Driving Interview

Talking Cats

C'mon, who doesn't love cats now?

Life in the Loony Bin

Hey all... I apologize for the lack of posts in the last couple days. I've been super-busy, and YouTube is being stupid and won't let me put any videos up. But anyways, it's time for a random life update! I've had a really nice last couple of days. Work has been surprisingly pleasant and pretty quiet (or as quiet as a room with 5 toddlers can be), and school has been interesting, with activities such as a field trip, outside "play", and charades! This is a relief because of the insane amounts of homework I have this week. It's also a relief after a rough weekend. I'm pretty sure my family thinks I'm crazy, because my tiredness and hungriness and overwhelmedness and sad spiritual condition made me act like a person who belongs in the loony bin. Luckily, church has been good for me, if for no other reason than that it forces me to open my Bible and think about God. And surprise! I talked to Jesus a couple times this week. Here's a verse I read that has affected the way I have been talking to and interacting with God...

"Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool's voice is known by his many words."
*Ecclesiastes 5:2-3*

This is like a foreign concept to me, because lately when I talk to God, all I do is go on and on with excuses and with reasons why I'm the victim and why He should feel sorry for me. You have no idea how great a relief it is to be able to quiet myself and sit instead in reflection of God's great attributes. To peel my eyes away from myself, even for a moment, allows me to see a glimpse of something so much bigger and infinitely more exciting than this life, this existence. And Jars of Clay expressed it so well when they said that "we are bored of all the things we know". I am bored with my computer, my schoolwork, my music, the type of Christianity I see all around me. So, while trying to let my words be few, I asked God to allow my relationship with Him to go to a place, to be something that I have never experienced before; I want a relationship with God to reflect all the magnificence and excitement that He is and that He wants my life to be. And all He said to me was, "Change your attitude." So, as Shane & Shane so melodically put it, my anthem right now is, "Lord, I know if I change my mind, you will change my heart in time. Sovereign Lord, this time's from you, so I sit in the waiting room of silence." Thanks for listening to the unrestrained blabber of my mind. Have a nice night/day/afternoon/evening.

Quietly (in spirit, anyway! ),
Jill

TV TV TV

Disclaimer: This post in no way advocates the evil practice of watching TV. Ok, maybe it does, but in a perfect world there would be no televisions.

Now that the new television season is upon us, I thought I would tell you about a couple of my favorite shows.

My favorite TV show of all time is Lost... this is a show that manages to be intelligent, intriguing, and entertaining all at the same time. If you don't know the premise, it's basically that a plane crashed on this remote island, and the story is about the 48 survivors. But there turns out to be a lot more to the island that they think originally. The show contains a very large cast of main characters, and most shows pick one character and show his or her flashbacks from life before the island. This is the kind of show that you really need to watch from the beginning, because it's a very linear story line. But trust me, watch one or two episodes, and you will be hooked! It's very easy to get hold of past episodes. If you have Netflix, you can rent the first 2 seasons that way, or if I know you, you can just come to my house and watch my DVDs. Or you can buy the shows on iTunes. Or I guess you can rent them at an actual movie store, but really, who does that anymore? The 3rd season of Lost premieres on October 4 at 9 PM on ABC. Go check it out!

The other show that I will be watching this season is Medium; this is a show that is based on a completely unrealistic premise (because, let's be honest, you can't communicate with dead people), but it is about this woman, Allison, who is a psychic. The show is both linear and episodic at the same time. Each episode focuses on one "case" that Allison is working with (she works with the DA - also unrealistic, I know), and it usually wraps that up nicely by the end of the hour. The linear part is the ongoing relationships between Allison, her family, and her coworkers. The show is based on a true story (although who knows how true the story is or how based on it the show is). It's entertaining, sometimes it's kind of creepy... you know, the kind of show that makes me not want to brush my teeth at night, because Samara might crawl out of the shower and attack me from behind. But it's a fun show. It's usually a nice relief from all the stupid crime shows and reality shows that are ravaging our televisions. The acting is really good, and the stories keep you wanting to come back for more. You can check Medium out on Sunday nights at 10 PM on NBC (the start date is kind of fuzzy as of now, but I'm guessing it will be in the next couple weeks).

