Thursday, July 23, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
So much can happen in a moment.
I think that's the worst title ever. Rules.... Sentences aren't titles... and you should never start a sentence with "so". LOL but I'm feeling a bit worn out as there's been so much happening lately. This Summer has been busy, full and fun. Lots of work.... lots of play. I've been tubing with friends, taken road trips to visit friends... been to a Bible conference, and then I've put in a lot of hours at work to make up for all the fun. I can't complain. Even now the clock seems to be ticking the time away from me and I have so much to accomplish today. Therefore I will share a few photos that will give you a picture of the events that have occurred lately:
My friend, Kay Lee had a birthday so we made sure to celebrate with lunch at Red Lobster, pedicures, tubing down a river and a movie!
I've been learning how to use my big, new Canon camera... but till I get adjusted I keep my powershot handy. :)
I went down to a Bible conference in Chicago with a bunch of friends! It was so much fun!!!
Some of my wonderful friends....
So my car broke down on the way home. A cop helped us out... we got a tow to a truck stop... where we waited for two hours till my dad could come pick up my car, and give us a ride home. Didn't get to bed till 2:30 AM!!!! =S
AND..... my cousin Julianne got married on Friday. Which also happened to be my Grammy's birthday. So it was a big celebration... and the wedding was planned in ONLY 48 hours, as the groom was visiting on leave from military and they decided to just get married!!
I was privileged with the responsibility of taking the photographs.... which proved to be tricky since we had a lot of evening sun and shadows.
I also had the opportunity of baking the cake.... with a little inspiration from a friend and the flowers they gave me to use, it turned out pretty nice for the short notice I had to prepare it and being that I'm not a professional cake baker. ;)
We'll see what the rest of the summer....
Late night snacks at IHOP!!!
AND..... my cousin Julianne got married on Friday. Which also happened to be my Grammy's birthday. So it was a big celebration... and the wedding was planned in ONLY 48 hours, as the groom was visiting on leave from military and they decided to just get married!!
My uncle, Julianne and my Grammy...
Roman & Julianne
My brother, Isaac, read some scriptures and spoke some words...
My daddy did the marrying. :)
We'll see what the rest of the summer....
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
When I can't speak it, I can write it.
Never in my life have I been great at speaking about serious matters. I'm kind of hot headed and either say nothing or get all fiery about things that require a lot of logic or emotion. Mostly because I have trouble putting my thoughts into words... which is why I love to write. I learned that if I can bypass my mouth, where my tongue gets all twisted and my face gets all red, the words can flow smoothly from my hands and I can make a blank page turn black in a matter of minutes.
When the opportunity to write for a local paper came up I looked into it and, in spite of my feelings of inadequacy, applied for the position. Writing in a journal.... no one sees that. Writing on a blog... few people read it and those who do are usually friends or relatives. To write in a paper where strangers have the ability to critique my work was a daunting prospect... and yet, exciting all the while.
Initially the paper was looking for someone from the homeschool community to write about homeschool events, etc. I replied too late and another fellow (whom I went to choir with during my years in school) got the spot. I offered my services as a journalist and to my surprise the editor took me up on my proposal! I was happy to have missed the first opportunity because honestly, I probably wouldn't have like being limited to writing about homeschooling. I have the freedom to write about whatever I choose, so long as the editor approves.
Thus far I have written four articles, "The First of April" - regarding the problems with April Fools Day pranks, "Roots" - about cultural legacies that are passed down through generations, "Our Farmers - Our Future: Celebrating National Dairy Month" - on the importance of the dairy industry, and "Why Movement Matters" - because being a couch potato just won't cut it anymore.
The paper produces an edition once a month and all of the journalist write on a volunteer basis. I've been offering an article since March of this year.... and it's been both invigorating and challenging to attempt to write articles worthy of the eyes of my community.
One of the things I'd always felt I'd struggle with, should I go to college, was producing long writing assignments and reports. Yet, for the paper, I am limited to 800 words or less.... and I often find myself needing to cut out a couple paragraphs before sending the final copy to the editor. It's good though, as the restriction allows me to say only what I mean.... and mean what I say. Luckily, I have my mom's help with editing my horrifying spelling and grammar and I also have my grandmothers opinions on occasion. They all have an impeccable taste for grammar and writing structure.
