The election is on my mind. . . looks like it's going to be on my blog as well. Last night I could hardly sleep, partly in disbelief of the DNC crowd's near worship of Obama and partly in anticipation of McCain's announcement today.
Driving to work today the sunrise was amazing. I just kept looking at the sky thinking "No matter what happens in the next three months, God is still in control."
I asked my mom to call me with the announcement as soon as she heard. My phone was set to silent and I looked down to see my mom's number pop up on the screen right as one of my customers said "They just made an announcement. Do you want to know?"
Throughout the day I talked to my mom to find out what was being said on the news and to learn more about Sarah Palin. And the words I've used most since then have been "I'm so excited. I'm so excited!" Here's one reason why: I think a lot of people plan to vote for Obama not because of his record or policy, but so they can have a vote in history-in-the-making. And now history-in-the-making is on both sides. Now it comes back to what the candidates stand for and who is qualified to lead our country. The playing field is even. Let election season begin!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Election Q & A
Q: How do you feel about Obama?
A: I have nothing against him, unless you count his views on abortion, the death penalty, and gay marriage (to name a few), his inexperience and lack of military service, or the way he can talk all night and never really answer a question. It still blows my mind that we even consider people with no military experience for the position of commander-in-chief. We would never hire a principal who was never a teacher or a coach who was never a player. Why lower the standard for the most important job in the country?
Q: Don't you want a black president?
A: I think it would be amazing. However, the first black president still needs to be the right president and Obama is not that man.
Q: So do you think McCain is perfect?
A: Of course not. No one is perfect, so there is no perfect candidate. But will I sleep better knowing that John McCain--and not Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton--is making the decisions that affect my country and its security? ABSOLUTELY.
A: I have nothing against him, unless you count his views on abortion, the death penalty, and gay marriage (to name a few), his inexperience and lack of military service, or the way he can talk all night and never really answer a question. It still blows my mind that we even consider people with no military experience for the position of commander-in-chief. We would never hire a principal who was never a teacher or a coach who was never a player. Why lower the standard for the most important job in the country?
Q: Don't you want a black president?
A: I think it would be amazing. However, the first black president still needs to be the right president and Obama is not that man.
Q: So do you think McCain is perfect?
A: Of course not. No one is perfect, so there is no perfect candidate. But will I sleep better knowing that John McCain--and not Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton--is making the decisions that affect my country and its security? ABSOLUTELY.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Hmm..
There are quite a few things that I enjoy but let get squeezed out of my schedule. Occasionally I rediscover those interests, but I usually let them go again. Writing is one of those things. I think I've always enjoyed it, but never realized it, even when I received recognition for it. (I always made good grades in English and writing, but who ever says they like English class? :) Remember starting the day with Channel One? In seventh grade (I think) there was an essay contest for female athletes sponsored by Channel One and Reebok. I wasn't the grand prize winner, but I did well enough that Reebok sent me a pair of shoes and I think my name came across the Channel One screen. During my senior year my English class was assigned to write a poem. There were no restrictions or themes we had to use--we just had to write. After the assignment, our teacher encouraged us to send our poems as entries to be considered for publishing in Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. We did it without much thought, and then. . . mine was chosen! (You didn't know you had a published author among you, did you? ha! My mom, of course, bought about 10 copies, so if you don't believe me. . . I have proof.) I went to college on full scholarship. The final stage of the scholarship application? A timed writing that actually used that poem as an outline. We didn't know the topic of the writing until we got to the classroom to write. When I got there and realized I had already worked through this idea and was ready to write. . . well, God's plan is amazing, huh?
My family has come to me for help in wording their writing on applications and in letters and such, but I hadn't really seen writing as a part of my future until we got to Korea. Korea was an amazing experience, but still difficult. I think blogging about our days helped me keep some balance. At first I didn't know if anyone by my mom was reading the updates. . . and then I started getting comments from people I never would have guessed would be reading my little blog. My mom emailed me updates and told me that my blog had even been read as part of WMU. I looked forward to each chance to write and received so much positive feedback that I really began to consider writing as something that could be in my future.
