This Saterday our church's youth got together with those from several other churches and played an awesome game called Angle-Ball. It's basically a mix between ultimate frisbee and basketball. Each side is defending a ball on top of a pole. You pass around a third ball and try to knock the other teams ball off the pole. Here are some pics.
Sorry for leaving you all so long. . Just blame school...
Speech and Debate club meetings have started:
Our awesome new president Ben S.!
Paul H., one of our amazing debate coaches.
My debate partner, Daniel G..
Mine field game played at the debate workshop(unfortunately I wasn't there) :(
Kathryn C. dressed as a pirate(not, actually waiting for her turn to try out the mine field game when we were trying it out the week before the workshop).
I'm in a hotel outside Los Angelos, now. We flew in last night. It was an awesome flight. We had an insanely tight connection in Denver but we made it.
This morning was my cousin's barmitzvah which was in the house of a Habbad Hassidic Orthodox Jewish rabbi who was in his early twenties. The service was really cool. Mostly in Hebrew. The chanting was really neat, a lot like our Orthodox Christian chanting, done at monestaries and some churches. The service was really cool. It felt sorta wierd wearing a yamacha and huge prayer shawl, but neat. No picture taking was allowed because it was the Sabath. :( Oh well. Maybe I'll get some tomorrow. It was a good day. We wento my Aunt and Uncle and two cousin's house after. My other Aunt and Uncle and baby cousin from Florida are also here a couple rooms down and so are my grandparents. Twill be fun. KG, you always prophecy correctly. ARGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!
I just found this incredibly stupid sounding lines of all time in this BBC article:
A 121-million-year-old baby arboreal bird, fossilised while still curled in its egg, has been found in China. The fossil is thought to be the most ancient unborn bird ever discovered.
It has piqued researchers' interest because it had feathers, whereas many modern flying birds are naked and helpless when they first hatch. The authors say this supports the view that birds developed the strategy of hatching featherless later in history.
Wow!!! Birds developed the strategy of hatching featherless?
If you know of any stupid lines in articles, feel free to share them in the comments. Lets see if you can beat mine.
Another Real-life friend has joined HSB. For those of you who read my blog you probably already know Lady Claire, the very vocal participant in the music debate and probably the person who wastes the most time on my blog. Well she's got her own blog to spend time on now.
That last debate was awesome! Thanks for all ya'lls enthusiasm and for giving me by far the most comments I've ever recieved on one post! :) This is the post that gives me a break while my grandparents are here. :) Several people said they'd like to do another debate again. One problem is, this last one was something I was already thinking about. I don't have another topic that I can think of, but... If ya'll can think of topics that might be worth our while and give us, "profit and edification" :) than I'd be happy to consider posting it. Just post your ideas in the comments and I'll do it when my grandparents leave. :)
Ok, this is probably the fastest I've ever posted a second post. Wow! Anyway, this post is meant to spark discussion and will probably be up for about a week. I got something fun ready for after that.
Ok, let's begin.
Haha! I had to stick my face in first.
Ok, So here's the topic and below are 6 different views(actually 5 and other). Select the one you believe and defend it. I want a massive debate here!
Topic: What music is appropriate
1. No modern, pop, rock, rap, etc...
2. Only Christian music
3. Only bands that are completely clean
4. Only songs that are completely clean
5. It doesn't matter
6. Other
I'm back from the Regional speech and debate tournament in Arlington. Our club did amazingly well, including getting 1st in debate!(yay Toni and Brian)!!! My partner(Daniel) and I got 16th place in debate(one win away from nationals :( ). And Anna and I got to semifinals in our duo interpratation of Dicken's Christmas Carol. For more check out our club's blog here.
I don't got pictures yet, but here's a slideshow I made of the last pre-regional tournament that we went to at the begining of last month in Arkansas.
