Name Change!

I changed my blog name!

I posted on Facebook that I wanted a new name for my blog (and I promised a tasty baked consumable in exchange for a better name than the one I previously had), and my lovable sister responded within minutes with a long list of possibilities!
And all of them had "REL" in the name (I'll explain the origin of that later in this post if you don't already understand it). Even the one I chose to use.
It was a pretty entertaining list, so I've decided to share some of the funnier ones!

Aurora Bore-e-Rel-is
Are you for Rel?
Rellie, guys?
REL, Oh.
Tor-Rel-tial Downpour

Isn't she a fun one? Haha


So where did we ever come up with "REL?"
Wellllll. You know my name is Aurielle.
When pronounced correctly (although there are tons of way I've heard it pronounced, including but not limited to: Ariel, Oreo, Oriole, Anjrielle[when people somehow forget Anjoli's and my names and just mash them together hoping it works], and Arrelle), it sounds like "R-E-L." Yep, just say those three letters as one fluent word and you've said my name!

As a quicker, more text-friendly way of saying my name, my lovely twin started typing it "REL" and eventually other people started doing the same. It even transformed into just "Rel" in many cases (yes, it was sometimes even said aloud that way when reading texts out loud that included my name).
So that's the story. My "nickname" when typed is "Rel." Haha. I'll admit: even I sign "Rel" on messages to friends too. So I can't blame anyone else for doing it!

Although, between you and me, I always though "Auri" was a cool nickname when I was younger, but I have never been brave enough to establish a nickname for myself. And I do actually enjoy my full name. Oh well. Another issue for another day. Maybe when I'm 80 or 90 I'll start going by "Auri" just to switch it up sometimes. ;)


Back to the name change:
"It's all RELevant."
Now you know why "REL" is in the name, but the rest of the name was chosen because it represents what I post pretty well: whatever is relevant to the times and/or to me at the moment I'm writing it.

Maybe I'll even start posting more blogs. Who knows? I tend to forget to do these things.
I have a one-line-a-day journal (shouldn't be that hard to keep up with it, right?) and I'm about 6 weeks behind. No I need to go back through my schedules and everything to see what important and memorable things happened during the past 6 weeks so I can fill in those days. Wish me luck.

What should I know about Ebola?

Alright, so there's been a lot of talk about the Ebola outbreak and the subsequent transport of infected individuals to the United States.
And if you know me at all, you know I like a good controversial topic for blogs. 
On this one, however, I'm not going to say much about the controversies of this topic (Should those patients have been brought here? Should ZMapp and other experimental drugs be used on patients [regardless of the country in which they're treated]? Should we be worried about the virus spreading in the US? etc.). I simply want everyone to stop posting on social media about their strong opinions regarding these issues when in actuality they don't know the first about Ebola.

So I'm compiling a summary of things I think you should know so you can formulate your own informed thoughts on the matter.

And guess what: everything I'm about to tell you is coming from reputable sources (yay!! insert cheering here!). They're coming from peer-reviewed articles and I may even throw something in here from sources like the CDC or Mayo Clinic (yes, those two are relatively dependable and often cite peer-reviewed sources in their articles) or some other academic resources. I'll even put all my sources at the bottom of the page and color-code the sections with info from those sources so you'll know where to go for more info (you might want more info on some things because let's be real: I'm not writing a dissertation here).

What does all that mean? WELL. It means that unless you're one of those I-hate-"Big-Pharma" individuals who thinks that every doctor and scientist is part of a "Big Pharma" government conspiracy, then you should believe everything I say here because it's derived from tested, falsifiable data that resulted from real research.

Anyway, here ya go. Everything I find important about Ebola all in one place:

1) Ebola is a hemorrhagic disease. That means you bleed from literally every orifice of your body, but it starts with just the typical flu symptoms. The incubation period (the time it takes you to get sick after being exposed) can be between 2 and 21 days. Up to 90% (depending on origin/strain) die from this disease. The first documented Ebola case was in 1976.


2) The disease is caused by Ebola virus (different sources use "ebolavirus," in which cases you'd specify by strain: Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Taï Forest ebolavirus; but I'm speaking in general terms here and will therefore use only the term "Ebola virus.").
Ebola is NOT caused by bacteria, parasites, or other protozoans. It's not caused by molds or other fungi. 
Ebola virus is a member of the Filovirus family (along with Marburg virus, which is also the cause of a hemorrhagic disease) and is an RNA virus (which means nothing to you unless you're into the science-y stuff, in which case it's important for you to know that).
It may also interest you to the know that the Reston strain was shown to be asymptomatic in humans.

3) Every virus comes from somewhere in nature. That place in nature is called a reservoir for the virus. The sources of every virus is not necessarily known yet. The reservoir of the Ebola virus is currently thought to be the fruit bat.

