black history=my history

Today, being the first of February, kicks off Black History Month. I've never given this themed month too much thought. But I remember last year getting to February 28th and thinking, "I didn't write anything on my blog that would commemorate the history of the black person or praise the accomplishments of anyone from the black community."

So, when I read something today that reminded me that we are once again to this month on the calendar, I started thinking about what Black History Month really means to me. What should it mean to me? Although I think it's a good thing that we recognize the many contributions made by the black man or woman, why do we have to have a month to do that? Why aren't we doing that all year long?

And why do we single out the black heritage? Do we have a Native American month?, or a Hispanic month? Not that I know of. I'm thinking that black history is a part of American history. We shouldn't pigeon-hole all that is of the African-American people into just one month out of the entire year. Their history is every American's history. That's just my opinion.

Even though I have the above opinion, I went looking into some black history. I found the Bio site is featuring biographies on all kinds of black people, from activists to athletes to politicians to musicians. The History site also gives some interesting milestones and stories. I enjoy history - all kind of history - so I will spend some time reading these features this month.

I guess that's really the purpose of Black History month... education. And to that end, it's an important month that shouldn't go by without notice.

too close for comfort

I know a lot of people don't listen to or read the news anymore. I can't really blame them. It can all be very negative and overwhelming. But there's a major story being reported right now about a man who is accused of being a ringleader to a terrorist group, plotting to plant explosives on transit lines here in the states.

Najibullah Zazi was born in Afghanistan, lived for some time in Pakistan and has been a U.S. resident for the past 10 years. I won't go into all the details here, but you can read more about him and what has been reported in the news here and here.

You may have heard or noticed that this man's questioning and arrest has taken place here in Denver. To be more exact, here in Aurora (where I live). To be even more precise, this accused terrorist lives right down the street from me. I mean, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.

I drive by the apartments where he resides on a nearly daily basis. The day they searched his apartment (which took the whole day), they didn't release the kids from the local middle school, at the end of their day, because they didn't want the students to go home to that apartment complex. This was the same school I worked at last year. I know some of these students.

I find all of this disturbing; a little too close for comfort. I find any report on terrorism disturbing and scary. It makes it even scarier that this guy lives in my neighborhood, that he may shop in the same grocery store as I, that he may eat in the same restaurants or spend time in my beloved plaza. I continue to watch the news, wishing it wasn't happening in my backyard, but it is. It makes me realize that this kind of thing can happen anywhere. And it is... here!

stuffed bears, tigers, and dogs

Did you know that yesterday, September 9th, was National Teddy Bear Day? No? I would guess not too many marked that day on their calendar. The only reason I know this is because I read it on a blog. It made me curious so I googled 'National Days" and found that there is a purported official list of National Days. Crazy. Some of them are quite humorous.

*side note: I love google. I can't imagine life without it.

Then I started thinking about teddy bears. Specifically, teddy bears from my childhood past. I'm sure I had many because a normal childhood would be full of teddy bears. In my mind, I can see each of my children's teddy bears. I know Danielle still has hers. She probably has every stuffed animal she has ever owned. She loves stuffed toys and can't part with them. She's 21 and I have to talk her out of buying them.

Sorry, I've become sidetracked. Back to the subject at hand... my teddy bears....

Either my childhood wasn't normal or my memory is getting worse (which it is). The only teddy bear I remember having was one that one of my grandmothers either crocheted or knitted. I liked that teddy bear but it wasn't a special childhood friend like a child's teddy bear is supposed to be.

I do remember having a couple of special stuffed animals. One was a tiger. I remember having him in second grade and I took him everywhere. His pose was him laying on his side and I would pretend he was my pet tiger. I wonder what ever happened to him.

The second plush toy I loved was a Snoopy Dog (from the Peanuts collection). My best friend in 6th grade had one and I just had to have one, too. The four of us had many fun sleepovers together. I may still have this toy. I'll have to look in my cedar chest.

