Again with the politics...

I promise that this blog will not be mainly filled with posts of political nature, but that is what is filling my head at the moment. So many things I do not understand about politics and the manner in which they are approached...
1) Why do we get so offended when someone has political views that differ from ours? Yes, I agree that politics are a personal and important matter, but must we attack each other for choosing to support or not support a certain candidate or party? Someone told me that I should not "publicly endorse" any particular candidate this year via bumper stickers or yard signs (not that I would in the first place), because they feel that things will get ugly as we near the elections and in the time that follows. Sadly, this is probably sound advice, but it just seems so wrong that someone would harm me or my property based on who I feel would make a better president. Further proof of how sick our society can be.
2) Why do we as a society allow our politicians to behave like children year after year? Slanderous ads and remarks are made by both parties and there may be apology's or their may not be. Often times we are feed the line " that's just the way things are sometimes." I want to know why? Why does this have to be the way things are? Why do we put up with it, like it is normal and ethical?
3) How can I be expected to formulate an opinion on which candidate I agree with, when I have such little respect for either side? Maybe I am naive, but I want a leader who has earned my respect, not because of how he/she dresses, not because of which late night shows they agree to visit...but because of the character and skills they possess to lead our nation in a responsible and ethical way.
4) I am sometimes saddened by how little credit the media and political parties give the public. They try to entice us with fancy clothes, the kind of music they listen too, which celebrities are a part of their campaign. Seriously? Frankly, I think we should be a little insulted. I will not be "seduced" into supporting a particular party based on weather or not they advertise on Facebook.
5)I Acknowledge that being a political leader and especially a president is not a job I would want. I realize that we often judge those in these positions based on the limited information we recieve from the media or based on the fact that they made decisions contrary to the ones that we would have made. There needs to be room for some grace here, while at the same time holding our leaders and ourselves accountable.

Again, all I ask for is a candidate/party that has enough respect for itself and the people they represent, to conduct themselves with integrity. I also want to believe that we as a society, especially those who claim to be "tolerant" of those who are different from us, realize that "different" may even be someone who chooses to vote for a candiate other than the one we support.

Realizing my own selfishness

I have recently experienced a significant heartbreak and have been traipsing my way through the weeds to what I hope one day will lead to a path that seems a little more clear. The day after the heartbreak unfolded I was walking through Wal-Mart in search of whatever had drug me there in the first place, on a day where I would have much rather been curled up in bed. I began to feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness even though I was in one of the most crowded stores in the city. As I continued to shuffle up and down the isles, I was struck by how it seemed like for everyone else life was business as usual, yet it felt like for me, my world stood completely still. I selfishly began to think about how the people that I walked past had no idea that my heart was aching or that I had cried myself to sleep the night before. A few days later as I thought again about my trip to Wal-Mart, I realized that I had completely "missed it". I began to think about all the people I had numbly walked past who may have been feeling that same sense of loneliness. I realized that I undoubtedly walked right by people who were also broken hearted. Perhaps they were struggling financially or had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, maybe they were in the middle of a divorce or had just lost a loved one, perhaps they were stuck in patterns of addiction. Whatever the heartache...I had missed it. I was so focused on my own pain that I failed to remain sensitive to those around me. I was smacked in the face with my own selfishness. I know we all fall short in life, but I learned an important lesson that day. We never know what those around us are going through; weather it be your best friend or the store clerk behind the counter. I pray that I can extend grace and love to all people even when I am hurting as well, just as my God extends to me.
The quotes below are 3 of my favorites and remind me of God's grace and truth.

"Right now, the Lord is in the person next to you, in front of you, behind you. When you go home tonight and open the door of your home, the Lord will be present in each person there. Sometimes He's buried there. Sometimes He's bound hand and foot there, but He's there. And you and I, my friend, have been given the gift of faith to detect His presence there, and the Holy Spirit has been poured out into our hearts that we might love Him there, because the meaning of our religion is love."
~Brennan Manning

"Our mood may shift, but God's doesn't. Our mind may change, but God's doesn't. Our devotion may falter, but God's never does. Even if we're faithless, HE is faithful."
~Max Lucado


"People more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."
~ Audrey Hepburn

What I want out of politics...

Those of you who know me, know that I am not exactly a fan of politics, or politicians for that matter. I teeter on the brink of being apathetic at times. Don't get me wrong, I care deeply for the society that I am a part of and I do have views on social and political issues, but I am constantly disappointed with the way politics are "handled". First of all I am sick & tired of the media dictating what I get to see and what I don't. I'm tired of them choosing the candidate that "they" view as the most worthy of air time and how certain candidates or parties are presented in a negative or positive light depending on what "they" deem appropriate. Politics are turned into a joke through cartoons, comedy sketches, stand up routines and opening bits on late night talk shows. I find it sad that political offices are often filled by way of a popularity contest. That each "side" seeks to attract the best celebrity to join their campaign.
It seems like anytime we open a newspaper or turn on the TV, we are bombarded with stories about politicians laundering money, having affairs, lying, blaming others, making empty promises or countless other behaviors that can only be described as corrupt. This is most frustrating to me because I used to work with middle schoolers in an after school program that sought to teach respect, hard work, responsibility, positive self image and character. However, then they turn on the TV and the very leaders of their community, state and even country are behaving in ways that lack serious integrity. We aren't even talking about MTV, BET, or any other pop culture influences....we are talking about the government...the people who are in charge of making decisions that effect our everyday life. This manifests itself even in little ways. For instance, my least favorite part of campaign season are the advertisements, specifically TV ads. I can't stand when one candidate slanders another, even if it is done in a "subtle" or "respectful" manner. In my opinion if you don't have enough merit to stand on your own without putting someone else down, then you have absolutely no business running for office. This seems like such a juvenile concept. We spend years trying to teach children not to put others down...yet again, the "grown ups" in our society do it every day. I have since made it a habit that anytime a political ad comes on TV and starts putting down another candidate i turn it off. I realize this does not really affect the candidate so much, but for me it is a way of not letting them affect me with their negative messages. All I want are honest, hard working politicians who genuinely have the best interest of their people at heart. I also realize that we have a role in this as well. We have the responsibility to vote for the candidates that we feel will best carry out what we feel is important. I think we also have the responsibility to conduct ourselves with grace and respect. I realize that I will probably not always agree with the elected officials, however I still need to respect those that have been placed in authority. If I feel that their actions or judgements are morally wrong, there are proper methods for addressing this, however being disrespectful, making slanderous jokes and skits certainly does nothing to help resolve the problem. We can dislike someone or their platform and still handle ourselves in a dignified manner. I guess I feel like if we expect our leaders to be "better", we have to be "better" as well.

Starting Out

So, I have finally joined the realms of blogging. I tried it once in college, but was not so successful. After some encouragement from friends and realizing how much I enjoy reading other people's blogs, I have given in again. If you are looking for perfect grammar, and eloquently written posts...this is not the place for you. However, if you are looking for honesty, hopefully some humor and random comments about life, faith and many other things...you may just be at home here.