Several years ago, I was privileged to spend some time in Denver, Colorado. While there, I decided to go to the mountains and do some climbing. No, not the kind where you need to be a contortionist with ropes and hooks, and maybe a few loose screws. My climbing was the kind where you walk back and forth up a steep incline, only to be able to see a valley and another steep incline, until you eventually get to the top. After climbing for quite a long time I noticed that the top appeared to be almost as far off as when I began. Then I looked back down where I had come from and realized that I had actually come a long way. Looking down, I recognized rocks that I had passed, and logs that I had climbed over and other obstacles as I had made my way up. Those were somewhat insignificant now, because I could see other obstacles upwards that needed to be overcome before I made it all the way to the top.
Life seems to be similar to my Rocky Mountain experience. Except that in life the top continually changes. It takes longer for real mountains to change.
Looking back down the mountain
Looking back down the mountain, we will see obstacles that we have overcome, sometimes with the help of others and sometimes when we felt very alone. Some of those obstacles may still cause pain in our emotional joints or hearts. If we have learned how to overcome them, then the next log on the trail, then the pain can be worth it.
Looking up the mountain
This ‘Rocky Mountain’ experience can be a great teacher. Faith in ourselves, one another, and God can help us as we continue to climb. Do not lose sight of the obstacles already overcome. Remember to help other climbers and remember to accept the help from others. See you at the top!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Gospel in One Verse - The 3 parts of John 3:18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
First Part: He that believeth in him is not condemned. This truth is simple. We are all concerned about our destiny and what we must do to ensure that we are ‘not condemned’. The answer is simple... ‘believeth on him’. Understanding the meaning of ‘believeth on him’ could be a long topic of discussion but the Bible is clear - If you do you... are not condemned.
Second Part: he that believeth not is condemned already. All the translations include this word 'already' or some form of it. This implies that a person is condemned before the commission of good or bad acts. Yes condemnation is not a matter of what we do, it is a matter of the heart.
Third Part: Why then is one condemned?... Because of unbelief. It is not a matter of doing or being good or bad, it’s a matter of believing in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Conclusion: The good news is simple, don't allow anyone to make it too complex for you to follow.
First Part: He that believeth in him is not condemned. This truth is simple. We are all concerned about our destiny and what we must do to ensure that we are ‘not condemned’. The answer is simple... ‘believeth on him’. Understanding the meaning of ‘believeth on him’ could be a long topic of discussion but the Bible is clear - If you do you... are not condemned.
Second Part: he that believeth not is condemned already. All the translations include this word 'already' or some form of it. This implies that a person is condemned before the commission of good or bad acts. Yes condemnation is not a matter of what we do, it is a matter of the heart.
Third Part: Why then is one condemned?... Because of unbelief. It is not a matter of doing or being good or bad, it’s a matter of believing in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Conclusion: The good news is simple, don't allow anyone to make it too complex for you to follow.
Cloud Computing
What the heck is “Cloud Computing”? This term comes from the idea that computing files, be it programs, documents or data are hosted out on the Internet somewhere. Common examples of this would be Google Docs, Flickr and Microsoft Live. Google and Microsoft have both made a strong push to become a complete source of computing needs and offering great help and support for education. Many Michigan districts have moved to or are considering using cloud computing as a primary source of Office and email software. At Kent City Community Schools this could mean savings in the form of elimination of IT time spent on Office products, Email, file storage, backup systems, and even some educational software.
Cloud computing holds many good ideas for education. Consider who is holding a file that you believe is critical to tomorrow’s classroom lesson. Could cloud computing be trusted when you have in important presentation tomorrow and your files and data are in the cloud? Are your clouded documents safe from prying eyes or hackers? How about those times when there is no access to the cloud? Who has the ability to read your cloud documents and can your personal or sensitive data be accessed?
Further the cloud is available whenever the Internet is there. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a close cousin to cloud computing. The idea is to only pay for the software you need while you need it. Software is hosted on the Internet and then used there…no installation, no maintenance, updates are done for you, always the latest version.
Cloud computing holds many good ideas for education. Consider who is holding a file that you believe is critical to tomorrow’s classroom lesson. Could cloud computing be trusted when you have in important presentation tomorrow and your files and data are in the cloud? Are your clouded documents safe from prying eyes or hackers? How about those times when there is no access to the cloud? Who has the ability to read your cloud documents and can your personal or sensitive data be accessed?
Further the cloud is available whenever the Internet is there. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a close cousin to cloud computing. The idea is to only pay for the software you need while you need it. Software is hosted on the Internet and then used there…no installation, no maintenance, updates are done for you, always the latest version.
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