The Importance of Focus

The following is an excerpt from “Dealing with Depression”. This particular post I find personally relevant, but the other four on the website are equally as good.

Here is the excerpt:

Raining Inside

Just four months ago, I was able to purchase my first solo home at the ripe age of 29. The first two months were great; I spent most of my time unpacking and setting the house up the way I wanted it. But I eventually finished unpacking and there was nothing left to do but be there … alone.

Then my only sister and I got into an argument, and she quit speaking to me. This led to a fallout with my parents, and I was left with no one to talk to. As the depression started to sink in, I decided to drive to my parents' house to talk things over—only to discover they'd invited the family over for dinner but had failed to invite me.

That night, I drove all over the city, crying my eyes out and letting the depression set in deeper. When I got home, I didn't want to leave. The next Sunday, I didn't even set my alarm so I'd get up for church. The following week, all I did was come home from work, sit on my bed, and cry. Soon after, I couldn't even get out of bed. It seemed no one cared about me.

Then a line from an old Amy Grant song popped into my head: "I'm raining on the inside." That's what I was doing. I hadn't heard that song in more than 15 years, but God brought every word to mind. As I lay in bed singing this song out loud, the Lord met me. He reminded me I'm his child, and that if I looked to him, he would take care of me. I got out of bed and was able to make things right with my sister and parents. And I attended church the next morning. I promised God I'd never again let anything get in the way of honoring him.

In the days following my return to church, I heard from a friend I hadn't talked with in a long time. She needed some part-time work done and wanted to know if I was interested in helping her. She had no idea what I'd been through the previous weeks, but God did. He knew I'd probably face loneliness again, but he sent her to rescue me.

I've since finished the part-time work, but I'm not lonely or depressed. I know I might get depressed again in the future, but I also know God is right beside me no matter what.

-Becky

How music moves us...

I love music, as anyone might guess by my posting lyrics to many different songs on here.

I think this is an awesome story about how powerful music is...and most importantly, how powerfully the Holy Spirit can use it to move us in our lives.

Thanks to Johan Jordaan for sharing this very personal experience with the rest of us.

Me and Brandon, with the Des Moines skyline in the back!

This is the Des Moines, Capitol Library, the most awesome library I've ever seen.

Fireflies and Starlight

For Brandon

Waiting again for it to be over,
I knew it wouldn't last.
They never did.

I could hear it down the hall,
In my room, in my head.
I learned well how to pick up the pieces.

Like fireflies at twilight,
Burning bright, hot and true.
Then fading as quickly as they came.

I learned to leave before they went out,
It was safer that way.
I wouldn't have to see them die.

But fireflies are distracting,
To little girls captivated by their surroundings.
They don't learn to look up, to the stars above.

You came saying you wouldn't leave,
But I wanted to run.
I didn't want to have to pick up your pieces too.

With playful bouts of love,
You brought joy to a little girl,
Who thought it was only for fairy tales.

And now she is learning to look up,
To tell the difference between them and you,
Between fireflies and starlight.

Purposeful Devotion

Tell me it hurts you to hurt me,
Why do I have to threaten to leave,
Before you'll make me stay?

I want to know everyday how you cherish me,
So that a lifetime can accumulate,
And every ounce of it is filled with love.

It isn't easy to value someone,
It is easier to put it off when stressed,
But devotion isn't a matter of convenience.

Pondering meaning and purpose can be interesting,
But it doesn't get down to the realities of living.
Let's do that together, you and me, intent on one another.

Only Money can deter Conscious Indifference

As far as I can remember, I've be an ardent opponent of tort reform. I think it hurts society in ways that doctors and big business will never let you know.

That said, it is hard to help people really understand why astronomially high jury verdicts are actually good for law and justice. I can understand that...it certainly isn't intuitive.

The State Bar of Texas, in its 2006 Short Story Competition, awarded John Walton Brookman first place for his submission, "Final Judgment." Some snippets are blow to give you a feel for the story. I highly recommend reading it in its entirety...it is only 6 pages.

