Squash Power

Do you ever feel weak? I know I do. Sometimes things come my way and I think I will just crumble under the load. I really like the following article, and after reading it, it made me stop and think. I came to the conclusion that I really am stronger than I think. It is quite interesting the things that we can truly bear. I find that my strength comes from the Lord, for it is He who has given me the strength to get through so many seemingly impossible situations in my life. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

In an interesting experiment at Amherst College (Massachusetts), a band of steel was secured around a young squash. As the squash grew, it exerted pressure on the steel band. Researchers wanted to know just how strong a squash could be, so they measured the force it brought to bear on its constraints. They initially estimated that it might be able to exert as much as 500 pounds of pressure.

In one month, the squash was pressing 500 pounds. In two months it was applying 1,500 pounds and, when it reached 2,000 pounds, researches had to strengthen the steel band. The squash eventually brought 5,000 pounds of pressure to bear on the band when the rind split open.

They opened the squash and found it inedible. It was full of tough, course fibers that had grown to push against the constraining obstacle. The plant required great amounts of nutrients to gain the strength needed to break its bonds, and its roots extended out about 80,000 feet in all directions. The squash had single-handedly taken over the garden space!

We have no idea just how strong we really can be! If a squash can exert that much physical pressure, how much more strength can human beings apply to a situation? Most of us are stronger than we realize. I am told that it was Eleanor Roosevelt who observed that "a woman is like a tea bag - you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." The same, of course, is true about men.

Does an obstacle you are presently facing loom large before you? Does it seem just too big? Perhaps overwhelming? If so, remember the squash. It's single-minded purpose was to break the bonds which held it.

OneNote

I got this great new computer program called OneNote, it is from Microsoft. I just love it. One of its features is that down by my clock I just click on the icon and it brings up a small note screen; I can just jot down a quick note or whatever and it is there for me to remember. I can even make it so it stays on top of everything so it is always seen; that sure beats having papers lying around that fall on the floor or just get forgotten.

The program itself is like a big notebook. You can also make it to where it is more than one notebook but I only use it as one. I tried to make it more but got really confused and really didn’t need to do that for what I am using it for.

In the notebook, or program, you have sections, for each section you have pages. I used to have a ton of papers by my chair with lots of notes of all kinds. Yesterday I just put all of those in my OneNote program. It is just great, not to mention my whole area is nice and clean. Now I might just get everything done since it is all in one place and right in front of my face. It's even a lot more legible than my handwriting and best of all it has spell check. It has lots of stationery to choose from and it comes with different color options for the sections.

There is too much that this program does to be explained here but if you get the chance it is worth checking out. If you are currently in the habit of using the note pad on your computer, this is a must have for you. It is also the perfect program for students.

If you are curious about checking this out for yourself you can go to the following and view a demo of the program and or try it out for 60 days. You have nothing to lose except for a lot of notes scattered everywhere. So go ahead, give it a try. If I can use it anyone can.

Demo
60-day Trial

I just have to say that I still would be lost without my Post It Notes, after all I can stick them all over my house; that is one thing you can't do with a computer. I'm just glad I now have a place for all my loose notes, lists and to do's. OneNote has made my life a little bit simpler and definitely more organized. Thank you Microsoft.

Medical Bloopers #3

I thought I'd go ahead and post another Medical blooper since I can't quite think of anything to blog about today. This should make you appreciate your own name. I've known people that would like to change their name, and some that have, but I think this individual has a good reason to, or at least change the spelling of the name.

This young woman brought her child to the Children's Hospital for a routine check-up. On the records, I saw that the child's first name was Urine (pronounced Urin-ie). I didn't want to be rude, but I had to know why a woman would name her child this, so I asked her how Urine got her name.
The woman sat down and related her story. "Well, my baby was born premature and had to stay in the special nursery. She was real sick and they didn't know if she would make it, but the nurses said they would pray for her. One day, I came in and the nurses had named her. There was a sign on her incubator that said, 'Please save Urine.' So I knew that they had named my baby Urine.

I cannot believe a mother would do this, she could have at least inquired to see if that is what they did or if the sign meant something else. It is too bad no one offered her a book on baby names. Now I know why they sell those books, to keep kids from the ultimate humiliation.

There is a God

In the world today there are many that don't believe there is a God. I came across this and I just love the reasoning here. Just because we can't see something does not mean that it does not exist. I know there is a God and I have not physically seen Him as of yet; but I know He exists, because only God could do the things that have been done in my life.

A college student was in a Philosophy class, where a class discussion about whether or not God exists was in progress. The professor had the following logic: "Has anyone in this class heard God?" Nobody spoke. "Has anyone in this class touched God?" Again, nobody spoke. "Has anyone in this class seen God?" When nobody spoke for the 3rd time, he simply stated, "Then there is no GOD."

The student did not like the sound of this at all, and asked for permission to speak. The professor granted it, and the student stood up and asked the following questions of his classmates: "Has anyone in this class heard our professor's brain?" Silence. "Has anyone in this class touched our professor's brain?" Absolute silence. "Has anyone in this class seen our professor's brain?" When nobody in the class dared to speak, the student concluded, "Then, according to our professor's logic, it must be true that our professor has no brain!" The student received an "A" in the class.

