Big Joey

For my senior trip i want to take three months and travel out of the country and work somewhere in the middle-east, Africa, or Asia. I am a christian, but i don't really do the whole evangelize with words stuff. I want to show my faith through the work of my hands. So do you know of any active humanitarian organizations in places like these? Yes i realize there is some danger, but i feel that unless i go somewhere that isn't easily reached, my work won't mean as much as it could. I am a good carpenter (I've built with habitat for humanity) and i can learn languages quickly and easily, and i do a lot of work in my home town with young elementary school kids, teaching them math or writing. Any ideas on what i could do? Thanks!

I love learning about religions, and i try to take something away from each religion or faith that i find compelling. I am christian, and attend a united methodist congregation (for now), but i cross myself in the manner of eastern orthodox churches, i pray often like the muslims, speak some prayers in latin like catholics, believe in a sort of liberation theology like the protestants, and pray with a type of rosary called "christian beads". I want my faith to be mine, but i also want to see and experience the world through the eyes of others with a complex world-view, so i adopt different habits, but all pertain to Jesus as the Christ. However a few days ago i was listening to a speaker at my youth group talk about messianic judaism, and it intrigued me. I think that they are christians, not really jews, but the practice and way this man lived his life was compelling, so i did some research. I come from a family with Jewish roots, but over the last few generations we have kind of forgotten about them. So here are my questions:

1.) Are there sects of messianic judaism that are truly ethnically jewish or are they mostly southern baptist wannabes? (heard that from the speaker)

2.) I do believe i will celebrate a lot of the holidays and festivals, but i don't want to come across as disrespectful to the jewish way of life, so is there anything i should do to keep my actions respectful?

3.) Where can i learn about the jewish culture, way of life, etc. to learn how to live my life in a way that satisfies my will to serve, but also respects a tradition that stretches back thousands and thousands of years?

PS I am a younger person thinking about doing religious studies in college, and cultures, heritage, etc. fascinate me. I thought this might clear it up for those thinking i am just flaky and ill-informed. Thanks for the help!

Turkey season is coming up where i live, and as it is really the only season i get to hunt extensively in due to more relaxed sports and academics. Anyway, my brother and i both love the turkey woods, but our shotguns are kinda cheap, and rust fairly easily. They are tough as hell and get beat up pretty regularly and never show a scratch, but they rust like none other, so we were wondering if a new coat of bluing would be in order. We have a friend who is a gunsmith and has done good work for us in the past, and we think he should be very happy to help us out, but i wanted an opinion on whether it was a good idea to A.) get a new coat in the first place, and B.) an estimate of how much it might cost per gun. thanks.

Right now i am in high school, just about to finish up my sophomore year. I am a good student, near the top of my class with a 4.1 GPA (i took college classes as a freshman), and have two parents with doctorates in medicine and education. Next year we take our ACTs and start looking into colleges, but here is the thing, I am not planning on attending college right out of the gate. That is an issue because lots of people expect me to go on to be a doctor, a teacher, a lawyer or a writer, but i am feeling called elsewhere. I've been thinking about this for years now, and i feel that for at least a year i need to be out of the country, seeing the world. I have many family members who work as missionaries, and i feel that perhaps i may be being called to be a sort of missionary, except i just want to work to preach my faith. I do plan on coming back and attending a college or seminary, but i am certain that going straight to college is not what is right for me, so how can i break that to my parents? I know deep down that they will love me, but they are so serious about academic expectations that i worry they won't hear what i have to say. Thanks for the thoughts.

PS I realize this is not the right section, and this was originally posted elsewhere, but i wanted a larger group of people who could maybe empathize a little more and give me some advice. thanks.

Right now i am in high school, just about to finish up my sophomore year. I am a good student, near the top of my class with a 4.1 GPA (i took college classes as a freshman), and have two parents with doctorates in medicine and education. Next year we take our ACTs and start looking into colleges, but here is the thing, I am not planning on attending college right out of the gate. That is an issue because lots of people expect me to go on to be a doctor, a teacher, a lawyer or a writer, but i am feeling called elsewhere. I've been thinking about this for years now, and i feel that for at least a year i need to be out of the country, seeing the world. I have many family members who work as missionaries, and i feel that perhaps i may be being called to be a sort of missionary, except i just want to work to preach my faith. I do plan on coming back and attending a college or seminary, but i am certain that going straight to college is not what is right for me, so how can i break that to my parents? I know deep down that they will love me, but they are so serious about academic expectations that i worry they won't hear what i have to say. Thanks for the thoughts.

