Dec 31, 2008
Indian Names
Sophia gave Kimberly and I Indian names this afternoon. I am now Daddy Inter nation helper, and Kimberly is Momma bringer of gardens. I'm not really sure how she came up with that, but it works. Incidentally, Sophia's new Indian name is Sophia - Stormcruncher. That fits too. I'll let you know if she comes up with something clever for Sadie.
Dec 1, 2008
Nov 21, 2008
For fun...
Things have been just short of insane around here lately. As I write, Sophia is whining about picking up legos, Sadie is screaming at the top of her lungs because no one is holding her (literally, she starts whenever someone puts her down!), I am fighting a tough cold, Kimberly is getting the pizza ready for dinner. We have been exhausted, and busy! Sometimes you just have to laugh though. Here are a couple of funny pics recently:
Nov 7, 2008
Thoughts about a recent election
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
It’s an historic day. That’s an understatement, but something that people all over the country, and probably the world, are saying today. Yesterday, Barack Obama was elected the next President of the United States. I’ve had numerous thoughts over the last couple months about both this possibility, and about the state of the country as exhibited by numerous conversations I have had over the last couple months and as exhibited by historical trends.
It’s not just the Barack Obama is black. That’s historic in and of itself. In fact, I feel proud as an American today (something I’ve not been for some time), as we’ve shown ourselves able to reverse course, and even to grow enough to elect a “minority” to the most powerful post in the world. I’m not sure what exactly, but it says something about us. No, it’s not just about him being black. In fact, I get a little disappointed that everyone in the media refers to him as African American. I mean, I guess he is that, as we’ve classically defined it. But, he is so much more.
Barack Obama is America. Now I know that some of my Republican friends just tuned out. Whatever. Anyone who can’t swallow their own preferences enough to hear one person out won’t care what I write anyway. Obama had a black father. He had a white mother. He was born in Hawaii, spent time overseas, got a law degree here in the U.S., and took that law degree to inner city Chicago to work for economic and social change. He is a Christian, with a Muslim father who he hardly knew. He was largely raised by his white grandparents. He’s not African American. He’s just simply American. And, he quite obviously loves his country. White, Black, Christian, child of a single mother, husband, father, lawyer, social worker, son of a Muslim father, college graduate, working in the inner city. That is America.
I’ve heard lots of people say, over the years, that they get so frustrated with the political parties. I hear Christians voice frustration with the Republicans, even though 75% of them still vote for Republicans. I hear moderate people frustrated with the Democratic Party because they largely agree with them, but can’t stand the party’s forays into extreme liberalism. All the while, the political parties, the media, and then the rest of us, put ourselves into boxes.
We identify ourselves in one particular party. Soon, our identification with a party begins to mold our political leanings. We may have had largely independent views at one point, but when we identified ourselves with one party, our views begin to be heavily influenced by our affiliation. Its how a Christian decides to vote for a Republican because the party’s views largely reflect his own, but continues to vote for the party years later despite major changes in its policy or a failure to make good on policy promises. Over the years, said Christian begins to identify being Christian with being Republican and gets his news from Republican sources that further the assumption. Its how a Christian, frustrated with this phenomenon and willing to embrace “the other side” decides to vote Democrat once, and then finds herself voting Democrat every election despite blaring differences, just to spite the stereotype of Republican Christians.
Political parties love doing this to us. They love putting us in boxes. If they can get us to believe we belong in a box, then they can gauge their quantity of support, build high walls around it, shelter us from exterior circumstances, and continue to bend their message to get more people into more boxes. In years past, if you were a fly on the wall at a political speech by a candidate of one party of the other, you’d see an overwhelming majority of white, Christian, older, or wealthier folks at a Republican gathering, while you might see a large majority of minority, morally liberal, students, eco-friendly, less wealthy people at a Democrat gathering.
What struck me most last night, while watching both candidates give their speeches, one a concession, and one a victory, was the demographics in each crowd gathered to hear those speeches. John McCain had a largely older white crowd, who was audibly and understandably disappointed by their candidate’s concession (although the booing at this point was pretty pitiful). At Barack Obama’s speech I saw black people, white people, Asian people, young people, middle aged people, students, and business people. The sheer contrast in the demographics was awe striking.
The numbers are equally interesting. Obama won a majority of women, a majority of people under the age of 30, a majority of minorities, and even a full 25% of evangelical Christians (a staggering stat in its own right). To me, as a Christian, and as an American, that is the most hopeful and awe inspiring part of this victory for Barack Obama. America is shaking off its labels, and crawling out of its boxes, and insisting on something different. And, Christians aren’t afraid to be linked arm in arm with people who don’t necessarily share their viewpoints. They’re choosing to be in the world. And it doesn’t mean they have to be of it.
Here is another striking observation from the two speeches. When one candidate conceded, and spoke about working together, the crowd booed. When the other candidate accepted the nomination, and spoke of working together as a country, as a people, and appealed to voters from both sides to work together, the crowd applauded. While the observation could easily be made that there is a disappointing disparity in the responses there, that is not the point I am trying to present. What actually struck me, was what wasn’t said by the victor.
It is commonly held that the conceding candidate offers congratulations to the victor, and for the victor to have a rallying thank you speech. It is also common for both candidates to make the election results about themselves. “I lost.” “I won.” What I heard from Barack Obama’s speech was decidedly different. In fact, the speech was almost not about him at all. It was an appeal to ideals of America, a statement of hope, a call to sacrifice, a thanks to voters, and a call to unity.
What is particularly striking about these circumstances is apparent when you compare them to what circumstances we normally see. When one party wins the Presidency, and the majority rule in the Legislative branch of government, we usually hear a “now down to business”, or “now we can do what we’ve wanted to for some time” type of rhetoric from the winning side. The subtle inference, of course, is that the losing side has been holding back real progress in the country, and that the country’s election of the new party is evidence of a mandate to go the completely opposite direction.
That is not what I heard this time. The undertone of the speech given by Barack Obama seemed to be that we all got here together, and we will all get out of it together; Democrats and Republicans, woman and man, liberal, moderate, or conservative, young and old. There wasn’t a high and mighty proclamation of the justice that was served by the election results. There was an appeal to hope, to come together as Americans, and to work together, arm in arm, in sacrifice and in blessing, to achieve the betterment of the country whose ideals have largely influenced who each of us is, sometimes despite our admittance or wishes.
Time will tell whose policies turn out to be right or wrong. I suspect that much like economics, there will never really be a clear picture of whose policies are the right ones, as each minute policy shift creates an almost uncapturable ripple effect on every other aspect of the topic. Maybe the American experiment with healthcare reform will go well and work out in favor of many millions of Americans and become an example for countries around the world. Maybe it will fail miserably. Time will tell. But, one thing remains: we will all live with it together.
If the country decides to give something a shot, we might as well all work together to the highest degree possible to achieve success in our endeavors. Rather than dig in our heels, and refuse to see something succeed because it’s not what we want, we need to work for the success of all Americans. When some of those who were not in favor of the war in Iraq were called upon to support the troops that were fighting it, many stepped up. Some Democrats worked hard to get funding for equipment for the troops, despite their complete abhorrence for the war. Christians who voted for George Bush, and saw him elected, routinely reminded those of us who didn’t vote for him, and didn’t agree with his policies, to pray for him because he was the leader that God saw fit to put over us.
Now, their reminder is for themselves. Republican Christians will have to remember to pray, with hope, for the new leader of the United States, who they may not have voted for and may not agree with. Now, Republicans who are present for Democratic plans to end the war in Iraq will have to stand up and assist the Democrats with leaving in a responsible manner. That is the least we can expect from them, just as they expected it from their counterparts when the results were different. But, there is more. This isn’t just a matter of tables turning for one side or the other.
If we merely expect the losing side to work with winning party in the ways they expected to be worked with when they were the victors, we’ll make no progress. This is the least we can expect from either side. The winning party must also respect the country, not just those citizens who voted for them. Does that mean that they are going to pass only legislation that Republicans agree with too? No; of course not. Nothing would ever get done. But, it does mean that Democrats don’t just pass irresponsible laws because they can.
Cooperation, and this appeal to hope, means much more than just working together, though. Realistically, it means that we reach for a fundamental change in attitude, in belief. It means that we seek not just what’s best for us, but what is best for everyone in this country. It means that we begin to think outside ourselves. It means, not just that we cooperate with one another, but that we think of each other before being asked to. It means we prefer one another. It means that we exercise the kind of care and concern for one another that 1 Corinthians 13 calls us to. Yes, it means that we apply a biblical call to our everyday lives, and not just between our Christian brethren.
This means something particularly poignant for Christians. It means that Christians cease to be afraid to be Americans as well as Christians. You can’t love people from afar, when you are completely removed. It means that Christians embrace a unique opportunity that looks nothing like what they thought it would. Instead of campaigning for moral change via political policies, Christians can take the lead in a society wide change of attitude and behavior. Christians can lead out with 1 Corinthians 13 love, at the governmental level, at a societal level, and at a personal level. It means that Christians cease to be afraid to be their brother’s keeper by loving them instead of by watching over them. I dare say, Christians will see much more of the moral reformation they’ve been hoping for in this country if this campaign is a success. Can Christians be the first ones to put down their political differences enough to achieve real societal changes? Or will fear of a shady line cause us to stay holed up in our moral fortresses?
I realize full well a large concern of Christians to which such a challenge is issued. If we don’t draw a political line in the sand with moral issues, we will soon be inundated with legal immorality. Gay married couples will be as numerous as straight ones. Abortions will be occurring in every doctor’s clinic. The F-word will be heard numerous times throughout our kids favorite shows. The list goes on an on. I’ll admit, this is an inherent risk.
There are a few other points of note here, however. First, regardless of whether we choose to love people beyond our political leanings or not, the immoralities listed above are still an inherent risk. The abortion issue has seen virtually no change in the last 34 years despite a slew of Republican presidents and an ever increasing polarity on the issue. The truth is, Christians wrestle with immorality as much as the non-Christian. In fact, it seems to be a self-preservationist mentality that sees us take such firm stances on issues that we wrestle with and that threaten our Christian health. It is our classic fault that we would sooner be given a firm right or wrong on everything, rather than to have to work out a conclusion ourselves because it creates struggle within us. It’s why we misunderstand Jesus so often. It’s how Christians can hold signs that say “God hates fags.”
Secondly, we (Christians) don’t win in the end; not from a governmental or legislative point of view. Regardless of whether we stand firm for legislation about abortion, gay marriage, or any other so called “moral” issues or not, a time will come when we will be rejected. A time will come when we are driven into caves. Then, it won’t matter what legislative success we saw, what political victories we achieved. All that will matter is how many people we loved into the Kingdom. Time will be on the final leg of it’s journey. The proverbial clock will be ticking down on humanity as we know it. Then, the only question that remains will be how many of those people that God desired would come to a first-hand knowledge of himself did we lead to him by our loving self-sacrifice.
Self-sacrifice; I guess that is the attitude that I think we need. We need to shift from an attitude of self-preservation to one of self-sacrifice, in our actions, in our beliefs, and in our politics. We need to come together with the rest of America and work for the success of those things that benefit as many Americans as possible. Does it benefit Americans to have health care? Let’s work for that. Does it benefit Americans to be able to eat and drink to stay alive, or to have shelter? Let’s work for that. Let’s work for things, not that preserve our right to moral superiority, but to love other Americans even to the point of sacrificing our own personal agendas. We can always draw the line at working actively against our moral principles, but we also have to be realistic. A vote for a Democrat is not a vote for abortion, although it also may not be a vote against abortion. This is a grey area that we will all have to figure out for ourselves.
I don’t pretend to know what exactly this looks like. And, I’ll be the first to admit that actually walking this out is way less attractive (from a comfort level or energy exhausted perspective) than talking about it is. But, I still firmly believe that we have a great opportunity here. I think I called it unique earlier. I don’t mean unique in the sense that this is the first time we have had this opportunity. Actually, I think the opportunity has always been there, and we’ve taken advantage of it as a whole at different times in history. But, it’s been a long time since the opportunity was this clear, on this wide a scale. We still have a great opportunity, and the timing and scale of the opportunity is unique.
About a month ago, I had a long conversation (debate?) with some other Christians on Facebook about the abortion issue and how I could vote for Obama given my Christian faith. I am unwavering in my understanding of my ability to feel unconflicted about my support for Obama, and my sincere hope that abortion would be eliminated. That conversation had a profound effect on me, not just because it really helped me sharpen my understanding of my own position. I felt supremely burdened, in a way I never had, about the abortion issue.
I felt like it really wasn’t enough for me to take a stance (even if it was largely in deference to my Christian brethren), particularly since that was part of my argument against the classic position on abortion by Christians. I felt burdened in my heart to actually affect some positive change on the abortion issue through service. I scoured the internet for organizations that I could check out in the Twin Cities area, where I live, and was surprised to not find anything. I was a little discouraged, and I’m still not completely certain there isn’t some group out there, and that I simply wasn’t able to find their website. It left the issue filed into the “unsolved mysteries” folder in my brain and I put it aside.
I’m at the same point here. It is time to put up and apply these biblical principles I hold so dear. It’s time to step up and love my neighbors. It’s time to take care of the widows, the orphans, or whoever God puts in my path. It’s time to do it hands on. Anybody got any ideas? We’re starting with our neighbors…
It’s an historic day. That’s an understatement, but something that people all over the country, and probably the world, are saying today. Yesterday, Barack Obama was elected the next President of the United States. I’ve had numerous thoughts over the last couple months about both this possibility, and about the state of the country as exhibited by numerous conversations I have had over the last couple months and as exhibited by historical trends.
It’s not just the Barack Obama is black. That’s historic in and of itself. In fact, I feel proud as an American today (something I’ve not been for some time), as we’ve shown ourselves able to reverse course, and even to grow enough to elect a “minority” to the most powerful post in the world. I’m not sure what exactly, but it says something about us. No, it’s not just about him being black. In fact, I get a little disappointed that everyone in the media refers to him as African American. I mean, I guess he is that, as we’ve classically defined it. But, he is so much more.
Barack Obama is America. Now I know that some of my Republican friends just tuned out. Whatever. Anyone who can’t swallow their own preferences enough to hear one person out won’t care what I write anyway. Obama had a black father. He had a white mother. He was born in Hawaii, spent time overseas, got a law degree here in the U.S., and took that law degree to inner city Chicago to work for economic and social change. He is a Christian, with a Muslim father who he hardly knew. He was largely raised by his white grandparents. He’s not African American. He’s just simply American. And, he quite obviously loves his country. White, Black, Christian, child of a single mother, husband, father, lawyer, social worker, son of a Muslim father, college graduate, working in the inner city. That is America.
I’ve heard lots of people say, over the years, that they get so frustrated with the political parties. I hear Christians voice frustration with the Republicans, even though 75% of them still vote for Republicans. I hear moderate people frustrated with the Democratic Party because they largely agree with them, but can’t stand the party’s forays into extreme liberalism. All the while, the political parties, the media, and then the rest of us, put ourselves into boxes.
We identify ourselves in one particular party. Soon, our identification with a party begins to mold our political leanings. We may have had largely independent views at one point, but when we identified ourselves with one party, our views begin to be heavily influenced by our affiliation. Its how a Christian decides to vote for a Republican because the party’s views largely reflect his own, but continues to vote for the party years later despite major changes in its policy or a failure to make good on policy promises. Over the years, said Christian begins to identify being Christian with being Republican and gets his news from Republican sources that further the assumption. Its how a Christian, frustrated with this phenomenon and willing to embrace “the other side” decides to vote Democrat once, and then finds herself voting Democrat every election despite blaring differences, just to spite the stereotype of Republican Christians.