4) How contagious is Ebola? Well, that's debatable depending upon your source because "how contagious" is a pretty subjective if you ask me. Without interjecting my personal opinion, here are the facts:
You can contract the virus through contact with blood, secretions (and other bodily fluids), or organs of infected individuals (or even contact with those things in infected primates).
Men can also pass on the virus through semen for 7 weeks after recovering from the illness (assuming they survive it in the first place).
If you're traveling to areas where Ebola is prominent, here is a good resource from the CDC to help you prevent contracting the disease:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/Fact_Sheets/humanitarian.pdf
It's important to note the social implications of these facts. The mourning/burial rituals of some of the cultures in Africa where Ebola is currently prominent have to be ceased during these outbreaks because special burial protocol must be followed for Ebola victims. It's heartbreaking that their families and communities don't get the chance to mourn in the way they wish to do for their loved ones.

5) There is currently no proven-effective treatment or vaccine. Some studies have shown it's possible to develop vaccines -- at least for primates (but that gives us some hope, right?)-- for the virus but so far none have been developed and approved.
ZMapp is an experimental drug that has just recently been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use during the current outbreak. It was produced from mouse antibodies by a company called Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. It has so far only been tested on infected animals (believe it or not, it's difficult to get permission to try out new drugs on humans) but due to the severity of this outbreak, an exception has been made.
So far, the Americans who have received the experimental treatment (and some doctors in Liberia who also received the treatment) seem to be recovering.
Could this experimental treatment prove most effective? Hope so!

Well that was what I thought was most important for you to know while also sparing some of the more cumbersome details. Now you can come up with opinions on the topics while knowing the facts. Please visit the sources (listed below and color-coded with the facts above) to get more details and information. Stay healthy and be respectful if you comment!


Sources (not written in any special format, just the URLs):

http://www.pnas.org/content/94/26/14764.full?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Sanchez&searchid=QID_NOT_SET&FIRSTINDEX=

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7068/full/438575a.html

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0042682287902832

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v408/n6812/full/408605a0.html

https://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/17723053/115806057/name/nejmp1409494.pdf

http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5161.abstract

Why Kids Give Me Hope

I've been "princess sitting" two little girls for the past six years. For the sake of this blog, I'll call them "M." and "A." They're currently ages 10 and 8, respectively (and to show how old I am, I definitely typed "8 and 6" the first time!).

I was watching these two "princessesses" this past Friday when one of their neighborhood friends (I'll call her "S.") stopped by for a short visit. All three girls were playing in a little playhouse at the top of their swing set and I was on puppy duty (puppies are horribly messy when it's a post-melted-snow type of day and no one wants little girls with muddy paw prints all over their clothes!) but what I heard from a short distance away absolutely made my day--no, my week.

M. and A. asked their friend, S., if she had been reading the Bible they gave her and whether or not she had been going to church. S. said, "well...I haven't really read it yet...I get really busy with homework and stuff..." and re:church she said that "church is REALLY boring and the last two times I went I didn't learn anything!"

Thinking that this would discourage the princesses I know and love, I thought the girls might just shrug it off and let it go or perhaps change their tone to a disappointed one and continue playing.

But, no.

They countered their adorable little friend and said, "But church is fun, and the Bible has LOTS of really good stories in it!"
Then M. proceeded to tell the story of Moses in great detail (it may have helped that we talked about part of his story--but still, only a small part of it--earlier that day during homeschooling) from birth to rescuing his people from Egypt. My heart melted!

A little more than halfway through M.'s story, S. said, "I'm getting SO BORED. Are you done with the story yet??"
And without missing a beat, M. said, "almost, then we can play!" and continued where she left off in the story.
And, of course, A. was adding wonderful details to the story, too!

At the end of the story, again, S. very explicitly expressed her boredom (even though, personally, I thought the girls did an excellent job of telling the story with excitement and enthusiasm to make it interesting for S., but the princesses didn't get discouraged. Instead, they said, "yep, we can play now!"

But not before adding this statement:
"The truth is, you don't understand how important this is. You have to have a relationship with Jesus to go to Heaven."

The whole time I was listening to this conversation (okay, not eavesdropping! I was probably 6 feet away and they were looking at me as if to acknowledge my presence in the conversation, so I was, indeed, allowed to hear everything!), my heart was filled with so many emotions and my thoughts were running wild.
Poor girls, their friend doesn't really want to hear about Jesus. :(
Good job with being persistent and trying to help her want to read the Bible!
And good job remembering what you've learned about Moses!
Why would a girl speak so disrespectfully about what her friend has to say to her?! (That was me kind of being a momma duck and sensing some injustice, but the princesses handled everything very well and were respectful in return regardless of what S. had to say, so I suppose it worked out alright. Gotta let little ones choose their own battles sometimes!)

But probably the most heartwarming thing for me was seeing the true, genuine, love M. and A. have for their friend and the passion they have for making sure the people they love get to be in the Kingdom of Heaven with them.

