TCSTribune.com

Come take the Valentine Quiz!!
Read the rest of this entry »

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the Treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

What would a church service be like without its worship songs? Would it be quiet? Perhaps a naptime? Would we sense God’s presence? Its funny how much we take for granted, such as the songs that prepare our hearts for God’s word. That is one of the reasons Chelsy Carlson serves on the Praise and Worship team every Wednesday.

“Worship is a fantastic way to honor God,” says Chelsy. “Worship is essential in a Christian’s life. Coming before God and worshiping Him is simply giving back all the love He poured out on us at the cross, and in everyday that we live our lives. Worship is out of Love. And more than anything we want to see God glorified at Turlock Christian.”

Schyler Johnson agrees, believing that worship helps us acknowledge God for who he is to us, “This is a very good way to honor God. He commands it and we should love doing it as His children.”

The worship team consists of: Schyler, Chelsy, Trevor, John, Jesse, Ashlee, Julia, Morgan, Rachel, and Jordan. Chelsy summarized what each member brings to the worship team:

• Trevor definitely is the backbone of our musicians. Besides being obviously gifted in music, he’s probably one of the greatest men of God that I know.
• Schyler is probably grown the most out of everyone so far this year, both spiritually and musically. He is always himself, and I appreciate it. It’s cool to see him finally become comfortable with who he is.
• John always perseveres. Literally, he doesn’t give up and I love the kid for it.
• Jesse is his own guy. He brings such a different dynamic to the group and we all love him for it.
• Ashlee has such a good heart and a heart for worship. She is definitely a silent leader and her faith is really encouraging
• Julia is a very strong woman of God and truly worships God just because she loves Him. There’s really no gray area with her. Her love for God makes it easy for her to worship Him. She’s a breath of fresh air.
• Morgan is a worship leader. She’s incredibly driven and desires to honor God with her music. She’s definitely gifted, and I can’t wait to see how far she goes in worship.
• Although Rachel doesn’t do chapels or concerts with us, she is a great member of the team. The technical stuff is crucial, and she handles it like a champ.”

Some people argue whether hymns are better then the contemporary worship songs. But in truth, we’ll probably never know with certainty whose songs (or which songs) exalt God most. But it’s not our place to decide. Worship should not be a time of fear, of wondering whether or not God will accept our sacrifice. In Psalms 51:17 it states: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” So basically we need to open our hearts to God and give our whole selves to him in any way that we can.

“Sunday is the only day to worship!”

“It’s depressing to see Jesus hanging on a crucifix.”

“Foot washing is just plain gross.”

“Aren’t hymns for old people?”

In today’s world there are many Christian denominations, each with their own traditions about how to worship and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, many times I’ve witnessed one Christian group making insensitive comments or downright ostracizing another regarding the way they practice their faith. Should this be happening?

Ecumenism is broadly defined as interrelation between the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ecumenism within Christianity would be referring to interrelations between the many Christian denominations such as Orthodox, and various Protestant churches. It is in this realm of Christian ecumenism that I think believers need to work together and respect each other’s differences.

The vast majority of American Christians define themselves as Protestant, so it may not be as much of a culture shock to be around Adventists, Methodists, Evangelicals, or Baptists. However, do you feel a sense of unease when you realize that your close friend is Roman Catholic or some other brand of Christianity?

We all have to realize something; we are all united in our beliefs of a risen Savior, regardless of discrepancies in tradition. As long Christians exist we will have arguments in our ranks. And that’s unfortunate. As believers in Christ we are one body who need to work together for kingdom work. Besides, if there are differences that need to be addressed, I don’t think name-calling or disrespect promote positive discussion.

If we spend less time on majoring on the minors and more time delivering the message of Christ we would have a unified body. It would be a church less disjointed and working together to save a dying world; a body that bids the message of God, not the divisiveness of Satan.

The Creed

What do we all believe? In A.D. 381 a group of Christian theologians got together in Nicea within the Roman Empire to pen an article of faith that is core to every Christian denomination. Here it is:

THE NICENE CREED (381 A.D.)
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

* A person who belongs to the universal Christian church

As the clocked ticked, fourth-down approached and Manning knew it was over.

The Super Bowl is not just a game; it is a part of America’s history.

