Feed your brain with TED

     Most of us are happy with what we know. We go along our day just being ourselves, working, raising kids, sleeping. It isn't until something new and bizarre comes along that we kind of question - how in the world did that  person think of that? 

Think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs.

I read an interesting article titled  "31 Ways to get Smarter in 2012" listing foods that reduce the risk of dementia, coordination exercises, brain games, art websites like MoMA, and my new favorite TED -

Not this Ted

THIS TED

Ted.com 
TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design and Ted.com has conference style short videos you can watch of people sharing their ideas. They've expanded their content and you can listen to short presentations like a man discussing his idea that the path to design should favor the end user - specifically his infant incubator that won an award but was far from practical. He shares how medical technology needs to be affordable, accessible, and maintainable for third-world hospitals. 
     My favorite so far is the body engineer, Lucy McRae - imagine swallowing a pill and suddenly your sweat is scented with your favorite perfume. You have to watch her 6 minute video and see just what she's coming up with for bodies - imagine an interactive tattoo that lights up when you touch it - WOW. They even have a phone app for TED. Imagine yourself walking into the dentist office, watching a video or two in the waiting room and leaving with new ideas like liquid filled tubing clothes that change color with your mood - sure beats reading about Brad & Angelina and how they make all us real people feel! 
      I challenge you to click on Lucy McRae's link above and spend 6 minutes wow-ing your brain. 

What ideas would you present at a TED conference?  How about interactive landscaping? Select the book you are reading and as you walk through your yard, the scenery changes to the Wayless Wood in Inkheart with the fire elves and water nymphs. Oh yeah, I'm there!


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Where oh Where oh Where is Martha?

She's been MIA for MONTHS now! Send out an All Points Bulletin....When I started this blog I opened by discussing life-balance using the example of Mary and Martha in the Bible. Martha was a get-er-done kinda gal, obsessed with the meal preparations, while Mary chose to sit and visit with Jesus. He commended Mary for making the right choice. Mary gained knowlege and relationship with him, while Martha huffed and complained about her laziness. This year I embraced my inner Mary. I took on a team leader role in Kids' Ministry at church, returned to college, continued my night job, stayed connected and involved with my sons' sports and education, learned to blog, and started a bath accessory business. My mind swirld with new experiences, new friends, new passions in life.  However, I reeeealy miss that ol' Martha somedays. I wish she'd make an appearance and return my home to what it once was - filled with the sights and sounds of the whirring of a (working) vacuum, sparkling windows, radiant floors and dust free ceiling fans. Just for a day or two I'd love to wake up with that burst of energy and motivation I used to have to get a shine on everything (when completing the task was fulfilling).  Where's Martha?......I think I've killed her!

Mary VS Martha - a battle within

It's a bouncing, baby BLOG! Thanks for reading my first ever blog.

Do you ever look around your house, then think to yourself, "Boy, I sure hope no one comes over this afternoon."? Isn't that the most awful thought? Have you ever noticed that when your house is spotless, no one drops by to see it, but miss a day or two of housework and you become the most popular person on the block? What if you could find a balance so that every day you could think, "I wonder who might stop by today," with a positive outlook? Inside of us we have a battle going on. It started with Mary and Martha. In the Bible, the two sisters were hosting a dinner for Jesus and Martha became completely occupied with the preparations to the point that she didn't leave any time to visit with her guest. Mary, on the other hand, sat at his feet and got to know him. He told her she made the best choice because he would only be with her for a little while. Most days I feel the sisters within me, both tugging me this way and that way, each wanting me to devote more time to one of them than the other. The best days are the days that Mary wins. Occasionally, my Martha has to have her way, too or else the family might all catch the plague from my lack of housework. My middle son Wyatt, asked this morning, "Are the dishes in the dishwasher clean?"(Shh,don't tell Martha he even had to ask!) When it comes to spending time with God, he's aways waiting for me to quit toiling away in the kitchen and sit and visit with him. I believe he smiles when we, as a family, spend time doing his work at the expense of household perfection because it's a sacrifice of my heart. When I lower my "Mrs. Clean" standards a bit,not completely but enough to an acceptable level, I relax and invite my friends over. In the end I feel so much richer. My friends bless me with laughter and hope that we will gather again. I hope to make them feel welcome in my home, no matter which sister has won the battle that week. It's also important to the boys that I choose Mary's way more often. Dakota, our youngest boy, doesn't care WHAT condition the house is in when he asks, "Mom, can we do a puzzle?". Our older boys, Josh and Dustin, thank their dad and me for sleepovers that we answered, "yes" to - little do they know inside I'm remembering a time when I'd say, "No, maybe tomorrow when everything's clean (&perfect!)", a time before we encouraged new friendships. Once in a while, when Mary has been "ruling the roost" for too many days in a row, my dear husband, Chris comes to the rescue and gets things back in order, so a shout-out is in order: Thanks, Honey! So, examine your calendar and see if you have been welcoming people lately or avoiding them. Has anyone dropped by with a plate of cookies to thank you for something you did for them? Were you excited to see a familiar car pull up in the driveway, delivering a surprise visitor? You will see those visits, activities with the kids, times of serving outside the home and time inside getting to know your Savior will build on each other and soon you will notice your life is blooming with friendships, new memories, a stronger spiritual walk.