Boston

B graduated from Lesley University

Massachusett's Avenue

Trader Joe's in Cambridge!

The library where I did NOT go to school. My condolence is that it is so cold in the winter that they have to use tunnels between buildings.

Exercise and Stress

Indeed.

Well, friends, I have done you a favor. My social work research class (which is indeed about experimenting on people but not really how it sounds) required us to conduct a "single-study research design" with a literature review on our project. This means that I picked a person, asked what he wanted to change in his life, came up with something to hopefully affect the specific change, and then measured whether or not that something was effective. And I had to spend a bunch of time looking up the journal articles of other more scholarly folk who have done similar experiments. The study question ending up being whether or not exercise improves a person's perceived stress level.

Here in are the articles I read. I put them in exceptionally tiny print so that you can scroll through them faster.

References

Blomstrand, A., Bjorkelund, C., Ariai, N., Lissner, L., & Bengtsson, C. (2009). Effects of leisure-time physical activity on well-being among women: A 32-year perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 37, 706-712.

Brown, J. (1991). Staying fit and staying well: Physical fitness as a moderator of life stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(4), 555-561.

Brown, J., & Siegel, J. (1988). Exercise as a buffer of life stress: A prospective study of adolescent health. Health Psychology, 7(4), 341-353.

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-385.

Gerber, M., & Puhse, U. (2009). Do exercise and fitness protect against stress-induced health complaints? A review of the literature. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 37, 801-819.

Kwag, K., Martin, P., Russell, D., Franke, W., & Kohut, M. (2011). The impact of perceived stress, social support, and home-based physical activity on mental health among older adults. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 72(2), 137-154.

Melinda, C., Denis, C., & Clare, M. (2010). Direct and buffering effects of physical activity on stress-related depression in mothers of infants. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 32, 23-38.

Roberti, J., Harrington, L., & Storch, E. (2006). Further psychometric support for the 10-item version of the Perceived Stress Scale. Journal of College Counseling, 9, 135-147.

Perales, F., Jesus, P., & Borja, P. (2014). Impact of physical activity on psychological distress: A prospective analysis of an Australian national sample. American Journal of Public Health, 104(12), 91-97.

Vasterling, J., Sementilli, M., & Burish, T. (1988). The role of aerobic exercise in reducing stress in diabetic patients. The Diabetes Educator, 197-201.

The conclusion of all of them is: exercise helps reduce your stress level. Turns out even a little bit every day or a moderate bit every few days helps. Drat. That's what the magazines in the check-out stand have been telling us for years! The trick is that when you are stressed, the thought of exercise makes you feel more stressed. I personally loathe exertion. Good news! If you exercise too much (i.e. "vigorously" at high intensity for prolonged periods of time) you actually lose some of the stress improving benefits. If you get too attached to exercising it becomes a project or an addiction and causes more stress. So, the take away is that something is better than nothing--even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment. 

And tying back in to our opening hook: Calvin wins again!

Human Trafficking in Ventura County

Here is a three part series put out by the Acorn. Wish they had mentioned our founder, Shannon Sergey!

Part 1
Part 2 (Featuring me!)
Part 3

Photography Project

I'm helping my friend promote a photography project. This unstaged, unedited series captures a lazy backyard BBQ.

Yep, that's me.

So, what do you think?

A word on the photographer: he is four-years-old and had not used a camera before this first series. Every picture was unposed and only had one "take." I always said he was a genius.

When did us adults start become afraid of trying new things?

Hope Rising Ministries

In addition to my anti-trafficking work through Forever Found, I am very proud to be on the board of Hope Rising Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit headquartered in Texas that is likewise dedicated to ending human trafficking. Hope Rising's main project at the moment is the establishment of a safe aftercare home on a ranch in Texas for American girls who have survived sex trafficking. The property has been purchased, and we are raising funds for the buildings and proper licensing. I've visited the ranch and felt my soul relax and expand watching the horses cavorting in the sunset. Our equine therapy program is already up and running serving survivors who are housed elsewhere, and we're seeing definite results in girls opening up and learning to trust and rising to the responsibility of proper horse care.

One of the main reasons I have confidence and commitment to Hope Rising Ministries is my friendship with Sherri Clement, our founder. I attended a Hope Rising fundraiser in Santa Paula several years ago and heard Sherri speak about her outreach to women in the sex industry. Over the next few months I was pretty busy with work but felt as though God was telling me to get in touch with Sherri. After (finally) contacting her, I found out that she had kept several business cards from the fundraiser and prayed over connecting with those people. Of course, one of the business cards was mine. I ended up volunteering for Hope Rising for about a year. Sherri and I both became certified as Hands that Heal trainers, a faith based training for aftercare providers. After putting on a four day training in Houston together, Sherri and I traveled to Thailand to train staff at two aftercare homes for child trafficking victims. 

Just arrived in the Bangkok airport via Korea - legit Thai ice tea!

Getting a fish pedicure in Chiang Mai

A lifelong dream!

Being unexpectedly hatted + hugged by an elephant
(As you can see, I am ecstatic!)


We had a lot of fun adventures but also saw some heartbreak in Thailand and on an unexpected jaunt across the border to Burma. We tried not to take too many pictures of the kids in the aftercare homes to respect their privacy.

Burmese immigrants living in a dump in Mae Sot, Thailand

Home in the dump

Literally walking over the border into Burma

Burmese gas station

Unless you're CIA trained, it's pretty hard to hide who you really are after 27-hour transcontinental trips, strange diets, shifting schedules, and dramatic stories of healing and heartbreak. Sherri has one of the kindest and most generous hearts I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. She asks Jesus to change and grow her and she leans into heartache to offer healing. Plus, she was brave enough to venture into Burma! It's pretty neat to be able to see someone's character in such an unusual setting, and I'm glad that she is the leader of Hope Rising.

You can find out more about Hope Rising Ministries through our website and also through their Facebook page, which I help to propagate. If your heart is to support equine therapy or an aftercare home for American children, this is definitely a good investment for your donation.