Chocolate!!!! :D

Chocoholics Anonymous

I just realized recently that in my very first blog post, I noted that I would probably be writing some posts that had something to do with chocolate, and that I have failed to follow through on this comment. This is a sad thing considering how much I love chocolate, so I decided to devote an entire post to it. I'll give just a few reasons why I am a self-professed chocoholic. :)

Just the thought of chocolate makes me smile but one thing about chocolate that makes it appealing to everyone is that it's scientifically proven to make us happy. Chocolate affects the release of neurotransmitters, which transmit signals between neurons in the brain. The particular types of neurotransmitters that chocolate affects are ones that make us happy, like endorphines and serotonin. These can lower our stress level, relieve depression, and makes us alert and excited. Some of the neurotransmitters triggered can get us feeling similar to being high and even in love! I always knew I was in love in chocolate for a reason. :p

Besides giving us the temporary feeling of happiness, chocolate can also have health benefits when consumed in a reasonable amount. Dark chocolate in particular is full of antioxidants which studies have shown can help reduce blood pressure and improve your heart's health. Some studies are even showing evidence that chocolate could help to prevent cancer. These benefits lie mainly in the cacao, so the higher the percentage of cacao in the chocolate, the better for you it is. This works out pretty well for me because I prefer the rich taste of dark chocolate to milk chocolate any day.

Semi sweet chocolate is dark chocolate with a high sugar content. This works very well for chocolate chips because it has the richness and nutrients of the high cacao percentage, but also the high sugar content to keep it extra sweet. I prefer using semi sweet chocolate chips over milk chocolate ones when baking for these reasons. Generally this is the popular way to go, mainly because of the difference in taste in my opinion. When it comes to baking desserts with chocolate involved, I think the richer, the better!

A Way To Satisfy Your Chocolate Craving

I think it would be just a bit rude of me to have all this talk about chocolate and not leave you with some sort of recipe. I've decided to keep it simple and classic by sharing my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, by Alton Brown.  If you're like me and like your measurements in cups rather than ounces, you can use the same recipe with this minor variation. There will always be debates about the best chocolate chip cookie recipe but this one is my favorite because I love how they turn out chewy, slightly crispy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside. I also love that the recipe is extremely precise and detailed. All of Alton Brown's recipes are this way.

This post might not make you a chocoholic like me, but perhaps I have been able to remind you of why chocolate is and should always be one of the best choices to relieve your sweet tooth. The next time you need to do this, I suggest trying the chocolate chip cookie recipe. I know just talking about all this is making me hungry! Now, where did I put the rest of that dark chocolate bunny?.... :)

Overcoming Depression

How To Beat Depression

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that focusing on things that bring happiness and joy can sometimes help me keep from becoming too depressed. Well, now it's time to actually focus on why it's necessary to do this in the first place, and to see what other ways are effective in overcoming depression. This is something that I deem extremely valuable to learn about and even more important to know how to overcome it.

According to the Webster Merriam dictionary, depression is defined as " a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies". I think the key words here is "disorder". True, chronic depression is not just a passing feeling of sadness that lasts for only a few moments. Depression is a serious problem that needs to be addressed in the right way. If you think you can just try to live with it and try to banish those feelings, you're not going to see much results. I believe that it's necessary to become familiar with the things that contribute to depression. By doing this, we can then address them and do something useful to alleviate the pain that depression brings.

One major cause of depression is other health problems. I'm sure pretty much everyone has fallen into the terrible cabin fever that comes with being cooped up in the house after being sick for a while. This happens to me after only a few days of having a temporary sickness, like the flu or strep throat. Well, with more serious health problems, that cabin fever can easily turn into depression. Chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, anemia and cancer are just a few of the life altering illnesses that have been known to cause depression. When people are diagnosed with these illnesses, a lot of times they are forced to stay bed ridden or don't have the ability to exert themselves by going out of the house very often. This leads to the cabin fever and boredom. Soon they start feeling like there's no hope and their lives just won't improve at all. These feelings all lead to depression.

There are specific ways to target these causes and find cures for them that will therefore help toward curing the depression. The health problems that can lead to depression are varied and sometimes can't be cured, but they can be treated in the best way possible if they are addressed. One thing that can drastically help is to get out into the sunshine as much as possible. Soaking up the vitamin D and breathing in the fresh air can not only help improve your physical condition; it also helps to put you in a better mood and fights that cabin fever. Even if your disease limits you from going out very much, you can at least try to step out to your backyard or into a courtyard if you're in the hospital. Seeing and appreciating God's beautiful creations can put you in a much better mood and allow you to be in the right mindset to resist some of the pain of depression.

Another major cause of depression is loneliness. This can actually coincide with the severe health problems sometimes when people don't get visitors as often as they'd like, but loneliness can really happen to anyone. We all have friends and family, but some of us have more or better ones than others do. I know that when I'm having a problem that's keeping me down, my family and close friends are always there to show support and help cheer me up. Not everyone is so fortunate. Sometimes people do have these strong relationships, but they don't get to keep in touch as often as they need to and therefore feel lonely a lot of the time. Statistics show that twice as many women are diagnosed with depression as men. This is due in large part to the fact that some mothers end up being alone with their children at home and begin to feel lonely, as with postpartum depression seen in mothers with newborn babies.

Of course, the obvious way to get rid of loneliness is to try to improve your social life. Get out more and try to maintain the relationships you already have while being open enough to make new ones. Joining a support group is a very good way to be reminded that you're not alone in your depression. It's also the perfect place to get to know people and make new friends because everyone in the group already has something in common. You can go from there and find other things you might have in common so that you will have a bit more to talk about than just depression all the time. :p Just know that you never have to be completely alone.

A Surefire Way To Overcome Depression

I know that there is One who will always be with us, whether we're depressed or not. This One is Jesus. Whenever you start to feel like your depression is unbearable, ask Him to relieve your burden by casting all your cares upon Him. He can handle it much better than you ever could and wants to do so. If you trust in Christ, He will never let you be completely overwhelmed by your depression. Even when things seem hopeless, God is always there to help us in the midst of all our problems. With God, all things are possible. With Him, it is definitely possible to overcome depression. :)

What I Like About You: 5 Things That Make A Guy Attractive

Prince Who?

Ever since I was a little girl watching all the classic Disney movies, I have dreamt of falling in love and living happily ever after with my Prince Charming. The thought of spending the rest of my life with someone who loves me and often knows me better than I know myself puts a smile on my face. Of course, reality doesn't work as simply or easily as it did for Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. If or when I find the right guy for me, he probably won't be wearing a crown or riding in on a noble steed. Instead, I'll have to look for the traits and qualities that I know I want in a boyfriend or husband. Here are 5 of those traits that I admire the most.

1. One thing that I find necessary in a guy for me to even consider him as marriage material is a passionate love for God. I am a devout Christian and I need my husband to be one, too. The husband should be the spiritual leader of the family so it's really important for Christian guys to be strong in their faith, preferably just a bit stronger than their potential wives. If they are wholeheartedly following after God, the other traits that make them attractive will start to show in their lives as well. This is why I think this is the most important thing to look for in a guy.

2. In my opinion, humility makes a guy extremely attractive. If a guy is humble, that means he doesn't have a huge ego and doesn't always have a chip on his shoulder. Because he doesn't consider himself better than others, he treats people in a more considerate and servantlike way. He doesn't try to show off or brag about anything but instead just shows his talents in a quiet but effective way. This is a hard thing to find in anyone today, especially guys. However, it's not impossible to find, and guys can definitely work on becoming more humble as long as they're motivated to do so.

3. A good sense of humor goes a long way for a guy. If I find him funny and he associates well with my sense of humor, this is something that we can share for the rest of our lives. I try to be positive, looking at the glass as half full, but there are times when I'm not in a good enough mood to do so. These are the times when it would be really nice to have someone to cheer me up with a funny remark or a well timed joke. Even when I'm in a good mood, these things are appreciated. It would make life a bit more difficult if I had a husband who had a really bad or even no sense of humor, so being able to laugh with a guy is something that I really value a lot.

4. I find honesty an essential quality in a relationship. This applies to both people, but I'm a terrible liar so I know I'll be able to hold up my end of that responsibility. I need a guy to be honest and open with me so that I'll be able to trust him completely. If a guy gets caught lying fairly often, he'll become like the boy who cried wolf. No one will know when to take him seriously and any girl who tries to stay in a relationship with him will be continuously frustrated and hurt by his lies. I don't want to have to deal with the problems and pain that come with that, so truthfulness is something I look for in guys.

5. I want to marry a guy who is hard working and doesn't give up very easily. Perseverance is something I think I lack too often, so that makes me admire it even more when I see guys who have it. If a guy is earnest, he won't be too lazy. Instead, he'll work hard to get the job done and he won't be satisfied until it's finished. This is an extremely attractive trait because it lets me know that when he's determined to accomplish something and he puts his mind to it, he will accomplish it. That is something I like to see.

