Facts About the Shamrock and St. Patrick’s Day

My favorite part about St. Pats day is always the shake

Source: savingdollarsandsense.com via Felicia on Pinterest

1. St. Patrick used it to symbolize the trinity and triune God.
2. Shamrocks were originally worn to represent crosses.
3. They are now worn on St. Patrick’s feast day.
4.  Short, but Good Video

5. Shamrocks are used to treat snake and scorpion bites.
6. The national symbol of Ireland is not the shamrock but the harp.
7. A shamrock is presented the Irish Guards by a member of the British Royal Family on St. Patrick’s Day.
8. The first written English reference to the shamrock is 1571.
9. St. Patrick was a British slave?
    Link to Video

10.  Several thoughts on the shamrock.

11. I’m not so sure about this video…but enjoy the humor.

12. Misc. Facts and a more in-depth history.  Created by some lil' kids.  The second half is a song.

13. My dad was born on St. Patrick’s Day and his name is Pat. Wish him a Happy Birthday below! 

White girl hair tutorial (it may work on a little black girls hair too, but I don’t know) ; )



More details about the history and symbolism of the shamrock.

PS if you did not catch it, this post is dedicated to my daddy.  Happy birthday again...Love you!!!

I am Thankful for My Water...

There are many things that I am thankful for.  As I was sitting, I was thinking that I was glad I could just walk into the kitchen and fill up my water bottle from the sink.

I was originally thinking that it was nice to not need a water filter simply to enjoy the taste.  Because in the Connor, I do need the water to be filtered.  See the Connor has some problems, like corroding pipes, rotting walls, and windows that don't open.  If you don't use the shower for a while (like Christmas vacation) you have to run the hot and cold water for several hours to get it clear.  It is completely safe, just has metal in it.  Anyways, if you look at some of these pictures of the building you might understand (why we live there and the beauty that is in the old buildings of Laramie).  We also have circular archways, which make it all worthwhile.

Anyways, I began to think a little broader and thought back to my recent Haiti trip.  I am extremely thankful that I don't have to pump my water, or bathe on the road or carry my water several miles.  I am thankful that I can turn on the faucet and even if the water taste funny, I can drink it.

I decided to write a post about the many things that I am thankful for.  Here are the first 13 that I rambled off in about 1 minute....what are your top 5?

 I am thankful that I can turn on a faucet and drink the water without getting sick
I am thankful for my friends and family
I am thankful for my husband
I am thankful for my education
I am thankful that I have the option to be a stay at home mom, artist, or work in a corporate position
I am thankful that I have a job
I am thankful for my computer
I am thankful for my artistic ability
I am thankful for music
I am thankful for flowers
I am thankful that I can spend time with those I love
I am thankful that I have had the experiences (both good and bad) that I have had
I am thankful that I have had positive role models throughout my life.


I created this YouTube video in response to this blog post and a video produced by Water.org featuring Matt Damon.

In conclusion,

Thank you God for all the wonderful blessings in my life.  

Thank you for both the big and the small.  

Thank you for everything that I take for-granted

and help me to see what is truly important in life.

Amen!

Next Haiti Trip...

...Or any Mission Trip

Things to remember for my next trip to Haiti

Things that worked well
1. Water – self filtering water bottle, tablets, and my camel back
2. String – no more than two colors per bundle
3. Little toys such as pogs (40 min), pre-cut string for friendship bracelets (40 min.)
4. A cooking magazine or a picture book
5. Excedrin Migraine
6. Pepto-Bismol tablets

New Ideas
1. Take nail polish to share with the girls. A huge need for the girls is quality time with other women. (could not be in a carry on)
2. Extra pens and pencils
3. An extra notebook to write kids names on and leave with the kids
4. Maybe some connect-the-dots or coloring books with crayons.
5. Low SPF sunscreen
6. A large warm scarf for the airport (I was thankful I had my lightweight large scarf but a warmer one would be better)
7. AirBorne and take daily or every other day.

Haiti Journal Entry 2 Scripture Memory

Isaiah 58:10-12
10 Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
12 Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes.
Isaiah 58:10-12

This is the theme verse for the week in Haiti.  I think I will start trying to memorize it today.  I am not sure that I will have it perfect, but that's not the end of the world.

I do have some tricks to share about memorizing a bible verse.

1. Read the Verse Out Loud
Read the reference at the beginning and end.  It is typically the hardest part to memorize so you say it much more often.

