Beach, Track, and Ramblings

Ahhh, life has been so busy.. Haven't posted anything lately besides my thoughts on happiness, etc.. But I've been doing quite well..quite well indeed. I've been having lots of track meets, classes, been going places, reading, running.. and on and on and on. I cannot wait till summer, when I can do absolutely nothing (haha yeah right).. and go to the beach everyday and read and lay out and relax. Actually I was FINALLY able to go to the beach yesterday.. I went with my sister and a friend from track.. it was quite nice. Got a pretty nice tan.. almost as red as I could be without pealing (at least I hope I won't).

Track has been.. pretty good lately. Had some ups and downs, some inconsistencies... but overall it's been great.. I really like the team this year. They've been great. We have so many different personalities but they all mesh together to form a pretty hilarious team... we have soo many "type" characters.. if you take my Literature term correctly. I've been doing terrible in the 800 meters. I've only hit 2:07 this year, my goal was sub-2 min. And the end of the season is slowly creeping up.. only TWO more track meets! This Friday's meet at Trinity Prep I WILL turn it around.. I WILL hit 2 min flat or UNDER! I've really been mentally preparing myself all week.. so no excuses. Ok gotta go place basketball with my brother.... will post later..

What is Truth? Part II

(This is a continuation of what I wrote on this subject previously, you can find it by scrolling down.)

The example of a tree and the many uses that it has should not be the only case in which evidence of a supernatural influence is apparent. Take anything for example, and you will see something that is so intricately unique and incredible in it’s own way. Everything in this world could not have been formed and made and be present without the work of some force, some supernatural, metaphysical being. The natural laws which are in action in our world must have had an origin. There must have been a time when those laws were set in place and were set off in motion.

As I have been writing this, I have tried to stay as formal as possible. I have really attempted to think as deep and as true to myself as possible. I do not wish to simply repeat ideas which I have heard and read, but rather, to truly use my own knowledge and ideas which I have gained from all spheres of gaining knowledge: experience, observations, reading, thinking, logic, and the like. With that being said, I do not want to write a book. While I probably could continue and write one, for this moment I simply want to try and address this issue as concisely as possible. I will not lie, I have certain beliefs, that to others, may make my writing seem biased. But I do believe that my beliefs are true, and I must! If not, then there is no point in putting faith or trust into any certain belief. My belief, is that there IS a God. Not any God, but THEE God. There is only one God, and never before and never after will there be another apart from the true, omnipotent God. This God is the source of and does embody all virtuous, just and truthful entities, both ethereal and physical, on this earth. Everything is contingent upon God, there is nothing in this universe that can exist without God. Therefore, it follows that God always has existed, he was never created or made; He is the creator. He is the actuality of being, others are of a being, but God IS being, He is what He is. It is with great difficulty that we can grasp this concept, in fact, it is nearly impossible, but still it is possible to, as far as our human minds will allow and with help from God Himself, somewhat comprehend and gain a picture of God’s nature and being.

I believe one of the most important things to understand about God is that He is eternal. Unlike everything in this temporal world, God is not constrained to time. There are no before’s, during’s, or after’s with God. He is the same always. God was never in time, nor is He now. He created time, transcends time, preordained moments and events and people in time, and controls time utterly and completely, but He is not IN time. Thus, if God is the creator OF time, He is also the creator of everything which is IN time. He has created all persons and all emotions. Including in these emotions is happiness. As I have already explained, there is the vain happiness which all peoples on earth take part in. Yet, there is also an eternal, deep, or true happiness to be found in the knowledge of the Truth of God.

