Growing up, I noticed a lot of discussion about financial problems between my parents. It’s not that we were becoming poor, it was because of our growing family needing more supplies. My mother just gave birth to my little brother when I started noticing the financial issues my family were facing. As a little girl, I do not know how our finances worked all I knew was many bills were due and I knew it because when I was a little girl I liked to practice reading and those bill statements were the papers that attracted my interest due to its colorful paper.…
I never thought how interesting it would be to visit a different place of worship besides Christianity. Since the day I was born I’ve been a Christian and whatever anyone else believes in is wrong and that they are going to hell if they don’t believe in Christianity. About 3 years ago I visited the International Buddhist Progress Society a Buddhist temple in Naperville. Buddhism from what I learned looks more like a way of life or guidelines to it rather than a religion. Buddhism tells you how you could live life better but doesn’t scare you with the prospect of hell instead you live with ignorance. My own history with Christianity still made me doubt or fear the conquences of going to this temple. Part of me believed that I be punished by…
It was a Wednesday morning that I'll never forget. I had woken up at 3 in the morning because I had to be at a park for a physical fitness test. The test was not until 6 but because I was taking the bus, I had to make sure I was out of bed and out of the house early in the morning. The first few minutes of my commute were peaceful; there was light rain, birds chirping, the insect's low buzzing in the distance. It was just a normal morning. After I had gotten on the 85 bus that goes down Central to Jefferson Park I was a little groggy so I rested up against the heating compartment. The little designated area where you push a button and the heat comes on during the winter months so that commuters are not stuck out in the cold for too…
The four Gospels are the accounts at the beginning of the New Testament about the saving work of God in his son Jesus Christ. The writers of the four gospels introduced a new literary category into literature. The gospels are not exactly biographies, because apart from certain events surrounding Jesus’ birth, (Matt. 1-2; Luke 1-2) and one from Jesus’ youth (Luke 2:41-52), they record only the last two or three years of Jesus' life. Moreover, the material included is not written as an objective historical survey of Jesus' ministry. The gospels present Jesus in such a way that the reader realizes that God acted uniquely in Jesus. The authors of the gospels wrote not only to communicate knowledge about Jesus as a person, but also to call us to commitment to Jesus as Lord. The authors of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all wrote each of their stories in different times and different places. Their tales were told in such a manner that would appeal to the masses in their respective areas. Each author also focused their message on a different characteristic of Jesus, from his portrayal as a teacher to his portrayal as a fulfiller of prophecies to the portrayal of Jesus as eternally divine.…
In N.T. Wright’s book Simply Jesus, he tries to bring to light the character of Jesus, attempting to articulate both who he was, is, and his mission. He draws mostly from the gospels - though he borrows from other books as well - to paint this picture. Wright argues that the perception of Jesus has become muddled as culture and history have distanced themselves and confusion has ensued over the actions of Jesus, as they quite contradictory to general expectations. He calls for liberals and conservatives alike to quit arguing so as to come to agreement on what really matters, the facts rather than their interpretation. So much of the gospels could be described as symbolic, it is hard to understand with certainty…
Who am I? That has always been an essential question for as long as I can remember. I never really understood why we had to answer that question along the way, but I’m now a senior at SJPII and I still have no idea who I am. It really bothers me that for 16 years I still haven’t figured out who I am. Constantly going from class to class and making new friends I still can’t pin point who the “real” me is.…
I'm sure everyone has wondered in their lifetime, “Is there really a God?”. I know I have! There are many religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, but most people believe in Christianity. Christianity follows the teachings and miracles of Jesus Christ with the belief that He is God. There are many branches of Christianity. I'm writing this to tell you about why I am a Nazarene Christian. The things I will be covering are wildlife, the spread of Christianity, and the planet Earth's perfect tilt.…
“We all stray from time to time….and when you do, OWN IT! If you deny it….you are giving up control again.” This can teach a lesson to people struggling with drugs and alcohol. If you deny that you have a problem, you will continue to let these things control your life, but if you own up to it, you can help yourself or get help from others. The quote, from the “I don’t know the Bible…” paragraph, “‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,”’ reflects what I believe in and what I have learned. Growing up I heard many people tell me, “God first, others second, and yourself last.” First of all, these two quotes are telling me to live a faithful life by putting God first. Also, to put others before me and serve them just like Jesus did.…
Galatians 2:20” I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Knowing Jesus on a personal level is the greatest thing in the world. When we come to know Jesus all the angels in Heaven rejoice. Having a relationship with the Lord can change your life forever. I love knowing that There is a God up in Heaven that I can go to when things get out of hand. Glorifying God for the rest of my life will be something I will always cherish.…
Who am I? As I sit here trying to write this personal statement, I have accidentally stumbled across the most life altering question. Who am I?…
time for me to begin my 10 minute warming up. I move my head side to side, stretch my legs, and I begin to walk briskly. I drank my water because I need to stay hydrated. When I was ready I sprinted out like a rocket. My brother began to time me. It took me 12 minutes to finish my one mile. Once I felt that my heart was pounding, my stomach started to develop painful cramps, and my My throat was as dry as a bone. I stopped and took deep breaths in and out. I took a five minute break and finished my 3 miles by walking. Once I finished my three miles I felt proud of myself and motivated for the next days to…
The night grew dark, cold, and lonesome. I took a hot shower and prayed for my health. Midafternoon the next day, I heard a bold knock on my door. “Come in,” I uttered exuberantly. A tall, husky man wearing a white lab coat entered my room, followed by a gust of cold air. My eyes instantly spotted “Surgeon” on his name tag. I uneasily anticipated the doctors’ decision that I was going to need to have surgery.…
In sixth grade, I stood before a podium that stared back at my English class. This was not how I envisioned sharing my love for reading and writing; however, it was required. My palms felt sticky, and I just knew that the entire class could see my heart as it was about to hop from the walls that kept it safe. I prayed that I would not forget the lines as I recited The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. In sixth grade, reading, writing, and I started a relationship. Today, we have yet to break up.…
"If you dont have anything nice to say, then dont say anything at all." One of the few…
The person I choice to interview this week just like last week is also someone I turn to when I am faced with questions and concerns regarding all of my biblical classes and sometimes just personal spiritual questions. That person is my pastor and my father in law who has been a southern Baptist preacher for over thirty years. Of those thirty years he has only been pastor of two churches both, which have been very successful while he was and is presently the pastor. When we talk about anything and everything overall we have a great relationship. I choose to interview him this week because I knew he would be able to show me the more experienced side of his ministry because of his years of serving the lord.…