Where do you belong...

Americas Mood Map

For a country that features the word United so prominently in its name, the U.S. is a pretty fractious place. We splinter along fault lines of income, education, religion, race, hyphenated origin, age and politics. Then too there’s temperament. We’re coarse or courtly, traditionalist or rebel, amped up or laid-back. And it’s no secret that a lot of that seems to be determined by — or at least associated with — where we live.

Now a multinational team of researchers led by psychologist and American expat Jason Rentfrow of the University of Cambridge in the U.K. has sought to draw the regional lines more clearly, literally mapping the American mood, with state-by-state ratings of personality and temperament.

Go to the link above and see if you're living in the state that matches your mood!

Happiness

I suppose most all of us try to come up with New Year's resolutions. And everyone knows the hard part is sticking to them. Instead of something specific like...working out every day or watching what I eat or saving more money (all of which are good resolutions)...this year I will just keep a Chinese proverb in mind:

"If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come"

I may not have joy or complete happiness every day of 2013, but I can strive to make my heart a place where contentment lives.

It's silly to believe every day will be sunshine and roses, life isn't like that...but it's not silly to trust that all things that come to me first pass through the hand of God my Father...and He wants what's best for me.

I guess this is the long way around saying that my resolution is to never doubt: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

Cats and Dogs

On a rare occasion, you will see another person posting on this blog...he's lurking but rarely speaks out. One thing that usually gets him rolling is a conversation about cats and dogs. He is, without a doubt, a cat person...I, on the other hand, love dogs.

 Do you supposed this says anything about our personalities?

Life and Death...

But I’m not always lucky. The family may ask me to use my physician superpowers to push the patient’s tired body further down the road, with little thought as to whether the additional suffering to get there will be worth it. For many Americans, modern medical advances have made death seem more like an option than an obligation. We want our loved ones to live as long as possible, but our culture has come to view death as a medical failure rather than life’s natural conclusion.

An interesting article concerning our view of death from a doctors eyes....read it here.

In the end

A day...

This video is about a day in California but as I watched it I realized it could be a day...anywhere!

A Day in California from Ryan Killackey on Vimeo.

Life in a Day...

What a concept for a film! Kevin McDonald and Ridley Scott asked people to submit a You Tube video about their life. Thousands from around the globe (140 countries) submitted videos (80,000 to be exact) which ended up producing 4,500 hours of footage. McDonald and Scott condensed the material to 94 minutes and 57 seconds (a feat in itself!) and it is due to be released July 29th. All the reviews have been positive. This may well be a film worth watching...

Here's the preview:

Life...

According to Aubrey De Grey, the first person to live to 150 has already been born.

A biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist of a foundation dedicated to longevity research, de Grey reckons that within his own lifetime doctors could have all the tools they need to "cure" aging -- banishing diseases that come with it and extending life indefinitely.

He says,""But there really shouldn't be any limit imposed by how long ago you were born." You can read the rest of the article here

My question is, do you want to live this life forever?

Life and Death

All things must come to an end, and there are two alternatives before us. They are life and death; and every one of us will have to go to his own particular place. There are two different coinages, so to speak, in circulation, God’s and the world’s, each with its own distinctive markings. Unbelievers bear the stamp of the world; while the faithful in love bear the stamp of God the Father, through Jesus Christ. Unless we are ready and willing to die in conformity with His Passion, His life is not in us. Ignatius of Antioch

Sustainable Marriage...

I was reading an article in the NY Times about marriage...(See The Happy Marriage is the "Me" Marriage)

Having just celebrated our 33rd anniversary, my husband and I often discuss what has been/is important to us in the relationship. Invariably communication is one of the first items mentioned. We both feel that if we can spend time together discussing an issue or a problem, we can get through it without hurting one another. We are, first and foremost, friends. Strength of character along with absolute trust and support are off shoots of our friendship. While all 33 years have not been a walk in the park, there have been very few bad times and we have never had to "work" at our marriage. My wish for my children is that they too can find spouses who will be their life long friend.

If you wonder where you stand in your relationship, take the quiz here.

May your relationships, whatever form they take, be as fulfilling as ours has been!

Are you Unwritten?

It speaks for itself...perhaps it's the way to start the new year...



"Unwritten"
Natasha Benningfield

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah

2012

Surprise, Surprise...

After years of hype about the apocalypse occurring on December 21, 2012...the date could be wrong! A new critique "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" argues that the conversion of the dates from the Mayan calendar to the modern calendar may be off by 50 to 100 years. And while they explain lots of calculations and what routes were taken to arrive at the date the bottom line is...they don't know when the world will end. And neither do we. As Jesus says in Matthew 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

We're not supposed to know, nor are we supposed to worry about it. What we are supposed to do is "be ready"...at all times. We are called to live each day as if it were our last...with love, compassion, peace and grace.