeting at my home yesterday.

Today, Howard and I finally set a time to go evangelizing the university campus on Tuesday, November 6 from 12-3pm.

Also today, the pastor asked me to edit the English translations of the worship songs on powerpoint.

And Su Feng (cell group leader) also asked me to do something with English translation and moderation of our cell group website.

I'm finally feeling useful again...

Thank you, God!

As I Continued to Search...

These ones are from the last Youth Conference I attended (2006)...I miss conferences!!!






A Day of Findings....

As I was leaving for church this morning, I found a dead lizard near my door (INSIDE my house). I about flipped out.


Then at lunch, I found these pictures from my birthday in 2006 on an SD card. Pastor Consuelo and I share the same birthday. It just wasn't the same this year...




Saturday, October 27, 2007

The funniest thing ever!!!!

Someone hacked into my friend's MSN and tried to send me a virus. We called my friend right away and told her. I wrote to the person who was sitting, pretending to be my friend. This is what I said to them:

nicole says:
by the way, i know you are not my friend. she has been informed that you have hacked into her msn. so, know that you have broken God's 9th commandment when He said, you shall not steal. one day you will die and face a just judge (God). He will judge you by the 10 commandments and will be found guilty and sent to hell because God says that all liars and thieves will be judged and sent to hell by
nicole says:
God
nicole says:
unless you repent, turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus Christ
nicole says:
please, i don't want you to go to hell. i care about you.
nicole says:
again, you don't know me. but i care about you.
nicole says:
i don't want you to go to hell for stealing someone's password.
nicole says:
no matter the value, you have still stolen
nicole says:
please think about it. if you have a Bible read the Gospel of John
nicole says:
if you don't have one, ill send you one
nicole says:
i love you
nicole says:
don't die
Amazing Grace says:
it's me now
nicole says:
oh ok
Amazing Grace says:
big problem
nicole says:
i preached to the guy who stole your password
nicole says:
what's the big problem?
nicole says:
change your password
Amazing Grace says:
ok

Go, ahead, LAUGH!!!

Monday, October 22, 2007

I just have to say...

I have really great co-workers. They are so considerate. I appreciate them.

I've been taking some naps at school on the couch because I've been exhausted. Everytime I wake up, I find the lights have not been turned on and all the guys sitting at their desks extremely quiet.

It wouldn't bother me if they had conversations and had the lights on (since I'm used to that from last year). I just think it's awesome how kind they are.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Yeehaw.

123 days until I return to the expensive land of Singapore...I better start looking for a new dress.

Maybe this time I can go to the City Harvest Church...I can't wait to see my momma!!!

I want to read this book

Who wants to buy it and send it to me...I can be my "halloween gift." haha...Oh man, I forgot to decorate my classroom this weekend...blah! Back to work.

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57900


Monday, October 1, 2007



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historian says Oct. 23 marks creation plus 6,010 years
Get history book that traced actual date it all got started

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 1, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com




How old is the world?

Most people would say: "Nobody knows."

But the author of the book frequently described as the greatest history book ever written, said the world was created Oct. 23, 4004 B.C. – making it exactly 6,009 last Monday.

In the 1650s, an Anglican bishop named James Ussher published his "Annals of the World," subtitled, "The Origin of Time, and Continued to the Beginning of the Emperor Vespasian's Reign and the Total Destruction and Abolition of the Temple and Commonwealth of the Jews." First published in Latin, it consisted of more than 1,600 pages.

The book, now published in English for the first time, is a favorite of homeschoolers and those who take ancient history seriously. It's the history of the world from the Garden of Eden to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

(Story continues below)


Of course, there will be those who disagree with Ussher's calculations of time – especially evolutionists who need billions of years to explain their theory of how life sprang from non-life and mutated from one-celled animals into human beings.




Ussher's arrival at the date of Oct. 23 was determined based on the fact that most peoples of antiquity, especially the Jews, started their calendar at harvest time. Ussher concluded there must be good reason for this, so he chose the first Sunday following autumnal equinox.

Although the autumnal equinox is Sept. 21 today, that is only because of historical calendar-juggling to make the years come out right.

If you think this is a startling fact – an actual date for Creation – you haven't seen anything until you've pored through the rest of Ussher's "Annals of the World." It's a classic history book for those who believe in the Bible – and a compelling challenge for those who don't.

The new edition of "Annals" is one of the most significant publishing events of the 21st century.

In this masterful and legendary volume, commissioned by Master Books to be updated from the 17th-century original Latin manuscript to modern English and made available to the general public, is the fascinating history of the ancient world from the Genesis creation through the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.

Find out:


Why was Julius Caesar kidnapped in 75 B.C.?

Why did Alexander the Great burn his ships in 326 B.C.?

What really happened when the sun "went backward" as a sign to Hezekiah?

What does secular history say about the darkness at the Crucifixion?
Ussher traveled throughout Europe, gathering much information from the actual historical documents. Many of these documents are no longer available, having been destroyed since the time of his research.