Some shows that I enjoy, but don't have time to watch this year are House, Cold Case, and of course, American Idol. Alright, I have to go go go, have a great night!

Jill

PARTY WOTW! (09/24/06)

That's right, people! It's party time! Welcome to the official third anniversary of the word of the week! This time, I put the power to choose the word into your hands, and those of you who voted chose this week's word pretty decisively. First of all, I would like to congratulate Mindy, Danna, and Leslie, the three people who won free song downloads in our little contest and who also happen to be three of the coolest people in the world. Honorable mentions go to my mom and sister, who also sent correct definitions to me, but who didn't get free music. I guess I should do something special this week for our party, so here's a brief history of the WOTW in haiku form:

first had three readers
now we are just so famous
because words are fun

Not only is the WOTW fun to read, but we are also in the business of changing lives. Most of the feedback that I get is from people who say that they would be lost, just lost without a word to pull them through the weeks. No lie. Now, since I don't want you to feel lost in despair, it's time to present you with the very special WOTW, which won with 57% of your votes. Let's go:

-kamalayka (kŏ-mŏ-lī'ku) noun --> a waterproof shirt made from seal guts
Ex: As we journeyed through Antarctica, we wore kamalaykas in order to go from swimming to walking with no discomfort.

And what would the WOTW be without our beloved random fact? Here's the best part of the party - you get two random facts this week! One relates to our word, and one has to do with words in general. Here they are:

1. The word "scuba" is an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus."

2. The word mussel is derived from muscle, because of the strength with which these molluscs can keep their shells closed. And muscle, in turn, can be traced back to the Latin mus, or "mouse," because of the picturesque notion that a rippling biceps suggests the image of a mouse scampering about underneath.

Alrighty, folks, this has been fun, but it's getting late, and even a great party has to end eventually. Let's keep the dialogue open in this little endeavor... tell me if you have a WOTW-worthy word or if you come across a particularly random fact. I'll be getting a new poll up on my blog tonight or tomorrow morning, so come back and check it out! Have a superbly amazing week!

Avec beaucoup de joie,
Dr. J

My Job

Hey all. This is going to be a long one, so enter in at your own risk. I thought I would talk today a little more in-depth about my job. I have mentioned that I work in a child care center and that I particularly enjoy it, but I haven't really talked about what I do or what it's like. And perhaps you're interested in the inner workings of the daycare system. I'll be focusing mainly on the infant/toddler aspects of the center, because that's where I work. So here we go...

First of all, let's get one thing straight. I'm not just a babysitter who sits there and plays all day. Certification to be a teacher in a good child care center involves quite a lot of schooling and skills. In fact, the early childhood education classes that I am taking are some of the most involved and require the most work of any classes I have taken. As early childhood teachers, we seek to take care of and form the whole child. This does involve changing diapers and feeding the children, and it also involves teaching the children... language, encouraging inquiry, math and science, social skills, and moral behaviors (which we do whether we intend to or not). Teaching these things really require a thorough knowledge of how young children learn and how we can encourage their inquiry. It's tough stuff, trust me.

I don't think anyone will be surprised when I say that there are quite a few disadvantages to placing one's child in a child care center. In the case of young infants, consistently being in a daycare setting for long days can cause some serious separation problems as the child starts to grow up. In all age groups, there is an almost inescapable problem of the children getting less individual attention than is ideal. This problem gets less severe in smaller centers, but it's very hard for a teacher to give a child a lot of one-on-one attention when there are 3 or 7 or 15 other kids to keep track of. These are problems that pervade even high-quality centers; low-quality centers are often much worse than this. They usually hold teachers with few or no qualifications, they have large class sizes, and toys and materials may be in a state of disrepair. This may sound like an unreasonable place to put your child, but high-quality centers are very expensive, so many people, especially those who need childcare the most, have to settle for low-quality centers. One of the other problems that I see in childcare is the parents. Now I don't want to present all-encompassing steretypes; I know some parents who are amazing and who I love to talk to; for the rest, I don't pretend to know all of their situations or motives, but I become rather infuriated with them sometimes. Some parents leave their children with us for 10 or more hours a day, even when they are not working or even when their children are sick (it takes a lot of force to convice some parents to come retrieve their sick child). My favorite thing is when parents don't spend any time with their kids, and then they try to dictate our every move at work. Here's my advice: if you want to control every minute aspect of how your kids are raised, then raise your kids!

