Joshua's Courage: Journal 3

10-31-07
Happy Reformation Day!

Velociraptors: If you are not sure what these are, check out the picture. These dinosaurs are some of the sweetest killing machines in history. They were quick, deadly, and stunningly good-looking; and, in case you haven't figured it out, these are my favorite creatures.

As I was pondering my journal topic today, I thought about the Velociraptor and came across a problem I face a lot: I like to try and face my problems alone. This is problematic, since life is not meant to be dealt with by yourself. In fact, whenever I try to face temptation, solve a problem, undertake a construction project, or go hiking, I have a hard time doing it by myself. This is not to say I am super-needy and cannot do anything alone. What I am saying is that we are meant to have help getting through life.

The Bible speaks all about accountability and teamwork. We are called to strengthen each other as "iron sharpens iron." "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." God has given us people in our lives to help us deal with our problems. We were not meant to be alone. Even Adam, living in a perfect creation, was given a partner to complete him.

How does this tie into Velociraptors? Velociraptors are a team. When they hunt, one of them distracts the prey while the others surround and go in for th kill. They communicate, look out for each other, and never give up. In fact, if the prey is too big, they wait for something else to kill it and then scavenge what they want. In many ways, I should be like a Velociraptor: The next time I am feel like I have to face my problem alone, I need to call up some help and move in for the kill.

Joshua's Courage: Journal 2

10-30-07
Tonight, while I was sitting on the couch at home, I heard my wife scream from behind me. I quickly turned my head to see her finger right next to my face with an enormous spider crawling towards me. Doing the manly thing, I screamed. Not only did I act cowardly with my voice, I also jumped out of my seat and backed up as fast as I could. I was terrified! It ended up being a fake spider, and about five minutes later my heart calmed down.

What does this have to do with facing my problems? The truth is that I try to scare my wife all the time. I think it is hilarious when I make her jump and scream. At the same time, I do not like being scared; I have double-standards. Tonight, after I recovered from the shock of being scared, I was irritated with Nicole. In my mind, I was thinking: "I thought something was really wrong when she screamed; how can she expect me to think it's funny when she makes me worry about her at the same time?" I was being irrational. I can think its funny to scare her, but how dare she scare me!

As I pondered this situation, I realized I need to be conscious of the standards I set, intentionally or not. I need to stand firm against my own selfishness and be able to take what I give out. Only then will I learn to understand the people I love in a deeper, more effective way. Being sensitive to others needs is important; it is just as important to be sensitive to the standards we set for others, sometimes without even realizing it.

Here is my pic of the day, showing the way I look after I get upset:

Joshua's Courage: Journal 1

Hello fellow readers!
I am creating this first series of posts as part of a Bible project I am having my Freshmen do for the book of Joshua. They will be creating a journal of some sort, chronicling their acts of courage or cowardice throughout the next three weeks. I have undertaken this project myself, telling them that if a teacher thinks an activity is life changing, he should be willing to do it himself! Here is my first entry:

10-29-07
As I gave this assignment out today, I wondered what on earth I would write about in my own journal. There are so many things to pick from as I reflect on my day: My thoughts, words, and actions have brought many forked-roads; it is at these places I must choose a path. Do I respond to conflict, stupidity, and other situations with cutting sarcasm and irritation, or do I take the road less traveled and act like I really believe what I teach?

For today's topic, I have decided to focus on one of my major Monday morning struggles: Complaining. It is easier for me to complain than it is for calculus student to add 2+2. Complaining comes natural to me. I would rather spout off for 30 minutes about how irritated I am to post grades or clean up the house than take the 10 minutes to do either. When it comes to situations of, as the Bible says, letting my actions match my words, I often fail miserably.

Thankfully, I have felt convicted lately to spend time praying about my problem. I know I won't instantaneously be Mr. Cheerful, but lately I have seen myself being more content with life's situations. They key is this: My situations probably won't change. Either I can make myself and everyone around me miserable or I can just enjoy life and love what I have. I hope you can do the same.

Tharp

Here is a pic that reminds me life is much easier than it could be: