YOU CAN'T BE CHRISTIAN AND PRO-CHOICE
I'm not writing to argue my position on the issue. I guess it just reminds me to always be conscience of the way I convey the message of a loving Savior to those who haven't yet accepted His grace.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Is that so?
I saw a bigger than normal bumper sticker Wednesday on a car in the parking lot of Emma's school. The sticker was on the back window, so I guess I should call it a window sticker. Anyway, it caught my attention and what it said has been bothering me since....
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
What motivates you to vote?
I've typically been the political geek among my circle of friends, most often the only one who seems to even care about politics. This year I've seen an increase in my friends tuning in and taking a stand on who they will vote for, and, ...it's exciting!!!
I'm finding myself asking the same rhetorical question the past couple of days - what motivates someone to vote (or not vote), and more specifically, what motivates one to vote for one candidate over the other?
In my insatiable thirst for coming to the most concrete defensible explanation on who I'm voting for I've tried to pick the brains of those who have decided. Some won't talk about their reasons, which I still don't understand, but hey, who's criticizing? Some seem to be motivated by their own circumstances economically and socially, some point to things said in the media or by those famous "they" sayers (when someone can tell me who "they" is I'll offer a compelling prize), others are voting with their political party lines, some are voting for whoever their parents vote for, and others give me reasons that are too shameful to record in writing.
This year I vote for my daughter's future and all my other favorite sons and daughters out there, I vote for my parents who will be at retirement age sooner than later, I vote for my husband who is beginning a career in public service, I vote for the people of other nations we impact, I vote for those less fortunate who seem to be forgotten, I vote for those who feel helpless, lost and desperate... (this almost looks like my prayer list)...
I vote.
I'm finding myself asking the same rhetorical question the past couple of days - what motivates someone to vote (or not vote), and more specifically, what motivates one to vote for one candidate over the other?
In my insatiable thirst for coming to the most concrete defensible explanation on who I'm voting for I've tried to pick the brains of those who have decided. Some won't talk about their reasons, which I still don't understand, but hey, who's criticizing? Some seem to be motivated by their own circumstances economically and socially, some point to things said in the media or by those famous "they" sayers (when someone can tell me who "they" is I'll offer a compelling prize), others are voting with their political party lines, some are voting for whoever their parents vote for, and others give me reasons that are too shameful to record in writing.
This year I vote for my daughter's future and all my other favorite sons and daughters out there, I vote for my parents who will be at retirement age sooner than later, I vote for my husband who is beginning a career in public service, I vote for the people of other nations we impact, I vote for those less fortunate who seem to be forgotten, I vote for those who feel helpless, lost and desperate... (this almost looks like my prayer list)...
I vote.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Words Emma can say
- dadda...usually the first thing she says when she wakes up, even though he hasn't been home in the mornings to get her ready in quite some time
- momma...rarely said, unless she's held captive by a family member or stranger and she wants to come back to me
- duck...mainly at bath time since her bathroom is decked out in duck decor or when she sees the ones in our neighborhood
- that...which is the name for anything and everything she doesn't yet know the name of...said with a finger pointing at the mysterious object, or person
- dog...mainly said at ms. alma's or laura's...the only houses with dogs we visit
- bye...her short, lazy way of saying bye-bye...mostly said when leaving day care, as soon as she sees me come in the room
- bye-bye...her more adorable parting phrase; she has the sweetest voice
- hot...when mommy cooks, when i get clothes out of the dryer or when i blow dry my hair...she hasn't yet learned what hot feels like, thank goodness
- up...when she wants one of us to hold her, when she can't climb up on the coach, ottoman, high chair, stairs, armour or any other object she's trying to get on
- down...when she's done eating, when we're holding her and she wants something on the ground...or my favorite, when she is grabbing relentlessly on our legs, shorts, or shirt wanting up, but she gets confused and says down
more to come...
- momma...rarely said, unless she's held captive by a family member or stranger and she wants to come back to me
- duck...mainly at bath time since her bathroom is decked out in duck decor or when she sees the ones in our neighborhood
- that...which is the name for anything and everything she doesn't yet know the name of...said with a finger pointing at the mysterious object, or person
- dog...mainly said at ms. alma's or laura's...the only houses with dogs we visit
- bye...her short, lazy way of saying bye-bye...mostly said when leaving day care, as soon as she sees me come in the room
- bye-bye...her more adorable parting phrase; she has the sweetest voice
- hot...when mommy cooks, when i get clothes out of the dryer or when i blow dry my hair...she hasn't yet learned what hot feels like, thank goodness
- up...when she wants one of us to hold her, when she can't climb up on the coach, ottoman, high chair, stairs, armour or any other object she's trying to get on
- down...when she's done eating, when we're holding her and she wants something on the ground...or my favorite, when she is grabbing relentlessly on our legs, shorts, or shirt wanting up, but she gets confused and says down
more to come...
Friday, October 10, 2008
at 11 months old...
Emma never ceases to amaze us. The other night she pulled her comb out of the side pocket of her diaper bag and started "brushing" Troy's hair (or head). Then she tried her own.
The next night she held her shoe in her hand and then placed it on top of her foot and let it go, as if it was going to go right on.
LOVE HER
Sunday, October 5, 2008
christianity and politics...
separation of church and state. the laws of Christ that govern me as a believer. imposing those laws on others...or not. these are the three things that i can't seem to shake as i as i go back and forth on deciding which candidate to vote for. i have a degree in political science but for the first time i'm finding myself trying to understand politics from a different perspective...who would Jesus want me to vote for?
it's not surprising to most that Christians tend to vote conservatively, and i am a registered republican...but more often these days i find myself questioning if the laws i'm held to as a believer should have me voting more along the left side of the isle.
lately it seems like "the church" hasn't been much more credible than wall street, the media or the politicians. Most of us profess his name but forget what he said (including myself)....here's a passage from a book i'm reading "red letter Christians" by tony campolo:
i'm still struggling with many issues even belonging in government (abortion among one), but since they are i'm taking them in consideration as i muddle through all the rhetoric when deciding how to vote...nothing i've heard or read about John McCain seems to align with what Jesus commands us to do. he and his running mate have said they're not for abortion or same-sex marriages...most would consider that the views of Jesus. i guess what i like about Obama and his mate is that they seem to be for tolerance....how do we as believers hold non-believers to the same governance we are to follow? most of us seem to be forgetting about the tolerance and love we're commanded to have for these people. we tell women they can't abort their pregnancies but when their babies are born we brand them with a scarlet letter...there are other issues too, like homosexuality, in which we seem to be more intolerant rather than loving. don't get me wrong, for us, it is clear, but we have to remember that these folks don't know and believe the same way we do. how are they to come and know Jesus if all we show is intolerance and nonacceptance rather than love and compassion?
under the Bush administration more than $283 billion was cut from domestic programs in 2007...many of which assisted the elderly, the poor and our education systems. in the same administration we have spent 11 times that of China and 16 times more than Russia have spent on defense ($528 billion v. China's 49.5 billion and Russia's $34.7 billion) from tony compallo's book...
it's not surprising to most that Christians tend to vote conservatively, and i am a registered republican...but more often these days i find myself questioning if the laws i'm held to as a believer should have me voting more along the left side of the isle.
lately it seems like "the church" hasn't been much more credible than wall street, the media or the politicians. Most of us profess his name but forget what he said (including myself)....here's a passage from a book i'm reading "red letter Christians" by tony campolo:
"...when Jesus tells us that he will regard the way we treat the hungry, the homeless, the immigrant, the poor family, the sick and the prisoner as if we were treating Him that way, it likely means that He would not think ignoring them is good domestic policy. Or when He tells us to "love your enemies" and that "blesses are the peacemakers," it might be hard to persuade him to join "wars against terrorism" with so much "collateral damage" to civilians."
i'm still struggling with many issues even belonging in government (abortion among one), but since they are i'm taking them in consideration as i muddle through all the rhetoric when deciding how to vote...nothing i've heard or read about John McCain seems to align with what Jesus commands us to do. he and his running mate have said they're not for abortion or same-sex marriages...most would consider that the views of Jesus. i guess what i like about Obama and his mate is that they seem to be for tolerance....how do we as believers hold non-believers to the same governance we are to follow? most of us seem to be forgetting about the tolerance and love we're commanded to have for these people. we tell women they can't abort their pregnancies but when their babies are born we brand them with a scarlet letter...there are other issues too, like homosexuality, in which we seem to be more intolerant rather than loving. don't get me wrong, for us, it is clear, but we have to remember that these folks don't know and believe the same way we do. how are they to come and know Jesus if all we show is intolerance and nonacceptance rather than love and compassion?
under the Bush administration more than $283 billion was cut from domestic programs in 2007...many of which assisted the elderly, the poor and our education systems. in the same administration we have spent 11 times that of China and 16 times more than Russia have spent on defense ($528 billion v. China's 49.5 billion and Russia's $34.7 billion) from tony compallo's book...
"the prophet Isiah warned the ancient Jews not to trust in military might for their security. He said 'Alas for those who go down to Egypt for help and who rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord'"
i'm not disagreeing that there are "evil" people overseas we are fighting. sometimes i just wonder how different is "the church" when we hold non-believers to the rules that govern us. how different are we when we don't love and accept a mother struggling with the decision to carry out her pregnancy? how different are we when we don't allow a same-sex couple to visit in the hospital and have the same rights in death as we do for our spouses? the list goes on...i guess the point here is that the war isn't working. maybe it's time to try something new. something Jesus would agree with. good can overcome bad. good will prevail over evil - we are promised that. why not start here in our country?
i do believe that it is the church's responsibility to carry out what Jesus has governed us to do. i don't believe however that many church's are ready to take on the responsibility....and if church's aren't ready then i feel like my responsibility as a christian voter is to vote for the candidate i believe is most likely to take my tax dollars and care for the needy and the poor; who wants to give freedom and a better life to the immigrants who come to America for it; who wants to sit down with other leaders and make peace instead of resulting to war; who governs with tolerance instead of doctrine....which candidate is that?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Picture time again
The pictures from Emma's one-year old session with Melissa are on her site. The pictures were taken at a playground near the beach. To view the pictures go to www.melissaposeyphotography.com / view proofs / emma one year
the password is sabrina
the password is sabrina
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