Momentum

     Right now I would say that my motivation is great! I am so on fire for the Lord its awesome. Easter Services were amazing. So many people came and lives were touched. God is really moving in my church it has been incredible. This past week my motivation to get closer to God has grown so much, I love it. The Holy Spirit has been really taking over and worship at my church has been amazing. So many people wanting more of God and puting him first. It is so awesome and I cant wait to see what God has in store for us. For school, my motivation is getting better. I need to pass my classes so basically I just need to keep my head in the books. Lately I have been a little lazy, but my motivation kicked in and now im doing better. I just need to trust God more and not depend on my own understanding. He has plans to prosper not to harm, plans for hope and a future. So right now I just got to do my part, pass my classes and seek him first.

To Do List

Must Do:
School
Sisters Birthday Dinner
Church

Should Do:
Workout
Read
Homework

Can Do:
Wash Car
Walk Dog
Clean

Vocabulary

valor - boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially in battle; heroic courage; bravery.
"It was not courage, exactly; the object was not valor." (page 21)
When I think of valor I think of someone brave. Someone thats strong and couragous.
An easy clue that I found was when it says it was not courage and it was not valor. So basically it gave me the definition right their. To have valor is to have courage.
taut - tightly drawn; tense; not slack.
"the tongue taut."
When I saw the word taut I thought of the object was tight.
When I was reading the clue that I found was the way he was talking.
bewilderment - a confusing maze or tangle, as of objects or conditions.
"The emotions went from outrage to terror to bewilderment to guilt to sorrow and then back to outrage."
When I read this word I just thought that it was just another emotion.
The clues I found were all the emotions th that the author wrote.

TO DO LIST

Must Do:
Read my Bible
Go to class
Do my homework

Should Do:
Workout
Eat
Study

Can Do:
Hang out with friends
Sleep
Watch T.V.

Vocabulary

shrouded -  a cloth or sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial.
"The very facts were shrouded in uncertainty." (Page 38)
The paramedic put a shroud over the drug dealers body.
A clue I found was when they said shrouded i thought of covered. Like the facts were covered in uncertainty.
tedious - wordy so as to cause weariness or boredom, as a speaker or writer; prolix.
"composing a few tedious, uninspired editorials from the campus newspaper." (Page 39)
I went on a long tedious journey last week.
A clue I found was the word uninspired. When I heard this i new that tedious couldn't mean anything good.
smug - contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent.
"Stupidly, with a kind of smug removal that can't be fathom..." (Page 39)
That stupid smug thought he could out swim that wave.
My clue was when I heard the word smug I thought of someone stupidly showing off and that is what the sentence is kind of talking about.


 

Goals

Long-Term: Become a Pastor
Mid-Term: Have a degree at Biola and find a good paying job.
Short-Term: Finish my general ed at fullerton college and transfer to Biola.

March 28th 2013

          Mrs. Henderson,
   
     Hey Angela it's Roger! Just writing this letter to thank you for teaching me so much in your Reading class. Honestly it has helped me so much with reading, writing papers, and speaking in front of people. I am so glad I took that class. So far I am almost done with my general education at fullerton college and when I am done I am going to transfer to Biola. It's going to be so awesome! So many of my friends go their already and they tell me it is definetly going to help me become a Pastor one day. I think I am going to major in biblical studies and then look for a bible teaching class at Whittier Christian but who knows what God has for me. Well, Thank You again for everything you've taught me! It has been great.

Sincerely, Roger

    

My Heart Revolution

     Honestly, there are many good and bad decisions that made a serious impact on my life today. From first loving baseball, then loving video games, and loving God. As far back as I can remember I see myself playing baseball. I played baseball for around 7 years, it was my life. I was an All-Star player that played almost every position. Around the last couple years of baseball I started playing video games. I was starting to get that addiction because I would rather play video games then even play baseball. During the time I started playing video games my mother started going to church. Eventually she started going every week and she would make me go with her. I was so addicted to my video games I would whine and tell her I didn't want to go, but little did I know, she was making one of  biggest impacts on my life. For about 4 years my mother would make me go to church with her. I knew there was a God but I just didn't really understand a lot. Until one day at school one of my friends invited me to this Christian Club. So I went their and my life hasn't been the same since. I actually gave it a chance and opened my heart to what this person had to say. I accepted Jesus into my heart and that's when Jesus just spread his love all over me. That day was the beginning of my true heart revolution. Ever since then, God has been molding me into the Man of God he has called me to be. I may not know all what my future holds, but I do know who holds my future. And all I got to do is put God first in my life, and I know he will provide all my needs. Because that's what his word says in Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Vocabulary

