God at Work

In bible class we have been learning about the ministry of Paul. Something in Paul’s past that helped him with his ministry is he came from a big and booming city which means more exposure to things. He had a Roman citizenship, the Romans were in control at the time and had lots of power. He got a private tutor, he was really smart. He was a tentmaker so he could travel anywhere he wanted and could just camp. I think God is at work in my life by putting me in a good family with Christian surroundings. I have been in a Christian environment all of my life and not everyone has. I am moving to a public school where not everyone has ben exposed to it and I could use my experiences.

Volcanoes

In science we are learning about volcanoes. We made a paper mache volcano as a model of Mount Vesuvius. We painted it and labelled the parts of a volcano. We also made a poster that had information about our volcano and then information and drawings of the three kinds of volcanoes. 

Spaghetti Towers

In science we are making spaghetti and marshmallow towers that will hold an egg in an earthquake. Our tower was good at first but we went over on our budget and we had to take it apart to get back under our budget. It’s still not that bad but it’s a little tipsy and not very sturdy. I think that the egg will survive and if not we still have insurance that we can use.

Theme Writing

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 

I always wondered what the theme would be for my 8th grade year at Zeeland Christian and we found one that fits in with our school. We can show our theme, Lost in Love, to others in our school and to people in the world.

 

I can show this theme many ways at school. One way we can show our theme Lost in Love at our school is tying the selfless theme from last year with this year. Because one way you can show love to others is putting their own needs before yours when someone needs you. For example if someone doesn’t understand what they’re supposed to be doing, help them instead of ignoring them so you can get your work done faster. Sometimes things can get hard for your friends and if you notice one of them is acting down, ask what’s wrong and if they don’t want to tell you, don’t push them to tell you just be extra nice. Because one person can change someone’s worst day just by showing some kindness. When one of your friends does something wrong to you, do not spread or leak any of their secrets that they have told you and asked you not to tell anybody just to get back at them. They trusted you with that information and even though they might’ve messed up that doesn’t mean you should make life bad for them.

 

As Christians, we can also show this theme to the world. We can show love in other places besides school is helping the disabled or people who need extra help. When you see someone in public who is struggling or can’t do something you shouldn’t just stare at them and laugh with your friends you should go and help them, because if you want to be respected then you have to respect others. Sometimes things happen in the world and we don’t wanna help out because we don’t want to contribute our time to other people. Like just in this past month two big hurricanes have hit the United States. People are going down and helping the states that have been affected and that’s a good example of being a christian in our community. You can show being a christian in our community by trying to get people to God in a subtle way because I think that sometimes people shove Jesus down people’s throats and make it so they don’t want to be a christian because people are so forceful about it. We should get people we love and care about to Jesus but in a way that lets them think about it and gets them interested, instead of basically throwing a bible at their faces and expecting them to want to read it.

We can show our theme, Lost in Love, to others in our school and to people in the world. We just need to be selfless and think about our actions. The littlest things can mean the most.

Beginning of Year Reflections

One thing I have enjoyed this year is that we do activities and fun stuff in our classes not just sitting in our seats the whole time and writing notes. I learned that if you find a book you actually like then it’s fun to read. I’m looking forward to small groups because it’s exciting being the oldest ones in the group.

Boat Project

For our boat we cut out some styrofoam and we wrapped it in tin foil foil so it doesn’t get waterlogged. Then we made a sail of of flashcards and we out rubber bands wrapped around it so we could put popsicle sticks underneath the boat like a pontoon. The first trial was pretty slow and we got in 5th place so this time I want to add more popsicle sticks to the bottom so its more raised and I hope we will at least improve into 4th place.

 

Book Review – Escape Under the Forever Sky

  • Title and author

Escape Under the Forever Sky By: Eve Yohalem

  • Genre – Fantasy, realistic fiction, historical fiction, poetry, biography…

Realistic Fiction

  • Describe the setting of the book. A book’s setting is one of its most vital components. How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? Does the author make you feel like you’re a part of the setting? Can you picture the book’s setting if you close your eyes? As you write, try to pass on to your reader the sense of the setting and place that the author has provided.

The setting is in the woods in Ethiopia most of the book. The author makes me feel like I am in the story because of the words she uses and stuff. I can picture the setting in my head and I had an idea of what the settings looked like the whole time I was reading the book. I felt really bad for Lucy based on what the author made the woods sound like.

Paragraph 2-Three sentences

  • Describe the book’s main characters. Does the writer make you believe in them as people? Why or why not? Think about whether you like the characters and about how liking them or disliking them makes you feel about the book. As you write about the characters, use examples of things they’ve said or done to give a sense of their personalities.

I believed in Lucy but not really any of the other characters. I didn’t like the kidnappers for obvious reasons because they kidnapped Lucy. I liked Lucy because she had the willpower to get of the situation she was in and she did it. I liked her friends because they are really supportive of her and are really nice to her. But sometimes they get her into some bad situations like when they snuck out to the market. Her mom is ok but she doesn’t really support her or let her do anything even though it’s just because she wants to keep Lucy safe. I think it’s more interesting when you have some characters you don’t like in a book because then you have mixed feelings and they keep switching through the book so I liked that about my book because i didn’t like a lot of the characters.

Paragraph 3-Four sentences

  • Give your reader a taste of the plot, but don’t give the surprises away. Readers want to know enough about what happens in a book to know whether they’ll find it interesting. But they never want to know the ending! Summarize the plot in a way that will answer some questions about the book, but leave other questions in the reader’s mind. You may want to make a list of questions about the book before you begin.

Lucy is trapped in Ethiopia with her mom that doesn’t let her do anything but stay in the house all day while her dad is in another country. One day she decides she has had enough and does something with one of her friends that she shouldn’t have done. She gets stolen by a driver and is brought into a place of nothing. She tries to escape and she does, but will she ever get back home?

Paragraph 4-

  • It is a summary statement about whether he/she should read this book in 7th grade. Give it one star if it was boring and not recommended. Give it five stars if it was amazing. Start like this “Overall, I give this book ______ stars because…..” Make sure your review explains how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good review should express the reviewer’s opinion and persuade the reader to share it, to read the book, or to avoid reading it.

Overall I would give this book an 8 because it kept my attention and it interested me and I felt like I was in the setting. I recommend this one.

Blog #6

Los deportes en Puerto Rico es futbol, basquetbol, beisbol, y patinar. La atleto favorito en Puerto Rico es Wilfredo Gomez, juego boxeo. Las uniformas en Puerto Rico es azul, blanco, y rojo. La equipo de beisbol en Puerto rico esta … Continue reading 

Entrada de Blog 5

Celebraciones de Puerto Rico es Dia de Reyes, Constitución de Puerto Rico, Dia del Trabajo, Dia de Navidad, Dia de la raz

       

 

Yo bailando en celebraciones. Celebraciones esta los globos, las regalos, los invitados, decoraciones, y musica!!

 

 

Africa Reflection

I used to think that everybody in Africa looks the same. But when we did the thing with the faces it made me see that there’s a lot of diversity and different skin tones. And it was crazy to hear how different the normal age of death it is for some people in Africa than it is in America. I think people stereotype what it’s like in Africa and assume everyone is the same and they’re all in poverty, but that’s not the case. There’s so many different types of people in Africa. I heard that theres even a white tribe and that’s really cool.

Camp Reflection Day

 

The verse that stuck out to me was probably 1 Corinthians 1:10. I think that one probably stuck out to me was because it was talking about agreeing with people and appeal to others. Like it says on my card I think in a small community, which is our class, we have a hard time agreeing on the littlest tiny things. Like in Language Arts when we are supposed to be working on something, instead there are people getting into arguments about the littlest things because they can’t accept others opinions. In the bigger picture there are people getting into wars and fights because they think differently than each other.

Bible Exam

Theme/Topic: Names

Visual: Mask

Explanation: Names back in bible times was an explanation of who you are. They were so important that people didn’t even use God’s real name because they were afraid that they would misuse it. One of the words they used for God was Yahweh which means loving God. Another example is Israel means struggles with God and that is pretty true. Nowadays a name is just something your parents give you when you’re born and people put a label on you by what you say, what you do, and even your looks. And sometimes it can be really hard to find out who you are and what your identity is because you’re trying to be fit for society. People define you by physical characteristics and not who you really are as a person. And so sometimes I think people forget themselves in an attempt to be like other people because the pressure to change yourself is everywhere. Something I learned from this is how important names are. God could change people’s names, just like you can change yours. If you have a bad reputation you can still fix it and change the way people view you. They are important because they do explain who you are. I chose a mask for my visual because people put on a “mask” to hide who you really are. Also society beats you down for actually showing your real emotions so you put on a mask to hide how you’re really feeling, so you put on a smile to hide everything.

