The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Title: The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch

Rating/Review:
Language (1 being clean, 10 being cuss-a-thon) - 1, I don't recall there being any cussing

Morality (1 being righteous, 10 being hethanistic) - 1, there was no "weirdness" in this respect.

Violence (1 being clean, 10 being a blood bath) - 11, this was probably the equivalent of an R-rated horror movie put to paper. There were scenes of a witch eating cakes made out of blood, and a scene where all of a child's blood was graphically sucked out through his finger.

Theme (1 being righteous, 10 being satanic) - 9, although the main character and his teacher show witchcraft to be a bad thing, they still use some magic, and don't see ALL witchcraft to be evil. There are several witches performing rituals, and a witch (instead of a demon) possession scene -- all of which are VERY graphic!

Over-all interest and read-ability (1 being terrible, 10 being amazing) - 4, the actual story was interesting, but the sheer graphicness, and abounding witchcraft and magic absolutely ruined it for me. I had to practically force myself to finish, and promised myself to never read anything like that again!

Plot Summary: The seventh son of a seventh son decides to become the apprentice of a Spook (someone who deals with magical creatures). He meets a girl who tricks him into freeing a witch, and must save his family (and the town) from being slaughtered by her.

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Tsubasa (Vol. 1-5)

In our media saturated culture, we think little of reading books or, even more, watching TV and movies. I'd like to do some more reviews so that you know what you are really putting into your head. What we see and read eventually becomes a part of us, so please take care in what you put inside your head...

Title: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles (Vol. 1-5)

Rating/Review:
Language (1 being clean, 10 being cuss-a-thon) - 6, they occasionally use hell, d**n, and even b***h

Morality (1 being clean, 10 being hethanistic) - 5, the only morality problem I have with it is that some of the girls are dressed provocatively.

Violence (1 being clean, 10 being a blood bath) - 7, the characters do a lot of fighting, and quite often people are killed. There is a lot of bloodiness.

Theme (1 being righteous, 10 being satanic) - 7, although the strong display of selfless love is prevalent between the main characters, there is a powerful witch who controls the show. There are also several side characters that use powerful witchcraft.

Over-all interest and read-ability (1 being terrible, 10 being amazing) - 7, this series is very interesting, and keeps you turning pages. You feel the pain and joy of the characters as they go through their adventures. However, I have a lot of difficulty getting past the witchcraft and swearing.

Plot Summary: Syaoran must travel through dimensions and worlds to recover the lost memories of his childhood friend, Princess Sakura. Using the power of the Space and Time Witch, Syaoran and Sakura along with Kurogane (an outcast bodyguard) and Fay D. Flourite (a wizard hiding from his native land) travel through space and time searching for the lost memories.

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Funny Clothes

Sometimes we just need to buckle down, take a gook look in the mirror, and laugh!











Love your shoes!























Can YOU do the Cancan?



















Pumpkin, Zucchini, and Marshmallow cream. ALL IN ONE PLACE!























Hm, I can't seem to get any reception...





















Last I checked, the little drummer boy didn't wear red.

















How did you know I wanted salad?
















"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter And your lips with shouting." Job 8:21

Truth vs. Certainty

What should we pursue? Truth or Certainty? What's the difference? And how will it affect my view point?

"Truth: what is true, what is correct, what is known to be right with or without physical evidence or actual proof.

"Certainty: the ability to say with 100% accuracy, evidence, and proof that something exists."

Did you catch it too? As Christians what do we need to pursue? Truth or Certainty? Answer: Truth. We cannot produce scientific evidence that God exists, but we KNOW that God in fact does exist. This is a Truth. We cannot persure certainty with something we cannot witness, but that doesn't meant that it isn't true.

Were you there when Washington crossed the Delaware? How do you know it happened? Do we have live video? Or photos? Nope, but we do have documents, eye witness accounts, and history.

What about the bible? Documents? Check. Eye witness accounts? Check. History? You betcha!

Did you know we only have a few documents that prove Plato's existence? (I believe it was either less than a dozen, or less than a hundred.) When was the last time you doubted that Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, or Confucius were indeed real people. The number of historical documents on these people is surprisingly small -- I'm talking TINY! But what about Jesus?

Did you know that when an archeologist find a historical document, he has to believe what ever it says UNTIL it is proven false? It's the old, "innocent until proven guilty" theory. Makes sense, right?

Number of Historically Accurate Documents Referring to Jesus: well into the hundreds of thousands -- literally so many that we cannot put a number on them!

A Note to Goofballs

Here is a letter my best friend's dad posted on facebook. I thought it was hysterical -- being a daughter -- but I also thought it brought up some good points (my dad can be quite terrifying at times too).

