Snow Day Prayer

Thank you God for this day of rest.  Thank you for this time to sit with my husband and watch the 44th President be sworn in.  I'm am filled with hope and contentment as the candidate I trusted now has the opportunity to prove himself to all the doubters.   Thank you for this time.  Keep the Obama family safe and be with our President.  Give him strength and wisdom to trust You to lead this country.  I pray that he'll look to Your word and Truth to help in dark hours.  I put our President in Your capable and powerful hands.  Guide him and love him.  Thank you Jesus for Your will and I pray it be done.   

Thank You for this day.  

It Smells Like...(part deux)

SNOW DAY!!! Oh man, it happened.  I dreamt white fluffy dreams and it finally happened.  A snow day.  No work, just fun in the fluffy-perfect-for-snowballs snow.  Foster absolutely loves it. He, just like me when I was a kid, did not want to come in.  He drug Jeremy out for one more run around the parking lot.  Oh, there will be more running in the snow today, I have no doubt.  Just take a look at our morning thus far...and then when you're done, GO PLAY!!!

Raleigh Snow Day January 2009

Photos and Words

So it's been quite awhile since I've (Erin) blogged.  I hate that because I love sharing photos, stories, and all kinds of shenanigans with whomever will stand to read.  My husband has an amazing way with the written word and he blogs often which is a treat.  I love to read his thoughts.  I must say "ditto" to everything he said about the amazing trip we took with family to FL over the holiday.  Here are some photos I've had for quite some time and only just got them developed.  Thanksgiving in Kentucky pics to come...

My beautiful baby and my dusty table.

A close up of my grandmother's drawings.

Our bookshelves.  Complete with my Grandmommie's amazing fashion drawings from her days at Meredith, Jeremy's pipe collection, and of course, books.

Wrapped presents and such: brown craft paper, wax seal, chocolate brown ribbon, vintage stamps, a street map of NYC, and tags made up the theme this year.

Foster not interested in wrapping presents...

goodnight moon (you sure are a show off tonight).

To say that Disney World is a magical place may sound like a cliche, but until you see the expressions displayed on a child's face when they drink in the wonders of Disney, you may never fully understand. I know I didn't, and I spent most of my honeymoon there. As our Christmas gift, my parents took Erin and I and the rest of our family to Orlando for about a week. It was amazing. Despite an unmeasurable number of people, the vast majority of which either never officially learned to drive or are simply incompetent, we had a great time. We introduced Luke, our oldest nephew (my brother's first son), Dominic, Luke's little brother, and Laney, Luke and Dominic's cousin, to Mickey, Minnie, their crew, as well as Shamu. I'm sure my sister has pictures of some of their reactions to the characters, sights, and rides, although in my mind, no pictures are needed as their faces will be ingrained in my mind for ages.

Thank you Mom and Dad for the trip of a lifetime, spending New Year's at Epcot was unforgettable (for an array of reasons), and being blessed as much as we are doesn't seem fair. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life, and for that I sit in great appreciation. I (we) love you.

There are many stories that I'm sure will end up on this blog, so stay tuned for more.

It Smells Like...

SNOW!!!  I just took the dog out and the ground is frozen (as was his pee, I think) and it smells like snow (not Foster's pee, the air silly).  So Ms. Negative Nancy-Meredith, maybe it will be winter wonderland when I wake up!  If that's the case, it will be EXTREMELY hard to go to work when my ski overalls will be calling.  Sexy and functional.   

So, goodnight moon...

10 Days!!

10 days from a thunderstorm in the winter what do you get?  SNOW!  Now I normally don't care for snow, but 10 days from now would be right around Christmas and by golly if I can have a White Christmas then I would just be the happiest girl around.  

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow...

Twilight

Not only is twilight my favorite time of the day and my favorite word, it is now the book I'm reading.  That's right folks, just like teenage girls across this great nation I have succumb to the newest fiction craze.  It is an easy (not dumb, just easy) read because I began it only this morning (having stomach issues kept me from work) and I'm 3/4 of the way through.  I'm obsessed.  It is romantic, intense, suspenseful, and just plain good.  My sister lent me her copy of the first and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  Not to mention see the movie!  I can't believe that I'm so into it.  However, I never did the whole Harry Potter thing.  I never read the books and barely saw the movies.  So, this is my Potter.  I'm not ashamed!!

On My Heart's Desire

I came across this letter that I wrote for myself earlier this year: Erin was out of town (the reason escapes me), and my dog and I enjoyed the quiet without much tv, without much talking, without much of anything...

