I have said that History of civilization is one of my most favorite classes this semester, and that is still true. But I just want to toss out there that, though I love the class, that doesn't mean that I agree with all the ideas presented in the lectures. But I do understand that in order to understand the actions of many people in this world, we must understand their religious beliefs and in most cases learn to fully embrace their choice of religion. I am all for making your own decision, as I know that with out the freedom to choose, we would be nowhere. Which leads me for a side note that I promised- I am grateful that I have been given the ability to choose. Be it the choice of religion, speech, to give life, it is something that I have the ability to decide 100% on my own- now that's done with back to the point. :)
To learn history, we, of course, had to begin with the debate on evolution versus creationism. I know, oh! run away don't talk about it! avoid at all costs! religious talk! But hey, you chose to be here so suck it up.
The basic debate is not whether or not evolution happened, or is happening, I can obviously see the reality in that. But the question on people's minds is, should it be taught in schools? I believe that if we can teach other old scientific theories and laws that have been dis proven, then we sure as hell can teach BOTH very live theories such as creationism and evolutionism. Obviously we have all learned about evolution in our Biology classes, or perhaps not, but the trend is leaning more towards knowledge of evolution, and the shunning of religious beliefs on the topic. I am not too shaken up on this fact, though I more likely should be, I am not going to be the type of Christian who sticks their head in the sand and chooses not to know about such things because it may up-heave my beliefs. But rather, I will learn all that I can about it in the hopes of finding an explanation that I can live with.
There is plenty of evidence we have seen of how animals have evolved from water dwellers into earth walkers, and fliers. In fact there is evidence of modern evolution, occurring right now in human bodies. bacteria, they constantly are adapting to avoid the attacks of anti-biotics. We have evidence of their evolution to become resistant to drugs, from their point of view, to avoid death. lol But there is no definitive evidence to show directly where humans are on this chain. Sure you can say that the human species came from monkeys, or you can say they were dropped on earth by the divine hand of God, if you're that eccentric you could even say the spaghetti monster ate a couple of cows and some small dogs, chewed it up, and spit out a man. In fact, looking at the Biological definition of evolution (the concept that all organisms are related to one another by common ancestry), and looking at the fact that the gene system (DNA) in every living organism on the planet, and noting that all organisms share the same DNA (but not the same combinations of said DNA), we cannot deny that evolution, in the definition of the term is a reality.
In the new age, we are mostly at a stage of wondering "where are humans along the evolutionary spectrum, and how do the religious beliefs of our ancestors play a role in it?" rather than "evolution or creationism; which is true?".
Speaking from a Judeo-Christian Point of view, one could say many things varying from a literal interpretation of the scripture text, to the days of creation were large spans of time on earth, to intelligent design. Though each belief system has it's merits, there are many faults. we are reliant upon a few passages from thousands of years ago, passed down by word of mouth for most of their existence. Anyone who has played a game of telephone knows that once more than two people have heard the story it can change from Jonah's ship was capsized by the breaching of a whale, to Jonah was swallowed alive and spit back out on the shore.
That is not to say that evolution is without its own flaws; the largest being a lack of enough empirical evidence to support the theory past a "high likelihood". Staunch believers of this theory sit in wait for more evidence to tap them on the shoulders, hoping they haven't just spent their lives to die without finding definitive evidence.
The main critique of creationism is that it is faith based or tradition based more compared to the hyper-logical ways of the Scientific Method; but we forget that evolutionism is entirely based on Darwinism and the major followers of Darwin. Does this not make evolutionism a modern day Christianity? Which is based on the Lord, His Son, and the major followers (the apostles)? Just because Darwin is 1800 years newer, shinier, and labeled a scientist, does that mean he is any more correct?
They say that when you are guessing the answers to a question, go with your gut, it's usually correct, and over analyzing the question only leads you to second guess your choice and change it to one that you may find more logical but in the end is wrong?
Once again I would like to reiterate my gratitude at having the choice to pick my beliefs :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The New Year is upon us and I need to get my ass in gear.
So this may seemed a bit jumbled until I get my ideas in full order again, but as my followers, I assume y'all will get it soon enough. :)
We will start with the issues I have had this past semester as a whole. i need to be straight with you in order to start fresh. I have lied, skipped classes, failed classes, skipped out on homework because I didn't see it as worth the effort, not taken proper time with my scriptures as I should have, convinced myself that I was right when I was wrong, and most of all, I have taken EVERYTHING I should cherish for granted which caused me to fall into a depression from which I am only now rising. I don't want to concentrate on the past, as it won't help anything if I waste time explaining it rather than using my time wisely enough to fix myself. so with that I will move right along. :)
Things to fix:
1. school must get back on track
2. finances must be put in order, no more of this floating around on 50 cents in my pocket crap.