Integrating biblical history (around 15 percent of the text is from the Bible) with secular sources, Ussher wrote this masterpiece. Considered not only a literary classic, but also an accurate reference, "The Annals of the World" was so highly regarded for its preciseness that the timeline from it was included in the margins of many King James Version Bibles throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

"The Annals of the World" is a necessary addition to any church library, pastor's library, or any library – public or personal. The entire text has been updated from 17th-century English to present-day vernacular in a five-year project commissioned by Master Books. Containing many human-interest stories from the original historical documents collected by Ussher, this is more than just a history book – it's a work of history.

Special features:


Important literary work that has been inaccessible in book form for over 300 years

Includes CD of Ussher's Chronology of the World – full of colored charts, graphs, timelines, and much, much more

Translated into modern English for the first time

Traces world history from creation through A.D. 70

Over 10,000 footnotes from the original text have been updated to references from works in the Loeb Classical Library by Harvard Press

Over 2,500 citations from the Bible and the Apocrypha

Ussher's original citations have been checked against the latest textual scholarship

One of history's most famous and well-respected historians

Spent over five years researching and writing this book

Entered college at age 13

Received his master's degree at age 18

Was an expert in Semitic languages

Buried in Westminster Abbey
About the book:


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Cover presented in the style of classic literary works

Packaged in a beautiful box for display purposes and durability

8 appendixes

Fully indexed

Paragraphs numbered
This is one of the most important literary, historical and Christian works you'll ever own, a treasure for any home library. It's a must for your homeschool library.

For generations, this classic work was considered part of the essential reading for educated people. Now you can read it – in English.

"Annals" is now available in softcover, too.

In addition, consider puchasing the new, specially packaged editions of "Annals" and "Adams' Chart of History" -- available both in hardcover collector's editions and softcover for notes and everyday use.

As a very special added bonus, when you purchase "The Annals of the World" from WorldNetDaily's online store, you can also receive – FREE – three issues of our acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine, which many have called the best news magazine in the world. That's a $22.50 free value! (Offer good in the U.S. only.) Watch for the free offer during checkout.

Order your copy of James Ussher's extraordinary "The Annals of the World" from WorldNetDaily's online store.

If you prefer to order by phone, call WND's customer service line toll-free at 1-800-4WND-COM (1-800-496-3266).

Here we go again....

I posted this really for the benefit of those who don't have facebook (ahem, Eric). This was a discussion on some new presidential candidates facebook site or something...I'm not sure...

Anyway, there was posting and the guy said, "Give me one LOGICAL reason to believe that God exists." I did give him a LOGICAL reason...he still doesn't believe it. Too bad. This was the discussion from when I chimed in until I left...I won't be going back. It's pointless and I have better things to do than to argue the existence of God. We exist, we have moral law, we love, etc...where did we learn that from? Hmm...we are inheritently BAD, SELFISH, UNLOVING, INDIVIDUALIST, etc.

God exists. Enough said.

And take notice how NOT ONE PERSON (except for the one who was just being flat out sarcastic) ever attempted to answer my questions...from the questions I posed from wayofthemaster.com and my question about the overwhemling evidence that made them believe in evolution...

Like I said, evolutionists always challenge Christians to prove God's existence. But when we ask questions they don't even attempt to answer!

How can I ever take them seriously?!?

Post #4767
4 repliesYou wrote
about an hour ago
I had to reply to this...I know that God exists because when I see a tree, I know someone designed and made it, it didn't just "bang" into existance.

It seems as those who believe evolution to be fact, often challenge Christians to prove the existence of God...So, evolutionists, I challenge you. If you could answer the following questions to my satisfaction, I'd change my mind and believe in evolution.

1. Where did the space for the universe come from?

2. Where did matter come from?

3. Where did the laws of the universe come from (gravity, inertia, etc.)?

4. How did matter get so perfectly organized?

5. Where did the energy come from to do all the organizing?

6. When, where, why, and how did life come from dead matter?

7. When, where, why, and how did life learn to reproduce itself?

8. With what did the first cell capable of sexual reproduction reproduce?

9. Why would any plant or animal want to reproduce more of its kind since this would only make more mouths to feed and decrease the chances of survival? (Does the individual have a drive to survive, or the species? How do you explain this?)

10. How can mutations (recombining of the genetic code) create any new, improved varieties? (Recombining English letters will never produce Chinese books.)

11. Is it possible that similarities in design between different animals prove a common Creator instead of a common ancestor?

12. Natural selection only works with the genetic information available and tends only to keep a species stable. How would you explain the increasing complexity in the genetic code that must have occurred if evolution were true?

13. When, where, why, and how did: a) Single-celled plants become multicelled? (Where are the two- and threecelled intermediates?) b) Single-celled animals evolve? c) Fish change to amphibians? d) Amphibians change to reptiles? e) Reptiles change to birds? (The lungs, bones, eyes, reproductive organs, heart, method of locomotion, body covering, etc., are all very different!) How did the intermediate forms live?

14. When, where, why, how, and from what did: a) Whales evolve? b) Sea horses evolve? c) Bats evolve? d) Eyes evolve? e) Ears evolve? f) Hair, skin, feathers, scales, nails, claws, etc., evolve?

