today daphne and i were driving and saw a man dressed up as uncle sam or something.
i looked at him.
then i said. oh halloween.
i then began to describe his thought process.
he laid out his clothes the night before.
then thought. perfect. this will be a hit in the office.
then he got to the office and someone asked...hey run to the bank.
and he thought. uh. shit.
and he walked downtown in his outfit.
pissed.
Friday, October 31, 2008
live blogging: unrealistic
i'm a nut. i work myself into these panics about using the bathroom. on long airline flights i HAVE to be on the aisle in case i have to pee. i just HAVE to be.
when i land in a different country i find the first bathroom...even if i don't have to go, i try really hard. i have bathroom anxiety.
but now i'm holding it. i know i know it's not healthy. i will go. but i'm nervous. in an office with three other guys who use both the women and men bathroom...i'm nervous. i'm nervous that they will hear me. maybe i'll accidently fart. or poop. and then i'll stink up the bathroom that is a mere 15 feet from their desks.
i don't want to be a bathroom disappointment.
when i land in a different country i find the first bathroom...even if i don't have to go, i try really hard. i have bathroom anxiety.
but now i'm holding it. i know i know it's not healthy. i will go. but i'm nervous. in an office with three other guys who use both the women and men bathroom...i'm nervous. i'm nervous that they will hear me. maybe i'll accidently fart. or poop. and then i'll stink up the bathroom that is a mere 15 feet from their desks.
i don't want to be a bathroom disappointment.
live blogging: staring
i realize that i stare a lot. when i'm thinking i like to just stare and think. during our weekly prayer meetings i will usually stare outside. we have a beautiful view of the sky and buildings. i think i might look like i'm waiting for something or someone.
when i'm at my desk i end up staring at my computer which doesn't really help.
but here i can stare over my laptop and through some windows. this natural light helps me.
when i'm at my desk i end up staring at my computer which doesn't really help.
but here i can stare over my laptop and through some windows. this natural light helps me.
live blogging: vegetarian
two of the people here at oxide are vegetarians.
i've also learned they do not fight.
and they haven't before.
now they are pretending to fight and cry.
it's not working.
i've also learned they do not fight.
and they haven't before.
now they are pretending to fight and cry.
it's not working.
live blogging: life over on this side of omaha
i have the unique privilege to leave the office for the afternoon and work alongside some designers. i'm actually not working with them, i'm working on my own stuff while they work on their own stuff.
we're about to go on a field trip. our omaha office goes to ted and wally's, but we're going to bucky's. it's a local gas station over here.
i love working on WMF stuff here. it makes me appreciate and miss my coworkers in a new way. i'm working on a prayer card for the community care center and it's really fun.
we just went to bucky's. i got a coke zero. yum.
we're about to go on a field trip. our omaha office goes to ted and wally's, but we're going to bucky's. it's a local gas station over here.
i love working on WMF stuff here. it makes me appreciate and miss my coworkers in a new way. i'm working on a prayer card for the community care center and it's really fun.
we just went to bucky's. i got a coke zero. yum.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
things overheard at the office
- i love Amish people - michelle, receptionist
- i'm sorry i'm sitting on top of you - mandy, publications editor
- will you be wearing anything - mandy
- i'm getting out of the office - amanda, community care coordinator
- are there costumes that are inappropriate for the party - brent, dir. of admin
- do you think Bush speaks better in Spanish than in English - brent
- that's a double negative - mandy
- i'm sorry i'm sitting on top of you - mandy, publications editor
- will you be wearing anything - mandy
- i'm getting out of the office - amanda, community care coordinator
- are there costumes that are inappropriate for the party - brent, dir. of admin
- do you think Bush speaks better in Spanish than in English - brent
- that's a double negative - mandy
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
i just love them
i love the ladies i work with so much. marcia, mandy and i needed some fresh air. we went to pick up some books that came in and then we got a little sweet treat.
there's this interesting building we always pass. today i finally remembered the website address.
it's a house in omaha that is now used for events. it's very interesting.
there's this interesting building we always pass. today i finally remembered the website address.
it's a house in omaha that is now used for events. it's very interesting.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
sudanese and mediterranean restaurant
kenley and i went to juba restaurant tonight. it's a lovely sudanese and mediterranean restaurant on saddlecreek. it's right near cuming. i had the vegetarian platter full of salad, hummus and babah ganoush. i didn't get the falafel though. they were out of it :(. kenley got kaftah kabob. we were both very happy with our choices. it was an affordable meal that included fresh ingredients.
juba
1102 NW Radial Hwy
Omaha, NE 68132
(402) 553-5686
juba
1102 NW Radial Hwy
Omaha, NE 68132
(402) 553-5686
Monday, October 27, 2008
yummy easy chili
my friends made this yummy chili for me and kenley one evening. she served this with some cornbread. it was delicious. i didn't have time to wait for all these things to cook so i threw them in my hand-me-down crock pot and now i have lunch for the week!
BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWISS CHARD
Top with chopped fresh cilantro, red onions, sour cream (or whole milk yogurt) and grated cheddar cheese, if you like.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin (i usually add a full 2 Tb. ... I love cumin.)
(2 Tb. corriander - see 'my notes' below)
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (I usually use 3 cans of tomatoes)
3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from 1 small bunch) preparation
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.
My notes: Add an extra can or two of tomatoes or add one extra can and some tomato paste. Add a jalapeno or two. Add coriander to the spices. Add extra cumin and chili powder.
BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWISS CHARD
Top with chopped fresh cilantro, red onions, sour cream (or whole milk yogurt) and grated cheddar cheese, if you like.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin (i usually add a full 2 Tb. ... I love cumin.)
(2 Tb. corriander - see 'my notes' below)
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (I usually use 3 cans of tomatoes)
3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from 1 small bunch) preparation
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.
My notes: Add an extra can or two of tomatoes or add one extra can and some tomato paste. Add a jalapeno or two. Add coriander to the spices. Add extra cumin and chili powder.
Friday, October 24, 2008
quirks
i learned a lot about my coworkers and friends this week. we had a lighthearted conversation about our quirks. a lot of people know my issues with seating. i love sitting in the same seat. this was something i came to love growing up in my house. i learned that you always sit in the same seat. for some reason it brings me comfort.
this week i walked into staff meeting and saw someone's stuff at my spot. i moved it across the table.
the other thing i like to do is to put my food in the same compartment every day. it's the crisper/vegetable drawer on the right. i don't know why i like it. but i like it.
i also don't like the sound of packing tape. it feels like someone is using a cheese grater on my brain. ouch. i don't enjoy touching tape either. if my hands could suffocate they would suffocate because of tape.
i also don't like when my socks aren't straight or even. i feel like my toes could suffocate. i also don't like when my shoes aren't tied the same degree of tightness. i know. weird.
today when i got home i also realized i have some funny quirks at home. i have a red fly swatter. i hate hate hate hate bugs. this fly swatter has kept me a good two extra feet from bugs. this evening i saw a moth. and i jumped. and ran for my swatter. and yes, this week i called my brother to kill a bug. i decided that i shouldn't call him again. i don't think he liked it.
i also love reading when i go to bed. i think that summers are when i forget to read. i'm out running around or something. when i'm too cold and the heat isn't on in my place i curl up in my bed and read. i'm currently reading a borrowed david sedaris book. i love it.
the other thing i realized is that i do not like klondike bars. i saw a commercial for them tonight and remembered how much i enjoyed them as a kid. and then thought, that's gross. i'd much rather have QUIT YOUR JOB AND EAT CHOCOLATE icecream from ted and wallys.
and lastly. i don't know the last time i laughed so much with my friends at work. really don't remember. i hugged brent several times for the fun that he brought to the office. i laughed so hard with mandy and her dance. i cradled marcia's face and told her i wanted to adopt it. we learned what a goiter is. ask me if you want to know. marcia and i yelled to silas as he walked to the bus stop. amanda humored me when i asked her how the booze cruise was. michelle showed me the way to a bookstore way out west and laughed with me. cesia practiced spanish with me. jose got his strawberry icecream. annie humored me when i initiated her into the sarcasm university with a jara emphasis. paul got to meet ted and wally. and i got to work with these people.
i guess my other quirk is that i lack good transitions when writing blogs.
goodnight?
this week i walked into staff meeting and saw someone's stuff at my spot. i moved it across the table.
the other thing i like to do is to put my food in the same compartment every day. it's the crisper/vegetable drawer on the right. i don't know why i like it. but i like it.
i also don't like the sound of packing tape. it feels like someone is using a cheese grater on my brain. ouch. i don't enjoy touching tape either. if my hands could suffocate they would suffocate because of tape.
i also don't like when my socks aren't straight or even. i feel like my toes could suffocate. i also don't like when my shoes aren't tied the same degree of tightness. i know. weird.
