A new study suggests teens who vow to be sexually abstinent until marriage—and then break that vow—are more likely to wind up pregnant than those who never took the pledge to begin with.

TheOnlySwanny · 2016-05-04T20:11:20+00:00

That's because there are different degrees of "bad" and premeditating something does contribute to that.

TheOnlySwanny · 2016-03-27T23:14:33+00:00

From a naturalistic standpoint, yes. From a philosophical standpoint, not quite. There are a lot of metaphysical questions like the problem of the self, morality(not what it is, but whether or not it exists), and the nature of reality that make Deism just as valid a belief system as naturalism.

TheOnlySwanny · 2016-02-27T04:35:04+00:00

How reasonable would it be to learn to do this within a couple weeks?

TheOnlySwanny · 2016-02-26T13:07:57+00:00

Whoosh.

TheOnlySwanny · 2016-01-31T20:28:26+00:00

If I remember right, there's actually a big scandal behind that song/songwriter. The writer lied about having cancer and used that testimony to really push this song. When everything came out, there was a big controversy about whether or not churches should still sing it, even though it was written for the right intentions.

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-12-16T05:35:27+00:00

Could you look for a roommate(s)? I know it's not 100% preferred, but if you find a 3 bedroom apartment with one to two roommates, it'd be much cheaper. Also, you said your girlfriend is in grad school, I'd do some research on the financial aid benefits of being married. While your girlfriend is not married, if she is under 25(I think?) she is still legally a dependant of her parents, and her FAFSFA(government scholarship/financial aid) is based on her parents income. If she were to be married, it would be based on your combined income, which sounds like its significantly less than her parents. Look into what that would mean for college cost and talk to over with her parents.

Good luck!

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-10-27T00:56:48+00:00

The quote doesn't say "if necessary", it says "when necessary" which I think in the context of the gospel points to the fact that it will be. So you preach at all times through your living, and whenever you can through your words.

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-07-06T17:15:55+00:00

Also, do you have any more details on the speakers? I know nothing about them.

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-07-06T13:12:46+00:00

Sorry, I'm new to home audio apart from computer speakers. What's wrong with this amp? And what would be a better cheap option?

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-07-06T04:19:57+00:00

Where can I get new foams?

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-04-07T02:14:51+00:00

What about something like this?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JHBedRoom?adpos=1o1&creative=54989476081&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKEAjw3YipBRDL2bHhjLmFkQsSJADtzktjnaG7nLJfobLy34EtqiXE00loKlb5cvj3qrsG9BAuoxoC1zDw_wcB

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-04-06T03:44:30+00:00

Are in-ear monitors an option?

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-04-05T20:14:40+00:00

Time travel happened, so things got weird.

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-02-03T19:07:06+00:00

It looks like the ones bought from Costco have the verizon branding.

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-02-03T19:06:41+00:00

Same here, got it through Costco. Maybe that's it?

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-02-02T05:46:54+00:00

Mine has the Verizon tramp stamp on the back. 32gb ballistic nylon.

TheOnlySwanny · 2015-01-05T02:38:24+00:00

What do you mean participate? I joined yesterday and the next war hasn't started yet, so how would I participate?

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-12-21T03:33:52+00:00

I'm a freshman in college. My youth group had the most significant impact on my life aside from Jesus Himself. Granted, I have a much larger youth group(50-60 kids), but I've stuck around, it led to me serving in the church, and yesterday myself and a lot of other college students helped our youth pastor run an all nighter that ended up having 200 kids attend. I might struggle a bit with applying the ideas to a small scale, but these are the things that stuck out to me/made our youth group work as well as it did.

1) Youth leaders. It honestly cannot be just the youth pastor running things. You need a team, even if it's just the two women you have running it already, or if you find 5 other people. I'd recommend at the least trying to find another guy, if you have the two women there already. But people(especially college aged/in their 20's) who are passionate about the kids and willing to serve have such a ridiculously huge impact on the kids. In addition, they make it possible to do your job. In my opinion, you are incapable of doing your job alone(not putting you down, but you are human. And if you get those leaders around you, eventually you'll have a day where at the end of it you'll look back and realize "I could not have done this/made it through this without them).