I love the game of football, and as a teen with some spare time in the summer and some fall afternoons (when I am not playing) I was thinking about becoming a referee for the local pewee league. I want to be good, so I was wondering if there is a course I could take or some sort of class. Thanks!

I found this poem in a poetry book and really liked it. what do you think? I think it was written by some Franciscan monk or something.

Commissionis

From the pit of circumstance,

Upon this Holy ground,

I leave nothing more to chance,

I know I must give up my crown.

I abdicate my right to live,

A lost and broken man,

There is more that I can give,

It is time to take my stand.

Against the powers of great evil,

Ignorance, Greed, Corruption,

I look down from atop the steeple,

It is here I find my one direction.

The city streets stretch before my eyes,

Filled with the bustling masses,

It is for them that my soul cries,

But nothing changes as time passes.

So I descend into the streets,

Searching for the one,

He whom has scarred hands and feet,

The light of morning sun.

But a voice cries out from beyond the abyss,

It cries out to me,

“The one who is to change all this,

Is no one but thee.”

Forsake me not, oh universe,

Leave me not to die,

I ask only for your strength,

For love to be my cry.

I found this poem in a poetry book and really liked it. what do you think? I think it was written by some Franciscan monk or something.

Commissionis

From the pit of circumstance,

Upon this Holy ground,

I leave nothing more to chance,

I know I must give up my crown.

I abdicate my right to live,

A lost and broken man,

There is more that I can give,

It is time to take my stand.

Against the powers of great evil,

Ignorance, Greed, Corruption,

I look down from atop the steeple,

It is here I find my one direction.

The city streets stretch before my eyes,

Filled with the bustling masses,

It is for them that my soul cries,

But nothing changes as time passes.

So I descend into the streets,

Searching for the one,

He whom has scarred hands and feet,

The light of morning sun.

But a voice cries out from beyond the abyss,

It cries out to me,

“The one who is to change all this,

Is no one but thee.”

Forsake me not, oh universe,

Leave me not to die,

I ask only for your strength,

For love to be my cry.

I finished Les Miserables a few weeks ago and I've been looking for another great book, and came across Tolstoy. What did you think about War and Peace. Thanks!

I loved the book, and i stressed that the new movie/musical would be bad, but i watched it and i loved it. The cast was fantastic, and the singing was incredible. This left me sitting in my seat, crying like a baby. This was the first time i ever cried over a movie, and i cried tons over the book. I was just wondering how other people reacted.

I am taking sophomore biology, and we have lately been discussing how the world is over populating, and how the estimated carrying capacity of 9 billion could be reached by 2027. When we discussed ways to lower the impact, i voiced for the first time what has always kind of been my plan: I want to adopt children, and not have biological children. You see, i simply cannot see the justice of bringing another hungry mouth into the world when there are already so many more begging for food, without any parents. I know I'm young, and probably shouldn't even care, but i do, and some of my classmates reacted as though the very idea was ridiculous. Is it wrong to think like that, or am i just over analyzing it?

I play football for a small town (like, 1a small town) and so the whole football team knows and typically likes one another. However, today our defensive end (all conference last year) was just acting badly. He was hitting our QB late, not letting him throw, and then calling him some choice words which i will not repeat, but essentially mean "sissy". Now, as our schools varsity center and only thoroughbred O-lineman, i feel the need to do something about it. However, i am typically a forgiving and pacifistic person, and our D-End is a senior who i have respected in the past. I'm hoping he just had a bad day, and will be fine tomorrow, but if not, i am not gonna allow him to say another thing to our QB that is rude. Our coaches aren't doing much about it, so i've decided i have a few choices, i can get in his face and tell him to grow up, but again, i am not a very mean, person (but at 6'6" i could pull off intimidating), i could have him double teamed and eliminate him from the play entirely, or if all else fails, i can have our backup center come in for a play or two, and cut block the crap out of him until he learns that that crap won't fly while I lead our O-line. I want to be the one to cut block him, since i feel the need to take responsibility for my actions, and i want to do it so he'll feel some pain, but i don't want to injure him, and i don't want one of my lineman trying to do it, then screwing up and hurting him, then getting blamed for it. I just want some outside opinions of just what i should do, if anything. Cut blocking is a last resort, but i would have no issues with it if i feel that he (the d-end) is in need of someone to take him down a few notches. Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated.