Political parties love doing this to us. They love putting us in boxes. If they can get us to believe we belong in a box, then they can gauge their quantity of support, build high walls around it, shelter us from exterior circumstances, and continue to bend their message to get more people into more boxes. In years past, if you were a fly on the wall at a political speech by a candidate of one party of the other, you’d see an overwhelming majority of white, Christian, older, or wealthier folks at a Republican gathering, while you might see a large majority of minority, morally liberal, students, eco-friendly, less wealthy people at a Democrat gathering.
What struck me most last night, while watching both candidates give their speeches, one a concession, and one a victory, was the demographics in each crowd gathered to hear those speeches. John McCain had a largely older white crowd, who was audibly and understandably disappointed by their candidate’s concession (although the booing at this point was pretty pitiful). At Barack Obama’s speech I saw black people, white people, Asian people, young people, middle aged people, students, and business people. The sheer contrast in the demographics was awe striking.
The numbers are equally interesting. Obama won a majority of women, a majority of people under the age of 30, a majority of minorities, and even a full 25% of evangelical Christians (a staggering stat in its own right). To me, as a Christian, and as an American, that is the most hopeful and awe inspiring part of this victory for Barack Obama. America is shaking off its labels, and crawling out of its boxes, and insisting on something different. And, Christians aren’t afraid to be linked arm in arm with people who don’t necessarily share their viewpoints. They’re choosing to be in the world. And it doesn’t mean they have to be of it.
Here is another striking observation from the two speeches. When one candidate conceded, and spoke about working together, the crowd booed. When the other candidate accepted the nomination, and spoke of working together as a country, as a people, and appealed to voters from both sides to work together, the crowd applauded. While the observation could easily be made that there is a disappointing disparity in the responses there, that is not the point I am trying to present. What actually struck me, was what wasn’t said by the victor.
It is commonly held that the conceding candidate offers congratulations to the victor, and for the victor to have a rallying thank you speech. It is also common for both candidates to make the election results about themselves. “I lost.” “I won.” What I heard from Barack Obama’s speech was decidedly different. In fact, the speech was almost not about him at all. It was an appeal to ideals of America, a statement of hope, a call to sacrifice, a thanks to voters, and a call to unity.
What is particularly striking about these circumstances is apparent when you compare them to what circumstances we normally see. When one party wins the Presidency, and the majority rule in the Legislative branch of government, we usually hear a “now down to business”, or “now we can do what we’ve wanted to for some time” type of rhetoric from the winning side. The subtle inference, of course, is that the losing side has been holding back real progress in the country, and that the country’s election of the new party is evidence of a mandate to go the completely opposite direction.
That is not what I heard this time. The undertone of the speech given by Barack Obama seemed to be that we all got here together, and we will all get out of it together; Democrats and Republicans, woman and man, liberal, moderate, or conservative, young and old. There wasn’t a high and mighty proclamation of the justice that was served by the election results. There was an appeal to hope, to come together as Americans, and to work together, arm in arm, in sacrifice and in blessing, to achieve the betterment of the country whose ideals have largely influenced who each of us is, sometimes despite our admittance or wishes.
Time will tell whose policies turn out to be right or wrong. I suspect that much like economics, there will never really be a clear picture of whose policies are the right ones, as each minute policy shift creates an almost uncapturable ripple effect on every other aspect of the topic. Maybe the American experiment with healthcare reform will go well and work out in favor of many millions of Americans and become an example for countries around the world. Maybe it will fail miserably. Time will tell. But, one thing remains: we will all live with it together.
If the country decides to give something a shot, we might as well all work together to the highest degree possible to achieve success in our endeavors. Rather than dig in our heels, and refuse to see something succeed because it’s not what we want, we need to work for the success of all Americans. When some of those who were not in favor of the war in Iraq were called upon to support the troops that were fighting it, many stepped up. Some Democrats worked hard to get funding for equipment for the troops, despite their complete abhorrence for the war. Christians who voted for George Bush, and saw him elected, routinely reminded those of us who didn’t vote for him, and didn’t agree with his policies, to pray for him because he was the leader that God saw fit to put over us.
Now, their reminder is for themselves. Republican Christians will have to remember to pray, with hope, for the new leader of the United States, who they may not have voted for and may not agree with. Now, Republicans who are present for Democratic plans to end the war in Iraq will have to stand up and assist the Democrats with leaving in a responsible manner. That is the least we can expect from them, just as they expected it from their counterparts when the results were different. But, there is more. This isn’t just a matter of tables turning for one side or the other.
If we merely expect the losing side to work with winning party in the ways they expected to be worked with when they were the victors, we’ll make no progress. This is the least we can expect from either side. The winning party must also respect the country, not just those citizens who voted for them. Does that mean that they are going to pass only legislation that Republicans agree with too? No; of course not. Nothing would ever get done. But, it does mean that Democrats don’t just pass irresponsible laws because they can.
Cooperation, and this appeal to hope, means much more than just working together, though. Realistically, it means that we reach for a fundamental change in attitude, in belief. It means that we seek not just what’s best for us, but what is best for everyone in this country. It means that we begin to think outside ourselves. It means, not just that we cooperate with one another, but that we think of each other before being asked to. It means we prefer one another. It means that we exercise the kind of care and concern for one another that 1 Corinthians 13 calls us to. Yes, it means that we apply a biblical call to our everyday lives, and not just between our Christian brethren.
This means something particularly poignant for Christians. It means that Christians cease to be afraid to be Americans as well as Christians. You can’t love people from afar, when you are completely removed. It means that Christians embrace a unique opportunity that looks nothing like what they thought it would. Instead of campaigning for moral change via political policies, Christians can take the lead in a society wide change of attitude and behavior. Christians can lead out with 1 Corinthians 13 love, at the governmental level, at a societal level, and at a personal level. It means that Christians cease to be afraid to be their brother’s keeper by loving them instead of by watching over them. I dare say, Christians will see much more of the moral reformation they’ve been hoping for in this country if this campaign is a success. Can Christians be the first ones to put down their political differences enough to achieve real societal changes? Or will fear of a shady line cause us to stay holed up in our moral fortresses?
I realize full well a large concern of Christians to which such a challenge is issued. If we don’t draw a political line in the sand with moral issues, we will soon be inundated with legal immorality. Gay married couples will be as numerous as straight ones. Abortions will be occurring in every doctor’s clinic. The F-word will be heard numerous times throughout our kids favorite shows. The list goes on an on. I’ll admit, this is an inherent risk.
There are a few other points of note here, however. First, regardless of whether we choose to love people beyond our political leanings or not, the immoralities listed above are still an inherent risk. The abortion issue has seen virtually no change in the last 34 years despite a slew of Republican presidents and an ever increasing polarity on the issue. The truth is, Christians wrestle with immorality as much as the non-Christian. In fact, it seems to be a self-preservationist mentality that sees us take such firm stances on issues that we wrestle with and that threaten our Christian health. It is our classic fault that we would sooner be given a firm right or wrong on everything, rather than to have to work out a conclusion ourselves because it creates struggle within us. It’s why we misunderstand Jesus so often. It’s how Christians can hold signs that say “God hates fags.”
Secondly, we (Christians) don’t win in the end; not from a governmental or legislative point of view. Regardless of whether we stand firm for legislation about abortion, gay marriage, or any other so called “moral” issues or not, a time will come when we will be rejected. A time will come when we are driven into caves. Then, it won’t matter what legislative success we saw, what political victories we achieved. All that will matter is how many people we loved into the Kingdom. Time will be on the final leg of it’s journey. The proverbial clock will be ticking down on humanity as we know it. Then, the only question that remains will be how many of those people that God desired would come to a first-hand knowledge of himself did we lead to him by our loving self-sacrifice.