The first Super Bowl was on January 15, 1967 where the Green Bay Packers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 35-10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Since then 44 Super Bowls have been played and many records have been set. Chuck Noll, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is the head coach with the most Super Bowl victories with four (IX, X, XIII, and XIV). Bill Walsh of the 49ers, Joe Gibbs of the Redskins, and Bill Belicheck of the Patriots have each won three Super Bowls as head coaches.

Joe Montana of the 49ers and Terry Bradshaw of the Steelers are the starting quarterbacks with the most Super Bowl victories at 4. Montana won Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV and Bradshaw won Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, and XIV. Montana, Troy Aikman, and Tom Brady have 3 each.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the NFL franchise with the most Super Bowl wins with six. SB IX: 16-6 Pittsburgh over Minnesota, SB X: 21-17 Pittsburgh over Dallas, SB XIII: 35-31 Pittsburgh over Dallas SB XIV: 31-19 Pittsburgh over LA Rams, SB XL: 21-10 Pittsburgh over Seattle, SB XLIII: 27-23 Pittsburgh over Arizona. The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers each have five Super Bowl wins. Dallas won VI, XII, XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. The 49ers won Super Bowls; XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX.

Super Bowl 2010

This year the New Orleans Saints faced the Indianapolis Colts in South Florida. After a slow first quarter, it looked like the Colts were ready to run away with the win, the Saints changed the path of Super Bowl XLIV by taking control of the second quarter. The Saints ran 26 offensive plays while the Colts ran six. The Saints opened the second half shocking the Colts with an onside kick. Six plays later, Pierre Thomas scored on a 16-yard catch-and-run to hand the Saints their first lead, 13-10.

The game was over when Saints Cornerback Tracy Porter stepped in front of Reggie Wayne, and intercepted Peyton Manning’s pass, returning it for 74 yards for a touchdown which gave the Saints a 31-17 lead with 3:12 remaining in the game. Porter stepped up and secured the win for the Saints; after all defense wins championships. The Colts were unable to get in the end zone in the final minutes, giving the Saints their first Super Bowl championship!

The game was filled with amazing plays; and both teams set records this year. The Saints lost their final three regular-season games and became the first team to bring a three-game losing streak into the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. With the loss by the Colts and Manning, the last five regular-season MVPs to reach the Super Bowl have lost the game. The Saints’ kicker Garrett Hartley became the first kicker in Super Bowl history with three field goals made from 40 yards or more. Colts’ kicker Matt Stover became the oldest player in a Super Bowl at 42 years old. Indianapolis’ 96-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter tied the 1985 Bears for the longest drive in Super Bowl history.

At the end of the day the Saints got the job done and won their first championship at their first ever Superbowl appearance. Running back, Reggie Bush summed up the day stating, “I think it (the championship) is more special because in the fashion that we did it and the city that we did it for. A city that was pretty much destroyed in a hurricane and they need something to be proud of. Through the 30 or 40 years plus of terrible seasons in New Orleans, now they can excel; now they can be proud of the Saints.”

It’s not everyday that a TC student wins a nationwide competition for having coolest cow, but for Senior Natalie Sanders it’s all part of her dream. Sanders recently attended the North American International Livestock Exposition held in Louisville, Kentucky, where her cow competed with 250 others for the title of 2009 Junior All American Summer Yearling.

Sanders’ heifer named, Select Minister Elodie “ET”, placed first in its class, claiming the title. The competition was held in Louisville, Kentucky, at the North. The cow show Natalie attended was called the All American Junior Jersey Show, the largest Jersey cattle show in the world. In addition her cow, WF Axel Rosita placed 4th in the aged cow class.

Sanders was ecstatic about the win, “I was very excited and overjoyed! It took weeks and months, all of my free time practically to prepare.”

Sanders isn’t new to cow shows, raised on a dairy, she’s been competing since she was four. Her career goal is to someday work in the Dairy Industry.

For now, Natalie is currently making preparation to attend again this year. “This year the shows will start again in March and I will be getting the cows and heifers ready. The cows have to be clipped, or given a haircut, and eat special food so they will be in top condition. They are pampered and treated like royalty as they prepare for the show.” Sanders is hopeful but realistic when it comes to competitions, “I feel that the next competition will hopefully go well, but it all depends on what the judge likes on that particular day.”

But Natalie, why the strange names? “I did not name Rosita or Elodie, the people that first owned or bred them did. Usually cows are named based on who bred them, their mothers name and their father’s name.”

