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2017 was great (at least personally, maybe not nationally, LOL) so let’s propose some ways 2018 can be just as great.

1. Pleasure Reading

I loved reading material that the general public could care less about. This primarily included college textbooks, especially on science, which I have always vacillated on their worth. And most of their material tends to bear little relevance to life, unless if I work in that field after college. Basically, texts tend to choke. I’m better off reading popular books, googling the information I need (or want), which is different from a textbook (which potentially gives you a know-it-all attitude toward a whole branch of knowledge, which also varies what book is used, as those on the market differ. Again, the professor decides the text to be used.)

Reading, whether fiction or nonfiction, and for whatever audience, takes much discipline to finish by the book. I think this whole textbook craze is just a yearning to spoil my degree amidst many challenges. It is definitely worth the wait.

It’s a myth that I don’t like fiction. The truth is if I was willing to start a novel, I might get distracted, since there’s so many choices out there. And I’m not anti- nonfiction either. I love to learn, always have and always will. But, when I’m trying to get facts, the popular press suffices, whether printed or online.

2. My third (and final) community college before transfer to a university.

My first two courses at this place, Montgomery County Community College, shall be political science and a speech course. As for future courses hopefully by a university, I’ll just leave that to God for now. Suffice it to say I’ll be busier anyway, and as a perfect segue to the first note, as a student, I’ll be in a place to use textbooks!

3. Thrift & Generosity

There are many ways to be thrifty. Don’t buy things you don’t need. Find the best vaue of a product (which might not be the cheapest, but will hold you over for some time. See what you have before you buy more. And of course, learn from past shopping woes to avoid “buyer’s remorse.” I despise mentioning this a third time, but college texts are a prime example.

Despite popular opinion, thrift does not preclude generosity and giving, once your standard expenditures are taken care of. Luke 21:1-4 discusses the poor widow that gave all her money. While this is extreme, what is important to understand that it is proportional. Furthermore, better budgeting will allow for many purchases, be they donations or anything that (typically unwittingly) could lead to giving.

At the same time, helping can hurt. In many cases, charity can lead to dependency, entering a vicious cycle will demand more supply of giving. (Pardon the economic pun). On the other hand, we don’t want a whole bunch of “Scrooges” not spending anything beyond core needs.

Conclusion

As I leave my 20s this year, we thank the Lord that we have gotten a bunch of blessings in 2017. Pray that 2018 I will get even better wisdom from God’s Word

Some verses, aside from the creation narrative(s), are quite unscientific.

I give three key examples here

1) John 3:8 — Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus about the new birth included Jesus’ statement that the wind direction cannot be detected. Yes it can, thanks to meteorology! But that didn’t exist then!

His message is that you can’t always tell the people who are saved.

2) Isa 55:10,11 – This verse suggests that rain comes down ONLY to water the plants. Well, consider the ecological concept of the water cycle and some botany. In addition to evaporation from land and bodies of water, the air moistens due to another process called transpiration, wherein the stomata (pores) in leaves open to cool it, albeit perhaps at the expense of photosynthetic efficiency. Together, all evaporative processes are thus known as evapotranspiration, and has its sharpest effects in arid conditions.

All Isaiah said, living long before this science was known, in the next verse was that God’s word will do its will.

3) 1 Cor 15:36, 37 – Paul says that seeds must “die” to germinate. Well, they may be dormant, but the actual pending plant (the embryo), needs water, as well as food storages in its cotyledons (aka “seed leaves”). Once the seed does germinate, the cotyledons are the jump-starter before the plant starts to truly photosynthesize, and thereupon the cotyledons wither.

Paul is discussing resurrection of the body, not botanical principles.

These are just three of many unscientific points in Scripture that should corroborate its true purpose. Only some may be strongly interested in science, but all people need to know Scripture. AMEN

Disclaimer:  Information only.  Not medical advice.  Check with your doctor for more on this.

Like all people leaving their 20s, the monitoring of their health — in all aspects — is paramount.  And it will continue to be such for life, not to mention more so.  WebMD said (in a quiz on the site) that memory in different forms declines in the late 20s!  This is a wakeup call for me, already 29 years old.