today when i got home i also realized i have some funny quirks at home. i have a red fly swatter. i hate hate hate hate bugs. this fly swatter has kept me a good two extra feet from bugs. this evening i saw a moth. and i jumped. and ran for my swatter. and yes, this week i called my brother to kill a bug. i decided that i shouldn't call him again. i don't think he liked it.
i also love reading when i go to bed. i think that summers are when i forget to read. i'm out running around or something. when i'm too cold and the heat isn't on in my place i curl up in my bed and read. i'm currently reading a borrowed david sedaris book. i love it.
the other thing i realized is that i do not like klondike bars. i saw a commercial for them tonight and remembered how much i enjoyed them as a kid. and then thought, that's gross. i'd much rather have QUIT YOUR JOB AND EAT CHOCOLATE icecream from ted and wallys.
and lastly. i don't know the last time i laughed so much with my friends at work. really don't remember. i hugged brent several times for the fun that he brought to the office. i laughed so hard with mandy and her dance. i cradled marcia's face and told her i wanted to adopt it. we learned what a goiter is. ask me if you want to know. marcia and i yelled to silas as he walked to the bus stop. amanda humored me when i asked her how the booze cruise was. michelle showed me the way to a bookstore way out west and laughed with me. cesia practiced spanish with me. jose got his strawberry icecream. annie humored me when i initiated her into the sarcasm university with a jara emphasis. paul got to meet ted and wally. and i got to work with these people.
i guess my other quirk is that i lack good transitions when writing blogs.
goodnight?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
scruffy face
when i would leave grandma and grandpa brooks' house, i would kiss both of them goodbye on their cheeks. my grandfather's would always be a little scruffy. maybe recently shaven. maybe not. it was familiar.
i loved spending time with my grandparents. i grew up in anderson, indiana. i spent the first six years of my life close to my mother's side of the family. i'm not really sure how far my grandparents lived to us, but the ride to their house always seemed so long.
we would leave anderson and take the interstate...then we'd take the exit for pendleton. and we would start hitting the comfortable hills of indiana country. corn fields to the right or left. houses scattered between. few stop signs. and tobacco fields.
grandma and grandpa's house was on the left. my great grandmother's house was beside theirs. and ward and his wife lived across the street. gray gravel and a carport. trees and flowers in the front. in the back you'd find the well and jack, their outside dog.
inside. warmth. a deep freezer. a fridge. and kitchen. and their inside dog, tippy. it was a modest house. it was the house where my mom and her three siblings were raised.
i remember the smell of their house. i always wanted to take it with me. maybe it was the smell of history mixed with the years of tobacco smoking of my grandmother. maybe it was the smell of long summer nights. who knows.
grandpa brooks loved jazz music. he was generous and funny. he loved coffee. and he would take my brother and i on walks through the country to collect buckeyes. he had a contagious laugh.
grandma brooks was delicate and beautiful. and i think she had to be feisty. she had soft skin and hair. and she loved coffee. she would let me drink buttermilk.
when we spent time there and had a meal, i would usually find a seat where i could look outside. they had a bird feeder. i would watch finches come and go. and i would see cars go by and hear their greeting, a honk.
time seems to go by slower in the country. seems less hurried. there was no massive cable selection. no internet or computers. just miles and miles of fields. trees. and places to explore.
i loved spending time with my grandparents. i grew up in anderson, indiana. i spent the first six years of my life close to my mother's side of the family. i'm not really sure how far my grandparents lived to us, but the ride to their house always seemed so long.
we would leave anderson and take the interstate...then we'd take the exit for pendleton. and we would start hitting the comfortable hills of indiana country. corn fields to the right or left. houses scattered between. few stop signs. and tobacco fields.
grandma and grandpa's house was on the left. my great grandmother's house was beside theirs. and ward and his wife lived across the street. gray gravel and a carport. trees and flowers in the front. in the back you'd find the well and jack, their outside dog.
inside. warmth. a deep freezer. a fridge. and kitchen. and their inside dog, tippy. it was a modest house. it was the house where my mom and her three siblings were raised.
i remember the smell of their house. i always wanted to take it with me. maybe it was the smell of history mixed with the years of tobacco smoking of my grandmother. maybe it was the smell of long summer nights. who knows.
grandpa brooks loved jazz music. he was generous and funny. he loved coffee. and he would take my brother and i on walks through the country to collect buckeyes. he had a contagious laugh.
grandma brooks was delicate and beautiful. and i think she had to be feisty. she had soft skin and hair. and she loved coffee. she would let me drink buttermilk.
