Hello everyone! I have a very special prayer request today. I have a cousin that is 17 years old. He is in ICU at Shand's at the University of Florida. He's been very active and athletic all of his life until a few weeks ago. No one knows why, but his heart is now operating at 8 - 10% and he is in need of a transplant. The doctors have informed him and his family that he's not going anywhere until he can get a heart, which can take what seems like a lifetime. They say they won't know what's wrong with his heart until they can get it out and examine it, but that he definitely needs a transplant badly.

In the process of all of this, his family has gotten to know another family that i would also like for you to remember in your prayers. The child's name is Noah, age 3, and he's been in need of a heart for 17 months and has been in the hospital there for 8 months needing a new heart.

Thanks everyone!

Thank you for moving this for me.  I just wasn't paying attention to what I was doing! 

The boy claims that he has nothing against Christians or the assemblies, its just that he wants an option (which he already had), and supposedly its constitutionally illegal.  I don't know for sure though.  I would really like to do some more research about that.  Either way it has our entire community in an uproar. 

MJC

Thanks Pastor Roger!

Here is the link to the site:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/OPINION01/803060338

On the website above there are 13 pages of posts concerning this article.

The main thing that eats me up is that this boy claims that everyone is forced to attend.  That is not true.  We are all given the option of atttending the assemblies or going to the library.  The whole thing started because he and his friends wanted an option (according to his mom), but the fact is that they had the option all along!  I am very upset about this.  The whole thing has been blown out of proportion and our administrators are going to be made out as the "terrible people who beat kids with Bibles".  And the administrators don't even set up the events.  Everything is set up by a school club/organization called the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS).

I think I put this under the wrong section.  I didn't mean to put it under "Prayer" (even though the situation needs a lot of prayer).  I should have put it under the "You Name It" section.

Either way, please be praying for our school and this situation.

MJC

I know that I haven't posted lately...i've been super busy, but I thought this was an important topic for discussion.  A student at my high school wrote the following letter to the editor of a newspaper.  There has been a lot of fuss over it and personally, I am outraged:



"I am a freshman at Greene County High School, and I am writing to express my concerns on several assemblies that we have had this year.

It is understood that we live in a region of the country called the "Bible Belt," and in this region Christianity does play a significant role in the lives and the views of many people. I not only understand this, but I also respect it.
   
This school year we have had three assemblies where the speaker was a religious figure. The first person was a local preacher. During this assembly he preached to us on the importance of making the right choices and accepting Jesus as our savior.

The next person was a biker-turned-preacher from the Gulf Coast. His program was focused on making the right choices. He didn't preach to us, but he did mention that turning to Christianity helped him turn his life around.

The other speaker was a preacher from Louisiana. He preached on the importance of living in a Christ-like manner.

These assemblies were all concluded in prayer. We were never given the option to not attend.

I respect all of these people and their commitment to the Christian religion just as much as I respect the Constitution and rights given to us by this document. This time, however, the two are at odds with each other.

The Establishment Clause of the Constitution has been interpreted in many court cases as a wall of separation between church and state.

Moreover, it states clearly in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 that no school official shall mandate or organize religious ceremonies.

I have no problem with the assemblies themselves, but public schools are not the place to preach a religion. The Constitution is the reason that this country hasn't crumbled into a chaotic state.

Now is not the time to overlook this important document. These assemblies, no matter how good of a message they bear, are still technically illegal."

END


I feel like there is something I should do.  This is all over the internet.  I googled it the other night and there are at least 5 or 6 forum and blog sites with pages of posts concerning this topic. 

I would like to put the link to the newspaper website this is located on, is that ok?

Hello David,
I had to look up introspection myself, but I found that I am the worst in the world to do it.  I am always trying to find my mistakes so I can correct myself and find where I am going wrong.  Sometimes I get obsessive with it and just become a total disaster.  Don't dwell on all the things that aren't going quite right in your life.  I don't know what you have going on but I can kind of relate a little.  I am stressed out all of the time because I have bills and I am working every minute I can get at work to pay them.  I am always trying to find myself.  I am told that I am my own worst critic.  Don't be so hard on yourself, and don't worry about every little thing.  This is where I go wrong 99% of the time.  Worrying wont accomplish anything and being hard on yourself won't either.  God is in control just pray about everything that is bothering you, but don't be surprised when your prayers are answered!  He is in control and is working things out!

continue to keep us updated. remeber that God is in control.  I am praying for him also.

MJC

I'm glad that God is in control instead of me.  I am a wreck sometimes as it is, I would hate to see how bad off I would be if I was in control of my every move rather than God!  I am thankful that he has and is helping me through some of the issues I have been and still am dealing with.

MJC

I definitely can't disagree with that statement!

Just keep in mind that the seatbelt isn't what saved your friend, the Lord just wasn't ready for him yet.  Its amazing how you can see these horrible wrecks that don't even leave scratches on people, but sometimes people lose their lives in little more than fender benders.  God is in control no matter what!

