Verse of the day: "I'm on my way. I'll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown." (Rev 3:11)

Book Review:  I finished this book at the same time as Leviticus, since my plan had me reading both at the same time. It is not known who exactly wrote this book, but it was a letter written to Jewish believers. This book emphasized and explained the trasnfer between the old covenant (sacrificing of animals in the New Testament to atone for sin) to the New Covenant (one sacrifice for all people for all time- Christ)... It talked about all the Jewish people in the "hall of faith" who demonstrated this new "faith-based" covenant with God, even before Christ came, and encouraged these new Jewish converts to "keep their eyes fixed on Jesus" and not be discouraged by the current persecution, but to continue growing in the faith. I really enjoyed this book, mostly because a lot of the old covenant/new covenant comparisons held a lot more meaning for me this time around. I think it helped that I was reading Leviticus (old covenant stuff) at the same time as I was reading this Hebraic explanation of the new covenant. Made me grafeful for the relationship I have with Christ, and the forgiveness he offers for all my black marks! :)

Things that are awesome:

*Learning how to cook new things.  Since I'm living at home right now, mom, dad and I take turns cooking meals for each other... Tonight I tried a new recipe for a tortilla casserole, and it turned out great! I don't have a ton of cooking experience, but if felt good to take on the challenge! http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Tortilla-Beef-Bake









Far Side of the Day:

Urban dictionary word of the Day: brain-spin=The inability to sleep because of your mind fixating on a thought.

Psych Fact of the Day: Dorothea Dix=famous advocate for the rights of the mentally ill in the U.S. in the 1800's.

Verse of the Day: "Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us, who blood-washed our sins from our lives...Riding the clouds, he'll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him, people from all nations and all times." (Rev 1:5-7)

Book Review:  ... As the picture indicates, this book forwas basically a listing of all the different sacrifices and laws God laid out for the Israelites when they were preparing to move into the Promised Land.  Even though the majority of these laws don't apply anymore because a new Covenant came to us through Christ in the New Testament, reading this book didn't turn out to be as droll as I expected.  Even though there were parts of it that were definetly less  than interesting, God did teach me some neat things through it.  One of the most important things I picked up on this time through was all the emphasis that was placed on reverance/respect for God. Over and over He commands the Israelites to do what he is asking because "He is God"... reminding them of His position of power, and their need to respect it.  (e.g. "Be holy because I, God your God, am holy." 19:1, "Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you" 20:7-8,  "Don't desecrate my holy name, I insist on being treated with reverance... I am God" 21:32).  It occured to me that I often don't treat God with as much reverance as I should.. I chuck my Bible in my purse so the pages get bent... I talk about silly things in His Church before service starts instead of preparing myself for worship.... I think sometimes we forget how big and powerful He is because we don't see and hear Him out loud as much as people in the Bible did... This book was a great reminder to me of what an AWESOME God I serve.

Things that are awesome: ... Book shopping.  I am a nerd and I don't care who knows it- I love books!!!  Alyssa and I went to Barnes & Noble and Half-Price books today to find new ones for our collections-we both fly through them like no tomorrow! The great thing is that we share our books with each other, sending them back and forth (she lives in Rochester... was here visiting this weekend), so we each get twice as many to read! We like a lot of the same types of books, which works well, AND we occasionally introduce each other to new genres and authors, which is great too. :) Yay books and friends!!

Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Bro-Sama Bin Laden= A best friend that you never see. He's always hiding or just at home.

Psych Dictionary: Gain-Loss principle= Opinions towards you that change (e.g. someone who didn't like you but now does, or someone who did like you but now doesn't) have more of an impact than opinions that remain constant.

9/28/12

Verse of the Day: "Don 't cheat each other. Fear your God. I am God, your God. (Leviticus 25:17)

Things that are awesome:  .. Tamara from Awkward.  Plays the crazy-best-friend role PERFECT; she is hilarious!  She is full of all these crazy abbreviations like TIA (this. is. awkward.) and PTXD (post. traumatic. ex. disorder) that never fail to crack me up. And she is very real; loud and awkward and broken.. just like the rest of us.   Best friends rule!!