"A Note to Goofballs Who Are Interested In My Daughters....


My daughters have reached the age where they are attracting goof balls .... boys. What's worse, my daughters are thrilled by the attention.

I'm not allowing my daughters to date. Until my daughters reach an age where they can abandon their life and decide to merge all their desires, hopes and dreams with this goof ball's they have no business dating. In the words of a famous philosopher, Emily Fisher, all dating relationships will end in one of two ways. They will either get married or break up. I wish to spare my daughters the pain, suffering, and junk that goes with so many high school sweet heart relationships.

If you are a goof ball reading this, I have some advice. Be my daughter's friend. This will keep you and my daughter out of trouble with me, and it is also a sign of maturity. A relationship built on friendship has a much better chance of being long term, than any relationship built on butterflies. If a friendship does not develop, move on and count yourself fortunate. You have not spent money on dates, nor have you spent the emotional energy that goes into a dating relationship.

As a father, I can so relate to Roxanne's dad in the "Goofy Movie." See the following video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR0XhGCz1dU

I don't want to talk to these goof balls, I don't want to associate with them, and I wish they would all just go away! But since I don't see that happening, the following is list of characteristics that I hope my daughters find in a man.

1. Christian. A saving faith in Jesus Christ will carry a relationship through the challenges of life, both good and bad.

2. Friendship. Again, a relationship built on friendship has a much better chance of being long term, than any relationship built on butterflies.

3. Respect for other people; respect for my daughter; respect for authority.

4. Healthy relationship with his parents.

5. A clue about what he is going to do with the rest of your life. If he is in college, then he needs to be a significant way through with his studies; for example a junior in a field where he can conceivably get a job. If college is not part of his plans, then a significant job for the last 2+ years.

6. Involvement in a church."

If you are a girl who does not have a godly man for a father, please take note, and remember what's been said when you are considering a guy.

If you are a guy, this will certainly make things easier when you are dealing with the father of a girl you are interested in. He was a guy once too and knows everything that you're going through -- EVERYTHING! So when he towers over you and intimidates you, he only wants to make absolutely sure that you're gong to take care of his girl, and that you're not just "in it for the ride" like so many are.

Dear Gentlmen,

My Dear Gentlemen,
Do you wonder why it takes girls so long to get ready to go places? What in the world could they be doing that takes forever, while it only takes you ten minutes? Well, for those of you who are curious, here is a girl's time-table for an average outing (we're not talking prom here, just something simple like school or a dinner-date) which explains what takes so dang long!!!

Attire:
Check Temperature (we don't like to be too hot or too cold) - 3 minutes
Check Weather (notes for umbrella or sweater) - 5 minutes
Choose Top - 5 minutes
Choose Pants/Skirt - 5 minutes
Figure-out which shoes would be most appropriate for the outing - 7 minutes
Pick out Accecories - 4 minutes
Pick out Jewelry - 3 minutes

Prep. Work:
Shower (full shower = wash hair & shave legs) - 20 minutes
Blow-dry Hair - 10-15 minutes
Style Hair - 15 minutes
Lotion - 5 minutes
Perfume - 30 seconds

Make-up:
Foundation - 5 minutes
Powder - 1 minute
Blush - 30 seconds
Eyeshadow - 5 minutes
Eyeliner - 3 minutes
Mascara - 2 minutes
Lip liner - 1 minute
Lipstick - 1 minute
Lip gloss - 30 seconds

Assemble:
Get Dressed - 4 minutes
Pack Purse - 3 minutes

---

Total Time = 93.5 - 98.5 minutes or 1 hour and 34 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Now that you know what work we girls go through to look nice for you guys, please, notice. When you compliment us, it lets us know that you care about all the work that we went through for you. (And if you're worried, we never get tired of the same compliment over and over again :D)

What version should I use? Part - 3

Finally, I want to go over some of the beliefs that the KJVO people hold.

Colossians 3:14 "Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."

According to the KJVO people, if you enter a "true church" (as in, a church that believes in the KJVO) and do NOT use a KJV Bible, you should be kicked out. If you believe in the KJVO and enter a church that does NOT use the KJV you should break fellowship with that church.

Am I the only person that sees how divisive this belief system is? As a church we are supposed to be completely unified! Please don't misunderstand me, I do NOT believe that churches should tolerate sinfulness, but when churches are split over what version of the Bible they use, I find it just plain silliness. I have shown that the other versions of the Bible are just as -- or even more -- accurate as the KJV. So, why should there be disharmony, dis-fellowship and dis-unity in the church because of what version of the Bible you decide to use?

