American Idol vs. American Freedom

A friend of mine made an excellent point via social networking the other day, that I hadn't thought of before, but got my thought process moving: how many people who vote for American Idol are registered/do vote in the American political elections?

I don't assume that people love politics like I do, nor do I assume that people care as much as I do. Which, is totally fine AS LONG AS the freedoms we get to enjoy as Americans are respected and appreciated. Regardless of which side of the aisle you support, freedom isn't free, and much has been sacrificed so that there may be opposite sides of the aisle.

All of that to say, does it strike anyone else as strange, that the American public gets more excited about voting for people who can sing than they do the people who run our beloved country? That the clothes they wear, the songs they sing, their backgrounds as individuals are more important than issues, laws, and our national security? Because it strikes me as such. Frankly, I find it sad. Granted, I'm not one who has ever enjoyed any of the reality TV shows, and I am certainly not implying that there is anything wrong with them. What I AM implying, however, is that there is a problem with this discrepancy.

Though my opinions of reality stars aren't to be coveted (I have zero respect for any of them, save those on the Home Makeover show, because at least they're doing something worthwhile), my opinions of a lot of politicians aren't really that much better (and yes, there are some Republicans that make me nauseas, just not as bad as Pelosi the Grossy). I do however feel that if you are going to have a platform on which to be heard, that you need to do something meaningful with it. While "meaningful" can be interpreted many ways, isn't it something that should be thought about?

Why is it that voting in an election is such a big deal? So hard? Such a hassle? Such an inconvenience? Why do people take it so for granted? The "uninformed" excuse baffles my mind. Whose fault is that? The "I'm only one person" does the same, given that you then shouldn't vote for anything because you will never be more than one. How has society as a whole managed to put who hits which note better in higher regard than what we pay in taxes or how many immigrants cross the border?

I'm sure this makes me sound like I'm 54 instead of 24, given that I may be the only 20-something girl to feel this way, but it's something that bothers me. I don't know what to do to fix it (I was taught that if you're bothered, you do something about it, don't just wait for someone else to do something), but I am going to give it ample thought. At least I know America is capable of having an opinion and voicing it... now, if only we could get on to the things that really matter...

Bullying

I meant to write about this last week, but alas, it didn't happen. But, better late than never, yes?

It isn't a secret to most how I feel about the man who currently occupies the Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I don't have to like him, but because I am called to respect the position, I will do my best to deal with that, but like the bumper sticker says, "don't blame me, I didn't vote for him!"

Last week, amidst all that is happening in our world, President Obama held a conference on bullying. I will preface all of this by saying, that the recent tragedies of kids taking their own lives under the pressure they face from cruel peers, is heart breaking. Kids are kids, and kids are MEAN. They always have been, but with the introduction of cyber-bullying thanks to social networking has really taken the issue to a higher level.

There are two parts to this post; part one: bullying. Part Two: the conference on bullying. So first of all, from what little I know/understand, bullying has morphed over the last 60 years from being pushed on the playground and stealing someone's lunch money to some conglomerate of verbal abuse and bringing guns to school. Because I wasn't there, I can't say that more modern bullying is worse than what Beaver Cleaver faced, but my feeling is that it might be. Somewhere between shows like the Real Housewives (gag), Mean Girls (shoot me now), and WWF (which I can honestly say I've never watched, but we've all seen the previews), fighting/drama/conflict/bitchiness has become the "it" thing. If you don't bully, you'll be bullied... so pick your poison.

That being said, I can say that I was bullied... but then again, who hasn't? Now, logic says to a kid, "hey don't pick on the big kid who is like 5x your size", but when the big kid is me (the girl who is a foot taller and wider than everyone else in class, but will cry if you look at her the wrong way) logic is defied. As I got older, who's fault was it? Mine. As Eleanor Roosevelt says, "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent". As I matured, it was my fault that I allowed myself to internalize people's words and actions.

I can honestly say that I have never been hit (praise the Lord) except of course the one time the lady ran into me with her car (different story for a different day). At age 24, there are several reasons: first, I'm an only child. I have no siblings to hit me. Second, I was blessed with the most loving parents imaginable (for which I don't take for granted, domestic abuse makes me want to throw up). Finally, I didn't need to be hit... I let people's words do the hitting for them, so they never needed to exert the effort. But let's be real, we all know what it's like to be hurt by others words and actions; that pain is the result of people bullying. Sometimes they mean it, sometimes they don't, but I'd be hard pressed to find anyone over the age of two who comes from a wonderful, full of love home, that hasn't been bullied to some degree.

All of that to say, when a kid's lunch money got stolen on the playground in 1955, that hurt. I'm sure it did; everyone wants to be accepted, and besides, everyone gets hungry at lunchtime! However, in 1955, when the bell rang, kids went home and were completely removed from the situation. In the 1990's when instant messaging was introduced (hello AIM and ICQ), it wasn't as easy to get away from (trust me, I know). Those words stung and cut and caused anger, tears, etc. But one of the biggest differences between then and now? Outside of someone talking about it later, it stayed between the two parties and wasn't on display for others to see. With Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc., any verbal damage can be viewed by the whole world... you've heard of viral videos on YouTube (prime example: kids beating other kids), but it is CRAZY how quickly making fun of others catches on... it spreads like wildfire (again, I've experienced both sides, one made me stronger, the other I still feel guilty about). Growing up is tough, but being ripped to shreds for the world to see exponentially increases the challenge.