What To Do With These Qualities

Of course there are many other things I look for and admire in guys, but these are 5 of the main ones that I find absolutely necessary when looking for a guy that I could possibly fall in love with. For girls who read this, I suggest holding your standards high and trying to find guys with traits like these. For guys reading this, I'm sure there's always room for improvement even if you feel you possess each of these qualities, so hopefully this motivates you to become a little more attractive. :p

Putting Ads On Your Website

How To Monetize Your Blog

Whether you have a blog or some other type of website, putting advertisements on it is an easy way to make some money off of it. When people go to your site to read whatever you have posted, they might see an ad about something they're interested in and decide to click on it. The more clicks they perform, the more money you get. It's just that simple. I'm going to show you a couple of different accounts you can sign up for and how to go through the process of doing so. First, we'll start with Amazon Associates.

1. To sign up to put ads on your website using Amazon Associates, first go to their homepage. Click on the blue box that says, "Join now for FREE!".

2. Fill out all of the necessary information about you and your website. The specific information regarding your site allows Amazon Associates to decide what type of ads to put on your site in order to keep them relevant to the people who read it. The more appealing they are to the readers, the more of a chance there is that they will actually end up purchasing something from one of those ads.

3. Make sure before you completely finish signing up to click on the link with the policy information and read it. This has some important information about what you can and cannot do once you have been accepted into Amazon Associate's system. This is especially helpful when knowing what you receive money for because according to those rules, you must put the correct types of special links on your site in order to get full compensation when people click on the ads.

4. Once you have clicked finish, you're officially signed up. :) You can fill out the payment information whenever you want. If you are under 18, I suggest asking one of your parents for permission to use him or her as the payee. If you're nice enough, he or she will actually give you the money that you earn from it. :p

Another way to put ads on your site is through Google Adsense. Their sign up process is just a little bit longer but not too much. It's still relatively simple to do.

1. First, go to the home page for Google Adsense. Click on the "sign up now" button.

2. Fill out all of the necessary information. As I mentioned, this is a little bit more in depth than Amazon Associates, but it still doesn't take very long to complete. Once again, if you're under 18 you will need to get a trusted adult to allow you to send bills to them and get them to give you the money.

3. Once you have finished signing up, you will be informed that your application is being reviewed. You will be notified in about 48 hours if you have been accepted.

Having Any Problems?

If you have any questions about Google Adsense, you can go to AdSense Help and probably get them answered. If you have questions about Amazon Associates, sign into your newly made account and look around on that site. There are a lot of details to learn about if you browse for a while. Hopefully one or both of these will allow you to make a bit of money off of your website! :)

Happiness and Joy

Why We Need to Know About Happiness and Joy

Some of my friends have been talking about being depressed lately. We all have plenty of issues in our lives to be discouraged and/or depressed about, but one thing that usually helps me pick myself out of the dumps is to concentrate on things that bring just the opposite effects: joy and happiness. Now, don't start thinking this post is going to be like the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. I think I'll let everyone make a list like that for themselves. :p Instead, I've decided to look a little further into joy and happiness. What exactly are these feelings, and how do they differ from each other? Well, this is what I have found out.

To begin to understand the differences between joy and happiness, you first must know the definitions for each of them. Happiness is a state of contentment or pleasure based on good circumstances. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a state of well-being or contentment", or "a pleasurable or satisfying experience". It's a feeling that you get when you experience good fortune in your life, but it's only a temporary emotion. Happiness doesn't last for every second of your entire life. It is found only in some moments of pleasure in life and is based on outside circumstances.

Joy is an intense emotion associated with delight and pleasure. It's defined by Merriam-Webster as "a source or cause of delight". This is a feeling that starts from within us and spills over into our countenances and behaviors, a lot of the time causing happiness. Joy lasts much longer than the fleeting feeling of happiness, a lot of times remaining for the rest of your life. It's much deeper and is not dependent on outside circumstances.

The Difference Between Joy and Happiness

So, what's the difference between happiness and joy? The main ones are their differences in longevity and causes. Happiness can be experienced from time to time in your life if you are fortunate, but it never lasts for an extended period of time. After a little while, you react to something else that happens in your life and move on to a different emotion. Joy, on the other hand, is always present in your heart once it first appears there. You may not always pay attention to it, but it stays there and can be accessed whenever you choose to concentrate on it.

Happiness is caused by an outside circumstance or instance of fortune. It's an emotion that is started as a reaction to something happening in your life. Joy, in my opinion, is almost always caused by God putting it into your heart. Psalm 4:7 says, "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound." God is the source of our joy and is able to fill our hearts with it. He has an unlimited amount of joy, so He can give us as much as we ask Him for. 1st Thessalonians tells us to "Be joyful always", God is definitely willing to help us do that if we are willing to seek after it.

