Jwits at my door

This mornin, a little after I had woken up, I heard the door bell ring. I was two women evangelising for the Jehovahs Witnesses and the Watchtower Tracts Society. I almost invited them in but it has been a long time since I have studied up on Jwits and This was my first ever encounnter with them coming to my home.

They first asked me what I thought about the current world crisises and natural disasters proceeding to hand me a Watchtower magazine that has an article talking about it. I simply told them I dont believe in their god and that I did not want to take the magazine. I realized because I had not studied up on their beliefs recently enough to remember, we simply exchanged some questions starting with theirs first.

They first asked me what I believe God's purpose is, which I answered them that it has always been a history of redemption through the Lord and God Jesus Christ. Then I asked them whether they believe in the Trinity, whether Jesus was fully God and fully man, and they answered no. Come to find out I had asked one of the important questions that is disputed between Jwits and the Church of Jesus Christ, as I had afterwards read up on. They also asked me if I believed if we are currently living in the last days, and I said yes explaining that in this age of grace by the Gospel we are currently waiting for the return of our Lord and God Jesus Christ.

After our friendly exchange they said good bye and they left. I wish I had known more about them to get a better understanding of how to have exchanged with them a little better. Granted that falls mostly on my ignorance and I know to leave it to God to change the hearts of those who are unbelieving. But I noticed something about how they evangelized me. They simply went straight to some abstract concept where God is being questioned and handing me not a bible or bible verses but the Watchtower magazine. I know they need to do this because they are tryinng to "win" converts and are doing all the things necessary to do so and that even means changing the message. But not just that they didnt give me the Gospel but they did not even expound on what their gospel was. I heard no purpose to why I should read except that I could get a better understanding of why bad things are happening. I was left with an emptyness of not truly understanding their views and beliefs with an exception of when I had asked them my question on the trinity. I felt like in order to have truly delt with the situation, not only do you have to know what you believe and why you believe it but know what they believe and why they believe it. I know i should do this but at the same time it upsets me to thing how many people dont know what they believe and why they believe it or have not completely understood everything they believe in order to go out and evangelize. Evangelism should be an act of portraying your beliefs to another and why so that they may either accept or deny that claim, not to vaugely give a brief idea or concept in attempts to possibly decieve the unbeliever.

So again other then from the question I asked them, it sounded to me like they believe basically in the same things I believe, but when you go in and research further it really is not the case. I pray for those two women that by God's grace they will be given a heart of flesh and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their righteousness and rest in that Gospel. May our conversation we had been to further that Gospel and to glorify God! Amen

Soli Deo Gloria, Sola Christus, Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia!

AGAPE Bonfire and more

On Wednesday night I spent the whole afternoon and evening and part of the early, early morning with Jen and my firends from Agape at Cortland. We had a bonfire up at Otisco Lake. It was huge. I think the wood pile was about 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide at the base. It started out as crummy weather almost about to rain, but then it cleared up and boy was it beautiful. A couple of us went swimming in the lake where it was as cold or colder than some ice baths I have taken previously. I played 16 games of Kan Jam with Sean and we went 15-1, with our last loss because it was practically dark. so we went 15 and 0 for almost the whole day. Me and Brian Keefe went out on the lake with the canoe, and a couple of us walked out on this fallen tree over the lake. Before we started the fire I was given an opprotunity to speak some words to the bunch of people who were at the bonfire about Christ and His Gospel and How it defines us and to keep learning more and more about it. I was blessed with that opprotunity. I love when I am given opprotunities to speak like that because I feel it always necessary to proclaim the truth and the Gospel, even if it is to some believers to build them up in Christ.

I finally drove with Jen home but before we got home we stopped in Cortland to have a Midnight breakfast with some of my teammates, so Jen got to meet them. I was blessed with another opprotunity to share more of the Gospel where a teammate of mine had asked the question to me whether God can become a man, where I simply responded, "I believe he has already!" I explained the doctrine of the trinity and the purpose of Christ becoming man. It was an out of no where question but I was obliged to respond. After that, we finally headed home and just as we got into the Forks, Jen didn't want to go home so we drove around a little while as I attempted to bring her to a cool place but I couldnt see a thing in the fog, so she fell asleep and I brought her home fighting my own urges to do the same.

Reality Check!

Well, reality is catching up with me and im feeling pretty sad about it. I feel like I have spent so many hours and many hard times and crapy days in the rain, snow, and wind to not even be able to compete a single outdoor season in a Cortland uniform. I only competed for a gran total of 3 seasons in a cortland uniform. thats only enough to cover 1 year of running. Now I am possibly looking at my college career being over before it was suposed to. I feel kind of empty. Only because I really would have enjoyed trying to run some good times on the outdoor track. So many great expectations that just never even start to happen. I am gunna miss running for Cortland. I really regret nothing but it is just a pity to have the same thing happen to me in college as what happened to me in high school, not getting to finish my last season. I have an extra indoor and outdoor eligability but I really want to get the Grad assistant job to help build my resume and to pay for grad school. I am kind tired of waiting and at the same time being over run by the current workload of school. I feel like I cannot fit anything more into my brain. I feel like I have a bad case of ADD where I just cant pay attention any longer. I cant seem to finish things that I start because I am too easily distracted. I am out of money and I dont have my running to go to as an outlet. I trust God that he has this situation for me for a purpose but I still sometimes His purpose is hard. I completely expected this but the reality of it didnt hit me until I got deep enough in. I just pray that what ever happens is to God's good purpose and if I suffer for it, may god comfort me through it.

10k American Record!!!!

So the last couple years in track and field has been amazing. A resurgence of the sport has been shown with the trampling of barriers that American distance runners has not yet been able to accomplish yet. Not only that but stronger fields within the sport. Stronger front packs, especially lead by the Oregon Track Club Elite. First 2 americans go under 13 mins for the first time since Bob Kennedy in the 90's and one of them being the new american record, happening within 2 weeks of each other. Then almost a year later the first non-african to go under 27 mins in the 10k! Just amazing performances and in our life time. This is just amazing all around to see this happen. This is definately up there with Billy Mills being the only American to win an olympic 10k. Here is the video, the excitement in the last lap is just amazing:

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack