Are you a poser?

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. -1 Corinthians 16:13

Funny Church Signs

encouraging words...

"For I know the plans I have for you plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11


As the school year comes to an end this verse might be helpful and encouraging!

First Amendment in North Carolina:Marraige Equality

North Carolina has decided that a vote will take place soon for the idea of marriage equality. This vote is about reinforcing marriage between a man and a woman. This would basically mean that  gay marriage is still illegal in North Carolina.


I personally have a strong very that I will be voting for the amendment to pass, because it states in the bible that marriage should be between one man and one woman. I am sure that many people see this as being a type of discrimination, but the amendment simply sets in stone the right of one man and one woman for marriage. This is the way that it has been for a very long time, and voting for this amendment just ensures it stays in place.


The truth is it is no surprise that plenty of homosexual people live in North Carolina. The amendment is not banning that you cannot live here, or saying you are less than someone else. Simply the amendment says homosexuals may not marry in North Carolina. If you are a homosexual it doesn't mean that you cannot move to a state that has legalized gay marriage, such as California or New York. Opportunities to live a homosexual in North Carolina are no different than they have been and the rights of this citizens remain the same as everyone else. This vote many not even seem important to many because it simply doesn't apply to you, but it is important to understand that this vote is a matter of staying with the protestant tradition or not. 


I understand that this issue causes lots of drama between people and arguments. The point is everyone has their own option on the matter and the way to solve this issue is by voting for what you believe. I am strong on my opinion because I base mine off of my religion and the bible. I believe that it is important today to stick to what I believe in and that is exactly what I plan on doing. 


Are you against or for?

He Has Risen!

This past Sunday was very important for many people of the Christian/Protestant community. Sunday marked the rising of Jesus from the grave and ascending to heaven, after his death on Thursday night. Most commonly known as Easter Sunday, it is a day were people can come together to celebrate Jesus being alive and his promise he gave to come back one day in the future.

Easter Sunday is one of the most highly attended church days of the year other than Christmas time. The entire backbone of the Protestant religion is based on this important day and of course the birth of Jesus who died and then rose. Easter is also known for fixing lots of good food and having family over to celebrate. This day also reminds me of Thanksgiving when family gathers, simply to celebrate life and Jesus.

My favorite part about Easter is getting a new dress, and dressing up extra nice for church. It gives the day a better sense of importance, when I am able to ask myself why I am so dressed up for. It is because Jesus made a sacrifice for all the sinners in the world including myself, and then made a promise that one day he will return to claim his children who believe in him.

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Acts 2:24

Trayvon: What is the real problem??

Recently in the news there has been an uproar conserning the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida about a week ago. Many people are taking this issue as a rasict problem and view Trayon as a victim of a crazy man wanting to attack someone. We can look at this issue from verses in the bible that support the idea that racism should not be an issue.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. John 7:24

These verses obvioulsy show that whether a person is white or red, it doesn't make a difference the color of your skin. Everyone should be treated equally, because God loves everyone no matter what they look like. It is funny to see this issue blow up in the news when it is obvious what the real issue is. Racism is a growing issue and has truly never gone away in history. No matter what happens with this Trayvon case, the issue of racism will remain.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Love is in the Air

The colors pink and red are found everywhere during the month of February. From the grocery store to the work place, people are preparing themselves for one big day. February 14^th every year people have decided to dedicate as a “day of love.” It all started with the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration that annually took place on February 15. The Pope Gelasius I then declared February 14^th to be St. Valentine's Day. Today, it is a day full of flowers, candies, chocolates, cards, and much more. Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year but can be viewed positively and negatively by many people. Yet what makes it so much more popular than any other day of the year?

 

Many people don’t even notice all the work and preparation that goes into Valentine’s Day, and not to mention the millions or billions of dollars spent. The average annual Valentine’s Day spending is $13.19 billion dollars. Wow! The idea of that much money going towards one day seems very ridiculous, but many Americans feel it is expected. Jack Frasier of Apex North Carolina explained, “I save extra money near Valentine’s Day so that I can afford a nice dinner and something special for my wife.” The average person spends about $116.21 on Valentine’s Day gifts each year, and apparently, it is worth it.

Most women expect men to do something special for them on Valentine’s Day. In fact, it has been shown that 53% of women would end their relationship if their significant other got them nothing for Valentine’s Day. The fact that over half of women would end a relationship because of one day is crazy. Shouldn’t everyday be like Valentine’s Day if you are in a relationship anyway? A person’s love and the way it is shown to his or her lover shouldn’t be restricted to just one day, it should be all year round.

Another view on Valentine’s Day is the idea that if you don’t have a significant other, the day totally sucks. Well, this is not true. Everyone has a person or people in their lives that they care about and this day can be a day to show them how much you care as well. People such as a mother, father, sibling, or even a friend needs to be shown love on this day too.

Another person you can treat on Valentine’s Day is yourself! Do something that you enjoy, and remember that you don’t have to be with anyone to do it. Even though Valentine’s Day seems vastly overrated, it is still a special day you can treat someone, or yourself, more than usual.

Just another day to many is not just another day for card companies and other big businesses that produced items frequently bought on the big day.  Approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas. Now that is a whole lot of cards! Flower companies are also very popular for Valentine’s Day. $403 Million is the average revenue of flower buying for Valentine’s Day. Imagine all those flowers!