Now, how do you decided which version would be best for you? To quote the head director of the NIV:

"If you believe that the Textus Receptus is the correct Greek text to use, opt for the KJV or the NKJV.

"If you believe the Majority text is the correct text for the New Testament, opt for the NKJV, definitely," [the KJV was partially based on the Majority text, however the NKJV follows it much more closely.]

"If you want a very literal, well rounded text [using all the ancient Greek manuscripts] opt for the NASB.

"However, if you want an mediating, balanced, middle of the road version, opt for the NIV."

I would like to add, from my own experiences, my thoughts on the different versions.

KJV: if you like the archaic and lofty style of writing (reminiscent of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings). I would not suggest this version to a "baby" Christian because of the "highly educated" standard of reading.

NJKV: if you like the lofty style of writing without the archaic language, this would be much more your style, but once again, I would not suggest this version to a "baby" Christian because of the "highly educated" standard of reading.

NASB: if you like a very literal, scrutinizingly accurate, straight from the Greek translation. This version is easier to understand than either the KJV or the NKJV, but it still can get a little difficult due to it's word-word style of translating. (This is the version I personally like because of the Greek and word-word style.)

NIV: if you like to know the real perspective of the words from another culture. The language is very easy to understand (it's like how we speak today) and can be read by anyone no matter the age or education. It's down to earth style and simplicity make it perfect for any "age" Christian.

Part - 1, Part - 2, Part - 3

What version should I use? Part - 2

Okay, last we talked we discussed the Greek and Hebrew texts. Since these were the original languages the Bible was written in, it would make seance to use these for our translations -- Correct? Since the Greek and Hebrew texts are older, they are the more reliable (Remember that as a rule of thumb! Older = More Reliable!)

When the KJV was being translated, the writers relied heavily on another text: the Latin Vulgate Bible. The Latin Bible was new, but extremely eloquent in it's speech (it was not the kind of language you would use everyday in the street.) This is another example of there being new and better ways of translating. Keeping this in mind, let's do some translation comparisons...

KJV, Isaiah 14:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

NKJV, Isaiah 14:12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,* son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
Footnote:
* Literally Day Star"

NIV, Isaiah 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!"

NASB, Isaiah 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!"

What do we see? KJV uses the word "Lucifer," NKJV also uses "Lucifer, but adds a footnote -- "Day Star" -- NIV and NASB both use "morning star"/"star of the morning". The KJVO people condemn the NIV, NASB and even the NKJV (because of the footnote) for changing the word "Lucifer" to "morning star".

When you hear the word "Lucifer" what pops into your head? Satan, right? That's what we've been taught, but have you ever stopped and wondered where the word "Lucifer" came from? Originally that's all it was, a word; "Lucifer" was never intended to be a name. Let me explain. In the ancient Hebrew texts the word translated "Lucifer" is הֵילֵל (heylel) which literally means "morning star". So why was it translated "Lucifer"? The Latin word (as in Latin Vulgate Bible) for "morning star" is "Lucifer". "Lucifer" is not a name! It is the Latin word for "morning star"! When the translators for the NIV, NASB, and NKJV came to that word, they looked at the ancient text and decided that they should not keep a Latin word in English -- they were translating for English, NOT LATIN. Thus they decided to go with the literal, original meaning of the word "heylel" and wrote down "morning star". Seems much more reasonable to me too, right?

Another thing that translators have to keep in mind is "idea-idea" and "word-word" translating. You see, when you are translating another culture, another language, and another way of speaking into English, sometimes the actual meaning gets lost within all the word shuffling. When you are translating word for word into English, you can come up with stuff that doesn't necessarily make the most sense. However, if you translate idea by idea, you take the foreign phrase and use the English way of speaking to say it (this is called "dynamic equivalence").

Example: KJV (word-word) Luke 9:44 "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men."

That sounds a little awkward.

NIV (idea-idea) Luke 9:44 "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."

Sounds a lot better, doesn't it?

Because of the word-word translation of the KJV, it tends to be more difficult to understand than the NIV. I'm not saying that the KJV is impossible to understand, and if you prefer it -- by all means! -- use it, but if you find it easier to read and learn from another version, don't limit yourself.

I've got one more of these coming so Stay tuned..

Part - 1, Part - 2, Part - 3

Symbol Game!

Can you guess what symbol is on this Taiwanese girl's fan?


I know it's small but it's unmistakable...

Answer: the 666

What version should I use? Part - 1

So there are a lot of different Bibles out there, but which one should you use? There are four REALLY good translations: KJV, NKJV, NIV, and NASB, but even then which of those is the "best"?