In spite of all the disadvantages of child care, there are some advantages. High-quality centers with small class sizes and highly qualified teachers really give young children great opportunities for social interaction and the ability to learn a great deal. The first few years of life are some of the most vital in shaping the way children will learn in later years, and good teachers can be invaluable in promoting a child's exploration and independence in learning. Studies have shown that positive early learning experiences really do affect the achievements of children in elementary school and beyond. My job is a very important one, and it is also very rewarding, because I get to see the progress that the kids make over time. If everyone got the sense of purpose and joy that I get out of my job, then I'm sure that the world would be just a little happier.

I happen to have the privilege of working in a really high-quality center. We are pretty small... we have 4 infants, 8 toddlers, and up to 20 preschoolers, and our staff is comprised of great, highly-qualified teachers, most of whom have been there for a few years already. I can tell that all of my coworkers are there because they love children, and we have a great rapport with the families of our children. I don't think I could choose a better place to work. In spite of my love of my job, though, I wouldn't want to put my kids in this center, or in any other center. I really believe that a young child belongs with his or her parents, at the very least for the first few, vital years of development. I understand that it's necessary for some people to put their children in child care, but in general, people use it unnecessarily and miss out on the best years of the kids' lives. On that note, I better go read some more about the way the minds of small children work. I hope this post doesn't sound too bitter... I really do love my job, I swear!

Thanking you for reading so much blabber,
Jill

Rock Canon

My mom found this video and I thought you might enjoy it. This isn't the original guy who arranged the piece, but he is absolutely amazing on the guitar. How would you like to play this at your wedding? :)

There's a Thief in our Midst

Ok, we've all done it at some point in our lives. Maybe we just downloaded that one song or burned that one CD for a friend... it doesn't matter what it was exactly, but we know that we've all stolen music. I'm here to tell you that all forms of music theft are illegal. Think of it this way... would you walk into a music store and just take a couple CDs without your conscience hurting you? If you say yes, then you have a problem that I can't fix on my blog. I'll admit it, once in awhile I do burn a CD for my sister or a close friend, so I guess you can just call me Dr. Thief.

Hopefully the music you listen to is of high enough quality and is original enough that it required the artist to pour a lot of effort and a lot of themselves into writing it. When an artist does this, he or she deserves the fruits of their labor... seriously. If you don't think that your stolen music would be worth paying for, then it's time for you to find some new music! If this is the case for you, or if you really can't afford to buy music, then there is a great alternative for you. There are a lot of free, LEGAL music downloads available from independent artists online. While there are some low-quality independent artist, there are quite a few who are producing entertaining, original music. I'm going to start reviewing some of these artists on my blog in upcoming months, but if you want to search for yourself, here's some places where you can get started.

My favorite place to search for new artists is purevolume.com. They have tons of artists, who can put up songs for you to either stream online or for you to download free. They have some brand-new artists and quite a few artists who are fairly well-known in some circles. It's really a user-friendly website, and a great place to find great music. You could also check out Indieheaven, which contains exclusively Christian independent artists. Another alternative is to listen to music podcasts, which are free and in which they find the good music for you! I guarantee you that there are many other websites that offer similar services; these just happen to be the ones that I use. So go find some good music that you don't have to steal! Alrighty, I better go because I'm going to be late for work (again!). Au revoir.

Fondest regards,
Dr. Thief

Email Updates?

