Get Out and Play at the Capitol!

What an amazing day to get out and play...at the Capitol! Michigan Association of Conservation District's was one of twenty activity providers who transformed the Lansing State Capitol into a giant playground! I had the opportunity to participate in this fun event as one of five representatives of MACD.

On June 19th over 1,300 kids from local day camps were brought in on buses and traveled around the Capitol lawn to learn about nature, hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, and yes...conservation!

Our display had a giant watershed map, tree identification games, soft animal pelts to pick up and try to guess who used to live inside, and the highlight - a giant stream simulator to walk through and learn about pollution! The kids loved seeing the difference between the clean side of the river and the polluted side of the river. They especially liked the plastic frog who was stuck inside the two liter pop bottle! Check out these photos to see how much fun we had!

I recently lost 42 pounds on the Take Shape for Life program! Want to check out my weight loss transition? Click here! -Julie L. Spencer

Test: Are you Conservative or Liberal?

A Simple Test. Are you “Conservative” or “Liberal”?

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy guns.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns banned.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, she doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, she wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he works at bettering his situation.
If a liberal is down-and-out, he wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, she switches channels.
If a Liberal dislikes a talk show host, she demands the program be shut down.

If a conservative doesn’t believe in God, he doesn't go to church.
If a liberal doesn’t believe in God, he wants all mention of God silenced.
(Unless it is a false god of course!)

If a conservative reads this, he'll share it with friends because it’s “humorous”.
If a liberal reads this, he will delete it because it's "offensive".

(I borrowed this from a friend, by the way! What's your opinion? -Julie L. Spencer)

I recently lost 42 pounds on the Take Shape for Life program! Want to check out my weight loss transition? Click here! -Julie L. Spencer

Book Review of The Shunning by Beverly Lewis

Just finished reading The Shunning by Beverly Lewis. Anybody read it? It’s the first in the series The Heritage of Lancaster County. I liked it. The first couple of chapters were kind of boring, but I pushed through it because I was intrigued by the mystery. I have to admit that she surprised me with the answer. But a lot of it was pretty predictable. In fact, there was one little tidbit that I guessed very close to the beginning of the book which turned out to be true! I’m pretty good at predicting the ends of movies and books, so I’m always impressed with a story that can surprise me. Although this one did not, I was happy that it turned out the way it did, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Confession. Has anyone read The Shunning or The Heritage of Lancaster County series? What’s your opinion? -Julie L. Spencer

The next book in the Heritage of Lancaster series by Beverly Lewis:
The Reckoning (The Heritage of Lancaster County Book Three)

I recently lost 42 pounds on the Take Shape for Life program! Want to check out my weight loss transition? Click here! -Julie L. Spencer

Movie Review of Courageous

Courageous is quite possibly one of the best movies I've ever seen...

We just watched the movie Courageous for our family night. I've never laughed so much during one movie...and I've never cried so much during one movie. And then I laughed again, and then I cried again, and then I laughed again, and I cried some more. In the end...I applauded!

I challenge every father to watch this movie. I challenge every man who will ever become a father someday to watch this movie. I challenge every man who loves his father, every man who hates his father, every man who never knew his father, every man who wishes he were a better father, every man who thinks he's the best father in the world, every man who thinks he's the worst father in the world, every man who might someday be a mentor in another person's life and every man who thinks they never want to be a father, to watch this movie.

Additionally, every mother should watch Courageous. Every wife, every daughter, every woman who may someday be a wife or mother should watch this movie. Every Christian should watch the movie Courageous, every non-Christian, every person who loves God, every person who hates God, every person who thinks there is no God, every person who has ever struggled to know if there is a God.

If you have ever lost a child...or any family member, or friend, you need to watch this movie.

A word of warning: have a box of Kleenex beside you. And be careful when you take that sip of water, because you might start laughing so hard that you might blow it out your nose. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Have you seen the movie Courageous? What's your opinion? -Julie L. Spencer

I recently lost 42 pounds on the Take Shape for Life program! Want to check out my weight loss transition? Click here! -Julie L. Spencer