Knowing this God is one of the easiest, yet hardest things to do in the world, if you understand what I am saying. You will have the hardest time knowing God if you try to do it on your own. For how can you have true knowledge, or comprehend and know God without God Himself imparting mercy and love to you, and giving you a knowledge of Him. It is the easiest thing to know God, if you surrender yourself to God and allow Him to utterly fulfill you with the immeasurably joyfulness of the knowledge of Himself. Knowing the Maker of the universe, the ordainer of time, the one who formed you in your mother’s womb, that is incredible! How could someone as lowly as ourselves, the mere creatures, have a relationship with the God of the universe? How can we obtain true happiness through this relationship? O Merciful Grace, this God had compassion on those He created. We failed Him, we fled from Him, we neglected Him, but He remained faithful. God Himself became a creature – a created and carnal man. We could not remain faithful, so God manifested Himself on earth and was faithful for us. He became one of us, so that when we fail, when we fall short, God would look on His Son, who lived a perfect life on earth for His creatures, and be satisfied to forgive our sins and allow us to enter into His presence. Not anything that we have done, but everything that God has done.

Through his infinite wisdom, God willed to have compassion on his creation, and intimately became involved in those whom He called to be sons of God… through adoption into His Kingdom. Because of the work of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, we can be called sons of God. We can truly know this God through the gifts and blessings He has left with us from His Son, Jesus Christ and through His Divine Holy Spirit. There is so much to know about God through just having a relationship with Him. The word relationship is used so often in this context describing how man and God interact together. I believe people have often become careless and flippant when hearing and learning that we can have a relationship with God. The word relationship entails an interpersonal sharing of intimate feelings and thoughts with the one you are attempting to build a relationship with. Take a moment and consider God. Take a moment and consider yourself. You’re probably thinking in exact opposites. Now take a moment and try to consider having a relationship with God. Having an intimate, deep, loving, and constant relationship with Almighty God. That is almost too good to be true, but it is! God has had mercy on us; He has sent His Son as a ransom. And through Jesus, we can have a relationship with God. True happiness.

...to be continued.

Oh, where have these great men gone?

"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --John Stuart Mill

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belong to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again. Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." --Theadore Roosevelt

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste death but once." --William Shakespeare

"The characteristic of a genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." --Nathan Hale

"I do not fear an army of lions, if they are led by a lamb. I do fear an army of sheep, if they are led by a lion." --Alexander the Great

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value." --Thomas Paine

"No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his body, to risk his well being, to risk his life, in a great cause." --Theadore Roosevelt

II Corinthians 3:5

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God."

What is Truth?

What is the common consensus in our society today? It's all about me. It's all about me. It's what I want to do, where I want to go, how I want to live, how I want to be pleased. We are preached happiness day in and day out. The goal of life is to be happy, prosperous, popular. If only I had a good job, THEN I'd be happy. If only I had more money, more things, THEN I'd be happy. Now if I could only marry that person, I would be happy for the rest of my life. I'm willing to do anything to make me happy, cause that's what life's all about, right? Is there any higher goal than happiness? Often times we manipulate our minds in order to create a sort of "happiness" in our lives. We often subject ourselves to repulsive and ignorant acts in order to gain recognition or attention from individuals, thus feeding our egos and making us "happy." Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Aren't those the three goals of our country? Wherein do those three values lie? Happy, free lives is what we all want as Americans, right? We demand life, we demand our liberty, and of course, we demand and have to gain happiness.

But where does true happiness stem from? Is it according to each others own opinion? Is one person's happiness different from anothers? Is not happiness the state of being fully and completely content and partaking in utter and pure joy? Then what is joy, but the things which make us happy. What then makes us happy? Again, is it according to each others preferences or needs or wants or desires or tastes? What can be the measure of happiness...and not any happiness, but true happiness? If there is indeed, a true happiness, then how can there be more manifestations of happiness in different people according to different circumstances? Does each person contain a part of the true happiness within their own particular opinion or preference of happiness? Leading thus, that drawing from all persons own particular interpretation of happiness, true happiness can be formed and configured? But how can this truly be true happiness when thousands of varying ideas and opinions are being gathered together to "form" true happiness? No, this cannot be, for true happiness must be a definite. It cannot stem from thousands and thousands of different interpretations and opinions. Truth is not a variable. In everything there is a truth, yet not always does that truth reveal itself, sometimes it might over time, and other times not at all. Certain truths will forever remain hidden and obscure. But knowing this, we cannot falter in the struggle for ascertaining the truth, notwithstanding which sphere of inquiry we may devote ourselves to.