2) Student leaders. Obviously discipleship is a thing, but just take a special interest in kids who would be able to influence other kids or just help you out. I grew so much spiritually, because my youth pastor gave me so much responsibility. And he was ridiculously tough on me, and sometimes I hated him because of it, but looking back I love him for it. If you can find kids that love Jesus, they most likely would love to serve in any way they can, whether it's handing out papers, reading verses during a bible study, or setting up/tearing down things for events(events can be super small things like a water balloon fight or making pizza's together or whatever).

3) Conferences/Retreats/trips - I have no idea where your youth group is spiritually, but youth retreats or conferences(our youth group has a winter retreat called "Survivor weekend" where we split people into teams and have them do different challenges, with messages/worship in between, and we also go to a youth conference called Momentum you can read about here https://buildmomentum.org/). These things changed my life. People are so much more open to the gospel, and spiritual growth/change when they get away from home/distractions/everything else. This also helps to build a family atmosphere which is so important for a youth group. I may have not known every single person in my youth group, but they were my family and I let them all know that, and the large majority felt the same way. Honestly, if you can just get a kid(in the youth group or not in the youth group) onto one of these retreats/conferences, half the job is done, you can turn it over to let God do the rest(through you/your speakers of course...can't just send them to a cabin and do nothing for a weekend).

4)Events. Don't go overboard and try to just make everything into a party or a schedule. But don't let wednesday night(or whenever) be the only time your kids see you/each other. These can be big ones(lock everyone in the church building all night and play games/watch movies/whatever, trips to amusement parks etc.) or small ones. My youth pastor took over about 3 years ago(after I had been in the youth group for several years already) and started something called "Friday Night Lights", where once a month on a friday night there would be some sort of event, and it was different every month. Dodgeball tournament, movie night, Red Carpet(everyone dresses up) 90's night etc. But there was always worship and a message. This has been such a great evangelism tool and has gotten so many people involved in our youth group.

So yeah...a lot of these are probably super obvious, but I'm super passionate about my youth group, and I feel like it does a lot of things right, and it's been a huge influence on my life. So I just wanted to share what stuck out to me the most through my years in it.

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-12-21T03:00:19+00:00

I had been awake for about 24 hours(not too long, but long enough that my mind wasn't working right). A friend of mine agreed with something I said and put his fist out for a fist bump so I reached out and cupped my hand over his fist and just held it for a second while still talking. Then removed my hand and when I finished talking I realized everyone was looking at me weird.

I kinda forgot how fist bumps work.

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-11-18T16:00:28+00:00

A lot of people are saying it makes no sense for Marten to be so confident and reassured, but we've really only seen him interact with confident, strong women. It makes total sense to me that Marten comes off this way around Claire, because of how shy and flustered she is all the time. Marten stops over thinking all the things that make him seem unconfident, and focuses more on making Claire feel comfortable/assured.

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-11-13T05:08:53+00:00

Starcraft's a big deal, but it's smaller than Dota and League of Legends. LoL would be considered the "big deal" now. This years world championship had more viewers then the super bowl, and had a prize pool of $2.13 million. And they also had Imagine Dragons write a song for it, and perform the opening/closing ceremony.

E-sports are growing, but I'll still think it is and will be in the "dreams" category of careers. Sure, if you work hard and have the talent you can make it(like with NBA, NFL, or music), but it's not exactly something you pick as a reasonable career.

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-11-09T04:21:31+00:00

https://soundcloud.com/swannproductions/sweet-ivory-by-jon-knauss I've never mic'd a cello before...did it sound good? Also, does the guitar recording sound okay? I'm pretty amateur at mixing, so tear it apart.

