you are what you eat...?

I was reading an article this morning. (I always try to read something educational each day) This one is about what is in the food we eat. What the "ingredients" mean in common terms.

• Carmine (aka red food coloring): commonly used in cranberry drinks, strawberry flavors, yogurt, anything red. Contains dried, ground bugs. The female Dactylopius coccus costa (the bug) feeds on red berries, the berries stay in their stomach and in their unhatched larvae. Basically squish it and get red food coloring that we eat.
• Carrageenan (Seaweed) - used to thicken ice cream, pudding, etc.
• Gelatin (Jell-o, Gummy stuff) get this, contains...several different animal parts, including ligaments, skin, tendons and bones.
• Bacteriophages (Sprayed on deli meats and cheese) sounds nasty but this one actually does a good thing, it kills listeria (not a clue what that is, but it will kill you if you eat it). The gross part is the bacteriophages are a mixture of viruses.
• Shellac (shiny coating on fruits, hard coating on jelly-beans) this is made from the excretions of Kerria lacca insects. FYI excretion means leaving the body...urine, feces, or sweat.

The kicker in this to me is vegetarian lobbyists are trying to get the FDA to put on these "vegetarian" food items, that they do in fact use animal products.

Gross...but I feel educated for the morning.

ABS

FIRST

Here is something to think about...

• Was your last previous kiss as exciting as your FIRST?
• Did saying "I love you" to your spouse give you the same rush as the FIRST time?
• Are you as excited today about Jesus as the FIRST day you met Him?
• Are you as much of a new creation today as you were the FIRST day you were saved?(ahh, yea that's a good one...)
• What have you done to grow spiritually from the FIRST day you were saved?

Take the first two questions for example. In life after we repeatedly do things they loose there "wow" factor if you will. It's human nature, it's reality. When I am listening to a sermon or reading my bible I try to comprehend everything with a new attitude, like I am learning it for the first time. I think one of the most dangerous things a Christian can do is listen to something and say "Oh I've heard this before" or "same sermon as before". You can hear something 50 times and, with the right attitude, get something different out of it each time, and maybe that 51st time you finally actually GET IT and can share it with someone who needs what you have just learned.

2 Corinthians 5:17: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God...

I have heard this scripture numerous times. It went through my head this morning and I realized something. NEW PERSON...when I have heard this taught it has been talking about when someone gets saved old things are gone, washed clean, they are a new person. Where in that scripture does it when when someone gets saved? I says if anyone is in Christ he is a NEW CREATURE. I'm in Christ, I'm just as new now as when I first got saved. AND this is yet ANOTHER gift from God.

I encourage you to relearn things you already think you know, make what is repetitive new and just as exciting as the first time you heard it. Pick your favorite or most talked about scripture and dig into it, pick it apart and learn something new. You can never, ever know everything there is to know about God, He is too amazing for that. Learn something new today.

My luck and cleaning

So I started cleaning my house yesterday. Not your typical cleaning...but "spring" cleaning. Cabinets, closets, or laundry room (that is used as storage for everything but laundry), coat closet (that has a spare tire in it and you can't see the coats), you know..."spring" cleaning. Also for about one year I have wanted to move our TV across the living room. Since we have satellite this means routing 2 cables around the outside of our house and drilling a new hole through our house (brick) and into the living room. So here is how all of that "spring" cleaning is going so far....

• Laundry Room - I moved Jeremy's tool box up on a shelf. (You know the red Coleman toolbox that every man has, but seldom uses?) Well I'm a little person, I had the tool box almost above my head and on the shelf when it slips in the metal corner falls on my neck. You know the soft middle part. So I gagged for about 5 minutes and prayed I wouldn't see blood. I didn't, so were good. (Of course I was home alone for this accident, shh don't tell)
• "Music" room closet - The junk closet, or at least one of them. I opened the door and of course tons of things started falling. I see a 1200 piece puzzle right on top of a pillow, it didn't fall! Good Luck right? Well, then I went to get the puzzle box and touched it, the top flew off and puzzle fell down. All 1200 pieces, one at a time, all the way to the bottom of the closet.
• As I tried to catch some pieces as they were falling and Jeremy starts calling me for help with the TV. He has routed the cable outside and drilled a hole in our wall. We just have to push the cable through the hole and we are good to go. It's a little hole. So after many failed attempts to get the cable through Jeremy suggests that I put my finger in the wall and feel around for the cable. I put my pinkie in the wall, moved it around, I found the cable. Good Luck right? I went to pull my pinkie out, it was stuck. Not like "OMG stuck, and jerk it out" but stuck, freaking out, jerking and pulling, twisting and shouting, until I got it out. It's just a tad bit red and swollen for the rest of the night.
• Guest Bedroom (or Katja's room as I call it) - There is a queen size bed in there I promise. You can't see it, but it's in there somewhere. My cat went in the "danger zone" room last night, I haven't heard from her since.
• Today...I woke up, our living room looks amazing, TV in it's new spot. The "music" room closet is spotless. Laundry room is perfect. Then I went to our Kitchen...you can't see the table or floor for all the boxes, trash, "attic" pile, "yard sale" pile, and 1200 puzzle pieces. Our bedroom has a walking path, that's all I can ask for at this point.

