Well, I guess I can say I'm so glad she's over the phase where separation from me caused her to throw up all over herself and everyone else in the room ...
I'm so glad I've gotten her involved in ECFE. It's been a really amazing thing for both Rosemary and myself.
Anyway, so I was afraid to commit to doing too much during the 2 hours that I had to myself (you know, what if I'm a second late and Rosemary burst into tears of abandonment ... yeah right). I decided the best thing to do would be to head to Coco Moon (local coffee house) and read a book. I pulled out The Irresistible Revolution and yowser. I've been reading that book for like 2 months (I'm a slow and distracted reader) and the chapter I read today really knocked me over. I was reading about the time Shane Claiborne spent in Iraq and blubbering over my latte. I mean, really just blubbering. I so deeply appreciate the way that guy is challenging my faith, my politics, and the way I read the bible. The book makes every fiber of my being uncomfortable and antsy and I am excited to see where these challenges bring me.
I just can't help but feel like there's deeper meaning to all this crap Joel and I have been going through lately. We've gotten into some serious (to us, anyway) debt. Things with our house are not going well. Blah blah blah. All this stuff that really doesn't matter except that it's refining us in some way. It's making us more compassionate, challenging the way we've viewed things, burning a seriously deep desire for community, changing our visions for what we truly want out of this life, and so on and so forth. Sometimes I want to get into a pity party for myself and then I feel this excitement ... like, all this stuff is going to so drastically change the course of our lives and although I didn't know I wanted it to be changed, I did and I do.
I've been praying a lot (well, a lot for me which is probably a little for a lot of people ...) about this desire for community and what it means. Joel just keeps saying that he feels like the only answer to all this debt that we and so many people we know are in, is some sort of community living where we all support each other, share our resources, etc. etc.
Obama’s speech last night, I thought, was a Great Speech. I got frustrated at the politics of it all – he made a lot of promises that I’m pretty sure he can’t fulfill in our 3-tier government. If he could fulfill all of those promises, he would be a hero. I’m interested to see what road McCain is going to take in his speech, but I think that if it is anything like Obama’s (full of promises he probably can’t keep), then Obama will win my vote. If they run this race the same way, I have more hope in Obama as a good leader who can rally people together and make a difference.
Also, as somebody who strongly believes that human life is sacred and needs to be protected, I find Obama’s comments on abortion to be the most sensical and refreshing thoughts on abortion that I have heard uttered from the mouth of a politician. I have been a citizen of the United States for thirty years (my entire life) and there has been no progress on this blasted issue. I no longer believe that illegalizing abortion will ever happen, nor do I believe it is the answer. Truth be told, my eyes roll a little bit when I hear McCain say his administration will be a pro-life administration. That’s fine and good, but 30+ years is enough to teach us a lesson. The pro-life government perspective has been wrong and has failed.
Over-simplifying it, it’s like teaching a toddler: Tell her “No, no. Don’t bite the cat,” and she’ll probably bite the cat anyway. Tell her to hug the cat or be gentle with the cat and she probably won’t bite it.
It’s time to work together to reduce teen pregnancies, abortions, to make adoptions easier, and help the unborn. I don’t care about a stupid law; I care about holding the hands of the people who are facing these difficult decisions, giving these babies a voice and doing whatever we can to give them life.
My views on this war have also changed a whole lot since the war started. I do not feel that the United States is supposed to be a “Christian Nation.” I just don’t think it works that way, nor is it biblically intended to work that way. However, as a Christian, I am beginning to feel that fighting in this war just isn’t right. I know for some of you, this is completely the opposite of what you believe – and for others you can’t imagine believing any other way. But have patience with me when I tell you that this new for me. I have always believed that the bible supported wars of this kind and I don’t think I believe that anymore. To me, a deeper look into the bible really, really stresses that life, all life, is sacred – and this war is not the Christian way.
Also, this news that Iraq has a 70+ billion dollar surplus is sickening to me. Perhaps this is something I should have known before Obama said it last night (I’ve been avoiding the news for a number of reasons lately), but it was new to me and it made me sick to my stomach. They don’t want us there, they don’t seem to need us there, I’m not sure it’s our place to be there, and I’m starting to think it’s time to get out.
I think some of this is going to raise one or two of Joel’s eyebrows. I wouldn’t say, yet, that we have a “house divided.” :-) He’s been incredibly patient with me as I sort all of this out and really I expect him to staunchly disagree with me when I say some of this stuff to him ... and he doesn’t. But I am going to chuckle a little bit on voting day if we end up canceling each others votes.
In the past few years, my political views have been somewhat radically challenged and changed. It's exciting to me to not be alone.
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katielovesjoel- healthy american female
- Coming Up Rosemary!
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