This evening, in my beloved Britannica set, I decided to investigate aging and its impact on memory.  While the set is quite dated (1981) and research has increased since then, the article said, overall, the primary aspects affected are short-term memory and response timing.  On the other hand, cognitive decline is trivial concerning skills, facts, and vocabulary.

In other words, the aged actually learn just as well as younger adults.  Here’s the catch.  They tend to learn the material more slowly.

This provides some good news here, in case a senior citizen wants to learn something. But a younger person should teach it slowly, so the elder will retain it well.  In other words, go easy on them!  Don’t pressure them too much.

Also, while there are exceptions, the rule of thumb is that people in their, say, 30s, tend to make major contributions in science, math, etc. more often that 60-somethings.  This rule of thumb is reverse for religious, political, and administrative personalities, wherein experience is the principal factor.

And, despite their tendency to “keep to themselves,” due primarily to past experience, older adults are happiest when accompanied by those younger than them, and would rather stay in their communities rather than in institutions for seniors (e.g. nursing homes and assisted living facilities).  Good income and health contribute as well.

Of course, there’s Alzheimer’s and similar dementia disorders, but they are beyond the scope of this post.  This is focused chiefly on the brain power overall aged population.

Keep in mind that as one reaches the end, while learning is lifelong by nature, it becomes less and less important, namely concerning applications of such.  In another post sometime, I would like to discuss learning theories.  But this will suffice for now.

But again, like many others, age is what it is — a number.

Source:  Encyclopedia Britannica, 1981, v. 1 (Macropedia)

Whether you are mostly a fan of the Alphabet, the Peacock, or the Eye, referring to, respectively, the US networks of ABC, NBC, and CBS, let me tell you, in ten or 20 years they most likely will no longer be the leaders, if they are even alive at all.  The same fate for Fox, which after 30 years or so, still hasn’t quite matured as the Big Three have.  Despite having sports for many years, their primetime is only 2 hours, and there is no 6:30 pm newscast to compete with the other Big Three’s national news programs.  And just like foxes, the company that owned Fox was sly enough to create an entire cable network over 20 years ago.  As to quality, well, let’s just say it reports outside the typical pale of the media.

People would rather go to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and countless other platforms that present movies, shows, etc. (typically exclusive to a given service), come through the internet.  But this wastes a lot of moolah, because to get a full range of entertainment, I would recommend a digital cable, satellite, or similar service to get the potential for one to watch more.  Even if you don’t frequent key cable channels, they’re there for you, lest you want to watch one of their programs.

Even PBS has a rival of sorts now:  Curiosity Stream.  Yet, just like the other online TV platforms, this online TV service is of course, for profit.  Takes the “public” out of “Public Broadcasting Service,” doesn’t it?  LOL

At the other extreme, still others “cut the cord.”  They stick to the tradition of the airwaves, with some bonuses:  namely, a number of specialists in certain areas like movies, classic TV, etc., in addition to the master networks.  (read: the Big 3 or 4)  While it is not a clone of cable, it has some interesting programs that could be competent enough.  In a sense, it could be called “the poor man’s cable.”  And all you need to access the treasures thereof is a digital TV and antenna, or an analog TV with a “converter box,” as a “middleman” to re-process the signals into an analog format.  Even though analog TVs are no longer on the market (they left it in 2009 due to government order), they are able to attach directly to connections through non-broadcast TV systems, including cable, satellite, and others.

Whatever quality or quantity of television you watch, be a smart buyer.  That’s it in a nutshell, the decision is yours.

Obviously, no meat comes cooked (or frozen) from the start.  Neither should it be.  Barber Foods (as in the picture) and other companies make amazing stuffed chicken meals, containing such delicious fillings such as cordon bleu, Kiev, broccoli & cheese, and yum…Crème Brie with apples and cranberries.

They typically come boxed in pairs.  But these aren’t Hot Pockets. They are, in a word, raw.  Don’t dare nuking these, or you’ll be sick as a dog.  They take roughly about 30 to 45 minutes in your conventional oven.  But there’s no denying that the wait is worth it.  As always, patience is, decidedly, a virtue.

Check your grocer’s freezer today!