Hellen Keller said, "Resolve to be happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties." She obviously had plenty of difficulties to overcome in her life, so I trust she knew what she was talking about. If we can truly understand joy and happiness and try to pursue them, we will be much more prepared to face all of the tough situations in our lives. Sometimes depression can't be helped by developing a better outlook on life, but discouragement and sadness almost always can. When God gives us joy, this will be a formidable weapon to fight against all of the dark, unhappy feelings we sometimes get too focused on. Knowing that there is a way out of that dark pit of a bad mood brings a sense of hope to me. Knowing that this way out lies in happiness and especially joy will hopefully bring that same sense of hope to you, too. :)

Millennium Soldier: Wearer of the Gold

A Christian Science Fiction Book Review

Obadiah 1:4-- "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD." This verse was used as the spark of inspiration for Voyle Glover to begin writing his first Christian sci-fi thriller: "Millennium Soldier: Wearer of the Gold".  The thought of God pulling people down from their home in the stars is only the tip of the iceberg as far as mind boggling concepts go in this book.

Cubal, a seasoned warrior trained in the ways and teachings of D'vru, lives during and directly after the Millennium, when the Messiah had ruled Earth for a thousand years. Because Jesus is the perfect King, during His reign all of humanity experienced a time of peace and prosperity that allowed them to make great advances in the scientific and technological fields. This means that space travel and many other amazing concepts were cultivated and mastered. The beginning of the book finds Cubal visiting the planet Na'ha and learning what he can from the people there.

However, this book is not just a chronicle about exploring new worlds and technologies. In my opinion, the most interesting aspect of it is how the story is tied in to the Bible and what the end times could possibly be like. Cubal is recruited by the Ancient Ones and Lucien (a.k.a. Lucifer or Satan) to fight for them in a war for control of Earth and the universe, but God is also working to recruit this talented warrior's services. Cubal asserts that he bows to no one, whether god or devil, but events are quickly happening that will force him to reevaluate this decision.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in seeing a creative science fiction novel with a biblical spin on it. Of course, almost all of the futuristic aspects are speculation and pure fiction, but the basic backdrop of the battle of good against evil and God against Satan is definitely true. This will happen someday, with or without the details included in the book. :p The only main criticism I have is that with all of the action and plot twists, this book could have been much longer and focused more on some of the strange details. Although this is only the first book in a series, so I suppose that keeping people hanging on for more details is probably a good tactic to draw us in and make us desire to read Book Two. It definitley had this effect on me.

The portals transporting people to different planets almost instantaneously, the laser guns that bend toward their targets even if not aimed directly at them, the ability to read minds and the garments that cause invisibility are just a few of the futuristic details that I have alluded to and that are included in this book. These things seem almost impossible to achieve in our day and age, but definitely seem much more possible and maybe even probable when you consider how many technological and scientific advances can be made during a thousand years of peace.

Read The Book And See For Yourself

If I have piqued your interest in this story of a Millennium Warrior, check out this book for yourself and find out what I mean about all of the cool details in "Millennium Soldier Wearer of the Gold" by Voyle Glover. I believe that you will not be disappointed by the quality of this story. There is a very good chance that, like me, it will leave you pleasantly entertained and wanting to know more of Cubal, the wearer of the gold. It is a good thing that this desire can be satisfied by reading Book Two. :)

30 Hour Famine

Making a Difference

There are many different things I could be doing with my weekend. I could hang out with friends, watch some movies, read a book or two, or just be lazy and waste time doing nothing but daydreaming. This is how I have spent some time in the past, but this weekend is different. This weekend, I will be making a difference in childrens' lives and helping to keep them nourished and happy. :)

How am I going to accomplish this? I and some other kids from my youth group will be fasting for 30 hours in order to support the children around the world who are starving. We have been raising donations to give to World Vision, the organization who came up with this idea in the first place. They will take the money we helped raise and will use it to deliver food to impoverished children in countries around the world, such as Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myammar.

I'll be honest; I'm a little nervous to be fasting for 30 hours straight. We're allowed to bring water and juice if we want, but that will definitely not silence the inevitable growling of my stomach. However, when I think of how those poor children go every day with that hunger gnawing at them, I know that any miniscule discomfort I may experience is nothing compared to that. I will be fasting by choice, but many of them skip meals for days because they're unable to get any food.

Of course, the money is not the only thing we can do to contribute to helping these kids. We also will be helping through the power of prayer. Fasting and praying go hand in hand. By fasting, we are able to focus more on God and show Him how serious we are about requesting for this need to be met. He will undoubtedly hear our prayers and can make sure that our efforts will have the desired effect.

How You Can Help

Almost 8,000 children under 5 years old die each day from hunger-related causes. With the help of World Vision, we can drastically change this statistic. If you want to learn how you personally can help support this cause, you can learn more about World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. You can also pray about this issue and, if you want, you can pray that everyone participating in this event will be able to make a significant difference. I'm excited to find out just how much good we can do!

How Sugar Affects Our Health

How Is Sugar Bad For You?

