Thursday, April 23, 2015

HAVE CONFIDENCE!!

Confidence! Have confidence! This is my story of how I needed confidence. For me it takes confidence to go outside. It takes confidence to shake someone's hand. It takes confidence to meet new people. I have to be a very confident person. I am going to tell you my story about how I overcame shyness and self-consciousness and became confident.

           I am a home schooled teen. I am a sophomore. I have to be confident and able to go out and meet people. When I was 13, I became very quiet. You could say I went into my shell. I did not really want to socialize. Before that I was a really friendly and out-going person. I guess what put me in my shell was people ignoring me when I would interject in a conversation or not being responsive. They shut me out and so I went into my shell. I had just moved that Spring and I did not meet many people and did not want to talk to people. That fall I started a new home-school co-op and I began speech and debate. I did not know anyone! I was forced to talk to people and in the process I met some really cool people. At speech and debate tournaments I met some very sweet people. After that I was brought out of my shell. There kindness and friendliness brought me out. Otherwise I may have been shy til this day. I was finally able to think if you don't like me that's fine but some people do. After being rejected for awhile you begin to think people don't like you. And that you are just an unlikable person. You go into your shell because you don't want to get hurt. You don't give yourself a chance to be rejected or accepted.

        Another reason I have to be confident in myself is that I have a skin condition called atopic dermatitis or eczema. It makes my skin look very dry. It appears to be contagious to some people, but it isn't. It is an inflammatory condition. It where my skin gets inflamed. This can be caused when I eat an allergen or am exposed to artificial perfumes and scents. It can be very itchy and dry and even painful. I have it on my hands and arms and legs and even a little on my face. I notice people stare at it especially on my hands and arms. It makes me feel self-conscious. And a few people have even commented on it. For me it takes a lot of confidence to put on a short-sleeved shirt and show my arms. It takes a lot of confidence to shake a hand. Because that person may look at my hand and give me a strange look like don't ever touch me again. So I have to be confident in myself. I can't care if people stare at me. I am beautiful even if my skin is not perfectly smooth. I have to tell myself that. It is not that I am conceited. It just so I can have confidence and not want to hide behind long jackets and sweaters.

          Well, this is my story of how I had to have confidence. I probably does not seem very significant. But whether you have a skin condition or are shy. You can have confidence. Who cares if people stare?? Who cares if people don't always accept you? Trust me! You are an AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL creation of the Lord. You are awesome in each and every way. Don't ever second guess that even people reject you. Remember you are a really cool person those people are only missing out! So Have Confidence!

Thanks so Much For Reading my article!

Comment what you think. :)







Friday, April 17, 2015

The Balance

There should be a balance between the importance of the individual and the state. If the individual is infinitely more important than the states this can be warped into a sick humanistic survival of the fittest. If the state is infinitely important, it can turn the citizens into systematic robots. Today we will see how there must be a balance between states and human rights.  How our cultural places the individual on a throne. And how individualistic humanism is exalted.  But Christ is infinitely important than both the individual and the state.
I vehemently believe each individual is important. Even the smallest groups deserve a voice. There is a balance between the importance of the state and the individual. This balance is imperative. If one side is uplifted more than the other. The system will likely fail. In facist communist government, the government is more important than the individual. Individual rights are trampled. But if there is a democracy there can be tyranny of the majority or mob rule. These also heartlessly trample small groups and individual rights. God showed men through history what the balance of the individual and state is. That balance is found in a Participatory Representative Socialist Republic society. This society is careful not to trample on the rights of the minority. Carefully, a government will make sure that needs of the weakest and least “important” are taken care of. This shows that the Individual is important but the state also must have power.  Frankly, I believe this is the best balance of individual and state.  Because if the state has too much power life loses color. This an quote from The Giver a Dystopian society where all choices were made for you and life was without color choices and spontaneity. “The Life where nothing was ever unexpected.  Or inconvenient. Or unusual.  The life without color, pain, or past.” Without choice life loses its color, pain, and past. The difficult days allow us to appreciate the best days. For happy and well-mannered society the importance of the individual and state must be balanced.
Everyday you hear people talk about social media.  According to the Pew center 74 % of internet users are on social media. People can use their social media pages to glorify God or for self glorification. Society can reflect this. Many people take pride in their accomplishments. Google+ a social media site even has a place to put your “bragging rights”. Loudly the culture screams at us to do you, love you, be you, you are the most important. There's so much self glorifications. Everyone has to have the latest style of clothes, the best smartphone, and the coolest vacation photos. In the media you can see the onslaught. Every commercial is bellowing you need this. Buy that Buy this. Our culture exalts the self. There is even a magazine called Self.
New age religions also glorify self. These beliefs are that You are a God.  God is in you. Speedily, this adds fuel to that all about me attitude. As our culture promotes the all about me attitude everyday we can choose who to glorify. GOd or ouselves