The paper that I write for is highly conservative and though it is not a Christian paper per say, it is run by Christians, so it is acceptable to mention a Bible passage or concept on occasion, which makes me glad.
Check out the website: The US and Eau Claire Journal
Though the paper does print a free edition on occasion it is a subscription that you have to pay for if you want to enjoy it in it's entirety. If you're interested in receiving the paper in your email or mailbox visit their subscription page. For the full 12 month package of the hard copies plus an e-subscription it's only $39. There are cheaper rates for partial deals... not bad rates, if you ask me.
I wish I could post every article that I write on my blog but that would defeat the purpose of writing for the paper, I suppose. That being said, I am going to share my most recent article, "Why Movement Matters", which was published in the free edition and therefore does not subtract from the paper. Note the amazing photo of beautiful, green leaves taken by my friend, Kacey. I am so thrilled that she contributed one of her incredible works to my article (though one of the downsides to photos that are printed in papers is that they are not as vibrant and clear as they should be). My writing skills have a long way to go and I am far from being an accomplished writer, but I hope that this opportunity to write for the public will speed me on my way. "Why Movement Matters" is not necessarily my most interesting article but I had fun learning about the topic and writing about it as well.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
When the opportunity to write for a local paper came up I looked into it and, in spite of my feelings of inadequacy, applied for the position. Writing in a journal.... no one sees that. Writing on a blog... few people read it and those who do are usually friends or relatives. To write in a paper where strangers have the ability to critique my work was a daunting prospect... and yet, exciting all the while.
Initially the paper was looking for someone from the homeschool community to write about homeschool events, etc. I replied too late and another fellow (whom I went to choir with during my years in school) got the spot. I offered my services as a journalist and to my surprise the editor took me up on my proposal! I was happy to have missed the first opportunity because honestly, I probably wouldn't have like being limited to writing about homeschooling. I have the freedom to write about whatever I choose, so long as the editor approves.
Thus far I have written four articles, "The First of April" - regarding the problems with April Fools Day pranks, "Roots" - about cultural legacies that are passed down through generations, "Our Farmers - Our Future: Celebrating National Dairy Month" - on the importance of the dairy industry, and "Why Movement Matters" - because being a couch potato just won't cut it anymore.
The paper produces an edition once a month and all of the journalist write on a volunteer basis. I've been offering an article since March of this year.... and it's been both invigorating and challenging to attempt to write articles worthy of the eyes of my community.
One of the things I'd always felt I'd struggle with, should I go to college, was producing long writing assignments and reports. Yet, for the paper, I am limited to 800 words or less.... and I often find myself needing to cut out a couple paragraphs before sending the final copy to the editor. It's good though, as the restriction allows me to say only what I mean.... and mean what I say. Luckily, I have my mom's help with editing my horrifying spelling and grammar and I also have my grandmothers opinions on occasion. They all have an impeccable taste for grammar and writing structure.
The paper that I write for is highly conservative and though it is not a Christian paper per say, it is run by Christians, so it is acceptable to mention a Bible passage or concept on occasion, which makes me glad.
Check out the website: The US and Eau Claire Journal
Though the paper does print a free edition on occasion it is a subscription that you have to pay for if you want to enjoy it in it's entirety. If you're interested in receiving the paper in your email or mailbox visit their subscription page. For the full 12 month package of the hard copies plus an e-subscription it's only $39. There are cheaper rates for partial deals... not bad rates, if you ask me.
Photo by Kacey Harasimowicz
I wish I could post every article that I write on my blog but that would defeat the purpose of writing for the paper, I suppose. That being said, I am going to share my most recent article, "Why Movement Matters", which was published in the free edition and therefore does not subtract from the paper. Note the amazing photo of beautiful, green leaves taken by my friend, Kacey. I am so thrilled that she contributed one of her incredible works to my article (though one of the downsides to photos that are printed in papers is that they are not as vibrant and clear as they should be). My writing skills have a long way to go and I am far from being an accomplished writer, but I hope that this opportunity to write for the public will speed me on my way. "Why Movement Matters" is not necessarily my most interesting article but I had fun learning about the topic and writing about it as well.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Why Movement Matters
In a
recent conversation with my aunt, the vice president at a health
clinic, she expressed her concern regarding her lack of exercise and
inactivity. She often puts in 70 hours of work per week, most of
which is done on a computer or sitting in meetings. I was reminded of
a Mayo Clinic ad that encouraged listeners to move for at least
15 minutes a day. Not lacking for activity, my first thought was, “I
wish I could rest for at least 15 minutes a day!”
