Humm.....I am writing but there is nothing in particular I have to write about. This week has been very stress free and I have been a bum. It is strange that no matter how strong I think my convictions are on anything I will daily stumble and compromise. The latest one of my compromises came when I hurt my wrist while at work. Actually, very honestly I hurt my wrist while jokingly punching a coworker. You must understand that this is some of the silly stuff that we as marines do for fun. Yes for as much as I put up a front I am a very immature person. Well anyway what I then did knowing that if I told them I hurt it while messing around I could get in trouble was make up a story of course. The bad part is that I told everyone of my coworkers what happend as well as my direct supervisors. I even said that I thought I should just tell my officer in charge what really happend. This I did probably to sound moral. My supervisor told me just to stick with the made up story which I of course consented too. I kept thinking of the post I read in Joanne's blog about the student who came clean about cheating and the commitment it took. Life is hard for in my case when I do come clean on such things which is really just doing the right thing I imagine God aplauding my goodness while completely excusing all of the bad i do. It is so easy even in our attempt to be humble to start to take pride even in our humility. I suppose as I have grown as a Christian I have more and more adapted the doctrine of total depravity. For without God unchanging, God all merciful all powerful, and all loving I would be most lost. If you could take the time please pray that I could have some amount of integrity in my life. Meaning make the man I show the world and the man I am am in my thoughts to be the same. Well as long as that man is more Christ and less me.......

I can't make the little shout out thing come up on my blogger......Can someone help? I highlighted that little format they had for it and put it in the body, but I guess I did it wrong. If some one is willing to help I am more than willing to say thank you. I dare you to test me on this one...
Sincerely,
The new guy

Right now I am taking a basic philosophy class through University of Maryland online. I really love philosophy I do, but this class is not the kind of philosophy I was thinking about. In this class we talk about stuff like does feminism provide a positive direction for society, is prostitution immoral, should pornography be allowed. These are just examples of the topics usually covered in the class. I know you are thinking "these are great topics to take a stand on what could be the problem". For me the problem begins when the other students in the class say "I have the right to watch whatever I want I am an American, no one can tell me different" this they say to pornography. (never considering there responsibility as adults and parents to raise healthy children) Then with prostitution the answer is "Prostitution is horrible, the human body is something special not meant to be sold. When I have sex with my significant other it is something very special and private". What normally follows every post are these words....."But this is just my opinion, not saying I am right, after all who am I to judge what is right and wrong for another person". The problem is that very few of my class mates have a sure stance on anything. How can I determine what is truth using the preliminary requirements used to determine whether or not a statement is meaningful such as (1) logical consistency (2) empirical adequacy and (3) experiential relevance when we have no common point of reference. The fact is I cannot..... They claim the intrinsic right to view pornography on one hand than on the other claim how sacred the act of sex is between two adults and how wrong it is for someone to sell there body for money are completely contradictory. When I approach this issue using the set requirements for any philosophical view such as the Law of non-contradiction. I am told that I should not pass judgment on others who am I to say what is right for another person. Thus affirming the Law of noncontradiction. The fact is that each of us, implicitly or explicitly, lives by certain precommitted principles that are considered to be the nonnegotiables of life. We do not just arbitrarily believe everything we hear, but consciously or unconsciously, test propositions to determine their truth of falsehood. Once a proposition has been tested and proven to be true, we may choose to ignore the ramifications that follow, but we can no longer question it's veracity. Unless of course all truth is subject to the opinion of the individual, although we may not agree we are certainly in no position to say they are wrong! Augh! We have denied all absolutes and eradicated all points of reference with which to test truth. We have enterered into terra incognita on matters of the greatest importance even for survival.
I am really at a loss here as to what to say... How can I defend a position where there is nothing to defend besides my own opinion? Which is no better or no worse than Charles Manson's. Yes I said Charles Manson and I use him as an extreme measure....But those of you who hold to subjectivism go ahead and apply your system of noncommitment of truth and you will see you have no grounds from which to judge a man like Charles Manson. Sure you can say the law's of the land but then we must question how each individual interprets those laws. Can we condemn them for a wrong evaluation of the law? If I am wrong in my conclusions please rebuke me, but do so using some system of logical argumentation. I think anymore subjectivism and I will be sick. I want to go off on the exclusive claims inherent in all belief systems even those like Hinduism which are "all embracing" but I will leave that for another day. Oh! By the way I had a good day today just exasperated at the use of absolute claims in order to deny absolutes. Just some thoughts be Blessed...........Keep the Son in your eyes! James