when we spent time there and had a meal, i would usually find a seat where i could look outside. they had a bird feeder. i would watch finches come and go. and i would see cars go by and hear their greeting, a honk.
time seems to go by slower in the country. seems less hurried. there was no massive cable selection. no internet or computers. just miles and miles of fields. trees. and places to explore.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
weekend
it's saturday. and i'm enjoying my weekend. i woke up early to hit the gym. got home. cleaned a little bit.
this week was long but i don't think it was that long. i talked with daphne about my tiredness and after our conversation i just thought about it...was the week that long or was i dreading a weekend.
what?
dreading a weekend. i'm a lover of weekends but i looked at my calendar and realized that for the past two months i've had each weekend planned out. i don't have any days when i'm not following some type of time schedule. it was a running schedule for awhile...housesitting...work events...events...and i was planned. i didn't mind it but i hadn't had a weekend or a moment when all i did was read or nap or watch tv or sit.
and that's what i'm doing. i brewed some coffee. i'll hang over at kenley's some with a borrowed david sedaris book (i just finished the latest jhumpa lahiri book - unaccustomed earth) and a lot of new magazines. i might hang out at starbucks. who knows. i don't have it planned. and i'm so ready.
this week was long but i don't think it was that long. i talked with daphne about my tiredness and after our conversation i just thought about it...was the week that long or was i dreading a weekend.
what?
dreading a weekend. i'm a lover of weekends but i looked at my calendar and realized that for the past two months i've had each weekend planned out. i don't have any days when i'm not following some type of time schedule. it was a running schedule for awhile...housesitting...work events...events...and i was planned. i didn't mind it but i hadn't had a weekend or a moment when all i did was read or nap or watch tv or sit.
and that's what i'm doing. i brewed some coffee. i'll hang over at kenley's some with a borrowed david sedaris book (i just finished the latest jhumpa lahiri book - unaccustomed earth) and a lot of new magazines. i might hang out at starbucks. who knows. i don't have it planned. and i'm so ready.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
mmmm.
i feel like i'm settling back into myself again. the past six months have flown by...and i never really felt like myself. i went to sierra leone, returned and then thing after thing came. and i lost my footing.
training for the half marathon gave me a bit of schedule to cling onto during some of the crazy times. after my car got flooded...i began getting ready for kenley to move to omaha...and then my brother to move here. kenley and jonathan, my brother, moved to omaha within a week of each other. yes. stressful.
and i'm FINALLY getting back in the swing of things.
i'm becoming friends with weight watchers again. this past weekend we had the guys from TWLOHA share at beggars society. they are an outreach geared towards teenagers and those who are struggling with self-injury, addiction, suicide and depression.
I let that sit with me for a couple of days.
Last week we heard from Sharif Liwaru. He is the director of the Malcolm X Foundation in Omaha. Sharif shared with us about his faith. Hearing about his journey as a Muslim was beautiful and enlightening. I have friends who are Muslim but I have to admit I don't ask much about their faith. During his discussion he reflected on Ramadan. Sharif shared about the choices he would make during this time of fasting. As people around him would eat or offer him food, he remained committed to his fast, joining in with millions of others in prayer, humility and fasting. A choice and commitment, a stand that is personal between God and him, no one else. I'm sure that wasn't the best summary...but...
I let that sit with me for a couple of days, too.
Living well and living whole is a decision and a choice that I have to make with each step, with each bite, with each run, with each day. A commitment to honor my body, God's temple, every.day.and.every.meal.
So this week I had a breaking point. I'm not my brother, who has an incredible metabolism. I'm not Jenny Craig who has to have packaged food to determine my choices. I'm Jara Sturdivant who has to make daily efforts to commit to health...with each meal, with each trip to the gym.
I feel a lot better these days. I'm back in the gym in my normal classes. I'm back to being friendly with my points. And I'm realizing that it took me 20 some years to get here...changing everything won't happen overnight. But I'll just take it a day at a time. :)
I see a little more junk in my trunk and I'm okay with that. After three months of running, I am proud of my buns of steal :) Just watch out, my next goal is to be a push up fanatic :) Anyone want to have a push up contest?
xo.
training for the half marathon gave me a bit of schedule to cling onto during some of the crazy times. after my car got flooded...i began getting ready for kenley to move to omaha...and then my brother to move here. kenley and jonathan, my brother, moved to omaha within a week of each other. yes. stressful.
and i'm FINALLY getting back in the swing of things.
i'm becoming friends with weight watchers again. this past weekend we had the guys from TWLOHA share at beggars society. they are an outreach geared towards teenagers and those who are struggling with self-injury, addiction, suicide and depression.