This moment is one of the reasons why kids give me hope. :)

MRSA, MRSA, MRSA!

(Please read the title "MRSA, MRSA, MRSA!" as if you were Jan on the Brady Bunch. Maybe you're now ashamed to know me, but I needed a title and it was fitting so...don't judge me!!)

Due to a recent influx of questions to me about MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and its transmission recently, I thought I'd share with everyone some info. By the way, I used reliable sources and linked every single one of them at the bottom for you to read on your own! :)

Please note that most of the info in the second link is mostly referring to the person actively having sores and not having had an infection in the past. These sources are good because they're academic/state and consistent with research. Plus they're easy for anyone to read. And I color-coded the ones I quoted with the link so you can keep track of exactly where I got each quote!
But if you want more in-depth stuff, I also provided some links to some great journal articles (I encourage you to read them!).


Some important points:

"Staphylococci or 'staph' bacteria commonly live on the skin and in the nose. Usually, staph bacteria don’t cause any harm. However, if they get inside the body they can cause an infection." - second link.
               Note from me: an organism that lives on humans normally but causes harm only if you're susceptible at the time is called an opportunistic organism. The bacteria that cause strep infections do the same exact thing!

"Many people with active infections are treated effectively, and no longer have MRSA." - second link.

"...you can return to your normal routine including going out in public because many activities in the community involve less risk for transmission and because the risk of MRSA infection is low in healthy adults and children." - first link.

"You are more susceptible to get MRSA if you have been very ill, have been in a hospital or nursing home, or have been on many antibiotics. Careful hand washing is the most important way to keep from spreading MRSA to other patients." - first link.
               If you've heard of someone acquiring MRSA (or some other infection) while in a hospital (during illness recovery, post-surgery, or during their stay in a nursing home even), this is called a nosocomial infection. They occur when you're susceptible to an infection and happen to be in an establishment that's got opportunistic organisms everywhere!

The above quotes are just a few of the main things I wanted to share based on the questions I've been asked, but there is a lot more you can read about it! Information is everywhere but don't believe just anyone--look up reliable sources yourself or check the sources someone else used (it won't offend me if you check out the ones I used--in fact, I encourage it!) when they explained it to you. There is A LOT of misinformation out there these days, so you want to be extra careful about what you read. But I assure you this information is trusty!
And if you find an issue with my sources or if you have newly updated research with different information (science is ALWAYS changing!), please let me know and I'll fix/add it!

My sources!
University of Virginia Health System
Minnesota Department of Health
Health Care–Associated Invasive MRSA Infections, 2005-2008 (This one was more on the side of stats and tracking but still a good read!)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): burden of disease and control challenges in Europe (This is a REVIEW article but covers a lot of bases and is quite informative!)

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor so all I've told you is what I've learned from research and in courses I've taken. If you want medical advice, ask your doc!

Have an amazing week and good luck to everyone who will be taking finals!

Love,

Aurielle

Somebody Else's Story

During the John Waller concert on Sunday night, John Waller told us how he came up with his song, "Somebody Else's Story." A mother at his home church was thanking a children's pastor and that pastor replied, "I just want to be a part of their story."

I can't wait to be a part of someone's story!
In fact, I hope I already am a part of several stories. A testimony is a powerful thing, and the road to redemption is incredible. I love having a role in that. I just can't wait to be a missionary in healthcare; then it will be my job to be in those stories.

My challenge to you is this:
This month/semester/year, make it a goal to make your school/home/workplace your own mission field. Whether it's an unsaved friend you want to help find salvation, a brother/sister in Christ for whom you can be accountable and help them strengthen their relationship with God (while letting them help you grow in your relationship with Him, too), or someone who's fallen off the wagon a bit recently and needs a little hand up, there's someone who could use more of God in their lives (uhm hello, everyone needs more of God than they already have!!). Be a part of their story and make them a part of yours.  :)


Somebody Else's Story - John Waller

Heaven Just Got Better

Recently, a lot of the people in my life (and I) have been exposed to a great deal of death (or so it seems to me). Whether death is via an accident, an illness, or old age, people mourn and people grieve over the loss of a life.  That's normal. It's even good, I think. But during a concert I attended last night (John Waller. Amazing.), I was reminded that there's a whole other side to that story. God rejoices when we can join Him in Heaven. Heaven is a beautiful and incredible place, but it's even better with those fantastic people there. And it will be even better with you there, too. :)

This isn't the best version of the song, but it's pretty new so this is the only available video of the song on Youtube! If you find a better version, feel free to post it here and I'll update my post with it. :)



Heaven Just Got Better - John Waller
P.S. He's amazing live. If you ever get a chance, go see him. He's very real and uplifting.