An unpopular, costly, and supposedly failing war, with no end in site. Did you imagine the Vietnamese War? Nope. I’ve just described the opinions regarding the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States started this war with good intentions, attempting to seize the nuclear weapons held by Iraq, and capturing Osama Bin Laden, yet no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq and Osama Bin Laden is now hiding somewhere in Afghanistan. As American opinions of the war wane one has to wonder, will we repeat the mistakes of the past?

What is the War on Terror?

The War on Terror is simply described as the war on militant radicals around the world who are harming defenseless civilians. These radicals are fighting against many of the laws the United Nations prescribed to modern warfare. But according to Chuck Roots, pastor and Retired Military Chaplain, the term is something of a misnomer. “Terror is an emotion. Terrorism, on the other hand, is an action brought against a person or nation. Because of the events of 9/11, and the thirty years of other terrorist activities brought against the United States and our people/interests around the globe, it was determined that we needed to take the fight to the enemy. “

Why Don’t the Terrorists Like Us?

So what did we ever do to them? Roots explains there are three basic reasons why the Terrorists seek to destroy Americans and their interests.

1. First, there are people who have ideological, philosophical and theological differences with us as Americans. Because of the culture of Islam, everything in life is religious. There is no such thing as the “separation of church and state.” In their perverted thinking they have justified the killing of anyone who is not like them or doesn’t think and believe like them. Even if we as Americans all converted to Islam, they would believe they are in the right to kill us because we were infidels prior to our conversion. Thus, our acceptance of Islam could be called into question.
2. Second, because we are Americans, we have a far superior life as far as enjoying the blessings of this world. Our citizens are wealthier than anywhere else in the world. Muslims live in arid lands that are primarily desert, wind-swept, desolate places. Only with the discovery of oil in the Persian Gulf and its surrounding environs has this people managed to enjoy anything remotely close to the comforts and abundance we enjoy in the USA. This truly angers many Muslims who feel they should be the ones blessed by Allah instead of the infidel Americans.
3. Third, this is a war that will never cease until either Muslims are thoroughly defeated, or Jesus comes back first. Why do I say this? Because Muslims believe it is their mission in life, based upon the teachings of the Koran, to engage in conquering all nations for Islam. Every country is to be subjected to Allah, Sharia Law, and the final example of jihad.

Occupation vs. Liberation

The United States, unlike any other country, approaches war in a very different way. Rather than permanently occupy a nation that violates UN sanctions, the U.S. is a liberating force. “The United States is not an occupying force, except in the sense that we enter a nation to destroy their army, then we sit there until the folks of that nation can get themselves put back together,” explained Roots. “Once that has happened to our satisfaction, we leave. Take Japan and Germany at the end of WWII. Once these two military powers surrendered, we established a military jurisdiction until such time as the government of that nation could function in relative safety. Once that occurs, our boys come home.”

If the United States really is a liberating force, shouldn’t the citizens of that country reflect attitudes of gratitude? According to Roots, that is exactly what he’s experienced in the Middle East. “ I’ve had Iraqis tell me they were glad the Americans came when I was there. They hated Saddam, but they were powerless to remove him. He was a ruthless, murdering thug.”
“ Our military was uncovering mass graves of people killed by Saddam’s henchmen. What was their crime? Nothing. Saddam’s ego was so large that he killed just to show that he could do it. Where the First Marine Expeditionary Forces Headquarters was located was in Babylon. Saddam used to visit this ancient biblical city 45 miles south of Baghdad a few times a year. He would cruise around the neighborhoods and have his thugs take women and girls that he selected, bring them to his nearby palace and then have his way with them for the next few days. Then they would be beheaded, their bodies dumped in the nearby tributary of the Tigris River.

“Then in Afghanistan the Taliban had a torturous rule, wantonly beheading people because they could. Women, who showed even a tiny bit of skin, say on their wrist, could be dragged away from their husbands and children, and into the soccer stadium and publicly executed. Such insanity was commonplace. Until our military showed up, there was no one to put a stop to it. It is these same creeps who train to kill Americans in our streets.

“If you were an Iraqi or an Afghan wouldn’t you want to see us come in and stay until the bad guys were eliminated?” says Roots.

What’s A Christian to Do?

Still, opinions of the United States war on terror are generally are strong. Many believe we must draw out of these militaristic quagmires at once, while others call for staying the course until the country is stabilized and a safe pullout is possible. But what exactly should the Christian response to terrorism be?

