Cryo-Cell Cord Blood Banking

This post brought to you by CryoCell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Okay, so you know how I love covering controversial and divisive topics in a casual manner?  Well, today the topic of debate is stem cell research.  As you know, many of the stem cells used in research come from aborted fetal tissue.  However, there are alternative sources.

Such as umbilical cord blood.  In addition to their traditional business, cord blood banking,  Cryo-Cell is assisting in research to find means of preserving stem cells without resorting to unethical means.

Also, for a limited time, mommies-to-be who sign-up with Cryo-Cell Cord Bank can receive a free jogging stroller.

To recap, here are the reasons for ALL you preggers ladies to check out Cryo-Cell:
1.  All the benefits and peace of mind that banking your newborn's cord blood provides.
2.  Joining a pioneer in non-abortion-related stem cell research
3.  A free Baby Jogger City Mini stroller.

The free stroller is a limited-time offer, so enroll today.

Books of the Bible I want to see made into big-budget movies: Nehemiah

I was scheduled last week in my Bible reading to read the Book of Nehemiah.  It's a relatively short book (4 chapters, if I remember correctly), and a relatively simple story:

- Nehemiah hears that Jerusalem's gates and walls have been destroyed.
- Nehemiah takes off work (as the king's cupbearer) to help his brethren rebuild.
- They are successful.

But if you dig deeper, there's a lot more to the story than that.  The Israelites face opposition, and band together as a community to fight it.  It's like "Remember the Titans", but with masonry instead of football.

There's even a part where Nehemiah sets out on his journey home only to have to turn around and find another route, because the animal (probably a donkey) he was riding couldn't pass through.  That could be a comedy scene.

Now, for this movie, you'd need a strong male lead for Nehemiah, someone who can play an outcast-turned-leader, but with charm, and humor.  My personal vote would be for Nathan Fillion, a.k.a. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds".

But I know these Hollywood types, and they'll probably want Matthew McConaughey.

My percentages are improving. Also, I like cereal.

12 cans of cat food
2 canisters of air freshener (presumably, for after the cats eat the cat food)
4 pounds of sugar
2 big squeeze containers of Smuckers strawberry jelly
1 big container Hawaiian Punch (for a "graduation" party at my son's preschool)
4 large cans of Ragu pasta sauce
2 boxes of Raisin Bran
2 boxes of Frosted Flakes
6 boxes of Raisin Bran Crunch
2 cans of Axe Body Spray (I hate the way it smells, but my husband pointed out that I hate the smell of the chicken farm where he works worse.)
5 bars of deodorant
2 gallons of SunnyD

32 items total.

Total Price before discounts:  $140.03
Store promotions and loyalty card discounts:  ($40.45)
Savings from coupons:  ($52.78)
I paid:  $46.80
Total savings:  $93.23 or 67%

I just got my groceries for 1/3 of the price.  And my husband has forbidden me from buying any more cereal until I can find somewhere to store it.

(I'm thinking, the attic.)

Not exactly the look I was going for...

A few years ago, when my husband and I were newlyweds, I worked for a bit at a tropical fish store.  I was good at my job, and enjoyed it, but one of the biggest hassles was keeping my almost waist-length hair out of the tanks.  It was so thick that binding it up tight, like in a bun, was just about impossible (at least without snapping a few hair ties in the process).  I most commonly resorted to either braiding it, or tying it back in a ponytail, with hair ties segmenting it every few inches down, to keep it manageable.

My husband, at the time, also had awesomely long hair, but his is naturally curly and highlighted, so he always looked like an '80s rock-god type.  We made the decision for both of us to cut off our hair and donate it to Locks for Love (a charity that uses donated hair to make wigs for cancer patients).

For a long time, I loved my spiky short haircut.  Because my hair was so thick, I could keep it chin-length in front, buzzed short in back, and just run mousse through it in the morning.

My husband, too, looked very handsome with his new, more mature hairstyle.  We figured we'd both just keep growing our hair back out to donate again.

And his hair looks great.  It's a little bit shorter than shoulder-length now, all curly and highlighted, and makes him look like a surfer or something.

As for mine, well, I'm kind of wanting my Locks for Love donation back.

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Testimony Envy

This week, my church kicked off a new series, titled "Missionary".  It's about reaching people for Jesus, not just as pastor or somewhere in a 3rd-world country, but in your own town, in your everyday life.

So at LifeGroup (a kind of large, social, Bible study) last night we talked about testimony, and a few people got the chance to share their stories.

Well, growing up in the South, it's not uncommon for someone's story to be, "I grew up in the church and have believed in Jesus my entire life."  Except for some wild times for a few years in college, that's basically my story.

And, like so many others who grew up in the church, I at times suffer from "testimony envy".

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