Plaintiff's Counsel:
...I’d already finished recounting the testimony the jury’d heard during the
previous two weeks of trial about Lupita Chavolla’s last trip to the swimming pool. Lupita was five getting ready to turn six when she sat down in the wading pool at the Cross Arbors Swimming Association. The jury had listened to the testimony of the witnesses who had heard her shrieks as the drain on the pool trapped Lupita in place and her mother unsuccessfully attempted to lift her out of the water. They’d heard the engineers testify how the suction had increased exponentially and the doctors testify how this amount of force had disemboweled
Lupita, leaving her, her intestines and her mother thrashing around in a hellish miasma of chlorine, blood and tears....

Defense Counsel's Rebuttal:
“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we all feel sorry for what happened here. Nobody has more sympathy for little Lupita than the fine people at Tranquil Pools. But we all assume risk when we enter the water. And certainly when we take our children to a swimming pool we have a duty to adequately supervise them.”

“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s what it boils down to: Money. M-O-N-E-Y. They want you to award millions of dollars. Well, let me tell you something, no amount of money is going to bring Lupita Chavolla back. A stack of money as tall as this building won’t bring her back.”

Plaintiff's Powerful Rebuttal:
"...The Chavollas don’t want your sympathy. And they darn sure don’t want the sympathy of those fine people at Tranquil Pools, Incorporated.

“Let’s talk about those fine people of Tranquil Pools, Incorporated. Let’s
talk about this corporation that is informed of tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy just like this one. This fine corporation that puts profits over the safety and wellbeing of the Lupita Chavollas of this world.”

“As far as the reason we are here today, well I think you know why. We are here to right a wrong. We are here to achieve justice so what happened to Lupita won’t happen to some other child. To ensure corporations won’t shred incriminating documents. We are here to punish a corporation that disregards the safety and well-being of the most defenseless members of our society: Our children.”

“But only money will deter this corporation’s conscious indifference to the welfare of our families in the future. Money is the only language this fine corporation comprehends. Based on their net worth, it’s obvious that it will take a pile of money as tall as this building to get their attention. Because, you see, partial justice is no justice at all. If you are as horrified at these facts as I know you must be, then let your voice be heard through your deliberate and reasoned verdict.

Praise You in this Storm

What follows are the lyrics to Casting Crown's "Praise You in this Storm", a great song for people going through tough times. I did not put the lyrics in order...because this way it conveys the message better.

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"
and it's still raining

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

Chorus:
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

A Favor

For the next several weeks, my professor will be out of town. I'm writing and compiling entries for his blog. If anyone who stops by here would go by a give my entries a hit, I'd be much obliged!

Romance

Relationships are quirky things, especially romantic relationships. Probably the biggest problem in my relatively limited life experience is that romantic relationships die without, you guessed it, romance. That is to say, courtship must involve romance and that romance must continue into marriage. This has nothing to do with love. Love is based on more than feelings. But if you have two couples, each married 50 years, the happier couple will be the one that has kept romance alive. Both couples can love one another, but it is just different with romance.

I came across an article on askmen.com about romancing women. Some of the suggestions were rather tacky I though since the end result was sex. While I understand that can be a very strong driving force, men, let me tell you this: if you want to make love to your wife, make the end result of your gesture her happiness, and the rest will follow...I promise.

The best suggestions I saw were:
1. Scavenger hunt
2. Tell her she is beautiful unexpectedly (via email, a phone call, a written note)
3. Actually write her a note, leaving it in her purse, on her car, or some other place she will find it. (How sweet!)
4. Cook her favorite meal
5. Take her on an "offical" date (for couples together after a long time)
6. Buy her a random, token present...something small just to show you were thinking about her.
7. Dance with her (fantastic idea!)
8. Randomly buy her flowers

Synthetically Yours,

Life is funny sometimes...often...almost always. We spend our lives being sold, at least here in the states and rapidly so in India and China. We are told how we need all these things that are foreign to our nature and our bodies. Plastic surgery is the most obvious example I can think of. Others would include steroids and diet pills and crazy anti-aging techniques (as if it isn't perfectly natural to age!)

Recently, I decided to start taking birth control. It is supposed to help with things like cramps, which I have struggled with forever, figuratively speaking. Well, to be quite blunt, these little synthetic hormones have wreaked absolute havoc on my body and soul. Heart flutters, anxiety attacks, nausea, mood swings, etc, have been the norm for me the past month and a half. And for what? What is the price I paid for being sold? We are always called to count the cost.

