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I feel that I have learned quite a bit over the last few weeks, and one of the things that stands out the most is the period of Sparta and Athens. I also believe that these devotions are very influential to me. They help me see things in a different light sometimes. I will miss being in this class with all these great people.

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My greatest take away from this course has been that I have learned to piece the puzzles of history better today in a biblical sense and apply it to life.  I have a greater understanding of my own faith as a result.  Thank you Daniel.

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Incorporating the Word of God in these assignments really helped me realize, even more, that apart from the wisdom of God we are lost. Humans tend to jump before we think/look with confidence and then realize we need to be saved. God is Faithful! The devotions kept me focused.

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I reflected on the importance of Psalms 8 and how the Scientific Revolution began to effect the lives of Christians and non Christians alike. With this new way  of thinking for some to doubt God's existence
and look towards Science. This is unfortunately as true then as it is now. It is unfortunate how some people are so weak to deny the truth when God shows us everyday by his love grace and the awe of all of his
creations.

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The Greeks seem to have influenced western civilization for thousands of years, even though they were not in control. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Romans adopted Greek philosophy and law. Literature, building construction, law, science... all seems to have Greek influence. The Renaissance brought back Greek culture, and even today Greek ideas, art, and construction are visible in Merced. The Old Merced County courthouse has resemblance to Greek architecture, with statues of Greco/Roman gods/warriors standing on top of the building.

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Something from last week I found interesting was reading about the Black Death and all of the people it killed and that because once you got it there was no doubt you would die people abandoned their children because taking them with them would have been hard.

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It was interesting to learn about the Silk Road and the connections between Western and Eastern civilization.  This being a big trade route with one of the main trades of silk.  It was not only silk but many other things.  For trade travel by sea was much faster but the road was still used for transportation.

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Weekly Devotion
What I reflected on was how important it is to always look towards our Heavenly Father no matter the circumstances. We can only see situations are about learning from then and only look forward not back.

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I chose to write my paper on the Judeo-Christian thought last week and had a God wink moment.  As a daily bible reader, I just so happened to be reading in the book of 2 Corinthians where the apostle Paul is sharing the gospel with the church of Corinth. It is in moments like that where I think God is winking at me.

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Understand that our struggles are not always caused by "flesh and Blood"  But by the evil that is brought upon us by the devil,

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Ephesians 6:12 Begins with, "For our struggle".  There are times when we can feel alone in our "struggle" and even helpless.  However, Paul reminds us that we are not alone in these times. Understanding that we are not "bad people", but over-comers.  Knowing what we're facing (challenge) will help us formulate a worthy fight and victory.  Don't give in nor give up!

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Ephesians 6:12 Begins with, "For our struggle".  There are times when we can feel alone in our "struggle" and even helpless.  However, Paul reminds us that we are not alone in these times. Understanding that we are not "bad people", but over-comers.  Knowing what we're facing (challenge) will help us formulate a worthy fight and victory.  Don't give in nor give up!

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The plebeians created the twelve tablets to give them equal status under the law with the ruling upper class. Although they were designed to be fair, the punishment was often death or enslavement. The Code of Hammurabi also addressed lawful matters, but were written by a ruler. Punishment was also often death. The Ten Commandments were given to people from God. Killing is forbidden by the Commandments. If people were to follow the laws of man, they would be in violation of God's law. I find it troubling that civilizations have felt a need to govern their people with threat of death. If we just followed the Ten Commandments none of these man made laws would ever be violated.

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live by faith, and don't let your past shape your future.

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The Rahab stood out to me the most this last week.  I have a close friend who is struggling with a divorce after 18 years of marriage and is questioning her purpose in life.  Her story is very different from Rahab's but I was reminded no matter what our past entails God will use us for his greater good even when we do not recognize his purpose for us in the present.

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Knowing that the Sparta killed children that were born unfit really stood out to me. That's awful to think what a mother felt during that time.

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After reading about the Spartan people, any previous knowledge from history classes and watching the movie '300' twice, I was completely surprised how aggressive and violent they were. The idea that they left innocent babies to die in the element because the Spartans felt were not fit was horrible.

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I finally watched the movie 300!! I really liked it! I laughed the entire time telling my friend that the soldiers were not muscular and probably old.

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The differences in the way Sparta and Athens governed their city-states was interesting since they were so close together. One was open to new ideas while the other was completely closed off and welcomed no change.

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Alexander conquered the Persian Empire after his father King Phillip II defeated Athens and Greece. Alexander allowed his realm to continue their way of life, but Greeks ventured into the realm. The influence of Greek society is seen throughout Asia Minor, Egypt, and Europe because of Alexander.
New ideas evolved in Greece as they were introduced to the world, and philosophies developed to make sense of human existence. Stoicism and Epicureanism.

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Both very powerful city states with much to offer the world, yet could not agree on helping the world! Much like today, pride consumes many to achieve and advance so much that it blinds them of what really matters in life. What happened at the end of all this fighting? The both fell.

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Spiritual standings were dependent on their lifestyles. Developing irrigation systems and relying on seasonal patterns. Feel like sometimes our lives get thrown up into chaos.

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One decision from a Pharaoh led to the downfall of a strong kingdom. One little change can completely develop a ripple affect.

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Bible Verse - Corinthians - reflecting on family history and seeking God through the difficulties of life. We should never look at our circumstances but look toward Him and life will get better.

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Ah-ha moment - Realizing what we learn from the textbook comes from varying perspectives. Biases and perspectives could color our understanding. Greater perspective.

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Kierkegaard - learning through different forms and moving toward understanding.

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The greater the struggle the more glorious the triumph. Egyptian developments and discoveries were fascinating.

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The Word tells us there's nothing new under the sun. Different technology, different languages. We're not any different from our ancestors. We still follow some of the same patterns from the past. Even if we don't come from that region we have similar mentalities. We can repeat from the past but learn from it too.

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Different groups like the Akkadians taking over the region. Developing new forms of writing and law codes. Living among themselves and other groups were attacking them.

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The concept seemed true. We only think about things after the fact.

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We don't fully understand events in life until we've looked back on them. Being able to share your experiences to people during times in need.