I didn't have to wait long. I thought Todd wanted to include devotions in the student book for camp and I had some ideas. I finally mentioned to him that I wanted to give it a shot and he let me go for it. A week and a half later I had five devotions that were used by two youth groups and a group of adult student ministry volunteers at a camp in Panama City.
I'm asking God for more opportunitites. I never pictured myself as a writer, but I can see how things in my past could be leading me that way. And if that's part of the plan the opportunities will come and I want to be ready to take them.
My family has come to me for help in wording their writing on applications and in letters and such, but I hadn't really seen writing as a part of my future until we got to Korea. Korea was an amazing experience, but still difficult. I think blogging about our days helped me keep some balance. At first I didn't know if anyone by my mom was reading the updates. . . and then I started getting comments from people I never would have guessed would be reading my little blog. My mom emailed me updates and told me that my blog had even been read as part of WMU. I looked forward to each chance to write and received so much positive feedback that I really began to consider writing as something that could be in my future.
I didn't have to wait long. I thought Todd wanted to include devotions in the student book for camp and I had some ideas. I finally mentioned to him that I wanted to give it a shot and he let me go for it. A week and a half later I had five devotions that were used by two youth groups and a group of adult student ministry volunteers at a camp in Panama City.
I'm asking God for more opportunitites. I never pictured myself as a writer, but I can see how things in my past could be leading me that way. And if that's part of the plan the opportunities will come and I want to be ready to take them.
"Prisoners of Hope"
I just finished reading Prisoners of Hope about aid workers Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry's imprisonment by the Taliban in Fall 2001. Imagine being held on unknown charges in Afghanistan as September 11 unfolds. I read a lot at work, (it's okay where I work--I'm not just slacking :), and people always ask if my book is good. When they asked about this one I would just say "it's intense." (By the way Impact Students, the book is still available if you decide you want to read it.) Heather says a lot about the insecurities she felt being unable to communicate with her family and not knowing what was about to happen. I appreciated her honesty that while she knew God was faithful, she didn't always feel it. At one point while others were worried about her, she said really all she needed was to feel security for just a moment, for someone to understand that she didn't feel secure, and then she could go on.
I related to that, even though it was a much smaller scale. Our last night in Korea I was upset but couldn't explain it. I think Heather explained it for me. I didn't control the schedule, the activities, the anything, and even though I loved being in Seoul I felt like I was lost in a strange place. On my own I wouldn't be able to get anywhere or call anyone. My security really was in being with my group. Thursday when Kellie and I were seperated from the other nine of our team, I handled it well. . . for a while. I felt too vulnerable not knowing where everyone else was or where we were going. None of these details were a secret to our hosts, but I didn't want to be out in the city away from the only people I knew. I was frustrated that no one but Kellie seemed to think I had had any reason to be less than happy. After dinner when we were told to ride in the same vehicles back to church (Kellie & me in a car, the rest of the group divided in 2 vans) I was just mad. I didn't want to be seperated again. To me it seemed like an obvious bad idea, but others felt we should do what our hosts asked. Todd offered for him and Leeanne to take mine and Kellie's seats but the seats weren't the issue. No matter who rode in the car, someone would be seperated from the group. I flet that so intensely that I thought it should have been obvious to everyone. It wasn't and here's how I explained it: "No, I'm not riding there". . . "No, you're not riding there". . . "grr". . . some tears. . . ."no!" Very eloquent, huh?