This brought to mind questions of reality. I discovered there is nothing in the world more real than a caring, merciful heart. I found that in my mother, who has spent hours talking me through my problems and finally convincing me that the birth control wasn't worth the price I was paying. That is real. Of course, parental love knows no limits. Even so, her gracious and loving spirit was a gift from Heaven when I most needed it; she has been there for me when no one else would or could be. I used to say, when I was young, that I sat in Heaven and picked her out to be my mom. There is absolute truth in that childhood statement.

Poetry in lyrics

I love how metaphorical this part of Julie Roberts' "Break Down Here" is:

I'd sure hate to break down here
Nothin up ahead or in the rearview mirror

Out in the middle of nowhere knowin
I'm in trouble if these wheels stop rollin

So God help me keep me movin somehow
Dont let me start wishin I was with him now

I made it this far without cryin a single tear
And I'd sure hate to break down
Its too late to turn around
I'd sure hate to break down here

Mountain of God

Mountain of God - Third Day

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God

As I travel on the road
That You have lead me down
You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me
I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
That You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

I confess from time to time
I lose my way
But You are always there
To bring me back again

Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from
And the things I've left behind
But of all I've had, what I possessed
Nothing can quite compare
With what's in front of me
With what's in front of me

Welcome Home

I love Brian Littrell (yes, of Backstreet Boys fame...lol). From everything I've seen, he is a committed father and husband and is serving the Lord through his music. His first single was "In Christ Alone". His latest song is fantastic, and I'm reproducing the lyrics below.


Welcome Home - May 2006.

When I left home to be who I am
Some people said "No Way"
But I laid it all down, gave everything
In my head rang the words that my father said

You're never far
I will be where you are
and when you come to me
I will open my arms

Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it's good just to see your face.

When I look at you holding my heart
I will give to you all that I have
Son I know there'll be times
You will feel all alone
I will share with you the words my father said

You're never far
I will be where you are
and when you come to me
You can bet I will open my arms

Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it's good just to see your face

Said I've been waiting for that day
Just to feel your warm embrace
Your love has shown
I will never be alone
You will welcome me home

I'll forever be
You will say to me
Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it's good just to see your face

When I left home to be who I am
Some people said "No Way"

Thoughts worth more thoughts

For You

It’s hard to read a life in a moment,
Yet so many people try.
But judgment without revelation,
Is a blind substitute for truth.

So many people rant against conformity
And then live by it.
I’ve formed a strengthened character outside their box
Can’t you see it, or do you crave their world?

Death breeds perfection and idols,
Other losses, much the same.
I never claimed to tread the skies with the angels,
But I’ll give you the world inside my heart.

It’s hard to do the right thing,
When the thing that saved you before was wrong.
It is the fear of all that could be that makes us run,
Because we know exactly what we could loose.

So now I’ll face that pain I knew before,
But this time I’ll stay.
Not because I’m stronger or better in anyway,
But for you.

My goodness

A quick blog from work....

You gotta love it when you open a file to investigate and you run into "Pleadings: Volume 1 of 5".

End the pain now...!!

Atlanta Road Trip

Cassandra, Me, and Brandon

I'm being attakced!

I'm laughing my butt off at Cass

Amy and Dave, the cuties!

Penguins!

Big fat shark, Jaws 4

The Monster from Beneath!

Nemo at the Atlanta Aquarium

What are you looking at?

Fountain at the Horseshoe Casino, Shreveport LA

Atlanta Skyline

My Daddy's Homestate!

The Mighty Miss...

Now he works out!

Time Value

A last word from my Tax Prof, the Great Hatfield,

"You only have a certain amount of time. And when it is over, you are dead. Don't try to be the best at everything. It really isn't that important."

Pastoral Advice

In one of his daily emails, my pastor was discussing Acts 1:8. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

He goes on to say: Being a witness sharing Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spiritis the supreme service of every child of God. It is not only a mark of spiritual maturity, but it is also a means of developing that spiritual and Christian maturity. In Mark 1:17, Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." If you're following, you should be fishing!

He ended the email saying that if you are following Christ, then you should be fishing for men.

Apologizing in advance for the sarcasm, I must say...Dude, what do you think women have been doing for centuries?? Fishing! For men! I think it is about time we re-stocked the lake since I've taken the only good fish in there! ;)

Say what? Line 48 conspiracy

The sticky-smiled politicians have another card up their sleves. You know all those tax cuts way back when in 2001? I suppose it was a great election bargaining chip at some point, but tax payers are starting to notice something called The Alternative Minimum Tax.

