Smorgosblog

I just spent $1,000 in an hour on school supplies with my first grade teaching team. I wish I could shop like that all the time. We seriously spent $113 on metallic crayons, and another $350 on racks to dry paintings on. Because we're a PYP school, we have a budget allotment of $1,000 to use on creative supplies for our classrooms. Kinda fun.

This weekend, I have to finish moving our crap stuff out of our old place. Then I have to clean the entire place top to bottom. No big deal. :)

I am so not looking forward to finishing up this moving process. I wish Matt were here to help me....but he's at state....they're doing really well, by the way.

I definitely got myself into this mess by convincing Matt to put off the cleaning and packing for a few days so we could spend more time together before he went to state. It's definitely my fault that I have a ridiculous amount to do....I just wish I could put it off a few more days....

Oh well.

Before I delve into cleaning, I'm going to Pilgrim's to buy groceries. I'm not buying all of our groceries, just some, 'cause that place is for yuppies who can spend $6.00 on a box of cereal. But I do like some of their stuff...especially their apples and milk.

I found this online recently...it's a list of items "they" say you should definitely buy organic:

1. Baby Foods: A 1995 report found 16 pesticides in approximately half the non-organic baby food samples.

2. Rice: In California, rice fields have been sprayed with so much pesticide that the groundwater has become contaminated.

3. Strawberries: 500 pounds of pesticide an acre is sprayed on non-organic strawberries.

4. Cereal grains: 90% of tested non-organic wheat cereals were found with pesticides according to a 1994 U.S. Food and Drug Administration report.

5. Corn products: Processed foods containing corn (e.g. popcorn and corn chips) were among the top 15 foods most likely to expose children to unsafe doses of organophosphate pesticides.

6. Bananas: Non-organic bananas from Central and South America are produced using benomyl (linked to birth defects) and chloropyrifos (neurotoxin).

7. Green Beans: A 1993 report found that 7 percent of the non-organic beans imported from Mexico contained residues of illegal pesticides.

8. Peaches: A recent US report stated that 5% of the non-organic peach crop was TOO contaminated for children to eat.

9. Apple juice: Non-organic apple juice ranks second highest for organophosphate residues.

10. Grapes and raisins: They very well may be the most pesticide polluted fruit in North America.


The end.

P.S. Isn't that blog title creative? Like a smorgosbord of thoughts in a blog....a smorgosblog...haha.

Kittens, Inspired by Kittens!

I really don't like cats...but this made me laugh. Mostly cause it's just weird.

Capone's and Jesus

Matt and I had an awesome conversation Saturday night over beer at Capone's. :) We talked about both our frustrations and joys as Christians...and what I realized is that sometimes, while I complain about others losing sight of the "big picture," I myself lose sight of that same "big picture" -- that Jesus is constantly pursuing a deeper relationship with us, and that we, because of His amazing love, can't help but respond. (Well...at least that's part of the big picture...the part I've been thinking about lately.)

To be perfectly honest, I've been frustrated lately with the questions at my growth group. So many of them seem to be "me" focused -- "What have you done lately to encourage others", etc. Here's my issue with those types of questions: there is nothing in me that naturally desires to bring glory to anybody but myself. There is nothing in me that does good. Before we know Jesus, all of our actions are worthless. I can do nothing to please God.

I realize that now that I know Jesus, my actions are worth something, and they can bring glory to God. But this is only because of the work the Holy Spirit is doing in and through me.

So I guess my point here is that a better question might be "How is God working through you to encourage others?" or "How has the Holy Spirit been evident in your life lately?" Those types of questions I can totally understand answering -- those questions are all about reflecting on God's goodness...not my own.

Just been pondering a lot lately I guess....am I being picky here, or does this resonate with anyone else?

V-Day

Just got done with a first grade Valentine's Day party - crazy, but so fun.

We now have a "caring tree" in our class -- the kids put kind notes on the tree that are meant for the whole class to read -- things like "this is the best class ever" and "I love everyone in this class with all my heart." I did this for my benefit more than anything - I've been putting a note on the tree every day to remind myself why I am a teacher. I want my first graders to experience the love of Jesus through me.

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you get to spend the day with the people you care about the most.

As for me, I will be spending the day with three other couples....in a cabin....in the middle of nowhere....

Haha.

Stimulus

This video breaks down what the new stimulus package will go towards...thought it was interesting:

Stimulus Bill

Chemistry Lesson of the Day

GNC vanilla whey protein powder and boiling water make a disgusting, sour, curled substance.

Way better with orange juice.
FYI.

Love this...

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.


1 Thessalonians 4:1-3

One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.

--The Message

Rest

I left worship practice tonight because I feel like junk...physically especially, but mentally and emotionally too.

So I'm spending some time alone with God tonight. A friend prayed for me as I was leaving and asked that God would "breathe life into me"....I feel like those are exactly the words I needed. I feel lifeless right now.

Without getting into much detail, I've felt this crazy sense of spiritual warfare in my life lately. And because of it, I've bought into the lie that I am completely unworthy and unrighteous in the eyes of God. While I may be unworhty...unrighteous...unholy....I've been meditating for the last couple of weeks on the fact that because of JESUS, God considers me worthy and righteous.

So tonight, I'm resting in God, and in the fact that I am holy and blameless in His sight.


Wow.

Top 10 of the Week

So I'm starting a weekly top ten list....this is week #1. Maybe there will be a week #2 -- we'll have to see.

Top Ten of the Week:

Top 10 Most Embarrassing Facts About Myself

1. I shave about 5 times a year. It's a rare and special occasion if I bring out the razor.

2. I get extreme motion sickness on planes and carnival rides. I have thrown up at the fair more times than I can count.

3. I pick my nose.

4. I sing in the car at the top of my lungs all the time -- and then forget to stop when I get out and am walking through a parking lot. Really....I don't realize I'm singing until someone looks at me and laughs.

5. I have bladder stress incontinence, which basically means that if I say I've gotta go....I've really gotta go.

6. When I get out of really hot hot tubs, my skin turns bright red with large purple spots. For this reason I don't really like "hot tubbing" with people -- I look like I'm having an extreme allergic reaction, and people are always shocked by it.

7. I hate taking showers. I have to force myself to take them. They seem like a waste of time.

8. I don't know many people that could handle living with me. I'm the messiest person I've ever met.

9. I love watching The Hills. I watch it online....sometimes on my lunch break. It's probably the girliest thing about me.

10. I like spying on my cousins through facebook and myspace. I try to keep tabs on them and figure out if they're partying. A little creepy.....

I almost didn't post this....but then I decided to. However, I did take out a couple things that were really embarrassing and not meant for the world wide web. Haha.....