2. Learn the Verse 1 Word at a Time
Read the refernce, then the first word, then the reference, then the first and second word.  This continues through the whole verese.

3. Be Picky
You do want to learn the verse word-for-word.  Don't beat yourself up over a wrong word but keep in mind that our long term memory will remember the verse better if we say the same way in a month or a year.  Another reason for this is best summed up with the quote "the best lie is disguised as truth." It is easy to not be completely confident in what scripture says when you a shaky on your memorization.  If you know what it says then you wont have to question and others will be more likely to believe you.

4. Use the Same Traslation
This one is difficult for me because I have switched translations over the years.  This being said it has shown me exactly why it is important to stick with one version (for memorization).  It is easier to recognize a verse you have memorized and therefore you will be reviewing it simply from reading your Bible.  When I switch Bible I have read right over verses I know and not even recognized them.  Memorizing is difficult for many, myself included, and switching versions just makes the process more difficult.  There is nothing wrong with switching Bibles.  I might even suggest it if you use a less common translation, though I think my next Bible will be NIV and I will be memorizing a variety of versions.  Its a pain but like I said, I learned this the hard way.

5. Note Cards
Make note cards and store them in a file.  You can keep one or two in you pocket everyday.  I think that it is easier to focus on one verse at a time.  When you have several down you can review several at a time.   One technique could be to memorize one verse every day Monday through Friday and review all five on Saturdays and Sundays.  Then take every 4 weeks and work on all 15 verses all week.  This is just one strategy and most people will need to return to the verses more than just at the end of the month.

6. Quiz Time
It is great to have a friend quiz you. 

7. Goals
A friend can also help encourage you to memorize.  Memorizing together is much more fun.  You could practice and go out for coffee.

8. Every-Other-Word
You recite the verse by saying every other word with a friend.  This helps A LOT.  If you mess up one word both of you will be lost.  This is a great and fun exercise to practice.  Take turns starting with the references.

9. Read the Passage
Reading the passage, chapter or book will help you remember the context for the verese.

10. Translation
Read the verse in a variety of translations.  This will help you gain a deeper meaning of the verse.

11. Journal
Journal about what each word means to you any what the significance of the verse is.

12. Use Topics
The Topical Memory System (TMS) is a great way to memorize.  This is a great list of verses to start with.  The TMS Kit is also a wonderful purchase.  It comes with a work book that includes illustrations for sharing the gospel with others, based on these important verses.  The pack also comes with four (I think) versions for each verse.

13. Review Review Review
This is another one that I have learned the hard way.  If you stop reviewing your old cards you will forget the verses.  You may recognize them, but not be able to site or find or recite them.  If you can keep scripture in you head all the time you can better recognize truth.

I hope these tips help.  I am off to completing these verses, but first, does anyone out there have any good strategies for scripture memory or memorization in general?

How Much do you Know About Religion?

Here are my scores for a quiz I took on a variety of religions.  I missed a question about Ramadan (that I should have known) and the other was about the Bible in schools (I guessed on that one).

The sad thing is that (13 out of 15) 87% isn't that great : (

Here is the survey site.

Try the test yourself and let me know what you score in the comment section

See stats from a variety of groups below.  It is pretty nerdy but interesting.

Flowers

More art...

I am missing summer and Washington a bit.  Winter is beautiful but I miss the color and life.

Here are some photographs that I took over the summer.  I am fascinated by both large and small creations.  This set of photographs is focusing on small aspects of creation.  A couple summers ago, I went to a flower camp with my mother-in-law and we were introduced to some of the beauty that is smaller than the pinky fingernail of a small child.  It is miraculous that there is that much detail put into life forms that live above 14,000 feet.  These images are not from the camp but rather a large variety of climates in WA state, including rain forests, mountains (sub-alpine), the ocean, and a desert).

To see more of my photography see my photography blog.

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Maybe I will post some winter photos soon....

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13 Ways to Get Your Fruits & Veggies

We seem to eat a lot of sweets and too much food in general over the holidays so here are some ideas that can help reverse the negative effects of the over eating.  Some of these will satisfy the sweet tooth while at the same time, ensure that you get your fruits and vegetables.  Several of these simple recipes use a lot of sugar or dairy, and I realize that may not always be the best option for everyone, but the mail ingredient is either a fruit or a vegetable.  Many people do not get their recommended 5 fruits and veggies a day and after a carbohydrate overload out bodies probably need some extra fruits and veggies.  