15. Which evolved first (how, and how long, did it work without the others)? a) The digestive system, the food to be digested, the appetite, the ability to find and eat the food, the digestive juices, or the body’s resistance to its own digestive juice (stomach, intestines, etc.)? b) The drive to reproduce or the ability to reproduce? c) The lungs, the mucus lining to protect them, the throat, or the perfect mixture of gases to be breathed into the lungs? d) DNA or RNA to carry the DNA message to cell parts? e) The termite or the flagella in its intestines that actually digest the cellulose? f) The plants or the insects that live on and pollinate the plants? g) The bones, ligaments, tendons, blood supply, or muscles to move the bones? h) The nervous system, repair system, or hormone system? i) The immune system or the need for it?

(Questions come from www.wayofthemaster.com)

Good luck.
Reply to Your Post
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Post #4768
2 repliesMookie K (Washington, DC) replied to your post
59 minutes ago
the galaxy is actually a tiny cell in a gigantic organism. thats all the explanation you need.Reply to Mookie
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Post #4769Jen Osbourne replied to Mookie's post
58 minutes ago
*sings*

Here come the Men in Black!
They won't let you remember! ...Reply to Jen
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Post #4770
2 repliesAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Justin's post
58 minutes ago
no one thanks god for destroying their house. no one thanks anyone for destroying their house (unless theyre committing insurance fraud) just because no one credits him doesnt mean he wasnt invovled. he let it happen. he cant get involved in everything, or we wouldnt have any choices


Post #4771
2 repliesJustin Dean (Texas State) replied to your post
56 minutes ago
just because we dont know the answer doesnt mean we should automatically assume a higher being exists. 5000 years ago they credited the wind blowing to god, or whether or not it rained to god.

"Look, lightning!"
"Yes, Zeus is angry!"Reply to Justin
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Post #4772Mookie K (Washington, DC) replied to Austin's post
55 minutes ago
so when something is "explainable" it isnt god but when something is otherwise "unexplainable" we have devine intervention. you have to see the convenience of all this.Reply to Mookie
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Post #4773Austin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to your post
55 minutes ago
oh, great. just great. an exclusionist. creation and evolution are not mutually exclusive.Reply to Austin
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Post #4774Mookie K (Washington, DC) replied to Justin's post
54 minutes ago
the greeks credited every single gift of nature to a different godReply to Mookie
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Post #4775
1 replyAnne McCandless (Burlington, VT) replied to Chelsea's post
53 minutes ago
God dammit, people wanted to talk to meReply to Anne
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Post #4776
2 repliesYou replied to Mookie's post
53 minutes ago
What is your proof? I've not found scientific writings that say, "We know that..." They always read: "We think that..." "It might be..." Hmm...no concrete proof and uncertainty from the very people that support that theory...doesn't look good for them. Just remember, you mate monkeys with monkeys and you get monkeys (variations of them, yes...but nevertheless they are still monkeys)!Reply to Your Post
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Post #4777
1 replyJustin Dean (Texas State) replied to Austin's post
52 minutes ago
so he can only get involved if you ask him to every sunday, and before you go to bed, and before you eat, and before you play a game?

another thing that makes me laugh is when someone is kept on life support, people bitch that we are "playing god." i would take that as a huge compliment, "i am as strong as a supernatural being, haha!" how do those people know that god wants that person to die? maybe being kept alive via a machine is the plan. same goes for abortion and euthanasia; maybe the woman was supposed to have an abortion, or the old person was supposed to die. Reply to Justin
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Post #4778
1 replyMookie K (Washington, DC) replied to your post
51 minutes ago
wheres my proof? are you kidding? where is your proof of the existence of a god? and i wont accept "when i look at a tree, i know it is gods doing" because that is not fact.Reply to Mookie
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Post #4779Justin Dean (Texas State) replied to your post
51 minutes ago
sorry that during a 10 year experiment we cant scientifically test billions of years of mating.


oh but thats right, the earth is only 6000 years old. silly meReply to Justin
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Post #4780
2 repliesYou replied to Mookie's post
50 minutes ago
My dear, I already told you. I see a tree, I know someone created it. Look at your eye. Come on! How complex is the eye?!? Do you think that your eye just evolved?!? Reply to Your Post
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Post #4781
1 replyMookie K (Washington, DC) replied to your post
49 minutes ago
your mind is beyond repair. i pity you, and if i believed in a higher being, i would pray for you.


but really, where is your proof? you can say "I know someone created it." until youre blue in the face. it has no meaning if you have no FACT to back it up.Reply to Mookie
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Post #4782Joseph Medina (Carroll High School) wrote
49 minutes ago
video gamesReply to Joseph
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Post #4783
1 replyChelsea Pontious (Grand Canyon) replied to Anne's post
48 minutes ago
How dare they!Reply to Chelsea
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Post #4784
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Justin's post
47 minutes ago
i cant believe this. youre still stereotyping me. never mind. theyre fair assumptions. too many christians arent like me.