Sugar has become an extremely prevalent part of our diets. Whether found in chocolate chip cookies or apples, I think it's safe to say that we each have developed a taste for sugar and consume it on a regular basis. We sometimes need some sugar in order to help give us energy and  regulate our blood sugar level, but too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing very easily.

When we consume sugar, the glucose level in our blood increases. This glucose is transported by the blood to various cells in the body so it can be used for energy. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is necessary to help blood cells carry the glucose to wherever it needs to go. This process works well as long as there is not too much glucose to regulate and as long as the insulin is released in the right amount, but this is not always the case. When our bodies can no longer produce or release insulin in the proper way, we can become diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when the body stops making insulin altogether, makes it in extremely low amounts, or stops releasing it correctly. When the insulin stops functioning in the way it's supposed to, the glucose can't be moved to the cells that need it and as a result, the blood sugar level remains high. If it stays high for a long period of time, it can cause dehydration, weakness, fatigue, numbness in the hands and feet, and other serious problems. Some people develop diabetes through genetics and other factors they can't control, but you can significantly decrease your chance of getting diabetes by monitoring your sugar intake.

Besides being harmful to our health, sugar can also bring some negative effects on the way our bodies age. When we eat a lot of sugar, those molecules will often attach themselves to proteins and other cells in our bodies, especially to some of our skin cells. This can give us bags under our eyes, wrinkles, and skin blemishes that will make us look older. This is a result of a process called Advanced Glycation End, and doctors have been doing many studies on it in the past few years to find the full extent of its effect on our bodies.

I believe the most disgusting and frightening effects that sugar can have on our bodies is the deterioration of our teeth and gums. The sugary sodas we drink in particular will wear on the surface of our teeth and cause tooth decay. This obviously is terrible for us because our teeth will lose their ability to chew food, and they will look horrible. Tooth decay also is a major contributor to bad breath. Brushing your teeth and using mouthwash will help prevent tooth decay, but the way to completely get rid of the slightest chance of decay is to take fermentable sugar out of our diets.

How To Avoid The Bad Effects of Sugar

These terrible effects from sugar could be completely obliterated if we stopped consuming any sugar whatsoever in our diets, but let's face it: most of us don't have the self control or the time and effort needed to make this happen. However, it is more conceivable to try to keep our sugar intake at a healthy amount.

The average adult eats 22 teaspoons of sugar a day and teenagers on average have 34 teaspoons a day. If we can decrease these amounts to the American Heart Association's recommended amounts of 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men, we will be in much better shape. I believe this is a plausible suggestion to follow and could definitely be applied to our diets without too much inconvenience. This video gives an even better idea of just how much sugar we consume regularly and gives examples of some sugary foods and drinks that we would do well to stay away from.



As you can see, there are many negative effects that sugar can have on your body and only one good effect it can possibly have: energy. The bad effects far outweigh this single good one, but by drastically lessening the amount of sugar we consume, we can decrease the chances of these bad effects happening to us. Hopefully by heeding these warnings and being wary of sugar, we can all change our health for the better. :)

Writing A Successful Blog

I honestly don't feel like I am fully qualified to tell anyone how to write a successful blog from my own opinion because I don't consider my blog to be one of the more successful ones on the internet. However, through research, I believe I am able to provide a few tips on how to make a blog successful. Most people's definition of a successful blog is one that is viewed frequently and by a lot of people, basically one that is popular. This is the definition I will adhere to when offering ways to make a blog successful.

How To Have A Successful Blog

One way to draw people to your blog is to write educational blog posts. If people find your information useful, they will be motivated to read more of your posts. Gathering information and studying about certain topics can often be extremely time consuming, but if you do all the work for them, they will be glad to visit your site and get all of the facts they need on their chosen subject. Whether learning how to knit or finding out more about the Civil War, being educational about your topics will definitely appeal to the reader. You won't necessarily want to end up publishing a bunch of reports, but learning how to gather information like you do for a research paper can come in handy when writing a blog.

Another thing that can make your blog more appealing is to make it personal. Nobody wants to read something that sounds like it was dictated by a robot. By adding your own personal touches to your writing, people will be able to notice your unique style of writing and will come to know a little bit about who you are through your posts. You don't have to share everything with the online world; I'm just suggesting that you try to put your own personal flair to your blog. Writing in the first person will definitely help to achieve this goal.

One useful thing to do in order to draw people's interest to have a good web design and layout. Try to make your blog look eye catching, but not too flashy. It would be beneficial to somehow relate your design to your blog's name or purpose in some way as well. A good design will make readers pause to admire it and the next step will be for them to start reading your posts. There are many good examples of creative blog designs that you can use for inspiration.

