Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Final Project

For my 5 hours of community service, I worked at my church. My church is getting ready to sell the building, and thus we needed (And it still does) to clean it up and make it look nice. I mainly cleaned, hedge trimmed (More like massacred. It needed it. Badly.) and hung up new blinds, along with various other stuff I can't really remember. This is different than what I did in the fall as in the fall I was working on yearbook. (I worked on yearbook this term as well, for over 40 hours, to finish it, and I still think that should have counted.) I worked on this with my family, as well as some of my Kelowna-based extended relatives, and the church members who I've known for years. I followed somebody else's orders on this one, mostly my mother or aunt. This project benefited my church community and the community of people who are buying the building. (Some dance class company) This project did not particularly affect me in any way other than to take up my time. This project is something that I would hopefully not consider doing in the future, but will, in all probability, inevitably happen again. I don't particularly like or hate cleaning, and I would rather do something more fun. And no, I would not do something like this for a living. It does not follow my preconceived idea of my future.

Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Term Project

I was able to benefit the school community with 5+ hours of work on creating the yearbook. I photographed people, sorted pictures, edited pictures, did layout design, page design, cover design, journalling, copy, previewing and finishing. I worked with Nicole Dacre, Kris, Sabrina, Liam, and Mr MacMullen. This affected the school community as if nobody worked on the yearbook, we wouldn't have one. It helps me as I practice the skills needed to design my own projects, I learn what goes into creation of a book like this and I gather experience. I will not be doing much different come spring with this except that I will have more work put into this and will be working much more steadily on it.

Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Guiding Principles (Matt 5-7, 1 Thess 1:2-10)

    The principles that guide my life, or at least are my ideals and goals, can probably be summed up by 'I am one of His people, one of His children, who is growing up to look like Him, so I better act the part.' I am one of His children, and He is teaching me to grow into His image. Thus, while I might not have much, if any, of His spirit, lifestyle, and personality, I will grow into it. I will not sin, and will have overcome, become His perfect kid, in every respect being how He want's me to be. (Though, frankly, I'm a long way off from that goal.)
    Like I said, this is my goal. Most often, I don't actually know what I'm doing, and make a halfhearted decision, or somehow find myself doing the exact opposite of what I know I should, God help me. Often, or more than often, I choose to go the way that benefits, usually short-term, myself, which is disregarding of anyone else, and end up hurting them, and later myself once I find out how it affected them.
    So, all in all, I try, or want to try, or want to want to try (Yes, that is possible) to be as much of a mirror being to God that I can get. I know that is what He wants me to be, and has helped me a lot on that path, but it will take a long time.

Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Discussion, pg 28

Would it be better if God were to remove all possibility of doubt?

    I don't think so. I think that it is one of the factors that allow for choice. If God were to remove all doubt, then we would thus be left with a very clear understanding of what route we will take, not necessarily the route we should take, whether for good or ill. If doubt was removed, we still may not know the truth, and so miss out on what God wants for us. Doubt allows us to seek help from God and others, and get different viewpoints on a choice.

Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Practical Application Phase 2 Page 13

    For me, realizing what God has done for me makes me much less harsh, mostly on myself, but also on others. It provides the basis for all of my moral character, or at least my envisioned moral character, and allows me to actually have a goal to get towards. When I realize that Christ died for someone else, something that is rarely taught as most people say Christ died for you and they leave the other guy out of it, it makes me attempt to treat them better. Usually, I only remember it after I did something nasty to someone and they aren't near anymore, unfortunately. The realization makes me become knowing of the right way to go, and usually allows me the strength to overcome what I'd normally do, thus allowing me the choice. I think that the understanding that Christ has died for me not only makes me realize where I am wrong, but also allows me to decide upon the best action, contrary to my personal nature.
    The principles of God's word have been taught to me since I was born, and I try to live the principles that my parents have taught me. I hope that even if I do not realize it, those principles appear in my moral character. I know that they don't always appear, but then my conscience gets a hold of me and makes me remember how I should behave. They are certainly my ideal for myself, but I have times when I do not live those principles.

Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Semester Goals

    My goal for the semester is more like my goal for the next two semesters. My job requires me to complete a 20-50 page manga (graphic novel) by June, and even though it for my job, it is my goal as well because it is what I want to do later in life and so I want the practice. To actually do it I will need to have the time to draw and more of the paper needed. (There is a special paper with nonreproduceable guidelines on it; I have some, but it won't last me the whole time and I'd like the larger size.) I may need a few more pens, and also for my boss to finish writing the script. Really, I just have to actually sit down and draw it.

Sam's Schoolwork - Religion - Romans 10: 9 Response

Romans 10: 9 says "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (King James Version) Many people translate this like "If you speak about Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved." Honestly, though, it means a little bit more than that, I think. In the bible, your tongue symbolizes your foot, or your walk with God. It isn't enough to say that he is, (The bible even says that the devils believe, and they tremble) but you actually have to walk with God and in God. Also, when it says that you must believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead for you, but that he also raised Him from the dead for the other guy, the one you don't like. God came to them too, so you really have no reason to complain about him. There was a guy in my church who preached that to get salvation, you have to go through a door. A door is created by having two vertical doorposts supporting a horizontal doorpost. He said that our relationship with God are the vertical posts, and if you have stable vertical beams, the horizontal post, a symbol of our relationship with others, will be stable. You can't have the horizontal beam floating in midair, can you. You need a good relationship with God, and then your interactions with others will be what God wants, and form the door to salvation.