*MY Best friend Alyssa.   .. She's coming to visit me this weekend- I"m so excited. Yay!! We've only known each other for a few years, but we've been through some rough stuff together, and we're coming out the other side stronger!! Its great to have someone who understaands what you've gone through, and who you can be completely genuine and honest with..  without worrying about the aftermath.  As I said, best friends rule!!

*Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: PTXD- Post Traumatic Ex Disorder: Prolonged heartache/inability to get over a past relationship; manifesting in continual reliving of past memories and or emotional outbursts.

Psych fact of the Day: Cardinal Traits: Characteristics of a person that he/she bases her life around; i.e. faith, ambitions, moral standards...

9/27/12

Verse of the Day: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV

Things that are awesome:  This awesome organization that coordinates volunteers to package meals that get sent to starving people worldwide.  There's a location in Chanhassen that I went and voluteered at with some people from Westwood Church tonight.  It was a blast! You work in teams to pack these bags of rice, chicken, veggies, and soybeans that get sent to missionaries and relief groups in various countries- tonight the 31 boxes we packed were getting sent to Haiti.  You sign up for a two hour slot, watch a couple of videos before and after, and spend about an hour and half packing. Its a blast and it makes a huge difference. You can also donate to help fund the food they send. Check it out! www.fmsc.org/

Daily Play: www.youtube.com/watch?v

 Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Pumped-up Kicks: The phrase 'pumped up kicks' basically means shoes that are very expensive. It could also be taken as it's non-literal term meaning 'the latest and greatest apparel items'.

Psych Fact of the Day: Research demonstrates that, contrary to popular opinion, cohabitation actually leaves people LESS prepared for marriage than people who DON'T live together beforehand. According to various studies, married couples who "shacked up" before marriage score worse an almost every scale imaginable- from marital satisfaction, to commitment, to domestic abuse, to divorce rates... Don't be fooled people!

Verse of the Day: “For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Hebrews 10:30)

Things that are awesome:

* .. The unexpected.   So this morning my dad had a fridge delivered to the house, and I was the one home to supervise.  It ended up being two really friendly black guys who hummed as they worked. :)  One of them asked about my dad's guitar, and we ended up talking about a music a little.  I told them that my dad wants me to play bass but that I"m a singer... when all of a sudden one of them was like "let's hear something.. I want to hear the voice." I hesitated for a second but then thought "what the hell" so I sang them the chorus of Rolling in the Deep.  They grinned huge and were like "aaaaallll Right!"- made me laugh.  I love unexpected funny things like that. :)

*Adult birthday parties.  Although getting older is depressing, I LOVE the simplicity of birthday parties when people get older.  No buying-presents hassle, no overly sugary cake with WAAAY to much frosting... Just a fun night out on the town usually.  I'm going to one tonight- at karoake baby! Yeah!!

Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Baby goggles= A phenomenon where the parents of an ugly baby think their baby is adorable and no one else does.

Psych fact of the day: Attribution Error: People's tendency to blame other people's situations on dispositions rather than circumstance. (e.g. that kid is a bully because he is an evil person vs. that kid is a bully because he was raised in an abusive home where violence was demonstrated as a solution to problems).

Verse of the Day: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1 NIV

Things that are awesome:  This one pretty much goes without saying, but seriously this place saves my BUTT everyday... We have one at target and this magical cup of two shots espresso saves me from having narcaleptic fits everytime there's a lull. Yay coffee!!