There is a movement out there called the King James Version Only Movement. The JKVO people believe that the KJV is the only Bible people should use. They say it is the only version without errors. They even say that it was God-inspired. Let investigate some of these claims...

Without Errors:
The KJV was written in A.D. 1611. You do realize that the Dead Sea Scrolls were only discovered in 1947? I'm not saying that the KJV is full of corruption, but over the centuries many, older, more accurate texts have been found to base our translations off of. KJVO advocates also stated that if any man truely wants to understand God, he must use the KJV -- as in, if you are a Russian, you HAVE to speak English so that you can read the REAL KJV. According to their theology: if you do not have the JKV you do not have the Bible. (Follow my logic now...) Therefore, before the JKV was written no one had the Word of God. If you do not understand English, you do not have the Word of God. KJVO advocates also believe that the KJV is superior to the Greek and Hebrew texts that it was based off of... You do realize that the Bible was originally written IN Greek and Hebrew...

Let's get technical... The KJV was based on what's called the "Textus Receptus". The Textus Receptus was part of a group of manuscripts called the "Byzantine Family" (another group of texts was called the "Alexandrian Family" but we'll get into that later.) What do I mean by group?

When Paul and the disciples sent their letters out to the new church they always added "and share these with everyone." Anyone and everyone would hand copy the letters any way they could and distribute them. Some of the copiests were actual scribes and copied well, while others were just shy of illiterate. Years later we have THOUSANDS of copies of the Bible with little bits and pieces that have been changed due to mistakes during copying (these are called "textual variances"). These were divided into the Byzantine and Alexandrian Families.

*Example Time !!!"
A Professor decided to teach his class a lesson at a college. The task was to give 30 students a copy of a 12 page essay and to hand copy it themselves. After this the original text was put away and the students had to reproduce the original text through the hand-written copies. None of the hand-written copies came out the same; however, after much comparing, the students handed in their final copy. Although none of their copies of the text had come out the same, the students had reproduced the original text with 100% accuracy with the exception of one word... "too" and "also". The professor has tried this exercise many times on his students and the results are always the same.

What does this tell us? SINCE we have thousands of copies of the Bible, by comparing the documents to each other we can discern what the original text said (with the exception of words such as "too" and "also"). We have NO DOUBT that we have the real Bible, because none of the textual variances affect the message the Bible is trying to convey: Christ's Deity and Humanity, God's Sovereignty, salvation by grace, the reality of Heaven and Hell... All Bible versions (when I say "versions" I'm talking about KJV, NKJV, NASB, and NIV) and translations are 98% identical. IDENTICAL!!!! There is only a 2% variance at all!!!!!!!

To Be Continued...

Part - 1, Part - 2, Part - 3

Easter

Some people asked me to share some more personal things. Here is a taster to tie you over until I can put up my testimony :) How do you like that? =P

Easter is probably my favorite holiday -- yes, more than Christmas. This is the week-end that we get to celebrate the paying of our sin's debt. Jesus Christ was tortured and killed for out sakes, and this death was unique in and of itself because it is physically impossible for any human being to endure what He did. Jesus had a perfect body, unwracked with sin. His pureness could withstand blows that would kill an ordinary human. You know what that means? If you attempted to undergo what Jesus went through, you'd die before you'd reach half way. That ensures Jesus the position that no man could suffer more than He did for you.

Easter is a wonderful time for my family and I. We sleep in and enjoy a warm gooey breakfast together. We read the Passion story in the Bible and then watch "The Passion of the Christ" movie, after which we have communion. I love having communion. My dad had a little communion set and we use grape juice and crackers for the wine and unleavened bread.

When my Grandparents are with us over Easter, we have a few extra traditions we throw in. My Grandparents are Catholic (we are trying to witness to them so that they will believe that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to be saved -- but that's another post) so on Good Friday we don't eat meat. So we'll cook fish (isn't that a meat? Yes, but for some reason it doesn't count in the Catholic Church) and have salads and... Hot Cross Buns! I'm not crazy about the colored "citrons" in the bread, but I make my own with raisins instead -- mmm! Easter Day we have lamb and Italian Easter Bread.

But, in all this, my favorite part is watching the Passion with my family. We'll close all the blinds, brake-out the box of tissues and huddle on the couch with blankets. We cry and hug each other as we watch our Lord be murdered on our behalf and scream with joy and victory at His resurrection.

Easter is a time very dear to my family and I. We have always draw together and remembered why we must strive to be the best example of Christ that we can be. As my father says, "After everything that Jesus has done for you -- never mind all the extra blessings He gives us every day -- isn't it reasonable to OBEY?"