sometimes even when i ask him to he doesnt get invovled. that doesnt make him less.

maybe life support was part of the plan. all i can say is that you dont blindside god with a sucker punch by deciding to life support someone. i equate abortion to murder, (not that its the governments job to tell us whether or not we can, or my place to tell you what to believe) but maybe you aborted the next hitler. the thing is, youll never know. but He does.Reply to Austin
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Post #4785Justin Dean (Texas State) replied to your post
46 minutes ago
no, i know that Odin forged it from the flames of the earth.

if you insist on worshiping a god, he is the only acceptable choiceReply to Justin
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Post #4786
1 replyYou replied to Mookie's post
45 minutes ago
Here is some more proof for you. At least I can back my claims up with evidence (even if you don't believe the Bible). Funny how the Word of God revealed "scientific truths" long before they were "discovered." If you're still not convinced, just let me know...I can tell you more...

Oh yeah, you still haven't answered my questions. :)

Science expresses the universe in five terms: time, space, matter, power, and motion. Genesis 1:1,2 revealed such truths to the Hebrews in 1450 B.C.: “In the beginning [time] God created [power] the heaven [space] and the earth [matter]...And the Spirit of God moved [motion] upon the face of the waters.” The first thing God tells man is that He controls of all aspects of the universe.

Only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of invisible atoms. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 11:3 that the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

It is also interesting to note that scientists now understand the universe is expanding or stretching out. Nine times in Scripture we are told that God stretches out the heavens like a curtain (e.g., Psalm 104:2).

At a time when it was believed that the earth sat on a large animal or a giant (1500 B.C.), the Bible spoke of the earth’s free float in space: “He . . . hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). Reply to Your Post
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Post #4787
1 replyAnne McCandless (Burlington, VT) replied to Chelsea's post
44 minutes ago
I know, seriously, I am SO anti-social at work.

anyway - I'm outta here!

GO RED SOX GO PATS!

chelsea, I may be up later tonight - catch you then if I am

Have a good day - don't forget to go to church and pray for my heathen soul
♥Reply to Anne
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Post #4788Chelsea Pontious (Grand Canyon) replied to Anne's post
43 minutes ago
Haha, like I would go to CHURCH!

Have a good rest of the day! Kick Ian for me.

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Post #4789
1 replyJustin Dean (Texas State) replied to Austin's post
42 minutes ago
but if some of your prayers get answered and some dont, then obviously there is a variable in there that changes. its a cop-out to say "sometimes god answers and sometimes he doesnt" because as i said awhile back, i could pray to a beer bottle and get those same results.

and i wasnt stereotyping you, i dont know what you specifically believe so im using examples of things ive seen from christians in general. as we have seen, everyone interprets the "one true word of god" differently.....(lapse in logic?)Reply to Justin
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Post #4790You replied to Justin's post
40 minutes ago
but here's the problem:

You don't know. What was the overwhelming evidence that made you believe in evolution?

For me, I look at the intricities of the world and I know there has to be a higher power. Reply to Your Post
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Post #4791
2 repliesAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Justin's post
40 minutes ago
i dont know what you specifically believe so im using examples of things ive seen from christians in general.

i.e. stereotyping.

as for the beer bottle, maybe you could. that has more to do with gods plan than anything we say to him. all we can do is ask.Reply to Austin
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Post #4792
2 repliesNate Fuller (UMass) replied to your post
40 minutes ago
1. Where did the space for the universe come from?
science, not some dude in the sky

2. Where did matter come from?
science, not some dude in the sky

3. Where did the laws of the universe come from (gravity, inertia, etc.)?
Why Sir Isaac Newton, duh!

4. How did matter get so perfectly organized?
who said anything about perfection?

5. Where did the energy come from to do all the organizing?
its actaully this physical forec called...wait for it..."energy"...its a physics phenomenon.

6. When, where, why, and how did life come from dead matter?
like a Catholic in a Mosque I dont understand the question and refuse to acknoledge its existense

7. When, where, why, and how did life learn to reproduce itself?
ITs called the Darwin Theory of Evolution, its based on the need to survive

8. With what did the first cell capable of sexual reproduction reproduce?
It was probably an Amobea that reproduced asexually, meaning that it split part of itslef off to create another Amobea. Sounds similar to a story in the bible involving a rib...


9. Why would any plant or animal want to reproduce more of its kind since this would only make more mouths to feed and decrease the chances of survival? (Does the individual have a drive to survive, or the species? How do you explain this?)
It was necessary before humans came in and fucked everything up. If God loved everytinhg so much, would he let us ruin his planet and his animals? hell no

10. How can mutations (recombining of the genetic code) create any new, improved varieties? (Recombining English letters will never produce Chinese books.)
Like a Catholic in a gay bar...I dont understand the question and I refuse to acknowledge its existence

11. Is it possible that similarities in design between different animals prove a common Creator instead of a common ancestor?
probably not, it proves Darwin right though. Just look a the Galapagos, why would God leave variations of his creations on an island chain in the pacific and no where else? And why are these creatures variation specifically related to survival techniques on the Galapagos?