Perhaps the most important thing to do in order to have a successful blog is to write creatively. If you can write unique and interesting blog posts, people will begin to take notice. Make your blog stand out from the rest with your creative writing skills, and your site will become popular in no time. Find a way to channel your inspiration and write it in a creative way. This can truly make your blog successful.

This video offers some more advice on how to make your blog successful.

Following The Tips

There are countless other things that can be taken into consideration when attempting to write a successful blog, but hopefully these tips will help to give you a good start. Maintaining a blog and making it successful is a lot of work, but for most people it is worth the effort. By following the advice in this post, you may be able to write a successful blog. Good luck!

The Best Job For You

Everybody wants to be able to make a living to support themselves. . some people make it a bigger priority to do this in a successful way, but everyone in some degree wants to have a solid job that brings in a satisfying income. There are many different aspects that should be considered when trying to find the right job for you, but I will attempt to make some good suggestions of some jobs that could meet all of your needs and some of your wants, too. :) I have found 10 of the best jobs (in my opinion).

The Best Jobs To Pursue Now

1. Actuary  My dad had seriously considered becoming an actuary several years ago and actually passed 3 of the ten tests that are needed to beome one, but he decided he was content with the job he already held. Actuaries use statistics to figure out the probabilities of certain risks happening in people's lives, mostly for insurance companies. This job requires an extensive knowledge of mathematics. Here is a link that can give much more information on being an actuary. If you are willing to go through all of the training to become one, the benefits are well worth it. Actuaries tend to have very secure jobs, with little stress involved. The average salary is about $85,000.

2. Historian  A historian does just what you would expect; he or she gathers and studies information on certain aspects of the past. Sometimes historians write and publish reports on what they have learned about a distinct part of history. Others put the information they have gathered into an archive and organize it all in an orderly way. If you love to study history and analyze things that happened in the past, this is the job for you. Its laid-back work environment and the average salary of about $62,000 make it seem like a desirable job to obtain. There are many other reasons for pursuing a job of becoming a historian that are worth looking into.

3. Astronaut  This sounds like the type of job that we dreamed about when we were little, but it actually is a very good job to have. Besides the amazing perk of being able to travel in space, astronauts are able to make great scientific discoveries which can then be used to all of our benefits. You can earn up to $100,000 a year doing this fulfilling work. NASA is able to give more information on the journey to becoming an astronaut.

4.  Pilot  It would be helpful not to have a fear of heights with this job. :p Once they become captains, pilots can choose their own hours and fly when they want to. This gives them much more freedom with their personal lives and ensures that work will never get in the way of their plans. Pilots have extremely imortant jobs and their necessity won't be diminished any time soon. With an average salary of $81,000, it's hard to find many downsides to this career. There are many resources that can help you learn how to become a pilot

5. Video Game Designer  I think this career would be a lot of fun! It would involve coming up with great ideas for video games that appeal to a lot of people and turning those ideas into something concrete. A knowledge of computers and graphic design are essential to this job. It can pay between $46,000 and $70,000 a year, so it's well worth looking into. The industry has grown rapidly and will most likely continue to be in high demand.

6. Singer  It may be difficult for them to please every crowd and it might seem near to impossible to make it in this business but believe it or not, singers have one of the highest job satisfaction rates. According to one study, the satisfaction rate is 91.7. I believe it is extremely important to be content with the job you have, so this is why I consider this to be one of the best jobs to have. The road to becoming a professional singer is long and hard, but if you stick with it and believe in your talent then it's possible to make big money doing something you love. If this is your goal, you must master some skills to help you realize your full potential and be a professional singer.

8. Firefighter  This job should earn you some respect from most people because firefighters are a vital part of our community. The odd hours can be annoying and you would have to be willing to risk your life in order to save civillians if needed, but if these obstacles don't seem insurmountable to you, then you should go for it. There are many things you can do to prepare yourself to become a firefighter.

9. Surgeon  Besides being one of the highest paying jobs in the world, surgeons hold the power to save lives. This career requires a lot of time and effort, but the rewards are apparent. I personally think that a cardiologist would be the best kind of surgeon, but you can specialize in whichever area you prefer.

10. College Professor  This one may be surprising to you, but college professors actually have an extemely high satisfaction rate, at 79.2. They can make up to $550,000, but it takes a lot of hard work and time to get to that point. A good professor should enjoy being able to teach the next generations of young people some important subjects, but a lot of people like the career better for its security and its ability to get you published and noticed in the academic world. It is helpful to look a examples of how to become a very successful college professor.

Which Is Best For You?

These seem to me to be some of the best jobs to pursue, but truly every person must decide for himself (or herself) when trying to determine which career path to follow. This is often an extremely difficult decision to make because of the number of possibilities out there, but by finding one that appeals the most to you, your decision can be an educated one.