I just finished another wonderful Marine Corps day. I hope that by saying what an average day consist of I do not shatter anyones vision of "America's greatest fighting force". This day began like most others you wake up at 0500 in the morning go on a formation run. You know the ones where you see them all in step singing running cadences. This is not that bad although unbearably slow for my taste. The songs are very tacky also the themes consist of outlandish things like doing PT (Physical Training) runs in heaven with Saint Peter and Chesty Puller(who is the Marines most decorated war fighter and a drunken wife beater) after you die in combat. After this we proceed to our appointed place of duty(work) at 0800 in the morning. I am a Lance Corporal a lower rank in the Marine Corps that is an E-3 for those of you who know pay grades. What this means is I am the guy given the orders. Things which apply in the rest of the world, things like knowledge of job, experience as a Marine, and capabilities as a leader and any other admirable trait are meaningless until you pick up E-4. Corporal... I am what they fittingly call a "non-rate" along with anyone else E-3 or below. This basically means that I have no rights outside of those given me. This works out wonderfully when it comes to accomplishing simple tasks, seeing as I have about 5 people in direct supervision over myself and about 30 other people just like myself. These 5 people usually disagree in every aspect of accomplishing simple tasks such as counting phones. So instead of just doing something once we do it 5 times in 5 different ways. Well each one insist "this is the way it is supposed to be done those other Sgt's are idiots". I learned to laugh at this....I try to reserve all negative judgments which I often find creeping to my mind in the form of rebellious sarcasm. I try to remember that these people are the same old as me and are doing the best with what they have.
Being a Marine is wonderful! What other job can you get yelled at for not making your bed properly in the morning? We clean all the time I think I have a complex about dust now. The Marines are convinced that dust hidden in the deepest recesses of your room are the very thing which is going to lead to an untimely death. There is also formations it is understood that the only way that a group of people can understand anything is if they are in a box formation for at least 30 min. Oh Well......
My petty gripes and complaining aside. I must constantly remind myself that I am not here to do my will. I cannot be like everyone else cursing my superiors under my breath, only doing enough to get by and falling into the vile jokes and talk which are so common amongst Marines. I am here to do the will of the Father. Jesus Christ! The name which has completely transformed my life. When I think back on what exactly he has meant in my life all I feel is awe... The same awe as looking out at the constellations on a clear moonless night. All of my apologetics all of my proofs that I now use to defend the Gospel of Christ did not bring me to Christ it was seeing my depravity. Realizing that I am a sinner and that Christ died for me, He is my redeemer. In the end all of my searching for the great truths in other religions and philosophies I was brought nowhere. It was when I accepted Orthodoxy the great mystery of Christ which has always been in front of my eyes that I found Life! He alone is Awesome! I live now to be his ambassador to the Marine Corps

Time

Indifferent to the withering of flowers, you draw on.
you care not for worldly powers, once their gone.

words fill the void, so long as they cease not
songs hopelessly employed, appease not

cruel you seem, as you relentlessly break my fleeting frame
Fool! I scream, as I daily jest His name defame

Poets lament, lovers cling
all in you will feel deaths sting

I fear not, these vestiges once cast aside
My wars fought, these mortal bonds denied

Claim your last, for when He returns!
your moment's passed, the last page turns

No more, as we usher in eternal day
No more, homage to time forever to pay

Rejoice ye saints, for Christ was ever true
What eternity paints, is a portrait of His love for you
-James Quinn Mechaley