NWC Theatre Department Presents - Beauty and the Beast

So, my school is doing a musical this year. We're doing Beauty and the Beast! C'mon, everyone knows the story. Well, this year, I have the privilege of playing the sassy French feather duster, Babette. It's an amazingly fun role and I am so blessed to be in the musical this year!!! Our director is the BEST!!! He's awesome. The entire cast is amazing and everyone has been so cool about everything.

So there's not really any point to this post, I just felt like keeping you guys updated (as if anyone reads this blog). :D 

So y'all know that I'm writing a book, huh? Well, if you didn't, I am writing a book. (Or attempting, anyways). I'm writing it with my BEST friend, Melissa Kinney. It's a fictional story of a girl who travels through space and time to n entirely different planet. The story is about her struggle to get home, while she starts to think of the new world as her home. You guys should definitely read it (once it's published). It's called Zankorou. Although, we've had some problems. Mel and I have hit writers block. We can't write anything any more! We know the whole story, but we can't figure out what to do next. We've hit a wall. As Mel always says, "We've hit a wall, so we'd better find a sledgehammer."

Well, that's all for today guys! 

--Rachel Petey

P.S. Are you watching the Oscars? Tell me how it goes!

Legend of Zelda: SKYWARD SWORD!!!

So, I bet most of you have heard about the new Zelda game Shigeru Miyamoto announced at the E3 conference in LA, right> In my personal opinion, I think it looks rock awesome! I am SO happy they used legit cel shading. The last Zelda game which was cel shaded was Wind Waker. Most of you might think that Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were cel shading, but they were, in fact, NOT! They were just crappy animation made to look like cel shading. My rating? 0 out of 5.
Anyways, the new Zelda game. In this game, Link is much older than he was in any of the other games. I like that, since he'll actually be an adult while he saves the world.... well, Hyrule, at least. =)
Although I was very happy when they began talking about it, but when Miyamoto mentioned number, I died a little inside. That number was 2011. WWHHAATTT!!???!?!??? 2011?!??!? I can't possibly wait that long!!! Why, why, why?!?!? Oh well, I still have many other Zelda games I mush finish before I can beat the new one!
So, you're probably thinking, "what the heck am I gonna get out of this?" Well, you're going to get a rating.
I suggest that if you like Zelda, you might wanna buy the new game. But, if you love Zelda, then you should definitely buy the game. ^_^ My rating?
5 out of 5 for the Skyward Sword.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Hey guys! Well, today, I was sitting in my 6th period geometry class, and I though, does God really love us? For example, the earthquake that recently hit Haiti. Why did God let that happen? Why did he let all those nonbelievers die? Why? WHY? These are some questions that have been running through my head for a long time now. and the great thing is, God lets us ask that. Why. He wants us to struggle and ask questions about our faith. I then thought of all the wonderful ways God has shown His love to us. For example, if it wasn't for Him, we would all be dying forever in hell. He sent His one and only son to die for us so that we may not die. It's called love. A thing that we all need. In my Bible class, my teacher told us, "There are 3 basic needs that everyone requires. Physical needs (food, water, etc.), the need to feel important, and the need to feel loved." It's all because of God that we may feel loved. "We love Him because He first loved us." Live by those words, and never let them die.

So, you're probably thinking I'm going to end this devotion without any final thought, huh? Well, here's my final thoughts. I believe that God allowed that earthquake to hit for a reason. Everything is in His power and His power alone. Everything happens for a reason, for God's reason. That earthquake happened probably to show us God's true power over the Earth. He's saying "I am here. Come to me! Turn to me for guidance! I want to help you. I want to love you. I do love you. So much." Let God's love into your heart and keep it there forever and always. Thanks guys!

Psalm 136:2 "Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever."

Sin Taxes Everyone

My local newspaper reported this week that the legislature in my state will be increasing sin taxes in order to balance the state budget. I stopped and thought about it and drew an important inference about what sin taxes teach us. In my state, sin taxes are excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco, although some states tax other products, too. Interesting, isn’t it? The world teaches us to think of only alcohol and tobacco as sin to the point that we should pay tax on it. I guess that means we only sin if we smoke and drink!