Many
jobs today require hours of work with minimal exercise. Frequent
breaks, innovative seating, standing work stations, etc, can improve
some issues. Mental stress adds another element and these two
dimensions are often enough to throw us into our recliners at the end
of the day for some quality veg time. It is no wonder that there is a
serious rise in health issues partially stemming from inactive
lifestyles.
With
early Summer upon us we are likely to spend time being more active.
However, as the season progresses mowing the lawn becomes a chore,
weeding the garden becomes an overwhelming task, going for that hike
sounds like punishment and we almost wish we lived in the deep South
so that the norm would be killing time in a lawn chair, sipping on
sweet tea. We shouldn't succumb to the tyrannical forces of laziness
this year. While researchers are creating better work environments we
should do our part and be active once we are home. Get up and move;
stay mobile. Whether you prefer to be out-of-doors or in your abode
it is wise to continue movement and activity. According to
NDHealthFacts “External movement of the body is dependent on joints
and muscles and requires activities that work them continuously. …
To a large degree, the outward flexibility that a person possesses is
a mirror of their inner flexibility both physiologically and
psychologically. To ensure that the body can move freely and easily
requires movement in every plane and in various intensities as part
of everyday life.”
While
hitting the gym is beneficial it's better to find some pleasure in
the great outdoors. Professor Richard M. Ryan said,"Nature is
something within which we flourish, so having it be more a part of
our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built
environments." That lush, green and natural environment, with a
little vitamin D to boot, can do a world of good for a person. A
study conducted by The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
discovered that, “...compared with exercising indoors, exercising
in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of
revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement, together
with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression.
Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with
outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the
activity at a later date.”
We
live in an age, and particularity in a country, were we are expected
to be intelligent and yet also allowed to be lazy. And by lazy, I
mean we spend more time being idle than any of the previous
generations. It's sort of an oxymoron to be an intelligent, lazy
person, isn't it? In chapter 4 of his book, Teaching with the Brain
in Mind - 2nd Edition, Eric Jensen wrote, “Amazingly,
the part of the brain that processes movement is the same part of the
brain that processes learning. … We learn to predict (think about)
our movements before we execute them (move) so that we control them
better …. This ability suggests that all motor activity is preceded
by quick thought processes that set goals, analyze variables, predict
outcomes, and execute movements.”
There
is no need for “exercise” to be a word that sounds demanding and
exhausting. It can be a positive reminder of the physical and mental
happiness that moving about can bring. So find something that you can
do to keep your body and your mind moving. Bike, jog, participate in
a race or marathon. Join a local sports team, be it casual or legit.
Go to the gym, swim, start a workout routine. Maybe you're not a
super sporty or athletic person? Learn to do the swing, waltz or
other forms of dance. Try zumba or yoga. Garden, for food or for fun.
Perhaps a little “hippie” could help; Earthing/Grounding, or what
average folk call walking barefoot outside, has been shown to have
some health benefits. Take a Saturday morning stroll through the
farmer's market in Eau Claire's lovely Phoenix Park. Discover a few
of the incredible local views while hiking with some friends.
Exercise doesn't have to mean obligation; it can mean adventure, too.
The
gist of it all? Keep it moving. Being more active more often is not a
matter to go home and sleep on. Eat well, sleep well and be
sprightly.
The
Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. "Benefits of
outdoor exercise confirmed." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5
February 2011.
.
Written for and published in The US and Eau Claire Journal, July Edition
Friday, June 26, 2015
It's About Time...
Richard Matt, who'd been sentenced to prison for life for the 1997 kidnapping, torture and hacksaw dismemberment of his former boss, escaped a supermax prison. We bent our ears to the news for information on the manhunt knowing that such a sadistic murderer should not be at large.
Yet, if baby is created, and then tortured and dismembered in the womb, and the offending party walks away without a prison sentence, why aren't people losing any sleep over this crime against the unborn?