 The guidance counselor in Awkward... I just started watching the show after hearing about it from my masseuse last weekend (can you say RANDOM??), and as scandalous as it can sometimes be, I can't help but love it just for this character.  She is so socially insensitive, awkward, and just HILARIOUS.  I wish my guidance counselor in high school had been like that... probably would have helped a lot of people take themselves less seriously.. :)

Daily Play:

► 4:06

www.youtube.com/watch?v...nLM Far Side of the Day: Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Balls out=To exude tremendous effort, to try extremely hard. (I decided to slack off and get a B in the class, but Ross went balls out and got a 100%)   Psych fact of the day: Learned helplessness: a phenomenon first proven in an experiment with dogs; in the experiment dogs were placed on a floor that continously shocked them.. initially there were huge walls all around it so when they tried to jump over and off the floor, there was no escape.  Later on, the walls were lowered so that they could have jumped over if they wanted to... but they didn't even try. They had LEARNED helplessness, and carried that over into a new situation, even though they weren't really helpless anymore! This same sad phenomenon has been witnessed in humans as well.

Verse of the Day: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

Things that are awesome: *Commercials that are actually funny. I saw this one for wheat thins today, and couldn't help but smile.  Everytime someone bought some at work today, it was all I could do to keep from cracking up. Check it out. :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX8...


* Leg warmers!!! Just bought a couple pairs the other day- they are so warm and comfly! I'm thinking about starting my own leg-warmer society in tribute-any takers? :)

Todays Play:  "Feel so close" by Calvin Harris. www.youtube.com/watch?v

Far Side of the Day:

\Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Boo=Boyfriend or girlfriend

Psych Fact of the day: Even though elderly people with dementia may or may not remember visits of relatives, studies have shown that patients with no visitors have a much more rapid rate of mental deterioration. :(  In other words, neglect hurts, even if they cant remember it. :(

9/23/12

Verse of the day:“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4 NIV

Things that are awesome:  Although not the most Biblical concept ever (we're supposed to leave revenge up to God) I couldn't help but be captivated by this show... partly because it shows both the good AND bad sides of revenge. Basically, the show is about a girl who loses her dad to prison after he is falsely charged of a crime, who then grows up and decides to change her name, go back to her old town, and go after all the people who conspired against him.  The first season is a complex web of current events and flashbacks, leading to a dramatic season finale.  The next season starts a week from now- I'm so excited! The first season is on sale in stores now, so catch up if you can. :)

 Poetry writing.  I've been writing off and on since high school, but a poetry class in college helped develop my skills a ton.  I haven't written in awhile, but last night I got inspired, and it was awesome! I mostly write free-verse, and I love the way that this type of poetry writing helps me express things I wouldn't be able to with just regular writing... sometimes I"M even suprised by what comes out of it.  I don't usually share my poems, because they are very personal... I would encouarge anyone who loves writing to give it a try though! Its fun!

Far Side of the day:
 

Urban dictionary word of the day: Awkward Turtle=During an awkward moment, this hand gesture is used to mark the situation as awkward, and, depending on the situation, makes it more awkward or clears the air. The awkward turtle is made by putting one hand on top of the other with the thumbs sticking outward and rotating forward. The speed of the rotating thumbs depends on the degree of awkwardness.

Boy- "I love you."
Girl- "Um...that's cool..."
Boy- *AWKWARD TURTLE*

Verse of the Day: "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.
Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed- that exhilarating finish... he could put up with anything along the way." (Hebrews 12:2)

Things that are awesome:
 The walk around Lake Calhoun.  My mom and I went for a walkathon for disabled adults out there this morning, and with all the fall colors, it was gorgeous. Anyone in the area should head out there before the snow flies!!

Professional Massage: I've been having some killer headaches and backaches lately (hence the lack of blog last night), so I finally broke down and went in for a massage today. It felt so good to have some of the knots worked out..not something I could afford to have done regularly, but a nice treat every now and again. :)

Daily Play:  "This Love will be your downfall." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Voctl_nw7cM&feature=related

Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary of the Day: anti-social networking: Using a social networking web site or service to connect to other people but never communicating with those people once they have been established as a connection.