Self love and Selfishness that our culture project leads to emptiness. God does not want us to experience the tragic emptiness that leads to storing things for ourselves. God lovingly tells us.

Matthew 6:19-20 New International Version (NIV)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
God want to wisely store things where it matters in heaven. Everyone can tend to have the all about me attitude. People tend to put on there “but me” glasses. I’ve done this too. It may go like this. “ I got 90% on the test,”
“But I got a  98%.” Is the reply. People do not like to hang around those who constantly have their “but me” glasses on.  I’ve been caught putting on my big fat loud colored “but me” glasses. But as Christian God calls me to higher. He wants me to take off my “but Me” glasses and put on Christ. Christ wants to save us the embarrassment of putting our huge gaudy but me glasses on.

Luke 9:23 New International Version (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
I must deny myself daily. Everytime I reach for those glasses. I must deny myself. God wants us to deny ourselves if we want to follow him. He wants to save us from the emptiness and depression that selfishness brings.
It is not about you or me it is about Christ. He is infinitely more important than the state and the individual. He helps us see the error in our ways. In the Bible it shows tyranny and how if the individual and state aren’t balance it leads to tyranny or anarchy. This is my message. He is above all.
If society is balanced it will be set up like a triangle. Christ will be at the top state and individual at the bottom corners. If this balance is kept society will flourish.This balance is a difficult one to keep.  But as we have seen countries flourish and have a happy well-mannered society if this balance is kept.  



Bibliography
"Social Networking Fact Sheet." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 27 Dec. 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Happy Easter!!! Let us Take up our crosses!!!

Sorry, I  have been so absent from this blog. But I want to talky about Easter today and how this story is so profound and amazing. How Christ died for you? He gave his life. I am sure most of you have heard the story of Christ's death, Burial and Resurrection.  If you haven't here are the links to previous posts with the story. http://lorrayya.blogspot.com/search?q=good+fridayhttp://lorrayya.blogspot.com/search?q=Easter
God gave up his life for us. He thinks we are so valuable it is worth it for him to die. 

1 John 4:19New International Version (NIV)

19 We love because he first loved us.
He loved us when we hated him. When we were deep in our sins. This profound. He showed the greatest love. Love greater than anyone could show.  He gave his life. Most people would not give their life for a good person. Let alone people who hat them. God gave up his life when we were enemies of him. He displayed the ultimate sacrifice.

John 15:13New International Version (NIV)

13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
God did this for us. For me for you and every other person in this world. This is profound. This make me filled with awe and love for Jesus who did this for me. Since God gave his life up for us, how much more should we be willign give ours for him. To serve him. To show Jesus in everything we do. So if we want to show him we must pick up our crosses and follow him. 

Luke 9:23New International Version (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
If you want to follow Christ. We must take up our crosses and follow him. Taking up our cross means putting others first. It means showing the fruits of spirit 

Galatians 5:22-23New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
If we show these or try to show these. We are taking up our crosses and following him. It won't always be easy but God's sacrifice was not easy.
TAKE UP YOUR CROSS!!
If you have any questions about salvation please comment.
Thanks For Reading!!!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Good Friday

Since today is good Friday I think we should read the story of good Friday straight from God's Word. I got this from Mark 14 Matthew Luke and John

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Awesome Cross SunsetNow the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.  15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The Last Supper

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenantin my blood, which is poured out for you.[a] 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you,Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[b]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That’s enough!” he replied.

Gethsemane

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba,[f] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cupfrom me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested

47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him,“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Peter’s First Denial

15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.
He replied, “I am not.”
18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high pries

69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.[h] Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice[i] you will disown me three times.”And he broke down and wept.

 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus[b] Barabbas.17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dreambecause of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
    and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[d]
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e]went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[f] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.