Healthy Snacks

1. Carrot sticks with hummus - Garden or roasted red pepper flavors are my favorite.  Broccoli is also good.  I invite you to try a couple different flavors with different veggies.  I also enjoy using hummus on salad instead of dressing.

2. Dried fruit - A dehydrator will pay off quickly.  It also comes with recipes for fruits and veggies.  If you are like me and let fruit get old, just cut it up and dehydrate it (I dip it in a honey and water mix about half and half).  This seems to make the best banana chips.  Fruit leather is also great - use a blender add honey, sugar or 100% fruit juice concentrate.  Apple sauce also works well.  My husband argues that it is not worth it to buy applesauce, but believe me, it is.

3. Trail Mix made from your dried fruit - I know that peanuts can be high in fat, but when mixed with a lot of fruit it is marvelous.  It is cheaper to make your own.

4. Veggie Chips - I recently saw these at our local Co-op.  I have not tried them but it seems that if you took carrots and dipped them in a b.sugar and water mixture they would be really good and sweet.  There are also recipes for dried cucumber.

5. Veggie Rolls - This one may not be the healthiest but it is one of the few ways my husband will eat vegetables.  Take a tortilla, spread a thin layer of cream cheese, making sure that one edge has a thicker layer to seal the roll.  Cut up carrots and cucumber (works best if sliced using a peeler - not chunks) and sprinkle that on the shell as well.  be careful not to get too many veggies on the edge with extra cream cheese.  Roll it all up starting at the end that doesn't have extra cream cheese and slice like you would a sushi roll.  These are quick, fairly healthy and will make you the life of the party.  You can try other veggies (maybe mushrooms or onions) and use fat free cream cheese, if desired.

6. Apples and Cheddar Cheese - Slice an apple and slice some cheddar cheese and eat one slice of each.  Some people eat peanut butter with their apples.  Be careful PB has a lot of calories and fat (same as peanuts) but it is perfect for vegetarians.

7. Fruit Smoothies - Take frozen fruit, vanilla yogurt, water (milk or fruit juice) and toss in a blender.  There is plenty of flavor, I typically use water.  If the drink gets stuck or the blender acts strange, you typically need more water.  These are great in the summer.

8. Fruit and yogurt - Easy take a couple tablespoons of yogurt and mix in a bunch of fruit.  You can use yogurt as the sauce in a fruit salad.

Easy Side Dish Ideas

9. Cheesy beans - My favorite way to prepare this is using yellow beans from my grandma's garden, however that is not always possible.  Canned green beans (NO SALT ADDED - only ingredients are beans and water - Most canned fruits and veggies have the option of sugar or salt - go without).  Cook on the stove, draining most of the water and adding 1 - 2 slices of cheese/can of beans.

10. Asian Vegetables - This is another way that my husband will eat vegetables.  Take frozen or canned vegetables (Asian frozen veggies work well - I sometimes add green beans or carrots from my grandma's garden).  Cook them on the stove as you normally would.  Add soy sauce and honey.  I use about half and half.  The recipe called for peanut oil, sesame seeds and cooks the veggies in the oven.  Add only if you know what you are doing and feel free to bake them if that is how you cook your veggies.  We don't keep sesame seeds on hand, I don't like Peanut oil, and we don't have oven safe dishes, so I made up the recipe I gave you.

11. Eggplant Pizza - Use eggplants as the crust.  Find a firm eggplant, dip it in a flour breading mixture and fry it in as little vegetable oil as possibly (This is the unhealthy part but it is smart to vary your vegetables).  Add pizza sauce and cheese.

12. Cutie Salad - Romaine lettuce (if you smell the root and it doesn't smell, this will be the best, and you might not need dressing).  Sliced carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, radishes, other types of lettuce, all work well on top of the salad, if desired.  Sprinkle cheese on top and add cutie oranges around the side.  Add dressing of you choice, if you choose (keep in mind, garden flavored hummus might be enough).  If you find a bundle of lettuce with no smell there is a good chance you will want/need much less dressing.  You can also try olive oil and vinegar (flavored works well).