I look at my hands...7 out of 10 fingers are bleeding, at least they are all still attached...again, it's all I can ask for at this point.

ABS

3 Months

Well today is my one year anniversary at my work. So why does the title say "3 months" you ask? I'll tell you! Ever since I was about 13 I guess I have had this thing. Pick anything, such as: relationship, church, a job, college, etc. I have a thing that after 3 months I know for a fact if I am going to stick with something. With relationships, if there is any doubt, after the 3 month mark, I am done and gone. I get picked on a lot (cough - Jeremy) for dating around a lot. Here's the "stats" of those relationships: (guessing on the number)
10 guys - dated 3 months each
Jeremy - 6 years and counting
I know when something is going to work out, it's a instinct I have. So, 9 months ago I sat back and thought about this job and if I wanted to stick with it. I knew that I did, and here I am. Even if I don't think it will last forever, I know if it's worth sticking around to find out. I like having this "tic" about me. I can usually tell with other people if something will last or not too. I like it, maybe I'm weird, but I think it's unique! (In general I am only honest with myself on how long I think things will last. I can't bring myself to be that honest to other people. After all it's just an opinion when you think about it.)

BUT conclusion and music!

SO I tried to go without saying BUT for a while. Did anyone else try? Well, if you did I'm sure you found out the same thing I did. IT'S HARD, I will even say impossible! BUT (ha) I did try, and now I try my hardest to keep from saying it.

I love music. Everything to do with music, and most types of music. I love finding my favorites on you tube. Here are some that are a bit different that I feel like sharing..

• I secretly LOVE Yanni. You can't tell me it isn't "feel good" music.
  

• I think violin music is wonderful (check out Nuttin' but Stringz). I excites me, and you guessed it Riverdance is my favorite thing in the entire world! Here is "Thunder" by Nuttin' but Stringz, they are such talented guys:

• When I was growing up my mom and I would clean house every Saturday. While we were cleaning she would always put on Kenny G cd's. I always called them "sad" music. Now I love them and they make me want to clean and tidy something. So I guess I secretly love Kenny G as well.
  

• I never listen to Opera music, I have never gotten the point honestly. This man makes me want to listen all day long. I'm sure some of you have heard this before. The story is nice, if you just want to hear music, he starts singing at 40 seconds.
  

• This one is from the movie Prince of Egypt. I love it, no reason other than I'm a dork and the one line that says "When all you have is nothing, there's a lot to go around". It's fun and makes me want to dance crazy. The singing starts at 40 seconds.
  
  
  
  

Homeowner 101

I have lived in my house now for almost 5 years, and through those years I have learning and experienced a few things about the art of owning a home. Some of these might just pertain to me, some to everyone. Here are a few.

• A fireplace can flood. It's possible, and it happened last night.
• It takes a ladder, broom, washcloth, screwdriver, hammer and a band-aid to change a light bulb.
• Light bulbs only get changed once every year. If it goes out, use a candle.
• Coasters are not for drinks, they are for killing spiders.
• Never use a coaster at our house.
• Hand soap is NOT the same as dishwasher soap. You WILL flood your kitchen with water and soap suds to the ceiling AND end up wondering how in the world your cat got on top of the refrigerator.
• The ONLY way to handle a leaky roof on a rainy day is to laugh when it rains harder...during a drought!
• There is a sealant around a toilet, if it's not installed properly the toilet moves filling the room with a pleasant sewage smell.
• It takes more than 1 year to fix the sealant around a toilet, still waiting actually
• Every room will be rearranged once a month and painted once a year.
• Spackle is a best friend I hold dear to my heart.
• Multiple coats of paint will eventually make each room smaller
• Any stain can be fixed with a nice area rug or rearranging furniture. Who needs resolve?
• Installing hardwood floors yourself can take up to a year. Concrete slab as a floor doesn't have many perks.

So that's about it for my fun facts of having a home. I love my house, it's beautiful and perfect, and I love all the fun experiences I get from it!

ABS

I'm sorry, BUT...

Webster's defines "sorry" as: the feeling sorrow, regret, or penitence
Webster's defines "but" as: except for the fact

"I'm sorry, but"....everyone has said this. I have many quirks, and a few pet peeves, this is my new all time biggest pet peeve. If you say Sorry, and mean it, there should be no but's about it. (notice the cleaver pun...oh yea.) Saying but negates everything you previously stated, which would be the apology in this case. Saying but after an apology, in my opinion, is a cop out. You said sorry because you felt you had to but you don't think you were really wrong so you say but to continue proving your point. Take the definitions for example....

"I regret saying you were ugly, except for the fact that you really are ugly sometimes."

Leave out the but and your problem is solved (well calling someone ugly should be avoided at all times, but that's another issue). Don't say I'm sorry unless you can say it without the but. If that isn't possible, then hold off on the apology and wait until it is possible to leave out the but. I'm somewhat young, but this is a lesson I have learned in my life and I think everyone can at least benefit from trying this.

Now that I think about it, try leaving but out of your vocabulary. "I'm trying to be nice to her, BUT"......See if you can go without using the word "but" for one whole day, then try it for 30 and you will start a new habit. I'll try this and let you know how it goes.