Here's my last British Lit. essay I wrote. My dad said it was really good and that I should post it so here it is. I've been crazy busy with debate, but I'll post again soon. The Courage to do whats right By Alex Macdonald In brief acquit thyself bravely, play the man. This quote pretty much sums up a lot of what George Herbert has to say in amazing spiritual collection of poems, the Temple. Basically, it takes bravery to be good, and we as Christians need to exercise that bravery. Dare to be true. Nothing can need a lie. Dont lie to get yourself out of trouble because, a fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. The lie to hide the fault makes the fault twice as bad, Herbert tells us; but rather, he says, let thy heart be true to God/Thy mouth to it(your heart), thy actions to them both. For only, Cowards tell lies, and those that fear the rod. We must be brave to admit the truth, and we must admit the truth to keep our hearts true to God. Scorn no ones love, the poet instructs us, though of mean degree. Jesus accepts the love and worship of all us sinners despite our faults. While here on earth, he even accepted the oil and tears from the harlot and rebuked those wwho would have turned her away. If we want to be like him we must not only love all mankind but accept back the love of any who give it to us, regardless of how loathsome or sinful they may seem to us; for as Herbert says, Why should I feel another mans mistakes/More than his sickness or poverty? Many times we sink into despair, wondering what we will do with our lives or else looking back on how we have wasted them, but George Herbert tells us, Do not be fooled: For all may have/If they dare try, a glorious life or a grave. It doesnt matter how much time we have wasted or that we have no idea what God has planned next for us. If we just are brave and trust in Him we assured of either a glorious life or else of a glorious death which is just as great. We can all have this glorious life in Christ if only we have the courage to reach out and take it. Dont just take the easy way out. The gate to Heaven is narrow and it takes a lot of bravery to enter through it. I brief acquit thyself bravely, play the man. Then you can pass through.
I just got back last night. I had a lot of fun, getting 5 hours of sleep each night and running constantly all day.....for four days. It was awesome! I didn't break in debate this time, we went 3-3, but we won all our affirmative rounds so our case remains undefeated! Yay! We were matched against a lot of hard teams including Harding-Pinero who ended up winning the tournament. Me and Anna broke to semifinals in our duo of the Christmas Carol! yay...and I did really well in all my limited prep speeches, but there were so many people competing in them that it was really hard to break. I was happy though. A lot of improvement. Anyways it was a ton of fun, I made a lot of new friends and met a lot of new people who may become more new friends. :) I can't wait until the Arkansas tournament!
Me and my little sister, Elizabeth, went to a coastal wildlife expo in a nearby town today with our friends the Maisanos, Clarksons, and Thelens. Interesting and pretty fun. I got a massive sun burn though... :( That's not supposed to happen in winter. I suppose people are getting bored of picture-less posts...I didn't have a camera though. :( maybe next time.
I didn't mention in my last post that before I went to Peter's basketball game I had been staying with my good friend Paul S.(the Black Prince on here when he comments) for several days. Besides having an awesome fun time, Paul had his Eagle Scout court of honor on Sunday afternoon, which I got to go to. Me and Paul have been friends for a long time, since I was nine and it's been awesome to watch as he works his way through scouts and the rest of life. I got to work with him on his eagle project this summer when he built a retaining wall at a horse-therapy place. It was a lot fun and good hard work! :) Congrats Paul!
Sorry I've abandoned my blog for so long everyone! But I have resolved to come back to it harder than ever before(I know that's not saying to much but bear with me). I hope to post at least three times a week if not more(except when I'm away at debate tournaments). So please forgive me. I'm back! Last night I went with Beth, KG, Joseph, and Paul, to watch my friend, Peter Thelen's, basketball game. It was awesome. Peter was just baptized last week, that's even more cool! Anyways had lots of fun I can't get the pic on for some reason...I'll have to work on that. Anyway we went to Chick Fil-A after and had free meals that Paul Hastings gave to us...awesome!
. Just blame school...
Anyway, this post is meant to spark discussion and will probably be up for about a week. I got something fun ready for after that. 