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Theme/Topic: Conflict/Doubt

Visual: God blocking rocks   

Explanation: Everybody is going to have doubts and struggles at some point in your life. Israel means struggles with God, even though they are his chosen ones. Sometimes you might feel like you’re so far away from God and you think you’re never going to be able to get close to him again. In our world, when things are going great and you have everything you need, you don’t stop to thank God for that. But when you start having conflict and doubts, you need God, but he’s far away and you feel so lost. We start blaming the stuff happening on him and you doubt that he even loves and cares for you anymore. I chose a picture of God blocking a ton of rocks for someone and one stone hits the person and he automatically thinks God has turned his back. I chose that as my visual because sometimes we are so ungrateful. Even when it seems like you have nobody and even God has left, God is probably doing so much for you but you just don’t realize it and you doubt he’s there. Something I learned from this is God never leaves you. And if I get mad at God, I’ll try to remember that he still loves me, even when I don’t love him as much as I should. When he puts you through stuff you feel like you can’t get through, just remember that he would never throw stuff at you that you can’t handle, it’s just do that you get emotionally stronger, and maybe even have a better relationship with God.

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Theme/Topic: Covenant

Visual: Shaking hands

Explanation: A covenant is an agreement or a promise made in between two groups. An example of a covenant is the ten commandments, or the story of Noah and the ark. There are two kinds of covenants, a conditional covenant and an unconditional covenant. A conditional covenant is when both of the groups have to uphold the promise, which is what the ten commandments were. An unconditional covenant is when just one of the groups have to keep their promise, which was Noah and the Ark. If you disobey a covenant there will be consequences, but if you obey it you will be blessed. I chose a picture of people shaking hands as my visual because when you shake somebody’s hand, it’s making an agreement or promise. Some promises are bigger than others, but they are all important. And chances are, no matter what promise you make with somebody, if you break a promise you will be punished in some way, shape, or form. You can make a covenant with anybody, it could be with your friends, family, or anyone. Something I learned from this is that you should only make promises that you know for sure that you can keep. Because I have broken a promise and it destroyed people’s trust, and sometimes relationships with people you care about. And even if the promise is small to you, it may be big to someone else, and no matter what the situation is you have to keep it.

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Theme/Topic: Call

Visual: Hearing aid

Explanation: A time where God called people in the bible is when he called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to go to a new land. The people that he called where the three patriarchs. God still calls us today, even though it can be hard to tell when he is. Some of the ways he calls us today is adoption, a career, to move, etc. We are always so busy, going to school, sports, hanging out with friends and we forget to have time with God and listen to what he is trying to tell us. Even if we do hear God, we might still think that our plan is better than his or is inconvenient so we do our own plan. Or if we do have a free time that we could use use to listen and be with God, instead we go on technology or hang out with friends. I’m guilty of doing all of that. I feel like I’m too busy for God and his plans and I have the rest of my life to get close and listen to God. Or i just don’t listen because I’m just a kid and I think I can’t do anything that significant, even though I probably can. I chose a hearing aid as my visual because sometimes we are deaf to God, and we just ignore him. So we need to turn up our “hearing aids” and just stop to listen to God, and God only. I learned that even if you’re the busiest person in the world, you should still be able to find a time to be with God. His plans are definitely going to be better than yours so you need to listen. Even if you think what he is calling you to do is insane or unnecessary, he wouldn’t want you to do anything like that and even if it’s a struggle there will be benefits in the end.

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Theme/Topic: Slavery/Salvation

Visual: Prison bail

Explanation: Joseph was sold into slavery because they were jealous of him, but when they thought he was suffering, he was actually second in command and he lead his family out of famine. Moses had a similar story, he was also a slave in Egypt but he ends up delivering the people from Egypt. When it feels like people just want to hurt you and make things bad, God may be using that to be something good. God says that he is “I am who I am” which is faithful, unchanging, and always present. I chose a prison bail for my visual because sometimes you feel like you’re in prison and everyone is against you. It may seem like even the people you thought loved and cared about you betrayed you and made you face the brutal truth that they don’t. I learned that not everyone you meet is meant to stay, but more to be a lesson. And even if things seems like nothing’s going right, you weren’t placed on this earth just to be hated on and to struggle, even if you are right now, everything is going to come out ok in the long run. Sometimes you just need to look on the bright side, even if it seems like there isn’t one. Just trust God to get you out of stuff and know that he could be using your problems to be something significant in your life. This relates to my life because I have had “friends” who put me through stuff that wasn’t needed. But I found friends who lift me up instead of just crashing me down, because the people who you surround yourself with is crucial.