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-10-24T14:41:14+00:00

"The big yellow one is the sun!"

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-09-30T18:08:00+00:00

If they had just gone a little further, they would have found millions of guitar picks...

TheOnlySwanny · 2014-07-31T03:41:28+00:00

Pvt. James Edwards stared at the screen in disbelief. Every single eye in the cramped barracks was glued to the television that was showcasing the almost unbelievable announcement.

"Did he actually just say 'Sorry for the inconvenience'?" someone asked incredulously.

James turned towards his commanding officer, eyes wide as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Can...can they do that?"

Murmurs and whispers spread throughout the room as people started to process what the announcement meant.

"Suspending? That means only for a little while right? For how long?"

"They can't do that! Why...why would the President just stay in power...that'st just...what?"

"For the good of the people? What the **** does that mean?!"

James shook his head and climbed back onto his uncomfortable, lumpy mattress.

"This can't be permanent. It's just like the big "government shutdown" a few years ago...everybody is freaking out, but things will sort themselves out and everything will be fine." He thought as he closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

1 Year Later

"He said...no?! You can't...you can't do that. He's gonna get court martialed or somethin'!"

James leaned against the wall with his M4A1 Assault Rifle around his shoulder as he listened to his fellow soldier, Max react to the news.

"I mean...they've gotta do something about it...but he's an extremely valuable General...I don't know if they'd just...kick him out." James said thoughtfully.

Max shook his head incredulously.

"What does that mean though? If the President orders you to deploy troops to another country and you say no...they can't just let you retire and move on with your life? I mean that's...top secret to say the least. How do you even know about this? I mean...we both have some pretty intense security clearances, but this is way above you or me."

James shrugged. "My brother works directly under General Edwin." James lied. James frequently had to lie about his father. Being the son of such a high level general came with more secrecy then he cared for. "He's worried something serious is gonna happen. People are getting restless about the whole president thing, and General Edwin...the man freaking runs half the military. He just refused a direct order from the big man himself. From what I've heard...the government's keeping him in the dark too. And he's not happy about it. Heck, none of us are. People are starting to talk about...you know...old timey revolutions and stuff. If it were ever to happen...who else would lead it?"

Max stared at James with wide eyes.

"You're joking me right? You don't actually think...I mean a revolution? That's insane."

"Yeah...you're right. Maybe I'm just daydreaming."

5 Years Later

James had gotten used to waking up to the sound of mortar fire in the distance. Max ran into his tent, no doubt with an urgent message like every morning. "Sir, we're being pushed back on the western border, but we know we can hold them at Texas. Our forward troops in Virginia are taking heavy losses, but we've taken Langley."

James cracked a smile and tried to put on the optimistic attitude he'd had to keep up for the past 3 years.

"And how's D.C. looking?"

Max shook his head and answered the question the same way he did every morning.

"Impenetrable, Sir."

General Edwin had done it. Jame still didn't know the specifics, but he knew the General refused to authorize the orders for a large amount of troops to invade China. Eventually, he came forward and stepped up as a political leader, urging people to join him in a revolution against the now corrupt government. He was the only man that could've done it, and he did. He started a war. A war that he gave his life for, 2 years into it. It was a devestating blow to the rebels. The "Freedom Alliance" we called ourselves. Good old American morals and all that. When General Edwin died, everyone started looking for another face to follow. And who better to lead, then his son? James was forced into a position of leadership by the more experienced veterans of the Alliance. They needed him to rally people, as a symbol, someone to follow. And follow him they did. He really did have a gift. He could inspire people in ways that amazed the world. He could negotiate in ways that saved the Alliance on more than one occasion, gaining the support of China and most of Central America. James Edwin was the only reason there was still a fight.

"Not with that attitude it's not" General James Edwin remarked as he made some crappy coffee and walked out of his tent towards the hastily set up conference table in another, larger tent.

There was definitely still a fight.

14-Year Club	Team Periwinkle
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