Looking for Direction

Recently, I've been trying to give God complete control of my life. Simply put, I am a stressed-out senior who is constantly worried about where I'll be next year, what I need to be doing now, and why all the hoops through which I must jump seem monotonous and impossible.

A popular quote my family tries to remember is:

Worry is like a rocking chair: you can do it all day but it'll get you nowhere.

Another quote I like is:

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

Well, I can't really figure out how to put all of my thoughts today into this blog, so I'll just give you the concluding statement:

God has made a way for each and every one of us. We need to actively pursue the goals He has set for us, but we also need to ask Him for the guidance to discover what's out there for us.



Today, I heard this song and it was a reminder to me that I should be more concerned with what God is doing within me and the doors He has opened for me than with the doors that seem to close for me. A closed door is just a new direction; it's time to stop feeling discouraged when a door closes and get excited about the new steps ahead!

5 Stages of Dying...and Studying.

I came to the realization the other night (while studying) that students often go through the 5 stages of dying while studying for an exam or doing an assignment. Believe it or not, I was working ahead (not procrastinating) so I wasn't personally going through this process entirely, but if you read this, you might agree because I'm sure everyone's experienced it! 

So anyway, here's why I think this:

Denial: "Ah this assignment/exam is no big deal. I can start it later.."

Anger: You've started the assignment and it's harder than you thought. "WHY do I have to do this? No one cares about how I, a cell biology student, isolated and purifie...d IgG from human serum!"

Bargaining: "Mr. Dr. Professor Guy, may we pleeeeeeeease (with sugar on top?) extend the due date?!"

Depression: No extension of the due date. Deadline draws near. It may or may not be the night or 2 nights before it's due (or before the exam). "I'll never get this done. Waaaaaah! *Tear* Sigh. I hate my life, I hate school, and I'm quitting to become a professional bum!

Acceptance: Finally you're almost finished the assignment (or it's time for the exam). "Okay. I can do this. I KNOW I CAN. I've definitely got this."


And by the way, this was merely for the sake of sharing a thought I had one night. It is not meant to take away from the seriousness of the psychological effects of actual death. So please don't express opinions that may or may not imply such a thing. Thanks.

God vs. Satan?

Today, I decided to catch up with some of my Formspring questions. Below is one of the questions I was asked:

"If I'm looking at the forces of God versus Satan, and one is actively interested in pursuing me while the other sits there and waits for me to come snivelling to him, then. Hail Satan."

After thinking about this one for a moment, it dawned on me that if one person thinks this way and is vocal about it enough to address me with these thoughts, there must be others.  It's a difficult concept to understand that God wants us to choose to follow him while Satan is pretty much soliciting followers himself. So here's how I answered the question:

"The way I look at it, Satan HAS to actively pursue people. God doesn't. Think of it this way:

Someone is giving away a brand new, huge, beautiful house, fully furnished in an incredible neighborhood, for free.

Another person is selling a beat up shack that needs thousands of dollars in repairs, and he's selling it for 1 million dollars.

Whose deal sounds better? More appealing? You'd need an awfully great salesperson to be able to sell that shack, but people would be lining up to take that first deal. 

Now imagine that the brand new, beautiful home is the kingdom of Heaven, and God is the One who is giving it away for free. See, that's actually TRUE! In fact, He went even further. He's not just giving us that kingdom of Heaven; He sent His only Son--Jesus--to PAY for it!

Now consider the second deal. Satan is actively pursuing people to follow his ways because he has to do it! People wouldn't agree to such a lame deal (hurting people, hurting God, eternal unhappiness and death) if they weren't being convinced by an outside source that they'd be gaining something from it.

I hope this helps you understand the way that I understand this topic. :)"

I wanted to share this just in case someone else might be struggling with the same topic as the person who posted that question for me to answer.

Have a wonderful day!

Leaving 99

Many of you know the story of the 99 sheep the shepherd left behind in order to seek the one sheep that wandered.

Matthew 18:12-14 (NIV)
12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off ? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."

Starting with just the beginning, Verse 12 says, "If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off?"
In biblical times, a shepherd's sheep were his children. He would raise his sheep, feed them, guide them, and lead them on the correct path. You won't find too many shepherds today, but what if we broke this down and changed the verse a bit?
What if the verse read, "If a man fathered a great number of children, and one of them got lost, will he not leave his home and go to look for the one who wandered away?"
Well, I know that my own father would travel to the ends of the earth to find me if I went missing! He wouldn't stop for anything until he found me and brought me safely home.

If an earthly father, or a good shepherd, would go to such great lengths to seek out a lost loved one, we can rest assured that our Heavenly Father would accept no limits in seeking out his wandering children.

In fact, this wasn't the only reference to shepherding lost sheep in the Bible. God referred to himself as our shepherd in Ezekiel 34:11-21:
11 "'God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I'm going looking for them. 12 As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I'm going after my sheep. I'll rescue them from all the places they've been scattered to in the storms. 13 I'll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. ...  15 And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. 16 I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited." 