Valentine’s Day is by far one of the most celebrated holidays out of the year. From flowers to chocolates, nothing will ever replace the true satisfaction that Valentine’s Day brings an individual.

Revival:Come Alive

At many churches around America, once a year they have an intensive bible study for about a week known as Revival. This bible study is different every year, but the focus is simply to make sure we are pursing to tell other people in the community about Jesus and to draw closer to God. Many lives are usually turned upside down and eyes are opened to the true purpose of being a Christian, being a witness and telling others about God.


This past week in the small town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina a church named Pleasant Grove Baptist held their revival of the year 2012. The revival was led by the pastor Paul Jones, who is a retired pastor who travels around to led revival studies.


Over the span of four days, Paul Jones placed the idea that Christians in today's day and time need to stand up for what they believe in and the best way to do this is through your actions. "Everyone is faced with temptations, but it is how we respond to these temptations. Are we going to simply give in and show that we are of the world, or are we going to show we are better than that," Reverend Paul Jones states.
Through out the whole revival experience, every night more and more people from the community joined to hear the words of Paul Jones. He was so glad that God was really working in the area and said,"God is evident through the souls that come through the door, reaching out for the people who are just waiting for someone to care is vital in sharing there is someone who cares, and his name is Jesus."


My personal experience of going to the revivals was somewhat of a personal experience. Feeling God touch you and pull on your heart strings is not something to be put into words. The comfort you receive knowing that God will forgive you from being a sinner and died so that a unholy person such as you could live is truly amazing.


Overall, the revival of 2012 was a major success. The fire has been lit, and God's people of Pleasant Grove Baptist are ready to make a difference.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

 

It's a Beautiful Day!

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Casting Crowns Concert!

 Hundreds of people gathered in the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina to worship and see their favorite bands. The audience was inspired by the lead singer of Casting Crowns, Mark Hall, as he shared his mission work in Africa, his efforts to help the community, and of course his amazing vocals. Casting Crowns is a band that is made up of a group of Christians that travel on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to share a their talents, and then serve in their hometown church for the rest of the week. The band members all work in the youth department in Georgia, and said that they all started in that church, and just because they are famous doesn't mean they are going to leave their hometown. The commitment and faith that this band has is obvious in their performance and in the way they witness to others.


The opening acts for Casting Crowns included new inspiring artist Royal Tailor and Lindsey McCaul, as well as Matthew West. They all shared their personal testimonies and drew in the audience with captivating songs. Royal Tailor is a newer Christian band that has released one CD entitled "Black&White". It is full of hit up beat songs, including "Make a Move" and "Control". There main idea of the album was how to live in a world full of sin and fleshly desires, and taking a stand for what you believe is true. Their music overall pumped up the audience with loud and hip-hop jams, while Lindsey McCaul's music was more of quite worship blend. The contrast of the two young inspiring opening acts was perfect and with Matthew West wrapping it up before the Casting Crowns hit the stage gave a good overall variety in music.


The concert was seen by many and was a major hit in the Raleigh area. Some of the audience members shared that they will defiantly be returning to another Crowns concert in the future because they had such an amazing experience. Casting Crowns just released their newest CD "Until the Whole World Hears" in 2011 and they are already planning for another album soon.

What is the Deal?

This blog focuses on the Christian religion as a whole. It will focus on the bible, Jesus Christ, Christian news around the world, and personal testimonies. The whole goal as a Christian is to spread the word of about God's love with other people in everything you do. The purpose of this blog is to allow Christians to have a blog to read and share some of the importance of Jesus through my blog so that other people can see it and be affected.

This is only one verse out of many that expresses the what God calls us to do....

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit."Matthew 28:19

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Not a Piece of Cake: Personality Profile

The life of a college student is of course stressful and unbearable at times, but for students like Amber Hunter, it is worth it. Amber has been attending Wake Technical Community College for about two and a half years studying in the Culinary Arts program.

“Since as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a chef in a restaurant,” Amber states. Amber doesn’t really even care where she is cooking as long as she is doing what she loves. Even though she has the passion to fulfill her dreams, it has taken her longer than she expected to finish her two year degree.

“The scheduling in Culinary is different than just regular classes here at Wake Tech, and grading is pass or fail,” Amber stresses. Amber also works a part-time job and is trying to save up money to move out of home soon. “I just really wish that it was a faster process to complete my degree”, Amber indicates. “When you have long lab days that are six plus hours long, a part-time job, and the regular everyday stresses, it is hard.” Amber has worked hard but has had some speed bumps along the way. Her work load has increase at school, and work, and her father recently passed away a few months ago.

Amber wants to finish her college soon so she can get to work doing what she loves, yet she still has a long journey ahead of her. Amber revealed, “People may think that Culinary is easy, but it isn’t just baking cakes. You have to learn formuals and do a lot of math. If you are interested, be sure it is definitely your true passion. I don’t think I would of been able to reach this far without motivation.”

The main question Amber pondered was what was she to do to get a job right after you get done with college, and she answered, “I’m not sure where God will lead me, but I know that I will try my best to make connections with people I know.” “Connectivity and communication is very important in the world of Culinary Arts because if people like you, they will give a good word in order for you to get a better job,” Amber explains.

 Amber hopes to be able to finish by the end of this year but also said she would rather take her time and do it right than have to retake classes. Her hard work and strength has made her a role model and an example to other students to never stop working towards what they truly have a passion for.