Therefore, continuing our search for true happiness, it has been decided that there must, indeed be a true happiness. However, it is first vitally important to define exactly what form of happiness we are seeking to understand and grasp. Being happy, in the sense of enjoying or taking part of an enjoyable activity, does not belong under the category of true happiness... but rather under the vain pleasures of daily activities... such as kissing a child goodnight, eating icrecream with a group of friends, watching and laughing over a TV show, or smiling and laughing at a family reunion. These simple "pleasures" of daily life must be eliminated from consideration as being the root of true happiness. Rather true happiness must be far more deeper, penatrating, and must become thee utter quintessence of a persons soul.

There is often a void in one's soul until he can find this happiness. If happiness must become the quintessence of a persons' soul, then a person cannot truly live or enjoy life until his very being is fulfilled by that which contains the essence of their being. How can one live or function as a being when a part of that being is not fulfilled or satisfyed. Therefore, that true state of happiness, when it arrives, completes the person, not in body, but in spirit -- in it's soul. That happiness must sweep upon that person with such overwhelming relief and subtle peace that the pleasures of the previous state of their being are to be considered trifle and pointless compared to their newfound state of utter and total happiness. They will revile and despise the prior satisfactions which they employed to feed their endless starvation for happiness.

But what is this happiness?! Is it in power? So often the lust of power have enticed many to pursue it's many risks and satisfactions. But alas, as the fates of Napoleon and of Ancient Rome and more recently of Hitler have shown and proven, happiness cannot be ascertained through the hoarding of power. Perhaps happiness lies in wealth? Could it be that when a man has accumulated billions and billions of dollars in wealth, and has built extravagant palaces and created every imaginable luxury for himself to enjoy. But alas, even in wealth, there is a void which remains unfilled. As many a wealthy man in the past shall testify, that one never stops in the attainment of wealth. Always there must be more, there is never true satisfaction. There must be more, there must be something better. No, no, true happiness cannot lie in wealth, nor in the luxuries which wealth can afford.

Could not true happiness be grasped when we grasp the source of truth? Could not truth be the source of happiness? Is true happiness the knowledge of the ultimate TRUTH? Is there an ultimate truth. Take a moment and look around you. Right now you are witnessing the evidence of an ultimate truth. Everything must stem from something. A table comes from the fiber of wood in a tree, a tree grows from a seed which is either planted or is sown through natural methods. That seed comes from a tree which went through the same process as all other trees have gone through since the beginning of time. But then when was there the "first" tree. Was there a first, or many firsts? Look at the intricate details of a tree and the processes which enable it to grow, through photosynthesis and many other biological processes; one tree, through this process, creates acorns, another apples, still another blossoms and certain colors of leaves. In everything there are so many awesome and elaborate details which work themselves out to form the particular characteristics of the day-to-day items and substances which we observe and interact with, and are ourselves! Indeed, these apparant truths must have stemmed from a source, a true source... THEE source, TRUTH. This Truth, from which all things stem from and are due from, must be the source of happiness.

...to be continued.

Who shall separate us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:


“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.


Romans 8:35-39

Fox Announces Major Mexico Oil Find

Maybe the United States should open their eyes and realize what they have sitting right in their back yard. This story is a testament to all the oil drilling potential we have in the Gulf of Mexico. We cannot hamper our economy any longer over distorted risks to the environment... we have to start exploring and drilling; lessening our gas prices and increasing our economic productivity. Anyway, I thought this was a telling news article.....

_____________________________________________________________

Mexican President Vicente Fox climbed aboard a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday to formally announce a new deep-water oil discovery he said could eventually yield 10 billion barrels of crude oil.

An exploratory well dubbed Noxal 1 was drilled at a depth of 3,070 feet below the water, and is seeking a depth of 13,125 feet.

"With Noxal we will begin a new era of oil exploration in our country," Fox said aboard the "Ocean Worker 6 Britania" platform.

Government estimates say the find could exceed reserves at the giant offshore field Cantarell, Mexico's largest oil field, which has seen its production decline but is still expected to yield 1.9 million barrels a day this year.