Self-sacrifice; I guess that is the attitude that I think we need. We need to shift from an attitude of self-preservation to one of self-sacrifice, in our actions, in our beliefs, and in our politics. We need to come together with the rest of America and work for the success of those things that benefit as many Americans as possible. Does it benefit Americans to have health care? Let’s work for that. Does it benefit Americans to be able to eat and drink to stay alive, or to have shelter? Let’s work for that. Let’s work for things, not that preserve our right to moral superiority, but to love other Americans even to the point of sacrificing our own personal agendas. We can always draw the line at working actively against our moral principles, but we also have to be realistic. A vote for a Democrat is not a vote for abortion, although it also may not be a vote against abortion. This is a grey area that we will all have to figure out for ourselves.
I don’t pretend to know what exactly this looks like. And, I’ll be the first to admit that actually walking this out is way less attractive (from a comfort level or energy exhausted perspective) than talking about it is. But, I still firmly believe that we have a great opportunity here. I think I called it unique earlier. I don’t mean unique in the sense that this is the first time we have had this opportunity. Actually, I think the opportunity has always been there, and we’ve taken advantage of it as a whole at different times in history. But, it’s been a long time since the opportunity was this clear, on this wide a scale. We still have a great opportunity, and the timing and scale of the opportunity is unique.
About a month ago, I had a long conversation (debate?) with some other Christians on Facebook about the abortion issue and how I could vote for Obama given my Christian faith. I am unwavering in my understanding of my ability to feel unconflicted about my support for Obama, and my sincere hope that abortion would be eliminated. That conversation had a profound effect on me, not just because it really helped me sharpen my understanding of my own position. I felt supremely burdened, in a way I never had, about the abortion issue.
I felt like it really wasn’t enough for me to take a stance (even if it was largely in deference to my Christian brethren), particularly since that was part of my argument against the classic position on abortion by Christians. I felt burdened in my heart to actually affect some positive change on the abortion issue through service. I scoured the internet for organizations that I could check out in the Twin Cities area, where I live, and was surprised to not find anything. I was a little discouraged, and I’m still not completely certain there isn’t some group out there, and that I simply wasn’t able to find their website. It left the issue filed into the “unsolved mysteries” folder in my brain and I put it aside.
I’m at the same point here. It is time to put up and apply these biblical principles I hold so dear. It’s time to step up and love my neighbors. It’s time to take care of the widows, the orphans, or whoever God puts in my path. It’s time to do it hands on. Anybody got any ideas? We’re starting with our neighbors…
Oct 24, 2008
Life...
It's been over a month since we last posted. There has been a lot going on. Jim is back in school, and working extra, Kimberly's gotten a few teeth pulled, and the kids continue to grow. Sophia is loving school, and Sadie has become one of the happiest kids we've ever seen. She smiles everytime you look at her. She just loves interaction, hugs, and conversations.
Sep 16, 2008
Posting from Windows Live Writer
Jimbo got a new laptop for school today. It came ready with Windows Vista. So, I'm taking some time this afternoon to get to know my new operating system a little. First impressions? I really like it. It's similar enough to XP to not get totally lost. It doesn't really feel like I'm learning a new operating system.
Yet, Vista is way more intuitive. Everything just makes way more sense, and that's proven out by how quickly I'm learning everything. When I'm looking for a certain function, I look first where i think it should be, and 75% of the time that is exactly where it is. I really like that aspect. It also seems that they've taken strides in integrating the web with your desktop. I'm currently posting a blog entry from Windows Live Writer, a blog program on my desktop dock that doesn't require me to open my browser and navigate to our family blog. Instead, I click the icon and post. The program does the rest.
Pretty neat.
Sep 14, 2008
Sophias First Day of School
Hello All!
Just posting a couple of quick pictures of Sophia's first day of preschool! No, I can't believe she is old enough. And no, I didn't cry (almost) ;-) I'll reserve the tears for in a few years when the big yellow schoolbus comes to take her away! For now its just a few days a week and mom gets to drop her off and pick her up! Sadly, or not - depending on how you look at it, she has NO problem seperating from mom and dad to be at school. She is VERY much in her element and has loved it thus far! She is a very smart little girl, very social, sings nonstop, and seems to be a little leader already amongst her peers! ;-)
Also included - some bonus pictures of cookie making! She wanted to help me... I think that she was a little more interested in running off with the whippers at the end than the actual help though! Hmmm... just like her daddy! ;-)
Speaking of, stay tuned for pictures of DADDY'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL in two weeks! YAY DADDY!
Love - Kimberly
Sep 8, 2008
Does anyone really support abortion? This Christian's perspective...
The election is right around the corner, and it's a big one. Americans turned out in droves not seen in a long time for the Primary process. Here in Minnesota, the state secretary is expecting an 80% turnout of registered voters for the general election. This hasn't happened since the 50's. For as many new ideas there are about the important issues facing the nation, there are some very familiar rumblings that are beginning to get louder with each day.
For all of the focus on platforms, and “where the candidates stand on the issues” that we seem to be concerned about during the early parts of a political process, it seems that inevitably as an election draws near, certain voices begin to try to limit the “truly important” issues to only 2 or 3 choice issues. Almost anyone could guess which ones I am talking about: Abortion, and gay marriage. Of the two, Abortion always seems to be the hottest issue.
Admittedly, this issue is most often brought up by conservatives, or Christians. No, in this day and age they are not one in the same. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble. I am a Christian, but I have to say before I go any further, that this phenomenon seriously distresses me. Without getting too off topic, let me just say that I don't understand how a Christian person could so easily, and so profoundly choose one or two issues facing this country as “the moral issues”, or even “the most moral issues.” God was never ONLY concerned about unborn children. Jesus was never ONLY concerned about children, or only concerned about money, or only concerned about following rules. If there was anything at all, anything that Jesus was ONLY concerned about, it was the heart of man; something far more unlikely to be so easily turned into a platform.
All this said, let me explain why I've felt compelled to write. This has been a very interesting election cycle to be a part of, and I don't mean from a, “Wow, did he really say that?” point-of-view. What's been most interesting is the varying reactions of many of my Christian friends, brothers and sisters, around the country. It seems that I am seeing different ideas, different perspectives, and different reactions from Christians than I have seen before. The more liberal Christians among us have fallen where it could largely be expected. But, those who have more classically been conservative seem to land all over the spectrum. Still, there are those perpetually conservative Christians who spell “Christian”, r-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-a-n, and who think of Republicans more like the army of God than as one perspective amongst many.
A hot button issue
It is the voices of this last group that compel me to finally put thoughts to paper about this election and it's candidates, at least where abortion is concerned. Why? Well, I've gotten a lot of emails about Barack Obama from different Christian friends. Some of them claimed he was a secret Muslim, a fake Christian, a wolf in sheep's clothing bent on the destruction of America from the inside out. Some touted how he hated America because he wouldn't wear a flag pin on his lapel. Some called him a terrorist. Lately, those emails, videos, etc. have begun to drum up the classic abortion issue that always surfaces at about this point in the election cycle.
I've heard comments from people too. Last week, I posted an article on my Facebook page that I thought was interesting. It was an ABC news piece about how numerous items from Sarah Palin's RNC speech were completely untrue. One person responded sarcastically that they sure weren't going to vote for someone who supported abortions. And, that statement is the most interesting statement that I've ever heard floating around in conversations... ever. And it got me thinking.
Of course, understanding the platform of the candidate I intend to vote for a little better than the average Joe, my first reaction was to want to explain that there is a difference between supporting abortions and not being willing to make them illegal. I don't think that one infers the other. But, that is really only scratching the surface. The label of “supporting abortion” is thrown about with such ease and frequency. If you are pro-choice, you are considered by those who are pro-life to support abortion. Republicans love to tag Democrats with the label. Nothing energizes the conservative base more than a war against liberal, extremist, gay, baby killers. But, I really have to ask...
Does anyone really support abortion?