As Jamie shared the story about their friend who was denied treatment someone asked how she was currently doing. He mentioned that she acknowledges that this is a struggle that she is met with and deals with everyday.
To Write Love on Her Arms began in Orlando, FL in February 2006 as a (written) story, the true story of five days spent with a friend who was denied entry into a drug treatment center. The story was a look at those five days, and the t-shirts were printed and sold initially as a way to pay for our friend's treatment.
I let that sit with me for a couple of days.
Last week we heard from Sharif Liwaru. He is the director of the Malcolm X Foundation in Omaha. Sharif shared with us about his faith. Hearing about his journey as a Muslim was beautiful and enlightening. I have friends who are Muslim but I have to admit I don't ask much about their faith. During his discussion he reflected on Ramadan. Sharif shared about the choices he would make during this time of fasting. As people around him would eat or offer him food, he remained committed to his fast, joining in with millions of others in prayer, humility and fasting. A choice and commitment, a stand that is personal between God and him, no one else. I'm sure that wasn't the best summary...but...
I let that sit with me for a couple of days, too.
Living well and living whole is a decision and a choice that I have to make with each step, with each bite, with each run, with each day. A commitment to honor my body, God's temple, every.day.and.every.meal.
So this week I had a breaking point. I'm not my brother, who has an incredible metabolism. I'm not Jenny Craig who has to have packaged food to determine my choices. I'm Jara Sturdivant who has to make daily efforts to commit to health...with each meal, with each trip to the gym.
I feel a lot better these days. I'm back in the gym in my normal classes. I'm back to being friendly with my points. And I'm realizing that it took me 20 some years to get here...changing everything won't happen overnight. But I'll just take it a day at a time. :)
I see a little more junk in my trunk and I'm okay with that. After three months of running, I am proud of my buns of steal :) Just watch out, my next goal is to be a push up fanatic :) Anyone want to have a push up contest?
xo.
Monday, October 13, 2008
a running tab
my mind runs. all of the time. i'm keeping tabs on things i should do and shouldn't do...things you should and shouldn't do...who i owe and what and how much.
this weekend i spent some time with a friend in south omaha. as we got our wallets out, i said, i have this one. she resisted and then i assured her, no, you got taco bell last time.
eek. i've gotten so used to remembering who i've given airport rides to in the morning and who i can ask next. my tabs have taken the generosity out of friendship. i take people's gifts towards me as repayment or as an invitation for me to repay them.
OH NO.
sweaty palms mean realization. i told this story to some friends. others understood and agreed with it. there are healthy ways of setting boundaries so friendships are reciprocal and not just a give-give or take-take relationships. but i'm learning to receive love from friends because it's love.
love is beautiful when there's no repayment, tab involved. when it's simply love, acts of love, it's freeing. and there's no tab. it's endless.
but if i do owe someone a ride to the airport let me know.
kidding.
let's have a year of jubilee.
this weekend i spent some time with a friend in south omaha. as we got our wallets out, i said, i have this one. she resisted and then i assured her, no, you got taco bell last time.
friend: you're keeping a tab??
me: no no. i'm not. i just remember.
friend: we're friends, you don't have to keep a tab.
eek. i've gotten so used to remembering who i've given airport rides to in the morning and who i can ask next. my tabs have taken the generosity out of friendship. i take people's gifts towards me as repayment or as an invitation for me to repay them.
OH NO.
sweaty palms mean realization. i told this story to some friends. others understood and agreed with it. there are healthy ways of setting boundaries so friendships are reciprocal and not just a give-give or take-take relationships. but i'm learning to receive love from friends because it's love.
love is beautiful when there's no repayment, tab involved. when it's simply love, acts of love, it's freeing. and there's no tab. it's endless.
but if i do owe someone a ride to the airport let me know.
kidding.
let's have a year of jubilee.
