My Two Cents

Last Post

2008-07-05T16:04:00.004-05:00

This will be my last post to this blog. I have been writing under a pen name, and now no longer feel it necessary, or want to do so. I don't feel it necessary to reveal my identity here. I am proud of who I am, and the things I write about and wish to begin writing under my birth name.
I am not deleting this blog however, because there may be some who wish to return to it for reference.

Stop Being A Victim

2008-06-30T11:22:00.003-05:00

"If we could change one thing about ourselves to see the greatest gain, it would be to stop being the victim. Too many believe they are destined to be victims of broken relationships, disease, poverty, and overbearing personalities - and they say it over and over again. How we see ourselves makes all the difference. If being brow beaten is security, we will always be the underdog. Day after day we throw ourselves into the path of what we think we deserve. But we can change that pattern. We can stop repeating what we have heard all our lives, and begin talking to ourselves with good words. We have hidden gold within us and as soon as we learn it, we will get out of the lunacy of being the perpetual victim."
- Excerpt from Cherokee Feast of Days by Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

"We must help one another and the Great Spirit will help us both."
- Pied Richie

What is love?

2008-06-29T12:53:00.004-05:00

"Love does no wrong to one's neighbor [it never hurts anybody], Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law."
- Romans 13:10

"There are things that we shouldn't do, simply because we love God, and because we don't want to hurt somebody else's conscience. We may have the freedom to do these things, but our freedom could offend others, or cause them to do something against their conscience, and thus sin against God.
If you walk in love today, there may be things that you have the right to do, but the Holy Spirit will prompt you not to exercise your right out of love for someone who is watching you. Love never demands its own way. Love is always the higher law."
- Excerpt from Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyers.

"If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. "
- 1 Corinthians 13 1:13

Words of Wisdom II

2008-06-10T20:43:00.004-05:00

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works.." - Ephesians 2:8-9

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life or single cubit to his height? " - Matthew 6:26-28

"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.' -- Psalm 38:4

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" -- Corinthians 13:6

"God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God" -- Matthew 5:8

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life." -- James 1:12

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love and His kindness go on forever" -- Chronicles 16:34

"When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me. " -- Job 29:11

"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." -- Philippians 4:11

"But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." -- Proverbs 2:22

"Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue." -- Job 20:12

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." -- Mark 1:3

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? " -- Matthew 5:13

"Speak every man truth with his neighbor." -- Ephesians 4:25

"For the Lord gives wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" -- Proverbs 2:6

"Nothing is secret which shall not be made manifest." -- Luke 8:17

"Thou may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous."-- Proverbs 2:20

"A righteous man regards the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." -- Proverbs 12:10

"Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it." -- Hebrews 13:2

"As having nothing, and yet possessing all things." -- 2 Corinthians 6:10

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" -- Peter 5:7

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. " -- Matthew 6:1

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger." -- Ephesians 4:26

"Many waters cannot quench love; neither can the floods drown it." -- The Song of Solomon 8:7

"Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."-- Lev 19:14

"He that turns away his ears from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an abomination." - Proverbs 28:9

Got Money?? Give a little, help the flood victims!

2008-06-10T05:56:00.005-05:00

Note: I'm merely passing along the following information from an e-mail that I have received from Z 99.5. I applaud them for stepping up so swiftly, and assisting the Salvation Army in generating donations and funds for those who have lost in the recent floods that have been experienced in Indiana. Read on below for several ways that you can give.

From z99.5:

Less than one week after tornadoes ravaged Indianapolis' east side, torrential rains brought unprecedented flooding to surrounding areas this weekend. Rising flood waters have displaced more than 10,000 residents and killed at least two. President Bush this morning declared 29 counties a Federal Disaster Area. Community needs during these disasters are straining resources of the Salvation Army and other relief agencies.

Z99.5 is planning a day-long campaign to raise money for the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services flood relief efforts in Central Indiana and we need your help! Starting at 7:00am TODAY we will be accepting donations with 100% of all money collected during this fundraiser going towards Hoosier Flood Relief. Donations may be made through several means:

· Credit Card by calling the “Entercom Cares Hotline” at 317-816-4000 (open from 7:00am to 6:00pm);
· Credit Card via secure https://secure.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&projectid=USC-IND-Flood;
· Cash or Check at all Indianapolis-area branch locations of Fifth/Third Bank;
· Cash or Check at two select locations of Panera Bread, from 7:00am to 6:00pm Tuesday only. Meet Dave Smiley, KJ, Hunter and all of the Z-99.5 DJs out at selected Panera Bread locations during the day:
o 6055 North Keystone Avenue
o 5335 East Southport Road

http://www.wzpl.com/ for additional information about relief efforts, running totals of money raised, as well as the secure online donation form.