radicalized - to make radical or more radical especially in politics.
"radicalized many hip students who had once believed in the power of example."
To be radical for something means to do something in an extreme way. Not in an ordinary way.
A clue I found when I read this word was hip. To be a hip person could mean to be an extreme person. Someone that stands out.
detrimental - harmful; injurious; prejudicial
"this may have a detrimental effect on learning the effectiveness of treatments for these children.
When I think of the word detrimental I think of something bad. Like an injury.
My clue was when it said that it may effect the learning of the children. 
entrench - to dig trenches for defensive purposes around (oneself, a military position, etc.)
"All he could do was dig. He used his entrenching tool like an ax..."
When I think of the word "entrench" I think of military people digging holes for cover.
When the author said all he could do was dig, that was my clue that entrench means to dig holes.
 

Just Do It!

To Do List:

• Must Do Sat 2/22/12
• Read My Bible
• Work
• Homework
• Should Do Sat 2/22/12
• Go eat
• Walk the dog
• Read "The Things They Carry"
• Could Do
• Hang out with my friends
• Go to the movies

Leaving my baggage behind

     There was many shameful things in my life that I carried around. I carried hurt, jealousy, insecurity,  basically just my past mistakes. I don't really know any other reason why I would carry these intangible things around rather then just not letting the past go. About two years ago I was a totally a different person. I was 273 pounds and I was addicted to video games, food, and girls. I really didn't understand where my life was going. I was a super lazy kid and had no clue what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Until this one day that totally changed my life. One of my friends that I played Xbox with invited me to this Christian Club at La Mirada High. I always new that their was a God because really I new that their was more to life. That day someone pointed me to the right direction and showed me what I needed to do with my life. That day was the day that I gave me life to God. I accepted Jesus into my heart and he took all my past mistakes and threw them away. I found out that when you accept Jesus into your heart and you repent and turn away from sin, God not only forgives you but he forgets that you've ever sinned. He basically takes a huge eraser and erases all your mistakes and you begin to have peace in your heart. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that when you give your life to Christ you are a new creation, old has past and new has come. You see God cares more about your future then your past. He loves all of us. That's why he came to die for us. So we can spend eternity with him. In the Bible it says Romans 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you wil be saved. For it is with the heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profes your faith and are saved." Life is more than just video games, girls, parties, and drugs. Life is about God and bringing people to God. That is why I wrote this because I was once in your position. Where I had no idea what was going on with my life. I had no clue what I was going to do. But when I found God. I began to have hope and I new that he has plans for me. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a futire. You see, God has plans for each and every one of you. We just have to be willing to take that step of faith and take that step toward God. If anyone who reads this wants to take that step. Just contact me at (562) 405-6169 and I will point you into the right direction.

ps: Follow me as I Follow Christ   :)

Thank You

Vocabulary

zeal - fervor for a person, cause, or object ; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.
"Some carried themselves with a sort of wistful resignation, others with pride or stiff soldierly discipline or good humor or macho zeal."(Page 19)
My view to have zeal for something means to have passion for it. To give it all you've got. In my life I have much zeal to be the person God has called me to be. Knowing that he is in control of everything.
One clue that I found when I was reading this was the word "macho". It helped me get a better understanding of what zeal actually meant. To be strong, courageous, and passionate in what you are doing.

tangible - capable of being touched; discernible by the touch; material or substantial.
"they had tangible weight." (page 20)
One tangible item I carry is my Bible. I carry that so I could have an answer to whatever question comes my way,
A clue that I found was when the author wrote "Grief, terror, love, longing-these were intangibles" That helped me realize what tangible meant.

aggression - the action of a state in violating by force the rights of another state, particularly its territorial rights; an unprovoked offensive, attack, invasion, or the like: The army is prepared to stop any foreign aggression.
"A war of national liberation or simple aggression." (Page 38)
Many people in this world have a lot of aggression in their hearts.
A clue that I came across was just reading how the author was talking about the war. For instance he wrote "I was drafted to fight a was I hated." Apparently he has a lot of aggression toward the war.