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Theme/Topic: Sinai Law

Visual: Fights with parents

Explanation: The ten commandments was to show us how to live in covenant with God. Even though you might not agree with some of them they are all important. Law covers every single part of our lives. And we have things that are distracting us from the law. That stuff could be anything but some of the most common ones are money, sports, music, school, stuff, popularity, and attention. Some of the rules that you have you probably think they are stupid, useless, and are just to make you mad. I chose fighting with parents for my visual because you might get into fights with your parents because you don’t like their rules or you just want to be like the other kids who get to do whatever they want. But the rules that you have are just meant to keep you safe and so you can grow up well. Just like God’s rules are meant for us to have a good relationship with him and a good life. I learned that even if the rules don’t seem fair, they were made for my own good. And God’s rules might not make sense or they seem hard to follow but you’ll thank God and your parents in the future. My golden calfs are my phone, soccer, and friends. I don’t pay attention to rules or God because I’m too busy with those things.

 

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Theme/Topic: Sent to the Promised Land

Visual: Trust fall

Explanation: Moses and Joshua were sent to the Promised Land but they had to go through the desert, the Jordan River, crossing the Jordan River, Jericho, and Shechem. And it wasn’t easy. If you obey God you’re going to be punished, and if you obey you will be blessed. God doesn’t force you to serve him, he gives you the freedom to serve whoever and whatever you want. But the right one to serve would be to choose God because he leads you through your life. I chose a trust fall as my visual because you need to trust God to catch you when you fall. And trust him when he’s leading you throughout your life even if it makes no sense. The more you trust God the better your life will be, if you don’t trust him things will be confusing and bad because it was not what you were meant to do with your life. I learned that the more trust you put into God the better things will be. He will lead you to where you have to go and if you trust him, you will find yourself doing the right thing, you still will make mistakes though. Sometimes I decide to take control of my life and it just gets messy, but it feels like I haven’t completely given my life to God.

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Theme/Topic: Salute to a King

Visual: Binoculars

Explanation: There was a cycle of judges and it went like this: People sin, God allows destruction, people cry out, people repent, repeat. They were never satisfied. People wanted a strong king, but God gave them Saul, who was a servant instead. And it’s just like us wanting what everyone else has. They wanted a strong king because everyone else had one, but they didn’t. These days we don’t beg for a king, but we beg for technology, clothes, privileges, etc. just so that we can fit in, just like they wanted a king to be like others. I chose binoculars as my visual because we don’t focus on what we have, we focus on what everyone else has. It feels like we are never satisfied and we are always on the lookout for stuff that could make us cooler. This connects to me because I’m very guilty of envying what other people have. I always want to make myself better with physical characteristics, not as a person. I learned that you should be satisfied with what God blesses you with and gives to you.

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Puerto Rico

Nombre de país: 3,680,772

Continente: Norte America

Oceanos que estan cerca: Atlantic Ocean y Caribbean Sea

La Bandera: imgres Colores: Azul, Rojo, y Blanco

La Capital: San Juan imgres-1

Market Day

My MD team decided to sell rubber ban guns by how popular they have been in the past years. We thought that if they sold in the previous years they must sell good this year, too. If I had to do it again I would probably sell goo o puddy. I would do that because I want to know how to make them and I like playing with goo myself. I felt really nervous when I went into the shark tank and I didn’t want to mess up. When we were leaving I felt really happy because we got two offers for money. I remember running back to the classroom. 🙂 oops. If I had to go into the shark tank again I would have taken the other offer. I wasn’t thinking right and I took the offer that would have been better if we only sold 4 guns. But we sold all of them. The most frustrating thing about market day was the people who came to our booth and then said they wanted one or two but then saw the marshmallow shooters then left. My best piece of advise I could give to the 4th graders is make up a good price and think when you go into the shark tank. Sell your product for the price it is worth.

The Boston Massacure

I honestly think that it was the Americans fault even though I was an American during the debate.
I think that because we started the fight by threats and throwing snowballs at them. They wouldn’t have to shoot us and push us with their bayonets if we didn’t do that to them.
A second reason is that the Americans did that to them a lot and the British were probably getting sick of it so that wanted to discipline them and to show them they can’t just go around throwing ice at them.
The Americans started ringing the church bells so more colonists would come out and throw more ice at them. The ice could actually hurt someone a little bit. (not as much as a gun/bayonet but…) the British were just trying to defend themselves. I think, though that they shouldn’t have fired in a place that would kill someone.