Monday, October 6, 2008
why i vote
the last time i participated in a presidential election i reluctantly voted for george bush. i say reluctantly because i wrestled with voting between two candidates i didn't particularly like. i wanted to write someone in and i wanted to just not vote. my friends rallied aka bullied me into voting.
i regret my vote. partly.
i had to vote because in some of our parents' lifetimes some of our family didn't have the right to vote. i don't take this opportunity lightly or for granted.
so it's a month away from our presidential election and i know who i am voting for. i live in omaha, nebraska, and the news has reported that our state and city could be incredibly influential to how the election plays out.
after watching the vice presidential debate i knew even more why i was voting for obama-biden. i'm not completely won over by everything they say but i have a really sour taste when i think about considering mccain palin.
i could easily go into all of the bad things that could happen with either candidate, but i don't want to do that. i'm a pessimist and that's usually my normal route. but i am hopeful.
i am hopeful because no matter who is elected president it is our responsibility to participate in our government's role in the world. i recently read an article that reminded the readers that it is actually pretty damn important for us to pay very close attention, if not closer, attention to our local politicians. our city, county and state. these are the people who could possibly affect change in our backyards. we're all rallying around what presidential candidate can beat the other when we really should educate ourselves on some of our local leaders.
but again. it is our responsibility to speak up to our government. yeah. i'm sure that i won't agree with everything our elected officials will do...but if i don't say anything about it...then really who can i point the finger at. i've written lots of letters and emails to politians and officials. i have several letters from the white house. i have a couple of hand signed letters from chuck hagel.
we can't expect the new president to fix everything that has gone wrong. we'll only be disappointed. i think that it is a great time for us to participate in the election process and stand beside the people who fought for women and minorities to have the opportunity to vote. but i think it's even better for us to stop bitching about what so and so won't or will do and for us to slowly close our mouths...and think. what can i do to help this problem today...or this person...today. so when i cast my vote on nov. 4, i will be responsible with my vote and communicate with whoever gets elected because all my bitching and moaning on this side won't do a thing.
from heather goertzen's blog:
i regret my vote. partly.
i had to vote because in some of our parents' lifetimes some of our family didn't have the right to vote. i don't take this opportunity lightly or for granted.
so it's a month away from our presidential election and i know who i am voting for. i live in omaha, nebraska, and the news has reported that our state and city could be incredibly influential to how the election plays out.
after watching the vice presidential debate i knew even more why i was voting for obama-biden. i'm not completely won over by everything they say but i have a really sour taste when i think about considering mccain palin.
i could easily go into all of the bad things that could happen with either candidate, but i don't want to do that. i'm a pessimist and that's usually my normal route. but i am hopeful.
i am hopeful because no matter who is elected president it is our responsibility to participate in our government's role in the world. i recently read an article that reminded the readers that it is actually pretty damn important for us to pay very close attention, if not closer, attention to our local politicians. our city, county and state. these are the people who could possibly affect change in our backyards. we're all rallying around what presidential candidate can beat the other when we really should educate ourselves on some of our local leaders.
but again. it is our responsibility to speak up to our government. yeah. i'm sure that i won't agree with everything our elected officials will do...but if i don't say anything about it...then really who can i point the finger at. i've written lots of letters and emails to politians and officials. i have several letters from the white house. i have a couple of hand signed letters from chuck hagel.
we can't expect the new president to fix everything that has gone wrong. we'll only be disappointed. i think that it is a great time for us to participate in the election process and stand beside the people who fought for women and minorities to have the opportunity to vote. but i think it's even better for us to stop bitching about what so and so won't or will do and for us to slowly close our mouths...and think. what can i do to help this problem today...or this person...today. so when i cast my vote on nov. 4, i will be responsible with my vote and communicate with whoever gets elected because all my bitching and moaning on this side won't do a thing.
from heather goertzen's blog:
My husband Wes is a big fan of the “log in your own eye” practice. Whenever I get riled, and I do get riled, he is faithful to always bring us back to the question (whether a personal or political, theological or social issue- and is any issue just one of the above?). What can we do differently? How can I love better? How can I be more faithful?
And so I wonder if now isn’t a good time. Before we cast our votes on election day. Before we know definitively whether our investments are worth anything anymore. In this in between time. When nothing seems certain. While our gods are looking a little vain, like maybe we were carving them out of thin air and didn’t recognize it. I think we’re being pressed toward national repentance, I do. And yet I can only see that movement rising once we’ve all first taken good looks internally. In ourselves, our families, our bank accounts, our spending, our credit card statements, the debts we haven’t forgiven others, the offenses we haven’t forgiven others, our beliefs about jubilee, the poor. The violent means we use to protect ourselves.
What can I do differently?
How can I love better?
How can I be more faithful?
And maybe once we’ve answered these for ourselves, we can extend them to the institutions we’re a part of- our marriages, our families, our neighborhoods, our businesses and ministries, our churches, our governmental associations.
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