What about you; do you believe there is a God? If not maybe you should ask yourself once again why you believe that way. I hope this will help you to consider that you may actually be wrong. There really is a God and He loves you, He made you and when you leave this world you will know that He is real. Please don't wait until then to find out that you were wrong.

A Cat Story

A cat died and went to heaven. God met her at the Golden Gate and said, "You have been a good cat all of these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking." The cat thought a minute and then said, "All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on."
God said, "Say no more." Instantly, the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.

A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to heaven together. God met the mice at the gates of heaven with the same offer that He made to the cat. The mice said, "Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller-skates, we would never have to run again. God answered, "It is done." All the mice had beautiful little roller-skates.

About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found her sound asleep on her fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, "Is everything ok? How have you been doing? Are you happy?" The cat replied, "Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life! My pillow is fluffy, and those little Meals-on-Wheels you have been sending are absolutely delicious."

Tim Allen on Martha Stewart:

"Boy, I feel safer now that Martha Stewart is behind bars. O.J. and Kobe are walking around; Osama Bin Laden is still out there, and they take the one woman in America willing to cook, clean and work in the yard and haul her off to jail."

Trivia #5

More questions to test your knowledge.

1. Who made for Jesus a feast that was attended by many tax collectors?
   Answer: Levi (or Matthew) (Luke 5:29-32)


2. What was the Wicked Bible?
   Answer: A 1632 Bible that omitted "not" from "Thou shalt not commit adultery"


3. What instrument is usually associated with dance?
   Answer: The timbrel, or tambourine (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; Job 21:12; Psalm 150:4)


4. What creature eliminated every green thing from Egypt?
   Answer: The locust (Exodus 10:15)


5. Which epistle ends with "Written to the Hebrews from Italy, by Timothy"?
   Answer: Hebrews. This ending is in the King James Version 1611, but not in modern translations.


6. Who said, "The LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary."
   Answer: David, speaking to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:10)


7. What king of Judah had the longest reign?
   Answer: Manasseh, who ruled for 55 years (2 Kings 21:1)


8. Who buried Moses?
   Answer: The Lord (Deuteronomy 34:6)

A Redneck's letter

My dad sent me a fax this morning which included the following letter. It is just absolutely hilarious. So I thought you might enjoy reading it too.

My Dearest Redneck Son,

I'm writing this slow, because I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your Dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles of your home, so we moved and won't be able to send you the address because the last Arkansas family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so they wouldn't have to change their address. This place is really nice.

It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure it works so well, though. Last week I put a load of clothes in and pulled the chain. We haven't seen them since. The weather isn't bad here, it only rained twice last week; the first time for three days, and the second time for four days.

About that coat you wanted me to send; your Uncle Billy-Bob said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we had to cut them off. You can find them in the pockets. Bubba locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your Pa out.

Your sister had a baby this morning, but I haven't found out what it is yet so I don't know if you are an aunt or uncle. It's the dangdst thing, but the baby looks just like your brother. Uncle Bobby-Ray fell into a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off and drowned. We had him cremated; he burned for three days.

Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pickup truck. Bubba was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends, Cletus and Buford were in the back. They drowned because they couldn't get the tailgate down. There isn't much more news at this time.
Nothing much out of the normal has happened.

Your Favorite Aunt, Mom

I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did. Don't feel bad if you have to read it twice to catch everything. I don't think in the wildest part of my imagination I could have written a letter quite like that one.

A childs perspective on a "bill"

I went to a birthday party yesterday that was given for the father and son whose birthdays fall only one day apart. The little boy just turned 7. What I thought was so cute was after the boy opened all his gifts he went over to his mother who began to open the cards and read them. Inside the first one was a five dollar bill. The little boy held it up and proclaimed, "Now here's a bill for Toys R Us."

We receive bills in the mail all the time that we have to pay, but I never stopped to think that every time I spend cash I am actually paying a bill. So I guess it's all in your perspective how you look at where your money goes; a bill someone sends you to pay or one you willingly go and give. So if you don't want to pay a bill or with a bill, use coins instead.

X for Kiss

Did you ever wonder where the X for Kiss came from? Well I get this news letter every month where I live and there were some interesting things about the month of February and Valentines. This just happened to be in there. So for what it's worth, here it goes.

The "X" symbolized a kiss because in ancient days, when few people knew how to write, they would simply sign an "X" to show their agreement, then kiss the mark to emphasize their sincerity.

Aren't you glad that people finally learned how to write? I sure am.

Keys

We all have keys. Keys to unlock the door to our house; keys to start the car. We have keys for a lot of things. Did you ever stop to think about the keys to your life? One real good key to have is forgiveness. Forgiveness unlocks so much inside of us. I know for myself I feel set free when I forgive someone. The greatest act of forgiveness was when Jesus forgave me of my sins. Once you accept His forgiveness you have the power to truly forgive yourself and others.

I hope you will take advantage of this particular key. If you are feeling bound up in some way, see if there is somewhere you can use this little "Key of Forgiveness" to help set you free.