12. Natural selection only works with the genetic information available and tends only to keep a species stable. How would you explain the increasing complexity in the genetic code that must have occurred if evolution were true?
Because complex genetic code is availabe, in smaller numbers at first. as we live on and those with certain complex genetic codes have something more useful to their survival and reproduce. these better survival mechanisms make certain mates more attractive so they get laid more, yada yada yada Galapagos.

13. When, where, why, and how did: a) Single-celled plants become multicelled? (Where are the two- and threecelled intermediates?) b) Single-celled animals evolve? c) Fish change to amphibians? d) Amphibians change to reptiles? e) Reptiles change to birds? (The lungs, bones, eyes, reproductive organs, heart, method of locomotion, body covering, etc., are all very different!) How did the intermediate forms live?
asking for specifics is retarded, i could ask you about when God created man and you couldnt tell me either...unless you believe every word the bible says, and in that case, no.

14. When, where, why, how, and from what did: a) Whales evolve? b) Sea horses evolve? c) Bats evolve? d) Eyes evolve? e) Ears evolve? f) Hair, skin, feathers, scales, nails, claws, etc., evolve?
a. I believe Whales are decendants of ancient egyptians other than that, i have no idea.

15. Which evolved first (how, and how long, did it work without the others)? a) The digestive system, the food to be digested, the appetite, the ability to find and eat the food, the digestive juices, or the body’s resistance to its own digestive juice (stomach, intestines, etc.)? b) The drive to reproduce or the ability to reproduce? c) The lungs, the mucus lining to protect them, the throat, or the perfect mixture of gases to be breathed into the lungs? d) DNA or RNA to carry the DNA message to cell parts? e) The termite or the flagella in its intestines that actually digest the cellulose? f) The plants or the insects that live on and pollinate the plants? g) The bones, ligaments, tendons, blood supply, or muscles to move the bones? h) The nervous system, repair system, or hormone system? i) The immune system or the need for it?
I notice these questions become more loaded and more ridiculous to answer as i go down
(Questions come from www.wayofthemaster.com)
ah that explains a lotReply to Nate
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Post #4793Austin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Nate's post
36 minutes ago
please forget the questions entirely. they do not serve an academic or inteletual purpose. those questions are just a filibuster.Reply to Austin
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Post #4794
2 repliesJustin Dean (Texas State) replied to your post
35 minutes ago
lol this is absurd. first it seems painfully obvious you're copy and pasting those from some ego-maniacal christian website, leaving no room for independent thought, but doesnt seem like you have much anyway though :/

the whole "science expresses the universe in 5 terms" thing isnt even a point. thats just taking words and assuming they refer to something else.

next, "only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of invisible atoms?" it hasnt been discoverd in "recent" years. in fact the theory of the atom goes back to the ancient greeks (predating the bible)

and a universe expanding is not the same thing as a "curtain" unless you know of a curtain that is ever-expanding

and saying "oh look the bible spoke against some ancient idea that the earth sat on a giant animal" doesnt really say anything about the bible. thats not a hard theory to argue against


go to school more Reply to Justin
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Post #4795
1 replyNate Fuller (UMass) replied to Austin's post
35 minutes ago
were you guys home schooled? seriosuly, its important question to determine your validityReply to Nate
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Post #4796Jenn Niles (Lyndon State) wrote
34 minutes ago
Personally, I too happen to think that leaving things to "divine intervention" is nothing more than a silly cop-out. Religion in and of itself, is no more than a steadfast belief in something; beliefs which have [somehow] managed to survive thousands of years.

I find it funny that there's all these different variations of God... the Hindu God, The Christian God, the multiple gods in polytheism. How do we know which religion is "right"? The thing is, we don't. Religion isn't about being right or wrong, but what you believe. Therefore, having religion and believing in a god is just all in our heads. We "believe" simply because we're told to.

Those of us actually intelligent enough to think for ourselves know the difference between fact and fiction.Reply to Jenn
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Post #4797
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Justin's post
33 minutes ago
lol, justin, we agree on something. Reply to Austin
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Post #4798
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Nate's post
32 minutes ago
no, i was not homeschooled. why do you ask?Reply to Austin
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Post #4799
3 repliesYou replied to Nate's post
32 minutes ago
I notice these questions become more loaded and more ridiculous to answer as i go down


That's exactly the point. That's because evolution is a ridiculous theory that even some scientists say it's an embarrassment to the field. (I really wish I could remember the the names of the scientists...but I can't off the top of my head...perhaps I can find it for you...I do wish to provide you with evidence everytime I make a statement as to not to be accused of being brainwashed or something to that effect...)Reply to Your Post
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Post #4800
1 replyJustin Dean (Texas State) replied to Austin's post
31 minutes ago
not maybe. i definitely could. my beer bottle always answers with a "yes" "no" or "wait." and i get the same ratio of those answers as i do if i prayed to god instead



the point of that analogy was to show that things still work WITHOUT crediting god.



