Blessed are Those with Wise Parents

I have been reading through the Proverbs this month, and I am starting to notice a theme. Now, obviously the whole thing is wrapped around a foundation of 'wisdom'... every verse oozes emphasis on gaining some... but a particular method has stuck out to me. No matter the author, they seem stuck on the idea that your parents play a role in gaining and maintaining wisdom.

I consider myself pretty lucky. I can see how my parents have, are, and will continue to contribute to my level of wisdom if I consider their counsel. But, I wonder if this is true in every case? I tend to think it is a rarity that one's parental units would have absolutely no role in your personal pursuit of wisdom, I mean... they may not be perfect, but they can offer insight that you could deem useful. I just feel real sympathy for those who are missing out on the whole experience.

The transfer of knowledge from parent to child is a truly amazing thing. Imbedded in our social and familial structure, it is an integral part of life and maturity. Even politicians acknowledge the importance on parental involvement to proper development and a stable society. The problem is, where it is not naturally taking place... it is not an easy problem to fix. Nothing can truly substitute for a missing parental influence. Where parents are out of the picture completely, incapable or unwilling to take their role seriously, problems arise and those problems are passed to the education system, and ultimately society as a whole. Then we end up with something like we see today...

If you ever doubted the relevance of the Bible in today's society, I contend you are not looking hard enough. Wisdom is missing in today's world, and Proverbs tells us why.

Again, I am extremely grateful for my own, abnormally wise, parents. Listening to their wisdom has been invaluable to me. I have a feeling I will continue to seek their counsel as long as they are willing to give it. Lucky? Blessed? Whatever or however you say it... I am.

Arrested Development

So... I admit that I am always a little late to the party. And by that, I obviously don't mean a literal party, because as we all know... I am incapable of being late. I am, on the other hand, slow to appreciate pop culture. Arrested Development provides the perfect example of this phenomenon.

Maybe it is because it hit the hight of it's popularity when I was without cable, maybe it was because I am typically resistant to television obsessions (hence the reason I have not gotten into The Office, or Seinfeld), as they lead to loads of wasted personal time... or maybe, I am just in denial. BUT, the fact is... hulu.com provides me many opportunities to waste my time, and I appear to be incapable of resisting them at this point.

Hulu.com happens to have in it's repertoire every episode ever aired before the show's untimely demise. This allows me opportunity to waste a significant chunk of my day, everyday... for the next few weeks.

So, if I begin to neglect your phone calls, or blow off my obligations... please step in.

P.S. When is A&E going to put Mad Men online? Then I would be in real trouble.

Family

Whether or not this fact deems me 'lucky', I am not sure... But I have a fairly small and tight-knit family.

It's my immediate family (mom, dad and two brothers), and my extended family, which is limited to my mom's parents (who live next door to my immediate family in NC now), and my mom's only sister with her two kids. Mike (my aunt's fiance) has recently been added to the mix, but this is the group that serves as the foundation of my family.

The rest of my relatives remain a pretty distant part of my life. Most of them, I have only met/seen a few times. Not making a good/bad judgement, I love them all... but, they are generally not included in the group I refer to when I use the term, "family"... as I reserve it for the core group that plays an active role.

So, you may have used your marvelous deductive skills to determine that I only have two cousins, and you would be correct. None of my dad's siblings have had any children. That means that the pool of grand kids has remained fairly small, which usually works out to our benefit. I, being the oldest, enjoy this fact immensely.

In the holiday season, I am reminded of the importance of family and the unusual nature of my own. Josh, my aunt's oldest, recently finished Marine boot camp and may not make it to NC for Christmas. Josh spent the past few years living with my grandparents, next door. So he was a regular dinner guest and I had to chase him off the xbox so I could watch TV quite a few times. He is a newly tattooed military guy now, still not sure how I feel about that. Sarah, my aunt's other child, is currently in the hospital. Her diagnosis is still undetermined, but she has been slow to respond to antibiotics and it doesn't look like she will be able to go home today. Sarah and I , being the oldest and the youngest as well as the only two females, experience a special bond, which includes a common attraction to musicians. :) We have been to more than a few concerts together, and my Chuck Taylor's passed to her when I retired them.

I only have two cousins, so they are rather important to me. We have been really close our entire lives. I see how my parents interact with their cousins (which is hardly ever) and I can't imagine being so distant from my own some day. Maybe the fact that there are so few will change the context, maybe we will be different. I hope so.

Either way, I am going to say a prayer for both of my cousins. Josh and Sarah, I hope that you have a wonderful holiday and I hope to see you soon.

Reflections on the Adventure of Life

My brother asked me a fairly simple question today... "what did you do this weekend?"... The better question may be, "what did I not do this weekend?"

Watched a movie. Went shopping. Saw a concert. Ate at IHop. Got out of my lease. Went to a museum. Had amazing pizza. Owned at Balderdash. Went to church. Served the homeless Thanksgiving dinner. Watched a play. Went to a party. Somehow I even managed to fit some sleep in there... not much though.

I have met so many amazing people since moving to DC, so you can imagine that the weekend festivities were that much better because of the people involved.