Seriously, is there anyone out there thinking, “Hey, abortion is awesome! I'm so glad we can do it. I think I'm going to go get pregnant just so I can have one!” Does any politician really feel that if they could just make abortions popular that the world would be a better place?
I think common sense would dictate an easy NO answer to that question.
So, where does this assumption that anyone actually supports abortions come from? I can't truly give a researched answer. But, let me offer these observations, void of too much detail for brevity's sake. First, there may not be a more divisive issue in politics. For whatever reason, one side claims to be justified on moral grounds. And, there isn't much more that is firm and unbendable than someone who claims to have the ultimate morality. I'm a Christian myself, so I feel safe saying this. If you are a Christian, you probably feel pretty firm that you are right about what you believe. No one is going to tell you otherwise. And, if you have the truth, that means anyone who doesn't believe what you do, doesn't have the truth.
Even this characteristic of firm belief is interesting, though. As modern American Christians, our firm beliefs in certain moral absolutes often drive us away from intelligent, thoughtful conversations on those very matters. On the other hand, in their day Jesus and Paul were more than happy to engage in a spirited debate on purported enemy territory in order to mutually arrive at a good and true conclusion (which was always the truth that Jesus or Paul held true). Paul, in particular, made a habit of having debates with polytheistic Greeks and Romans on their terms. Sometimes these debates ended in floggings or arrest, and other times they ended in a mass of converts to “the Way.” Why don't we engage thoughtfully in these conversations today? Why does the mere mention of the abortion topic illicit level 4 defenses going into effect? If we are so sure that we are right, why not have an intelligent conversation? For that matter, why do we have to be right anyway? Jesus and Paul didn't go around beating into everyone else's head that they were right. They went about preaching the truth, discerning the truth, and discussing the truth because their interest was in the hearts of men being reconciled to God, not with the ego's of men acknowledging their folly. I digress.
As with many of the hot button issues, abortion is often used as a fear tactic by opposing sides. Republicans drive billboard trucks around city streets with pictures of bloody, broken, aborted fetuses on the side and tell you that this is what you get if you elect a Democrat president. Democrats tell you that if you elect a Republican that you should never get pregnant. If the pregnancy goes south, and your life is at risk from continuing it, that you won't have any choice. You'll have to just die and your baby will be put up for adoption. You have no rights to your own body.
Here's a reality check. Democrats don't just want to kill babies, and Republicans don't just want to let you die and take your rights of choice away. Who ever came up with such preposterous ideas anyway? Here's a snippet of perspectives on abortion from the current presidential candidates:
“I’d love to see a point where Roe vs. Wade is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade, which would then force women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”
“And if we can acknowledge that much, then we can certainly agree on the fact that we should be doing everything we can to avoid unwanted pregnancies that might even lead somebody to consider having an abortion.”
These are two quotes that offer positions on abortion, one from each of the current presidential candidates. I think you'd probably be surprised whose quote is whose. The first one belongs to John McCain; the second to Barack Obama. Regardless, nowhere in either of those comments do I hear any support for abortion anywhere. In fact, the sentiment from both candidates seems to be one of wishing for a world where we didn't even have to argue about abortion because no one was having one.
Here's some more reality about the abortion issue. First, it's not really about who supports abortion and who doesn't. It's a difference in the definition of what constitutes life, and which life is more important, that is more often the true issue with abortion. And, regardless of what your moral position is on abortion, this isn't an easy one to sort out. Consider this confession from Barack Obama:
“I think it's very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? So I don't presume to know the answer to that question. What I know is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we're having these debates.”
Let's not forget
Something interesting seems to happen quite a bit when the abortion debate begins to rage. The actual people, the real faces that we are arguing over begin to fade into the background. We aren't arguing about them, but about who's right, and who's wrong. The reality is, if we are going to argue at all, we should be arguing over them. They are the real face of this issue. Obama isn't the face of the issue, McCain isn't the actual person we are talking about. The unwed mothers, the teenager who was raped, and the woman with no husband and no health care are the real faces. And, when we even try to talk realistically about these actual people and their actual situations, our political rhetoric doesn't seem to cut it anymore.
Abortion is not some simple issue, some clear cut line between right and wrong. It may be something that none of us want to see, but it's by no means an easy decision. The issue is messy, it's emotional, and it's painful. Even those who claim to firmly support the pro-life movement have a hard time with the physical and emotional reality of the abortion issue. When asked by Alan Keyes, in a debate during the 2000 election Republican primary, about a hypothetical situation where his daughter got pregnant and was considering an abortion, John McCain said that the decision would be up to his daughter but that they would have a family conference. When the abortion issue hits close to home, it's suddenly not an easy decision.
In no way shape or form am I attempting to justify abortion. I am as against it as the next Christian. Instead, my hope is that we can realize a few things this election year before we all haul off and start jeopardizing our friendships by slinging biased and baseless accusations about one another 's political candidate of choice, and maybe bring a reduction to the seemingly endless flow of false and inflammatory information flying all of the Internet, particularly amongst Christian folks. That said, let me make a few personal statements.
Some personal thoughts
First, no one supports abortion. No one wants to see babies killed, at least not anyone who doesn't belong behind bars. No one is out in society planning a way for us to have more abortions. Politicians and average citizens alike, Christians and non Christians alike would sooner have a society where abortions never happened. Our approaches may largely differ, but neither of us want to see babies killed.
Next, abortion is by no means the only issue in an election. Neither is it the most important one, or of the primary moral importance over every other issue that we could address. In fact, at the most base level, no Christian person should be able to separate the issue of abortion from the issue of capital punishment. Both arguments flow out of a difference in understanding of the sanctity of life, and proponents on both sides have their justifications for their position. Why don't we spend at least as much time talking about how we kill people who have committed crimes?
Further, there are a myriad of other issues that are equally important to talk about, and ones that Jesus had much more to say about. Consider poverty for instance, or equality, justice, and how we spend our money. If Jesus wasn't merely making suggestions with what he traveled the countryside teaching, then how our government spends our money, how we treat the poor among us, and whether everyone living here is treated with the same respect are all equally moral issues that need to be addressed, lived out, and fought for by Christians.
Very little “progress” on abortion has been made in the last few decades since Roe v. Wade. Every election cycle, someone brings up the abortion issue, which becomes a firestorm of positioning and accusation. However, rarely any real change comes from the promises of the election debates. Politically speaking, choosing a side on abortion is suicide. A politician is generally going to alienate 50% of the population over an issue they aren't so sure about themselves.
Moreover, there isn't a candidate for president in this election who has a consistently pro-life platform or voting record. Obama voted as “present” on numerous abortion legislation votes in Illinois. McCain failed to vote on pro-life legislation that he supposedly co-sponsored, and failed to vote on a piece of congressional legislation stating that Congress agreed with the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the scare tactics, the pictures of dead fetuses, the screaming slurs between pro-life and pro-choice supporters, the emails concluding with a not prayerfully submitted “God help us if this guy gets elected” don't help anything at all. They don't get to the bottom of the issue. They don't solve any problems. They don't create space for courteous and intelligent conversation. People on opposite sides of the issue can scream at each other all they want, until they are blue in the face, and all it serves to do is more staunchly polarize the other side.
That is not our call as Christians. Instead, we are to love people, even our enemies, to seek the good of mankind, to offer hope and good news, to introduce people to Jesus' love, not to cast judgment for him. So here is a thought. Let's drop the ridiculous accusations and name calling of past election cycles that Christian people get so easily wrapped up in, and let's seek some real solutions. As the pastor at our church said last Sunday about a completely unrelated issue, “Stop having church, and learn to do good!”
