For Sammi

Blessings and Roadblocks

It's great being a cell group leader. Not that I feel more powerful or that I have authority over others, because I'm not, but it brings me great joy to be able to serve. I hope to bring the cell group as close as possible, to build strong relationships between the group members and to support one another when we face troubles in life. Seeing as I'm new at this leading thing, I know I can't do this alone. As DMX said, as hard to believe as it may be, "forgive me Father, for I have sinned. With your help, I know, the devil won't win." At this point, I think only the second part truly apply. I know I'm inadequate, but no one is. I don't have to be perfect. God will provide, and I have faith in that promise.

But not all is smooth. I'm plagued by too many worries at this time. Problems with friends and especially family. I'm not really the main target in these situations, but I'm still involved one way or another. I just wish all will be well, and I know there's little I can do. Perhaps I do like to be in control, that's why the lack of it makes me feel so useless. I never saw myself as a control-craving individual, but the lack of it frustrates me greatly. God, please provide solutions to the problems at hand. I can do nothing but rely on You, which is a good thing, I know. I just pray that all does end well. Please strengthen everyone involved.

Oh Shoot!

Underestimated school work. Not it's piled up plenty high. Still managable. Barely. Please pray that I will become wiser, to learn to organize my time. Stupid me.

Is Gay Okay?

So I was on www.gaiaonline.com debating whether homosexual acts are sinful, and I haven't been able to defend my point.

They say that in the Greek version of the Bible, the wording in 1 Corinthians 6:9 doesn't literally say "homosexual," thus what qualitifies as a sexual immorality is up to debate.

Leviticus says explicitly that you shouldn't participate in homosexual acts, but in the NT it says that Leviticus is obsolete because of Christ's crucifixion. (Colossians 2:14)

So premarital sex is wrong, but what if the married couple were of the same gender? Where in the Bible does it say that a marriage must be between man and woman?

I could use some help here.

But what if they're right?

Egg Plant

I have a strange tale to relate, and Brian can confirm that this is indeed fact and not a creation of this writer.

Yesterday, during cell group, I noticed an egg placed on the soil of a plant inside my home. Brian saw this, too. Now, my aunt has been scattering crushed eggshells on plants out in the yard to repel squirrels and other pesky animals from digging the pretty flowers and smelly herbs. Ergo, I wasn't too surprised to see an unbroken eggshell on the soil.

But why? Why would she place an unbroken eggshell underneath the leaves of an indoor plant? An unbroken shell only covers so much area. It's not effective at all. The egg certainly does not enhance the appearance of the plant as a decoration. Well, it drew my attention, but it wasn't pleasing to my eyes. Lastly, the eggshell isn't necessary indoors, since squirrels don't run around in my house.

I left it alone. I figured that whatever reason my aunt had, it probably made sense.

Around 8:57 am this morning, not too long ago from now, she entered the room and asked me, "Why is there an egg on the plant?"

"......"

I don't see a reason why Jalen would do such a thing. Poltergeist?

Enhancing Your Writing

I didn't know if I would learn anything useful from my environmental studies class, but from the first reading, I picked up a few pointers. The course is enviornmental writing, which focuses on literature surrounding the environment. Pretty self explanatory. The reading, written by George Orwell titled Politics and the English Language, talks about the overuse of idioms that make writers sound like idiots. Here are his tips for all you readers who are also bloggers yourselves.

Orwell gives an example of how modern writers complicate their writing with huge words that either confuse the readers or fail to deliver its intended message clearly. He quotes a passage from the Bible and gives a modernized version of it.

Ecclesiastes:
"I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."

His modern (exaggerated) version:
"Objective consideration of contemporary phenomena compels the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable must invariably be taken into account."

You might have had to reread the second passage to get the meaning, or maybe that was just me. But clearly, the first passage is much more simple and straight to the point. Using a vocabulary of multi-syllable words does not make you a better writer. You look like you're trying to be smart, and by doing so you prove to the readers you're not.

When writing each sentence, Orwell advises his readers to ask the following questions:

What am I trying to say?

What words will express it?

What image or idiom will make it clearer?

Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

Could I put it more shortly?

Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

In addition, one should also keep the following points in mind:

Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

Never use a long word where a short one will do.

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

I'm now trying to write as simply as I can. If I ever get back to writing complicated stuff, let me know.

The ideas I have presented are not my own, so don't sue me for plagiarizism.

Soucre: Orwell, George. "Politics and the English Language." The Broadview Reader. 3rd edition. Editors Herbert Rosengarten and jane Flick. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 1998. 21-33.

Unoriginal Tale

Remember when I asked people to give me ideas for a story and I would compile them to create one big tale? That's kind of happening now. Most of those who contributed ideas don't know I'm doing this. That's even better, I think. I don't know how to elaborate on that thought, but I just think it's a lot better. Thank you Candace for helping out. And to the rest of the crew, who may never see this entry in their entire lives. I still thank you for sticking with me from beginning til...halfway. Or maybe this is still just the beginning, who knows. Thank you all anyway.