3. stop taking things for granted
4. make sure I am showing the real me to the world, not the facade I have grown so accustomed to putting up.
5. get my image in order, I need to be happy with myself. this is going to be one of the few times in my life where I am going to be selfish and take what I want.
How I am going to fix it:
1. i. go to all of my classes
I didn't really go to all of my classes last semester, and I lied about it, I don't know why I did it or why I lied. Maybe it has something to do with my need to know how far I can push people. I get a thrill from deceiving people, so I had developed a tendency to chase that thrill, much like an addict chases their drug. I'm not proud of it but I am fixing it by cutting out the lying, and from this point forth, I will go to all of my classes, the only valid excuse for missing classes is going to be deathly illness or a death in my family (the things that are qualified as excuses to the college)
ii. take notes by hand so that my laptop doesn't distract me (I'm kinda of glad that teachers are becoming more and more anti-lappytoppy :)
I have made it my goal to write all my notes out by hand as the laptop tends to die at the most inconvenient times for one, and for two it is WAY too big a distraction. Besides, I learn better when I write it all out by hand. :) I think it made me feel better about myself to be able to cart it to class and be in constant contact, but it's just too much of a hastle and one that I would rather confine to my room. I had thought it would be better to be technologically connected to the world at all times, but during my stay at home over Christmas, I realized that my life is so much less stressful when I don't respond to every text within 5 minutes and every Facebook post within ten minutes. people like me just as much when I respond 5 hours later as they did when I responded instantaneously. Why I worried about what people thought of me over Facebook only shows that kids in today's society need to remember what is really important to social living, face to face interactions; or at least online contact with depth and meaning.
iii. DO ALL OF MY WORK and be held accountable for it.
This is where my friends come in, I need to get out of my procrastination mode and half-assing my work mindset. I have to hold myself responsible for my own work, a form of growing up if you will. I need y'all to help me keep myself in line by not letting me get by with phrases like "I'll do it later" or "I'll get it done" because it never works out that way, and I am sick of the stress it brought upon me. I used to think that if I didn't make myself available to people when they wanted to talk to me, that they wouldn't be friends with me, but I have also noticed that my friends are much deeper than that, and the one's I choose to keep around will do anything and everything they can for me, giving up themselves just as I would give up myself for them. Deep down I have always known that was the answer, but I used it as an excuse to avoid things. This Cannot Continue. Nick, darling, I am putting you in charge of this, because you're the one who gets it through my thick skull the best. I can blow off other people's words when I choose to, but yours hang in my head until I listen. :) We talk all the time about how school is important, and it must come first, and we both know you're right. lol
iv. keep up with my grades, and double check my transcripts (to make sure I didn't shoot myself in the foot too bad last semester, cause to this point I have been too fearful to look at them)
I will check on my grades as often as they are posted, fearful of the result or not. Fear can only be overcome by jumping head-on into the fire. Fear is a silly emotion in today's world, at least in this sense. I have no reason to fear what I myself have earned. My grades are a representation of the work I put into them, if I cannot be proud of them then I have to go back up to part i and ii and rethink my processes. As for double checking the transcripts, -sighs- that will be more difficult, I have no idea how to even go about that. Note to self- find this answer.
v. study on a daily basis rather than a late night crunch time.
I think this will help me in the long run, more than the practices I was using anyhow. The "I study better at night" line is crap and I know it, so from here on out I will prove to myself that I can be better than this. besides, I retain the information better if i go over it constantly rather than once a week or month, plus it helps me to be more productive in class if I truly know what is going on.
2. My finances, hmm, well I need to set my goals first I guess, so I have a direction to move in, then set up a plan to move in that direction. Goal- Be completely self sufficient. Sounds lowly yet lofty huh? lol How to accomplish it-
i. get a job- no more excuses Amy, they get you no where but farther down.
this is going to be harder than it sounds, in this economy, with my schedule, hmm, but it can be done I believe, so long as I try hard enough. It's all about how badly I want it. I am a hard worker, perfectly capable of maintaining a job and school, I have proved that already, though some would consider that attempt a failure, we aren't here to debate that fact. Nor do I care to debate it with you.
ii. figure out what the hell is up with my loans this semester
avoiding things doesn't mean they will go away. I swore I would never turn out like my mother, but to this point I have proven that I am more like her than I care to admit. =/
iii. once I get these settled we can move on from here. lol this is new territory for me so lets take it one step at a time.
