Welp here is to a fresh month!
1. Today I learned a number of things, one being that I have a friend who wants to speak to young girls about positive image, loving yourself and being confident. You can find her adventure through conquering an eating disorder here.
2. Today, I learned that my soccer coach at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, Joshua Pettit, is going to be on staff at UNW full time! So exciting!
3. Today I learned about the Campus Outreach staff who bought a hotel in Garden City, South Carolina for the summer project. It was an expensive buy but in the long run totally worth the chance to significantly decrease the cost of the summer project for the students raising support in the future.
4. Coke came out with soda cans that say “Share a coke with your _________” and each can has a different name or relation to someone on it. I opened share with your soulamate.
5. Today I learned that there a good ways to worship God in a world of distractions. Here is a good article about it.
6. Today I learned that one of my supporters runs a family contruction company and his brother in law wants to move to the Middle East to do dental work!
7. today I learned that I am over 50% of my overall total. Praise God.
8. Today I learned that in Japan there are bugs like centipedes the length of your fore arm. GROSS
9. Today I learned that there is a guy who was a Muslim who frequently debated with Christians about what they believe during his time at University. Most of the time he would win because Christians can’t give a compelling argument for what they believe other than their feelings. Like Peter says in 1 Peter “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” I exhort you, no matter what you believe not to have reasons why other ideologies are wrong but why yours must be right.
10. Today I learned that my aunt hasn’t eaten processed sugar since last September; not only does she feel awesome, but she looks great! Processed sugar causes inflation in the body. Thats why you can lose so much weight when you stop eating it. Carbohydrates turn to sugar which causes the increase in fat, or maintenance in fat content on your body.
11. Today I learned that National Camera Exchange is celebrating 100 years of business. Sweet!
12. Today I learned that peaberries-a certain kind of coffee bean are special because only one bean grows in each cherry blossom. This makes a difference because they are more vibrant in taste due to growing one bean versus two. Only 5% of coffee beans are peaberries.
13. Today I learned that there is a store in New York City called B and H Warehouse that is the nations largest and most awesome place to buy camera/video and digital stuff. I also learned that prime lenses are really helpful for shooting a single object in focus with a very blurry backdrop. I’m pretty excited to get my new camera tomorrow.
14. A girl I know from University, I learned today is amazing at singing: check her out. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUh87j_PU0umL5ZLt7paiog
15. Today I learned so many things. One of the things I learned was from a guy named Taylor I met downtown. I learned that if you register for an absentee ballot to vote it comes about 45 days prior to election. Hoping mine comes before I move!
16. Today I learned that this year, the city of St. Louis is celebrating 250 years so they have placed 250 birthday cakes all over the cities most well known places. Here are two of the three I’ve seen.
17. Today I learned that 295 people died in an airplane because a malaysian plane was shot down by ukrainian rockets. very sad.
18. Today I went to Grant Farm in St. Louis and learned that it was previously owned by Ulysses S. Grant. The farm contains a cabin called “Hardscrabble,” which was built by Grant on another part of the property and later relocated to Grant’s Farm. It is the only remaining structure that was hand-built by a U.S. president prior to assuming office
19. Today I learned that Kelli, one of my friends has an awesome apartment in the city. She showed me what it looks like and I guess I learned that there is free parking behind her building which is rad because she lives over a restaurant I’ve been wanting to visit.
20. Today I learned that one of my preschool mom’s is a computer science teacher at St. Thomas University.
21.Today I learned that you can’t drink beer in the dugout at the ball park. So the neighborhood guys drank just outside the dugout during their game.
22. Today I learned that one of my co-workers who pretty much disagrees with most of what I believe is actually really into relationship building and connectedness. She really loves prayer for those reasons. how neat
23. My old pastor (pastor Chris)’s wife told me she was going to give me some money. She did today and it said from her and mark. MARK? who is Mark? turns out he is Mark Christopher jr. and gets called Chris. Who knew?
24. Today I learned that there are therapists who work with preschoolers that struggle to eat. Sometimes its a refusal issue because not eating a way to control things. Sometimes its a fear related (surprises) and sometimes its trauma or loss related. In therapy you first learn how to touch food with your fingertips, then what it feels like on your hand, then your lips then hopefully in your mouth. Such an interesting process.
25.Today I learned that one of my customers at work is a teacher in China as a way to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Which is awesome. She gave me some money for moving overseas, so that was neat.
26. Today I went up to a friends cabin and I learned a number of things. Lisa makes her baked beans with multiple beans, brown sugar and bacon. Dave is incredibly good at frisbee, they have a 7-hole frisbee course at the cabin. Brittnee had never waterskied or tubbed before today and that the first Miss America pageant took place in the south in the 20’s and the women were so beautiful, they were also fully dressed in regular clothing.
27. Today I learned that in the scriptures the sadducees considered the law to be the five books of moses and almost nothing else in regards to the highest authority whereas the Pharisees looked to those books in relation to the time and culture. It certainly brought new light to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12.
28. Today I learned that one of my most interesting friends is moving to the Middle East to teach english. (i will meet his dad on the 30th. so funny!)
29. Today I learned that one of my nurses has done blood work for 35 years and never been typed. weird?
30. Today I learned what a “Mochi” is. Big Bowl serves it as a dessert. Its a squishy thing filled with ice cream. The squishy part is kind of like life saver gummys, but different, its a rice base. Today i got a mango one and it was mango ice cream which looks cream and a mango colored outside, (the Mochi part). It gets served with chocolate and caramel sauce. totally worth trying.
31. Last day of July, today I learned that typhoid shots last two years. I learned that my friend Megan makes a lot of money at her new serving job at Union downtown and that my neighbor has an awesome projector in his backyard for movies. And also that it’s Harry potters birthday. Ala-Kazan.
Dear Samm, 