How about you? Do you remember having a favorite stuffed toy? Was it a teddy bear?

goodreads

I finished the book, The Butterfly Garden, a Memoir (Chip St. Clair), yesterday. It was a very quick read as I finished it in 2 days. Chip survived living with his cruel and abusive father only to find out, when he was an older teenager, that his father wasn't who he said he was. Chip went on to get past the wounds of his childhood to live a productive life and advocate for protecting children and keeping child predators behind bars.

I think the genre of memoirs is my favorite. I really enjoy reading true life stories. I guess that's why I enjoy reading blogs, too. There's always pearls of wisdom and lessons learned shared with the reader. The Butterfly Garden didn't disappoint in this area, and for that reason, I'd recommend this book to everyone.

My blogging friend Melissa, of Mejojac's Memos, commented to my post yesterday and recommended that I look into goodreads, which is a site where you can keep track of the books you read, have access to and write your own book reviews, join groups, and converse with other readers. If any of you are on goodreads, look me up or let me know so I can go find you. Here's my profile. And thanks Melissa for the recommendation.

To answer a couple of the comments to yesterday's post...

MightyMom: I enjoyed the first two Harry Potter books very much and I can see where it would be very easy to just keep reading each book, one after the other. But I wanted to spread out the story. That's how I usually read a series of books. After reading the first Twilight book, I plan to read the rest - just not one after the other. I'll probably read the second book after the book I'm reading now.

Jamey: I liked the Harry Potter books much more than I thought I would, too. I am supposed to work at the same schools as I did last year, but I haven't got final word on that. The job actually starts mid September. I'm planning on starting then.

Karen: I'll look into The Unit. Thanks.

Momma Roar: I love Jodi Picoult. Glad you're enjoying them, too. Which ones have you read and what are you reading now?

Mom (Barb): You really should get on goodreads. You've read more books than anyone I know.

a story in picture form

I love looking at photographs. I look at them with a critical photographer's eye, thinking what I would have done to make them a better or more interesting picture. I look at them in awe, as I'm only an amateur photographer. I look at them as motivation to go out and take better pictures. They make me want to be a better photographer.

Many photos are simply a tribute to nature or the photographer (or both). I love pictures of nature and wildlife.


Many photos record life, which then becomes history. Whether it's family history or history on a larger scale, pictures save, for us, that moment in time that we simply want to remember or preserve for future generations.



In this day in age, many photos have been digitally enhanced or manipulated. Even though these don't represent pure photography (in my book), they can still be enjoyable to view. The creativity and skill are worth admiring.


But for me, there's more to most photographs. I love looking at photographs because of the story that is represented. There's something to the sayings, "every picture tells a story" or "a picture is worth a thousand words." And as I gaze at a photograph - any photo - I can't help but wonder what the story is.


I peruse a few different photo sites each day, just to look at the pictures. There are some amazing photos out there. I think it feeds my soul to sit and gaze upon nature, upon true art, upon the many places in this world and the differences between them and my world, but most of all... to be shown a story.

My two favorite photo sites (at the moment) are: Flickr and Pixdaus.

puzzles, tags, and a movie

Randomness...

Danielle, Jake and I are officially addicted. It's called Yubotu. I was given a book of puzzles in which you use your strategy skills to figure out where the hidden sea vessels are hiding on the grid. It's a little like the classic game of battleship. Once the kids saw what the puzzles were like, they wanted to solve them so I was copying them from the book onto grid paper. I couldn't keep up with the demand. Fortunately, Jake googled the name Yubotu and found that there are web sites that provide the puzzles and ability to solve them online - which is a lot more fun. No less addictive, but easier than using paper and pencil. If you would like to try your hand at these fun puzzles, check out YubotuOnline. The good thing about this site is they only give you nine puzzles a day, in varying degrees of difficulty. I now do my nine a day and call it good. My addiction is under control.

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A week ago, I posted six unimportant things that make me happy from a tag I received. I then went on to tag six people. The process of defining what's unimportant and then coming up with six things was interesting for me and I have enjoyed reading other people's list. I encourage anyone who might be reading this who wasn't tagged to try this exercise. I think it has great value for all of us. I also want to extend the tag to one more person; my daughter, Danielle. She has a blog but claimed she can't write a post on this subject because she wasn't tagged. Okay, Danielle... consider yourself tagged.

