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My style came back: Family Modern.

Politics & Religion

I have been very interested in the upcoming elections, although I have yet to vow my support to either candidate. I have been trying to be open-minded as I wade through the drudge of political news and ads and speeches. If you haven't yet listened to the interviews that Rick Warren of Saddleback Church conducted with both Obama & McCain, take (a few hours) and listen here. Personally, I started out liking Obama... but that quickly faded as he stammered and did all but give a straight answer regarding Pastor Warren's question "At what point to babies become eligible for human rights?" (Which, by the way is one of the most poignant and thought-provoking ways I've heard someone address the issue of abortion.) Anyway... Erik's blog basically sums up my reaction to those interviews verbatim, so I'll save myself some typing and just send you to his page.

Nonetheless, I have been challenged in the last month as a good friend and I have passionately discussed and questioned and reconsidered our political differences. She, like myself, is a follower of Christ, and develops her political opinions out of her spiritual convictions. Yet she is a liberal, and on many issues I am conservative. I have been able to share with her honestly and to offer my humble, yet consistent convictions as I try to develop my own political opinions. I think my honesty and consistency have spurred her on to look at things with an open mind and not just through the eyes of a Democrat. At the core of my beliefs is the inerrant Word of God, given to us by an omniscient, wise and good God who speaks to us through the merciful and gracious life and death of His Son, Jesus Christ. God is consistent and He is ALWAYS good. His law and His ways can be trusted and should be submitted to. That is my foundation.

But as far as who I'll vote for in November, I have yet to determine. I'm having an easier time eliminating options than finding one.

Consistency...

So I listened to Michelle Obama's speech. Overall… I thought she did a beautiful job. It wasn't particularly deep or specific… but she presented herself very very well and if I could only believe that she & Barak were truly committed to what she said…(in ALL areas, not just the economy, education & health care), I would say that based on that speech alone, she would be a great example as a first lady. I appreciate her role as a mother and a wife first. I really keep trying to like the Obamas...

But here's my issue… direct quotes from her speech:

"Barack stood up that day, and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about "The world as it is" and "The world as it should be." And he said that all too often, we accept the distance between the two, and settle for the world as it is - even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations. But he reminded us that we know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. And he urged us to believe in ourselves - to find the strength within ourselves to strive for the world as it should be. And isn't that the great American story? It's the story of men and women gathered in churches and union halls, in town squares and high school gyms - people who stood up and marched and risked everything they had - refusing to settle, determined to mold our future into the shape of our ideals. "

"The world as it is just won't do. We have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be."

(referring to herself & Barak): "We listened to our hopes instead of our fears…We committed ourselves to building the world as it should be."

They ARE fighting for fairness in education, economy & healthcare. I respect that and I don't deny it. Her quotes are true IN THOSE AREAS, but when Barak says that
· He personally, but not politically is not pro-abortion, he isn't fighting for the world as it should be…
· He personally, but not politically practices same-sex marriage, he isn't fighting for the world as it should be…
· He is a follower of Christ personally, but he compromises and does not follow Christ in EVERY area of his political career,
then he is SETTLING for the world as it is, not FIGHTING for the world as he says he knows it SHOULD be.

My question is where does the Obamas' conviction come from as far as how the world "SHOULD BE?" Is it from a belief in Jesus Christ as the Creator of the world and the Supreme Authority on life, His Word being TRUTH, not suggestions? If so, then how do they fight for human rights in regards to economic equality, but take the cowardly route of settling without fighting for the human rights of unborn children? God's Word is not multiple choice. If you truly follow Him, you follow all of Him. You don't just pick the issues that everyone will agree with you on. You take a stand for those who don't have a voice. That's not just the poor single mom on welfare. That's her unborn baby too. So I believe that Obama should say: I am a Christian, but I don't agree with everything in God's Word. That would at least be honest. But don’t just say you're a Christian, and talk about being a family man and lean on your faith as credibility that you are a moral and decent person unless you're going to back it up with taking a stand on the things that are central to God's heart. All of them. I could probably write just as much about McCain just on different issues. I don't think you can defend just some of the weak. McCain might be more passionate about defending unborn children and less about minorities or the poor. But it has to be BOTH. But again, I'm not picking between McCain or Obama. I may not pick either - they have to EARN my vote. :) I just feel very strongly that saying you are a Christian is a responsibility, not a title. You are saying that you are FIRST a follower of Christ, then a Family man and finally a candidate for president (or whatever career you're in). I think politicians often say their family is first, then the presidency, then their faith.

So…. that's my political soapbox.

Is GREEN even my color?

I have to admit I have been quite slow to jump on the "Go Green" bandwagon. Sometimes it's simply easier to ignore than to change. And frankly, sometimes I'm downright skeptical of the commercialism aspect of "green" goods. Do I really need to switch to reusable sea sponge tampons?!! You've got to be kidding me! But even without going to the extremes, there seems to be an organic version of just about everything on the market! And I don't even know where to start! If I change all the lightbulbs in my house to eco-friendly bulbs and buy organic milk, but I still use plastic grocery bags and I use plain old Colgate toothpaste instead of the all-natural brands, am I really making a difference? I know I shouldn't ever ever microwave in plastic (although I still sometimes forget) and surely all those cell phone waves can't be good for us, but how do you radically change your lifestyle enough to really make a difference? This Young House has an interesting and informative post here and there is tons of helpful information on GreenYour.com. When I think about the future for my children one day and even for the longevity and health of Mike and I, I definitely want to start making some changes... ignorance in this department is not necessarily bliss. I'd love to hear your thoughts or any ways that you and your family have "Gone Green" without going crazy or too crunchy-granola! :)

Out of Excuses...

Am I the only one who finds it soooo hard to start exercising regularly? I come up with every excuse imaginable:

• a gym membership costs too much
• it's raining
• it's hot
• it's humid
• i'm tired
• it's that time of the month
• i feel bad exercising inside when i really should take Shelby for a walk
• i don't have time
• getting up earlier before work is too early

But I SOOOOOOO need to do something! I have gained 15 lbs since I got engaged last April, and while I haven't gained anything in the last 6 months... I haven't lost anything either. Any tips?

So Pretty!!

I want this room.

Harbor Light

Well... we couldn't wait for suggestions... so we just went out on our own and picked a color: Harbor Light. It's great! It's quite a bit lighter than it looks here on the sample, but we like it. And it should work great with our furniture and black & white bedding. So 1 borrowed ladder, 2 gallons of paint and 3 coats later...the room is transformed for just $35! Now we just need the finishing touches!

Design Ideas

This is basically what our master bedroom looks like now (except with modern B&W lamps & a black framed B&W picture above the bed). We'd like to redecorate our room, but the things we have to keep are the furniture (which is a bit traditional for my taste, but workable) and we have three bedding options: Solid White, White with black floral pattern (like picture) or Black bold with large white graphic lily.

Since we're trying to keep the budget minimal... things we're looking to change are PAINT, ACCESSORIES (wall art) and ACCENT PILLOWS.

Any ideas?? We want something modern, chic, luxurious feeling...

Play on Words

I guess I'm easily entertained... but how cute is this?













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