Hey everyone. Maybe you're not like me. Maybe you don't obsessively check all the websites in your favorites list 37 times a day. Maybe you have a hard time keeping up with the blogs you love to read. Maybe you love to read my blog. If this is true, then maybe it would be helpful to you to receive email updates every time I put up a new post on my blog. I've noticed that page views peak on my site on Sundays, when I send out my WOTW email (and remind people to read my blog), and then they taper off during the week. Well, I put quite a lot of thought and time into making this blog enjoyable to read, so I would like it if you would read it consistently. If you do want email updates, just leave a comment here (if I already know your email address) or email me (jilllawton@sbcglobal.net) and let me know you'd like to be on the list. If you decide later that you don't want the updates, you can just let me know, and I'll take you off. It's that easy.

While you're at it, let me know what you like and what you don't like about my blog. Tell me how I can make it better and what you would like to see me blog about. Maybe I'm a total blogging dork, but this is a hobby I really enjoy, and I would like it if someone enjoyed it along with me! Alright, so let me know if you want to get email updates... I'll try to get them going in the next couple days. Have a fantastic day!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Yogurt is Yummy!

www.stonyfield.com

WOTW 09/17/06

Greetings, friends and family! Welcome to the word of the week. I'll keep this brief: just remember to use this word as much as is humanly possible in your daily conversations in order to share your higher knowledge with the masses! Here we go:

-bamblustercate (băm-blŭs'tur-kāt) v.t. --> to embarass or confuse
Ex: Slipping on a banana peel bamblustercated the man until an altruistic stranger helped him to his feet.

And now, for this week's random fact:

If Columbus had emptied a glass of water into the ocean, and if that water were now thoroughly mixed in all the rivers and oceans of the world, then every glass of water you take from the kitchen tap would contain up to 250 molecules that had been in Columbus' original glass.

I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed this time of enrichment and enlightenment. If you have not yet voted for our special anniversary edition WOTW, do so in the poll on the right side of this page. And then send me an email with the definition of the word you choose, and I will send you a free song download. Do it now, while there is still time! Please tune in next week for our 3-year anniversary edition word. It will be an occasion to remember.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Music Blast From the Past

Alright, I'm lying. This music isn't really from the past; it's all very current artists and albums. The title just means that this is music that I used to listen to a great deal, but now I only play it occasionally. This is the first and probably last time I will review female singers on this blog. I just don't generally like listening to women sing. Don't ask me why. Well, you can ask me, but I won't know the answer. Alright, let's get into it:

First up is a fairly new artist from New Zealand, Brooke Fraser. I got turned onto her music when I was (surprise surprise!) in NZ. Her first and only album so far, What to Do with Daylight, is a fairly eclectic mix of songs. She heavily utilizes the guitar, the piano, and some great strings to a lesser degree. The songs are generally mellow, but they range from upbeat jazz to stirring popish melodies to powerful, soaring ballads. Brooke Fraser has one of my favorite female voices that I have heard; it is rich and full of emotion and extremely easy to listen to. Overall, this is a very strong album that manages to transcend the fleeting trends in music that get old so quickly. Highlight tracks: "Arithmetic", "Indelible", "Mystery"

Next up is Tree63, a South African worship band. I'll be looking specifically at their album The Answer to the Question. Like I said, Tree63 is a worship band, so their music does talk quite overtly about Jesus. But it's not cheesy Christian music. This album is one that got a lot of play time when I first got it. It is comprised primarily of rock music; it may not be musical genius, but it is good. The tunes are a mix of upbeat songs and softer ballads; they are all very catchy, and as far as "worship" lyrics go, these rank at the very top of the line. If you are bored with the same old worship music, you should definitely check these guys out. If you don't like or have never listened to overtly Christian music, this is probably a good place to start. I'm going to go ahead and say that this is the best worship album that I've heard. The expanded edition of the album also comes with 3 very nice acoustic versions of their songs. Highlight tracks: "King", "You Only", "So Glad", "Paradise" (they are really all good, though).

