Severed Opportunity

In America, success is usually described as wealth.  Whoever has the most money, the best job and the most toys is usually considered to be successful.  It is a common mentality that this status can be attained through working hard and determination. Yet despite the common sayings, few people actually attain this goal.  The majority of the people in America strive to attain this goal, but in the end few make it because they were not educated or were prevented an opportunity because of their race. 

            Education is everything.  These days, without a college degree, it is difficult to locate and obtain a job that pays well.  With this in mind, people who have the opportunity to go to college fair much more well than the people who cannot.  People who cannot afford to go to college often end up working risky manual labor jobs or something that pays minimum wage.  Education severely limits you economic opportunity.  Yet is that the only factor?

            In Bambara’s story, Sugar makes the statement, “equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough” (270).  While this is true in the American sense, this idea can be hindered because of race or belief.  In the land of equality, it is hard to believe that a person can be subjected to the chains of their race.  Quality education is seldom available to those who are not a quality schools.  In Bambara’s story, Miss Monroe makes attempts to educate the children in hopes that it will make them better people and give them more opportunities.  While education is important, their class and race has a large effect on whether they can get a quality education. 

            The only answer for the problem of racism lies in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus, people have been able to lay aside their racism and go to countries of an entirely different ethnicity.  Because of the gospel, people have laid their lives down to save people who do not belong to their race. One who believes in Jesus Christ is able to look past the boundaries of race or social setting.  He is the only way to defeat the limits of social profiling and racism.

Works Cited

Bambara, Toni C. "The Lesson." Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 2001. 270. Print.

Week Three Blog- Myth of A Model Family

A Balanced Perspective

            What are the criteria for a family?  Some would argue that a family is made up of the people with whom you are in a close relationship.  Yet despite the logic of that solution, could there be something missing?  A model family is portrayed consisting of a mother figure, a father figure and children.  While this “formula” for a family may vary in some situations, it tells us something.  Each member of a family adds something special to the family unit that other members could not provide.  A nurturing mother would find it difficult to portray well, the strong leading characteristics of a male father figure and vice versa.  The children in this situation would also be confused as to who they would follow. 

In each person there is engrained a need for both a mother and father figure to compose a family.  Now I do not mean that all families will be perfect if they have a mother and father figure, as we have seen through history individuals fail to fulfill completely their role as a parent.  I am simply stating the need for the mother and father figure.  While there are strong disagreements as to whether a two people of the same sex can fulfill the natural needs for a father and mother figure, and whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry, the true answer must come from the evidence. (Colombo, 84-85)  From my experience, growing up in a two parent home, similar to the model family, I believe that I this protected me from much trauma growing up as a child, several my friends around me experienced.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. "Prop 8 Hurt My Family." Rereading

America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1995. 84-85. Print.

            

Myth of The Model Family- Journal 2

Sam Castles                                                                                                     Journal-9-7-12

The Search

For generations people have looked for inspiration at the American ideal of the modern family.  This style of family is representative of several ideals that American’s hold very dear in their lives.  Love, belonging, support and safety all abound in this Ideal model, but does it actually exist? While some may say this type of family can exist, almost all people who appear to live in this type of model actually only look like this on the surface.  If one gets to know them, they begin to fall short of the ideal model family. People look to this Ideal model family as something to strive for, but what they are really wanting is fulfillment and happiness.

            In Re-reading America by Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Isle, an essay by a man named Roger Jack portrays this search well.  In this narrative essay, Roger Jack is living with his widowed aunt, Aunt Greta.  They are a culturally zealous Native American family whose family situation was far from ideal.  In the midst of the pages, the reader finds that although Aunt Greta was widowed, she never looked to be re-married.  Instead, she became more involved in her tribe and her nephews' life.  Her search was not for another attempt at the ideal family in the Indian culture, but for fulfillment. (Colombo, Cullen, Lisle; p52)

            American people praise the idea of a model family because it is a means to a greater form of peace and happiness.  Because of this, American people tend to seek after happiness through relationships and in their family.  Yet no one seems finds it to the fullest extent.  Anyone who has lived on this earth for any extent of time can tell that something is wrong with it.  This planet is full of people who are searching for fulfillment and happiness and never find it in the things that appear to make people happy.  Jesus Christ is the answer to this search.  God became man as Jesus Christ to restore the people of this world by taking the punishment that was meant for us upon himself.  Man is made to find his true fulfillment and happiness in God.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, that can be found.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for

            Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1995. Print.

Introduction

Joshua’s Heart

“Coming through!” exclaimed the nurses as my mother and father stepped off of the elevator into the baby delivery section at the hospital. Twenty three short minutes later I was born. The second child of the Castles’ family was here and one year three months later another son named Jonathan was introduced to the family as well. My older brother’s name was Benjamin, and my parents gave me the name Samuel. Each one of us was brought home to a small two bedroom house in central Tulsa. However, upon the arrival of the third son, it became apparent it was time to get a larger house. We moved south five miles and that house has been our home ever since. Yet as the years go by and I look back, one thing stands out to me. My father Brian Castles always loved the bible verse written in Joshua 24:15b, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”(ESV) This verse describes the manner our father reared us with, and I live by that verse to this day.

When I was old enough to start kindergarten, my parents decided to homeschool me in my older brother’s footsteps. My parents thought this method would best honor God. Despite the social disdain this decision caused my parents, I was educated in this manner all the way through high school. For most of this education, I was schooled as a part of a homeschool co-op called Christian Education Alliance. One of my favorite half-truths about homeschooling is that it makes you socially awkward. While it does limit social exposure, it is up to the student to decide whether or not to attempt to get involved in social activities. I spent countless hours exploring and learning about the woods with friends as a Boy Scout, involved in the church youth group, or playing basketball with a competitive homeschool team. As I grew through these experiences my parents encouraged me to grow in my faith. I eventually took upon myself the call to serve the Lord.

My father’s inspiration to serve God led me to take up the same faith. When I was fifteen years old, I made the decision to follow Jesus Christ. My faith is the reason for the joy and hope I have. As I grew older, I realized that I had been given a love for people and a desire to learn about science. Upon my graduation from high school I chose to attend Oklahoma Baptist University as a Pre-med student so that I could pursue medical missions. I do not know what the Lord has planned out for me, but I wait with attentive ears and an eager heart.