Blog - Page 23

School

Well, I’ve started school. I acutally started back on Wednesday the 21st. I think this year (my Senior year) will be a good year! Even with 3 AP classes, it seems like I’ll have a fairly easy load, which should be good. At this point last year, I had been assigned a lot more homework than this year.

I also joined cross country. Yesterday was my first day. I only missed a few days, which is cool. I think it’ll really be good for me. I enjoy running, though I’m not exceptionally good at it or anything. I guess I’m doing it so I can improve and just for the exercise.

Before school started, I worked on a new layout for my site. I hope to get that up soon, but I don’t know how soon I’ll get it up.

Well, I’m out. I’ve got practice at 7:30 tomorrow so I need to get to bed. Also, I don’t really have anything else to say so yeah.

Bye.

Small Update

Made a small update to the site today – changed that image at the top that says erichmusick.com to something that looks a lot more attractive. Before it was just a plain font (Arial) and three different colors. To create this new image, though, I used UleadPhoto Impact and some of it’s filters to make something that looks cool. Hope you like it!

Another quote

I’m one of those people that, when I’m bored, goes and reads people’s AIM profiles. Yesterday I posted someone’s away message. Today I found the following quote in someone’s profile. If you understand it, hats off to you! 🙂

“There are only 10 types of people in this world: those who understand binary, and those who don’t”

Thought for the night

You don’t have to be faster than the bear, you just have to be faster than the slowest guy running from the bear.

Chicago

Went to Chicago with my friend Stan today. Originally, we were just going to go to a friend’s house to drop off something, but then we started crusing around and got on I-88 and ended up in Oak Park, IL. From there, we took the train to Chicago and walked to Union Station, where Stan picked up the Amtrak tickets for his trip to St. Louis this weekend. An interesting day if you ask me – I enjoy doing things spurr of the moment like that.

How God has called me and how I have responded…

As James 2:26 tells us, faith without works is dead – part of living the Christian life is obeying God. God has given us many commands in His Word. Not only are there specific commands for all Christians, but God also promises to give Christians His Holy Spirit to guide us not only through various difficult experiences in our lives, but additionally in following God's will.

God has commanded that everyone love Him first and foremost, above all things. He is our reason for living; only His Grace can and does save us from Hell. Second in importance to loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, is loving your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments, or "calls" are the ones to which I have failed to respond properly the most. I am constantly putting other things before God. Whether it's because I get "too busy" or have "more important" things to do, putting other things before my relationship with God is wrong and I do it far too often. As far as loving my neighbor as myself, there's no way I could say that. I have a hard enough time loving my own family as I should, let alone all the rest of the world.

Another command God has given to all Christians is to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15) Although I haven't gone to any other country to share the gospel, I have done a few things to answer this call (but not nearly enough – there are hundreds of lost people I'm around every day of school to whom I rarely formally witness). I have attended SEMP (Students Equipped to Minister to Peers), where I learned about evangelizing, specifically, to my friends. In addition, we went out on the streets of Chicago a few days and witnessed to people who were out and about doing their own thing. In my public school, we frequently address a variety of moral issues. These class discussions have given me great opportunities to share my Bible-based beliefs with my classmates. Also in school, I try and bring God and/or the Bible into most, if not all of the papers I write. This gives me a great opportunity to practice my writing and complete an assignment, but also to be a witness to my teachers. I've really seen God help me with both the essays and the discussions; He's always right there beside me to give me the words to say. I've also put many of these essays, as well as other documents discussing my faith, on my personal web site, for the entire world to see. I've gotten many compliments from Christians, and I'm sure God is using the references to and quotes from His Word to change people's lives.

Another way I have preached the Gospel to all the world – or at least in this area – is my participation in the Railroad Days parade and the March for Jesus events. In these events we sang songs of praise, passed out literature, and held banners proclaiming the Gospel. When I was younger I stood outside an abortion clinic with my family, praying that God would close its doors. I remember also holding a sign boldly proclaiming, "He Is Lord." Although we got many dirty looks, God answered our prayers and closed the place a few years ago.

The Bible also commands Christians to correct one another when there is something in their lives (or beliefs) that doesn't add up to Scripture. After September 11, my friend and I became disgusted with all the people who went around saying that we Christians worship the same god Muslims worship, which is completely untrue. We began writing a newsletter, called Underground Hope, that addresses this issue and other similar issues plaguing Christianity these days. God has used the ability to write (that He gave me) and my skill with computers (which He also gave me – “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above” – James 1:17, including all our talents) to write the newsletter and to set up a web site for it, so God can use it to touch people throughout the world.

All these things I've done for God are nothing compared to what He did for me. Without Him, I'd be as lost as any unbeliever out there. I have only accomplished these things because of God's work in me, and I hope that all Christians remember that without God's work in their lives, His Word is foolishness (Ephesians 1). As a "loud voice of a great multitude in heaven" in Revelation 19:1 says, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." Praise be to God for what He has done and has yet to do in my life.