Third tonight is another female artist, Bethany Dillon. Bethany is only 18 years old now. She started putting out music at 15. She has two albums: her self-titled debut and her second album, Imagination. Bethany is an extremely talented musician. Her lyrics show a maturity that is lacking even in many older artists today, and her songs are very relevant and have a poignant message for our generation. Bethany Dillon has a great voice, and it definitely continues to mature as she gets older. The music is very guitar-driven; the first album's music isn't particularly profound, but Imagination's music showcases more variety; the upbeat songs are more intense and the slower songs and much quieter and more personal and moving. On a side note, I met Bethany, and she is really very sweet and genuine... she seems so much older than 18. And she supports Gospel for Asia, and anyone who does that gets high marks in my book. And she has a great website. I very highly recommend these albums. This isn't the type of music that I usually listen to, but it is very refreshing and very beautiful. Highlight tracks (both albums): "Revolutionaries", "Why", "A Voice Calling Out", "Hallelujah", "Vagabond", "Be Near Me"

Alright, I was going to do a fourth band, but I changed my mind, because this is alredy too long. Ok, I hope you all have a great day. Come back soon to see the WOTW! It's a really nice word this week. Au revoir, mes chiens.

Your friendly neighborhood music aficionado,
Jillus

My Life in Pictures

Hey everyone. I was going to do a meaningful blog tonight, but I'm too lazy to actually write anything, so I thought I would show you who I saw, where I went, and what I did today with some pictures...

Baby #1

Baby #2

Ma soeur, Liz

Bookstore

Flowers

(Note: this didn't actually involve going outside. I don't do that.)

My mom loves puzzles and wine

Me and Demon Kitty

The ever-elusive Matilda caught on film!

My Life in Pictures Part 2

All the pictures wouldn't fit in one post, so here's the end of this interesting epic...

Too much schoolwork

Where is my pen?

No seriously, where is my pen?

There it is!

Goodnight.

PS - I apologize for being a freak.

Kitties Are Insane

Here are some silly cats for your viewing pleasure!

Skype

I just came to the realization that my computer has a built-in microphone. Very exciting news. I've been waiting to sign up for Skype until I bought an external microphone, but now that I have an internal one, I went ahead, and now I'm an official Skyper. Except nobody I know uses Skype. If you don't know what Skype is, it's basically an internet-based way to call people. It's free to Skype someone else with Skype from anywhere in the world. Pretty awesome. So go sign up and then search for me... my username is just jill.lawton; and then Skype me and we'll chat. And it will be awesome. I also put up a link on the right side of this page that you can click if you have Skype... it tells you if I'm available to talk and it will connect you right to me. So go do it. Sorry that this is a mildly disjointed post. Ok, bye.

Always yours,
JML

PS - iTunes just released new version 7.0. It's pretty cool... now you can get movies and games and the new setup features are pretty awesome. Go check it out.

Evil Water

If you're like me, you don't drink your water straight from the tap. I personally use a Brita filter for my water purification, but I also enjoy bottled water from time to time. Except for Dasani water. Why is that, you may ask? Let me tell you... First of all, Dasani water is made by the Coca-Cola company. If you haven't figured out yet that Coca-Cola is the embodiment of evil corporate America, maybe this will illustrate my point: In the 1990s, Coke teamed up with Olive Garden restaurants for a campaign called "Just Say No to H20"; they offered rewards to waiters who could convince the most number of people to buy a beverage other than water with their meal, and they counted it a success when numbers of water-drinkers at Olive Garden declined. And then, Coca-Cola decided that it would really be more advantageous to make a profit from increasing numbers of water drinkers, so they introduced our beloved Dasani water in 1999. Let's get the basics straight first... Dasani's ingredients include magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, and salt. If that's not alarming enough, then you should know that most brands of bottled water get their water from natural springs (i.e. Poland Spring), but not Dasani. Oh no, Dasani water is simply tap water that had been "purified". Now this is my favorite part: over 500,000 bottles of Dasani water in the UK have been recalled, because they were found to contain illegally high amount of bromate, a cancer-causing chemical. According to Wikipedia.com, "bromate was not present in the tap water before Coca-Cola's 'purification' produced it from the tap water's harmless bromide." So pretty much what I am trying to tell you is that Dasani is stealing from you by marking up tap water prices about 300,000% (no exaggeration), and they are aiming to kill you while they're at it. Really, folks, just go buy a filter and do it yourself. It's cheaper, it's healthier, and it makes the world a better place. Thankyou for your time and concern.