Post #4801Justin Dean (Texas State) replied to Austin's post
27 minutes ago
i dont consider religious debate to be a bad thing, as long as it is intelligent lolReply to Justin
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Post #4802
1 replyNate Fuller (UMass) replied to Austin's post
27 minutes ago
because homeschooled people are crazy, and can have their brain corupted by their over protective religous zealot parents. not saying it always is the case with homeschoolers it just can beReply to Nate
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Post #4803Justin Dean (Texas State) replied to Nate's post
26 minutes ago
my roommate was like that. then he discovered alcoholReply to Justin
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Post #4804
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to your post
25 minutes ago
and i have a book full of top christian scientists that say evolution is a fact and creation is a fact and that they go hand in hand. frankly, saying evolution is bogus is a waste of time until something spawns. its like saying gravity isnt a fact because soething theoretically could defy it. i believe you have been brainwashed. right now, only knee-jerk opposition and people out to make their careers dont believe in evolution.Reply to Austin
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Post #4805
1 replyNate Fuller (UMass) replied to your post
24 minutes ago
"I notice these questions become more loaded and more ridiculous to answer as i go down


That's exactly the point. That's because evolution is a ridiculous theory that even some scientists say it's an embarrassment to the field. (I really wish I could remember the the names of the scientists...but I can't off the top of my head...perhaps I can find it for you...I do wish to provide you with evidence everytime I make a statement as to not to be accused of being brainwashed or something to that effect...)"

actually because no one knows the who what when where and why of evolution. Darwin wasnt chillin on the beach, watched to sparrows bone and followed the mother home, watche the egg hatch...you should get the ideaReply to Nate
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Post #4806
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Justin's post
23 minutes ago
sure, things happen with or without god. but since i already believe fully that he exists, loves me and listens to me, why the hell cant i thank him for what happens, especialy if i asked him to do it.Reply to Austin
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Post #4807
1 replyYou replied to Justin's post
23 minutes ago
Oops, I'm sorry, I forgot to put the site down. Yes, I'm copying and pasting from a book on wayofthemaster.com only because I have done the reading myself in the Bible and I am writing lesson plans. It's just less time consuming...So sorry to include my source...bad, bad, bad history major!

I was never homeschooled. I didn't have a Christian background growing up. I was an atheist and practiced witchcraft for most of my life.

I've been though college and graduate school...I have 3 degrees and working on a 4th...I'd love to go to school more after I'm done with the 4th...are you offering to pay my tuition?

and no my brain is not "beyond repair."

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Post #4808
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Nate's post
21 minutes ago
Darwin went to the Galapagos. he discovered 17 different looking birds, and gathered samples, assuming he had found 17 species, only to find out they were all finches. all 99.9% genetically identical. but when the island had run out of one resource, the ones who could eat something else kept living.Reply to Austin
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Post #4809Jeremy Prudden (MO Western) replied to Austin's post
18 minutes ago
God does exist. However, I believe they are two factors playing in our world....one is God and the other is Life. God trumps over Life whenever he pleases...but I get annoyed with these people who want to say everything bad God "allowed" it to happen and everything good God did it. I believe God works miracles, no doubt. But, I also believed when He created the world, he then stepped back and let nature take its course. He only intervenes when asked to or when needed.Reply to Jeremy
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Post #4810
2 repliesNate Fuller (UMass) replied to your post
16 minutes ago
right dude, the Bible has the answers, I totally forgot. Reply to Nate
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Post #4811
1 replyAustin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Nate's post
14 minutes ago
the bible has every answer you need. you just want a higher standard of proof before you accept its authority, don't you?Reply to Austin
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Post #4812You replied to Nate's post
12 minutes ago
absolutely.

And since I'm 13 hours ahead of you...I'm out. It's been fun. Here's some reading material for you:

http://evolution-facts.org/EncyclopediaTOC.htm

Have a good day. It was a great one for me.

Peace in y'all.Reply to Your Post
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Post #4813
1 replyNate Fuller (UMass) replied to Austin's post
9 minutes ago
authority, no, but validity, yes. its a collection of folk tales teaching morals until hard science backs it up. I know its a tough standard, but for something to live life byReply to Nate
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Post #4814Austin James Kelley (UCSC) replied to Nate's post
7 minutes ago
hard science like what? like gods toenail? or like some parts of it being able to be proved?Reply to Austin
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Post #4815Dom Pafundi (Rochester) replied to Pavel's post
7 minutes ago
Just playin'. The usual argument is "if you found a camera in a field, wouldn't you wonder who designed it?" Guess it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be... although I like your syllogism and plan to use it because the line "therefore cameras occur in nature" is fuckin' hilarious.Reply to Dom
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Post #4816
1 replyJustin Dean (Texas State) replied to Austin's post
6 minutes ago
you can. but based on that reasoning, i should be fine in staying with my beer bottle. i believe it exists, it loves me and listens to me. and sometimes when i ask it for things, i get them.

if there is a god, he should understand this logic and not punish me for it. and if he still gets mad at me, well screw him because his system sucksReply to Justin
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Post #4817Jenn Niles (Lyndon State) replied to your post
5 minutes ago
These scientists who think evolution is an "embarrassment" to the field... I'd like to see them to come up with a better alternative.

