Blog Response 7

If we follow the Beatitudes, what would or lives look like? What would we need to do differently? What do we need to give up? Explain your experience when you lived out two Beatitudes for a day.

By: J Wilson19

The Eight Beatitudes 

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. 

4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we follow the Beatitudes, our lives would be filled with more peace, everyone would get along with each other, and suffering/hunger would not exist. The purpose of the Eight Beatitudes are so that we live as Jesus did when He was on Earth. People would be provided daily necessities and we would have a more positive and friendlier attitude. After living a day where I lived our two Beatitudes, I realized that God had a plan for us all and that we will be more relaxed and calm. 

To live a life based on the Beatitudes, we would need to start trusting God, giving to those who need, and we need to strengthen our relationship with God. We should not doubt God or our parents because they know what is right. God will guide us in the right direction and if we do not want to obey Him, we will drift away from Him. We need to put trust in our parents as we do in God. Trust will keep our relationship close to them. We also need to actively participate in our community by volunteering and giving to people who need simple items. Not only do we have to volunteer, but we also need to attend and help with mass. If we pray to God and go to mass every Sunday, we would be more calm and relaxed because we are able to let all our feelings out and talk with God. Sometimes we need to put everything aside(phones) and communicate with God and our family. By praying to God, we can strengthen our relationship with God.

After a day of living based on two of the eight Beatitudes, my life felt calmer and less chaotic. The two Beatitudes I followed were the second(lived this Beatitude throughout this year) and seventh beatitude. This year, my family has endured many losses. Three of my very close relatives passed away this year. I have been thinking why did God take the lives of three innocent happy people that we all loved so much. My family and I reflected on our loss and the sadness we felt from it. We realized that although three lives were lost, God has blessed us with three new lives(births). My youngest sister was born on Easter and my aunt gave birth to a baby boy followed by the birth of my uncle's first born son. God blessed with three new family members. When I was reflecting on this yesterday, I realized I have been living out the second Beatitude, "Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted." Although my family suffered the loss, we were comforted by the births of the three new babies. This week, I also lived out the seventh Beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." There were times at school where, people were not being kind or fair. Instead of yelling or being very mean, I handled the situation peacefully by calming down and walking away from a situation that did wasn't so big. Resolving problems that I encounter peacefully on a daily basis means I am following in Jesus' footsteps. 


Pictures/Sources

Masonheimer, Phylicia. "How to Strengthen Your Relationship with God Through a Spiritual Mentor." Project Inspired. N.p., 20 Aug. 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2016. <http://www.projectinspired.com/how-to-strengthen-your-relationship-with-god-through-a-spiritual-mentor/>. 
ThingLink. "Blessed Are They Who Mourn for They Shall Be Comforted by Noah H." ThingLink. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2016. <https://www.thinglink.com/scene/507209412251746306>.
"The Eight Beatitudes." The Eight Beatitudes. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016. <http://www2.connectseward.org/chu/stv/beatitudes.htm>.

Blog Response 6

Based on what I know of the adult Jesus, write a description of what Jesus might have been like when he was fifteen years old.

By: J Wilson19

Jesus as a fifteen year old today would be seen by other people as a loner because of his different lifestyle and behavior. Jesus would put his priorities first before everything else. He would immediately do all his schoolwork and chores when he arrives home from school. His focus would be on striving to do his best and reach for his goals. Teenagers and children today are prone to be distracted because of all the technology and social media today. Procrastination would be the main thing that would be blocking them from accomplishing so much. The way Jesus interacts with other students and teachers would be very respectful and mature. He would not get involved with fights or violence and settle   his problems peacefully. Jesus would also be kind to teachers and students no matter what the situation he is put in. This strange and unusual behavior would intimidate other children. His students would call him "Teacher's pet", "Overachiever", "The Perfect Know It All", etc. Even after being bullied for doing the right thing, Jesus would walk away from the violence and settle it peacefully. Even his choice of clothing would contribute to the negative criticism towards him. He would not spend his money on all the name brand clothing because he would not care about his appearance or image. Jesus' ideal teenage image would upset other students and parents because they would not want him to be so perfect. This was the same when Jesus was an adult. Many adults saw Jesus as a man who wanted all the power since he was gaining many followers. All Jesus just wanted to do was help others and spread the word of God. It intimidated people who did not agree with his beliefs  because they were afraid that he would take all their power away from them. 

Pictures:
@huntedtheapp. "Ed Hunter: The Usual Recruitment Suspects (pt.1) - Hunted News Feed." Hunted News Feed. N.p., 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <https://www.hunted.com/blog/ed-hunter-the-usual-recruitment-suspects-pt-1-2/>.

