Can of Worms: Explode!

I know they say never to talk about religion or politics over dinner.

So no snacking as you read this, ok? And certainly don't dig into a big meal. This is gonna go south pretty quickly if you do, because I'm talking about BOTH.

I often avoid standing on soapboxes on this blog, especially political ones. Because I'm very aware that there are so many sides to every issue...and selfishly because I'm afraid I'll lose followers.

But dangit, it's MY blog and I can soapbox if I want to. I will still try to not offend anyone. :)

I'm sure if you've read closely you realize that I lean more toward the liberal side politically. In most parts of the country I'm fairly certain I'd be considered more middle of the road, slightly leaning left...but here in this red, red state I am WAY out there in most people's eyes. Like, so far left of the line I can't even SEE the line anymore. The line is a dot to me.
(bonus points for you if you get the reference!)

It's ok. I've always marched to my own beat, and I've gotten used to being the different one. (someday I'll tell you about my childhood...)

And please don't read this to mean that I'm ALWAYS liberal. That I ALWAYS vote for one party over another. I don't. I don't believe in straight ticket voting. I believe in researching the candidates and selecting the one that I truly think will do the best job, regardless if they line up on my little check box chart of things I look for in a candidate. This means I also don't choose one issue and vote based on it. A variety of issues and views are considered. Thankfully, I like politics enough to do the research...I know a lot of you are yawning right now...

Also, I think it's important to note that my close friends and loved ones are all over the political spectrum. I prefer it that way--when we discuss politics (which we do) I get a much more well-rounded discussion, and am able to truly think about what I believe and hold to be truths...and they are too. We learn, grow, and change our minds once in awhile.

Anyway...a couple of things that are bothering me.

Remember all those email groups and other wonderful (and I truly mean it) avenues that were all over the place when President Bush was in office? You know, the people who committed to pray daily, weekly, whatever...together or alone...and followed through.

I was never a part of them, and it had nothing to do with my political leanings...I just choose to pray for our nation and leaders in my own way, on my own time.

However, I never see groups like that now.
Have they disbanded now that the Presidency has changed hands?
Do they still meet and pray as fervently for our current President?
And if not, why?

I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that question...

I wrote all of the above before google searching it.
Thankfully, there seems to still be an active presidential prayer site.
And thank goodness for Max Lucado.
However, not all may have the best intentions in their prayers...
and this article was frightening.

All of that aside...the real reason for this blog rant is this article from Fox News. If you don't want to read the whole thing (it's rather...odd, actually. Kind of a conglomeration of a conversation between senators. i think. i'm not familiar with the guy who wrote it, so this may be his normal article style...but it's odd to me.) the basic story is this: in a joking manner--I think--, a Senator has publicly stated that Al Gore has a free place to stay in DC now...courtesy of global warming!

Ha.
Ha.
Ha.

And while I've heard people joke like that quite a bit, and it's sorta funny...it's also misguided.

I'm tired of people who refuse to do environmentally responsible things because it's "liberal". It's not liberal. It's responsible. I truly, TRULY believe that we as Christians have a calling to take care of our planet. And recycling, doing other green things...those are all a part of it. I don't care if you're a Libertarian, Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Polkafish. It's just what you DO.

And I'm also tired of people who refuse to believe in global warming because a Democrat who was in an administration that a lot of conservatives would like to forget ever happened is at the forefront of the awareness campaign.

Please do me a favor, blogland. If you're going to choose to believe that global warming doesn't exist, or isn't a bad thing, or isn't as severe as "they" are telling us (whoever they are)...at least research it.

I'm going to be completely honest here. I haven't researched it enough to come up with my own thoughts on how severe I really think it is. *I* need to do my research too. I'm not blindly following anything because Al Gore tells me to. I actually think he'd be the first to tell us to research it on our own anyway! But please don't blindly ignore things because you don't agree with the person on a political level either.

Here's a well-written article, in which the author freely admits her biases, from a "eh, I don't know if it's really an issue" perspective.
PBS article explaining global warning in bare-bones form (because if you're like me you get a little overwhelmed with facts and figures)

Here's the thing though, regarding the senator who invited Mr. Gore to the igloo his family fashioned "for him". IF we are to believe that global warming exists then we have to accept that certain aspects of it will lead to the crazy snowfalls we've seen in most areas of the country this winter. The term "global warming" leads people to believe that we should have hot summers and mild winters. I used to think that too...but the simple fact is that global warming doesn't really mean that at all. It means the temperature and humidity rise. And what do we need for snowfall? Temperatures under freezing (which easily happen in most of the areas of the country affected) and...um...humidity. Moisture already in the air. Which IF we believe in global warming means...we've got plenty of the humidity.

