Many students struggle with making ends meet, and fortunately for many of my classmates, they have parents to turn to. I can’t, so I have to be diligent about my finances. Another reason I’m always hunting for any unclaimed scholarships I can find! Here are some easy ways I save money every day!

1. Cook at home! It’s not rocket science to figure out making a home-cooked meal is cheaper and healthier.
2. Pack a lunch! Some of those left overs taste much better the next day.
3. Buy store brand food. I find the store brand canned veggies are always fresher and taste better than the brand name that has been sitting on the shelf for a while. You always get better deals too.
4. Save your left over veggies for soup later. My mother did this all the time, if there were 3 green beans left; they got added to her freezer bag. If there were any leftover fresh veggies about to spoil, cut them up and freeze them too! It’s like saving up for a free meal.
5. Avoid vending machines! They are so expensive and always unhealthy. Get a big bag of nuts or banana chips and repackage them into snack sized bags to toss into a purse or bag. Or bring an apple, whatever to eat healthier and cheaper.
6. Carpool when you can. If you and a few friends are going somewhere, ask for a ride, and offer a few bucks for gas to make them more willing to go out of their way to pick you up.
7. Shut off things you aren’t using. Why keep the radio or TV on while surfing the internet? Or why have the lights on but the shades pulled down during the day? Turn off the TV and lights and open up the curtains.
8. Price check before buying! There are tons of aps for smart phones to see if you can get it online cheaper by scanning the UPC code on any item in a store.

Sheryl Crow is one of the most iconic musicians in the world, and most people can’t even classify the type of music she likes to play. Is she country? Is she pop? Is she rocks? D. All of the above. You may not always know Sheryl Crow by name, but you can recognize her by voice from the first note. Whether you’re a juvenile probation officer, a high school student, or something in between, you can probably find something to like about this woman. Here is an overview of her career thus far, just to show you how accomplished she is at 50 years young.

The Bird Hatches

Sheryl Suzanne Crow is the daughter of Wendell and Bernice Crow. She was born on February 11, 1962 in Kenneth, Missouri. Her father was a trumpet player in a swing band before he became a lawyer and her mother Bernice was a teacher in piano.

Sheryl has two older sisters, Kathy and Karen, and a younger brother named Steven. At a young age of 5 she began taking piano lessons and growing up to the music of Bob Dylan, Elton John and Christine McVie. She wrote her first song at the age of 13.

While studying at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she majored in music, she joined a rock band doing covers named Cashmere. After college Sheryl taught music at St. Louis Elementary School teaching autistic children. By night, she still performed with another cover band, P.M.

The Bird Spreads Her Wings

By 1986, Sheryl moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career as a singer/songwriter. She began her career recording jingles for advertising companies. Her most noteworthy work at that point was singing the McDonald’s jingle. At this time, Sheryl auditioned as a back-up singer for Michael Jackson and got accepted for the Bad tour. After the tour she managed to survive by doing back-up for Don Henley’s End of the Innocence Tour, Sting, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and Foreigner. Her songwriting talent was maximized by writing songs for the likes of Wynonna Judd, Eric Clapton and Celine Dion.

The Bird Takes Flight

Sheryl recorded a self-titled album in 1991 for the now defunct A&W Records but the record company decided to shelve the project. Kevin Gilbert, who was Sheryl’s boyfriend at the time, attempted to remix the album and presented it to engineer and producer Bill Bottrel. Together with singer/songwriter David Baerwald, Gilbert, Bottrel and a few other musicians began holding jam sessions at local clubs Tuesday nights thus the Tuesday Night Music Club was born and eventually Sheryl was invited in.

1993 marks the release of Sheryl’s debut album, with hits like “Leaving Las Vegas” and the smash hit “All I Wanna Do”. Sheryl made a comment in an interview with David Letterman that proved lethal to the band’s existence. To her bandmates, it was a dismissal of the contributions they made in the album and the beginning of the end of the Tuesday Night Music Club. Nevertheless, the album earned Sheryl three Grammy Awards in 1995: Record of the Year for “All I Wanna Do”, Best Pop Female Performance for Tuesday Night Music Club, and Best New Artist. The album sold over six million copies.

Sheryl’s second album was a self titled released in 1996 and immediately “If It Makes You Happy” was a smash hit. Sheryl walked away with two Grammies for Best Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Album in 1997. Her third album, “The Globe Sessions,” was nominated for Best Album and Best Rock Album in the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. She won the Grammy for the Best Rock Album of the Year. She was also nominated for Best Producer the Year, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the song “There Goes the Neighborhood” and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “My Favorite Mistakes”. Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live in Central Park was released in 1999 for the holiday season. It features artists like The Dixie Chicks, Sarah McLachlan, Eric Clapton and Stevie Nicks.

The Bird Settles Down

Sheryl Crow is still writing and recording music to this day, but she is not nearly as active as she used to be. She spends a lot of time with her family, including famous husband Lance Armstrong – seven time winner of the Tour de France. Her music reverberates through car stereos every single day, and her iconic voice is not something to be forgotten. Who know what is to come of this songbird in the future?

Much has been written about Heaven. However, here we will strictly be guided by a literal interpretation of the Bible.

A Place for God
Heaven is a spiritual place for Jehovah God and His Angels. Jesus Christ, His Son, abides there also. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, does much work with mankind on earth. However, the Three are omnipresent, meaning They are everywhere – in every corner of the earth, in Heaven, in Hell and throughout the entire universe. Obviously, they are spiritual beings; and we cannot really comprehend what “omnipresent” means.

The “First Heaven”
The first mention of Heaven in the Bible is in Genesis 1:8, “God called the firmament Heaven.” God divided the waters with the “firmament” on the second day of creation. However, He also references waters both above and below the firmament, which was in the midst of the waters and “divide the waters from the waters.” Scholars believe this “first Heaven,” from the Old Testament, is the Earth’s atmosphere or sky. (It should be noted that the terms “first” and “second,” are not found in the Bible, but are references used by biblical scholars.) However, it was not until the third day that “dry land appeared,” which He called Earth. (Genesis 1:9-10)

The “Second Heaven”
Scholars also have identified a “second Heaven,” described in Genesis 1:14-18. This is outer space, which includes the sun and the moon, described as “… two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.” (Genesis 1:16) This “second Heaven” was created on the forth day.

The “Third Heaven”
No one knows the location of the “third Heaven,” which is only referenced once in the New Testament. (2nd Corinthians 12:2) It is referred to as the dwelling place of God, but believed to be the same place that Jesus says He will prepare for true Christians. (John 14:2) However, Ephesians 4:8 says the Old Testament Christians will be there also. And of course, John 3:16 says all of these will have eternal life. Therefore, as spiritual beings, these true Christians will have a place in the “third Heaven.”

Clearly, there are many unanswered questions about going and coming among these three Heavens. There is no doubt, the Lord has reasons for only revealing so much. For those who might want to pursue knowing much more about Heaven and the Lord, consider enrolling at Liberty University Online; there are many degree programs to choose from. Just click on “Liberty University Online” then the drop-down menu for “Program of Interest.”

Getting There!
This website will describe much about all three heavens, and even speculate about others. However, making Heaven your home is the most important message. If you want to know how to get to Heaven, read my article at “The Way, The Truth and The Life.” There is nothing I am looking forward to more than experiencing Heaven first hand. I hope to see you there too!

Thank you for reading. Before addressing the “myths” about Heaven, more “truths” about Heaven will be included in the each of the next several articles, which will be published bi-weekly. Thank you for reading this introduction to “All About Heaven”!