The other part of this post, is my total disbelief that the president of the United States would hold a conference on bullying. He says it's because he was bullied... but um, excuse me sir, you're an idiot with big ears. Why wouldn't you be bullied? Oh by the way, who in the world (even those who are smart with normal sized ears) haven't been bullied? Are we supposed to feel sympathy for you? There is absolutely nothing that can be done in a lawmaker's office to fix the issue of bullying. Not only is the issue as old as time, it's individual and localized. It's a matter of changing culture, society, and relationship building to help the problem, however as long as there are humans, there will be bullying. We are a whole bunch of sinners living in a fallen world who all think we are super right 104% of the time (unfortunately, I am a prime example :/).

We are living in a time of unrest (the War on Terrorism, Egypt, Libya, guerilla warfare, Jihad, human trafficking, etc.). The value of the American dollar is falling, crime is rising, and in case no one has noticed, our politicians (on both sides of the aisle) are struggling to do anything productive. Maybe, just MAYBE law maker's (namely the head of this nation) should focus on those issues and butt OUT of the bullying issue... no law is going to change it. Empower the families, the teachers, the community to show a better way and do what we can to work with both the bullies and the bullied. Just a thought...

A trend, per se...

I certainly don't claim to be a Biblical scholar... my lack of the Word is nothing short of pathetic. Especially given my exposure to it in the past 24 years. I don't mean to be flippant about it, and especially don't mean to make excuses; I just don't want to claim to be something I'm not.

Despite 24 years of Sunday school, church, youth group, Christian high school AND college, etc. etc. I know the token verses, and a lot of the passages I have memorized aren't word for word and I couldn't give you the chapter and verse. Something I have been working on, and will continue to work on... since I didn't see the need to memorize content when I had scripture quizzes in school... just memorized 5 minutes prior for the grade (oh well, I guess hindsight really is 20/20).

However, BibleGateway.com, has become a close friend of mine as I learn more of the verses and where they are actually located in the books. Today, it pulled through once again. In the 19th chapter of Luke, when Jesus is coming to Jerusalem as a King, scriptures tell us...

³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

The 40th verse was my motivation for looking it up in the first place. If WE (as in the human race) cease to praise the name of THE Lord, HIS creation will do it for us. Now, to me, that raises several excellent points:

1. The inanimate objects we are surrounded by, that we say are physically unable to speak, are created by the One who created life, so obviously, they can praise. Along with that, everything they do (sit still like a rock, blow in the wind like a tree, etc.) they do for the glory of the Lord. Ouch, I can't say I do the same.

2. The Lord is WORTHY of praise... He can not not be praised. It is impossible. If we who He wants praise from choose not to do so, others will have to take our places.

3. Finally, if it gets to that point; the point where rocks are crying out in praise due to our silence, it is NOT going to be pretty. That is literally all I will say about that; it elicits no further explanation.

All of this to say, what a TRAGEDY it would be for creation to have to cry out in worship because we do not. Please note, that I am in no way saying that I cry out in praise as I should and I am aware of how much I am contributing to this issue, which is part of why I am writing of it in the first place.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist, or even someone like me (who is often several fries and a toy short of a Happy Meal) to realize that in the past oh, I don't know... 10 or so years, that natural disasters seem to happen more and more. In my personal memory, it feels like since the tsunami in India right after Christmas 2004, tsunamis (most recently Japan), earthquakes (New Zealand, Peru, Haiti), hurricanes (Katrina... lest you forget, check in with those from New Orleans), blizzards (hello winter 2010-1), etc. have been on the rise.

I am no theologian (please try to contain your shock), but it's my simple, ignorant, based on nothing more than a gut feeling, that the "rocks are crying out" per se. As we (humans, which unfortunately I am VERY much of one) continue to lose sight of what's important, and often neglect to praise and worship the One who is worthy, His creation feels the need to move (earthquakes), blow (hurricanes), and raise its hands (tornadoes) in our place.

Though I know our country is known as "Christian nation", is there really such a thing? Is that really an accurate name given that prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Nativity scene, and "God" can't be mentioned anywhere unless it is for use of irreverent humor? While I don't believe for a millisecond that the Lord is punishing these nations for neglecting Him, I do believe that the responsibility to praise is there, it is simply a matter of who it is fulfilled by; and I strongly believe that He'd rather hear it from us than those boulders, but that's just my thought. When the psalmist in Psalm 150:6 says, "let everything that HAS BREATH praise the Lord", he meant it. He wasn't referring to nature and objects... he was referring to those who have been given life.

My heart breaks for all who have been effected by these tragedies (most recently the Japanese) and my prayers go out to them (genuinely, not just because that's what you're "supposed to say"). I in no way mean to discount what has happened or trivialize the pain that people have felt. I pray that I (and many others) begin to take worship so seriously, that the boulders can go back to being big cement masses, the trees can go back to shaking their leaves (preferably regrowing green leaves for spring please and thank you) and that the oceans can go back to being serene bodies of crystal blue water. Naturally, this isn't just for their benefit... I believe that the manifestation of praise to the King in our lives will do wonders... for ALL. Praise be to the LORD.

Brandy Meets Daniel Powter

"Have You Ever" had a "Bad Day"?

You know, the day when...
...you sleep through your alarm
...wake up to a phone call that's the wrong number
...you trip and fall over a shoe as you pop out of bed
...put your contacts in the wrong eyes
...over cook your eggs
...your gas light is on and you're running late
...you pass out at the gym because you forget to take your medicines (ALL of them)
...run home to take them & get pulled over
...break a dish when you're making lunch
...spill the milk
...forget your list for Walmart and have to go back - twice
...get the date wrong on a meeting
...put shaving gel in your hair instead of shampoo
...realize you're out of soap with shampoo in your hair
...get chewed out by a guy who likes you that you don't like back
...burn your hand on the hair straightener
...trip over the dog's bone & fall down the stairs
All before 4:00?

Wouldn't that suck if that's how your Tuesday, March 1 was? If you're not sure, ask me and I will tell you.