The Alternative Minimum Tax is an alternative to the income tax…and it is to ensure that every single tax payer pays something. No one who gets an ecnonoic benefit gets to skip out, not the super-rich, not the burger flippers.

Every tax payer is obligated by law to compute their income tax liability and their alternative tax liability and pay the greater of the two. Just see line 48 on the 1040 form! The AMT is covering more and more people because it is not indexed for inflation, and people are paying less and less in income tax because of tax cuts. The AMT was designed to account for the super-rich, but more and more people who aren't super-rich are paying this. By 2010, about 30 million tax payers will be paying this. Most married couples who make over 100k will pay this today.

You know, every single congressman who voted for the tax cuts knew about the AMT. The government has to be funded somehow, right? It would be nice if our elected representatives were a little more forthright about what they are actually doing! Then again, what kind of politician is upfront? None that I know of!

For more information on the Alternative Minimum Tax, click here.

Daddy, may I?

So, the dean of Baylor Law School thought it would be a good idea to close off the library during finals for his son's prom date. Say what? You have to wonder how the son begged and whined.

Link Here

Easter Pics

Brian the Drunkard...look at the size of that drink!


Brad and Crystal


Brandon and I, after church at Brian's place


After church at Brian's place


Me and B, on our way to church


My awesome friend Jen!


Doh! Weggie!

Eternal Games

I love C.S. Lewis. His brilliant prose have inspired me in so many ways. There is an article called The Screwtape Emails that continues the dialogue from The Screwtape Letters. Here are a couple of paragraph that hit very close to home for me.

"You have a solid foundation to work with: Her concept of Father is completely whacked. With the various vermin known as motherÂ’s boyfriends, and the long absences between them, and then that odd relationship with her biological father, there is hardly a chance of her finding any comfort in that despicable metaphor of our Enemy as a loving Father."

"Why don’t you hook up your subject with a nice intellectual, moral fellow? He'll give her all the attention she desires, and he'’ll agree with most of those dogmas she hears in class. Keep her focused on the goodness of his actions, and assist her in noticing the constant failure of Christians to live up to their own ideals. Soon you will have her believing that the old mores are unnecessarily restrictive, and she will do even those things she now thinks she'’ll never do. (What a glorious day that shall be!)"

"Well done! In record time, you have made your subject almost certainly ours! You talked her right out of that nonsense about her body being the temple of the Holy Ghost; you even led her away from thinking that her identity is more than her corpus. You numbed her mind with ambivalence until she experienced herself only as a center of physical pleasures and pains; after that it was a snap to lure her into her first sexual experience. She walked right into your net, her soul completely cut off from its origins."

"If she does start to show remorse, pile on the guilt to create secrecy, spin secrecy to create paranoia, and use the paranoia to cause her to interpret every smile as a sign that the Christians around her must be judging her, and the next thing you know, she will be avoiding church altogether and finding comfort in the company of people closer to Hell than herself."

Of course, as per my immediately previous post, God's forgiveness is boundless. Sin is a part of life for everyone; unfortunately, repentance isn't. Faith is of course the key. Perhaps the truest test of our heart's desire is how we respond when the Holy Spirit moves us to make a choice we would rather not make, i.e., ending the sin. This is the third time in my life I've had to make such a choice, but at least this time I have someone to make the choice with me.

Lessons from a sinner

The bible is the best script for our lives. Life is tough; it is full of tough choices and tougher consequences. Who better to learn from than one of my favs, King David. A man after God's own heart, David screwed up a number of times. I ran across a short compilation of verses on the net (yes, surfing when I should be studying)

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever;

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

My President's Tax Return

Here is President Bush's tax return, presented for public scrutiny.

My Points of Funniness:

1. His address lists a P.O. box, even though the instructions say not to do that. The P.O. Box is in a state where he has never lived. Is it any secret that he lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave? Also, he chose a state that has a sales tax. Hello, why not just pick good ol' TX?

2. He did NOT donate to the Presidential Election Campaign fund!

3. See line 8b. That is where the interest earned on tax-exempt bonds (such as GOVERNMENT bonds) would be listed and excluded from income. Notice this line is blank! Let me think...the president of the United States doesn't invest in government bonds. Does he know something we don't??