I enjoy being alone. I say this after a weekend spent, for the most part, in solitude. When I am isolated, I have the opportunity to listen to my thoughts, my ideas, and my dreams. We all have meditations of these sorts, but we don’t always have the freedom to revel in them, to get lost in them, and to develop them. This past weekend was especially extraordinary in that I was reacquainted with my guitar. I have always used my guitar as a form of worship, really as a form of prayer, and I prayed a lot this weekend. With a thankful and overwhelmed heart, I prayed to my father. I played songs that I thought would please him. I even tried to sing. It was during this time that I realized that guitar is not a passion of mine. I enjoy playing it, to be sure, but the enjoyment comes from the connection that is made with Christ, not necessarily the music that is made. If I could connect with God on this same depth through some other vessel, it is safe to say that I may not ever play the guitar. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you view it, I have never connected with God on this level through anything other than music. I found God again this weekend. I found him sitting right there next to me.

In the past few weeks and months, I have felt Him pulling on my sleeve, asking me to trust in Him. Financial trust is one of my biggest struggles; it always has been, as I have imposed upon myself a desire and need to provide security for my family. I pray only half-heartedly that I will conquer this battle soon because it is, after all, keeping me in pursuit of Him. In light of the recent tax incentive money we received, and at a time when our church is following its call to expand and reach the city of Raleigh, we (my wife and I) felt convicted to give all of our incentive to Journey. Let me say that this money could have been put to great use to help pay down debt, so making this decision was not easy. It was, however, necessary. I want and need to put myself in a position in which I can do nothing except lean on God. With the incentive money as a base, I had created a plan that would allow us to be debt-free in a short time. I don’t know where the money to pay off debt will come from now, and I don’t know how long we will have this hanging over us, but I do know that it will come…probably in God’s perfect timing, as I have learned that my plans are simply those, my plans.

My Father has given much to my family. He has shown Himself to be true to His word. It is only out of uncompromised love that He shows any favor on me. He loves me. He actively loves me. He doesn’t just sit in His throne watching me live my life, He holds my hand and guides me, most often without my knowledge, into and through celebrations, obstacles, and pain. This is my heart’s desire: to love. I want to love Him so selflessly that I yearn to struggle for Him. I want to be humbled and captivated by His mercy and grace. I want to show His mercy and grace in my life. I want to love my bride the way He loves His. I want to actively and passionately love her. I want to challenge her to become more like Christ as I strive to be more like Christ. I want to empower her to take on those challenges, to embolden her to do anything, and to support her in everything. I want to lead her. I want to love others so much so that they are not just affected, but they are changed. I want to love so much that it defines my life, regardless of money, job, or situation. I want to love.

God, help me love.

Interesting Article...

This is an interesting article on how some states provide ballots that deal with certain issues...North Carolina unfortunately is not one of these States. I would love to have the opportunity to cast a ballot against abortion that would contribute directly to changing/creating a law.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/state.laws/index.html

Clarity

I want to make myself explicitly clear. Please let me know if I am not. By writing what I wrote, I wanted to settle some misleading claims about Obama. When asked if he supports abortions, he always responds by saying that he supports abortion rights. This is politician for disagreeing with the act, but not refuting a constitutional case regarding such tender subjects. That was the point. No one on this blog, apparently, has seen that...it must be my fault because it must not be clear. Caleb and Cameron, I agree that this right to privacy is a copout and a complete mockery of the judicial system. Not once was I defending this stance; my sole intention was to clear misconceptions about a candidate's ideologies. Consider it a pet peeve of mine...I am a factcheck.org fanatic now because of this blasted election (if you go there now you will see that the first 4 topics show that GOP/McCain-Palin/Anti-Obama group ads are misleading).

This is what I am targeting in my posts.

On the fight against abortion. I agree completely with the fact that we need to do everything we can to fight it. Starting with two things simultaneously: education and the definition of life. We need to educate young low income women about abstinence, contraceptives, and the opportunities available to them if they do have an unexpected pregnancy. Many young women, in addition to being poor, are alone, misguided, and terrified when they find themselves pregnant. I know that it is due mostly to irresponsibility, but we need to have some compassion at some point and just start reaching out. Also, we need to address the legislature and demand that they act against abortion. We need to define life as our belief tells us: it begins at conception. I believe that if a fetus has a chance at life, then it should be considered life. A problem brought up in Roe v. Wade was the fetuses were never counted during any census. Well, maybe that is something we need to have changed too. We need to go after the legislature because they are the ones who created the laws that the justices interpret. The President really doesn't have much to do with these laws. This is where I got into defining the President's views and thus where we hit a roadblock.

I am not voting for McCain because I think his judgement in choosing Palin over all of his other options is a red flag. It was clearly done for political purposes because in no way is she more qualified than Mitt Romney to be VP (for that matter, Mayor Meeker is more qualified to be VP, at lease he has a law degree). I find McCain's decision and explanation laughable, insulting, and embarrassing to this country.