3. Stop taking things for granted-
For the most part I have fixed this already, but I know that it is a constant process, one that is always in motion. so I will start with a list of things I am thankful for, and every post from here on out will list at least one thing I am thankful for in my blessed life.
things I am thankful for:
-My family- they do so much for me, and lately I have taken that for granted, I am lucky to be blessed with such great people in my life.
-My friends- I have lost regular contact with so many people who make me happy, and that has to be rectified, be expecting phones calls :) those of you whom I speak to every day, I do love you guys, and you have all helped me realize what it means to be a good person in this world.
-My WONDERFUL, AMAZING, LOVING boyfriend Nick- I had come to think that certain things are a constant, and I remember now that nothing is a given, every moment is a gift given to us.
-Myself- I am glad that I am alive, to touch and be touched by so many people, when we are reminded of all the people who have lost their lives senselessly, we remember that each moment is a gift from God, one to be cherished and not soon forgotten.
4. The real me- I need to start showing this more and more often. lol
I honestly don't know why I am afraid to show this to people, all the time I mean. It comes out in bits and pieces now and again. There are some people who I have been straight up with the whole time I have known them, but those are only my most recent relationships, a few people from junior year of high school and a few from as recently as last semester basically; and even then only the ones who mattered most to me. Perhaps I was afraid of the person I was, or worried that someone wouldn't accept me. but that isn't the case anymore. I don't care if people accept me for me, the one's who are accepting are the ones I will want to be around anyhow.
5. Selfish time- my spirituality is in jeopardy here.
I haven't taken the proper time lately to dedicate to myself. expect to find me without my cell phone or laptop more often as I am finding overuse to mess with my grip on reality. My regular Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday gym schedule will be put back into play as the time focusing on a monotonous task such as the treadmill gets my head on straight and allows me to think about what I have to do, want to do, and am doing with my life.
Well, now that this is all out, I will leave y'all to absorb the information and continue my more philosophical rant on another post. :D
We will start with the issues I have had this past semester as a whole. i need to be straight with you in order to start fresh. I have lied, skipped classes, failed classes, skipped out on homework because I didn't see it as worth the effort, not taken proper time with my scriptures as I should have, convinced myself that I was right when I was wrong, and most of all, I have taken EVERYTHING I should cherish for granted which caused me to fall into a depression from which I am only now rising. I don't want to concentrate on the past, as it won't help anything if I waste time explaining it rather than using my time wisely enough to fix myself. so with that I will move right along. :)
Things to fix:
1. school must get back on track
2. finances must be put in order, no more of this floating around on 50 cents in my pocket crap.
3. stop taking things for granted
4. make sure I am showing the real me to the world, not the facade I have grown so accustomed to putting up.
5. get my image in order, I need to be happy with myself. this is going to be one of the few times in my life where I am going to be selfish and take what I want.
How I am going to fix it:
1. i. go to all of my classes
I didn't really go to all of my classes last semester, and I lied about it, I don't know why I did it or why I lied. Maybe it has something to do with my need to know how far I can push people. I get a thrill from deceiving people, so I had developed a tendency to chase that thrill, much like an addict chases their drug. I'm not proud of it but I am fixing it by cutting out the lying, and from this point forth, I will go to all of my classes, the only valid excuse for missing classes is going to be deathly illness or a death in my family (the things that are qualified as excuses to the college)
ii. take notes by hand so that my laptop doesn't distract me (I'm kinda of glad that teachers are becoming more and more anti-lappytoppy :)
I have made it my goal to write all my notes out by hand as the laptop tends to die at the most inconvenient times for one, and for two it is WAY too big a distraction. Besides, I learn better when I write it all out by hand. :) I think it made me feel better about myself to be able to cart it to class and be in constant contact, but it's just too much of a hastle and one that I would rather confine to my room. I had thought it would be better to be technologically connected to the world at all times, but during my stay at home over Christmas, I realized that my life is so much less stressful when I don't respond to every text within 5 minutes and every Facebook post within ten minutes. people like me just as much when I respond 5 hours later as they did when I responded instantaneously. Why I worried about what people thought of me over Facebook only shows that kids in today's society need to remember what is really important to social living, face to face interactions; or at least online contact with depth and meaning.
iii. DO ALL OF MY WORK and be held accountable for it.
