Friday, October 16, 2009
GCM Ministry Update
Friday, September 4, 2009
CRC Announcement time...
Had to post this since it got recorded...
This might be one of my all time favorite skits from Chestnut Ridge... aside from the Family Feud skit at Christmas...
ENJOY! :)
Clove vs. Regular Cigarettes
For a friend of mine who asked:
I've heard a lot of different things about cloves, that they're not as bad for you because they don't have as much tobacco, that they are more addicting, that at least they taste/smell better if you're gonna smoke.
I'm thinking no matter what the research shows, it just isn't a good idea to inhale ANYTHING when you aren't too sure what the long term effects will be.
Still, here is some info I retrieved from the interwebs:
According to the American Cancer Society:
“All forms of tobacco are dangerous. Even if the health risks were smaller for some tobacco products as opposed to others, all tobacco products contain nicotine, which can lead to increased use and addiction. Tobacco cannot be considered safe in any amount or form.
Clove cigarettes, also called kreteks, are imported mainly from Indonesia and contain 60% to 70% tobacco and 30% to 40% ground cloves, clove oil, and other additives. The chemicals in cloves have been implicated in some cases of asthma and other lung diseases. Users often have the mistaken notion that smoking clove cigarettes is safer than smoking tobacco or marijuana. But they are a tobacco product with the same health risks as cigarettes.”
Ok, so the ACS has ulterior motives... like saving lives. So do the researchers who put this out:
"However, smoke yields from standardized machine-smoking analysis indicated it delivered more nicotine, carbon monoxide (CO), and tar than conventional cigarettes. In a clinical study, nicotine delivery, physiologic, and subjective effects of the clove cigarette were compared to their own brand of cigarette in 10 adult smokers (7 males). Average time to smoke the clove cigarette (549 s) and number of puffs (15.1) were significantly greater than own brand (314 s and 9.4 puffs). Increases in venous plasma nicotine and exhaled CO after smoking the clove cigarette (17.4 ng/ml; 6 ppm) were similar to those after own brand (17.6 ng/ml; 4.5 ppm). Maximal changes in heart rate (HR), systolic, and diastolic blood pressures (BP) did not differ significantly between the clove and own brand of cigarette. " ( Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Feb;74(3):739-45)
Not so worried about long term life? Ok, how about just a pretty smile?
"A retrospective cohort study of 1,160 bus drivers in Jakarta who smoked clove cigarettes and non-smokers showed that a specific type of decay occurs in terms of form, location and pathology. The prevalence was 55.8%. The type of decay is affected by the number of years of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked each day. " (Caries Res. 1999 May-Jun;33(3):248-50)
Ok, I'm being a little obnoxious. But really. What's the point? Does it matter if the clove is better for you than the regular, if it still has a negative impact on your health? I think so.
If you want to read more, I suggest the Pub Med Site for scientific articles. And one last article from the 80's (I know it is out dated, but many times the early studies have a lot to teach us):
"The smoking of clove cigarettes has been associated with 13 cases of serious illness in the United States, including hemorrhagic pulmonary edema, pneumonia, bronchitis, and hemoptysis. We describe a patient in whom, after she smoked a clove cigarette, pneumonia complicated by lung abscess developed. Her lung disease may have been caused by aspiration pneumonia as a consequence of pharyngolaryngeal anesthesia from clove cigarette smoke. Clove cigarettes appeal to adolescents smoking habits." (Guidotti, 1989)
Monday, May 18, 2009
My Metabolic Change
I'm a dork. This we know.
I like science-y things. This we also know.
One thing I didn't know is that I really like endocrinology. Weird.
Let's back up a few steps. A few weeks ago, I got a new book, "Master Your Metabolism" by Jillan Michaels. For those of you who know me, you know that I love reality TV, and Biggest Loser is just one of those great reality shows. And Jillian is my favorite trainer on the show.
I picked up her latest book because it seemed to be a pretty intelligent read, not really so much of a diet and exercises book. And that proved to be right.
It is all about hormones, and how they play a role in your health, mainly related to body weight and energy. It's about mastering your metabolism to live a healthy life by eating naturally, and living in a balanced way.
Since reading the book, and re-reading sections, I have really tried to implement some of the changes suggested. I can actually tell a difference overall... which is more than I expected, being a bit cynical.
My plan is to write about some of these changes I've made and why they are supposed to be beneficial... from the perspective of the book, papers I'm reading, and my own experience. Of course I can get kind of behind on these things. But I'll do my best.
This book has made me more interested though in how hormones are affecting everything in our bodies, and how the foods we eat affect the hormones. Insert dorkiness here. It seems that even if I'm not spending my life as a scientist, I will still be drawn to those sorts of things.
My Nomadic Life
Last weekend I moved out of my fantastic apartment of one year. And now I'm sitting on my friends' couch to type this blog.
Why? Because I'm getting to move in with two of my great friends, Megan and Jenna, into an amazing house, to really live life together. Yay community!
(That's them right over there ------>)
But here's the kicker. One of my roommates and I had to move out of our apartments on the 11th... and we can't move into our house until June 1st. Ugh.
What's a homeless girl, or two, supposed to do? Insert amazing friends here.
We have been so blessed to have friends that are helping us in every way imaginable! Our friend Billy offered the use of his basement for us to store practically ALL our belongings until June 1. And let me just tell you, that basement has never been that full before. It looks like one of those pack rat shows on TLC. Or True Life: I'm an obsessive hoarder.
Our friends Jimmy and Clare let us house sit for them the last week, and our friends Cam and Sarah are letting us house sit the next two weeks. It is amazing how God has provided us places to stay that not only allow us to not burden others, but do little house sitting things to bless them as well!
