Happy GOLDEN Birthday Dan (& Mike)

24 on the 24th

Of course we can't mention Dan's birthday without mentioning his twin brother, Mike.


They were born within 4 minutes of each other, Mike being the older. At 7# & 6#11 oz, wow, they were perfectly healthy and raring to go.


They had/have this special "twin" ability, which made them think alike[Liz would agree] Although they are identical, and most people cannot tell them apart, they do have very different personalities, likes, and dislikes.



What a joy it has been to see them grow and mature through the years. They have shared in family vacations, Cubbies, Awana, working at Mc Donalds, youth group, Crossroads Basketball, camps, and missions trips, Cedarville U grads, OPE, and 2 cars.









They leave a trail of friends and good memories wherever they go. Happy 24th Birthday Mike & Dan. We love you guys.


Dad & Mom

Prayers for Alex

Hey, many of you have seen comments from "Beth" who is the mom of an 11 yr old quadriplegic boy, in OH. She found us, shortly after Dan's accident in '07, and has always been a constant source of enthusiasm, despite her own son's circumstances. Alex needs prayer. Please read below.

“I wanted to let everyone know that Alex is just not doing well. There is something going on that cannot yet be figured out. He is not able to get up. I am asking for prayer. I have been in contact with the docs and there is discussion as to what may need to be done, i.e. tests, hospital stay, etc. The docs cannot figure out how to get his BP under control

I am going to be honest...it is difficult to watch this special little man not even be able to get out of bed. Alex’s autonomic system went really crazy after the rod surgery, to stabilize his back, because he is still growing, .The most unstable part of the system is the blood pressure, and it has been almost 6 months since his surgery.

Please, if you could, lift a prayer up to The One, with the answers.”

-Beth Marlarkey [Alex's mom]

Alex, "Youngest Person to Get 'Christopher Reeve' Breathing Device"

Hey... how ya feelin'..?

You're doin' good. You keep on keepin' on...

Colossians 1:11 "May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience..."

Why do ethical issues matter?

I think ethical issues matter because we as humans are rational beings, and figuring out ethics* gives a sense of purpose to our lives. As Descartes said, "I think therefore I am," and our ability to reason perhaps helps justify our existence. I believe voicing our opinion matters, because it will help refine our views, in the same way that gold is melted to remove the impurities. We can voice our opinions in order arrive closer at a proper standard of life/ a good life. I am a Christian, and this gives me the opportunity to know that a proper standard of life/a good life does exist, and it exists beyond legal, aesthetic, and cultural conventions. So that when the hair on the back your neck stands because you heard about a three-year-old girl being raped and murdered, you can recognize that this is inherently wrong against the very nature of our humanity, and it is not just something our culture has proscribed as wrong.

It also seems that it is not only correct to believe ethical issues matter, yet also we ought to have a stance on them, and share them with others. For as Socrates said, "the unexamined life is not worth living," so we can examine ethical issues in a pursuit of a standard for the good life. Since we need to examine our lives, and yet to merely examine our own lives, is to fall short of recognizing that we do not know everything, and that others views could prove to be vital in that refining process of our knowledge. This is why I believe we should share our views with others.

To hold view that we cannot say what others do is 'right' or 'wrong' is inconsistent, because if someone breaks into your house intending to harm you and your family; you will take action to prevent that harm, and it is because you believe the intruder's actions are wrong. If you did not believe the intruder's actions to be wrong, then you would have no authority to stop him. And to remove the idea of authority, would destroy any notion of a civilized life.

"Umm... excuse me Mr. intruder, you can't be here in my house in the middle of the night." "Why not, there is nothing 'wrong' with me being here in your house right now." "Well Mr. intruder, I can't tell you what to do, but I hope you decide it is wrong, and then you leave."

My fellow blog enthusiasts, please assure me you won't ever do this?

Is it possible to go through life never confronting a situation where you had to say whether another person's actions are right or wrong, such as in the situation of the intruder? It seems like to do so would require a life of total isolation from any human contact. Or, it would take a life so timidly misguided that it would think their opinions could be of no benefit to others. Or, it would take a life so prideful that it would think their opinions were too superior for others.

* Ethics is the process of asking basic questions about the good life, about whether there is right and wrong, and, if so, how we can know what it is (MacKinnon, 2009).

(Image is of Rodin's sculpture "The Thinker.")

quick thought

I am a huge fan of irony, so I will let you all hopefully enjoy this as much as I did.

"Many people wish to not believe in God, because they say He is unfair. Yet by saying, 'God is unfair,' is to acknowledge His existence. And to acknowledge God’s existence and then say He is unfair, is complete idiocy."

As far as updates go, my online classes started today. In introduction to philosophy, I began by looking at the classical Greek view of prime physical beauty and how it relates to contemporary US society. I did not start work on my ethics class because I do not have the book yet (that's right kids you don't need to have the book on the first day of class). Ethics from a secular college. I feel like that could use the drum sound effect, "BAH-DUM--CHA." Ohh I'm kidding, but seriously, good times...

Summer plan

Hey,

As you all know by now, I graduated from Cedarville May 1st. Let me share with you my upcoming plans for the summer. I'm going to take two more classes in order to be officially finished with my undergraduate degree. The classes are intro to philosophy and ethics, and they are both through College of DuPage. I'm still a little bit up in the air about future plans. My goal for many years was to continue on to law school, and after working on my senior papers this whole semester, my interest in the legal field was reaffirmed. Or after finishing class is August I would possibly like to find a job and began working somewhere doing something. Either case is possible.

There is great news about the fundraising efforts to purchase an exercise bike. The cost is covered, and I will be getting the bike probably soon. We'll let you know more soon.

Senior Research Paper

If you want to read my senior research paper about withholding or withdrawing treatment from severely handicapped newborns; just e-mail scratchknudsen@gmail.com, and I will send you a copy.