Hamilton, Jan. "Inspiring Teens to Help Others." Teen Counseling, Phoenix Arizona - Doorways. N.p., 31 Aug. 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. <http://www.doorwaysarizona.com/inspiring-teens-help-others/>. 

Blog Response 4

What specific things did you learn from your group's parable? What specific things did you learn from the parables that were presented by the other groups? Which moral/lessons impacted you the most and why? What do you think it would be like if Jesus were in our society today?

By: J Wilson19

After doing the parable project with my group, I learned the meaning behind the Parable of the Sower. At first, it was a confusing story and hard to relate it into our life, but after my classmates and I carefully broke it down and interpreted it. I learned how to understand complicated parables and stories by trying to relate it to simple situations today. We related our parable to three students and an upcoming test. The students represented the seeds and the results on how they did on the test represented how they grew at the end of the parable. A teacher announced an upcoming history test to her class. Two of the students planned to got to a party and watch Netflix, while the other student was focused on studying all night and getting a good grade on the test. The next day, the two students who decided not to study did not receive a good grade on the test and the student who studied, exceeded, and got an A on the test. The two students represent the seeds that were not placed in good soil. They grew very withered and scorched and did not establish a root. The student who took the time to study represents the seeds that produced many rich crops and it established a root because it grew in rich soil. By relating this to a scenario that is easier to understand, I learned/found out that it was so much easier to understand.

After listening and watching the other groups' presentations, I learned that all the four parables have to do with being grateful, being happy for each other, and forgiving others even if they caused so much harm to you. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus' lesson is to always be grateful, the lesson for the Parable of the Prodigal Son is to forgive others and to be happy for each other, and the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard's lesson is also to be grateful for what you get. All of these parables showed that it can be hard at times to be positive in hard scenarios, but we need to learn how to overcome it. The parables gave me a wider perspective on how I should improve my life and attitude. It also showed that we can get through it if we support ourselves.

The parable that impacted me the most was The Parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable is the most relatable than the other stories because we all have felt a little jealousy when we feel that we deserve all the attention or reward. The parable is about two sons and a father. The father gives each of his sons money for the future. One son decides to leave and spend all his money, while the other son was obedient and stays at home with his father. When the other son came home to his father to ask for forgiveness, the father wants to celebrate and have a feast. The obedient son is jealous and does not understand why they are celebrating for the other son. He thinks he should be the one being celebrated for because he has worked for his father and helped him the whole time. The lesson of the story is to always be happy for others and to celebrate the good things in life. We all get a little jealous of other and sometimes we need to learn to be happy for them and to celebrate the good things in life.

If Jesus was in our society today, He would be somewhat disappointed, but other times proud of all of his work. If Jesus saw all the hatred and violence today he would not be pleased because He would want us all to live a good life and live by the lessons in the parables. Jesus would also help try to improve our behavior and attitude by telling stories that relate to today and can be more relatable to us. All of his stories would help us improve our lifestyles and actions toward each other.

Pictures
Thunder, By. "New Illustration – Parable of the Sower." Catjugglingcom. N.p., 05 Oct. 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://catjuggling.com/new-illustration-parable-of-the-sower/>.
Thehappyhapablog. "Thehappyhapablog." JENNIFER´S JOURNEY. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://thehappyhapablog.tumblr.com/post/128777026134/day-10-what-if-today-we-were-just-grateful-for>.
"The Prodigal Son." By PrisonerOnEarth on DeviantArt. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://prisoneronearth.deviantart.com/art/The-Prodigal-Son-528632670>.

Blog Response 5

Overview of ACTS

By: J Wilson19

ADORATION: There are so many ways to describe you: You are the Creator of the World, Loving God, supporter, listener, and the one to go to when we are having a bad day. I will always put my trust into you and overcome anything that will distance our relationship.

CONTRITION: I am sorry for all the things I said and did that made us further apart. I will try to improve my relationship with you and my loved ones by constantly praying and following in you footsteps.

THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all that I have today and for all the things you provide for me. I could not ask for a better life. Thank you so much for my family and friends because without them I would not be able to get through the tough times.

SUPPLICATION: I pray for my family, that we will always be surrounded with love and safety. I also pray for the the Earth, that we will all finally be able to see what we are provided with and that we will learn to care for it.

Amen.

Pictures

"World in Hands." World in Hands. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://www.waterforddrift.com/world-in-hands/>.

"Sari vs. Sorry." American Punjaban PI:. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://www.americanpunjabanpi.com/2016/01/sari-vs-sorry.html>. 

"Hand Lettering Practice." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/98445941826196861/>.

Https://www.facebook.com/misaras.stefan, and Http://www.agodman.com/blog/author/a-god-man-in-christ/. "Seeing Our Responsibility as the Church and Rising up to Pray Fighting Prayers!" A Godman in Christ. N.p., 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://www.agodman.com/blog/seeing-our-responsibility-as-the-church-and-rising-up-to-pray-fighting-prayers/>.