(I can't believe it... we haven't spoken to Randy since high school. He added us as friends on Facebook but never responds to any of our messages. He has over 100 friends but we've never even seen him post a comment. Talk about antisocial networking!)

9/20/12

Verse of the day: “Be glad...  rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.” Joel 2:23 NIV

Things that are awesome:  'Hesitate' by Steve Moakler....  I'm nor usually into mellow songs but I heard this one in a movie last weekend, and its been in my head all week.  Great vocals and guitar- give it a listen. www.youtube.com/watch?v

 ... Long naps.  I had the day off today, so I found a warm spot in the sun, and curled up under my blanket. Ahhh!!  Sleep is so sweet.

Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: aisle salmon=The act of moving in the opposite direction of everyone else using the aisle. While they can be spotted in any type of aisle, they are frequently seen on airlines during loading and deplaning.

(Did you see the 'aisle salmon' trying to work his way back five rows to get a roller bag our of the overhead while everyone was trying to get off the plane?)

9/19/12

Verse of the day: "this time I'm writing out tr plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts...they'll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean." (Hebrews 8:11-12)

Things that are awesome:  Went w my dad so he could buy an electric guitar. This place is like a toy store for musicians- guitars, keyboards, drums, ukuleles... And super friendly! The salespeople were super informative w my dad, and there are stools everywhere so you can sit and play whatever you want.. I def strummed a few basses (my dads latest dream for me)! :) check it out music lovers! 

Far side of the day:                                                                                                                                   

Urban Dictionary word of the Day: afterclap -- That last person/people who keep(s) clapping after everyone else has stopped. Normally parents, but it could be die-hard fans etc.

9/18/12

Verse of the Day: "a system of commandments that never worked out hte way it was supposed to, was set aside... Another way- Jesus!-a way that does work, that brings us right into the presence of God, is put in its place." (Hebrews 7:16)

Things that are awesome:  ... The last ever episode of House. Caught it again on TV today (my third time so far) and it never ceases to impress me.  They really bring everything in the show together, and end it all in such a perfect way. Even though I was sad the show was over, I was smiling at the end, in spite of myself... It was that good. Even people who have only watched House occasionally would get something out of it I think.  It can be viewed for free on Hulu.com right now- check it out!!

Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Amazonukkah=When Christmas really lasts 8 days because the presents take longer to deliver from Amazon.com than anticipated by the purchaser. This is often caused by the reckless use of Super Saver Shipping on items which were bought on Christmas Eve. As a result, the presents are received in small amounts each day over an 8 day period, similar to Hanukkah.

Psych fact of the day: Bystander effect= tendency of people NOT to intervene in a crises due to pluralistic ignorance (see previous blog) or diffusion of responsibility (thinking, surely someone else witnessing this will take care of it). First discovered by psychologists in the famous case of the brutal stabbing of a women named Kitty Genovieve.  She was attacked, ran away, was attacked again, ran again, and was finally killed the third time the killer caught up with her.  Dozens of people heard the screams/witnessed this, but, tragically, no one intervened. This phenomenon has also been confirmed in laboratory settings.

9/17/12

Verse of the Day: "The purity of silver and gold is tested by putting them in the fire. The purity of human hearts is tested by giving them a little fame." (Proverbs 27:21)

Book Review:
 ... Another letter from the apostle Paul, this time to a man named Titus, that he had left in charge of a new church in Crete. In it, Paul instructs him on how to choose leaders, how to keep the people growing in the faith, and to encourage them to lead more disciplined lives.  The part that stood out to me most was Paul's description of what makes a good male leader.. "well-thought of, committed to [their wives], not pushy, not short-tempered, not drunk, not money-hungry, has a good grip on the Message." The way I see it, those characteristics can be found in ANY good man, whether leader or not.  Definetly the kind of things I'm going to look for in a future husband..  :)

Things that are awesome: Leaves changing colors.  Its finally starting to happen in Minnesota thanks to the recent cold spell.  The trees all look so beautiful- Ahhhh!!