Green Cleaning

2008-06-08T08:27:00.001-05:00

Nature really does provide all the building blocks that we need in life for us to be happy, healthy, and thriving human beings. I wanted to put some helpful information out there (well a link to it) for healthy, safe, and more economical options for cleaning your home.

Somewhere along the way, the messy business of profit and science, not to mention advertising and marketing campaigns have taught us that we need all of these harsh cleaning products with anti-bacterials, and anti-fungicides, and more chemicals then I can name in order to have a "clean" environment. What they fail to mention is that you are actually creating a highly toxic environment, and ingesting these harsh chemicals into your body as you clean!

Greenlivingideas.com has some great tips on making your own natural cleaners, and even some tips for pampering your hands after all the work is done! To keep everything in balance, we must take care of ourselves healthfully and keep ourselves whole by maintaining our bodies as well as our homes.

To read more about Natural Cleaning Recipes, click HERE.

Paper towels can be expensive, and they just create a lot of excess waste (not to mention the butchering of trees without necessity). A great alternative to paper towels is a product made by Twist called the European Sponge Cloth #20. These fabulous cleaning devices come 3 to a package, are 100% Biodegradable, can be re-used over and over again for all household uses requiring cleaning, wiping, or drying, and can outlast 17 rolls of paper towels!!! Thats a lot of extra money in your pocket! Oh, and the best part is that the paper packaging these "spoths" or "spowels" come in can be easily converted into a feisty little bird feeder. They even give you directions! In Indianapolis you can purchase these at Good Earth in Broadripple for $3.25. If you don't have the great fortune of living in Indy, go to TWIST CLEAN.
Twist also makes a great all natural Naked Sponge #55. These are 100% biodegradable as well , and contain no dyes. At Good Earth you can buy them 2 to a package for $2.25.

Ecover is currently my brand of choice for dish washing soap and laundry wash. Their ecological dish washing liquid uses plant based ingredients that are gentle on your hands, and are not based on petrochemical ingredients. It will leave no chemical residue on your dishes, is safe for all river and marine life, is not tested on animals, and is safe for septic tanks. A 16 oz. bottle can be bought at Good Earth for $2.85. At Good Earth you can also refill your bottles, and save the environment from excess waste, and your pocket a few cents! I don't think they have Ecover available, but they do sell comparable product for washing dishes safely, ecologically, and effectively. The Ecover laundry wash is color safe, uses plant based not petrochemical ingredients, will not leave any chemical residue, does not contain phosphates or optical brighteners ( which have been shown to irreversibly bind to the skin, yuck!), and is safe for you and the environment. A 51 oz. bottle which is good for 20 loads, will cost you $9.50 at Good Earth. You can also buy these products and others online from ECOVER.

So, open your cabinets look for the ingredients listed in the natural cleaning recipes, and unleash your inner child and chemist. Make cleaning a "play" day, and a pay day by green cleaning your home.

IN Ranked 49th for Green States.

2008-05-29T18:11:00.002-05:00

I read the article and info below today in my IBJ daily email. I added a link to the list of America's greenest states. Although IN may be at the end of the list for green, I have seen some improvements locally. There is a design contest for recycling bins to line the walkways of Broadripple. The track also had recycling bins available this year at the Indy 500. (I must admit with some sadness, that there was still a far larger majority that chose to use the ground as a wastebasket) Littering is not a decent or good tradition folks!

From IBJ daily email:
Indiana ranks 49th as green state
Only West Virginia finished behind Indiana in a recent Forbes ranking of greenest states. Forbes sorted the states by carbon footprint, air quality, water quality, hazardous waste management, policy initiatives and energy consumption. States at the bottom all suffer from a mix of toxic waste, lots of pollution and consumption, and no clear plans to do anything about it

If your interested in reading further about green states in the U.S., there is a link below.
To see the list of Americas's Greenest States visit Forbes HERE.

Interested in entering the contest to design and create recycling bins for the Broadripple pedestrian areas? Read more about the ReArtFormation II HERE.

Words of Wisdom

2008-05-29T12:19:00.002-05:00

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. - Psalm 2:4

And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand. - Genesis 14:19-21

Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. - Exodus 20:23

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. - Matthew 24:11-13

He that stops his ear against the cry of the poor shall also cry himself, and shall not be heard. - Proverbs 21:13

If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. - John 5:31

'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler' - Chronicles 11:1-3

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth - Job 19:24-26

Sigg

2008-05-22T20:12:00.001-05:00

I ran across these recently and just had to share. As you've seen in the news and magazines, plastics are not healthy containers to store water or other beverages in. Certain types of plastics actually leech chemicals into our beverages. The Sigg containers are safe with 0.00% leeching. Designed by the Swiss they are extremely durable and safe for storing water, wine, or juice.