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Danielle and I saw the movie Up a couple of days ago and loved it. This is a Disney Pixar animated story of a old man and a young boy who go on the adventure of a lifetime. It's funny, it's sad, it's touching, and it's meaningful. Both kids and adults alike will enjoy this film. It's being presented in two formats, one being 3D. We saw it in 3D and thought it was great (boy, has 3D come a long way from earlier days). In fact, I don't know why anyone wouldn't see it in 3D. If you haven't already seen it, try to find a couple of free hours and make your way down to your local theater.

in God i trust

My sister sent me an email today asking all the recipients to go vote plus forward on the email. I don't like forwarding mass emails, but posting it here on my blog might be even better. That's if you, the reader of this post, votes and forward on the information, however you feel fit.

MSNBC has given us an opportunity to vote on whether we think the motto "in God we trust" should be removed from U.S. currency. Follow the link below and cast your vote.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

The email my sister sent made some kind of comment saying, "won't NBC be surprised?" I don't know if they will be or not, but I kinda was. When I cast my vote, with over 14 million voting already, the numbers were 13% for removing the motto and 87% to keep the motto on the currency. I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but I was pleasantly surprised by these numbers. If you get a chance, voice your opinion by voting.

and on another note....

The Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets tonight which advances them to the second round of the basketball playoffs. Yippee!

which wich

We have a sandwich shop here where I live called Which Wich. Actually, there's a few around the city so I know they're part of a chain. Maybe you have them where you live. Anyways, I really like the sandwiches from Which Wich and I go frequently.

Instead of ordering your sandwich from a person, at Which Wich you mark a brown paper sack with the provided red sharpie markers to customize your sandwich. You take it to the cashier and once the sandwich is made, it is returned to you in the same brown paper sack - perfectly made to your specifications.

But what's really fun about Which Wich is the art gallery on the side wall. The shop has put up three or four wires running the length of the wall with clips all along the wires. Customers draw or leave messages on the back side of the brown bags and clip them up for display. They're all on the brown bags and done with the red pens. There are some really talented artists and it's always fun to browse what has been posted.

A few weeks ago, when Dani and I shared an evening meal together before she headed back to school, I created my second piece of artwork to be hung on the wall. The first piece was a Merry Christmas wish and I don't know what happened to it. I don't know if the shopkeepers take down some of the art after a certain period of time, or if other customers do - but I didn't see it again.


But this second piece was still there a couple of days ago when I stopped in for a yummy sandwich. Now, it's not really art. It's a maze. It's the one that looks like someone's large intestines. But if you look closely, you'll see it's a maze. I may not be an artist, but I can draw one complicated maze, as you can see. I actually thought maybe a kid would take it down and solve it. Maybe someone still will.

link of the day

I used to add a link of the day to my earlier posts. I came across so many fun or interesting sites and wanted to share them with others. At some point it became more work than I wanted to put into it. But there are still sites I want to share, and this is one...

We've had a week and a half of off and on again snow storms and as nice as they've been (we've needed the moisture), I'm ready - more than ready - for true spring time to arrive; warmer weather, flowers blooming, green grass, birds, butterflies, and even thunderstorms.

How about you? Are you tired of the snow? Ready for spring? Well, click on the snowman and enjoy the beauty of spring flowers. Enjoy clicking once, and then again, anywhere on the screen. Or better yet, click and move your mouse through the darkness for an abundance of beauty.

(thanks mom for the email)

friday fragments

I usually do Aloha Friday on Fridays, but my bloggy friend, Mighty Mom has been doing Friday Fragments each Friday, and I love the idea of capturing your week in small fragments. So here's mine.

+ My week started with having breakfast with a few friends at Le Peep. Enjoyed the food. Enjoyed the company even more.

+ Don got off work a little early one day. We went to a local coffee shop and sat outside as it was a beautiful day with warm weather. We worked on material for the marriage sermon series we're helping our pastor with and it ended up being a wonderful time of sharing with each other. I left being reminded of why I love this man so much.

+ We refinanced our house this week.

+ One night I watched four hours of 24 to catch up. I still have this last week's episode to watch.