Does any of that look familiar? To me, it looks awfully similar to Jesus' parable about the lost sheep! And this quotation came from God even before Jesus was born on earth. Of course, one also could say that God was hinting to everyone at the time that He would be sending Jesus as a shepherd to all of us ("I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep...I'll go after the lost...doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones...").
But how's that for proof that God loves us--it was stated twice at completely different times from the most primary of sources :)

Verse 13 states, "And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off." 
At this point, you might think, well what the other 99 sheep? Where were they when he left to look for the one who wandered? 
At first, I used to wonder the same thing. It's possible that the shepherd in this parable left his 99 sheep with another shepherd or a friend while he went after his lost sheep or something along those lines. However, I had to remember that every parable Jesus told had a purpose--a meaning behind it. Sometimes, it's not about those small details. For example, Matthew 13:44 says,
"The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." 
The story wasn't telling us to hide the wonderful existence of Heaven or that a physical, tangible treasure like that in the story is what we should strive to find. Instead, Jesus was telling His followers about the greatness of Heaven. You might have to leave everything you have behind when you seek out the kingdom of Heaven, but the end result is much more precious than anything you could have possibly left.
In the same way, the parable of the lost sheep refers to God's great love and dedication to His earthly children.
  
Verse 14 says, "In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." 
The same verse was written in The Message to say, "Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn't want to lose even one of these simple believers." 
That one lost sheep deeply hurt the good shepherd, so he left to bring it home, but he didn't leave any sheep on their own in the process. In the same way, God will never leave any of His children alone; He knows that the ones who follow Him diligently are safe--He wouldn't leave us to fend for ourselves, and He certainly wouldn't put us at risk of wandering ourselves. He simply wants every single one of His "sheep" to be out of harm's way and He will do what it takes to bring us home. God doesn't want to lose any of us! 

As I said, when Jesus told this parable, He was expressing our Father's great and unfailing love for us; He wanted His followers to know that God will always seek us; we just need to seek Him back. 


A friend once told me a story of a woman whose son was returning home after serving overseas. She was so happy to know that her son was coming home! However, she also knew that some mothers would not be able to feel that same joy, for their sons/daughters were not returning.

With that said, how much more excited is God when we make that decision to seek Him and come home?!
And how much more difficult do you think it is for God to know that so many of His sons and daughters will not be returning to Him?
Isn't there something we can do about that?? ;)



"Leaving 99" - Audio Adrenaline

Who cares about Geology? GOD MADE ME!

I'm kind of tired of people using geology to prove evolution and tell me that the world is 4.5 billion years old. You can't use that argument against Creation with me because I believe that God created adult humans, adult chicken (Which came first: chicken or egg? Chicken!), adult plants... Who's to say He didn't create an adult earth too?!

Another thing:
People say that proteins can be formed under the right conditions. Well, I hate to be a bubble burster (okay, maybe not!) but did they ever consider Louis Pasteur's contributions to the world of science in the 1800's?
Before I tell you all about one contribution in particular, note that prior to it, another scientist "proved" spontaneous generation. He put all of the necessary components into a flask at the proper atmospheric pressure/temperature/pH/etc. for the time at which scientists believe life began.  And, what do ya know? Life showed up in the flask.
HOWEVER:
This is where Pasteur came into the picture. The flask the other scientist was using was open to dust particles and other things that can simply fall into the experimental environment and contaminate the results (This can't be argued--after all, penicillin was discovered when a tiny particle of Penicillium fell onto an agar plate). Louis Pasteur developed a "swan-necked" flask that was open to the air (had to be!) but didn't allow microorganisms into the tube! This was possible because microorganisms may have been able to fall into the opening, but the special neck of the flask was bent in such a way that it also sloped upward, microorganisms don't climb. He used the same conditions as the previous scientist, same reagents/components/etc. and what happened?
Absolutely nothing.

That's right. You can't just stick all of the necessary components of life in a test tube (or in this case, a flask) and expect something to grow! People have even since tried putting all of the components of a living cell in a space together and nothing happened: no membrane formed, no replication, nothing.
Face it:
The cell theory itself says (as Robert Remak--and later, Virchow--noted), "Omnis cellula e celula" (cells arise ONLY from pre-existing cells)!!
 Because of this tenet, even the most evolutionary-minded biologists recognize that there had to be a first cell in order to create further cells. Sure, those biologists might also have some twisted views on how that first cell came to existence, but they still know that cells don't just appear from nothing!

Okay, back to proteins!
Another thing about a protein is that they all have different sequences of amino acids. There are TONS of proteins that can be made within  a cell from only 20 amino acids. Every time one particular sequence is made, it folds the EXACT SAME way as every single prior time that specific sequence was made. Even my cell biology professor who has been studying cells forever, teaches graduate-level courses in cell and membrane biology, and is doing research on cells and DNA says that no one knows why the same folding occurs every time!  There is no apparent reason for it (except of course...GOD made it that way!).