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Indiana Fun Facts

I have lived in Indiana all of my life, but I never really knew many unique facts about my home state... until this week. After doing a bit of research, I have found that there are quite a few interesting facts that make the state of Indiana special. Without further ado, here are 10 of those facts:

Interesting Facts About Indiana

1. Out of all of the states in the U.S., Indiana contains the most miles of Interstate Highway per square mile. This truly fulfills the meaning of one of Indiana's mottos, "The Crossroads of America". Indiana first received this name in the 1800's, when river traffic was a popular means of transportation. Later, stagecoach travelling became prevalent in Indiana. Finally, our transportation has evolved into automobiles on Interstate Highways. No matter how they chose to get here, many people have been travelling through Indiana and will continue to do so for years to come.

2. Of all the popcorn in the world, 90% of it is grown in Indiana. This probably has a lot to do with Orville Redinbacher, the famous man with his own brand of popcorn products. Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana and spent his high school and college years in this state. His enormous success inspired Valparaiso, Indiana to start a Popcorn Festival in 1979 that is still celebrated anually today. I personally love to eat popcorn, so I'm glad to know that it's one snack that the stores in Indiana will most likely never run out of. :D

3. On October 6th, 1866, the first train robbery in America occurred in Jackson County, Indiana. The Ohio and Mississippi train was stopped by a gang named the Reno Brothers. These thieves got away with $13,000, which was worth considerably more in those days than it is today with our inflation. Speaking of criminals in Indiana getting away, this leads me to the next fact.

4. John Dillinger escaped from a jail in Crown Point, Indiana that had been thought by police to be "escape-proof". Dillinger allegedly escaped the supposedly unescapable by using a wooden gun that had been carved by hand and blackened with shoe polish. Adding insult to injury, he stole the Sherriff's new car to use as his getaway vehicle. Sherriff Lillian Holley took full credit for being outwitted. She lived with that regret until she died in 1994 at the age of 102. This whole story, plus more true stories of John Dillinger's life, were recently portrayed in the movie "Public Enemies".

5. Another fun fact about Crown Point, Indiana is that it is often called the "Marriage Mill". The town got this nickname because of its reputation for issuing marriage licenses without delay. Rudolph Valentino, Joseph Jackson (the father of the Jackson 5), and other celebrities were married here, probably because they preferred not to wait.

6. Indianapolis, Indiana is the second most populous state capital, with Phoenix, Arizona being the only one that's larger. Indianapolis is also called Indy, Circle City, and Nap Town. Circle City became a nickname because of Monument Circle, which is found in the heart of the city. Nap Town was most likely taken from Indianapolis and later was known as the style of music that became popular in that city.

7. In Indiana, it is illegal to pass a horse on the street. It is also illegal to use spiteful gossip, talk behind a person's back, take a bath between October and March, and wear a mustache if you make it a habit of kissing other humans. I think the oddest of all the wacky laws I found was the one issued in Gary, Indiana: it is illegal for a person to go to a movie theater or basically any public place within four hours of eating garlic. I must have broken this law once or twice because our family cooks with a lot of garlic. :p

8. In Indiana, the average temperature in January is 28 degrees and the average snowfall is 20 inches. We definitely exceeded the average for snowfall this year! In a few days we received a little less than 2 feet in our area, in some places more than 2 feet. It's safe to say that we Hoosiers are used to cold weather. In comparison, the average temperature in July is 75 degrees. This seems surprisingly low to me, but the humidity makes it feel much hotter than it already is so I guess that makes sense.

Indiana's Most Popular Song

9. Although the official state song is "On The Banks of The Wabash", I believe the most well-known Hoosier song is "Back Home Again In Indiana". My dad sings the chorus of this song upon seeing the sign welcoming us to Indiana after we have taken a long road trip. He is a bit tone deaf, so it always makes me laugh, but it also reminds me that I am getting to come home to my own room and bed after a while away from them. I will spare you all from hearing my dad singing this song, but here is Louis Armstrong's version:




10. Last but not least, Indiana is home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the Indy 500 is held. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the biggest spectator facility in the world, with 253 acres of area. This is big enough to fit the Yankees Stadium, the Roman Colosseum, Vatican City and the Rose Bowl inside of it. It contains more the 250,000 permanent seats and if the boards from the grandstands were laid end to end, they would reach 99.5 miles. This place is huge! It brings in a lot of people (and their money) every year, especially for the Indy 500 race.
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The Good Effects of Homeschooling

How Children Can Benefit from Being Homeschooled

I have been homeschooled since kindergarten, so it's safe to say that I know a bit about the subject of home education. There are some people who don't understand why anyone would want to be homeschooled. Some people even have a negative attitude toward the idea of homeschooling. I would like to dispel some of the doubts that I have heard about it and show some benefits of homeschooling.