Roots believes there are God ordained responsibilities we cannot ignore. “As Americans we are to protect our nation and its people. This is a biblical principle. God expects me to protect and care for my family. To be able to do that, my town and community must be protected. For my community to be protected, my state needs to be protected. For my state to be protected, my country needs to be protected.

“Now, while we’re engaged in this war, we need to follow the teachings of scripture by praying for our enemies and doing good to those who persecute us. One of my favorite pictures is of a young Marine doing a fireman’s carry with a wounded combatant – only this combatant was the enemy. The Marine carried him off the battlefield and into our field hospital where our military medical personnel treated his wounds! Do you think for a moment that this Marine would have received the same kindness if the situation was reversed?

“Our nation was founded upon Christian teaching and morals. Even non-Christians in our country act in ways that reflect those Christians values. I frequently prayed for Iraqi soldiers, terrorists, and Saddam Hussein while I was over there. If they were to allow the Lord Jesus into their hearts I would rejoice, and praise God. But the Christian still has an obligation to protect and defend our nation.”

Matthew was born on December 1, 1976 in Casper, Wyoming. He went to school in Casper until his junior year, at which time, he moved to Saudi Arabia. He finished his American schooling in Switzerland. In both of his schools, he was known as easy to talk to and was everybody’s friend. Eventually, he went to college back in Wyoming.

Then came October 7, 1998. That night, just after 12 a.m., two men kidnapped Matthew and took him out to the middle of nowhere. They tied him up on a fence and proceeded to beat him almost to death. Then, the two men decided to just go, leaving Matthew out in the cold, left to die. About 18 hours later, he was discovered by a man on a bicycle. Matthew was beaten so bad, the bicyclist mistook him for a scarecrow. Matthew died five days later at 12:53 in the morning.

You may be wondering why people could kill a person who was kind and admired by almost everyone he came in contact with, and the answer is sad but simple: Matthew Shepard was a homosexual.

Too often in this country, people judge others before they get to know them. They look at some of their actions and they make assumptions. One of the groups that this happens to most is the homosexual. It appears that our Love Your Neighbor As Yourself command hasn’t applied to this group of individuals.

Christians say that homosexuality is a sin, and in fact practicing homosexuality is against what God has commanded. It is quite clear in Leviticus 18:22, which says, “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.”

Christians also have this belief that there is a gay agenda, which includes many things that go against Christianity. A lot of times, this obvious disdain for the homosexual lifestyle turns violent, as was the case with Matthew.

Is There a Homosexual Agenda?

Many people think that homosexuals are out on a rampage, trying to destroy everything good about Christian marriages. Others think that they are recruiting our children to join in their gay festivities. Still more think that they are just trying to tick off all the Christians, as with the infamous No on Proposition 8. Is there really an organized agenda? Well, yes there is. The Homosexual Agenda was created by Hunter Madsen and Marshall Kirk. These two men proclaimed an agenda in 1989 in a book titled After the Ball. Their “strategy” is stated as such:

• Talk about “gays” and “gayness” as loudly and often as possible
• Portray “gays” as victims, not aggressive challengers
• Give homosexual protectors a “just” cause
• Make “gays” look good
• Make the “victimizers” look bad
• Solicit funds: get corporate America and major foundations to financially support the homosexual cause.

Hunter and Madsen believe “The principle…is simple: almost all behavior begins to look normal if you are exposed to it long enough at close quarters and among your acquaintances.”

So in a nutshell, the entire purpose of the homosexual agenda is simply to force Americans to accept homosexual behavior as normal.

How Does the Homosexual Agenda Affect us Today?

Although only approximately one to two percent of the population practices a gay lifestyle, almost half of the population is okay with gay marriage, an increase of nearly ten percent over two years, from 2004 to 2006. This is all part of the agenda that the homosexuals have set forth. As a proof of their blatant attempts to sway public opinion, look at the television shows of modern society.

A popular comedy, “Modern Family,” introduces a gay couple that has ended up being favorites on the show. ABC portrays them as being very kind and loving towards a new baby girl they adopted from Vietnam. In one of the episodes, the show displays a judgmental father who is not comfortable with his son’s gayness. He openly derides his son for this flaw and often bashes on gays. By doing this, the homosexual community is subliminally showing us that gays are victims and should be more accepted.