Blog Response 3

Of the four gospels, which resonates most with me and why?
By: J Wilson19

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are the four most common recited names when learning about the Catholic religion. Some of these writers had personal connections with Jesus, but others had to investigate Jesus's life. Matthew was not the holiest man, he had a dark past prior to meeting Jesus and becoming his follower. At first, Matthew was a greedy tax collector, but after encountering Jesus and becoming a disciple, the holiness of Jesus rubbed off onto him. He wrote "As a Jew, For Jews, About a Jew." Mark did not have personal connections with Jesus, he learned about Jesus through the Apostles. His purpose was to help people gain trust in Christ. Luke also did not have any personal connections with Jesus, but he knew Saint Paul. The purpose of the writing of Luke were to portray how Jesus was, but also what His people went through. John was favored by Jesus, he was his "favorite disciple." The biggest prosecution in the Catholic Church history happened during his time period. The burning of Rome occurred and the church was being prosecuted for it. The book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were all written in Greek and all of their symbols possessed wings.

Out of the four gospels, the writer that I find the most interesting is Matthew. Many people can relate to him. Before he had Jesus to guide him, Matthew was a greedy tax collector and he was not liked by many people. Jesus helped guide him away from sin and encouraged him to start helping others. He is a relatable person. Most people in general have faults and given into sin, just as Matthew had. Just as Matthew had done, we can also become Jesus's follower and live life without sin. Matthew's symbol is a winged man or angel. Angels are constantly watching over us and help us through rough times. It was very interesting to research about Matthew and the work he did in his life.

Pictures

"Introduction to the Four Gospels." RSS. N.p., 25 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://holycrosstrumbull.org/pastors-blog/2016/1/24/introduction-to-the-four-gospels>. 

"Empower Network." If You Want Success... Help Others to Succeed. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016. <http://wideopenincome.empowernetwork.com/blog/success-helpin-others-succeed>.

Bibliography
Classmates' videos(unable to open them in YouTube)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ao61AgZHNolc91prlDob2TEUWfyF_CIbZmpYmmSxbzI/edit
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fo2iJ3rea_wcVI1yOVMjv7Z-GaHi6uvna6kf1ff_7go/edit#slide=id.p
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yWr3cD8qd2WQEyO7ZgPz-pfqwwJdmVESLWy1dxlXz-w/edit

Blog Response 2

How does what you have learned from the Bible archaeology project change or form your view of Jesus as you thought you knew him?

By: J Wilson

After working on the Bible archaeology project and listening to other presentations, my view of Jesus has not really changed drastically. I have always seen Him as a big historical figure in the Catholic Church, but I have learned about the new miracles He performed in His life. Before the assignment, I was familiar with all the major stories. My topic on the The Three Wise Men and the Star and other students' presentations made me investigate and learn the story more into depth. All the stories had one thing in common: they all talked about how great Jesus is and the miracles He performed in His life.

The Three Wise Men and the Star/King Herod

Jesus had no specific role in this story, but His birth represented happiness and greatness into others' lives. A fearless ruler, named Herod, was afraid of the new King of the Jews. His greatness made others fear about what He is capable of doing. He sent out the Three Wise Men to locate Jesus. His intentions were to find Jesus' locations, but Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar believed seeing Jesus was a blessing. Reading this passage did not change my perspective of Jesus. Personally, I see the opportunity to meet Jesus as a blessing because He was a very important person.

The Shroud of Turin/ The Wine at Canna and the Loaves and Fishes

When Jesus was laid in the tomb, he was covered with a Shroud. The imprint left on the Shroud is a mystery that even scientists can not figure out. Jesus performs amazing miracles that many people can not believe. My view on this has not changed because I see Jesus as our almighty savior sent by God. Although my view on Jesus has not change, but my knowledge on the miracles that he performed has expanded. I learned about one of the many miracles Jesus has performed in his life.

Sermon on the Mount

I've seen Jesus as a healer and a person that cares for others. Jesus wanted His followers to be the best they can be. He shows them that they can be a good person by following the Golden Rule and the Eight Beatitudes. I can guess that other people also see Him like this too.

Pontius Pilate/Joseph of Arimathea/Site of Calvary

Pontius Pilate was also a ruler that was fearful of Jesus and His power. Jesus risked His life to save everyone from sin. He did not argue with Pontius Pilate and agreed to suffer. After hearing this story many times, I still see Jesus as a person that cared for all of His people. He would rather suffer for the sake of saving us from original sin. His suffering inspired others to be grateful and to spread the Word of God.

