Are you not only blind, but do you not hear?

I'm very frustrated with people. The past two days I've worked in my Dad's office helping him get caught up on some things. While I actually do love office work, I don't know how much I love the hardcore Republican office talk. I'm sick of hearing those who use public funded programs constantly being bashed. Not that I advocate freeloading by any means, but it's not the child's fault that it's mother is on welfare. So that child shouldn't suffer for the parent's poor choices. As opposed to completely abolishing programs such as welfare, why don't we reform them, and actually run/use them correctly (bizarre thought, I know). And if you're all SO against these programs that help those who are less fortunate than the rest of us, then can you please inform me of where the church is in all of this? Last time I checked, the Samaritan woman wasn't exactly religious, yet that didn't stop Jesus from ministering to her and changing her life. No wonder people don't take Christians seriously...we're greedy and self-indulgent.

Today while I was at work, a woman came in to talk about possibly applying for a job with our company. She expressed that she knew the company was run by Christians, but she herself was not a believer. The company she is currently working for claims to be a group of Christians, but she feels as though everything they do is for the money and recognition (surprise, surprise). She was very clearly a passionate person in regards to helping others. She believed that she & her husband had been helped when they were in a time of need, and owed the same kindness to those who were currently in need. Few times in my life have I met someone so passionate about the needs of others, or about anything worth-while for that matter. Where is this spirit within our church communities? We can spend $9 million on elaborate church buildings while completely ignoring the people in poverty across the street? Sounds like hypocrisy at its finest.

When are we going to stop worrying about our designer suits, trendy purses, and 8 oz. steaks, and look at the people down the street with one decent outfit, feeding their children Ramen for dinner. There is need all around us, it's not just in Africa or China. We send people all over the world to help those in need - not that that's a bad thing - but we completely disregard all of the destitution in our very country and even our own town...and dare I say in our circle of friends. God blessed many of us with more than we need, and what are we doing with it?

Everybody knows it sucks to grow up..

It's been a long, exhausting, frustrating, stressful week...and it's only Tuesday. Will it ever get easier?

I hope so.

What are you really fighting for?

I'm sick and tired of the constant debate about politics. Neither party is perfect, nor will it ever be perfect. When George W. was in office everyone blamed Clinton for the bad things happening during Bush's presidency, saying that a president deals with the consequences of poor decisions made during the previous term. Now, what I am so eager to understand is why Republicans were so adamant about blaming everything in Bush's time on Clinton, yet now that Obama has been in office for LESS than a year, everything he is doing and dealing with is his own mistake. If I'm understanding this correctly, won't Obama be dealing with Bush's mistakes for just as long as Bush supposedly dealt with Clinton's? His whole presidency. Let's not be ignorant now folks. A man cannot fix the problems of an entire country in 11 months, nor is it one man making all of the decisions. Did we all pay attention during American History when we learned of the other branches of the government and the system of Checks and Balances. People choosing to turn a blind eye and blame ONE person for the problems of this nation is infuriating. If you want things to change, GO DO IT YOURSELF.

There is always the argument that Obama may not be a Christian and that this country is headed for disaster if it does not get back to its Godly foundation. If I remember right, the country was founded on people escaping from oppression, only to oppress others. Doesn't sound very Godly to me. Last time I read my Bible, rarely were there Godly leaders. God's people asked for a leader. He told them they didn't want a leader, they would only be oppressed and unhappy. Yet, they still insisted on having a leader. Then, God chose a man as a leader, David. As I recall, even David pulled a Bill Clinton. Why do we all sit on our ass and complain that this country is going down because of the horrible leaders. How about the horrible people? Ghandi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Regardless of your religious stance, I find this statement to be valuable. You can sit back and complain that the president isn't doing enough in this area or that, but what have you really done to make a change? It's not about who is in office, it's about how you live your life that really matters. It's not about abortion being legal, it's about what you believe. It's not about what drugs are legalized, it's about your choice to not use them. It's not about what's in magazines and movies, it's about what you choose to expose yourself to. Focus shouldn't be put on the kingdom of this earth or this country, but on the Kingdom of God. So really, aren't you just wasting your breath talking politics if you're truly a believer? I say yes.