Another popular show that has openly supported homosexuality is “Parks and Recreation.” In the first episode of the second season, the main character performs a marriage of two male penguins. Then, a Christian organization tells the main character to annul the “wedding” or else resign. The show portrayed the Christian representative as a cruel, hating, homophobic, zealot. It goes on to show homosexuals as victims, not sinners.

On a more invasive level, homosexuality is also being taught to young children in schools, in an attempt to make the homosexual lifestyle look okay, even appealing, to young students. In Queens, NY, a chancellor of a school introduced the so-called “Rainbow Curriculum,” which included curriculum introducing two very pro-gay books, Heather has two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate.

And books are not the only venue for preaching the homosexual message to our children. According to Carmen Pate, Vice President of Concerned Women of America, the video It’s Elementary, “is a training tool for breaking down a child’s natural resistance to homosexuality,”

What does God Think?

Of course for believers, it all comes down to what God thinks about homosexuality. The scriptures are clear that the homosexual lifestyle is not what God had intended for his creation.
Passages in the Bible make that clear:

• In I Corinthians 6:9-10, we read, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (NIV)
• Matthew 19:4-5 reads “‘Haven’t you read,’ Jesus replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and two will become one flesh.’” (NIV)
• Romans 1:24-27 reads “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the Truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” (NIV)

Although those trapped in this lifestyle would like to argue that it is God who made them gay, believers acknowledge that the God who has created the universe is also the one who has set down laws that promise the best for mankind. King David expressed it this way in Psalm 119, “Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right.”

What is the Christian Response to Homosexuality?

Now that we know that God did not make a provision for the homosexual lifestyle in his great plan, how are Christians supposed to respond to those who have chosen to practice this lifestyle? How do we reach out to them with the love of Christ?

One man knows that answer first-hand. Dennis has experienced both sides of that struggle. After reaching adolescence, Dennis reached out to the church regarding his homosexual thoughts. The pastor responded, “Just pray.”

“I felt like I was going to have to figure this out on my own without the church’s help.”

This lack of direction sent Dennis down a dark path, expressing his sexuality with other men, one of which was a Christian missionary. Today as a believer in Christ, who has turned away from that lifestyle, Dennis believes this is not how the church should handle these kinds of situations. And since God calls Christians to love our neighbors as ourselves, that might mean reaching out, along with others, to help those who struggle. Dennis gave these suggestions to reaching out to a lost brother or sister trapped in the homosexual lifestyle:

1. Listen. Don’t jump in and start telling them all the verses. Many want to deal with it. If Christians seem like they have all the answers, the homosexual will shut down.
2. Find out what they want to do? Are they committed to changing?
3. Spend time with them and don’t let them feel like they are a project. Don’t major in this one area of their life, there is more to them. They have talents and gifts too; this is just one broken area.

Winning the War

So does that mean that we need to ignore the attacks on heterosexual marriage? Craig Osten, author of The Homosexual Agenda, believes, “It is vital for Christians to understand the homosexual agenda and how it threatens many personal and religious freedoms. If Christians sit back and surrender, giving those involved in homosexual behavior everything they think they want, those trapped in homosexual behavior will never be able to hear and respond to Christ’s redemptive love for him or her.

“Christians need to be a consistent witness and friend to those practicing homosexual behavior. However, despite the need for us to demonstrate love and be a strong witness, we cannot compromise the Gospel and people’s need for repentance.”

Churches can play a big part in helping the homosexual give up that destructive lifestyle, although as Dennis would attest, the temptation to sin is always there. Dennis explained the hope he finds in Christ by practicing Centering. “Centering means to move to center,” says Dennis. “You can’t think about two things at the same time. I sing songs and hymns; I talk to the Lord. You can’t think those (bad) thoughts when you are thinking about something else. For me temptation is a call to worship. I decide who I will worship.”

Funworks? Really? This is what was going through the minds of the Turlock Christian student body as ASB announced Homecoming 2010 during chapel. The ASB members began by parading through the gym in a cardboard bus, exclaiming that they needed to get to Funworks in Modesto. Groans were heard throughout the gym as students began to comprehend the fact that they would be spending their homecoming a mere twenty minutes from their campus, riding go-carts and bopping gophers with mallets.

But, the joke was on the students. The cardboard school bus was flipped around to reveal a charter bus, and The Wicked Witch and The Good Witch appeared to inform the students that they would be traveling to San Francisco to see the award-winning play Wicked at the Orpheum Theater.