Jesus was not physically in this story, but Joseph of Arimathea represents Jesus' importance by voluntarily giving Jesus his tomb and begging Pontius Pilate to give him Jesus' lifeless body. Joseph had a lot of courage to approach the man that just crucified Jesus. Jesus was so important to him and to others, he was willing to sacrifice his tomb for a proper burial for Jesus. I agree that Jesus was an important person.

The site of Calvary is a significant place and symbol of Jesus' sacrifice. When I hear about His crucifixion site, I see it as Jesus' willingness to sacrifice all He had just for all His followers and to the people that even opposed him.

Pictures

Tielemans, Sally. "The Three Wisemen." The Three Wisemen. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016. 

"7 Miracles In The Book Of John (Part 7)." The Hesitant Prize Fighter. N.p., 16 Jan. 2015. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

@ancientorigins. "The Shroud of Turin: Controversial Cloth Defies Explanation as Study Shows It Has DNA From Around the World." Ancient Origins. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.
"First Baptist Church - Fayetteville, NC - Coloring Book." First Baptist Church - Fayetteville, NC - Coloring Book. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

@weronthenet. "The New Flower Punch Board." We R Memory Keepers Blog. N.p., 03 Jan. 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

I also used my classmates' presentations for information(links below). 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qvRze8vpiTqWpSFV6zJExO1ykJQFMrK_DI3pPmN8b58/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10zZRVWY52cnEeytah2EVurdNJECtC_o7pn2HLckGqPo/edit
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OhAplSN0ZWdbvFXVdTqikNbGPphDI9HdODRpqE3Ffq0/edit#slide=id.p
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jPCJj99BAQO1zSW20SOVoUpx6yeyCa6qUmmrJ2vs5Po/edit#slide=id.p
https://ndhsb.schoology.com/link?a=327828809&path=https%3A%2F%2Fprezi.com%2Fw7taxnr4z1wt%2Fjoseph-of-aramethea%2F%3Futm_campaign%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dcopy
https://prezi.com/c6-qnq4tuec4/king-herod-and-the-massacre-of-the-innocents/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uu325dK4Y5Jo7Pc5l5X9PDItWBGbqDs6Yj1OzP1lCU4/edit?ts=57eac467#slide=id.p

Blog Response 1

What are my thoughts about Jesus? How do I know Him? What have I heard about Him? What do I believe about Him?
By: J Wilson

What are my thoughts about Jesus? I think that Jesus was a person that everyone wanted to be with and have a conversation with. His caring and loyal personality made people feel loved and safe. After His death, many seemed lost and abandoned. His life was based on helping, caring, and supporting others in need. Not only did He help people that were in need of food and clothing, but He also helped them spiritually by preaching the word of God. Here is a clip on the biggest question, "Who is Jesus?" 

My elementary/junior high experience was includes attending mass on  a weekly bases with my fellow classmates. Since Prekindergarten, I was taught about Jesus' life in religion class. All the religion courses I took also prepared me for my First Communion and Confirmation. Taking religion classes, can teach people that are of different religions about having faith and hope when needed. At a young age, my class was taught the basics of Catholicism, but as the years progress we learned a more deeper understanding of the purpose of Jesus's arrival on Earth. 

I have heard stories and information about Jesus from all the religion class that I have taken throughout my life and from the masses I have attended. My Catholic elementary/junior high  school always taught about our religion every day in religion class. We would read our religion books and discuss the importance of Jesus. I learned that Jesus was a man that God sent to Earth to preach the Word of God. He performed miracles before and after his death. Many were inspired to live a better life because He gave them hope and faith. I also learned that He had many titles and roles to play. He was a teacher, king, son of God and was a great example of how we should live our lives. I also learned that not everyone saw that Jesus was sent from God. He was crucified and died because of those who did not believe. Other leaders were not pleased to see another man "ruling" the Earth. Jesus did not see himself ruling the Earth, but saving us from sin and giving us faith and hope. 

I believe that Jesus was not only a person that sacrificed his life for us, but He was also a person that listened to other's needs and was willingly to help others. He was never forced to put others before himself. I believe in all the miracles and the purpose of his arrival on Earth. He was sent from God to save us and lead us to live a life filled with the greatness of God.

Pictures:
-@weronthenet. "The New Flower Punch Board." We R Memory Keepers Blog. N.p., 03 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
-Http://ccapulse.com/author/bchekal/. "Are Religious Requirements Ethical? | Amanda Presar." Pulse Magazine Canyon Crest Academys AwardWinning Newsmagazine. N.p., 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

-Scotti, Sam. "A Thought On Christmas." As I See It:. N.p., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

-Kenritz, By. "Jesus Death And Resurrection." ProProfs. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
-Rahman, Farid. "Pictures Of Daisy." Flowers-with-melancholy:. N.p., 20 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
Video:

-Bibles4America. "Who Is Jesus?" YouTube. YouTube, 05 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TywlLxR7kQs