All joking aside, the world sees sin very differently that the Bible sees sin. Just this month, for example, Robbie and I took a trip she won to Las Vegas, Nevada – Sin City. We were amazed at what families were exposing to their children. Right there on “The Strip”, we were forced through a gauntlet of people, men and women, lining the sidewalks, snapping baseball-sized cards together to draw attention. The cards were pictures of naked women. These “snappers” as the locals call them were advertising for an “escort” service. Dial the number on the card and someone would arrive at your room at the appointed time.

We were stunned in several ways. One was that a parent would parade their children through it, some even laughing about it. You couldn’t help but to see the cards. They littered the sidewalk for those of us who were uncomfortable and chose to look down. But what surprised us the most was it was a standard practice and viewed no differently than someone passing out free coupons for soft drinks. It pointed out to us in a very vivid way how numbed Americans have become to sin. It made me wonder, “What do I no longer see as sinful in my life?”

It’s important for us to remember that while times change, and the world’s definition of sin changes with it, God’s view of sin never changes. What the Word says was sinful when Jesus lived, is still sinful today!

There are two important points the Bible makes about sin. James 4:17 paints sin in with a very broad brush. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it,” James wrote, “to him it is sin.” In other words, we may not always recognize sin in our lives, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t present. None of us is good to the core. The Apostle Paul, who wrote over half of the New Testament, once referred to himself as a wretch. And he continues to remind all of us as he did the Church at Rome, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Second and most important, the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If we don’t, God’s Word is clear: “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

Don’t think for a moment that God has changed his mind about sin. If you believe you might have lost your focus, read what he has to say about it. It’s the best way to make sure that you and God are on the same page when it comes to sin.

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By: Mike Ruffin

A White and Blustery Day!

Ello guys! Sorry I haven't really posted anything in a while. I'm going to start posting weekly devotions on Sunday for all of you to pray and think about during the week. Well, here it goes.
DISCLAIMER: Some of these devotions are not by me. I merely took then from other sites. Granted, I am giving the authors FULL credit! Thanks!

Salvation Changes Our Hearts: A Thanksgiving Reminder

Twenty-five years ago, I completed an instrument as part of a class to help me understand how I make decisions in my working life. The instructions directed me to select the answer to each question that most resembled how I might respond in the workplace. One of the dimensions of the test distinguished between my preferences as a cold, methodical thinker against that of a warm, compassionate person. My score was 58 for thinking and 0 for compassion. I was ashamed. But the more I thought about it, I knew that in work and in life, I tended to go about making decisions in a methodical manner, giving very little priority to how it might impact someone’s life. In this case, I thought whatever was best for the organization was the right thing to do.

I look at some of the decisions that I made twenty-five years ago in previous jobs I have held and know that my response would be differently today. For example, several years ago, an employee sent me a Thanksgiving bouquet of flowers and wrote on the card, “I will never forget what you did for me. I am eternally grateful.” Needless to say, I never received notes like that twenty-five years ago, which begs the question, “why”? I think you know the answer. I have had a change of heart.

Around this time each year, I try to take a spiritual look at myself. One of the questions I ask myself is what are some of the ways in which I can see that I’ve changed? Let me share a humorous story with you that speaks to why I think I get notes from employees like the one I just shared with you.

My wife joked with me the other day by saying “I can’t take you to the new Kroger opening because you would cry”. Can you believe it? The same man, who twenty-five years ago in the workplace and personally felt very little in the way of sympathy for others, now cries during episodes of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

The truth is that I cannot take any credit for this change in me. As that test clearly indicated, the change I now see in me is not of my own will. The Bible teaches us that salvation is a free gift from God. But God gives us so much more than an assurance of heaven. We receive spiritual gifts that we can use to serve him in this world. And over time, he miraculously changes our heart – the way we look at and respond to life situations.

The Apostle Paul talked about these changes when he wrote to the church at Corinth: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Isn’t the last sentence in that verse interesting? God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a long holiday season. Unfortunately, however, many Christian families do not enjoy the holidays as God would intend for us to enjoy them. What a shame.

Friends, if God has truly changed your heart, then use the ministry of reconciliation he has given you to free yourselves from the stress that comes with unforgiveness, conflict, or whatever the excuse may be as to why you can’t enjoy and share his forgiveness with others. Allow him to partner with you so that you can enjoy the holidays in ways that you never imagined you could. Remember what Jesus told his disciples, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
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