Hi, i'm a 15 year old football player, and I was wondering if it was even remotely possible to get to play college ball in my situation. I'm roughly 6'6" and 242 lbs, and play anywhere on the O-line (this year center, last year guard or tackle). I am the best O-lineman on my team (not bragging, i've proved it in every drill), but i play in a 1a league, and would really like to play for a college ball team. I am only a sophomore, but i've had some D II coaches watch some of my basketball and footwork drills when i was at their respective colleges for camps with my local basketball team. If it helps any, i play football, basketball and track, and i'm good in all three, and probably will be varsity on all three this year (was starting V on 2 last year). I'm well rounded, dedicated to weight lifting, have a good program, and enjoy the sport, but i am just wondering if any colleges will even think of taking me even as a walk on since i play for a 1a school. I'd appreciate it if you could help me so i can plan ahead on how to reach my goal! Thanks! - Joey

I'm 15, 6'5" and 240 lbs, pretty muscular, especially in my legs, but my middle is where the extra weight is. I do a college workout routine for football, and have special workouts for basketball and track, but they don't necessarily help me drop weight. I want to slim down through the football season so i am lean and fit for basketball. I swim, run, or run stairs every day, just to work on cardiovascular strength, but i need a diet plan. My mom is a personal trainer so i have the workouts down, but she isn't really a nutritionist. I was hoping someone could help me with that aspect of it. I was thinking a small amount of carbs in the morning pre-workout, protein for lunch, and lots of greens and fruits (organic matter) for dinner. Now i just need help determining whether this is correct, and giving out the proper portions. All help is greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

I'm in the market for a new competition shotgun, but i don't have a lot of money. I was doing some research, and i remembered a cheap yet (appeared) quality. I did some more digging and found the stoeger condor competition, which i think is a good match, it's heavy, which i need, but it also has an adjustable stock, ported barrels, and mostly good reviews from the outside world. However, if i was to splurge a bit i was thinking of the CZ Redhead, which does not have the ported barrels or adjustable stock, but comes in around $930 as opposed to the stoeger which comes in at $700. If i can afford them i might look into some other CZ models, but it seems that nothing in my price range has the same features as the condor competition. I shoot lots with my shotguns, trap, sporting, and i would like to try skeet someday, and i think it is going to be a hobby that carries long into adulthood for me, so i really want a gun i can use for a lifetime, then pass it on to my kids and then they can use it to start out. Thanks for all your help!

I'm in the market for a new competition shotgun, but i don't have a lot of money. I was doing some research, and i remembered a cheap yet (appeared) quality. I did some more digging and found the stoeger condor competition, which i think is a good match, it's heavy, which i need, but it also has an adjustable stock, ported barrels, and mostly good reviews from the outside world. However, if i was to splurge a bit i was thinking of the CZ Redhead, which does not have the ported barrels or adjustable stock, but comes in around $930 as opposed to the stoeger which comes in at $700. If i can afford them i might look into some other CZ models, but it seems that nothing in my price range has the same features as the condor competition. I shoot lots with my shotguns, trap, sporting, and i would like to try skeet someday, and i think it is going to be a hobby that carries long into adulthood for me, so i really want a gun i can use for a lifetime, then pass it on to my kids and then they can use it to start out. Thanks for all your help!

Lately i've been struggling with a feeling i've had lately. It's basically telling me to leave my life and go to a place over 7,000 miles away, reject my former life and serve the people in this place (extremely poverty ridden). It feels as though it won't be a permanent transfer, and i will return someday, but it is nonetheless a very strong feeling. I'm only 15, and this whole feeling is frightening me. I am struggling with whether this is the call of the Lord into apostleship or my own longing to see places and help people. can anyone relate or give me some advice? I may have already made my decision but i want to be as sure as possible. Thanks!

Oh and atheists or skeptics, please do not tell me i am imagining this or it is not as strong as i say, for then you will be making the claim that you can read my mind and interpret my feelings, which is no more ridiculous than than claiming God is real. please remain civil. Thanks!

How old do you have to be? Just all the details please. Thanks!

Hi. In my backyard we have apple trees, chokecherry bushes, and a little bush that produces a strange, scarlet berry, slightly larger than a choke cherry. It tastes much like a cherry, but slightly more sour.it has fringed leaves and a woody, light tan stem. we live west of the rocky mountains in a hugh desert valley kind of area. Any ideas as to what the plant is? thanks!

I just read a story about a bomb in pakistan killing 15 people, and was voicing my concern that i was amazed how a shooter in my home state gets front line recognition for months, but this story is just a passing notice. here are some replies i got

"Joseph, you make the error of thinking that muslims are human beings. They're not. Muslims are a lower life form than animals and maybe one step above fungi. They are a cancer on civilized society and do not deserve to breathe."

"Joseph, NO this story shouldn't be equal to the Colorado shooting, muslims killing muslims happens every day, there are not enough news agencies to cover them all..."

"Joseph: either you have a muslim terrorist mindset or you are just too naive."

I'm literally about in tears and feeling sick, how can humans say this???