Oh, that's right: they can't. Therefore they just attribute everything to "God".Reply to Jenn
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Post #4818Zach Scheinerman (Conn College) replied to Austin's post
3 minutes ago
In fairness, Austin, gravity isn't always true. Go into space and there is no gravity. However, the theory of gravity accounts for that by saying that you have to be close enough to a large body to be affected by its gravitational force.
That's one of the things about science, is that something is only true until its (almost inevitably) proved wrong. Not saying that religion is any better, but just thought I'd point that out.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Can't sleep...

so stinky.

i want some john piper books. now!

:)

*sigh*

I just had to explain...

I'm not trying to complain...I've just been seeing things very differently for the past year and I don't know what to do with all of it...yet. Think of it as me talking to myself aloud. Thanks for eavesdropping.

This is so sad!!!

This is a conversation that I had with a girl tonight that Amy and I ministered to about 2 years ago. She wasn't a Christian and was plagued by demons when we talked to her. Apparently, she's a missionary now with IHOP...this is really sad. SHE IS A MISSIONARY!!! AND WITHOLDING THE GOSPEL FROM ME!!!!!!

So sad. (FYI: This is in a loving tone because I do care about this girl. It's always difficult to fish that out from email and im. I asked her these questions, not only because I care, but because I wasn't going to entertain her if she was going to talk how she did 2 years ago. I'm just not going to waste my time).

U: hello I just want to apologize for the way I acted a while ago please forgive me.
S: i do but i must ask you an important question: if you died tonight where would you go? heaven or hell?

U: heaven
S: why?

U: I sit before the Lord everyday and take my heart to him and pray for restoration and bless him for the restoration he has done on the cross
U: That he makes all things new
U: I am a christian
U: I actually am a missionary at something called International House of Prayer in kansas City
U: are you there
S: so you are going to heaven because of something you do?


U: no
U: because of the Cross
U: and what he has done for me
U: and asking him into my life and living a life holy before him
S: so, by being a good person will get me to heaven?


U: and walking daily in the fear of the Lord
U: no I did not say that
S: why do you fear the Lord?

U: because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
S: so, someone just stabbed me, im dying, i have 3 minutes to live, im scared of dying, how can i get into heaven?


S: so i get to heaven by fearing the Lord and having wisdom?

U: why are you doing this
U: to me
S: i want to know how to get to heaven
S: dont you want to tell me?
U: whatever
U: I am not going to go through this I just wanted to ask you for forgiveness
U: and see if we could talk again
S: why not? what if im not a christian and i want to know how i cant get to heaven?
U signed off at 9:29 AM


Without judging, I'm wondering why she ran away? Why doesn't she lay it all out for me? Is there no concern for my soul? Does she feel like she will be persecuted? Maybe she doesn't know how to share her faith? Maybe it's scary for her to share her faith? I don't know. I wish I did.

So many of us "Christians" lack concern. People are going to hell. It doesn't concern them. As long as they're not going. Why doesn't it concern them? It concerned Jesus. Are we just happy to live in our own little "Christian bubble." Are we afraid to do work? Are we afraid to be rejected? Do we have a solid foundation? ARE WE EVEN SAVED?!? Do we not have enough time to be concerned about others? Why are we so timid? Why are we so concerned with what man thinks? Why, as Christians, do we still esteem man higher than God?!? Ugh!!! Church, wake up...
Man, 1/4 pound of salt WILL change the taste of 1 pound of beef...where, oh, where has the salt gone?!?

I know, I know, I'm a troublemaker...oh, well.

Field Day: Teaching "Hit the Drum"

You know that group, Go Fish, I wrote about. My supervisor decided to teach our 1st and 2nd graders the song, "Hit the Drum" for field day. My classes were next to hers, so I snapped some pictures. I got some video, but it's not loading right now. I'll try again tomorrow. It's really cool!



Field Day: Rock Art

I did rock art with the kids. It was fun and messy. One of the kids knocked over the yellow paint and stained the sidewalk! Oops. Oh well...





Field Day: Rock Art 2

More pictures...and, Eric, you can see Wes...guess which one he is...





Thursday, October 18, 2007

Hmmm...

WORDS OF COMFORT
The Ouachita Mountain Neighbor newspaper in Arkansas reported the following incident on September 26, 1995:

A local woman in a small town came out of a Wal-Mart store, placed her groceries in the back of her car, and sat in the driver’s seat.

Suddenly, she heard what sounded like a loud gunshot crashing through her back window, and in the same instant something impacted the back of her head. Terrified, she put her hand on the back of her head and felt the horrific sensation of her warm brains oozing onto her hand. She screamed in terror and went into a fit of uncontrollable hysterics.

A number of frantic shoppers immediately called 911 on their cell phones, and within minutes police arrived and rushed to the aid of the screaming woman.