It's about time they legalized gay marriage in all 50 states. We have opposite sex couples avoiding the commitment of marriage, opting for shacking up and homosexuals who want to be together but feel the need to get a license to do so??? Good grief, what is wrong with mankind? ...let them have their license. It doesn't change the facts that sex and marriage is intended for a one man/one woman relationship... and now we can get on to something more substantial, like stopping the murder of babies in our country.
Yet, if baby is created, and then tortured and dismembered in the womb, and the offending party walks away without a prison sentence, why aren't people losing any sleep over this crime against the unborn?
It's about time they legalized gay marriage in all 50 states. We have opposite sex couples avoiding the commitment of marriage, opting for shacking up and homosexuals who want to be together but feel the need to get a license to do so??? Good grief, what is wrong with mankind? ...let them have their license. It doesn't change the facts that sex and marriage is intended for a one man/one woman relationship... and now we can get on to something more substantial, like stopping the murder of babies in our country.
Madea's Quality Relationship Advice
This is great.... well, it's funny but it's so incredibly accurate and true. Good advice about people in our lives. Some people are in our lives for a lifetime and some people are around for a season... and it's important to know the difference between the two.
Listen to Madea's Tree Lecture. It's one you won't forget....
Listen to Madea's Tree Lecture. It's one you won't forget....
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
faith is THE substance
Faith has been in the forefront of my thoughts lately. Conversations with friends, articles, Bible passages have all turned my attention to this great subject.
What is faith?
Faith is one of the first things we learn as babies or children. Trial and error. You learn that if you get up from the ground you will fall down if you do not use balance. Up and down you try and try again. Then comes the day when you let go of your mommy's hand and take your first steps towards your daddy. Faith. Granted a baby has no idea that it is being subjected to the laws of gravity or faith. A baby simply reaps and sows or acts and reacts, always taking in new information and learning from the world around it and applying it to it's personal walk.
John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Not surprisingly, it seems that God knew that man would be a stubborn being. A little baby falls down over and over again before it learns to use it's legs, and God put in place physical laws so that we could understand spiritual laws.
The world would not have you believe in God. How could there be a God? You may as well believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. "Do not worry," they tell us, "we will find a different explanation for all of these questions. We just know that there can't be a God." And the little atoms, molecules, electrons, thoughts, emotions, and every part of their being start working together to tackle the universe. Defiance.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
People have created a deep science and have produced an explicandum of the world around us. Micro and macro discoveries enlighten us daily to a world far beyond our ordinary assumptions and teach us of the intricate workings of life. We can look into the night sky and watch satellites perusing through space. We keep watching and see a shooting star. We spot a plane as it blinks it's signals on it's way to some destination. We can explain all of these things.
Yet, in spite of all of this, science has not grasped the human brain in it's entirety, the mind.... the grey matter. They can tell us from which parts of the brain we have certain emotions like pain or pleasure. ....but what exactly is a thought? What does it look like? Or must it look like anything? Studies and research are en route to find the answers. Stimulating neuron after neuron, jotting down incoming information in organized statistics as they attach wires to heads, hearts and our fleshly parts and ask, "How do you feel?", "What did you think?", "Do you understand this?" and so-on.
All of this yet there are still no confident conclusions to explain the complexity of this single aspect of life: the grey matter where the physical world melds with the spiritual world.
The universe carries on: Scientists to their research, civilians to their work ...and those of us who believe in Jesus Christ continue to live by faith as we operate on things not seen. Operating on simple things like faith.
Vanity is to our soul as gravity is to our body... it eventually humbles us. God, knowing how conceited, foolish and stubborn mankind would be, created a force that would always bring man back to his own useless, empty, nothingness. Why did God do this? Mr. Peterson, one of the men in my church, ventured through the book of Ecclesiastes and I like how he summed it up: "God has subjected man to vanity that all might seek him."
We can build aircraft and fly in the clouds because we understand gravity and respect it and work with it. Once we understand God's plan for the universe and how He works through the Body of Christ in the church today we can be effective humans. Our life, our work, our passions are not in vain when we have the full knowledge of the kingdom of God. And it's not because of our own goodness or strength but because He can work through us.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Even more, it is His faith that we have.