Wicked is the untold story of the friendship between the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and the Good Witch, Glendal Elphaba, the villain in the (year’s) version of the film “The Wizard of Oz,” is actually a gentle, yet misunderstood (and very green), woman who wants the best for the animals of Oz. The Wizard wants Elphaba, who has great powers in sorcery, to assist him in ruling Oz.

In reality, The Wizard of Oz is the villain. He begins to capture the animals of Oz and make them forget how to speak, including one of Elphaba and Glenda’s teachers, Dr. Dillamond, who is a goat. When Elphaba discovers what terrible things the Wizard is doing, she refuses to partner with him. The Wizard and Madame Morrible, the owner of Elphaba and Glinda’s school, convince Oz that Elphaba is wicked, turning the whole town against her.

Tie-ins to the original “The Wizard of Oz” were frequent, such as a friend of Elphaba’s becoming the tin man and a love triangle between Elphaba, Glinda, and a handsome young suitor, Fiyero, who ultimately became the well-known Scarecrow. Dorothy eventually kills Elphaba, just as in “The Wizard of Oz,” but there was a twist that no one was expecting. A wandering scarecrow, Fiyero, appears. He then knocks on the floor, saying, “It worked!” In the floor is a trap door, and out of it emerges Elphaba, who was never really melted by Dorothy. Elphaba and Fiyero embrace, and decide that they can never return to Oz. Elphaba pleads with Fiyero that she must tell Glinda she is alive, but Fiyero says that the danger is too great, and Glinda must never know. The two of them leave Oz together, and Elphaba looks longingly to the North, in the direction of her best friend.

The play featured sensational music, and the talent of the actors was immeasurable. The most breath-taking song of the night was “Defying Gravity,” in which both Glinda and Elphaba hit nearly impossibly high notes, sending shivers down the backs of many audience members. As a whole, the student body was very pleased with the musical.

After the play, everyone was treated to dinner at the Macaroni Grill. The students entertained themselves by drawing on the paper tablecloths, and were entertained by opera singers. The food was great, and the students had fun chatting as they waited for their food. After dinner, everyone was allowed to mingle and walk around the huge shopping center that the Macaroni Grill was located in. Some students treated themselves to Cold Stone, while others huddled in the warmth of Starbucks. Soon, it was time to leave, and everyone piled onto the buses.

The bus ride home seemed much shorter, mostly due to the fact that the students got to watch “The Wizard of Oz.” Everyone was in high spirits, and it was obvious that the homecoming event was a success. In fact, the day was so awesome that some could even call it wicked.

“I’ve always wanted to see Wicked, so I was really excited that we got to see it. It was a perfect first homecoming.” - Arin Morelli, Freshman

“Homecoming was amazing, and Wicked was wicked!” - Rebekah Muller, Sophomore

“Dinner was fun. It was cool being able to eat at big tables with everyone.” - Kaisa Spycher, Junior

“The play was satisfying. I had a lovely date.” - Kyron Loving, Senior

12►

• On average, men shell out $130 each on candy, cards, jewelry, flowers and dates. That’s more than double what women commit to spending.
• More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day
• 73% of flowers are bought by men, and only 27% are by women
• 85% of all Valentine cards are bought by women.
• The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day.
• Teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts.
• Over 1 billion Valentine cards are exchanged in the U.S each year. It’s the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.
• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.
• Cupid, a symbol of Valentine’s Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty.

The crowd rushes into the CSUS arena, home of the Warriors, eager to find the best seats. It’s not a playoff game or even a game against TC’s biggest rival; it is, however, the game that everyone will attend…Homecoming 2010! As the students found their way to the infamous Eagle’s Nest, the excitement and anticipation built until the team was finally introduced on the floor. And as cliché as it sounds, the crowd went wild.

This game was more than a game. It was a great way to end homecoming week and start homecoming weekend. Spirit Week, the five days leading up to the game featured dress up days like Olympic Day and Pajama Day, and activities such as the second annual Human-Powered Vehicle Rally. The Tuesday before the game, the boy’s basketball team played an amazing game against Denair, our cross-town rival, spurred forward by rowdy fans. That win seemed to bolster the team’s confidence.

“We should be in control of the game and win big,” said Casey Snyder before the homecoming game. And the momentum continued during the Homecoming game against the Waterford Wildcats, staying in control for the last three quarters, winning 60 to 48 in front of a full home side. Both sides played hard, but the Eagles fought hard enough to win the most-watched game of the year. Josh Wright and Brandon Rogers led the team in scoring, with 17 points apiece.