The past week has given me reason to reflect on how my current life in DC compares to life as I expected it, and even life as it was for the first two months I was here.

I have been telling people that the experience of moving to a brand new place with absolutely no connections, starting form scratch, has to be one of the best experiences of your life. I highly recommend everyone do so at some point in their lives. I have learned so much about myself and about the world, and therefore about God.

The really exciting part is that there is so much more to come. New adventures reveal themselves everyday. Life, even a month from now, could yet again look drastically different.

It looks like I may be switching up my living arrangement. I am excited by the prospect of having a place where I can cook and fellowship, where people can stay when they come to visit, and the flexibility to leave town! I am even excited about fostering community with roommates. It's an aspect of living that I have missed.

Next semester will bring a new schedule, a new internship... and who knows what else.

Whatever the circumstances, I have a feeling it will be jam-packed fun!

holidays

Why exactly do people find these nature sounds CD's so calming? It seems to me like someone recorded the sound of a single wave crashing on the shore with a crappy handheld tape player and then dubbed it to repeat. My head hurts.

I guess it does make me a little nostalgic. Even though I don't enjoy the beach like the average person due to extreme over-exposure... I can appreciate it, and it definitely brings back some memories.

Speaking of the beach, in exactly one month I will be on one... on some Caribbean island. Probably not soaking up the sun, (I wouldn't expect me to return with a tan :), but I am sure that I will occupy myself with some of the various excursions available. ...All while wearing sweat proof SPF 50.

The semester is really winding down and it seems to be shaping up nicely. Turns out I must be sorta smart, because I am not failing. I only have a few things (group project, 2 take-home finals) left and I should be done long before I leave town for the holidays.

It seems I may miss out on some of the holiday festivities in the DC area, I guess I shouldn't complain since I will be enjoying warmer climates and endless gourmet buffets... but I can't help but feel some sadness.

I will just have to wear my Cosby Christmas sweater on the cruise.

Turns out the January hosts the bigger holiday around here anyway, Inauguration day. I am sure the city will be flooded with feisty Democrats ready to enjoy their victory. A ridiculous amount of people are renting out space in their homes to strangers coming to town for the historic occasion. I expect many hilarious stories. Let's hope its not too cold... because it will be faster for me to walk downtown than to even try and move my car away from the nice curb where it will remained parked in my neighborhood.

At least we get a long weekend at school.

One week until thanksgiving!

...Can we stop the ocean sounds now!?

Further Thoughts on the Superiority of Thanksgiving

You know the real reason I prefer Thanksgiving over Christmas? The whole gift giving thing makes me uncomfortable. I have always been bad at it.

To be honest, I don't even really like to receive presents. The awkward moment where everyone is waiting for your reaction... the strange obligatory gratitude, and then the overbearing question of response... is a thank you card in order? A return gift? a second hug and grin combo?

The thing is, I am this way whether I love the gift or not. I seem to have an issue with obligatory emotion. It extends beyond gift receiving... people who fish for compliments, greetings at family reunions... anything non-organic/spontaneous... I can't bring myself to do it.

Gift giving at the holidays is the ultimate example. I may want to give you something, but the obligatory nature of it takes all of the fun out of the entire thing.

At Christmas time it can feel like a rat race. Trying to find the perfect gift, trying to make sure everyone is covered and no one's feelings get hurt... it multiplies the awkwardness of it all.

i'm just sayin...

Can we save Christmas?

It is really hard to believe that the holidays are already here. It was two weeks ago when I made my way to Target to discover it was already selling Christmas paraphernalia. Usually I would scoff at such a sight, but rather than my normal cynicism, I discovered a bit of excitement.

I am certainly not a grinch, but for the past few years in particular I have had a hard time experiencing the holidays with a joyful heart. Everything gets so twisted up in materialism and consumerism. I mean, Christmas movies have just become another excuse to make a crappy film with a thin plot about romance and still make money on it. Christmas music is about as unoriginal as it can be, and we all know that the actually 'original' songs are less than stellar. People go into debt to buy each other crap that doesn't mean anything but a temporary high that dies out a day later. I mean, I have written about that before... January becomes the most depressing month ever after they take down all the decorations and all we are left with is dead trees and bitter cold. What a downer! I am pretty sure more people suffer depression in the season right after Christmas than any other, but I have no hard facts to back that up.

I really do love Christmas, but I despise so much of the 'stuff' that surrounds it, that it may be hard for you to tell. Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday, you still get the [BETTER!] food, but the focus is on family and gratitude and that has seemed to stick over the years. Plus, you don't experience post-traumatic stress when it is over... of course that could have something to do with the next holiday. Either way, I stand by my assertion that Thanksgiving is far superior.

Whatever holiday we are celebrating, I have a feeling this year will be different. NPR agrees with me. It's funny how some economics instability can change your attitude. Consumer activity will suffer, people will have to be more creative with gifts and big fancy toys will be less common. I have to admit that I think the election may help as well. Patriotism is on the rise, almost like right after a terrorist attack, and that tends to bond communities together.