SEMP

Hey I just got back from tonight’s SEMP worship time – they had a really awesome concert of prayer. Now I wish I’d gone to SEMP, but oh well, there’s always next year. For those of you who don’t know what SEMP is, it stands for Students Equipped to Minister to Peers and it teaches Christian teens how to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. It’s a really great week-long conference and I’d recommend you have your youth leader look into it. Check out http://www.sonlife.com for more information.

I also got my AP test results yesterday in the mail. On the AP Computer Science AB test, I got a 5 and on the AP Physics test, I got a 4. On both these tests, I did better than I expected, so that’s really cool. Hopefully, these great scores will help me with college!

Garage Sale

Hey everyone on Friday and Saturday, we’re having a garage sale err…yard sale from 8-5, so if you’re in my area, drop by and help us get rid of our excess possessions!

Happy 4th

I’d just like to wish you all a happy 4th of July. I hope you remember what our nation is all about – freedom. The following are emails I have received and things we all really need to think about this Independence Day.

————–

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord’s Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word “God” is mentioned….a kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer.

I liked it….

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God’s name is prohibited by the state.

We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the ‘unwed daddy,’ our Senior King.
It’s “inappropriate” to teach right from wrong,
We’re taught that such “judgments” do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It’s scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

If you aren’t ashamed to do this, please pass this on.

Jesus said, “If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.”

Not ashamed. Passing this on…

——————

“I HAD A DREAM”

I had a dream the other night I didn’t understand,
A figure walking through the mist with flintlock in his hand.
His clothes were torn and dirty as he stood there by my bed.
He took off his three cornered hat and speaking low he said,

“We fought a revolution, to secure our liberty.
We wrote the Constitution, as a shield from tyranny.
For future generations, this legacy we gave.
In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

“The freedom we secured for you, we hoped you’d always keep.
But tyrants labored endlessly while your parents were asleep.
Your freedom gone, your courage lost, you’re no more than a slave.
In this, the land of the free and home of the brave.”

“You buy permits to travel, and permits to own a gun,
Permits to start a business, or to build a place for one.
On land that you believe you own, you pay a yearly rent.
Although you have no voice in choosing, how the moneys spent.”

“Your children must attend a school that doesn’t educate.
Your Christian values can’t be taught, according to the state.
You read about the current news, in a regulated press.
You pay a tax you do not owe, to please the I.R.S.”

“Your money is no longer made of Silver or of Gold.
You trade your wealth for paper, so your life can be controlled.
You pay for crimes that make our Nation, turn from God in shame.
You’ve taken Satan’s number, as you’ve traded in your name.”

“You’ve given government control, to those who do you harm,
So they can padlock churches, and steal the family farm,
And keep our country deep in debt, put men of God in jail,
Harass your fellow countrymen, while corrupted courts prevail.”

“Your public servants don’t uphold the solemn oath they’ve sworn.
Your daughters visit doctors, so their children won’t be born.
Your leaders ship artillery, and guns to foreign shores,
And send your sons to slaughter, fighting other people’s wars.”

“Can you regain the freedom for which we fought and died?
Or don’t you have the courage, or the faith to stand with pride?
Are there no more values for which you’ll fight to save?
Or do you wish your children, to live in fear and be a slave?”

“People of the Republic, arise and take a stand!
Defend the Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land!
Preserve our Great Republic, and our GOD-Given Right!
And pray to GOD, to keep the torch of Freedom burning bright!”

As I awoke he vanished, in the mist from whence he came.
His words were true, we are not Free, we have ourselves to blame.
For even now as tyrants, trample each GOD-Given Right.
We only watch and tremble, too afraid to stand and fight.

If he stood by your bedside, in a dream, while you’re asleep,
And wonders what remains of our Rights he fought to keep,
What would be your answer, if he called out from the grave:
IS THIS STILL THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE???”

Author Unknown

——————–

Let Freedom Rain

I pray that you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend! My prayer for you all is that you will be blessed by the freedom of our country…but that it won’t just stop there. You know, there is such a huge parallel between the 4th of July and Jesus.

Many people gave their lives
to set our country free.
But I pray you realize
what Jesus did for thee.

He came to Earth in Human form
to take upon our sins.
So when we run into the storm
He’s able to forgive.

When storms of life take their toll
and there is so much pain.
let Jesus in to heal your soul
for He lets Freedom RAIN.

That’s something I just wrote as I’m writing to you this e-mail. It might end up turning into a song. But you know – I just pray for you all that you truly will take hold of the FREEDOM that Jesus has for you. There is so much healing and grace – when we are able to humble ourselves and allow Jesus to set us Free.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

By His Grace,
Anita

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Thank you for taking the time to read the things above, as they mean a lot to me as well as a lot of other people. Have a great Fourth of July and God bless!!!!!