What They Should Have Said

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, 1776.

The 15th Amendment grants the right to vote to every citizen without regards to their race.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution grants Women the right to vote, and declares that there be no denial of voting rights depending on their sex.

Post-election thoughts have consumed me lately. I spent a few hours discussing the issues at hand with a family member of a close friend who is a registered Independent and has been since she turned 18, more than 20 years ago. I felt the tension in my face over a dinner conversation discussing regulations, the government’s involvement and the dreams of our forefathers.
So let me begin by saying this: I love this country. I love every reason that this country began. I believe that we are a country that is made of immigrants; my father and grandmother are two of them. I also believe that while the Declaration of Independence was written long before equality was fought for, before we even understood its importance, it said much to what the future of our Country would/should be one day.

Do sexism and racism still exist today? I would argue that they are greater and more alive and well today than they ever have been. Did Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin attempt to ‘shatter the glass ceiling’ or did they make my battle for respect as a woman more difficult? Did President Elect Barack Obama end racism as we once understood it or has he merely continued the trend and throw oxygen to the fire?

With every ounce of respect for the role and the job of the Presidency there are things that Barack should have said. With every respect for the position of Hilary Clinton, and the possibility of her being our Secretary of State, and the role of Sarah Palin as Governor of Alaska and the VP hopeful – There were things they should have said.

I hate racism. I hate sexism. However, I feel that it is the people who claim to fight against these ideals that merely discuss the issue, are the ones who allow it to continue.

In his address to the American people on March 18th, 2008 on the issue of racism President Elect Obama told his personal story. He discussed the issues with his former pastor Rev. Wright. He addressed slavery, suffrage, equality, segregation and the like. He has lived a life that I cannot claim to understand. I waited for him to say what I imagined he might say, what I imagine would be a statement that we as Americans would remember forever.

I waited for him to say something like this: I ask for your vote today. I do not ask as an African American or as a graduate of Harvard Law School, as a Christian, or as a husband or father. I ask for your vote as an American. As an American who has fought to bring this country together with regards to politics, policy and social issues. I want to give you my word that I will work to keep every promise I have made to you, and I will work every day as your President to continue to deserve the trust of those who voted for me and to earn the trust of those who did not. I want you to vote for me because I deserve it, because I earned it. I don’t want your vote because we would make history electing the first African American President, I don’t want your vote because you feel some sort of responsibility for the oppression of minorities in the past. Please, Please, if that were your reason for casting a vote for me, I would ask that you do not vote. I believe that it is ideas such as these that enable racism to continue. This should be about the best person for the position, the most qualified and the one who has proven them self to the American People. If we are incapable of removing race from the equation and allowing it to be a factor – negative or positive – we are incapable of overcoming the mistakes of the past. If I cannot be elected to the Presidency because I am personally qualified without playing the ‘race card’ then I have no desire to be the President, then I do not deserve to be the President.”

I claim to be nothing of a speech writer, but imagine what would’ve happen if Barack Obama told people that he refused to accept a vote that was cast because of his skin color? That he believed that any decision in which race plays the determining factor – both for and against him – is a poor decision, one without grounds and one that should be reconsidered.
It would be a statement such as the previous that would be one that I would say actually did something to fight against racism. We must recognize that racism is an act committed by everyone. At any moment in time that a particular race prides itself as greater than another, racism flourishes. Ah and this happens in every culture, every race, every nation country and state. None are exempt.

Sarah Palin prided herself as a ‘Hockey Mom’, and even embraced such attributes commonly known as the ‘Pit bull with Lipstick’. She and Hilary Clinton spoke time and time again about shattering this ‘glass ceiling’ that exists. In their actions they sought to strip sexism of its power. Were they effective? Perhaps they gave young women a desire to strive for more for their futures; perhaps they gained respect from men who had thought lowly of women in leadership positions. What could they have done better?

If I were Sarah Palin, if I was Hilary Clinton, I would have asked to be considered for my position because I was qualified, because I earned it – not as a woman, but as a working and sacrificial citizen who sought the well-being of my country above all else. I would ask that no one would vote for me merely because I was a woman, and we would be making history. I would discourage even the talk of the milestones made. It would be my dream that I would be considered on the same level as those male candidates. Just because I was a woman, or just because they were men doesn’t grant either gender any superior qualifications, and then therefore neither deserve any special treatment or press exposure.

This is how we kill sexism. As long as one sex or the other is demanding, or just merely excepting of special treatment, we enable it to continue, and this I am more against than anything else.

Would they have been given more respect? I believe so. Would they have been an even greater example to young women? To put more effort into their work, knowing that we must earn our respect and the trust of others? Yes. Would it have gained them honor while maintaining the honor of their male counterparts? Indeed. All with class, hopefully.

I cannot help but desire that those in leadership, that those given the role of guiding our country to greater things, would be active an effective in breaking barriers that consume and demolish the unity of the ‘United’ States of America. Leaders should always sacrifice opportunities to feed their ego in order to do what is best. They should forego compliments and praise with the greater priority of doing what is right – always. This is my dream, and I believe the dream of our Forefathers – the men who warned against corruption, who warned against a two-party system, against socialism and those who warned against government itself. Let us all take opportunities granted to truly fight against the issues – not merely to discuss them. Let us remember that positions of leadership hold the purpose for positive influence and require a humble spirit and a listening ear. They are not for the purpose of manipulation and the exercising of power over another.

Pray for our leaders.

A little goes a long way

My thoughts that took me through my day lead me to my conclusion that ‘a little goes a long way’.

In my conversation with a friend this morning following church, we discussed expectations in romantic relationships: a little goes a long way.

A friend stopped by Starbucks this evening, and as I stared at my blank word document, I put my papers aside, and talked about life for 30 minutes: a little goes a long way.

I got a text message seeking advice on something I definitely had strong opinions about, but I love this person dearly, and wanted to make sure they knew they had my support, so I merely asked questions instead of spewing opinions: a little goes a long way.

One of my friends who lives far away was on Facebook chat tonight, we talked about life, the struggles, laughed a little and made sure all was well on each side of this country: a little goes a long way.

As I sit here at this very moment, I am working on a group project. I long to see some competent effort from my other group members: a little would go a long way

This morning at church people left encouraged after services dedicated to prayer and the worship of our Savior in whose sovereignty we can truly find rest in after a devastating weekend for so many of our brothers and sisters: a little goes a long way.

I realized that I feel most loved when I know someone takes an interest in me - my life, my heart and my burdens. I realized what it means to ask how someone is doing, and to truly seek an answer because you care, not because it is common courtesy.

Today I realized how often I fall short – how often I fail as a friend to ask, to call, to take interest in another’s life. How could they know that I love them if I don’t?

I believe that we live in a world that makes little effort. We are lazy, and it isn’t ok. It isn’t ok when someone wonders about the depth and validity of their friendships, in their family, or with a significant other. When you realize that over everything else, relationships are of utmost importance, we must treat them as such.

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Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth, the One who tells the wind to cease, the One who has power over uncontrolled flames, the One who promises peace beyond understanding to those who love thee, forgive me, Lord, for falling short in every relationship that you have blessed me with. They are yours. Help me to honor them in such a way that brings joy and praise to you. Let my love be evident to those around me. I need Thee every hour. All praise honor and glory are Yours. Hallelujah.

Children are a Blessing

I woke up this morning feeling terrible. I can’t even remember how many times I woke up in the middle of the night. It might be that I have a cold, and it might be that I have too many things running through my mind. All I knew was that I couldn’t breath – physically and mentally. Life and sickness have congested my head and heart.

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I finally rolled out of bed, got ready, took a bite of oatmeal, threw some Tylenol Cold back, poured my Peet’s Coffee into my Starbucks thermos and headed out the door. I walked up to my classroom where there was a small crowd 6-12 month old babies waiting - some laughing, some crying. A favorite of mine opened her arms to me when I walked in. Am I allowed to have favorites? I guess not. Her name is Hannah, and she is a beautiful little girl. Light brown hair sprays out from every direction and her big hazel eyes are bright and attentive – always.

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While I was driving to church all I could think of was how I was not in the mood today. Ah how a child can change things! If you could see how she scrunches up her nose when she laughs, or how she makes noises while you bounce her on your knee just to hear herself, you’d know. She’ll be in your arms and drop her head straight down on your chest, look up at you and smile as she grabs your arms. She was enjoying herself. And with two little arms stretched out, she changed my attitude.

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For as long as I was with the little ones, my life was much simpler. So much satisfying that I forgot the pangs of my own existence. Thankfully I have this reminder every Tuesday morning.

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I must remember that I too was a Hannah once, years ago. It is a tragedy that I cannot recall the discoveries and the simplicity of infancy. I hope that I was a Hannah that blessed another’s heart as she did mine. I pray I never loose sight of the significance of holding a child in my arms, the person that their Creator made them to be.

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Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”

Praise you Father in Heaven for the gift of your children and the blessings you let fall on me. Help my undeserving heart grasp the significance of the small things. All praise, honor and glory are yours, O Lord. Amen.

The Winds and a Birch Tree

There are not many days where 4am rolls around and my eyes are open. Today, however, is different. I fell asleep at 11pm and was awakened just under 5 hours later. My instinct was to blame it on the winds – my sinuses were acting up, I feel so dry and thirsty almost constantly. And when the attempts to return to sleep failed, I went outside, hoping to feel some sort of relief, or maybe just a slightly cooler temperature.

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30 Minutes later, I sit here, with millions of thoughts rushing through my head, all because of 30 minutes outside with the wind. The first thing I did was look up. I am not sure why I always forget this, but when we have these kinds of winds, they have the unbelievable ability to clear up the atmosphere so when I get to see the moon and the stars, I see them the way that they were meant to be seen – so brightly shining that the idea that night was ‘dark’ almost seemed untrue. It is nights like tonight that help me remember how huge this place is – and how my tiny brain cannot even begin to fathom just a portion of that. The lines from a song that we had sung in church just hours previous kept replaying in my head:

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“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure! That he would give his only son, to make a wretch his treasure.”

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And with my sleepy voice, I could not help but to sing them aloud. As the words came out of my mouth I realized just how quiet it was. No car on the street, no dogs barking or tires screeching – it was the sounds that are created by the winds blowing through the trees, and my small voice. How vast is God’s love for us!

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There is a grouping of Birch trees that stand behind a bench on my front lawn - it is one of my favorite places to sit. My eyes were fixed on them for a time, mostly because of the way the wind makes them sound. I wondered what it would be like to remember what wind felt like when you first encountered it. Perhaps if I weren’t an infant, my process of thought would have been different. Wind seems to be a frightening thing. Where does it come from? We can only see it by how it affects and changes what it encounters. I decided that I want to be a Birch tree. Strange? All I could think about was how people say that because they see no God, they believe no God. Whose fault is this? I want my branches to be moved, and I want to make a sound. Trees, without wind are seemingly inanimate objects. When the Winds are at work, we notice two things: 1. The tree has a noise to make - it comes alive. 2. Because the tree moves and makes noise, there can be no question that the wind exists, and that it in fact was the sole reason that the tree came alive.

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John 13:35 says, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” I can feel the wind. This love for one another is only one way that we are affected and made alive in Christ. It is how people will believe that the Wind exists, and is real – they will see our branches moving and hopefully they too become recipients of the effects of something so life altering that we must bow down. Can we stop the wind? No. We are powerless against the wind. Can we hide from the wind? Yes. We can seek shelter in places for a time, recognizing of course that wind can even be so strong as to take down those places where we thought we could escape it. I choose option three: I want to be a deeply rooted tree who is the proof that the wind exists, and can and will create a beautiful sound when we recognize that we are powerless and without control, and submit ourselves to the effects of the Wind. I will submit myself to the workings of the Father, the Son an the Holy Spirit that my life would point to the existence of a creator – the one who placed those beaming stars in our vast sky.

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Jesus tells Nicodemus, a Pharisee, in John chapter 3 “You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

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Nicodemus was a religious leader in the days when Christ walked the earth. He was amongst those whose sole goal was to eliminate Jesus – and yet he posed questions of justice – he recognized that Christ must be of God, because of the miracles he was performing. In the process and change that Nicodemus goes through, we see a submission to the workings of the Holy Spirit. Jn. 3:1-21,7:50-52, 19:39,40.

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May we all be affected, changed and moved by the Holy Spirit – just like the wind moves, changes, and affects the trees.
The Psalmist of Psalm 104 praises God for His creation. Verse three says “… He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.”

Wise Words of an Oxford Professor

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” -C.S. Lewis

I sat next down next to a dear friend at Hume Lake this past July minutes after I arrived. She had already been up at the camp for several weeks, so we had much to catch up with in each others lives. I was excited about a few things that had been going on recently, and yet I was so hesitant to just let myself go, and to jump in with both feet. Being the incredible friend that she is, she kindly told me that I had an issue. Shortly after explaining to her my fears and reservations she told me to follow her to her dorm, she had something she wanted to read to me.

Little did I know that with 6 short sentences the very way that I lived my life was challenged. Vulnerable had been one of the most frightening words in my vocabulary for far too long and she new exactly what I needed to hear. It is safe to say that I felt completely beat up by the words of C.S. Lewis.

The rest of the week that followed was spent considering these words. Was I willing to become ‘unbreakable, impenetrable and irredeemable’? No. Was I afraid? Yes. There comes a point in a persons’ life I think, when they must decide that they will no longer live to live up to the expectations of others. I didn’t want to be the strong one all of the time, the emotionless one or the control freak. I realized that I feel more like a human being when I am hurt or broken. And when I feel hurt and broken, it most likely stems back to the love of something – values, ideals and more often than those: a person.

As much as those words convicted me, and still continue to do, I understand change to be a process, one that seems to never have an end. I am more vulnerable today than I was 3 months ago, and I pray that I will continue to move forward and never backward.

I share this because I believe that we live in world ridden with dishonesty, betrayal and cynicism. We rarely know who we can trust, and even the most sacred of commitments to another person are broken more than 50% of the time. These statistics and realities of our world give plenty of reason to be shut down, cold hearted and turned off toward relationships of any kind. If I have remembered one thing that I have studied this semester it is that we create our own reality, and it is my intention to create a reality better than the one presented to me by those statistics that break my heart.

I hope that the words of C.S. Lewis are a challenge to you in the way that they are to me. What a sobering thought, that our lack of vulnerability is the embodiment of our selfishness.

May we all be persons whose hearts are able to be broken, penetrable and redeemable.

Tomorrow is my New Day

There was a time in my life where I couldn’t go a day without writing something - something inspiring, something revealing, painful or freeing.

As much as I love and adore the learning and stretching that goes on in college, I have began to understood it in a different light. I always expected that it would change me, and it most certainly has. I am rational now, my ideas are concrete, and openendedness has ceased to exist. Exhaustion and theory has taken over my mind and it’s reflections. I have spent so much time studying others opinions that I have forgotten to explore my own. I feel consumed - consumed by something which has changed me for the better in the eyes of some. In these eyes of mine, I see someone who has lost the wonder of this life, and the essence of what it means to truly live.

This world, although it may seem to be run and consumed with business proposals, corruption and inflation, can never be held together with such things. We are facing, as a nation, the most uncertain and potentially the most dangerous times in the financial/business world. Can we rely on these things?

We are held together with nothing more than relationships with others. We need a Father in heaven, and brothers and sisters here on earth. Tomorrow I will seek the mystery. Tomorrow I will set myself aside. Tomorrow I will love another, and let myself be loved in return. Tomorrow is my new day.

Gracious Father in Heaven, in you we are never lost. You have set the heavens in place, you have told the sun when to set and when to rise again. Spirit you have my heart to rule and to guide. Forgive me Lord for being consumed with anything but the mysteries of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Make my life worthy of the gospel I profess. It is in your matchless name that I can set myself aside and take hold of my security in You and your son Jesus Christ. Hallelujah.

When did I give up on being a child?

As I stood in line alongside my family on our way to board the USS Midway in San Diego, CA on July 4th I thought more of my feet getting dirty from the dock and the blazing sun shining straight into my eyes than anything else. We were greeted by two veterans - advanced in their years- with the encouraging words of being “only a few steps away” from our destination. I laughed awkwardly and took those last few steps to the top deck of the ship that overlooked the San Diego bay just as the sun began to set. What a sight! Huge fighter planes lined the deck as hundreds of families, friends, war vets and celebrities dressed in red white and blue set up camp in the shadows of the great mast with the American flag rippling with the bay breeze.

Classic patriotic songs were sung in the background by two of the top 10 American Idol Finalists, poetry was read by young people encouraging one another to vote in the upcoming election all whilst my Omi gave me a classic ‘pep-talk’ for life. She is a strong woman who loves herself and has confidence I would kill for. If you’ve met her I’m sure you would have heard her call herself Colombo at least once or twice. ☺ We talked about my life, and these oh-so-wonderful early 20’s (note sarcasm) that I’m trudging through. She typically states that I need to let things go. She tells me. “Appreciate the small things and it makes appreciating the big picture so much easier.” So many people can say those things but after 74 years, she lives them.

I am sorry to confess that even after having several of these ‘talks’ I never let things go, and I seem to make little more effort to appreciate and pay attention to the little things. Except for tonight – I got a little reinforcement.

At 9:00pm sharp, across the dark and nearly moonless sky, burst fireworks from 5 different displays along the bay that in unison made quite the BOOM! I’ve seen so many shows in my life that they too easily become just something that you do. However, tonight, we were seated near a young family who seemed to be experiencing this all for the first time. What looked to be like their eldest son (maybe around age 5) was even more surprised with every explosion. I’ve never heard a ‘WOW’ like I did out of that young boy. We chuckled every time we heard “A RAZZLE DAZZLE” and a “WHOA did you see that one mom?!” Imagine the look on his face when he turned around only to see 3 more displays on the other side of the ship! It is always a joy to watch a child experience something new, but this was different for me.

This little boy was delighting in his life. Every firework was just as incredible, if not more, than the one before it. He must have seen the same one at least a handful of times. Still it seemed his lung capacity grew with an even louder “WHOA!” as the night continued…

Long story short, effortlessly this boy had perfected the very area in which I seem to be so flawed. This carefree kid was able to experience something so simple and so beautiful without questioning it. I had the same opportunity, and yet and I made little of it compared to him. I remember his mother saying to us “He just came out that way” and now I am hoping that he never looses that sense of grandeur about his life. What a treasure to have such a thing unharmed by insecurity and cynicism.

Maybe it is a poor comparison, but it was something so challenging to me that I felt like I should share it. This little boy gave me yet another reason to continue to seek growth and change in my own life. Grow to be more like a child I presume.

Hello Blogging World!

I’ve always been a writer and so I thought why not start a blog! I am not quite sure what excatly I will post, or if I could even choose a general theme for my page. It might be a thought for a day, an opinion on the presidential race, or something that has been personally challenging. Whatever it might be, I can promise that it will be me - writing, sharing, and sorting through life on this psuedo notebook that we attribute the title ‘blog’ to. If you choose to read, and choose to return, I hope you enjoy the window into my small, and yet hopefully significant life.