“That was an exciting game. The team played a great first half and put it away in the second.” said Coach Snyder. “It was a great game.”

After winning the game, a few players commented on the win. “I was flabbergasted,” said Brandon Rogers. “I felt very good,” added Austin Morelli.

The Homecoming game was also a chance for the Lady Eagle team to redeem themselves after a very disappointing, five-point loss to Le Grand, their first loss in a while. “I am very confident in our team. We continue to play selfless and united, game after game, and as long as we keep that up, we’re unstoppable,” said Molly Zuhlke.

And they really were unstoppable. On Friday night, winning by a margin of almost forty points, with Amy Wright leading the way with 14 points on her own.

When the night was over, TC fans appeared to be filled with a sense of pride, smiling as their team excitedly ran off the court. One fan expressed, “I was full of pride as our school won the game and I was proud of the student body for becoming the sixth man.”

12►

Randy Hopkins, our Turlock Christian Athletic Director, elementary PE teacher, and high school softball coach, is a godly man who is loved by all of the students here at TC. Little did we know that God loved Hopkins enough to make two of him.

It is a little-known fact that Mr. Hopkins has a twin sister who lives in North Carolina. Growing up as a twin had its fair share of memorable moments. Hopkins recalled a rather embarrassing moment from his childhood. “My aunt dressed us (my sister and I) in matching dresses for our birthday. We were only about five or six, just little tykes.”

Other than his one fashion indiscretion, Hopkins claims to be just like any other ordinary man; he enjoys playing golf in his spare time, and takes pride in spending time with his wife and children. But, in the eyes of many at Turlock Christian, Hopkins is far from ordinary. In fact, many would call him extraordinary.

Before becoming Turlock Christian’s athletic director, Mr. Hopkins taught 4th and 5th grade at the TC Elementary for 23 years. He has always been an athlete; in high school he played basketball and baseball. His focus turned to baseball, though, while attending college at both Merced Junior College and California Baptist College.

When asked how he manages to be the athletic director, elementary PE teacher, and high school softball coach all at the same time, Mr. Hopkins responded, “It is very difficult to manage, but with great people around you to lighten the load it becomes more manageable. Also, when you enjoy what you do, it becomes more like play then a job.”

It’s this positive attitude that renders Mr. Hopkins as one of the friendliest teachers on campus. He loves his job, and states, “I love working with kids and helping them realize that Christ comes first, and then family and others. It is also rewarding for me to see our teams compete and succeed.”

In his seven years as athletic director, Hopkins has seen and accomplished many things here at Turlock Christian. During his first year on the job, football and women’s soccer were initiated into the sports program. Later, volleyball, men’s soccer, and our golf team won section titles, and one year the TC football team boasted a 10-0 season.

“It has been a thrill to be able to be part of an athletic program that has had great success over the last ten years,” says Hopkins.

With Valentine’s Day here and gone, the question of true love comes to mind, especially with all the “chick flick” movies currently featured at nearby multiplexes. One of my favorites is A Walk to Remember.

The two main characters in the movie, a boy, Landon Carter, and a girl, Jamie Sullivan, are two opposites who can barely stand being near each other. But Carter’s need to practice in the school play forces the two together and love ensues. But Carter’s infatuation with her beauty and talent becomes so much more. Carter learns that Jamie has a terminal illness. Carter’s love grows deep. He becomes selfless and unconditional in his love for Jamie. He goes to his father who was a doctor for help and stays by her side when she is hospitalized.

This movie made me think about God’s love that is to be shown through actions and not words alone. In 1 John 3:18 it says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” In the movie Landon builds a telescope into the night so that Jamie can fulfill another one of the things she wants to do before she dies.

It comes down to will. Will you love this man or women? My dad says, “You choose to love someone and you are lucky if you have a loving feeling.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This shows that God has love, but it says nothing about feeling.

You show love when you give your mom a hug in the morning, listen to them when they have been brought down. You express love by calling unexpectedly to see how they are feeling when they are sick. I see love from my friend, Angie, who cares for her oldest daughter who has diabetes. At three in the morning Angie has to get up and make sure that her daughter got the shot she needed. Her love is a sacrifice.