+ I enjoyed my trip down memory lane as I went through scads of old photos. I am so thankful for now having digital photography.

+ I loaded, and am now using, Firefox (browser) because my son told me about a cool application called Cool Iris. And it IS super cool. If you use Firefox, you might want to check it out.

+ I also stumbled across another social/blogging site, called Tumblr. The more I looked around, the more I was intrigued and ended up signing up. It's somewhat like Twitter but you can add photos, videos, and more. Who knows how long I'll stick with it.

+ I cooked dinner more times this week than I have in a long time. It's the start of a getting back into the habit.

+ Yesterday was such a nice day that after school (my job), I took a blanket out to the backyard with a book and my iced latte and read as the sun warmed my skin and my attitude. The dog loved the company.

+ Jake and Danielle came home last night and will be home for all of next week. Spring break!

Friday Fragments is hosted by Mrs4444 at Half Past Kissin' Time

howdy howie

While in Las Vegas this last week, I had a close encounter with Howie... Howie Mandel. You know him... he's the host of Deal or No Deal. I've actually followed his career since the 1970s, when he was a young stand-up comedienne. That probably helped me recognize him even though he was in disguise and as hundreds of people passed him not realizing who he was or what was going on.

Let me start at the beginning. As Don and I walked down to the MGM Grand to see the lion exhibit, we came to an open area in front of the hotel where there were a couple of camera men and a few others that looked busy doing nothing that we could figure out. We had nothing better to do so we sat down next to the area; we watched and waited.

There was one guy that seemed to be getting a lot of attention by the busy looking people, but he wasn't anyone I recognized. He had wild orange hair, but I still didn't think he was anyone famous. It seemed like he was being prepped... for something. We kept watching. In one area there were the cameramen. In another there was this ordinary guy with the flaming orange hair surrounded by 3 "preppers." There were a few people on the cell phones hanging out around two vans. And there were three women walking the perimeter holding clipboards. But not a lot of activity. It was like they were waiting for something... or somebody.

We were just about to walk away, thinking that we could wait all day for something to happen, when I noticed the cameramen had their cameras on their shoulders and focused on one guy (not flaming orange hair dude - he came over later). The guy mostly had his back to anyone walking by, but as I stood there watching and studying this one guy, I realized who he was. It was Howie Mandel, but he was in disguise. He was wearing a wig of long dark hair, as well as a baseball cap and sunglasses. I then remembered he hosts another show called Howie Do It , a hidden camera reality comedy where he dons different disguises.

About this time, we were shooed away by the ladies with the clipboards. There was really nothing to see so we went on into the MGM and enjoyed watching the lions. Before returning back to our hotel, we stopped in at the Starbucks inside the MGM. And who was sitting right there talking with a couple of guys from his crew? Yep, Howie - still in disguise and as if he was a normal person hanging out in Starbucks.

So my instant dilemma was; do I say something to him (remember my experience and afterthoughts on crossing paths with Eddie McCaffrey?). It was obvious that no one else recognized him, or if they did, they weren't saying anything. I would have loved to have asked if I could have my picture taken with him, but it just didn't seem appropriate.

So as I walked passed him, I leaned into his table space to where he had to look at me. I simply said, "I love your show." He smiled up at me and said thank you. As I started walking away, I turned back and added, "both of them." He thanked me again and turned back to his companions as I went on to find a table.

I sat down across the room from him and his group. I was amazed how many people walked right pass him, not giving him a second glance, or if they did, not recognizing who he really was. Therefore, my satisfaction was two-fold. I not only said something to him, letting him know I recognized him, but I recognized him in the first place.

recovery

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or not... whether you agree with the stimulus package that was just signed or not... I think we should find favor with the new website, www.recovery.gov, that has been set up by President Obama's administration that will track where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going.

I know this act is a touchy subject and I don't mean to rile up any volatile emotions. I just wanted to say that I think this website is a great idea and I applaud the President for his desire to be transparent and accountable and make this information public and available. I encourage you to check out the site. It's user friendly and very straight forward. I know I plan to visit it frequently so I can personally watch the progress of this act and how the economy is being affected - either good or bad.