4. The President had $50,000 in capital losses. Wow. Who is his investor?? Though he only got to deduct $3,000, he at least gets to spread these losses over the next several years. Hopefully he will fire the current guy and use these to offset some future gains maybe?

5. See Schedule A, line 15b. That is the place where you could exempt donations to Katrina victims. The line is EMPTY! Hmmmmmm. He did give $75,000 to other charities.

6. President Bush didn't even sign his tax return. Neither did the first lady. At least he got to put "President" as his occupation. That would be cool!

Political Note: This entry was not intended to be partisan in any way. I'm a conservative independent. These were just some funnies from tax class in Texas.

A Big Congrats!

I want to send out a HUGE congratulations to my very good friend Mrs. Amy Brown!! She got a job at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) for the summer!!!

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20)

What an honor to have such a smart lady as my friend!

My Lord, My God

He Ain't The Leavin' Kind - Rascal Flatts

They tried their best to drag him out
of a courthouse down in montgomery
Now they want to kick him out of school
and take him off our money
They can take those words off of paper and stone
but he aint gone, no

He ain't the leavin' kind
He'd never walk away
Even from those who dont believe
and wanna leave him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind

She stayed mad at him for a lot of years
for taking her husband
Started losing her faith and thinking that
her life meant nothin
but when she looks at those kids
she raised all by herself
she knows she had some help
yeah she knows

He ain't the leavin' kind
He'd never walk away
Even from those who don't believe
and wanna leave him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind

No matter what you do
No matter where you go he's
always right there
With you

Even from those who don't believe
and wanna leave him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind

My Flowers.....

Mis Floras....aren't they beautiful??

Shout Out

So, apparently Katie Holmes, as goes the Scientology practice, is going to have to remain silent during the birth of her and Cruise's child. WHAT???? I repeat, WHAT????

"The couple — following the Scientology tradition of a silent birth — had the posters delivered to their Beverly Hills mansion. The 6ft placards will be placed so Katie can see them in labour. One reads: “Be silent and make all physical movements slow and understandable.‚” Story Here

From what little I can understand, this may have something to do with the idea of "impressions" scientologists believe we have on us. I guess they don't think it is such the good thing for a mom to be screamin' like a banshee when her baby boy/girl comes into the world.

All I can think to say now is, Absolutely Amazing.

Little Girls, Dreaming

Sneaking peeks at Christmas presents. Watching Shirley Temple movies with my dad. Watching my mom apply her makeup before work. Writing made-up newspaper stories and poems. The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Sneaking outside to feel the grass beneath my feet. Asking Santa to tell Jesus happy birthday on his fly-by. Shoes that tap and skirts that twirl.

For the ladies, Faith Hill's "Fireflies".

Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them prince
And made myself a queen
And before you knew me I'd traveled 'round the world
And I slept in castles
And fell in love
Because I was taught to dream

I found mayonnaise bottles and poked holes on top
To capture Tinker Bell
And they were just fireflies to the untrained eye
But I could always tell

Cause I believe in fairy tales
And dreamer's dreams
Like bedsheet sails
And I believe in Peter Pan
And miracles, anything I can to get by
And fireflies

Now before I grew up I saw you on a cloud
And I could bless myself in your name
And pat you on your wings
And before I grew up I heard you whisper so loud
Well life is hard and so is love
Child, believe in all these things

Double Take

All I have to say is, "Ummmmmmm...."



Thanks to the Pink Kitty Blog for the funny photo. Or as they called it, a "hat tip". Ha!

Hoping for Failure

Anyone else hoping Walmart's newest store will fail?

I know exactly where this store is...and I say, Come on Dallas, Richardson, and Plano! Leave the expensive stuff to Saks, Bestbuy, Brooks Brothers, Baby Gap, etc!

I'm just so sick of Walmart. Ugh. (And in case you are wondering, no, I do not shop there any longer).

Error Issues

If anyone actually reaches this blog over the next few days, here is the reason why it has been down.

Thoughts on Blogging

The New York Daily News published an article on potential employers and the growing prevalence of Google as an interview tool. Likewise, blogs are coming up. As would be expect, what people thought may be private or only read by their friends is, of course, available to anyone to read...including those potential employers.

Well...I'm not really sure what to say. As a non-anonymous blogger myself, I'm sure it wouldn't be very difficult for a law office I was applying at to see my blog. Would I be judged based on what I've written here? Would it be favorable or not?

