Designated Doodler

I'm beyond concerned about the state of religion, more specifically Christianity, amongst young people in our country. As a teacher and a human being in the 20s dating pool, I've had good cause for concern. I'm not allowed to discuss religion at school, but I hear the things my students say about it. Things like, "yeah, I go to church, it's where I take my best naps." Or things like, "I wanna find a new religion, I think I'll pick buddhism because it's chill." As if the road to discovering God is something that can be picked out like a new outfit. Finding religion is a journey, one that takes research, reading and soul searching. And one reason I fear for Christianity's future is because being a faithful Christian takes time, heart and dedication. And in today's world of tech-obsessed instant gratification - people are asking, "what can God do for me?" Instead of "what can I do for God?"  Teens and...

Tonight I heard a former Muslim man named Saleem talk. Here's what happened: Saleem brought up a young man in college, he pulled out three colored scarves. One white, one red and one black. He draped the white one around his shoulders and pulled the young man in next to him, sharing the scarf. He said, "this is what God wanted when he created man. He was like a daddy that wanted children. He desired fellowship with us and we were blameless. He told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any tree, except for one, the tree of life. And that if they did, surely they would die." "And what did they do? They ate the fruit. And although their physical bodies didn't die in that moment, they suffered a spiritual death," Saleem said, removing his arm (and the scarf) from the young man. "And so the world fell to sin," he said, draping a black scarf over the boy. "But we were still God's children and he did not forsake us. Instead,...

Your City Most of us live in towns or cities, and whether we like where we live or not, it's important to be a prayer warrior for your city. So often we get wrapped up in prayers that involve us, or our families, or far off places that have a crushing need to be prayed for. And all of this is great! Pray for your family, pray for places like Egypt and the unreached people groups of Indonesia! It's also important however, to be a prayer warrior for your city! I live in a huge metropolitan city that is filled with people struggling with their faith, their health, their job, their life! Lift up your city in prayer, along with all of it's hospitals, schools, roadways, etc. Prayer is a very powerful thing, and when you lift these requests up to God to protect your city and help it prosper, those prayers don't go unheard! It's time that communities reach out to their city and assist in any way possible. Volunteering your time, money and/or prayers can g...

Today I went to church with my Dad. It was a great service and I learned things about David's life that I didn't know before. It was a special service and all of the kids were involved. The energy in that room was wonderful and the experience made me think about something one of my coworkers said one day at work. He said that he didn't believe people had souls. Which to date, is the saddest thing I've ever heard anyone say. I realize that it's his opinion and I respect that. But I still find it depressing that there are people who think this. In my life I have seen miracles and have "felt" my soul many times. My co worker asked me what it "felt" like and it was hard to give an answer. It feels like being plugged into an outlet. Like there is this beautiful and overwhelming energy that engulfs you. It is the most joyful and electrifying experience. It's like you're a cell phone and you don't realize it but you're battery ...

History Behind the Piece Commissions, requests and patrons pay the artist Supper at Emmaus is one of five Caravaggio was commissioned to do Religious decline in 1600’s Style of time was Baroque Caravaggio started Baroque Naturalism Meaning Behind the Piece The picture is of an innkeeper, Jesus, and two men who had been walking with Jesus and just now realized Jesus’ identity. What's going on: Jesus blessing bread, other two freaking out, innkeeper is unaware. Caravaggio is a skilled artist and portrays their emotions well. How Caravaggio Paints Decisions must be made as an artist, Caravaggio decides to portray characters emotionally, use shadows to his advantage, and arranges the props to reflect the scene. Overall, the work is lifelike and expresses vast emotion, reflecting the talent of Caravaggio. Bib Hibbard, Howard. (1983). Caravaggio. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Puglisi, Catherine R. (1998). Caravaggio. London: Phaidon. Rosenberg, Naomi, (1999). Saints & sinners Carav...