I also find it fascinating that this is where technology has brought us. We have to admit that the internet has changed our lives in so many ways. I love seeing new ways in which it's being used and this site is a good example of that. I think it's great that the government is using this tool to communicate with us, as taxpayers and citizens of this great country. Thank you President Obama.

i enjoy learning

Some have asked how my job's been going (thanks to those of you who have asked). I realized I haven't written about my job since those first couple of weeks where I wasn't sure if the schedule was going to work or if I was going to enjoy the job.

Quick recap: I took a job in October working for the school district as a tutor/mentor for a program called AVID. I only work two days a week which is perfect for me and my desire to have time to pursue other interests. I've now been doing this job for four months and have really come to enjoy the job and love the kids.

I'm also learning a lot about myself.

I was always a good student in school. Academics came easy for me and I really didn't have to work hard to get good grades - and I didn't. Therefore, I only did what I needed to to get by. Now I sit in these tutorial groups and listen to the students question what they're learning in their core subjects and find myself fascinated with what's being taught. Some of it I remember, other stuff is totally new to me.

What I'm enjoying is the process of learning. I enjoy learning!

Whether I know it or not, I tell the kids I don't remember "whatever" and to teach it to me. And they do (or at least try very hard to do so). There's been times when I actually wanted to ask them to ask me to work through a complex math problem - just because I love math. This makes me wonder how much smarter I could have been or where life would have taken me if I had been a more serious student .

Or I'm on the other end where I really enjoy working through a question or problem as a teacher, explaining it or getting the students to think it through so they can come to their own conclusions. I love it when you can practically see the light bulb going on as the kid "gets" it. It makes me wonder if I would have made a good teacher as I had once wanted to be.

I also have learned a lot more about middle school students than I had previously known from being a youth worker, but I'll save that for another post. I'm glad my time in a classroom isn't just about the students. I'm glad to know that I'm still teachable and I like learning new things about myself and the world around me.

found on the internet...

I came across this article about a new technology that is being developed that will help with the problem of talking on the phone while driving. This technology will be embedded in the car key. Once the key is put into the car's ignition, it will activate a "driving mode" in the driver's cell phone to where it is rendered unusable except for outgoing emergency calls. It will even answer any incoming calls with a message saying something like, "I am driving right now and will return your calls when I arrive at my destination safely."

"The recent stats show that texting on the phone has overtaken drunk driving fatalities on public roads."

"Driving while talking on a cell phone makes you four times more likely to have an accident. Using a hands-free headset does nothing to off set that risk. Texting increases the odds of an accident another 50 percent."

After reading these quotes from the article, I'm thinking that this may be a very good thing, and not just for teenagers, which is the initial target of said technology. Yes, teenagers may not have as much driving experience as an older driver, but even an experienced driver can't give 100% of his or her attention to driving if they're talking on the phone, or even worse, texting while driving. So I look forward to every state mandating "no cell phone" laws and to having something like this new technology in place.

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And here's something fun and challenging. How well do you think you know where all 50 states are within the U.S. border? Know Your States is an addicting site where you can test your geographical knowledge. The best I did was 86% with an average error of 20 miles in 433 seconds. You would think after playing it quite a few times, my score would be better. But each time you do it, the order they give you the states is different, making some games harder than others.

Give it a try. You might want your kids to try it too, just to see if they're more knowledgeable than you. Let me know what your score is.

first day of 2009

First, let me wish you a happy, healthy, and blessed 2009. May it be a good year for all of us.

I've had a tradition at the end of the last few years of listing my top 10 favorite movies from that year. So, in order, here is my list for 2008...

1. The Secret Life of Bees

2. Great Debaters

3. Australia

4. P.S., I Love You

5. Marley and Me

6. Seven Pounds

7. The Dark Knight

8. Henry Poole is Here

9. The Other Boleyn Girl

10. Appaloosa

If, for some reason, you would like to see all the movies I saw during the year, I keep an ongoing list of them (by year) on my sidebar to the left. I saw a total of 51 movies both in the theaters and on DVD.

Let me highlight the last three movies I've seen because I greatly enjoyed all three.

