Tag: #EncouragingXcellence

When We Want to Hear From God

February 27, 2014

Christian CommunicationI saw this cartoon earlier this week and, despite its simplicity, it truly spoke to me. As Christians, we need to remember that the Bible is our predominant tool in life.  Can God speak to us in ways outside the Bible? Sure! However, the Bible is His foundation for us.  The Bible is essentially our starting point, our “go-to” solution when we feel lost.

Do not fret if you have ever found yourself aimlessly turning through pages of the Bible not knowing where to start.  It is okay if you have ever closed your Bible and still felt unmoved or not spoken to.

We have all been there.  Just don’t give up, and know that God sees you trying and His promises will not fail!

On a similar note, when you feel like you do not know where to start, I recommend always going back to the book of John.  It may be repetitive, but it is a wonderful starting point for everybody to truly understand God’s love for us.

I hope you are blessed by this posting, and never forget to love one another everyday!

Doodling: A Frivolous or Productive Activity?

February 25, 2014

200249351-001The Applied Journal of Cognitive Psychology conducted a 2009 study that has shed a new light on the habit of doodling.  As part of the study, researcher Jackie Andrade played a lengthy voicemail to the group of volunteers.  The first group was asked to doodle during the course of the message, while the second group was instructed to simply listen to the recording. Interestingly, the group of doodlers remembered 29% more details than the other group.

City University of New York psychology professor Jesse Prinz claims “doodling isn’t just a distraction from boredom- it may actually keep us from daydreaming and zoning out altogether. Mindless drawing [is]…a way to take all those things that distract you, all those subjects that you ruminate on, and clear them away [to] open this space where information can get in”.

So the next time you find yourself stuck in a long meeting or watching a lengthy informational video, embrace your creative side and doodle away!

Click the link below to be redirected to the original cbs news article on the study:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-higher-purpose-of-doodling/

The below video segment expands upon the above research study and discusses how casual doodling can improve our daily memory and comprehension: