Politics...

I generally remain quiet on political issues outside my sphere of close friends.  My reasons are selfish - I often find it hard to debate the issues without extreme anger creeping in at which point it no longer becomes a healthy debate - just an arguement where no one wins.  So, these points are directed toward me as much as anyone else. Here is my one and only rant to the wider world for this election year:

1.             I am unapologetically conservative, just as you are unapologetically whatever you have chosen to be.

2.             Whatever your political (or moral, for that matter) leanings, it is not in the best interest of your viewpoint to attack my intelligence or make assumptions about my level of education just because I do not agree with you. You will gain far fewer converts to your way of thinking – if gaining converts is your goal.

3.             State your beliefs from the standpoint of one who is trying to persuade and not one who is on the political or moral high ground.

4.             Just as it is your right to believe and practice politics, faith, morals as you see fit, so it is mine.  Your lack of respect for anyone's rights in this area is wrong.

5.             Don’t rant, vote.

6.             If you are an advocate of 'tolerance' - prove it. Far too many people tout the virtues of 'tolerance' until it comes to something they stringently disagree with (again politics, faith, morals).

7.             Just because I disagree with you on one (OK maybe all) of the hot-button issues, don't assume that I consider myself better than you in some way. I am better than no one, anywhere, ever.

8.             Support your candidate; support your faith - know why you do both if someone asks and if they then share a differing view point don't immediately speak to them in some condescending tone because certainly they ‘must not be able to comprehend’ what is obviously the ‘correct’ way to live, vote or believe.

9.             You have facts to back up your reason for choosing a certain candidate – so do I. Don’t immediately assume that my facts are somehow inferior to yours.  Hmmm…maybe both sets of facts (yours AND mine) are at worst made up and at best embellished.  Impasse – move on.

10.       BOTH sides of the aisle campaign in the negative – it is a fact of life. Deal with it.

11.       If you do not vote, shut up.

12.       Wait, let me say that again – if you do not vote, SHUT UP.

13.       If you do not vote – WHY? There is no excuse for apathy in this area - go register today and vote your conscience. It is your responsibility as an American citizen.  Do it.

Helpless...

Have you ever felt helpless?  Why? Where were you and what was your situation?  Truth is I know we've all felt that way at some point - whether it was something we were directly involved with or on behalf of friend or loved one.

I have felt this way in all three situations and tonight there are things and situations over which I have zero control and it makes me sad, angry, humbled, frustrated and ultimately resigned.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Resigned to the fact that life is not something I can control and no amount of fighting on my part will change that.  Resigned to the fact that I AM helpless sometimes and I hate the helplessness!  Resigned to the fact that sometimes my best intentions to 'help' in those helpless situations just serve to make them worse. Resigned to the fact that if my friends/loved ones would/could just stop and wait or look to the right direction for help, it would be there with no questions asked and no recriminations for the past.  Resigned in my faith.

I have faith that God is in the big middle of whatever that situation is and no matter who is affected or what their current spiritual state, they cannot out run Him.  They can try, they can fight, they can bemoan or belittle, but my faith is there and it is as strong as it has ever been.

My faith might need to be big enough for me and them right now, and that's OK because others have done the same for me.  How many countless hours have been spent in prayer on my behalf?  I won't know that answer until I get to heaven.

Pay it forward.  Do this for someone.  Do it because they can't (or even won't). Do it for yourself.  Do it because you can and it doesn't cost you anything but a contrite heart and time spent in prayer.

Oh, and while you're doing this, remember that God did not save Daniel from the lion's den - He saved him IN the lion's den.

Daniel 6:16
...and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

Daniel 6:22
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Hmmm...wondering if perhaps Daniel spent his time with the lions praying for the ones who had put him in the lions' den?  That's a topic for another night, I think.

Sending this out to my friend tonight. I love you and I have been praying for you - I'm praying for you right now.

Christians Are Never Depressed?

Depression. I've been thinking about this subject and what to write seemingly forever.

Christians are never depressed.  Christians always have it easy.  Everything is always right in the life of a Christian. Blah, blah, blah....

These are blatantly false statements - every single one of them, yet if you are a Christian (or even if you are not) I believe that you will agree with me when I say that if we went by what everyone tells us or portrays to us then we have to believe these false statements. I often wonder when I answer, 'Oh, I'm just fine. How are you?' to someone who has asked, at what point does this become a big fat lie?  In my mind, I know that people do not really want to hear how I am when they ask - they want the niceties in passing.

Are we so shallow that we couldn't handle it if someone told the truth for once? Are we so selfish with our time that we couldn't take the extra few minutes to stop and listen to someone who has a burden or hurt and just needs to talk?  Are we so very indifferent to the needs of those around us?

Wait...we, the askers, are not the ones feeding everyone a line of 'the world is great' are we?  It is we the 'askees' who are putting this stuff out there.

Could it be that we don't want everyone to know that our lives are not perfect?  Is it even possible that our pride stops us from telling the whole truth? Do we not have enough trust in fellow believers or in our friends that we could share even just a quick word about where we are and what we stand in need of?  Do we cover over the hurts because we think we are the only ones in pain? If we admit to being depressed, are we saying that we do not believe God can handle our problems for us?