Yours for a better tomorrow,
Jill

Audio Goodness

PS - Sorry I said "um" so darn much in this post.

WOTW 09/10/06

Hey guys. Sorry this is so late tonight. We lost power for a couple hours tonight and I got all thrown off. And I drank soda tonight and so I'm all loopy and wired on caffeine. Wow, it's been a really long time since I drank anything besides water. Alrighty, well, I suppose what you all came for was the superbly magnificent word this week. Here it is:

-aeolistic (ē-u-lĭs'tĭk) adj. --> long-winded
Ex: Since she had no friends, the girl was aeolistic when speaking with her cat.

And now for this week's random fact:

Bananas are picked while still green, not to preserve them during shipment and storage as most believe, but because they become unfit to eat if allowed to ripen on the tree. If they grow to yellowness unplucked, the starch will not turn to sugar and the banana will lack taste, its skin will break open, bacteria will enter and the fruit will rot.

And now for some exciting news: Apparently only 3 people have seen my new poll space (on the right side of this page), but maybe this will be some incentive for you to check it out. Right after I publish this post, I am going to create a new poll with a choice of 3 or 4 potential words of the week. In honor of the WOTW's 3rd anniversary, you all get to pick the word for 09/27/06! And here's the best part... if you either email me or leave a comment with the definition of the word you vote for, you will receive a credit for 1 song download (on iTunes or whatever service you use)... or I can just give you the $.99 if you prefer. And maybe I'll even feature your name in the anniversary edition WOTW! So go vote and start searching for those definitions! Remember, you have 2 weeks, until 11:59 PM on Saturday the 23rd to vote! Bonne chance!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Technology Talk

Bonjour, mes amis. I hope you are doing well. I know my posts have been really long and drawn out lately, so I'll try to keep them shorter. Today I want to talk a little bit about the word technology. Lately, most of the people I know, including myself quite frequently, use the word technology when we really mean electronics. We say technology to refer to our computers and cell phones and digital cameras, when really the word technology has a much broader meaning. My American Heritage Dictionary actually does define technology partially as "electronic or digital products and systems considered as a group," and the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines technology as "the practical application of knowledge". The easiest way to explain technology is this: technology is the way humans use the resources available to meet their needs. This means that technology has always been around, and that it changes constantly. The "technological evolution" of mankind includes everything from making primitive tools, preparing food, and harnessing wind and water as energy forms to building cars and creating cell phones. The idea of defining technology as machinery began very recently with the industrial revolution in England, and has evolved as we have created more advanced forms of machine technology. Even now, our technology is not just computers and digital cable; you use modern technology when you do laundry or flush the toilet. So you don't necessarily need to stop calling you electronics technology, just be aware that you are using a very narrow definition of the term and know the roots and full meaning of the word. Thanks for your time and your brains, folks. I'm off to exercise mine with some homework, because I'm a slacker and haven't done any in the last 5 days. Alrighty, have a great day!

Your word-loving doctor,
Jill

More Jars of Clay Goodness

Ok, maybe they are a little strange, but you have to admit that it's pretty funny.

Good Monsters

That's right, Jars of Clay's new album has been released for your listening pleasure! It came out at midnight last night, and I'm one of those people who started downloading it at 12:01. I have been eagerly awaiting this album, and it is not a disappointment. I've only had a chance to listen to the whole album a couple times, but here are my first impressions: one of the things I love about Jars of Clay is that none of their albums sounds like any of the others, and Good Monsters is no exception. It's so difficult to put this album into any concrete music category... if ever an album had a truly unique sound, this would be it. As always, their lyrics are absolutely stellar... introspective, honest, hopeful, poetic, just beautiful. Even in all of its simplicity, this album sounds like a majestic epic. Trust me, I listen to a lot of music, and I like a lot of music, but there is absolutely nothing that I like more than Jars of Clay, and Good Monsters ranks up there as one of the best Jars albums there is. Highlight tracks are "Work", "Dead Man (Carry Me)", "Oh My God", and "Surprise" (oh yeah, and all the rest of them). So do yourself a favor and go download it on iTunes or buy the CD on CBD. It's good stuff. Alrighty, have a great day!