This is where my friends come in, I need to get out of my procrastination mode and half-assing my work mindset. I have to hold myself responsible for my own work, a form of growing up if you will. I need y'all to help me keep myself in line by not letting me get by with phrases like "I'll do it later" or "I'll get it done" because it never works out that way, and I am sick of the stress it brought upon me. I used to think that if I didn't make myself available to people when they wanted to talk to me, that they wouldn't be friends with me, but I have also noticed that my friends are much deeper than that, and the one's I choose to keep around will do anything and everything they can for me, giving up themselves just as I would give up myself for them. Deep down I have always known that was the answer, but I used it as an excuse to avoid things. This Cannot Continue. Nick, darling, I am putting you in charge of this, because you're the one who gets it through my thick skull the best. I can blow off other people's words when I choose to, but yours hang in my head until I listen. :) We talk all the time about how school is important, and it must come first, and we both know you're right. lol
iv. keep up with my grades, and double check my transcripts (to make sure I didn't shoot myself in the foot too bad last semester, cause to this point I have been too fearful to look at them)
I will check on my grades as often as they are posted, fearful of the result or not. Fear can only be overcome by jumping head-on into the fire. Fear is a silly emotion in today's world, at least in this sense. I have no reason to fear what I myself have earned. My grades are a representation of the work I put into them, if I cannot be proud of them then I have to go back up to part i and ii and rethink my processes. As for double checking the transcripts, -sighs- that will be more difficult, I have no idea how to even go about that. Note to self- find this answer.
v. study on a daily basis rather than a late night crunch time.
I think this will help me in the long run, more than the practices I was using anyhow. The "I study better at night" line is crap and I know it, so from here on out I will prove to myself that I can be better than this. besides, I retain the information better if i go over it constantly rather than once a week or month, plus it helps me to be more productive in class if I truly know what is going on.
2. My finances, hmm, well I need to set my goals first I guess, so I have a direction to move in, then set up a plan to move in that direction. Goal- Be completely self sufficient. Sounds lowly yet lofty huh? lol How to accomplish it-
i. get a job- no more excuses Amy, they get you no where but farther down.
this is going to be harder than it sounds, in this economy, with my schedule, hmm, but it can be done I believe, so long as I try hard enough. It's all about how badly I want it. I am a hard worker, perfectly capable of maintaining a job and school, I have proved that already, though some would consider that attempt a failure, we aren't here to debate that fact. Nor do I care to debate it with you.
ii. figure out what the hell is up with my loans this semester
avoiding things doesn't mean they will go away. I swore I would never turn out like my mother, but to this point I have proven that I am more like her than I care to admit. =/
iii. once I get these settled we can move on from here. lol this is new territory for me so lets take it one step at a time.
3. Stop taking things for granted-
For the most part I have fixed this already, but I know that it is a constant process, one that is always in motion. so I will start with a list of things I am thankful for, and every post from here on out will list at least one thing I am thankful for in my blessed life.
things I am thankful for:
-My family- they do so much for me, and lately I have taken that for granted, I am lucky to be blessed with such great people in my life.
-My friends- I have lost regular contact with so many people who make me happy, and that has to be rectified, be expecting phones calls :) those of you whom I speak to every day, I do love you guys, and you have all helped me realize what it means to be a good person in this world.
-My WONDERFUL, AMAZING, LOVING boyfriend Nick- I had come to think that certain things are a constant, and I remember now that nothing is a given, every moment is a gift given to us.
-Myself- I am glad that I am alive, to touch and be touched by so many people, when we are reminded of all the people who have lost their lives senselessly, we remember that each moment is a gift from God, one to be cherished and not soon forgotten.
4. The real me- I need to start showing this more and more often. lol
I honestly don't know why I am afraid to show this to people, all the time I mean. It comes out in bits and pieces now and again. There are some people who I have been straight up with the whole time I have known them, but those are only my most recent relationships, a few people from junior year of high school and a few from as recently as last semester basically; and even then only the ones who mattered most to me. Perhaps I was afraid of the person I was, or worried that someone wouldn't accept me. but that isn't the case anymore. I don't care if people accept me for me, the one's who are accepting are the ones I will want to be around anyhow.
5. Selfish time- my spirituality is in jeopardy here.
I haven't taken the proper time lately to dedicate to myself. expect to find me without my cell phone or laptop more often as I am finding overuse to mess with my grip on reality. My regular Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday gym schedule will be put back into play as the time focusing on a monotonous task such as the treadmill gets my head on straight and allows me to think about what I have to do, want to do, and am doing with my life.
Well, now that this is all out, I will leave y'all to absorb the information and continue my more philosophical rant on another post. :D
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