Far Side of the Day:

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: alt-tabbin': An act of quickly switching the current application to something work-appropriate when the boss walks in.

Psych fact of the day: Pluralistic Ignorance= Tendency of humans, when witnessing an emergency situation to, if they see other bystanders not responding, wrongly assume that it must not actually need addressing.

"Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived can get the better of God." (Proverbs 21:30)

Book Review:  .. Just finished this one. Basically a letter from the apostle Paul to the church that he had planted earlier in Corinth.  It covers a variety of topics, the most famous being what real love is (ch 13) that always gets read at weddings, but also about remaining humble and respecting one another, how to continue growing in the faith, and some guidance on choosing a married life vs a life of singleness. He also explains the communion part of the church service, and what it means, different spiritual gifts people can have, etc... Things that stand out to me change every time I read it, but one of my favorite verses this time around was in the chapter about singleness vs. marriage; it said "And don't be wishing you were somewhere else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there." A good reminder for me.

Things that are awesome: The Far Side.  I was doing some file/bookshelf cleaning this weekend, and I came across my old Far Side weekly calendars.  All the old comics never fail to make me smile. :)
i.e.:



 GREAT Jazzy/soul feel to this one- Just discovered/fell in love with it this week. Totes singing it at Karoake this Tues. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBmwdlBFs1s

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: adverblasting=When a commercials audio is much louder than the program that you actually want to watch's audio.

 

Psych Fact of the Day: Werneke's area: Part of the brain that helps you understand what words mean. Damage to this area leads to inability to understand people when they are talking to you... because you can't interpret the words they are speaking into actual meaning.

Verse of the Day: “[Two Kinds of Wisdom] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13

Things that are awesome:

*My sister and Aaron got engaged today. So happy for them! Yay!

  I love this movie. Watched it again with Jen tonight.. Definetly a classic, even though everytime Michael J. Fox was talking I thought of Chance from Homeward Bound (who he also played). Ha ha.

Hoverboards:  Skateboards that hover above the ground in Back to the Future 2. How sick is that? I totally want one!!

Urban Dictionary word of the day: a-crapella: Singing out loud while listening to music with your headphones on. Whereas the singer gets the benefit of the music, those unfortunate to be standing nearby are subjected to an unaccompanied (and invariably crappy) rendition of the song.

Psych fact of the day: Corpus Colossum: band of thick fibers that connect the left and right sides of the brain so they can communicate with each other.

9/14/12

Verse of the Day:  "The ways of the right-living glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine." (Proverbs 4:18)

Things that are awesome:

 Northwestern College Professors.  I am in the process of applying to graduate schools, so I contacted one of my old psych professors/advisors from Northwestern, and asked for a recommendation, and if I could meet with him to talk about my plans.  I figured he could give me some good advice, and he gave me way more than I was hoping for! He sat with me for an hour and a half on a Friday afternoon, helping me answer all sort of questions I had about different programs, and schools.. I feel so much better informed than I did before.  He even prayed for me at the end!  How many professors would go to that much trouble for an alumni? ... Not many.  Top notch.

Same storyline as the book (see earlier blog post), but obviously an abridged film version. For a film adaptation, it was better than most in my opinion. I found it at Walmart for $13, buy it if you can readers- it will totally be worth the money!!

Urban Dictionary word of the day: Auto-Incorrect: When the auto-correct feature on your iPod Touch or iPhone tries to correct your spelling, but instead changes it to words that just dont make sense with what you're typing. ( i.e. JR: Hey what time should i come?
Victor: I dont know... Are you busty all evening?

I MEAN BUSY!!
ARE YOU BUSY ALL EVENING!

GOSH I HATE AUTO INCORRECT!)