Jill

Crazy Kitties

At least now we know that Mela's not the only insane cat out there.

WOTW 09/03/06

Hey folks! As I know you've all been waiting eagerly for this week's word, I will skip all of the rambling and get right to it. This week's word is the first in a long time to have a 2-part definition, so enjoy the double-dose of word goodness! And don't forget to share this word with all of your friends and family and mild acquaintances!

-abstemious (ăb-stē'mē-us) adj.--> 1.Eating and drinking in moderation
2.Sparingly used or consumed; restricted to bare necessities
Ex: It is very difficult to be abstemious when I have Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream in the freezer.

And now, onward to this week's random fact:

Calico cats are almost always female. If a male cat is calico (an orange and black blend, usually mixed with patches of white), it is probably because of a genetic deficiency and he will probably be sterile.

Alrighty, my friends, I hope you enjoyed our time together this week. Keep your eyes peeled in upcoming weeks for all kinds of WOTW activity, including polls and prizes! Have a super-fantastic night.

Your favorite word-loving doctor,
Dr. J

Church Hunting 101

Hey everyone! I'm sorry that it has been a couple days since I've written, I just didn't have a whole lot to say. Of course, my first weekend after starting school is jam packed with homework, mostly reading. But it's alright, most of it is pretty interesting. This is the easy part; I'm a little nervous about all the upcoming assignments. I have to do all kinds of observations for my ECE classes and speeches for my communications class... what fun. The exciting point of my weekend was that I actually went to church this weekend, which is something I haven't done in quite a few months. I've kind of been looking for a new church for various reasons, so today I went to the church of a friend from one of my classes last semester. I tell you, in my church hunt, I've visited churches with big fancy buildings, small run-down buildings, lots of technology, no technology, huge congregations and small congregations, charismatic services and very conservative services, and probably most other churchy adjectives you can think of. And in spite of all these variables, all these differences, I usually see the same thing. I see sedated people sitting in orderly pews and staring into nowhere. Sometimes we'll raise our hands and close our eyes, or interject some random "amens", but we're really just going through the motions. Our churches are impersonal. The fatal flaw of the church in America is this, that I can walk into a church service and sit by myself and then walk out without ever uttering a word to anyone, without connecting or being moved at all. In case you were so terribly misguided, I better tell you that this is not at all how any of the earliest Christians ever intended the church to be. I really firmly believe that the church of Christ should be small groups of believers who live life together and keep each other accountable and actually connect. Both the secular and religious sects of our nation are becoming more and more connected electronically while we disconnect ourselves emotionally and physically and spiritually from other people. And then we complain (especially me) because we don't have anyone to help us in our spiritual/emotional crises. Now I'll step off of my soapbox and tell you about the church I visited today. I can't claim that it's radically different from other churches I've visited, but it definitely felt warmer and more alive than many that I've seen. I spent most of my time there just observing and taking in my surroundings. The relationships between the congregants seemed open and friendly. It was fairly formal, but not rigid. I have to say, this is one of the only churches I have been to where the music actually sounded good. That was refreshing. I didn't really know any of the songs, but they actually managed to sing praisish songs without succumbing to the horror of cheesy, watered-down, unimaginitive modern praise and worship music (think "Here I Am to Worship" or "The Heart of Worship"). So there's one tally point for the church. The announcements, etc, were very brief. Add another tally. The pastor's sermon was very long but very good. He was dynamic and personal, and yet he remained grounded in the Word and in facts. And he actually kept my interest. Add about 1284 tallies to my little checklist. Ok, but then this service that started at 10:30 got to 1:00 and showed no signs of ending. Everyone was praying. Too much praying for me. So I left. But I'm going back next week. Because it was good, very good. And then I went to Staples, and that is probably my favorite store in the world, right after Pier 1. And now I need to go to my madre's friend's house for dinner and then I have 3857696 hours of homework to do. Ok, thankyou if you are still reading this insanely long post. The end.

Fondest regards and salutations,
Jill

PS - The WOTW will be up later, so come back and check it out.