So when Heather described feeling that the group thought she was just stubborn on some issues and that she couldn't control her insecurities, I got it. And I wouldn't call her unfaithful. She followed her faith all the way to Afghanistan and prison. She saw God do the impossible and still struggled with those feelings. So maybe I was just being normal. I'll be going back to Korea next year. I'm very excited to go back, but I will prepare differently. I've already begun checking into a cellular provider with international roaming and I plan to have my laptop with me. I guess I need to know that instant communication is there, even if I don't use it. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to work with Calvary Church, but I also see next year as my chance to redeem myself--to take better care of me so I can be more effective and enjoy more of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
I related to that, even though it was a much smaller scale. Our last night in Korea I was upset but couldn't explain it. I think Heather explained it for me. I didn't control the schedule, the activities, the anything, and even though I loved being in Seoul I felt like I was lost in a strange place. On my own I wouldn't be able to get anywhere or call anyone. My security really was in being with my group. Thursday when Kellie and I were seperated from the other nine of our team, I handled it well. . . for a while. I felt too vulnerable not knowing where everyone else was or where we were going. None of these details were a secret to our hosts, but I didn't want to be out in the city away from the only people I knew. I was frustrated that no one but Kellie seemed to think I had had any reason to be less than happy. After dinner when we were told to ride in the same vehicles back to church (Kellie & me in a car, the rest of the group divided in 2 vans) I was just mad. I didn't want to be seperated again. To me it seemed like an obvious bad idea, but others felt we should do what our hosts asked. Todd offered for him and Leeanne to take mine and Kellie's seats but the seats weren't the issue. No matter who rode in the car, someone would be seperated from the group. I flet that so intensely that I thought it should have been obvious to everyone. It wasn't and here's how I explained it: "No, I'm not riding there". . . "No, you're not riding there". . . "grr". . . some tears. . . ."no!" Very eloquent, huh?
So when Heather described feeling that the group thought she was just stubborn on some issues and that she couldn't control her insecurities, I got it. And I wouldn't call her unfaithful. She followed her faith all the way to Afghanistan and prison. She saw God do the impossible and still struggled with those feelings. So maybe I was just being normal. I'll be going back to Korea next year. I'm very excited to go back, but I will prepare differently. I've already begun checking into a cellular provider with international roaming and I plan to have my laptop with me. I guess I need to know that instant communication is there, even if I don't use it. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to work with Calvary Church, but I also see next year as my chance to redeem myself--to take better care of me so I can be more effective and enjoy more of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I'm back
You may have noticed I haven't been blogging lately. I have no reason except that summer is almost over and things are getting back to 'normal.' New blogs are on the way, but until then, here are two things I just find funny:
1. The Olympics are sponsored by Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Budweiser. Somehow I don't see any of that on the athletes' tables.
2. Leeanne and I began this little saying last summer and were serious about it. Over a year later, it's just funny now: "We should do that...when things calm down." ha!!
1. The Olympics are sponsored by Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Budweiser. Somehow I don't see any of that on the athletes' tables.
2. Leeanne and I began this little saying last summer and were serious about it. Over a year later, it's just funny now: "We should do that...when things calm down." ha!!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Fourth of July
"And we've become really good friends. . .
And if anyone, anyone, tries to hurt one of my new friends,
I would take them out.
I would make them suffer so much that they'd
wish they were never born.
And if they ran, I would hunt them down. Thank you, Kathy."
--Gracie Hart, "Miss Congeniality"
These may be the words of Miss Gracie Lou Freebush, but they capture my feelings for the church in Seoul. On our last day in Korea I bought a book about the DMZ and the Korean War. I learned that more than the north attacking the south, the north attacked Seoul. Communism went to great lengths to capture the city that is now dear to me. But Seoul does not operate under communism. . . because the south was supported by another military--ours. I'm grateful the US took a stand. The people we met there don't see us as the country that gets in other people's business or the country that picks fights. Instead, they have a respect for America. I hope Korea is able to one day reunify under democracy. But if Seoul were ever in danger, I hope America would again take a stand. I know eleven people who will.
"I really do want world peace. . ." and sometimes you have to fight for it.
Happy birthday America!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday Morning
"Jesus paid it all
All to Him owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow."
A man from my church is in the hospital. Sunday morning Todd led a time of prayer for him. As most of our church prayed together at the alter it sounded like one long sniffle as together we cried and prayed for this incredible man. I don't know Gene very well, but his daughters and granddaughters are very special to me. As we prayed I thought a lot about his family. We went back to our seats and Kevin led us in "Jesus Paid it All." I started thinking about how much Gene reminds me of my dad. They are both stroke survivors and they face some of the same challenges. And then we got to verse four. . .
"And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
'Jesus died my soul to save'
My lips shall still repeat."
. . .and it hit me. One day all their struggles and fears will be over. Things that are hard for them now won't be an issue because they will be absolutely complete. I'd like to keep them both around for a long time, but I know that one day heaven will have something extra special in store for them both.
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