Yes, I did mean to leave the ‘e’ off of that pi!  That’s because I’m talking about pi, the number, not pie, the delicious dessert. 

Officially, Pi Day is March 14th, or 3/14.  If you don’t get it…think about it.  But, we celebrated Pi Day at school this past week, and in honor of that, I would like to share some of the fun pi facts I learned! 

So, here goes:

First of all, the definition: pi is the ratio between a circle’s circumference and diameter.  Basically, it means if you measure the distance around a circle, and divide it by the distance across that circle, you get pi.  No matter the size of the circle. How cool is that!

Pi is an irrational number, which means it can’t be written as a fraction.  It is a decimal that goes on forever and ever, until the end of time, without repetition or a pattern. 

For the Pi Day festivities, we had students memorize digits of pi.  The current Desert Sky champion, Nathan, recited over 230 digits of pi. My sources tell me he is up to 430 digits.  This year’s champion, Becca, recited about 120 digits.  The world champion, Hiroyoki Gotu, has memorized 42,000 digits!!

The earliest known reference of pi is on a papyrus scroll, dated around 1650 B.C.

π is the Greek letter p.  It denoted the number 80 in ancient Greece, and was first used as it is today in 1706. 

In 2002, frantic Japanese mathematicians used a supercomputer to accurately compute pi to 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That is 1.2 TRILLION digits.  Unfortunately, the most accurate approximation of pi that scientists would ever need (as far as they can tell) is only about 43 digits. 

Although pi is inherently a part of the geometry of circles, the number randomly appears in some suprising areas of higher mathematics. 

Wow.  I am inspired to give you guys a challenge.  If you can recite to me the first 20 digits of pi, before the end of May, I will have a reward for you!!  I’ve posted the first 1,000 digits of pi.  Well, 1,001 if you include the three

Also, can anyone tell me the time of day on March 14th that Pi Day is officially celebrated?

 If you want to know the first million digits of pi, check out this page: http://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/Pi10-6.html

3.
1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679 8214808651 3282306647 0938446095 5058223172 5359408128 4811174502 8410270193 8521105559 6446229489 5493038196 4428810975 6659334461 2847564823 3786783165 2712019091 4564856692 3460348610 4543266482 1339360726 0249141273 7245870066 0631558817 4881520920 9628292540 9171536436 7892590360 0113305305 4882046652 1384146951 9415116094 3305727036 5759591953 0921861173 8193261179 3105118548 0744623799 6274956735 1885752724 8912279381 8301194912 9833673362 4406566430 8602139494 6395224737 1907021798 6094370277 0539217176 2931767523 8467481846 7669405132 0005681271 4526356082 7785771342 7577896091 7363717872 1468440901 2249534301 4654958537 1050792279 6892589235 4201995611 2129021960 8640344181 5981362977 4771309960 5187072113 4999999837 2978049951 0597317328 1609631859 5024459455 3469083026 4252230825 3344685035 2619311881 7101000313 7838752886 5875332083 8142061717 7669147303 5982534904 2875546873 1159562863 8823537875 9375195778 1857780532 1712268066 1300192787 6611195909 2164201989. . .

My friend Amy has a blog that I like to read.  She posted this joke and I thought it was funny, so I decided to pass it on to you!

 What do you call a grizzly bear with no teeth?

 A gummy bear!

Hahahahahahhahahahaha!!! LOL! ROFL!! That is SOOOOOO hilarious!

Alright guys, 

My last math challenge has not been solved, but I am getting tired of waiting, so here is another challenge for you.  Remember, the winner gets a candy bar!!  (Or another prize of equal or lesser value if you so choose) 

You are playing a game in which it is possible to score 4 points or 9 points.  Which scores are not possible?

Maybe if I make this post bright and colorful, someone will notice it…

This week at my school it is AIMS week.  The students have been testing every morning since Tuesday, and will continue to do so until next Monday morning.  Are you taking the AIMS this week?

 It is a pretty stressful week, so I decided to post some test-taking tips for you guys!

 1. Get a good night’s sleep.  Probably a lot of your teachers have told you this, and you probably just ignore it, but seriously guys: Sleep well!  It truly does make a big difference. 