(we certainly have enough humidity to spare here in TN. year round. global warming or not.)

So, Mr Senator-who-I-will-not-name-you'll-just-have-to-read-the-article:

If you're going to flippantly say things like this? At least check the premise of the thing you're attacking. It just might make you look a bit foolish to those who know anything about the issue at all.

That is all.

Oh, but one other thing? Just to make you smile. Since I've put it all out there anyway:

Out of the Mouths

I have been babysitting quite a bit over the last few days.
And it's been welcome, fun, and challenging (depending on the day/time and family!)
Monday and Tuesday I spent the day with a sweet 2 year old little boy, E.

E has the most adorable head of curly brown hair and the biggest blue eyes ever. He's quite the charmer, and he is SO hard to resist when he's asking for something. I'm pretty good at saying "no" and meaning it, but he seriously is *almost* adorable enough for me to give in to.

But he's being well-parented, and is not overly spoiled, knows good manners, and listens to instructions. Pretty impressive, actually.

We were on the way up the stairs on Tuesday for his nap and he wanted to take a toy with him. We reached the base of the stairs and he handed me the toy so that he would have hands free to climb. As I took it he said "Thank you!"

I replied "You're welcome." and as I ruffled his hair added "and you're adorable!"

He didn't even glance back at me as he answered that with a simple "Yes."

I relayed that story to my friend Laura who laughed with me and pointed out "He doesn't even realize that's a compliment yet. To him, it's a fact. You're 2. And you're adorable. Fact. And it's ok to agree with it."

And as we ended our conversation and I hung up the phone I began to wonder.

When do we lose that?

E doesn't yet know that you can't accept a compliment.
He accepts it as fact because no one has told him he can't.
At what point are we told (outright or subtly) that we can't do that anymore?

At some point we are.
And a compliment ceases to be a fact, and instead becomes an exercise in how we can refute it.

For some, it's replaced with false humility.
For others...me included...it's replaced with all the reasons why that's just not true.

How many times have people complimented my fashion sense and I dodged them by saying some disparaging remark about how the item fits, or myself?
How many people have I devalued by dismissing their genuine compliment?
How often do I brush off a remark about my personality with "it's what I do" or "it was nothing"? It was clearly something enough for that person to mention it...so why do I brush it aside?

A lot of this stems from my personal issues and the fact that I may always have the ever-present voice inside me telling me that I'm just not good enough.

But when I choose to accept that voice for the lie it is, and start listening to the Truth, I need to become more like E.

When someone compliments me, I need to take it as fact.
No ulterior motives
No drama involved
No lies to get on my good side
They said it. It was nice. It must be a fact.

It's not going to be easy. But the biggest negative voice I have to contend with is my own. Everyone else seems to gel with me just fine :0)

What about you?

I'm Just Me

I've had at least 4 people in the last week come up to me at church or send me a message saying "I stumbled onto your blog the other day"

It's a bit disconcerting.

After all, when I'm semi-anonymous it's "safe" to write all of this stuff. And yes, my boyfriend reads this blog (hi honey!) and a handful of friends do as well, but it still seemed "safe".

And then tonight I was singing on the worship team at church, filling in for my very preggo friend Jes who just wasn't up to the task (understandably--she IS nearly ready to deliver!). And Randy, our worship minister, introduced a song that he recently wrote. It's all about dropping the facade, being authentic, and letting even the ugly parts show.

And I realized that's what I do on this blog. I'm "inside out", as the song says, and I'm just me...and that's ok.

So here I am...

a girl who was once afraid--terrified--to love
a woman that disagrees fundamentally with her current church's position on "women in the church"
one who often lets a curse word slip (sometimes even here in written form!)
who has taken a quote from her favorite Ellen/Gladys conversation to heart: "I love Jesus, but I drink a little"
who is broken and blessed, all at the same time
who, as much as she has fought against it and tried to take it back, has left a little piece of herself in a small, southern Indiana farmtown
who is madly in love with Jesus
who likes to write about her thoughts, both frivilous and semi-deep
who would love to lose the 20 or so pounds that crept on when her former ED self began to actually enjoy food
and who has determined
that this blog
will be 100%
authentically
totally
REAL

That's what you've got. And everyday I'm humbled and amazed that several of you seem to enjoy reading what I have to say. What began as a creative outlet has led me to so many friendships and opened my eyes to new worlds.

I'm grateful.

And this girl? Isn't going anywhere. So no matter if I've known you since middle school (hi Angie!), am dating you, go to church with you, have met you through an online voice somewhere, or any of the categories in between...I'm glad you're here to share this part of my journey with me. It's a bumpy road, this Life, but I'm blessed beyond measure to have people like you in my path.