Give Thanks

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God ..."(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

As I go home for Thanksgiving break, it is easy to miss the meaning of this important holiday. With Christmas decorations, carols, and retail mania already happening, many people forget or maybe just bypass the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

We are commanded by God to "give thanks." Why, is it important for us to give thanks? For many of us, me including, we get wrapped in our everyday "stuff" and sometimes forget to thank God for what we do have. As stated in the previous articles, it is important to acknowledge God in the good times as well as when our prayers are not answered. In reading those points, it is important to also be thankful in those moments as well.

Reflection on 3rd Article

My third reflection is on another article written by Robert Harris on integrating faith and learning. Most important is his point of reading and understanding the Bible. Doing this will allow one to "connect knowledge" as Harris points out and to also do the faith and integration assumptions listed on page three of the article. Without understanding the Bible and understanding your own worldview, your convictions, morals, values...what you believe in, one cannot understand that all truth is God's truth and to help make differences with secular and Christian education. The hard part in understanding the Bible is all the different interpretations there are...hence all the denominations that we have today. So, my question is what interpretation is correct? What denominations speaks the Biblical "truth"? For example, the Biblical truth on alcohol or the truth on interracial dating?

Little About Me

Yeah...I know I have a profile, but I thought you might enjoy knowing a little more about me...Brian.

I was born in Gastonia, NC on November 23, 1983 to Randy and Gloria Adams. I have two brothers, Randy and Chucky. I have a little niece who thinks she is "hot stuff"... Sanaa.

I love basketball!! You can check out more about me on my Cavalier bio page at http://www.montreatcavaliers.com/.

I hope you are enjoying my blog and are looking forward to more posts! Let me know what you think and check out my poll!

Basketball Upsets Milligan at Home

Last Wednesday, the men's basketball team had their first conference game of the year. Coming in to the game, the Cavs knew it was an important game against Milligan, one that could potentially decide AAC Champs.

The game was a close battle all the way through. With less than two minutes left in the game, with the game tied, a missed shot from MJ Njoku led to a tip in my Seth Moore, for the Cavs to go up by two. Then a steal by Terrell Mosley aka "Smooth" on a Milligan in bounds led to a quick two. Montreat led by four with about a minute left. Montreat would hold to the lead for a 84-79 win.

Don't Put Faith In A Box

Robert Harris' article on The Integration of Faith and Learning is a good read along with Dockery's previous article. They both explain the importance of integrating your faith with your learning. Harris' article deals more with practical, day-to-day information. The information in the article strengthened what I know and undertand regarding faith integration and challenged my faith and daily walk with God.

Some points that spoke to me were:

1. "The more solidly rational and educated is the support for the faith, the stronger the faith will be and the more powerful the witness will be to an increasingly educated, skeptical, seeking, needy world. "

Harris points out the true reality we live in every day. There are non-believers and skeptics even here on Montreat's campus. It is important to understand why I believe what I believe and be able to communicate this truth with others.

2. "Without integration, the students will risk compartmentalizing their faith, putting it in a box separate from their intellectual and working life. At the worst, the faith will become merely an emotional outlet, with God becoming a vending machine: put in a prayer and get out a blessing."

This is definitely true for me. When God answers my prayers, all is good and it's joy, joy, joy. When God doesn't answer my prayers, I feel like he doesn't care and I turn my back.

3. "Lifelong Integration...Integration is a process, that must take place every day, because we are presented with new claims, new facts, new interpretations every day."

It is not always easy to work at something every day, but Harris points out that faith integration is worth it. This article influenced me in a positive way. Harris points of emphasis are great examples of practical daily things I can do to strenghen my faith and walk with Christ. I need to integrate my faith in my education so I can be a better disciple. I need to be grateful for my answered and unanswered prayers, and that all this is not going to happen overnight, but it will take time. As a believer, I have to make that commitment.