2.  Some people will say to eat a good breakfast, but I say this: Do what you are used to.  If you don’t normally eat breakfast, don’t eat breakfast during AIMS week.  If you do eat breakfast, I encourage you to eat a good breakfast. 

A little side note for those of you who do not eat breakfast.  After AIMS week-start eating breakfast!!  It really is the most important meal of the day.  I promise.

3.  Relax.  Before you begin the test, take a deep breath and remind yourself that all you have to do is your best.  You have been learning this stuff all year, and you will do fine. 

4.  Listen to the directions.  All 182 times your teacher reads them. 

5.  Do the questions you know you can do first.  It is okay to skip around that section of the test, but be really careful to check that the number of the test question matches the number next to the bubble you are filling in.  Also, fill in the bubble completely. 

6.  Physically cross out the answers you know are wrong. 

7.  You can write in the test booklet as much as you want.  Use this privilege!

8.  Do something that you really enjoy after school.  Preferably something active.  (i.e. NOT video games or tv or movies!)

I hope your testing goes well.  You will do great!!

I had this amazing dream the other night.  It was one of those dreams you don’t want to wake up from.  In this dream, all of my desires came true.  Everything that I want right now, happened.  It was so wonderful, and throughout the dream, I was so happy.

But eventually, I did wake up.  And I knew right away that none of that stuff had really happened.  Honestly, I was still happy from my dream, but also kind of sad because it was only a dream. 

It really got me thinking about my wants for my life verses God’s wants for my life.  Everything that happened to me in this dream was something that I wanted for myself.  I didn’t even consider what God had planned for me.  That is something I am trying to learn right now.  Am I willing to hand over my dreams and desires to God, and in return get His dreams and desires.  In my head, I know that He has some good stuff planned for me, better even than what I have planned.  But in my heart, I can’t let go.  It’s like forcing myself to say that I don’t want the things that I actually do want. 

So, I am currently in the process of giving over everything.  It is most certainly a process.  I’ve told God what I want, but I’ve also told Him to do what He sees fit.  After all, He does know a lot more than me.  I’ll keep you updated.

Mmmmm…I just bought stuff to make s’mores and I am so excited!! In honor of one of my favorite things, I decided to tell you my method:

1. You will need graham crackers, marshmellows, chocolate, and….a fire!!

1. Set up the s’more.  Break a graham cracker in half, and place some Hershey’s chocolate on one half of the cracker.  I like to use half of a chocolate bar, but a fourth of a bar works just fine.

2.  Put your ‘mallow on a skewer, or, if you are camping, a stick.  You can use one or two marshmellows. 

3.  You have to toast the mallow just right.  Personally, I like to hold it just above the fire until the outside turns light brown, but this takes a long time, so sometimes I cheat by putting the marshmellow in the fire, but then you have to worry about it getting burned. 

4. Now, put the marshmellows on the chocolate, and use the other half of the cracker to get the mallows off of the stick. 

5. Eat!  I have a technique for eating the s’more without it getting everywhere, but I’ll let you develop your own technique.  The best way to learn is to practice!!

Check out this cute s’mores ornament that I actually own!

So, the past few weeks have been absolutely gorgeous!  I am loving this weather.  I enjoy being able to leave my house without a jacket, and driving with the windows down.  I like sitting outside and reading a book.  Or just sitting outside.  When I am inside, I like to have the windows open. 

This season is especially great, because it is not to cold, and not too hot.  But if you have been in Tucson for any amount of time, you know that it won’t last long!  Soon, the temperature will rise into the upper 80’s, the 90’s, and then into the 100’s. 

So, enjoy this mild(er) weather while you can. Spend some time outside, enjoying God’s beautiful creation. 

Take a walk, climb a tree, do your homework outside, do some yard work, get some friends and play an old school game like tag or hide and seek, play catch with a football or baseball, sit in your backyard and draw something, even if you aren’t good at it, wash your parents’ car. 

Do something outside!!! 

Oh, and if you plan on spending more than a few minutes outside, don’t forget sunscreen

So, here is a new question for you:

If you could go back in time and change one decision that you’ve made, what would you choose?  What would you change?  Why would you choose that? How do you think that would affect your life now?

