HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT . . .

Spring is such an amazing time of year. I am drawn to the sunshine that is ever-pouring from God's heaven. The weather has been surprisingly dry, allowing the atmosphere to be crisp and clear. This is such a fresh change from our normal haze of humidity. The sky seems bluer and the grass greener.



Too bad this season is so short. Before you know it, we'll be shutting doors and windows and turning on the air-conditioning for months to come. My husband thought I was crazy today when I chose to take a longer route in order to avoid the expressway. My reason for using back roads which would take twice as long? I wanted to roll down the windows and let the wind blow through my hair.


Today, I didn't want to be in a hurry. I'll be that tomorrow. I wanted to enjoy the day and the memories that Springtime always brings. When I was young, I used to ride my bike to an open field and spend hours looking through four leaf clovers, hoping for a trefoil. I can still remember how the March winds danced over the long, silky grass, doing a wave just for me. Clovers were sweet and dandelions in abundance; buttercups under my chin revealed I was a butter lover.

But most of all, I loved to pick wild daisies, plucking petals until the rhyme turned out right. Who wants to hear, "He loves me not!" My young heart hoped there would be someone who would love me one day.

I was right. I found Him in 1977. His love never relented and He romances me to this day. I always wanted someone who would adore me and care for me the way He does. His love goes down deep as sometimes that's where I hide; but He also celebrates with me in my high places. I've never known a love like this.

Daisy or not, one thing is for sure . . .
HE LOVES ME!

WHAT'S YOUR IDEA OF A HOLIDAY?

by Demetri Maroosis

There are many holidays that we celebrate. It seems that when we finish one, we are moving on to the next. When we are putting away our Santa caps, we are getting out the sparkling fruit soda. I think that all the holidays of the year can get a bit overwhelming. I also think that some holidays are very pointless and their messages of Christianity have been twisted. Christmas is all about receiving instead of the giving of Christ's blood; St. Valentine's day is all about hearts and not about a great martyr.

If I could make a holiday it would have to be a whole week. My holiday would be vacation day times seven. I have noticed that most people can't just get a week off of work unless they get ridiculed by their boss. But, if we could have a vacation week, we could have a whole week off of working. You may think that this is crazy and we would not be able to survive. Well, people in France get a whole summer off. I found this out from a French guy at Disney World Epcot. That would be my kind of holiday.

So now my question turns to you; what is your idea for a holiday?

Technology: How Far is Too Far?

by Kyle Owens

Many times I have logged onto YouTube and have seen a video of a robot playing a violin or performing some other talent I had only thought was capable by humans. These small but subtle steps in robotics make me think. How far is humanity willing to go in terms of robots? Many movies come to mind when I think of robots. Since this is a movie class I feel I can share them. Now before you call me paranoid, just think about these movies. Although they are forms of entertainment, and are fiction, many have a strong truth behind them. Robot and Terminator are the main two movies that come to mind. Humans create robot, robot adapts and learns, robot decides it does not need human. Now as I said before, these are fake movies, but we already have machines building cars, performing surgery, and my personal favorite, making other machines. Mankind seems to be so preoccupied by pushing the boundaries that they forget that sometimes it is the boundaries that keep us safe.

Think of a zoo. The lion does not eat the tourist, because it is behind a boundary, remove said boundary and the zoo now has a large lawsuit issue to deal with. I believe Dr. Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park said it best when he said, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”

Yet again I would like to point out that I know these are fiction. But already scientists are building robots that can rebuild themselves and make copies. And every day, people are being laid off because a machine can do their job quicker, and cheaper. The military is investing in unmanned machines and robots. (Machines with weapon capabilities, if that’s not scary, I don’t know what is. Didn’t Wargames have a plot along those lines?)

We as humans must adapt or we will be left behind or Terminated (I couldn’t help myself.)

So my question to you is, how do you feel about the Continuum (Machines building Machines) and how do you think the world will change in the face of Machine?

This has more or less been a rant by Kyle Owens.

Watcha gonna do wich yo life?

by Daniel Brooks

Why is it that whenever I introduce myself to an adult over 30, the conversation always proceeds as follows?

Me: Hi, I'm Daniel.

Adult: I'm Mr/s. Wo/man. Where do you go to school?

Me: I'm homeschooled.

Adult: Cool [not]. So, what grade are you in?

Me: I'm a senior.

                              Adult: Oh, really? Where do you plan on going to college?

Then I have to repeat my mantra of, "Oh, I'm gonna go to FCCJ [or FSCJ since the change] for a couple of years then . . . ya know . . . yeah." And then they'll start going on and on about where they went to college and scholarship stuff. And it's the same for every adult -- my teachers, my co-workers, even the oral surgeon I just met. It's all the same. It gets really old really fast. Take my advice and just skip 12th grade and go on with your life.

But at the same time it makes me think, "What am I going to do with my life?" I know I want to go to college and where but I haven't figured out my master plan yet. Do I want to get into this field or that one? This major or that? Then I have to start thinking about my future job, car, house, marriage . . . the list goes on. But I do know this: I want to be so successful at whatever I end up doing that I will want to go to work, not have to go to work.

So my question is: Where do you (or where do you want to) see yourself at the nagging age of 30?