Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet....

[32] But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?

[33] On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in these matters to this principle of selection: he rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures, or else he endures pains to avoid worse pains.

Quote for the Day

"Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them."

--Thomas Jefferson

Thoughts From the Church Service

Had a great service at church tonight. Pastor Trieber preached what the Bible says about government, and how our Government and country was founded on Christianity.

I always think it is great to take the historical documents of this country and look at how much the men who founded this country believed that God had to be the center of our government. It is also nice to read different quotes or letters that these men said/wrote and also see that they were Christian men who not only believed in the One true God, but also tried to live by his statutes and principals put forth in the Bible.

"Repeal that [welfare] law, and you will soon see a change in their manners. St. Monday and St. Tuesday, will soon cease to be holidays. Six days shalt thou labor, though one of the old commandments long treated as out of date, will again be looked upon as a respectable precept; industry will increase, and with it plenty among the lower people; their circumstances will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing all your estates among them."

--Benjamin Franklin, letter to Collinson, 1753

Quote for the Day

"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened."

Billy Graham

Quote for the Day

"You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men. This is mine: that a life spent in the service of God, and communion with Him, is the most comfortable and pleasant life that anyone can live in this world."

Matthew Henry

It's been a while.

It is great to be back at College and back on Bus 23. Campus is like a ghost town; I think there are less than 50 students currently on campus.

The bus has been great!! I was so excited to see the kids on the bus. Right now it is just me and Larry Pruit on the bus...and of course Bro. Marczac. Numbers are a little low, but I'm hoping to get them up to around 40 by the time all the students are back on campus.

Really nervous about being a bus captain to be honest, but I have some really good workers coming back from last year so I should be fine thanks to them. :)