Election Reflections

Good afternoon all!! (And, yes, it is still a GOOD afternoon, here in the land of the free and the home of the brave :)

I know there are a variety of strong emotions floating around out there. Some are overjoyed; some are disappointed; some are fearful, etc. You know which of those categories you fit into. I have been bouncing around each of those emotions like a roller coaster that wouldn't end for the last year or more. Last night, after nearly two years of bickering, and politicking, and analyzing, and worrying, and hoping, and praying, and listening to how America will cease to exist as we know it if this happens, or how the world will come crashing down if that happens, the roller coaster finally ended. And more than anything else today, I feel relief.

Last night, after I watched Obama's acceptance speech, still unsure what to make of the whole evening, I pulled out my Bible. I've been trying to read through the entire Old Testament for the last 3 years or so, and it's really a tough thing for me. I'm not a reader or a history buff, and don't understand or process much of what the Old Testament says. But I made my Bible time a priority before I went to bed last night, and these were the first words I read:

"The Lord reigns; let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice." Psalm 97:1

It was one of those few times in my life when I've felt like God was speaking directly to me in that moment.

I hold my Conservative ideals of life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, small government, individual responsibility, capitalism, defense, etc. very dear. Like many who share my values, I get anxious and personally offended when those ideals are threatened. Last night, America spoke loud and clear. Time will tell how our choices last night will affect the principles this country was built on, and I ask all of you to join me in praying for God's blessings over our President, our Senate and Congress, and our Supreme Court Justices over the next four years. Please pray that they will make decisions with wisdom and guidance from God. I hope they do a superb job of dealing with the issues we face, and that America is a strong and thriving nation after all is said and done.

Whether that does or doesn't happen, I have work to do. God doesn't often speak directly to me in clear-cut, obvious ways. But He does guide my path, and He has revealed a couple of things to me as I've spent more time with Him over the years. The first idea, He taught me in college:

I can't control what others do; I can only control what *I* do.

The second, He has been ingraining in me over and over again since my college days, and especially as I've engaged in this election process:

Love God, and love people. This is my primary and most important purpose in this life. Life is full of ups and downs and huge disappointments sometimes. But my purpose doesn't change, even if my circumstances do.

As this election has unfolded, I've been glued to the TV and radio, trying to predict the outcome. Despite a few numerous moments of freaking out and worrying about the future, I have tried to stay grounded in the big picture - in my true purpose. Today, for the first time in many months, I'm not freaking out. And I'm not ready to jump ship, although Alaska sounds more appealing than ever :) I'm focusing on the bigger picture. I sent this to a family member who was especially frustrated with our elected officials, recently, and it sums up how I hope to respond to whatever change tomorrow brings.

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accused you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends, and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

If you give the world the best you have, it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and other people anyway.

-Mother Teresa

Have a GREAT day!! We are here in our house!

Random Thoughts: Toy Story

Hello friends! My house is finally together again. Not a lot of news to report this week. I've mostly been reading about, listening to, and watching the election coverage, being the huge dork educated citizen that I am. It is taking every ounce of willpower I have to not write a lengthy post detailing my wise opinions on the issues at hand. For the time being I will stick to lighter, more pleasant topics... such as the warm weather and teaching Christa to sit up. She has finally embraced her Bumbo seat and will tripod for a few seconds. She has 6 month pictures scheduled in a couple of weeks, and I'd love it if she were sitting up by then. If not, that's OK too; I'm in no hurry for her to grow up.

Even though you're not going to be privy to my political wisdom (unless you call me on the phone, in which case I will happily talk your ear off about it), I will share my thoughts on yet another worldly topic that I think is especially fitting with Christmas having just passed. Today's topic is: Why do you need the jaws of life to open children's toys? I spent more time ripping apart cardboard, untangling wire, and throwing things against the wall in frustration the week after Christmas than I ever could have imagined. Every single toy had thick wire in a bazillion different places, permanently attaching the toy that I needed to keep to the cardboard I wanted to throw away. And each wire, once it was untangled, failed to fit through the microscopic plastic holes on the toy that it must have been magically inserted through. Furthermore, there was thick, clear plastic that I also wanted to throw away that was affixed to the toy in such a way that scissors, knives, and super-human strength were no match. Why do companies do this to parents? I understand the concept of preserving the quality and appearance of toys and preventing small parts from somehow getting out of the packaging before purchase. But isn't there a happy medium between a paper sack and a restraint system suitable for a crash test dummy? Just my two cents.

I'll post some pictures next time. I just got my first set of prints back from Wal-Mart, and although the pictures are good, the background is much much darker than it appears on the viewfinder and computer. I'm hoping this is a printing issue. As always, I welcome any insight into this situation. Have a great week!