Proteins are fascinating entities to life; one simple little change can make or break life. For example, a single replacement of one specific amino acid of a particular protein (I don't know which one) can be the difference between a healthy individual and someone with sickle-cell anemia.
I wish I knew more about proteins and all of the wonderful qualities they possess, but I'll have to stick to what I know for now. But if even I, an undergraduate biology student, can see that these things are SO complex that they couldn't have just appeared, why can't everyone else?


Alright, one last point. Are you still with me?!
Cell division.
The nucleus.
During mitosis, the nuclear envelope (surrounding the nucleus) completely dissolves itself, and then it reforms itself, after nuclear division, around the new nuclei!
How could something so incredibly complex as a nuclear envelope just BREAK itself down and BUILD itself back up somewhere else?!
This might shock you, but: NOBODY KNOWS!



There's so much we don't know, so much we just don't/can't understand. Maybe one day we'll figure out how these things happen, and we'll get a little more insight into the amazing things God's created here.
Until then, they're just mysteries.
And I'm happy to keep them that way for now! :)

You were meant to be :)

I heard a song tonight called "Meant to Be" by Steven Curtis Chapman. The story behind the song is found here. The song is fantastic (as are all of his songs), but it was especially powerful because he sang of God's perfect plan for your lives. As many of you may know, the Chapmans are adoptive parents (multiple times!) and Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song specifically for the VeggieTales movie, "It's a Meaningful Life" (based on "It's a Wonderful Life" and about being content). He said that he related to the main character of the movie because they both are adoptive parents.
The song mainly is about how we are meant to be everything we are and we are meant to touch all of the lives we are touching. He even spoke of all the lives touched by his daughter who died fairly recently in an accident, and he was happy to say that she is in Heaven and that she has touched millions of lives.
Back on track, SCC's song, "Meant to Be" reminded me of the couples I know (and ones of whom I know) who are progressing through the adoptive process. It also made me think of the people (some of which are now categorized in the "currently adopting" category) who are struggling with infertility. One of those couples in particular feel very strongly now that adoption was always in God's plan for them; they were always meant to be adoptive parents. I bet they're right!!

The lyrics to the song are below, as is the video for the song. Really pay attention to these lyrics, and know that God is setting a path for you in your life. He's created His plan; we just need to listen and be part of the plan's execution. :)

"Meant to Be"
Steven Curtis Chapman


Long Before You Drew Your First Breath
A Dream Was Coming True
God Wanted to Give A Gift To The World
So He Wrapped It Up In You
Every Step That You’ve Taken
Every Move That You Make
Is Part Of His Plan
You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It
You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing
You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be
You Were Meant To Be
Long Before You Took Your First Fall
You stumbled to the ground
God started telling the story of you to the angles around
Every failure and victory
Everything in between
Its all in his hand
You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It
You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing
You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be
You Were Meant To Be (yeah)
Meant To Be
You are
You are
You are meant to be
You are
You are
You are meant to be
For every breath that your taking
And every move that you make
It’s a meaningful life you’ve been given
Live it well
You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It
You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing
You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be (yeah)
You Were Meant To Be (yeah)
You Were Meant To Be (yeah)
You Were Meant To Be
To Be
You Were Meant To Be

Deliverance

All of my favorites are amazing people, but one of my newest besties briefly shared something with Cru (Campus Crusades for Christ, for those of you unfamiliar with it) tonight so I thought I'd write a little bit about it. :)

Tonight at Cru, the microphone was left open all evening for everyone who wanted to share something. One of those people was my good friend. She got up and talked about a struggle she'd been having for the longest time. She couldn't seem to get past it, but this semester changed everything. She recently was delivered from this sin in her life, and she now feels amazing knowing that God is in control and nothing can keep Him away now.

One part of this testimony that blew me away was that this young woman is so incredibly filled with joy (and I really could see her genuine excitement!) over this deliverance that she was glad to share her experience with an auditorium full of 200+ people. She wasn't worried that people might judge her (in which case, in my opinion, those people wouldn't be acting very Christ-like!) or think differently of her. In all honesty, the fact that she opened up tonight and shared the way that God has worked in her life this semester has made me love her even more! She knew that she had nothing to be ashamed of anymore, because she is FREE of the chains that were keeping her from feeling the true love of God each and every day. :)
Nothing can match the overflowing love, forgiveness, and grace from our Heavenly Father, that's for sure!

In closing, I want you to read some song lyrics (and listen to the song below, please!). I remembered this song as I heard my friend's testimony, and I think it perfectly expresses the rescuing power Jesus Christ. <3

My Deliverer, You rescued me from all that held me captive
My Deliverer, You set me free. Now I'm alive and I can live,
And every moment I will give You praise
My Deliverer




:) Love to all

Trust, Honor, and Betrayal

Well, I'm not really sure how this whole blog will end up since I've decided to not bother organizing my thoughts (thanks, Mike) on this one. I'm just going to wing it, so bear with me!