I'm not necessarily against abortion legislation. But, I also don't think it would be that effective. We wouldn't tell an alcoholic to “just stop drinking” as a solution to his problem. And making drinking illegal would help him either. That is because drinking isn't the problem, but instead an indication of a problem. Whatever that alcoholic is running from that drives him into the bottle is the problem. And if we merely take away the poor man's outlet, we'll never solve his problem. Instead of fighting over which candidate is more pro-life and therefore somehow the preferable Christian candidate, or calling someone's salvation into question over their understanding of one single moral issue amidst thousands, how about if we really become the church and do something constructive about abortion? What if we looked at some of the contributing factors and started working on those?
I heard a pastor tell a story one time that I am about to butcher, but the profundity is not lost on me despite my fading recollection of the intimate details. He told a story of a group of missionaries that were visiting a village of native people in a forest somewhere, maybe in South America. They were learning the culture and making friends with the native people. One day, they heard women screaming from down at the river where they washed their clothes. When they went down to see what was going on, the women were frantic because there were bodies floating down the river. The bodies were those of some of the village children. The women screamed for help, trying to recover the children and save whichever ones they could. Many men rushed into the river to help, but a few began running up the shore. “Where are you going?” the women asked. “We need help saving these children!” The men replied, “We are going upriver to see who is throwing them in, and to stop them before they throw in anymore!”
Maybe, we could try to see what is contributing to abortions, and go up shore to see how to stop it, instead of making enemies of our brothers and sisters over how to save those who are already floating in the river.
Sep 3, 2008
One of "Those" Days (in a good way!)
So today has been "one of those days"... but in the good category, not the other!
Just taking a moment - albeit a quick one - to Thank God first, and family for all the blessings we are in the midst of right now! Two beautiful girls - one with so much intelligence, a spirit of fearlessness and adventure, and cute to boot! God quite literally has placed a constant song in her heart and she has no problem sharing those songs with us all day long as she goes about her business (and by business I mean play!) The other little one, sweet as can be and so much the cuddle bug! Starting to smile, and she even let out a baby-sized laugh this morning! A husband who is heading back to school - with much intelligence all his own, but intelligence he has never indulged in quite this way! Stepping out and challengeing himself, trusting God and being obedient to what he feels God asking him to do as the head of this home (let alone just as an individual!) Add to that financial provision directly from God's hand (THANK YOU to the person/people who have blessed us immensely with their generous hearts... you know who you are and your love and support cannot possibly carry a pricetag!) We have a home, my husband has a steady job, we have food on our shelves. And the icing on the cake for me personally today (at the risk of sounding trite!) ...I got four and a half consecutive hours of sleep last night (thank you God AND Sadie) which is more than I have had in over four months! And then got to wake up this morning to what is an AMAZINGLY gorgeous fall day... sun is shining and a slight chill to the breeze that is blowing. I cannot help but to find my heart in wonder and amazement as I allow myself to savor watching my children play today, in the sun-drenched, green grass in our yard while I sip slowly on my third (fourth?... okay fifth) cup of coffee of the day!
Yep, guess its just "one of those days"...
Love, Kimberly Joy
Aug 28, 2008
Step One: Decide, Step Two: Take action...
It's time, finally... I think. I've dreaded most aspects of my job everyday for the last 12 years. Most days there are only a few things that get me up and off to work: family, money, benefits, and retirement.
Before I met Kimberly, i missed a lot of work. Literally, i probably took almost a day a week off. Looking back, it's surprising i was able to keep my job. Still, after Kimberly and I got engaged, my attendance at work picked up quite a bit, and even moreso after we got married. Since we've had Sophia, I almost never miss work, even when I am sick, or sore, or whatever. It's not that i don't love being at home with my family, but that an innate sense of responsibility grows in a man with each step from marriage on. At least, that's what I think.
But, I hate going to work most days. It's not terrible. It's a very well paying job. I got in with merely a high school diploma. It's afforded us a move to Minnesota, food and clothing for 2 adults and 2 kids, 2 cars, and a townhome. It's got some of the best medical benefits available, and good retirement. It's pretty secure, too, so i don't have to worry too much as the job market fluctuates. So, why would i be considering leaving?
I've got no logical answer for this question, except this: It's not my heart's desire. It sounds stupid to some degree. Who cares if your heart is in it, right? The money is good. But, as someone who's been doing this for 12 years, i can tell you with conviction that doing something you love goes much further than the money you make doing it.
I've pondered a career change, returning to school, doing something i WANT to do for a long time. The the ponderances usually result in the same thing. I think of all the reasons why I can't do it, or why it doesn't make logical or financial sense. Then, I decide to keep plugging away doing what I do.
A lot of things have converged on me as of late. This would be a mile long post if i detailed them all. The short story is that I've felt led to choose to make some changes... NOW. The daily burden of doing work that doesn't float my boat has had it's effects felt in the rest of my personal and social life for too long.
Step One: Decide what to do. I've had 3 things rolling around in my head and heart for years. No matter the myriad of extraneous ideas i come up with, i always relegate myself back to these 3 things: Computer Science, Meteorology, and Seminary. For whatever reason, Seminary is at the bottom of that list. I love Jesus and all, don't get me wrong. It's just something i can't get to consistently right now in my heart. On the other hand Meteorology and Computer Science are daily hobbies (read: EVERY day). Which to choose?????
If you know me, you know that this needing to decide has been cause for me to shrink back and continue in my daily mundane work far too many times. I can't make a decision, and I get afraid to make the wrong one, so i just choose to forget about it... for a little while anyway. Well, it was time to make a decision once and for all. My first immediate gut response was to choose Computer Science. So, without telling Kimberly I decided to look into things (I didn't want to get her excited if i was going to shirk the decision again). I settled on the Minnesota School of Business. I am going to finish an Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology, and then go from there.
In retrospect, it's a sensical decision from a logistics perspective. If i decide i want to do Meteorology later, I'm still in good shape. All the good programs want a background in Computer Science, as most of todays forecasts are computer model generated. If i decide to carry on with IT, I can get a bachelor's degree, and i would tentatively focus on Internet Security ( I want to hack hackers!!!).
Kimberly is jazzed, not just that i decided i wanted to go back to school, but that i've begun to carry out Step Two: Take action. I met with an Admissions rep. on Tuesday. Kimberly and I prayed and discussed on Tuesday night. Both of us feeling a strong conviction to proceed, I applied to the private business university on Wednesday, filled out my Financial Aid packet from the government, and began studying for the assesment test. I have appointments for financial aid and assesment testing next Tuesday, after the long weekend.
So, the ball is rolling. I am excited, and so is Kimberly. But, it's scary too. There are so many variables that are left to be figured out in the years to come. All we can do is trust God to guide us as we do the hard work of obeying and trusting. I guess it's advernture time again!!! Now, on to Step Three: Hope. I always seem to have the hardest time with this one...
Before I met Kimberly, i missed a lot of work. Literally, i probably took almost a day a week off. Looking back, it's surprising i was able to keep my job. Still, after Kimberly and I got engaged, my attendance at work picked up quite a bit, and even moreso after we got married. Since we've had Sophia, I almost never miss work, even when I am sick, or sore, or whatever. It's not that i don't love being at home with my family, but that an innate sense of responsibility grows in a man with each step from marriage on. At least, that's what I think.
But, I hate going to work most days. It's not terrible. It's a very well paying job. I got in with merely a high school diploma. It's afforded us a move to Minnesota, food and clothing for 2 adults and 2 kids, 2 cars, and a townhome. It's got some of the best medical benefits available, and good retirement. It's pretty secure, too, so i don't have to worry too much as the job market fluctuates. So, why would i be considering leaving?
I've got no logical answer for this question, except this: It's not my heart's desire. It sounds stupid to some degree. Who cares if your heart is in it, right? The money is good. But, as someone who's been doing this for 12 years, i can tell you with conviction that doing something you love goes much further than the money you make doing it.
I've pondered a career change, returning to school, doing something i WANT to do for a long time. The the ponderances usually result in the same thing. I think of all the reasons why I can't do it, or why it doesn't make logical or financial sense. Then, I decide to keep plugging away doing what I do.
