Take-Home paper
1/7/08
Because of what we have learned and talked about in this Junior Faith course, I have changed my lifestyle in a few ways. I am sure that after this course, I will carry some of these values and beliefs that I have developed in this course. I have changed the way that I speak to people, the way that I face everyday situations, my view of what is important in life, and I have also improved my skill in making websites dramatically.
Earlier this year, we had a project called the Right Speech project which made clear to us how much we lie on a daily basis, and for what specific reasons that we lie. After doing this project, I have truly cut down on my lying on a daily basis, and I have taught myself to say things in a true way, without others judging me in a negative way. Not only do I feel better about not lying as much, but I also feel truer to God. I feel as if I am leading a more pure life. I feel that my life now is a step closer to Jesus’ life than my life before I did the project.
Not only have I cut down on my lying on a daily basis, but I have also adjusted the way that I tackle everyday situations. After learning of the Five Foundational Lessons, one lesson in particular stood out to me. Since I have learned that I am always, necessarily and unavoidably biased, I have begun to meet decisions in my life by looking at the situation from another person’s point of view. After making my decisions lately, I have felt as if I had made a better decision. This lesson has also pointed out to me that even if I feel that I am totally right, it is very possible that I am wrong. I can be wrong because I am biased.
Another thing that we have learned in this course that has changed my view of life is the difference between seeking happiness and seeking fun. After watching movies about Deion Sanders and Eric Clapton, and listening to them speak about their mistakes, I have learned this difference. What most people felt was the best way to be successful in life was to get all the money you could, buy extravagant material goods, and have a pretty wife. Now I know that the best way to feel good about your life and have a successful life is to follow God’s teachings and structure your life like that of Jesus. You don’t need to have money and expensive things in order to be happy. What you really need is God and your family.
The final thing that I have learned so far in this course is how to make better, more advanced websites. At the beginning of the school year, I was lost on how to create a website, even after learning freshman year. Now, after numerous assignments, making a website is easy. I have learned to make these sites much more appealing to the reader and my classmates. I see this skill as being very important because in the modern world, technology and websites are becoming more and more advanced everyday. Because of this class’s help, I feel that I am one step ahead of a number of people in our society because of my skill with computers and creating websites.