Statement of Faith.

God: I believe God is the Creator of all Creation and the Father of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. I believe and respect that the number of world religions may have a central figure that is worshiped but I believe in the one true God.

Jesus: I believe Jesus is the Son of God and was born from the Virgin Mary. Through the calling of the disciples, Jesus reached the world around him through a brief and filled ministry on earth. The disciples were under the direct supervision of Jesus and were held accountable to his leadership. I believe that Jesus was crucified with two criminals beside him on a wooden cross and rose from the dead in three days.

Scripture: I believe Scripture is the inspired word that God gave to the authors of the collection of books in the Bible. I feel that the scriptures were written to be applicable to the variety of situations I face on a daily basis. The scriptures are true and concise in their clarity. I also feel that different versions should continue to be published so that people like me can feel comfortable in reading the Bible in a style that is applicable to our lives.

Baptism: I believe in the Holy Baptism according to the example outlines in the Bible. My belief lies in the commandment Jesus gave us as believers to baptize in the name in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I've been baptized and feel that my water baptism was a personal decision.

Church: I believe in the body of believers that make up and constitute the establishment we call Churches. Different organizations and denominations should be free to hold and enjoy the privilege of having a body of believers no matter the number of people.

I also feel a church doesn't have to be confined to a building structure but can eaily hold meetings and functions in simple settings. (houses, schools, etc.) The Church in America should be held accountable to the government in areas of laws established in the areas of finances, labor and building regulations.

Spiritual Gifts: I believe in having Spiritual Gifts that God ordained to each of us in the body of believers. Through informal and formal assessment tools, my Spiritual gifts lay in the area of ervice and encourgement.

I understand that these spiritual gifts are from God and may or may not change as I increase in age, acquire advanced schooling, or feel a calling to explore other Spiritual gifts.

Graduation: after the day

I graduated from George Fox University!!!

Finals and Graduation went by so fast that I didn't have enough time to say goodbye to my friends and classmates. First Baptist Church held a reception for me after my last Sunday service on the 11th and that was truly a highlight of my week. My friend Matt took me up to see the Blazers play the Houston Rockets and I enjoyed spending time with him before we headed into finals week. Matt and I sat in the fourth row behind the Blazers bench and saw Yao Ming play.

I took a relaxed approach going into Finals as I had in mind I was going to pass all of my classes. I didn't stress out too much because I wanted to enjoy the time with my friends. I took all the finals and felt good about the tests even when several of them took the full two hours of time.

My Parents traveled to Newberg and they stayed in the Best Western. My Brother Allen and his wife Sheri (God Bless them) weren't able to make it to the ceremony but we tried to have fun in their honor. I took my parents on a tour of the campus on Friday and introduced them to staff members and classmates. Mom's highlight was visiting with Rachel during our lunch time in the dining hall.

Graduation was awesome. The whole day was magical and very formal. It was so neat to be a part of a ceremony that honored God and the accomplishments of my classmates. Ralph and Gail were there for both the luncheon and ceremony. Matt and Katrina were able to attend the luncheon in the place of Allen and Sheri.

Overall the whole Finals and Graduation week was so much fun for everyone involved. I will miss my friends and classmates very much but will look forward to seeing them in person this spring.

Thanks Allen and Sheri for being there in spirit. I appreciate you!!

The next generation.

"Tell us the truth. We're tired of being pitched by people trying to sell us something or lied to by people casting an image. If it's going to be tough, tell us; don't try to entice us by downplaying the challenges. We may disagree with you, but we always respond better to someone who speaks to us honestly."
~~ anonymous ~~


Mobilizing the next generation
Paul Borthwick, Evangelical Missions Quarterly
Wheaton, Ill. October 2003

Graduation: before the day

I finished with classes on Friday and now I will go into finals week starting on Tuesday. At this point I'm not too worried or stressed about final exams but it's only 3 days before they begin.

I'm feeling tired because of projects, Christmas, saying goodbye to friends, moving out of my home, moving to Boise, reconnecting with family in Oregon and Nevada, my Chinese students, and graduation activities.

I'm feeling excited at this time because my family is coming to Newberg, graduating from George Fox, and the opportunity I'll have to teach again.

Question of the Day.

What is God teaching you today?