Psych fact of the day: 27% of all homeless people have some sort of mental illness.

9/13/12

Verse of the day: "Finally, all of you, be sympathetic, love one another! Be compassionate and humble." (1 Peter 3:8)

Random thought of the day: I absolutely LOVE fall. It is my favorite season by far. All the pretty leaves changing, and a relief from the summer heat. Everyday I just want to sit outside for hours and read, amd I enjoy my bike rides to work too!. I hate being inside under artificial lighting all day. In the perfect world, they would have a checklane that could be rolled outside so I could ring up customers in the sunshine!!!

Things that are awesome: Scarves!! One of the best things about fall arriving as that I get to pull out my collection again. Boys prob won't understand this, but scarves are great because they can brighten up any outfit AND if you wear them right, they feel real warm and cozy around the neck... .a little like getting a hug all day! My sister amd I both have a ton... I think she's winning now tho (darn it!)

The Voice & the X factor.  Both started up again this month.. These shows are both singing competitions that audition thousands from all over the U.S amd then choose a select group to compete against each other for a cash prize amd a record contract. Some of the details are slightly different in each show (I.e in the voice each contestant gets to CHOOSE their judge for the show, and in the X factor they automatically have all 4), but the basic concept is the same. This past summer I tried out for the voice w a couple friends, and my cousin tried out for X factor. None of us made it all the way, but it was still super fun. My auditioning friend and I are watching the Voice in order to strategize for next year. Look out judges! :). Anyways, anyone who loves to sing or just loves music in general would enjoy these shows. If you've missed them so far you can catch up on Hulu.com. ;)

Psych fact of the day: stranger anxiety = fear of unfamiliar faces. A stage that children got through starting at about 12 months, followed immediately by separation anxiety (fear of being separated from parents) at age 2. Between ages 3-5, most children progress past both. 

Verse of the day: "And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort." (1 Cor 15:58)

Book Review: I've read this book many times. When I was struggling with depression a few years back, I couldn't really take all the sadness it held, but now that I"m in a better place, I was able to appreicate again.  Basically its the story of a man who is very good, and when God tells Satan this, Satan challenges God that Job is only good because God blesses him.  God responds by allowing Satan to test Job... to strip him of all his posessions, children, and his health. The rest of the book is a conversation between Job and his friends, where Job's friends insist that he must have done something wrong, and Job insists that he hasn't, and demands and audience with God, so God can explain to him why he did all this. Eventually God shows up, confronts Job, with the rather difficult fact that He is God and He can do whatever He wants, and no one is smart enough to question his judgement.  In the end, Job apologizes for challenging God, and God restores everythign he had, and gives him 10 new children. ... The moral of the story is basically that life isn't fair... that suffering isn't always the result of doing evil, that bad things sometimes happen to good people. Believers like Job just have to wrestle through it, and trust that God has an overall plan in everything.  As someone who has experienced suffering (I lost vision in my left eye at age 11, and I've had a history of depression), this book is very meaningful to me, and new things stand out to me each time I read it.  Any readers who struggle with the 'why do bad things happen to good people?' question, would appreciate this book.

Things that are awesome:

Men that can do justice to Brian Mcknight songs.... So I was at Karoake last night with Jen and Paul, and this black guy went up and started singing "Back at One" which is my favorite love song EVER.. and from the first note I was captivated. I even went up the tables at the front to watch him sing, like a dork.  He was just SO GOOD-ARGHH!! I shook his hand and told him he did a great job.  I SO need to marry a man who can sing!!!

*People with funny pets.    ... I was watching the second episode of The Voice, and all of a sudden there was an interview with Cee-Lo and he had a PINK PARROT on his shoulder. I burst out laughing when I saw it.. This big black man with a little pink bird. It was awesome!!

*Psych fact of the day: Delusions of Reference: One of the several types of delusions associated with schitzophrenia; the feeling that other people are all talking about you.