Although I am unsettled by the fact that I am voting for a democrat this year, I truly feel it is far more beneficial across the board than supporting republicans. I also feel that this country is more than the issue of abortion. There are many things that need to be looked at, including capital punishment (which is no less murder than abortion), and thus a reason that I do not support McCain. Obama has pushed for reform and mandates on capital punishment while McCain has not, and I find it unjustifiable to condemn abortion but not the death penalty if we are being true to Christ.

McCain has not shown that he is qualified, competent, or genuine enough to lead this country. I can say with 100% certainty, though, that the game would be very different if he had chosen Romney to serve with him. By not doing so he showed that his motives are not pure. I don't agree with all of Obama's views, including abortion, but he has proved to be more Presidential, more professional, more accepted by foreign countries, more competent financially, and more detailed in his choice of VP than his opponent.

If you want to fight abortion, I will fight it with you. We do not need a President to be do so.

Sidenote: It is predicted that only one justice will be replaced on the supreme court this term, giving Obama or McCain the chance to fill only one spot. In essence, this means that the court can only get more conservative or will remain relatively the same in regards to ideologies.

Thats all. I hope this makes sense as it is quite late.

Sick and Tired

 I can't wait until this election is over.  I can't wait until I stop receiving unwanted opinions.  I'm sick of defending myself and I'm tired of being told I'm not a good Christian because of who I'm voting for.  Both candidates suck.  They are sinning, immoral, and crooked politicians.  So I'm voting for the one who will bring this country out of the hell it's in.  I'm done, don't ask me about it anymore and don't email me anymore little forwards that are trying to sway my vote.  If we can't have an open forum without yelling at each other, it's not worth it.  Screw it, I'm voting for Jimmy Carroll. (erin)

My Hubby, the hott one...on politics

ON POLITICS…by Jeremy Morin

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obama_and_infanticide.html

I am attempting to respond to what I hope will be the last political related email I receive this year. First, though, let me say that in no way do I support abortion…on any level, at any time during a pregnancy. (I suggest reading that again to be sure that you understand my view of abortion.)

Now, short of berating anyone who takes political videos posted on YouTube or any other website as completely objective and unbiased, I would like to encourage everyone to conduct their own nonpartisan research on every issue, especially those that strike our emotional chords hardest.

Currently, abortion is legal (I can’t believe I am having this conversation again). The President alone cannot change the laws of this country; in fact, the President has surprisingly little power when you look at what he can actually do without the consent of Congress. Consider this a good thing because not only does it eliminate the possibility of a dictatorship, rest assured that the President also cannot suddenly make abortion, never mind infanticide, legal. All of this assumes that Obama does support infanticide, when there is conflicting evidence, specifically in his voting record, on the issue. As a democrat, he supports abortion rights. That is, he supports a woman’s right to choose for herself, as he (and other democrats) feels it is her right to privacy that allows her this ability. This is the biggest problem with, dare I say, conservatives and abortion. It is often construed that when someone votes for abortion rights, that they agree with the act of abortion. This is not always so. Many, it can be expected, base their opinions on their interpretation of the Constitution. That is, they accept that there is a right to privacy, and under this stated Constitutional right, the opportunity to choose to abort a baby shall not be impeded upon.

(At this point, you may want to read the second sentence of this letter again.)

Moving on…
I have said from the very beginning of this, ever since John McCain was nominated to be the Republican candidate, that there are more important issues that will affect our economy and our stance/reputation on a global scale. I can’t believe that more people aren’t talking about how John McCain said that since he is not as well versed in economics as he should be, he would like to appoint someone (as VP) who is. Enter Sarah Palin. Wait, what? Didn’t he say he wanted someone who is versed in economics? Consequentially, our republican ticket consists of a 72 year old veteran, who admittedly doesn’t know all he should about economics and a 44 year old former sports reporter, who somehow became Governor, and this the best choice for our nation’s economy? Really? So we are trusting in someone whose better judgement, and that of his advisors I imagine, chose a hockey mom over a former excessively successful businessman, Mitt Romney. I’m not sure I want that judgement leading this country.

http://www.mccainfactcheck.com/facts/11/john_mccain_333426.shtml
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/bogus_claims_in_boca.html

I could go on for days about economics, qualifications, and the global consequences of being misguided, but that would bore you and it is an issue that will always have two sides.

After watching Pastor Jimmy’s video blog, the fallacies of elections hit me. We, Christians, Christ Followers, are electing a sinner on moral and economic issues to lead an immoral country in an immoral world. I don’t really need to say any more than that.