For more info go to SIGG.

Recycling in Indianapolis

2008-05-22T20:03:00.001-05:00

Live in Indy, but don't know where to recycle? Your not alone, in fact I used to be in those shoes myself. Thanks to some helpful indy.com posters I discovered that you can indeed recycle more then just paper in Indianapolis.

For convenience you can arrange curbside recycling pick up for a measly $5 a month. They take glass, #1 & #2's, cans & paper. For more info, go HERE.

For a one stop location that takes just about everything (even styrofoam!) visit:

Indianapolis Recycled Fiber
1775 S West St
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 634-7571

Fresh Local Produce

2008-05-22T19:50:00.001-05:00

I try to eat as healthy as possible. I'm not a saint, and am prone to the occasional gluttonous feast of meats and sweets, but for the most part I try to only put veggies, fruits, and grains in my mouth. Living on a budget there are some things that I always buy organic, and others that I take my chances on. I ran across this list of produce online that can help when shopping for organic veggies and fruits. If your on a budget like me, this list can help you decide which produce that you should spend the extra money on, and which you can substitute conventional produce for.

The List of 43 Fruits and Veggies by the Environmental Working Group.
Click HERE for guide.

If you want to try and eat seasonally so that you can buy the freshest produce, check out this website by the NRDC, which allows you to search for local produce by the state, and season.

Click HERE for seasonal produce buying help.

Besides the farmers markets that are set up around Indianapolis, you can also visit, or subscribe to receive fresh seasonal fruits and veggies from local farms. Some have pick up locations, others you have to make a visit to. Luckily, a fellow Hoosier has helped us out in navigating all of the options available, and has put together this fantastic website on shopping locally for fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, and eggs.

Click for GOING LOCAL.

Don't forget to drink water as much as possible and avoid artificial sugars, and sweeteners. Yes, this means no soda, or diet soda. There are some great natural flavored sparkling waters out there, which is similar to 7up. I like LaCroix tangerine, and lime. Oh, and don't forget to get some exercise! Park at the end of the lot, take the stairs, do jumping jacks, skip and hop, dance in your undies, do whatever it takes to get moving!

Unwanted Catalogs?

2008-05-22T19:49:00.001-05:00

This year I've been really focusing on making a difference in how I affect the environment. I've started recycling, and in the process noticed how much junk mail I get. I don't know how to stop receiving the weekly ads from local merchants, but I did find a website that allows you to un subscribe from all of your unwanted catalogs for FREE!!

Tired of receiving tons of unwanted catalogs, and want to help the environment?

Click HERE, for help.

The Alphabet Affair

2008-05-22T19:43:00.000-05:00

The alphabet affair is a black tie benefit for the Indy Reads program. This year it was held a at the Hyatt downtown. Held annually, this year's theme letter was "J". Each person had to either wear black tie attire, or a costume with the letter J. There were many creative and fun ideas, unfortunately I did not get photos of everyone. To name a few there was two Jacksons, a Janitor, a female dressed as Johnny Cash, Juicy Juice boxes, a Juggler who provided entertainment, a Jester, a Jailer, Jaffar from Aladdin, and a few others who I probably don't remember. There was a live auction with items up such as a week stay on Lake Michigan, Colts suite tickets, a wine tasting gourmet dinner, and others. Ben and I purchased a racing package, and an arts package in the silent auction. I'm looking forward to taking the dance lessons, going rock climbing, betting on horses, and art center membership, and I'm happy that we could support a great organization in the process.

If you are looking for a place to give your time, then check out the links below to get more information about the Indy Reads program, and find out where to go to volunteer. Just imagine, what it would be like to not read.

To read more about the Indy Reads program, and organization. Click HERE.
To Volunteer for Indy Reads. Click HERE.
"Indy Reads Needs Volunteers". Indy.com, Dec. 07 . Read HERE.

Indy Reads Information Video is HERE.
News segment video of Indy Reads student Joe Cooper is HERE.

Indy Reads provides FREE tutoring for functionally illiterate adults in Central Indiana.

We sat at a table with my parents Aak and Carol, Jan with the National Bank of Indianapolis and her husband Jim, and Julie from the National Bank of Indianapolis.
Jim dressed up as a janitor, and won the men's costume contest.
He even had a mop bucket with him and cleaning supplies!

The Juicy Juice girls won group costume.

We played Jenga. :)

Note: I had some technical difficulties, and am trying to restore my blog. It may take me a little while to repost some photos.