After hearing that the woman was literally holding her brains in, an officer gently pried away her hand and found some gooey, warm biscuit dough. The woman had purchased a can of the mixture with her groceries, and it had expanded in the hot sun and exploded with a bang, sending warm dough onto the back of her head.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

My Note Made the Radio!!! NO WAY!!!

So, I was listening to Way of the Master Radio this evening and somehow Todd got a copy of the note I wrote to the Go Fish guy!!! He read it on the air!! I was sitting at my computer and Todd says, "Nicole writes...where is she from...Taiwan..." I was sitting there thinking, "NO WAY!" But yes, it was my note...It really took me by surprise, yet it was a nice surprise.

It's nice to know that I'm still famous in Taiwan...and now in America. Ha ha ha...

You can listen to it at http://www.wayofthemasterradio.com/podcast/2007/10/16/october-16-2007-hour-2/

It's at the 39:00 minute mark.

and check out Go Fish. www.gofishguys.com

Go Fish...Snazzy...Kid's Music

I listen to Way of the Master Radio a whole lot while in Taiwan (www.wayofthemasterradio.com). The radio host, Todd, has been going on and on about this new kid's cd that recently came out called Snazzy by a group named Go Fish. I listened to some clips and downloaded it on iTunes, brought it to school and would you know it, my students loved it!! I found the blog for one of the guys from the group, wrote a note and the band member wrote a blog about my note. So here it is...

October 16, 2007
This Is What It's All About!
Below is a comment that was posted on this blog last night. I thought you'd all enjoy it!

Hey guys! I've been listening to Todd from Way of the Master rave on and on about this cd on his show. I downloaded from iTunes and brought it into my Pre-K and Kindergarten classes today. I teach English in Taiwan and the only kids music I have is really cheesy (which drives me insane)! Not only did my students love the cd and understand a good number of the lyrics, but my supervisor loves it, too! It was so amazing to play Christian songs (and watch my students groove to "Saved") in my very secular/Buddhist school! I can hardly wait for Christmas... God Bless! nicole

I've often heard it said by Christians that they wonder how non-believers deal with tragedies and tough situations without God. I would take that one step further and say that I don't know how artists can find much gratification in making music just for the sake of making music. Surely when all you live for is money and success there must come a time when it all seems worthless. (because quite honestly, it is!) I don't know how many copies of Snazzy we'll sell and other then providing for our families (which God will do regardless) I don't care all that much. However I can't wait for eternity when maybe, just maybe, I'll get to meet some people from Taiwan who heard the gospel for the first time because they had a teacher from America who taught them Biblical principles by using Snazzy! That's what it's all about my friend.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Halloween

It's that time of year again. Apparently, I have to dress up. I hate halloween. Stupid. I'm not allowed to buy a costume. I have to make my own! Blah. Blah. Blah. What should I dress up as. I was thinking of carrying my Bible around all day and say I'm a preacher...maybe pass out some tracks...then I can be an evangelist. HAHAHAHA. That won't go over well with my school. But it'd be really funny!

I need ideas. I have a batik from Malaysia. Maybe I should dress up as Howard's (my crazy Malaysian brotha) mom.

People at school: What are you supposed to be?
Me: Howard's mom.
People at school: Who's Howard?
Me: Don't you wish you knew...

haha

A Day of Missings...

I miss...

my latino family. my church. dr. mike brown's preaching (www.stronginthelord.org). the warrior dance! my best friend. her/our parents. my "parents." conferences. my IN friends. my high school friends. brandon ranting and raving about the newest what's-his-name's preaching...non-greasy food. ovens. juciers and fresh juice without sugar ladened milk (aka heavy cream). fat-free milk. "intellectual" discussions with alex. walking. "clean" air. parties at my house after 6pm Sunday service, knowing we have to go to work in the morning. evenings at applebees or scotty's. lemons. watching my friends drive the applebees staff crazy over lemons. learning that applebees is now out of lemons because of my friends. did i mention, lemons? my pastors who constantly challenge me. people who challenge me. people who KNOW that i don't know it all. people who have conviction.

this year is turning out to be very hard...im just not satisfied. and that's a very good thing.

One thing I will never miss: Watching people kill animals and fling them onto their motorcycles...gross! Keep it at the factory, y'all.





"i will live all my days to worship you..."

10/10 Holiday Mountain Trip: Taiwan Coffee

My boss and her husband took Aaron and I on a half-day trip to the mountains. It was so relaxing. I didn't have to do anything but show up! (You all know I love planning, but sometimes it's nice to let others do all the work)! We stopped at this very famous coffee place. They are the only organic coffee growers in Taiwan (have you ever heard of coffee from Taiwan)?!? I'm not a coffee drinker, but this stuff was amazing!! And added to that was the scenery. The owner built this huge treehouse and everyone sits in the treehouse!! He also showed us the process of making coffee...so laborious. Just think, next time you buy coffee, you might be supporting slave labor. Find out if people deshell the beans by hand or not...




10/10 Mountain Trip

Fire Water!!! This was the coolest thing of the whole trip. There is a natural fire come up from under the water...no pipes...natural gas comes up and then poof, into flames...it's been going on for years...I can't explain it.