MJC

We had a good time in Florida, and I DID wear my seatbelt (partially because I drove part of the way ) My little sister fusses about me nagging at her to wear her seatbelt when she rides with me.  She'll be okay, better safe than sorry!  The wedding went great and I was greeted warmly when I got back to work 15 minutes late this afternoon, so everything worked out fine!

MJC

Does that answer your question about my thoughts on older Christians?

Well, my job dilema is over.  I got all upset Sunday night at the church I went to.  I was invited to go to a nearby church that was having a sing night.  So I went, and I got to talking to a woman that I know pretty well.  She and her husband are customers at the store that I work at, but anyhow, I their family to death and I just felt like I needed to talk to her.  I told her what was going on, and for some reason I got all upset.  Finally I got up the nerve to go talk to the man that made me the latest job offer, who is also a member of that church.  Daddy said that he told him if I would go talk to him and his wife I had the job.  So I talked to him, and he informed me that they had already hired someone else the day before. If I had been two days earlier I would have had the job.  I am so glad that I was late!  I don't think he quite understood why I was so happy not to get the job.  I was worried that I was going to be forced into moving and I didn't want that.  I am just as excited as I can be!

Also, we are traveling to Pensacola, FL tomorrow.  I lived there until I was almost 13.  I still have a good bit of family there and one of my cousins is getting married.  I am excited about the trip.

I will post when we get back!

MJC

lol...this is kind of amusing to me for some reason!  I don't have a problem with older people at all.  I especially like to talk to older Christians sometimes because I feel that they have a good bit more experience in life than I do.  I'll be the first to tell you that I am clueless.  But I will say that some older people, as well as young people are a little too set in their ways.  They aren't as open minded as they should be.  Things are their way and that's the only way it could ever possibly be; but as I said that is the same with older and younger people. 

There is a huge misconception about older people being so much closer to God.  A lot of people think that way.  I think that no matter what age people are, you can look at the way they live their lives and the fruits that they sow to see just how close to God they really are, whether they are 15 or 50.  That's just another one of my opinions though

MJC
I must add that the stories about having a pee-pot under the edge of the bed in the winter time, and bathing children in a wash tub do kind of amuse me!

I am not so worried about the job decision right now.  I feel like I need to just stay where I am at, but I am afraid that I am going to be forced into moving and I don't want that.  I am capable of making my own decision sensibly.(so says every other 16 year old, too)

I have enjoyed being on here a lot.  I haven't been treated as a crazy opinionated teenager!  I don't get taken seriously as much as I feel I should. 

Thanks for your continued prayers.  I need them and so does my church as we look for a new pastor.

MJC

Thank you for that.  I use that website some when I am preparing my lesson for my Wednesday night class.  I try to find simpler translations of some verses every now and then.

I have not been online much lately.  I have been so busy.  Now that school has started back I never have much time for anything.  I go to school all day and then I go to work.  I am getting 26-30 hours a week even while going to school.  I have just about got it all worked out though.  Now my bills are finally in order.  I've got a truck payment at the beginning of the month.  Then insurance falls somewhere in the middle, and any repairs I need can kind of work around that. 

I am kind of in the middle of a decision making process now.  I have been working where I am at right now for a year and two months.  In the past month I have had three job offers.  One from a NAPA dealer nearby, one from the gas station my mom works at, and one from another gas station about 6 mile from the house.  I found out about the last one today.  The owner talked to my dad.  I really didn't consider the other two because they are about 13 miles away in a nearby town, but this one is close to home and I would actually be making more money that I am right now.  I don't really want to move because I love it where I am and my bosses have been so wonderful to me.  I want to stay loyal to them.  They were the ones who went out on a limb for me by hiring a 15 year old girl they hardly knew.  I don't want to leave them.  There are a few other reasons too.  I think my dad wants me to move though.  He doesn't care much for my current employers.  I am worried that he will try to make me move or make me feel bad about not moving.  I am just trying to make the right decision.  I could use a little prayer in that situation.

I also have a praise report.  Sunday before last my eleven year old sister got saved.  And my dad has gotten back in church.  That is two answered prayers.  I am really excited about that!

Thank you all.  You have been so wonderful to me since I came on here.

MJC

The best thing you can do is tell your friend to be patient and pray for her.  I was in the same situation a few months ago.  There was a really close friend of mine that I kept trying to witness to.  One night when we were talking I was really worried about him and I kept trying to witness to him and he called me a "sissy church-girl".  I got really mad but I just worked past it.  We still talk every now and then.  But he hasn't gotten saved yet.  I'm still praying for him though.  He'll see the light one day.  And I don't know what the Lord's will is, but he may be able to see God through me.  I hope so.  I haven't seen him in 3 years.  I moved away but we still talk some.  It's hard to get through to someone who you can't see!  Anyhow, just pray about the situation and try not to let it get to you.  It's just the devil trying to discourage her.