The last week of our nomadic-ness I'll actually be in Orlando for GCM staff training while Jenna finishes up the house sitting. I'll get back to Morgantown about midnight on the 31st, and then move the next day!
It is crazy, but surprisingly unstressful. I am constantly amazed at how God is using this experience to help me grow. In trust, patience, humility, um... lack of stuff..., and just general contentment with anywhere I am (figuratively and literally).
Saturday, April 25, 2009
How would you feel carrying 40 pounds of water on your head?
BH2O+ - Be Hope To Her, Nuru International
Thursday I participated in BH2O+ at WVU. I went early to help my friends coordinating the event on campus with any set up needs, and just to help in general. They were so on top of it. By the time I arrived everything was well taken care of, to the point that one of the other girls and I had time to walk down to so.zo and get coffee for the coordinators!
Originally I thought I may not get to walk, as I had been asked to help man the tables and sell merchandise. But as it turns out, I had the opportunity to walk with a couple girls I really didn't know too well. Just the experience of getting to the river with empty buckets on our heads had us thinking. Our arms were already tired just from the first mile, with no water! Once we made it to the river, a friend and I decided that we would go for full buckets of water. DANG. That was crazy heavy.
What's it like to walk with 5 gallons (give or take) of water on your head? Well... imagine your favorite 3 or 4 year old. Now, imagine strapping them to your head and trying to walk. Oh, and this toddler on your head, they like to move around, and look at things, and, well, you get the picture. That water really has a mind of its own, and it takes a good amount of focus to keep from spilling it, as well as stay focused on getting to the end of the route!We, being in the great mountainous state that we live in, had to walk up hill from the very beginning of out route back. I mean straight up a hill from the river. Then, we encountered numerous steps and hills on our way back to the rally. It got really hard just to make it up those hills, arms shaking, neck and head throbbing, back sore. And sweating. Even though it was only 60 degrees. Let's just face it. It is so much hotter in so many place that they do this.
Along the route multiple people would stop because it was so hard. The amazing thing being, not a single person quit. Not one. They all would have help, or even hoist their buckets back onto their heads themselves, and start the journey again. A true testament to perseverance. It was great to be able to encourage each other along the way, and to share our thoughts about what it would be like to do this day in and day out. It really brought the girls together, even the ones who had never met before starting the walk.
I think my favorite moment happened about half way through the walk. One of my friend's bucket slipped from her kanga, and, well, spilled all over the place. the girl she was walking with stopped to help her, and in the process, her bucket dumped to. Not to be dissuaded, they continued their walk, wet, with empty buckets on their heads. A few minutes later, as we started up another round of steps and hills, one offered to take some of the water from another girl's bucket to help her out. Wow. We were all in pain at this point, and the fact that she was willing to give up her easy walk and take on some of the pain of someone else was phenomenal. Afterward, she left a comment on the BH2O+ blog post about her experience. Her comment reflected the fact that had she been in Africa, doing this for her own need, every drop of water spilled would be valuable. The bucket that dropped would have to be taken back to the water source, refilled, and the journey back started again.
Profound. Something we take so for granted. Something as simple as clean water. How in the world do these girls do it? I feel like I was in a car wreck because I'm so sore from one trip. And they do this multiple times a day. On top of that, I was able to eat a nice healthy breakfast before I left my house. Many of those girls don't have the luxury of nutritious meals. When I miss a meal, I get tired. Lethargic. Surely not wanting to carry a heavy bucket of water on my head for any distance to bring fresh water to my family.Even as I've been typing this I've been making dinner. Consisting of my organic pasta, sauce, chicken. it might be the first time ever that I have really stopped to think about how blessed I am to have such a meal any time I want. Just boiling the water had a greater meaning for me today. I am able to turn on my faucet and have cool water. i didn't have to take that water I boiled only to cook my pasta, and then try to cool it to the ambient temperature to drink. It is so much more real now.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
She's Just Not That Into You if you flirt and she responds with a blank stare.
You've been there. You're trying to get that certain someone's attention, and they respond with the dreaded blank stare.
"Did she not hear me? Is she lost in thought about something else?" you may wonder. And that may be the case.
But it also may mean she is just not that into you.
Flirting. Everyone does it, even if it is unintentional. Some forms are obvious, others a bit more sly. But the girl who is not into you will pick up on it, and either respond with mild (or great) disgust, or not respond at all.
You see, if you are attempting to get a girl's attention, and she likes you, you won't have to try very hard. You see, if she is into you, she will be trying to get your attention to some degree more than likely as well.
*A brief side note: This works the same in reverse. Girls, if you are trying to get a guy to notice you and he is not responding, he is just not that into you. Stop wasting your time and energy...
So as for flirting, it can come in various forms: (adapted from the fantastic resource known as wikipedia)
- Eye contact, batting eyelashes, winking, etc.
- Casual touches; such as a woman gently touching a man's arm during conversation
- Smiling suggestively
- Sending notes, poems, or small gifts
Don't go over the top with compliments if you haven't earned the right to. Although girls like being told they are pretty, smart, funny, etc, if someone random tells them these things they will find it odd. And maybe a little creepy. After all, if you don't really know her, how would you know those things about her. (Aside from her obvious beauty.) But still, to just randomly tell a girl she is pretty, especially if there have been red flags that she is not that into you will make for a very uncomfortable situation for the both of you.
- Online chat is a common modern tactic, as well as other one-on-one and direct messaging services
If you aren't talking in person, don't start up a relationship (or try to) via chatting. And don't try to be all flirty when you do. It often comes across as rude or weird. And then that girl who wasn't into you in the first place (hence why you aren't talking in person) will be even more awkward around you, and will be that much less into you.
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