I can be 100% sure of creation, sure of my salvation, sure of the rapture of the church the body of Christ... because the Bible tells me so, and the Bible is the Word of God, ...it IS God... (John 1:1) perfect and preserved through and for every generation.
Gal. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
And yet, even more that this, I have a substance in my being. One that no sort of scientific scope can detect. It is faith. Not just the faith I have where if I cross a bridge it will hold, or that if I slide my credit card my money will 'come forth', or that if I jump in the air gravity will surely bring me down.
No, this is not my faith, but the faith of my Father.... where when I look at the night sky and witness the dancing of Northern Lights or see a sunset that has caught the clouds on fire... I know that He is the Author of this universe and of the faith in my spirit. His faith is the substance. Even though the creation is enough to confirm that there is a God, the faith of the saints is yet more evidence.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What is faith?
Faith is one of the first things we learn as babies or children. Trial and error. You learn that if you get up from the ground you will fall down if you do not use balance. Up and down you try and try again. Then comes the day when you let go of your mommy's hand and take your first steps towards your daddy. Faith. Granted a baby has no idea that it is being subjected to the laws of gravity or faith. A baby simply reaps and sows or acts and reacts, always taking in new information and learning from the world around it and applying it to it's personal walk.
John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Not surprisingly, it seems that God knew that man would be a stubborn being. A little baby falls down over and over again before it learns to use it's legs, and God put in place physical laws so that we could understand spiritual laws.
The world would not have you believe in God. How could there be a God? You may as well believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. "Do not worry," they tell us, "we will find a different explanation for all of these questions. We just know that there can't be a God." And the little atoms, molecules, electrons, thoughts, emotions, and every part of their being start working together to tackle the universe. Defiance.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
People have created a deep science and have produced an explicandum of the world around us. Micro and macro discoveries enlighten us daily to a world far beyond our ordinary assumptions and teach us of the intricate workings of life. We can look into the night sky and watch satellites perusing through space. We keep watching and see a shooting star. We spot a plane as it blinks it's signals on it's way to some destination. We can explain all of these things.
Yet, in spite of all of this, science has not grasped the human brain in it's entirety, the mind.... the grey matter. They can tell us from which parts of the brain we have certain emotions like pain or pleasure. ....but what exactly is a thought? What does it look like? Or must it look like anything? Studies and research are en route to find the answers. Stimulating neuron after neuron, jotting down incoming information in organized statistics as they attach wires to heads, hearts and our fleshly parts and ask, "How do you feel?", "What did you think?", "Do you understand this?" and so-on.
All of this yet there are still no confident conclusions to explain the complexity of this single aspect of life: the grey matter where the physical world melds with the spiritual world.
The universe carries on: Scientists to their research, civilians to their work ...and those of us who believe in Jesus Christ continue to live by faith as we operate on things not seen. Operating on simple things like faith.
Vanity is to our soul as gravity is to our body... it eventually humbles us. God, knowing how conceited, foolish and stubborn mankind would be, created a force that would always bring man back to his own useless, empty, nothingness. Why did God do this? Mr. Peterson, one of the men in my church, ventured through the book of Ecclesiastes and I like how he summed it up: "God has subjected man to vanity that all might seek him."
We can build aircraft and fly in the clouds because we understand gravity and respect it and work with it. Once we understand God's plan for the universe and how He works through the Body of Christ in the church today we can be effective humans. Our life, our work, our passions are not in vain when we have the full knowledge of the kingdom of God. And it's not because of our own goodness or strength but because He can work through us.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Even more, it is His faith that we have.
I can be 100% sure of creation, sure of my salvation, sure of the rapture of the church the body of Christ... because the Bible tells me so, and the Bible is the Word of God, ...it IS God... (John 1:1) perfect and preserved through and for every generation.
Gal. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
And yet, even more that this, I have a substance in my being. One that no sort of scientific scope can detect. It is faith. Not just the faith I have where if I cross a bridge it will hold, or that if I slide my credit card my money will 'come forth', or that if I jump in the air gravity will surely bring me down.
No, this is not my faith, but the faith of my Father.... where when I look at the night sky and witness the dancing of Northern Lights or see a sunset that has caught the clouds on fire... I know that He is the Author of this universe and of the faith in my spirit. His faith is the substance. Even though the creation is enough to confirm that there is a God, the faith of the saints is yet more evidence.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
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