Nicaragua2012 (Part 2)

*Post two of my Nicaragua2012 Posts.*
*This is partially for you, and partially so I have a place to write it all so I remember it. So pardon all the horrific details.*


OK. So you may remember, when we left off, I had come back from the beach. The next four days were our designated "work days". I'll begin there...

If you want the most basic overview, "We built two houses."

They started lifting before I could get to the side...

For a more detailed description, I'll just write what I wrote in my journal after day 3:
"It's been a ton of fun. You never get overworked, because there's not enough work for everyone, so you can easily take breaks. But don't think it's easy! I wake up every day more tired, and super sore!
People are so helpful! Sammy spends the entire time giving herself to all the little Nicaraguan children, and also is constantly offering to bring people their waters bottles! Everyday, Tara goes out of her way to cover all of the backpacks, so the when it rains, (which it does everyday here) none of our stuff will be ruined! No other specifics, but everyone gets whatever you need, and if you need a break, they jump at the chance to get back to work!

Putting in the floor boards

At some points throughout the day, I just spend some time with the little boys. We just run, fight, growl, and tickle (Yes. I did say tickle.) Even though we aren't doing anything, they still have so much fun, and the glee on their faces is amazing to watch!
I also love watching the teenage Nicaraguans. I can't understand much of what they say, but i feel a connection. We're just a few teenage guys, out here building to help some people out!"

So there you have it. That was my play-by-play, in the midst of the action.

On Thursday night, we went to Church. The preacher was another visitor, and he had a ton of great stuff to say about worship.
Here's some of my notes:
Ephesians 2:10
       God designed us to worship Him through good works.EVERYONE WORSHIPS SOMETHING
       What do you worship?
What is worship?
       Singing?
       Praying?
       Praising?
             All three of these, but more! Worship is doing what the the Holy Spirit leads us to do, and its from
             your heart!
Whatever you do, do it for God!
Romans 3:23
Worshiping is reflecting the glory of the Master.
Love like He loved, Grace like He graced, and Forgive like He forgave.
God is most Glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him!
You have to KEEP your heart close to God.
You don't plan to fall out of love. It comes from not continually coming to Him.
Worship: an outward expression of your inner love.
Do you know Him? If not, you can't truly worship Him.
Psalm 139:14
       You will never be able to worship God if you think He made a mistake in you.


And that's the conclusion! Now on to post numero tres!

The Bible is Wrong

Okay, so the title might be a bit misleading. I still believe the bible. But I'm beginning to believe it differently. You may know I am in a biology class at school, which means we learn about evolution, and a bit of the big bang theory. Now, a  year ago I would've said that both were wrong without a second thought. However, I've also been talking, no, debating Christianity in things called "communities" on an app I got. (Shout out to all mis amigos out there!) Both of these combined got me thinking.
There is a lot of evidence out there for both Evolution and the Big Bang theory. Obviously, without a time machine, we can't say for sure. It would be like trying to prove that there isn't any God. You can't ever say for sure. But anyway, My point is, these theories are looking less and less like theories, and more like fact.
So here is my theory. God created nature right? So he created the laws of nature. So it's only logical that he would follow His own laws, right? The Hebrew word for day, "yom", can also mean an age, not just a twenty four hour day. Therefore the six "days" of creation could be...oh I don't know....4.5 billion years? So picture this:
God makes an atom. Then He explodes it. BOOM. Big Bang. He then causes a chain reaction that starts creating stars, and galaxies. He keeps it going, and eventually brings into being one specific planet. (Which He's been planning to use all along.) Then He mixes all the right molecules together to make DNA and RNA and all that fun stuff, which, long story short, creates life. After that, over billions of years he (with His own hand) uses evolution to form what he had in mind all along. And when humanity is ready, He gives us the final part of "His image". A soul. I believe the rest of the story is written down somewhere....


Keep in mind this is just a theory. It has it's flaws. But it currently makes sense to me, so say something about it to rip it into shreds.
Thanks!
 Adios.

Life vs. Liberty

I've thought about this for a long time. I'd really appreciate if you'd comment your thoughts also. So here goes. Abortion. Seems like its a controversial topic in every debate. I might contradict myself a bit, but bear with me.

Prolife:
I believe that you existed since conception, and even before that, in God's plan. But especially after conception. After all, "You knit me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13), and we are created "to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) God was ready for us before we were a twinkle in our mother's eye. So by that way of thinking, abortion is the same as killing any other of God's workmanship, the same as killing a baby that has already been delivered.

ProLiberty:
However, I also think that people should have the right to choose. Is it fair to make a child who came about because of a rape, deal with all of the consequences? In an ideal world, that rape wouldn't happen, and parents and their children would be taken care of, and abortion would no be an issue. But this isn't that world, and it is an issue. One way to look at it is that God lets these babies come into existence, and doesn't stop people from having abortions, so why should we? Yes, I know that thinking is somewhat flawed, and we should try to convince them not to abort their child, but should it be a law? Another thought is that if you believe the child isn't "alive" yet, it's not a problem, and if you believe it is, doesn't its souls go straight to heaven when it dies? Yeah, it's like finding out a killer only murdered 20 people instead of 25.

I am proLife. If you come to me talking about having an abortion I will do everything in my power to talk you out of it. But I will not tie you down and force you to have the child. So I'm sorta proLiberty. I guess it really comes down to when the child is truly alive. What are your thoughts and beliefs?