I've been thinking A LOT recently about the topic I'm about to address, so I guess I just want to express some of those thoughts.

First, I think that trust is one of the most important properties in a relationship--whether it's a friendly or romantic one--and I believe that if you don't have trust, you don't have a relationship that's even worth having.
Promises are included in this trust. If you trust someone, you'll believe them when they make a promise, vow, or commitment. What happens when the TRUST is broken? What happens when PROMISES are broken? What about when another aspect of your relationship is violated--does that impact trust as well?

Suppose a friend/boyfriend/etc. violated your trust in some way one time. You expressed your distaste for such behavior/actions/etc you experienced with this person. They apologized; you forgave. They asked for another chance; you granted it.
But WHAT IF they do it again? Second chance is blown. They apologize more. You forgive more, but less enthusiastically than the first time. They ask for yet another chance, and you feel inclined to give one to them because you don't want to end such a great relationship(friendship/romantic relationship) over something you think they couldn't POSSIBLY do again. 3rd chance=check! Things are back to normal, trust is back, and everything is fine and dandy again. :)

Okay, but they hurt you a fourth time. Now what?? A fourth chance? Suppose you've forgiven them (as the Bible suggests you should!) and you're not even mad anymore. However, you just can't trust them anymore. You feel completely betrayed and disrespected. You don't know what to think. You don't know how to feel or maybe how to act towards the person anymore. Perhaps you don't even feel excitement or even just general comfort talking to them. Well, how would you handle that? Would this be the point in your friendship/relationship at which you need to go your separate ways? Are you just two conflicting lives that don't mesh as well as you had initially hoped?

I guess I don't really have a conclusion to this blog. Usually I offer some sort of hope or insight, but I think I'd rather hear all of your input! Care to share?

Tell me what you're thinking after reading.
Have you been experiencing something similar?
Maybe someone you know has been going through such a predicament?
Any profound or inspirational thoughts on your mind?
How many chances are too many?

Share anything. I haven't intended my blogs to be strictly my own thoughts. I love discussion!

I see (and smell?) dead people.

Disclaimer: This blog may not be for the faint-hearted or squeemish. :)

I thought I'd take a moment to tell you about one of the most amazing learning experiences I've had this semester:

I visited a
CADAVER LAB! 
Yes, its true.

This past Friday I (along with 15ish others) went on a trip to UMES and visited the cadaver lab. A bunch of Physical Therapy students were in the middle of their Gross Anatomy lab--the last one of their semester--and they were able to show and teach us pretty much anything we wanted!

We were allowed to touch anything we felt inclined to touch, so naturally...I touched several things! Allow me to describe what I touched (with gloves, mind you!):

1. A heart
2. Some lungs
3. Cancerous growth (Mesothelioma)

1. Okay, starting with the heart!
The PT students had just removed the heart and lungs from their cadavers; there were 12 total in the lab. ((Side note: Since the heart and lungs were removed, I witnessed empty chest cavities with no heart/lungs present. Weird!))
The heart is pink and squishy, and kinda heavy! I saw the aorta (the largest artery in the body, starting from left ventricle of heart and extending to the abdomen where it becomes 2 smaller arteries) of a heart--actually, I saw a segment of it which was connected to the heart removed from the body. Anyway, the aorta is HUGE! It's super big in diameter--that's a lot of blood pumping through that artery. Wow!

2. Lungs!!
I held both healthy and unhealthy lungs.
The healthy lungs were pinkish (a slightly lighter pink than the heart) and also kind of heavy ((When I say "heavy" for these organs, I mean heavier than I had expected)). The unhealthy lungs were also pinkish, but they had a bunch of dark--blackish--spots all over them. I was told this was due to either smoking or other lung disease (the students had only been told the main cause of death and no other conditions present in the future. This person died of organic brain disease. This also was the same body from which I held the heart). Lungs are squishy too!

3. I touched a cancerous growth from Mesothelioma!
This was on a different cadaver from the 2 I described above from which I touched the lungs and heart. The growth had been up against the lungs and it was surprisingly hard. It wasn't squishy by any definition of the word. I can see why cancer can be so painful! I also understand now why a surgeon may feel around with their hands when looking for cancer to remove surgically. To my surprise, this cancer wasn't even the main cause of death. I'm not sure what was the MAJOR cause of death, but that person also suffered from COPD (a lung condition).