There was one rainy day in California that we didn't have anything to do, so we went and saw Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith. Although it moved a little slow, it was a very interesting story.

Dani and went to see Marley & Me on the last day of 2008. It was a simple story but had a lot of depth to it, portraying real life for a couple who then turns into a family. The real star is the dog (Marley) and if you're a dog lover, this movie is a must see. Let me warn you though - you will not walk out of that theater without shedding a tear.

And then today, the first day of 2009, my family and I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Here's another great and original story (boy, do I love a good story) that I enjoyed from beginning to end despite it's running time of nearly 3 hours. This one should make my top ten for 2009.

random

(+) I heard this story this morning and I don't know if I find it heart warming or disturbing. It seems that a four year old boy left his home at 3:00 in the morning, walked across six lanes of traffic to get to a dollar store. He first tried one door, but it was locked. He then went to the second door and much to his surprise -or not - it was unlocked. He walked right in, tripping a silent alarm, and headed straight for the toys (my assumption). When the police arrived, they found him sitting among the toys, playing to his heart's content. (source)

(+) We have been experiencing frigid weather here in the Denver area. We broke a record the other day with an overnight low of minus nineteen. That was Monday and we didn't get above 5 degrees that day. Brrrr! It's warmed up a little each day since and we hit mid thirties today. It looks like we're getting out of Dodge just in time. The state will go into the deep freeze again this weekend. I'll be thinking about that as I'm walking on the beach in California [smile].

(+) I've entered a give-away over at Mile High Mamas that I would really love to win. They're giving away a Wii system along with the Wii Fit program. I've been hearing a lot about this system and the Fit program lately and I think it would be something I'd use. Anyways, I get extra entries by mentioning the give-away on my blog. So that's what I'm doing. Even though my chances of winning diminish if anyone reading this goes over and enters themselves. Oh well. It's all luck anyways.
Contest ends at noon, December 20th. For more info, go here.

dear mother

This is my letter to a young mother as part of the Mother Letter Project. Please read my previous post for more information.

Dear Mother,

I am a mother who recently became a mother living in a house void of children. My youngest left for college and I found myself unsure of what my mothering role would now look like. It is different, but I have been reassured that I am still a mother. Once a mother, always a mother. It is just a different phase of motherhood.

This has caused me to reflect on the past 20 years and take note of the different phases of motherhood. There are a few. Just as our children go through phases, so do we. I think if we, as mothers, are aware of this, it gives us permission to grow and transform ourselves right along with our children.

We also need to give ourselves permission to not be perfect, to fail at times, to be human. Not only do we personally need that grace, but our children need to see that we make mistakes and that we can learn from our mistakes. Our children learn so much from us, as parents, and so much of it is from who we are as people, how we treat others, and how we conduct ourselves.

When I think back on the different phases my kids and I have gone through, there are two constants that shine brightly. The first, when I made my children and our family a priority, everything else fell into place appropriately. If I kept my agenda focused on them, it was easier to know what was truly important and what was not. Motherhood is constantly being selfless, but the benefits and blessings are infinite.

The other thing that I feel is very important is making sure you nurture yourself in small (or big) ways on a regular basis. It's important not to lose yourself and/or get to a place where you feel so overwhelmed that you can't be an effective and loving parent. Give yourself a break every once in a while. Find a way to tell yourself that you are more than just a mother. Find a way to find the joy in life and in being a mom. By doing this, you become a better mother.

Before you know it, your kids will be grown and will leave your home. Enjoy each and every stage you encounter while you're with them. There will be heartache, and there will be immeasurable joy. Love them unconditionally, and the love flows back to you. And know that your job as mother is the most important thing you'll ever do.

Sincerely,
Diana

mother letter project

A few days ago, I came across something that really grabbed my attention. It's called the Mother Letter Project, with a tag line of Letters from Mothers to Mothers.

It was started by a husband who had the idea of giving his wife letters from a few mothers lending her encouragement and support. He wanted to give her a special Christmas present without spending any money. After getting some letters from acquaintances, he thought how much more he could make this gift if he opened it up to the blogging world, which his wife is a part of, asking for letters from bloggers who would be willing to share their stories.