A lot of things have converged on me as of late. This would be a mile long post if i detailed them all. The short story is that I've felt led to choose to make some changes... NOW. The daily burden of doing work that doesn't float my boat has had it's effects felt in the rest of my personal and social life for too long.
Step One: Decide what to do. I've had 3 things rolling around in my head and heart for years. No matter the myriad of extraneous ideas i come up with, i always relegate myself back to these 3 things: Computer Science, Meteorology, and Seminary. For whatever reason, Seminary is at the bottom of that list. I love Jesus and all, don't get me wrong. It's just something i can't get to consistently right now in my heart. On the other hand Meteorology and Computer Science are daily hobbies (read: EVERY day). Which to choose?????
If you know me, you know that this needing to decide has been cause for me to shrink back and continue in my daily mundane work far too many times. I can't make a decision, and I get afraid to make the wrong one, so i just choose to forget about it... for a little while anyway. Well, it was time to make a decision once and for all. My first immediate gut response was to choose Computer Science. So, without telling Kimberly I decided to look into things (I didn't want to get her excited if i was going to shirk the decision again). I settled on the Minnesota School of Business. I am going to finish an Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology, and then go from there.
In retrospect, it's a sensical decision from a logistics perspective. If i decide i want to do Meteorology later, I'm still in good shape. All the good programs want a background in Computer Science, as most of todays forecasts are computer model generated. If i decide to carry on with IT, I can get a bachelor's degree, and i would tentatively focus on Internet Security ( I want to hack hackers!!!).
Kimberly is jazzed, not just that i decided i wanted to go back to school, but that i've begun to carry out Step Two: Take action. I met with an Admissions rep. on Tuesday. Kimberly and I prayed and discussed on Tuesday night. Both of us feeling a strong conviction to proceed, I applied to the private business university on Wednesday, filled out my Financial Aid packet from the government, and began studying for the assesment test. I have appointments for financial aid and assesment testing next Tuesday, after the long weekend. So, the ball is rolling. I am excited, and so is Kimberly. But, it's scary too. There are so many variables that are left to be figured out in the years to come. All we can do is trust God to guide us as we do the hard work of obeying and trusting. I guess it's advernture time again!!! Now, on to Step Three: Hope. I always seem to have the hardest time with this one...
Aug 24, 2008
Family Life
Hello All!Its the mama bear here for an addendum - if you will - to Jim's previously posted "sleep deprived" family life update from yesterday! ;-) All-in-all, we really cannot complain. We have two VERY beautiful girls in our little family! Albeit one of the beautiful girls has more energy than a solar flare and the other beautiful little one has no sleep schedule to speak of... we'll let you guess who is who! Fall is in the air literally just within the past two days! There is this sudden transition you feel where the mornings and evennings feel very cool compared to the "dog days of summer". School starts in two weeks. Oodles of school supplies line the aisles of our favorite stores! The corn fields are ready for harvest (just about) and THAT is always a trademark sure to remind you that fall is on your doorstep! At least, in the midwest it is! This fall for us brings some obvious changes (a new baby). But it also brings some other changes: Sophia starts preschool the first week of September (no, I cannot believe that myself!) Jimbo is actually taking that next step for school himself and is amidst the registration process (WAY TO GO BABE! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!) Kimberly is learning to love being a mom all over again... and though she has many days where she feels "antsy" for more... she is learning that this time with little ones under her watch and care is a very precious time that goes all too quickly and then is gone before you know it! Being a parent - mom OR dad - is truly a high and lofty life calling. A mission like no other... and deserving of the best we can offer. In the mean time, I have had MANY requests that we get some more photos of Miss Sadie Joy up on our blog... so here ya go! ENJOY! Love - Kjoy
Aug 23, 2008
Up to Speed
Its been a whirlwind last 4 weeks since i blogged up a storm after Sadie's birth. It was a fun time, blessed, and calm. The hospital staff couldn't have been better, and Sadie was healthy and happy. Sophia took incredibly well to being a big sister (phew!), and we headed home with little complication.
Some things have changed in the last month, and some hasn't. Here is a short synopsis to bring everyone up to speed:
Sadie had a great first couple of nights home, with a couple of 3-4 hour sleeping stints during the night. Kimberly and I were excstatic. Could it be that we were going to have an easy child after so much difficulty with Sophia? Sorry Charlie, not a chance. God has seen fit to bless us with another fussy child. But, the upside is that she isn't quite as bad as Sophia was. After 3 different formulas, breastmilk from the tap and from the bottle, and a prescription for baby Prilosec, i think we are reserved to the fact that the only thing that will ease the fussiness will be time. So be it.
As for me, I'm getting along. Everyone here is sleep deprived, and we haven't been to church in a month. But, we're adjusting. We are going to church as a family for the first time tonight. It's a new church we haven't been to before that is 5 minutes from our house. Try that one on for size! We haven't been to a church closer to home than 30 minutes in the last 3 years. Other than that, I'm meeting with some admissions people at the Minnesota School of Business this week to look at going back to school to finish my Associates degree, for starters. I'm looking at Computer Science.
Lastly, life in Minnesota is moving forward. Thursday was the opening of the State Fair. It's a very big deal out here, and I happen to love it (read: love eating my way through it). In years past, it's been in the 90's and humid and stormy for the fair, but this year fall is already rearing its head. Today it is 75 and breezy. It was very cool this morning. I love it. This might be my favorite time of year, tied only with Winter, Spring, and Summer.
Blessings!
Some things have changed in the last month, and some hasn't. Here is a short synopsis to bring everyone up to speed:
Sadie had a great first couple of nights home, with a couple of 3-4 hour sleeping stints during the night. Kimberly and I were excstatic. Could it be that we were going to have an easy child after so much difficulty with Sophia? Sorry Charlie, not a chance. God has seen fit to bless us with another fussy child. But, the upside is that she isn't quite as bad as Sophia was. After 3 different formulas, breastmilk from the tap and from the bottle, and a prescription for baby Prilosec, i think we are reserved to the fact that the only thing that will ease the fussiness will be time. So be it.
Sophia is STILL a really great big sister! She has, for the most part, become one of the most well behaved, respectful, and thoughtful children i know. Is it possible we did something right? She finished her first year of gymnastics class this last week, complete with their own Olympic style medal ceremony and podium. And, she got a free little kid bike from her auntie Julie, who picked it up off the street from someone who was going to throw it away. Thank God for secondhand stuff, huh? She is, as always, eager to learn to ride it and doing a good job of it.
Kimberly and Sophia are increasingly making forays out of the house as they get used to having a new member of the family to corral. This week, they went with our neighbor from across the driveway, Auntie Lisa (as she's been deemed by Sophia), to the White Bear Lake farmers market. They had a blast!
As for me, I'm getting along. Everyone here is sleep deprived, and we haven't been to church in a month. But, we're adjusting. We are going to church as a family for the first time tonight. It's a new church we haven't been to before that is 5 minutes from our house. Try that one on for size! We haven't been to a church closer to home than 30 minutes in the last 3 years. Other than that, I'm meeting with some admissions people at the Minnesota School of Business this week to look at going back to school to finish my Associates degree, for starters. I'm looking at Computer Science.
Lastly, life in Minnesota is moving forward. Thursday was the opening of the State Fair. It's a very big deal out here, and I happen to love it (read: love eating my way through it). In years past, it's been in the 90's and humid and stormy for the fair, but this year fall is already rearing its head. Today it is 75 and breezy. It was very cool this morning. I love it. This might be my favorite time of year, tied only with Winter, Spring, and Summer.
Blessings!
Aug 7, 2008
Why is that #1: What is wrong with this picture?
So I started looking today. Questions aside, i made a couple of observations, that while not surprising because we've all suspected it, are still startling and disgusting, really. Take a look at the chart above and notice a few things:
1. The last time oil was at or about $120 like it is now, was in April-May of this year. At the time, gas was selling here in the Twin Cities for an average of $3.45, not the average of $3.60 like it is now. 15 cents higher for gas when oil is the same price? What is the problem here?