Post your responses!! 

Alright, so a few weeks ago, I changed the oil in my car…all by myself!! I was so excited.  It also gave me an idea.  I am going to post random how-to’s on my blog! Fun for you, less thinking of something to post for me, so good all around, I say. 

Anyway, to get to the ‘How to Change Your Oil’:

1. Raise your car with a jack, and place blocks or something under the front wheels, and let your car down on the blocks.  You want to be careful when placing the jack under your car, you want it placed under something solid. If you don’t have a jack, you can just drive the front wheels of your car onto a curb or some blocks.  Basically, you just want some space to work underneath the car.

2. The hardest part is next: look under your car and find where the oil will come out.  Once you have done that, place an oil pan under the oil drain plug, and then use a socket wrench to loosen the drain plug.  Then, use your hand to finish removing the drain plug, so that the oil can drain out.  You will get yucky, black oil all over your hand, so have some paper towels ready.  Do NOT drop the drain plug into the oil pan, I know this from personal experience!

3. Let the oil drain into the pan, then replace the drain plug.  You will want this to be very tight, first because you don’t want the oil to leak, and second because it could fall off while you are driving, and then you would have no oil in your car, and that would be no bueno. 

4. The second hardest part: find the oil filter.  Then, place the oil pan under the oil filter, and then twist the oil filter off with your hand.  Again, you will get oil all over your hand, and some will drip into the pan.  This is a very messy job. 

5. You will want to put a thin layer of oil on the lip of the new oil filter before replacing it.  According to my sources (a.k.a., my dad) this creates a tighter seal. 

6.  Use the jack again, to raise your car enough to remove the blocks.  Lower your car so that it is completely on the ground. 

7. Raise the hood on your car, and locate the spot to put the new oil in.  It should have a picture of an oil can on it, like this:

8. Remove the cap, and pour the new, pretty, clear oil into your car.  Most cars need about 4 quarts (at least my car does).  Replace the cap!!  To make sure you have the right amount of oil in your car, wait a few minutes, and then check the dipstick (yes, that is what it is called).  In the picture above, it is that thing with the yellow handle.  The proper way to check the oil is this:  Pull out the dipstick and wipe the end clean with a paper towel.  Then, put it back and pull it out again.  The end should look something like this:

If the oil goes up to the “normal range” then you have the right amount off oil in your car.  My car has a little L and H on it to show me where is too low or too high. 

9.  You are done!  It is a good idea to check your oil level again a few days later, and after it has been sitting off for a few hours, when your engine is cold. Also, make sure to properly dispose of the old, icky oil, and clean up any mess you made. 

 May you feel the same level of accomplishment as I did when you change your oil! 

I first heard this phrase when I was at a Bible study in high school.  When I first heard it, it sounded like a bad thing.  Reckless, as in reckless driving, is not something you want to describe yourself.  And abandonment could never be a good thing, right?

But think about this: I want to recklessly abandon my life without Jesus.  There are things I do that don’t please God.  I want to abandon those.  There are things I want that God doesn’t want for me.  As hard as it is, I want to abandon those desires.  There are things about me that are not a part of who God wants me to be.  I want to abandon those characteristics.   

Reckless is defined as “utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless.”  That is exactly what I want my abandonment of my old self to look like.  I don’t care what my friends, or my family, or my coworkers, or anybody cares about my decision.  I only care about what God thinks.  I only want to please my God. 

This phrase, “reckless abandonment” came to my mind again last Sunday, and I have been thinking about it quite a bit since then.  Have I totally abandoned myself?  Am I living completely for God? Has He taken over my life? Is He my everything? 

I can honestly answer with a resounding NO.  I am not even close. 

But it has been my focus for the last week, and will continue to be so for quite some time.  I’m learning again to trust God with every part and every detail of my life.  I’m learning again to want what God has in store for me, instead of what I have planned.  I’m learning again to find my value and my identity in God, not in anything else.  I’m learning again to follow God’s commands and guidelines even when I don’t feel like it.  I’m learning again to be completely consumed in my pursuit of Christ.  I’m learning again to run after Jesus, and to abandon and discard anything and everything that gets in my way.