Luis Ramirez, chief executive of Mexico's government-run oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said Noxal is the fourth deep-water well explored by Pemex.

Ramirez said that while production tests will be conducted in coming weeks, "evidence found is sufficient to infer potential reserves to be discovered that could reach 10 billion barrels of crude oil equivalent."

"This number, compared with annual production of 1.6 billion barrels of crude, shows its strategic importance," Ramirez said, adding that crude oil production at Noxal likely won't begin for eight to 10 years.

Fox said his administration has invested more than $6.3 billion in exploration in the last five years. Pemex expects the new find to offset further production declines at Cantarell expected in coming years.

Pemex contracted a private company to drill the well. The fastest way to get the oil out would be by Pemex forming alliances with companies that have the deep-water technology. However, current laws forbid private companies from exploration and production activities in Mexico except under contract to Pemex.

The Fox administration has been attempting to ease foreign investment restrictions in the state-run energy sector. But those efforts have been blocked in Congress.

Pemex produced 3.33 million barrels a day of crude oil last year, of which it exported 1.82 million barrels. This year, the company expects to raise production to about 3.42 million barrels a day.

HMMMMMMMMM

Hmm, I've been thinking about making this blog "public." As in, I think I'm going to tell friends and maybe family that I have it. I've kept it private mainly because I saw no need for friends/fam to read the ramblings of and from my life... cause they're the one's that I interact with on a day-to-day basis, why would they have to read a blog about my life when they're in it? lol, but now I don't really care, lol, sooo yeah I think I'm going to open 'er on up. My blogs will probably be about the same. The usual ole ramblings about life, theology, politics, etc...

Speaking of rambling... I'm just going to ramble on for awhile.........

Ah, well got our car back today... the one that was stolen. They found it in the projects in West Tampa, thank God, nothing at all was ruined, they didn't strip the car or take nearly anything. They obviously just wanted money. Everything in the car was looked through and strewn all over the place... they did, however, take my dad's cell phone and a couple of fold-up chairs. So, God was gracious to our family once again. I feel bad for the people who stole it. I guess I could forgive them. Well I guess I do forgive them...lol. But yeah, that whole situation is over.

oh yes!.. it's been awhile, but I had a Track Meet last Thursday. For the first time this season I ran my main event, the 800. BUT, it was in the 4x800 meter relay so the split was not official, so I couldn't break my record. But anyhow, I ended up running a decent 2:07 half-mile, which is a PR by 2 seconds. It also would have broken our school record if it was an Open 800 and not a relay split. The same thing happened in the 4x400. I broke my PR and School Record unofficially by 1.5 seconds. I ran a 54.15 second quarter-mile and was pretty happy 'bout that. I also ran a tired but OK 200 meter at 25.27. The rest of the team did great! Amy won two races... Jacob BEEZMAN ran an incredible first-time 400 meter in the 4x400. That relay team is looking really strong. Even with one really slow leg, we were able to come within 8/100's of the school record. Sooo I'm excited about that.

Ok well I have a life to live... must go live it. Byeth.

Life

Haven't posted in awhile. Been really busy with school, track, and, well.. life. Crazy things have happened in the past 24 hours..won't go into any detail cause i'm sick of hearing about it... but.. i had to call 911 last night cause there was a huge fire that broke out and burned up a huge chunk of our privacy fence and almost spread to our shed. So we had the firetrucks and the whole deal out there. THEN... while my parents were out to dinner and a play in Tampa... their/our car was stolen. So they ended up staying at the police station until I could drive 2 hours to get them.. so anyway, I didn't get home till about 4:30AM this morning, so I'm whooped. But anyway, yeah that was a little crazy but I'm sick of talking about it already...

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

Each day I have to live for Christ in everyway. I've been kinda struggling with how exactly to do that lately, but more and more I think I just need to cast all my burdens upon Christ. He is the only one who can make a difference through me. Not me, but Christ. Not I, Lord, but You. I just pray I will rely on You throughout the day. "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

Ah, gotta leave for Journalism... I'm tired and ... well, tired.

WORD OF THE DAY: Temperance

Temperance is a virtue which casts the truest lustre upon the person it is lodged in, and has the most general influence upon all other particular virtues of any that the soul of man is capable of; indeed so general, that there is hardly any noble quality or endowment of the mind, but must own temperance either for its parent or its nurse; it is the greatest strengthener and clearer of reason, and the best preparer of it for religion, the sister of prudence, and the handmaid to devotion. --Bishop Robert South

"LIKE A STONEWALL!"

Stonewall Jackson Quotes:

In the Army of the Shenandoah, you were the First Brigade! In the Army of the Potomac you were the First Brigade! In the Second Corps of this Army, you are the First Brigade! You are the First Brigade in the affections of your general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing you will be handed down the posterity as the First Brigade in this our Second War of Independence. Farewell!

You may be whatever you resolove to be.

Be content and resigned to God's will.

Through life let your principal object be the discharge of duty.

Madam, if your son were to come home and try to shirk duty, you ought to shut your door in his face and treat him as a renegade unworthy of your name or regard.

I want my army to be an army of the living God.

I am more anxious than I can express that my men should be not only good soldiers of their country, but also good soldiers of the cross.

I have so fixed the habit in my own mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without a moment's asking of God's blessing. I never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal. I never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward. I never change classes in the section room without a minute's petition on the cadets who go out and those who come in.

I like liquor - its taste and its effects - and that is just the reason why I never drink it.

The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier on earth.

Once you get them running, you can stay on top of them, and that way a small force can defeat a large one every time.

Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit. Never fight against heavy odds if you can hurl your own force on only a part of your enemy and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one, and repeated victory will make you invincible.

To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all fruits of victory is the secret of a successful war. - 1863

I had rather lose one man in marching than five in fighting.

If we cannot be successful in defeating the enemy should he advance, a kind Providence may enable us to inflict a terrible wound and effect a safe retreat in the event of having to fall back. - To Joseph E. Johnston, 1862.

Shoot the brave officers, and the cowards will run away and take the men with them. - To Richard S. Ewell.

If officers desire to have control over their commands, they must remain habitually with them, industriously attend to their instruction and comfort, and in battle lead them well. - To his commanders, 1861.

Now, gentlemen, let us at once to bed, and see if tomorrow we cannot do something. - To his soldiers after a day of profitless marching.

This army stays here until the last wounded man is removed. Before I will leave them to the enemy, I will lose many more men. - Winchester, 1862.

Through the broad extent of country over which you have marched by your respect for the rights and property of citizens, you have shown that you were soldiers not only to defend but able and willing both to defend and protect. - To his troops, 1861.

I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, that I may save their blood tomorrow. - 1862

Close up, men, close up; push on, push on. - Stonewall Jackson's commonly used phrase.

Never take counsel of your fears.

Arms is a profession that, if its principles are adhered to for success, requires an officer do what he fears may be wrong and yet, according to military experience, must be done, if success is to be attained. - In a letter to his wife, 1862.

Our God was my shield. His protecting care is an additional cause for gratitude. - Winchester, 1852

So far as I can see, my course was a wise one; the best that I could do under the circumstances, though very distasteful to my feelings; and I hope and pray to Our Heavenly Father that I may never again be circumstanced as n that day. - After fighting a battle on Sunday, Winchester, 1862.

Sacrifices! Have I not made them? What is my life here but a daily sacrifice?

If you desire to be more heavenly minded, think more of the things of heaven, and less of the things of earth.

No, you greatly overestimate my capacity for usefulness. A better man will soon be sent to take my place. - 1861

My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me.

What is life without honor? Degradation is worse than death.

Duty is ours; consequences are God's.

All I am and all I have is at the service of my country.

So great is my confidence in General Lee that I am willing to follow him blindfolded.

People who are anxious to bring on war don't know what they are bargaining for; they don't see all the horrors that must accompany such an event.

It is painful enough to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. I have seen enough of it to make me look upon it as the sum of all evils.

I am in favor of making a thorough trial for peace, and if we fail in this and our state is invaded, to defend it with terrific resistance. - to his nephew, January 1861