2. Comparing the charts is troubling. You'll notice that the red line (oil prices) rises AND falls quite rapidly. There are quick spikes, and quick falls. On the other hand, look at the blue line (gas prices). Notice that the spikes upward are very quick, corresponding with the spike in the oil price. But, the drop in gas prices is much, much more gradual.
For instance, look at the period 12/24/07- 01/31/08.
On 12/24/07, oil was at about $92.50 and gas was at about $2.80. Notice that the price of oil spikes up to about $99 over the next week. Gas prices rise accordingly, to about$3.00-$3.05.
Right about 1/11/08, oil drops back down to about $92. But, the graph shows that gas came down much slower. On 1/11/08, when oil was back at $92, gas was still selling for around $2.95. That's 15 cents higher than it had been selling 3 weeks earlier at the same oil price.
Analyzing the chart quickly shows very quick spikes in the price of gas that accompany spikes in oil prices, but very gradual and slow decreases in the price of gas.
What is going on here?
As the skeptical consumer I am, I can only assume 3 things.
1. This gap in the dropping price of gas is where oil companies make the most money. Think about it. When gas prices go up $.20 over night, what do you do? If you are like me, you wait as long as possible to fill up to see if prices will come down, or you keep you eye open for that gas station that is $.05 cheaper than everyone else. And when you find that station, how do you feel? Like you found a deal, probably. For those who are holding out for the prices to drop, the oil companies keep the prices higher as long as possible so that you will have to fill up at least once at the higher price. If everyone stopped filling up for a couple days every time the price of gas went up, causing the demand for supply to go down, bringing the price of oil back down, the oil companies wouldn't make ridiculous profit on the higher price, because everyone would be able to wait a couple of days for the prices to come back down. This way, they make huge profits for weeks to come after a spike in the price of oil.
2. The "2 steps forward, 1 step back" principal. Kimberly and I talk about this a lot with our own finances. We pay off a big chunk of debt, then something breaks and we have to buy something we weren't planning on. Our solace is that while we've taken a step backward with the unexpected expenses, we are still taking positive steps toward getting out of debt.
This principle plays well for the oil companies on the flip side as well. Every time oil prices go up, the price of gas goes right up with it. But, if gas came right back down with the price of oil (like it should), then oil company profits would never change. They'd be up with the price of oil, and down with the price of oil. By staggering the drop in gas prices, they take 2 steps forward and one step back with their profits.
How? Look at what I already mentioned. When oil prices go up, so do gas prices. But when they go down, gas takes longer to fall, such that, as shown above, gas actually sells for $.10 to $.20 more than it did the last time oil was at that price.
There's money to be made there, but it's a two-fer because we are programmed to expect gas to go up with the price of oil. So, if in theory, oil companies raised the price of gas, let's say, $.20 for every $5 increase in oil, they'd be making an extra $.30 the next time oil went up another 5 dollars. They would raise the price of gas $.20. But, the price of gas is still selling for $.15 higher than it should be because the prices are coming down much slower. And the next time oil drops down to the original price, the gas price only drops $.05. This means that they are now making $.30 more than they should be if gas were responding directly to oil ($.15 from the oil cycle, and $.15 from the second one). You can see the ladder effect here. The oil companies make an escalating profit margin with each oil price cycle.
Most consumers are none the wiser because we are programmed at this point to expect gas to go up with oil, and oil is so volatile, none of us have the energy to keep up with the ups and downs. Besides, by the time gas prices come down, we've forgotten what they were before they went up.
3. The psychological factor. Obviously, there has been some psychological manipulation in every factor thus far, but this one is the most obvious: Every time prices come down, we feel a sense of relief. I've heard people talking this week about how exciting it is that gas is down to $3.50. Really? While that is nice, it's not nearly enough. It's already way overpriced. When Kimberly and I moved to the Twin Cities in July of '05, gas here was $1.95. And, it had been hovering around the $1.50 mark for the 2 previous years. Remember that? But, by bringing down the price, the oil companies give consumers a false sense of relief while they continue to take ever larger amounts of their money.
How's that for a positive spin on things?
Jul 26, 2008
A content homecoming
I think that "content" is the most accurately descriptive characteristic of Sadie. She crys very, very little, and is easily quited by a feeding or a swaddle. Otherwise, she is just happy to sleep, rest on momma's chest, rock in a chair, or be left alone in her bassonette.
Today, the contented one came home from the hospital with Mom. Thank goodness. It is so nice to have the whole family back together under the same roof. It's even better that this roof is our own home. We are all moved back in. I went to Target today to pick up Kimberly's meds and decided that the basonet with storage shelf below set up just worked too nicely at the hospital. So, now we have one of those too. It's actually quite handy, and very practicle. I reccommend them. Sadie seems content in hers...
Today, the contented one came home from the hospital with Mom. Thank goodness. It is so nice to have the whole family back together under the same roof. It's even better that this roof is our own home. We are all moved back in. I went to Target today to pick up Kimberly's meds and decided that the basonet with storage shelf below set up just worked too nicely at the hospital. So, now we have one of those too. It's actually quite handy, and very practicle. I reccommend them. Sadie seems content in hers...
Jul 25, 2008
A daddy and his girls
Daddy has been the helper and picture taker for the last couple days. Today, Kimberly felt good enough to be up and around a little. Enough so, as to take a few pictures of Daddy with his new little girl.
Day 3 update, particularly for the out-of-towners (That includes you mom!)
Last night, Kimberly had her first night alone with Sadie. Daddy had to take Soph home and she deserved some time with mommy or daddy anyway. Things were a little sketchy during the evening, as Kimberly's milk still hasn't come in yet (one of the downsides of a c-section) but Sadie was good and ready for it. As such, she did a lot of sucking of air (and therefore got a pretty bad stomach ache) before everyone realized what was happening. The nurses brought in a special doo-dad that gives Sadie formula WHILE she is at the breast so she doesn't get confused, and still stimulates Kimberly's milk to come in. It works great. Today, Sadie is back to normal, feeding for a half hour, then sleeping for 2. She is back to the content and quiet little one that we have known her as. Here are a couple of pictures of her content Day 3:
The trooper
God bless Sophia. For being a generally inflexible child, she has been a real trooper the last couple days. She spent Wed with Grandma and Auntie Julie and her cousing Lil. She spent the night with Lil, and the next day. Daddy picked her up on Thurs afternoon at about 6pm, and we spent the evening together playing legos and reading books. Grandma came back this morning to spend time with Soph during the day so daddy could go back to the hospital. This afternoon, Soph is going to hang out with Kimberly's friend Naomi.
She has been exceptionally behaved, and just an all around great girl in this time where we feared she might be jealous. It might still be coming, but we'll relish these first couple days, at least. Here she was, all gussied up when she came back yesterday to see her little sister at the hospital again:
She has been exceptionally behaved, and just an all around great girl in this time where we feared she might be jealous. It might still be coming, but we'll relish these first couple days, at least. Here she was, all gussied up when she came back yesterday to see her little sister at the hospital again:
Jul 24, 2008
Day Two
Mom and baby are doing great. Sadie already has a completely different personality than Sophia. So far, the most displeasure she has expressed is 2 or 3 squeeky cries when she got her shot. She grunts a little when she is hungry, and loves resting on Momma's chest. She just loves contact period. Everybody got at least 2 or so hours of sleep last night. The light sleep had nothing to do with Sadie. She slept most of the night. Please God, let that be a sign of things to come! All is well on Day Two...
Jul 23, 2008
First Encounters
Every second time parent's question must be, "What will my first child think of this new one?" Will the oldest child view their new sibling as competition or a little sibling to protect and love? If Sophia's first reaction to Sadie is any indication of what she thinks of this whole experiment, we should be in great shape!
Sadie Joy Bass - born July 23, 8:03a.m.
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