Sure it’s fun to watch some of the silly love stories that hit the theater this time of year, but in the end love is really more than kissing, holding hands, saying mushy lines, it is about connecting on a level that is not whishy washy. It means having intelligent conversations that you can not have with anyone else.

My dad has often expressed that he did not marry his girlfriend, but his best friend. Love is to build, bring out the best in others, and to gently correct their flaws. Love is an action that should not be taken lightly.

For those with boyfriends and girlfriends look at him or her and ask yourself, “Are you building this person up or setting him or her up to be crushed?” For those who are thinking about marriage, “Are you marrying your best friend?”

When it comes to love, you want your walk to be one that’s worth remembering.

Bonnie Burnam had big dreams, but they didn’t involve students, lesson plans, and Promethean boards. “Honestly, my dream was to become a chef,” says Mrs. Burnam, “but when I met my husband in college, I knew that I would be serving the Lord in a Spanish-speaking country. I threw out my dream and majored in Spanish.” After that she and her husband Mike Burnam have served on the mission field in Mexico for the past 20 years.

Today Mrs. Burnam teaches Bible 7, JH girls PE, JH Spanish, HS Spanish I, here at TC. Her past experience as a missionary brings a fresh perspective to the classroom environment. “I have worked with people from every continent, lots of denominational backgrounds, and traveled to many different countries. This broad experience gives me something different to offer, than if I had grown up in the Central Valley, gone to school here and settled down here as an adult.”

So just what was life like in the mission field? “Every mission field is different; our missionary experience has always been in cities – mostly in Cuernavaca, Mexico, which is a weekend resort town for Mexico City. It is a beautiful city with year round sunny and warm weather. There have been difficult times with the stress of living in another culture, at times struggling financially and being a part of an international team, but generally, it has been a great experience – as we see people come to know the Lord and take steps to deepen their commitment to Him. We are planning to return to Mexico in the fall of 2011, when Rachel is settled in college.”

Although this is Mrs. Burnams first year teaching for TC, she did In fact substitute teach 20 years ago for a Spanish teacher who was out on maternity leave for a few months. Mrs. Burnam believes TC is a great place to work, “I enjoy working in a Christian environment and having a great group of administrators supporting me as a teacher. It is a special thing to be a part of a Christian school.”

The Notebook and A Walk to Remember both captured our hearts with stories of undying love, causing us to remember what love really means. Now Nicholas Sparks’ latest book turned movie, Dear John, is sparking quite a controversy between book lovers and movie buffs.

Synopsis

Dear John is a story about John Tyree, a solder in the Army who falls in love with Savannah Lee Curtis. The book begins with John returning to his hometown of Wilmington, NC on a two-week military leave from the Army. As John is surfing one day he comes to the rescue of Savannah after she drops her purse in the water and John dives in after it saving her bag and all the valuable things inside. Savannah is a relief worker, rebuilding homes for hurricane-ravaged locals.

John and Savannah’s love quickly blossom and they proclaim their love after only three days. Two weeks later, John has to leave and return to Germany where his Army base is. But before parting, John promises Savannah that he will marry her one day and that he will come back after a year and visit her for two weeks, then he only has six more months left until he will be done with the Army. Savannah gives him a letter and the two promise to write, e-mail, or call whenever they can. They also promise to remember each other every time they see a full moon.

But then September 11, 2001 happens.

After the terrorist attacks John re-enlists in the Army, and though promising to wait, Savannah falls in love with another breaking John’s heart. When John returns two years later, he discovers that Tim, Savannah’s husband has been diagnosed with cancer and is barely surviving. Sacrificially, John pays for better medical treatment and Tim lives, leaving Savannah looking up at the moon, proving her unending love for John.

Rewind

Wait?! Back up! Is that what really happened? Because none of that was in the movie. And so the controversy begins. The ending in the movie is completely different than the book. In the movie, Tim dies, and the movie ends with John and Savannah hugging outside of a restaurant. Okay?? No marriage ceremony, no kiss, so…huh? Unfortunately the movie leaves audiences in the dark long after the lights come back on.

It’s the same old, “Did you read the book?” scenario. If an individual saw the movie without reading the book, their opinion would probably be more gracious. But for the avid readers, the movie was a disappointment.

So the question stands. What ending would have better suited the movie? Regardless, the movie should have provided some closure as to what happens to John and Savannah. We can only hope for deleted scenes and alternate endings to be featured on the DVD.

Dear John,
Your producer needs a new screenwriter.
From, Your Viewers