One Simple Meal Recipe

13. Homemade pizza - you can make or purchase dough.  When I purchase it we use the Jiffy boxed stuff or the Frozen packs of 5 loafs.  We prefer the frozen but you have to plan it the night before.  Follow crust instructions.  My favorite pizza toppings are canned pineapple (we tried cutting fresh pineapple and it is not good) and Sweet Heat Jalepenos.  I try to avoid pepperoni but you can use it.






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SMART Goals and Other Tips

My tips 

1. Use Tweet What You Eat or other online resources – Tweet What You Eat is an add on or extension of Twitter. It allows you to text what food you ate and the amount of calories to an online counter. It then adds them up. You can also include exercise and calories burned. This will help you see how much you really eat as well as see if you have met your healthy calorie intake and exercise for the day. I would recommend using TWYE for about a month. This is long enough to learn that you do naturally but not so long that you become unhealthily obsesses with calories.

Other resources

Tweet What You Spend is similar. My husband wanted a budget tracker that was more complex so he created a spread sheet in google docs. You could also use excel.

XXXChurch.com. or x3church.com is great for those of you who want to kick a porn habit/addiction.

2. Make your goals fit you. Foe example, experts say to make goals quantifiable. This is a good strategy however it doesn’t work for me all of the time. Some of my goals are (such as reading the bible every day or making a grocery list of two meals one week a month) but most of my goals are not.

3. Write your goals down and record how you are doing. When you write them down, use detail and explain your reasons and some possible ways you would like to see yourself complete the goals. Don’t be afraid to say that one goal will be more difficult than another.

4. To record you goals, you can blog or journal, have an accountability partner, or use the online resources I mentioned above. Make sure that you can be honest in the recording part. If you need to set up an anonymous blog or user name, do it.

5. Break down Large goals into smaller goals. My large goal may be to be a better wife. I now need to break that down in to specifics on how I want to do that
6. Include staying healthy or getting healthy and break that into specifics. I suggest this because wanting to be healthy will keep you from taking weight loss, or exercise too far. Also taking time to relax will help you keep the “bad belly fat” away. Getting dressed up and exercising will both boost your confidence. Getting enough sleep will help you loose weight (when I quit working overnights I lost over 8 pounds in a week just by getting enough sleep).

5 tips for a healthier you


1 – 5 SMART Goals

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reward, Target Date



Specific Goal Tips 

The Diet Tips video includes eating dark chocolate and exercising. Too bad I hate dark chocolate.

Quit Smoking


Budgeting



If you are in debt read DAVE RAMSEY! He is intense but has a lot of good stuff to say.



More Tips.

Please add your best tips to help others with their resolutions!!!! If you have a resolution blog post it below.

Second Round of Christian Rock Bands

Alright guys, people are requesting music so here is your second round of 13 Christian Rock Bands.  There is no order.  I know that this list could be altered and made better.  I replaced bands and thought of more throughout the process but I had to stop.  I am curious to know what you favorites are.  I do apologize for the lack of older bands.  I didn't really get into the scene until 2005 so I missed a lot of the greats.

My first list - My favorites

1. August Burns Red

2. As I Lay Dying

3. As Cities Burn

4.Living Sacrifice

5. Relient K - arguably pop punk but they are on this list anyway. : )

6. FireFlight

7.Number One Gun

8.Zao

9.Emery

10.Becoming the Archetype

11. POD

12. The Almost

13. Children 18:3

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My Apartment Building

You guys said that you wanted more art, so here is some of my photography.

Here are thirteen photographs of the apartment building I live in and the surrounding area.  I called this series The Laramie Project.  My husband and I are really enjoying being downtown.  The Connor Apartments used to be The Connor Hotel, a fancy hotel and brothel.  When it was converted to apartments the architects decided to have fun with the residents.  Our apartment has circular archways and our friends have 3 bathrooms and one bedroom.  It is great fun...

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My Top 13 Christian Rock Bands

I have actually seen all of these bands except the last two live.  This list is based on my favorites.  There are many other lists and I was forced to leave many of my favorites off of this list.  I will create at least one more rock one and probably miscellaneous genre list (ska, Celtic punk, and hip-hop)

1. Showbread

2. Demon Hunter

3. The Showdown

4. mewithoutYou

5. Haste the Day

6. Disciple

7. Project 86

8. Underoath

9. The Devil Wears Prada

10. Chevelle

11. Thousand Foot Krutch

12. Norma Jean

13. Oh Sleeper

Who is on your top 13 list?  How would you change mine?  Let me know below.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

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