Research Shows Some Interesting Facts About Homeschooling

There has been quite a bit of research done on the reasons that parents decide to homeschool their children. All of the research I have seen on the subject show that the most common reason parents make this decision is because of their religious beliefs. Ever since the separation of church and state was put into effect, the public schools have done their best to keep God out of their system. In order to keep Christian values instilled in their children's education, some parents turn to homeschooling.

Curricula for the Home Schooler

It is fairly easy to find Christian curricula for each subject and therefore help establish a Christian worldview and education. This, in my opinion, is especially important for science courses. The public schools teach as if the theory of Evolution is a scientific fact and could easily confuse children who don't know any better. I am extremely grateful that I have had Christian science courses and that because of this I am familiar with the theories of evolution and catastrophism.

One facet of homeschooling that I find interesting is its climb in popularity. Of course, homeschooled kids will probably always remain the minority when seen and compared with the kids in public and private schools, but we are quickly becoming a substantial minority. As this video shows, more and more parents are understanding the benefits of homeschooling.

Dispelling A Doubt About Homeschooling

The doubt about homeschooling that I have heard the most often is that the children won't be able to socialize as much as they should or would if they were in a public school. This may be the case for some homeschooled families who choose to isolate themselves from the rest of civilization as much as possible, but for the majority of us this simply is not true. We have plenty of opportunities to make friends, whether at church, homeschool co-ops, or other extracurricular activities. A lot of times, the people at these places are much better friends and influences than some of the kids who go to public school.

Hopefully I have been able to show you some of the good effects of homeschooling. Of course there are also some benefits that public and private schools offer benefits of their own, but homeschooling can still be seen as a considerable option for children's educations. Homeschooling is a personal choice and should be taken seriously by every parent who is trying to decide the best choice of education for their children. In many cases, I believe they will end up finding the good effects convincing them to give it a try.

Making Reading More Interesting

Getting Lost in a Book

            I have always been a big reader. Ever since reading my first chapter book, "Charlotte's Web", when I was six, I have loved to delve into a good book and get lost in another world for a while. Of course, not every work of fiction can capture my interest so easily. There are certain books that seem to take forever for me to get through.
             Once I start reading a book and have read at least a chapter of it, there's no going back for me. I have to finish it completely and find out how it ends, for better or for worse. This habit of mine can get quite annoying sometimes, especially when a book gets particularly boring. However, recently, I have discovered a way to instantly make a story more interesting.
       

Music and Reading

About a month ago, during Christmas break, I had been listening to the soundtrack for the movie "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" on my ipod. For those of you who are not familiar with this movie, you should know that it contains quite a bit of action in it, among other things. Therefore, the soundtrack for the movie sets a mood of drama, yet at times lightheartedness, which makes you expect some sort of adventure to be happening.
              The soundtrack for this movie contains musical scores, so there are no lyrics or singing in it. This being the case, I felt like I could focus my attention on something else while still listening to the music. That was when I decided to pick up my rather mundane book and start reading it with the soundtrack in the background. The result amazed me.
                The storyline that I had found so boring and hard to get through had now become much more interesting with the exciting music in the background. The soundtrack did for my book what it did for the movie: it evoked emotion from me. I found it easier to concentrate on the details and follow what was happening in the story because it all seemed more important with the wonderful scores keeping me alert and attentive.
           

Results of Combining Music and Reading

It took me about 3 weeks to finish that book, but without the music to spur me on, it would have taken much longer. I followed the story faster and I paid more attention to it because I had the music to go with it. Although I would never consider that book one of my favorites, I did think it was educational and somewhat entertaining to read and I don't consider reading it a waste of my time.
                 If you have started a book that you aren't motivated to finish, don't give up on it too soon. Try listening to some musical scores that match the mood that the book is trying to create. That once boring book may turn out to have a story you can get lost in.
                
     

Explanation and Description

About This Blog

             "Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.'" Forrest Gump's mother (or, technically, whoever wrote the script for the movie) offered a smart analogy that became well known and often quoted by a number of people, including me.
             

Purpose and Meaning

Life truly is a lot like a box of chocolates. Some things in life are sweet and wonderful, like our favorite chocolates in the box. Others, like the coconut and cherry chocolates for me, turn out to be experiences in life that we regret and/or dislike. Regardless of the wide variety, one thing remains the same. Mama's comment is always correct: "You never know what you're gonna get."
             

Revealing My Purpose

My purpose for this blog is to share some of the random details of my own box of chocolates that is my life. There will be quite a bit of variety in my posts, but hopefully they will all be somewhat interesting and they'll definitely have a point to each one of them. They may be random but they will all relate to my life in some way. Some of them will probably have something to do with chocolate as well. ;) Enjoy!