He is asking anyone that is interested to write a letter either in a comment on the blog or through an email. If you send a letter via email by Christmas, you will receive a copy of all the letters that have been collected.

What a concept! What a loving gift! What a great collection of advice, encouragement, support, and motherly love! My next post will be a copy of the letter I will send. I've written it and re-written it. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Maybe I made it harder than it needed to be. I came to a point where I figured I'd probably never be completely happy with it, so I'm leaving it as it is. I hope this young mother will find encouragement from it.

Maybe you, too, would like to be a part of this worthwhile project. If so, just follow this link; Mother Letter Project.

Being a mother is one of the biggest blessings I can think of.

Blessing #23 in a month's worth of blessings.

i'm listening

Yesterday I wrote that I had discovered podcasts and enjoying several different ones as I take my walks. Here I want to share two of my favorites.

This American Life (www.thisamericanlife.org)
from Chicago Public Radio
Each week this podcast showcases 1-4 (usually 2-3) separate stories, all with a common theme.

I thoroughly enjoy these stories. They're human interest stories told in first person, and I find them fascinating. I'm a believer that the more I know about others and the rest of the world, the more I learn about myself, God's place in my life, and how I might minister to others. These stories gives me a glimpse into other people's live.

I should mention that I have come across a couple of episodes that I didn't care for and some have some mild language issues.

My favorite episodes: Going Big, Settling the Score, Life After Death


Speaking of Faith (www.speakingoffaith.org)
from American Public Media
Speaking of Faith is public radio's conversation about belief, meaning, ethics and ideas. Each week, Krista Tippett asks writers, thinkers and theologians to discuss how religion shapes our lives.

This podcast has more of an informational tone than a storytelling one as is This American Life. But I find it just as fascinating, if not more. I have learned so much through these podcasts and they have given me reason to reflect on what I believe and why. They stimulate my thoughts and actions.

Speaking of Faith also has a great website where they offer episode synopsis', blogs, discussion guides, full interviews, and other resources. I can spend hours on this one website.

My favorite episodes: The Origin and Impact of Pentecostalism, The Spirituality of Parenting, Rick and Kay Warren at Saddleback, The Faith Life of the Party - The Right, The Faith Life of the Party - The Left

Those last two podcasts, The Faith Life of the Party - Left and Right were so good and very enlightening. I recommend that everyone listen to this as we enter into such an important election.

You can listen to or download these podcasts through itunes or directly through their websites. If you have any questions on how to do that, feel free to email me. I have listened to some other podcasts, mostly sermons by different pastors/ministers. If I find one, or more, that I feel as strongly about as the two I've mentioned here, I will post about them, too.

If you listen to podcasts and have a favorite, I'd love to hear about it. And if you start listening to the ones I've mentioned here, let me know what you think.

handwriting the bible

Here's something interesting I came across.

The publishing house of Zondervan launched a campaign last week creating a unique edition of the NIV (New International Version) Bible, which will include its 31,173 verses, each handwritten by a different person.

A big blue RV with the logo "BibleAcrossAmerica.com" splashed on its side and "Inspiration at every turn" on its back took off on a five-month journey bringing "writing stations" to 90 stops in 44 states at churches, landmarks and popular settings such as NASCAR races.

Here's how it will work: (source)

Two young married couples will be living in the RV, driving it cross-country and setting up each stop. They'll give out 500 index cards a day, each with a verse from the NIV printed on the front, to 500 people to copy twice onto special paper.

Someone standing in line might draw their favorite verse, or the longest (Esther 8:9, with 72 words) or the shortest (John 11:35, "Jesus wept.")

A photo facsimile of all the verses will be compiled and published in time for Christmas 2009; the index will list each participant's name and the number of the verse he or she copied.

They have asked President Bush and Vice President Cheney to write out a verse, as well as Presidential hopefuls Obama and McCain. Billy Graham has also been invited. You can get more information on this campaign along with a map and timeline of destinations at www.bibleacrossamerica.com. They also post frequent updates through Twitter.

I think it would be cool to contribute to such an effort but I'm not sure I'd enjoy reading from such a Bible. That's just my initial thought. What do you think?