I say it's YES to all of the above. Are you ever conflicted when answering 'fine' to someone’s inquiry?  Does it make you feel just a little bit schizophrenic to be saying 'fine' when your whole world seems to be coming down around your ears?

Hmmm...are you wondering how I know all these things you are thinking? It's because I have had all those thoughts, and I believe EVERYONE has these thoughts in some way, shape or form. Showing vulnerability to anyone is difficult, even to my spouse. How could I possibly show my weaknesses to the wider world?

The bottom line is I believe that everyone experiences depression in some way. Some of us really get in there and do it up right - all the while smiling to the world like everything is just fine. It is amazing to me how alone one can be, even with a spouse who loves them or with a group of their closest friends.  Depression cuts you off emotionally from every one and everything. It pulls you down and keeps you down. It makes you believe that you must be a failure, and because you are not talking to anyone you don't realize that there are others out there, I mean people that you really know and love, who are going through exactly what you are going through.

As a Christian, I've often thought, 'My faith must be weak if I'm this low.' How did I not remember that my Creator made me and knows my weaknesses? How is it that we think that a God who created us does not know that we sometimes face situations we cannot handle? Even the most faithful, even someone who believes the Bible is God's word, even the 'best' Christian can face things that they can't process, can't handle, can't fight.

Depression does not mean you don't have faith - and I don't think it even means that your faith is weak. To me, depression just is.  Why does it have to mean something deep about my faith? Why do I have to read into it? It is so sad that so many people suffer silently, would rather die than admit that they could use a little help.

What I hope you take away from this post is the knowledge that you are not alone and the confirmation that depression is not something to be ashamed of, nor is it something to deny or sweep under the rug.

There’s so much more to say but this is all I’ve got words for now.

I would be interested in seeing your comments on this subject.  Linking to a broadcast on depression by Dr. David Jeremiah: http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio_player.aspx?id=772

What Do I Love About Being a Mom?

What do I love about being a mom?

I love walking thru the house and picking up plastic swords and light sabers as I pass thru each room. 
I love doing laundry and finding bb's that fall out of pockets and roll around on the floor.
I love finding Legos and super bouncy balls in my purse. 

I love when my oldest asks permission to do something, because he does still do that sometimes.
I love that my youngest still lights up when I show up at school for anything.
I love that my 'middle child' has a personality all her own and that she is so much more outgoing than I ever was.

I love saying 'yes' when I can to whatever they have asked.
I love driving my kids places.
I love that other kids call me to drive them places when their parents are not able to do so.

I love saying 'I love you' to any of my kids over the phone and the awkward silence that ensues as they sit there wondering what they are supposed to say after that (very fun, try this with your teenagers).

I love hearing my name called by kids at the high school because I've been there enough that they (band kids, at least) know who I am.
I love the other kids who call me mom.

I love meeting the new boyfriends/girlfriends.
I love watching my husband torment them with threats of embarrassing behavior.

I love the friendships I have made with other parents.
I love that we parents can count on each other to help out when we're in a bind.

I love finding forgotten notes and projects from days gone by when they still made me things out of construction paper and glue.

I love watching my children excel at things they love and things they enjoy doing; and when they fail, I love watching those same children learn from experience and do better the next time.

I love when we are all on the same wavelength - that seems to happen less as they age.
I love that we all seem to share a good, dry sense of humor and that most of the time we all 'get' sarcasm.
I love that I have had the privilege of watching 3 great kids grow up, and in the process also their friends.

I love the thought of all the things my children will yet experience in life - it's more exciting now than when it was my turn to look ahead to all those wonderful experiences.

I love - the best, most wonderful gift I have ever been given is my children and the joy in loving them. Because of them, I love in a way that I never would have known without them.

Thank you, God, for my children. There is no good thing I have done to deserve this wonderful gift.

I Wonder...

Do you have a person, or persons, who are no longer in your life (whether due to death or just distance) that you wish you had spent more time with or wish you had delved deeper into who they are and what they think of life?
I have several who are gone that I wish this about; and I have one in particular who is on my mind today.  She is 'gone' while still here with us physically.  My grandmother is coming into what I think you would call the final stages of Alzheimer's.

When I sit with her (can't say baby-sit, but that's almost what it's like) I find myself looking at her and wondering so many things. I wonder why I don't ever remember her talking about the long scar on her shin and how she go it.  I wonder what it was like to raise 5 children on a pastor's salary.  I wonder why she was never a 'hoarder' and why I didn't inherit her talent for purging things.  I wonder what it was like to go thru WWII at home while her brothers were all off to war. 

I wonder what her favorite food was, favorite song, favorite verse in the Bible, or any of her favorites.  I do know her favorite color is purple.  I also know that she didn't wear it for years because her husband is not a fan of purple.  I wonder how she always had time to tuck me in or read me a story or say bed-time prayers with me.  I wonder if she knew how much everyone truely loved her - and I wonder if she knows now. 

I wonder if our theories about Alzheimer's are all wrong?  What if that's not a blank stare we see?  What if she realy knows what we are trying to communicate to her and she just can't acknowledge? What if she knows what SHE is trying to say, even though she no longer has the words to tell us?  I am so thankful that I have had my lifetime to love her and that for just a while and in small ways I can take care of her the way she always cared for me.