So many churches have already launched effort to transform their holidays through a reform of their giving. Imago Dei in Portland, Oregon last year challenged the entire congregation to make their gifts instead of purchasing them, and to use the money they are saving to build a well in sub-saharan Africa. They ended up with a half of a million dollars.

I don't have a blanket suggestion for what we should do to get this giving thing right this holiday season, but I think we can all use a little evaluation into our spending, whether for the holiday or just normal living, to look at what we value. I know I value new clothes more than I should. I realized this week that I go shopping when I am feeling insecure and even though I may mentally justify the purchase as a 'need,' I really want for nothing and I have an entire closet, a dresser, and two Rubbermaid containers full of clothes, half of which I never wear for no particular reason.

How can we approach this holiday season and stay focused on Christ and not Christmas? How can we get through December without viewing gift giving and receiving as a seasonal, obligatory, task? How can we start to view material things as what they are and not use them for emotional pick-me-ups? How can we learn to value relationships and people more than gifts and food? How can we learn to love others, even those we do not have relationships with, in this season... like we love ourselves?

These are the questions we ask every year. Let's try and answer them this time.

Can't we all just get along?

Well, today is a significant day in the history of... everything, really. Last night was about as memorable as it could be. Although I did not shed tears, my skin was covered in goosebumps for hours and I got chills at regular intervals. Needless to say, I am excited about the future of our country. Although I am sure Obama will disappoint a lot of people, I mean he IS NOT the messiah and he will will make mistakes, I think overall we will be much happier with the direction of the country once he has left his stamp on it.

There is a shadow over this day, a cloud threatening to ruin my good mood...
I have been laughing at facebook for more than 24 hours now. If my facebook friends determined the next president I have no idea who would have won because they seem pretty evenly split. Status updates ranged from declarations of pure ecstasy to pronunciations of doom. Everything from naming Obama as the anti-christ to labeling him the next Abraham Lincoln. oh my.

I have been disappointed in the reactions of many of my fellow Christians. I think that it is a negative reflection on the church and therefore Christ if we declare this election a determining factor in colossal terms. Our country is structured to prevent that. That is what checks and balances are all about! As Mr. Barnhill (my history professor) used to say, 4 years will go by before you know it and you will have another chance. One guy is not going to expedite Armageddon or turn us into a Communist nation! For those who wear their Republicanism as if it were their religion, let's remember that God IS in control. He determined the outcome of this election and even if it does mean the end of the world, do not be fooled... it is in HIS timing.

I have had a few laughs over the 'now I am leaving the country' remarks... let us remember that 8 and 4 years ago the tables were turned. I can remember people being outraged by Barbara Striessand and others comments in this vein. No one appreciated the remarks of similar nature from the other side, so please... be bigger than that.

Even though I am FAR from being a fan of the current President, I usually keep that to myself. He IS the President and I respect the office. Again, I have heard many conservatives complain about the vocal left voicing their opinions about Bush. Remember that now. We have a new president and he also deserves your respect... regardless of whether you agree with him or not.

We can take this day for celebration/mourning. But tomorrow, let us leave behind the divisive nature of the campaign trial and strive for unity in the next few months as we approach a changing of the guard. Regardless of your party affiliation or lack of it... I think we all know that our country needs some TLC over the next 4 years. We have some serious issues in front of us and we all need to be praying for wisdom for those in leadership.

The Beginning of the End

So a lot has happened in the past week...

My friend Jeni got married. I got to go home and see friends and family. I finally got my Flaming Amy's... and I finally got to vote.

It has been a long time coming. It was over a year ago that I started canvassing for this random democratic candidate... I was a registered republican with no former interest in politics, driving to South Carolina and knocking on doors in random small towns. Everyone told me I was crazy and that he would never make it past the primary... I am not going to say I told you so... because no one had any reason to believe me. This election defied reason, historical context, everything really. It was about as unexpected and out of the box as an election could be at this point in time.

Can I just say that either way... it is not the end of the world!

I heard three sermons about politics this weekend. None of them endorsed a candidate, but they all had a lot to say about the political process. To summarize the thoughts of all of them: the world will never become the Kingdom of God. We can not vote in the Kingdom of God... we can not even make the world MORE like the kingdom of God. We must vote, choose who we think is the best candidate, participate in the process... but we can not start to think that politics is the answer. One put it this way: say we vote in the right candidate who legislates all the right laws, makes all of the right choices and takes us in the right direction... we will still fall short. This is the thought that stuck out to me the most though... God is in control and His purposes will be served through either candidate. Therefore, the world will only end if He wants it to. :)

As for this weekend, it was really eye opening. I am glad that I got to see so many of my friends and family, but it was different than I thought it would be. It didn't feel right. It kind of made me wonder how I living in NC for so long. I didn't seem to fit there anymore. I got excited driving back into the city. It really is a neat place... the leaves are turning and my street has leaves of all shapes, sizes and colors. I have seen some amazing fall glory in my own backyard!

My favorite holiday (Thanksgiving) is right around the corner and I am excited about enjoying it in DC. Let's just hope from sweet potato casserole is involved!

Happy election day!