Some other notes about the cadaver lab I visited:
-There were 12 cadavers in the lab.
-Most of the bodies were from the elderly, and most died from cardiovascular causes (which is expected of the elderly). The oldest was 96 years old!
-The cadavers have a distinct smell and it is NOT pleasant! Some bodies had a stronger odor than others, but I got over the smell alright. The worst part of it was leaving the lab and having the smell stuck in your clothes and hair! Yuck! The moment I got home, I threw all of my clothing in the washing machine (with no other clothes for fear of it spreading!) and showered thoroughly!
-I also saw the layers of muscles in the foot, some tunnels (including the carpal tunnel--they described what happens when someone has carpal tunnel syndrome), and all of the skin had been removed from the cadavers so when parts (likes arms) were moved, we saw ALL the parts that move inside!
-Every body is different, so all of the students were tested on every body in the lab, not just the one they've been dissecting (about 4 students per cadaver). They have to recognize different parts on every body. For instance, one group had a cadaver who had one particular part on the left side of his chest cavity, while the other cadavers had it on the right!
-Umm I don't know what else, but ask me something and I might have more to tell! :)

I can't wait to visit next semester after they've dissected the head and removed the brain/spinal cord!!

Alright, I hope I didn't gross you out or anything, but for the record: there was a disclaimer at the beginning.
Ahhh I just can't wait to have a cadaver of my own to explore and study. Medical school, hurry up and get here!

Life and Chocolate

I had a long drive back to Salisbury tonight (and yes, I do have to go ALL the way back home on Tuesday for the start of Thanksgiving break, but oh well. I just love my family tooo muchh!),  so I had a lot of thinking time!
The highlight of my evening was a metaphor that crossed my mind. I'm normally not very creative, so I was proud of myself and I hope you'll humor me! ;)

Life is like a box of chocolates:
There's a lot of yucky stuff in there, but sometimes you come across the ones with caramel or the pretty orange cream stuff in them, and that reminds you why the box of chocolate was worth it.

Lame, maybe.
But fun, yes!
Anyway, I'll just leave you with that. Maybe you'll be even 1/3 as entertained as I. :)
Happy Thanksgiving week!!

Love like a child

This morning in church, a bunch of people went up to the altar to pray for various reasons. One woman in particular may have been a children's worker (this is my church in Salisbury and I still don't know everyone yet), because she seemed pretty popular with the kiddos. Why? Well that's the best part of my story!
The woman went up to the altar and knelt to pray (along with several other respective individuals who prayed there today). A moment later, I saw a tiny little girl--maybe 5 years old--walk right up to the altar and lean up against that woman she seemed to know. In a matter of probably 2 minutes, 3 or 4 other well-meaning young children walked up there to support their adult friend in prayer.

This small event touched my heart (just couldn't help but have tears in my eyes!) while I witnessed the love that a few small children gave to a hurting adult. I also felt extremely proud of those kids and I don't even know them!
Children have a way of loving compassionately and unconditionally without thinking, will everyone look at me? or does she even want any company at the altar while she prays? They don't have to think those things--they just love.

To summarize my thoughts here, I think it'd be AMAZING if everyone, in this case, loved like a child. How great would someone feel to know that so many people in a congregation (including children) loved them and wanted to offer them their support? I think it'd be pretty incredible. :)

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Tons of love,
me <3

Fast? Check. New commitment? Check!

Hey all!

Anjoli and I participated in a Facebook(and other such entertainment on the internet)/phone fast this week per the invite of our good friend Canaan, who was introduced to the idea last year.
You'd be surprised how easily you can forget all about Facebook, etc.!
Here's a brief list of some of the things I did this week while NOT logging on Facebook or texting random people!

1. Had several (3, maybe 4) theological/spiritual conversations.
2. A lotttt of homework (I happened to be extremely productive with finishing homework early this week!)
3. Decided with Anjoli to give up all candy/soda for one year.
4. Went to Cru (I do this every week, but I thought I'd put it up here anyway!)
5. Met some Mormon missionaries (I'm not Mormon, and I don't plan to change my theological views either, if you were wondering).
6. Read some from epistles of Paul, and of course I read James, too (James=favorite)! :)
7. Got an academic minor...??

Hah, the fast was over at midnight last night, and I still haven't even bothered to sign onto Facebook!

Have a fantastic weekend, and tell me what YOU did this week--I have been isolated from the world, after all!

Phone Fast Much?

Okay peeps,

My good friend, Canaan introduced me a FANTASTIC idea! Starting next week (Oct. 11-16), I'm going to participate in a FAST. The short definition of a fast is this: A fast consists of a period of time in which a person goes without doing or having something, and they do this with a purpose.
In this case, we're not using phones or computers, except for academic purposes and a few other big exceptions, and the time we would use doing such things like texting/calling or using a computer (for instance, FACEBOOK) would be utilized for learning something new/praying/reading the Bible/reflecting and spending time with GOD!

All of the true details of this fast can be found here:
Fast 2010

Join the group if you want to participate--it'll be great :)


Thanks, Canaan, for this opportunity!