For fear that I would not be judged on my merits (I'm in the top of my class and a VERY hard worker), I'm actually thinking of taking my profile down to make this a bit more anonymous. If anyone who comes by here has any thoughts, please let me know via e-mail or comments.

Getting Serious about Getting Married

I was going to write a review about Debbie Maken's Getting Serious about Getting Married, but a very good one has already been written - A Wistful Maiden's Ponderings: "Getting Serious about Getting Married" - book review

And here

Disagreeing with Maken (and see my comment): here

Am I ever delighted that this topic is hitting the blogosphere so quickly! Let's get the conversation started!

A Whole New World

I will attempt to keep this post from turning into a tirade against the fashion world.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I rarely follow entertainment or fashion news. Quite frankly, I find I have better things to do than read gossip about people I don't know and worry about whether the color of my t-shirt or my pants length is "in". I was completely and blissfully unaware that shoes have a season. I really had no clue!

To my chagrine, entering the professional world means paying some attention to the fashion world. My goal will of course be to get classic pieces. Why do I want something sitting in my closet that I am not "allowed" to wear? This "what not to wear" idea goes to the large social schematic of our society. Raised on consumerism, we focus on false and empty materialistic ideas. Nonetheless, I will have to play the game to some extent; I can no longer be the fashion bench warmer I naturally am. However, I will maintain some integrity. I will not buy the latest trend just because. If it is classic enough to last and comfortable, then I will purchase it.

A note on judgment: you know, a person's worth is certainly not determined by the clothes they wear. I've found many people judge others depending on whether those people are fashion conscious. If we form any opinion of a person, let it be based on their spirit...their spirit for giving, their capacity for loyalty, their strong faith. My handbag doesn't tell you a darn thing about who I am...only that I needed a purse that was big enough for all my stuff, black to match everything, and priced so that I could afford it, while it would last.

Disclaimer

The funny thing about blogs is this: people read them! Some 1L here at Tech posted a comment about clothing at Board of Barrister competitions. (For the uninitiated, Board of Barristers is a competition for the highly motivated...which I am not!). Well, keeping in line with what I'll call "1L madness" (referring to the fact that 1Ls keep mass emailing all the other students), some other 1L thought he should forward a link to all the other students.

Somewhat of a Disclaimer: While I take full responsibility for all posts I make, if anyone gets the bright idea to forward a link to the entire law school from my blog, please do me a favor...correct any typos you find! I really cannot spell to save my life.

Somewhat of another Disclaimer: If I ever offend anyone, please know it is completely unintentional. I use this small spot of e-space only in the hopes that my random thoughts may someday coalesce into something more worthwhile when taken as a whole.

Waiting On God

"I don't mean just thinking. I mean thinking with a difference — trusting God to make things clear in His own time, thinking in a spirit of adoration, of dependency, of trust. That includes trust that He is, in fact, changing your mind."

"In Romans 12:2, Paul writes 'Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove' — that means 'discern' — 'that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.' Do you see what he's saying? He seems to think that the key to 'proving' or discerning the will of God isn't getting a certain kind of experience in the mind, but getting a certain kind of mind. Paul wants our minds to be 'renewed' through surrender to His will."

Not "God, my mind is all ready, so drop some thoughts into it..." "He made your mind to think, so don't let your mind just lie there — think. But think in His presence."


---From "The Lord Told Me (Part 1 of 2)", by J. Budziszewski, Boundless.org.

Tell it like it is...

"The [Massachusetts] state pharmacy board ordered Wal-Mart on Tuesday to stock emergency contraception pills at its stores in Massachusetts.

"Massachusetts becomes second state to require the world's largest retailer to carry the morning-after pill.

A Wal-Mart spokesman said... "Clearly women's health is a high priority for Wal-Mart," spokesman Dan Fogleman said. "We are actively thinking through the issue."

My Personal Thoughts: Since when has the morning after pill or any of its successors had much to do with women's health? A woman is not diseased if she is pregnant, though many feminists seem to think so. I understand, though I do not agree with, the argument about abortions for women who are raped or who might die during the birth process. However, if a woman has been raped or is facing pregnancy complications, she should be in a hospital getting proper medical attention, not in Wal-Mart buying drugs. Therefore, the only woman likely, I would think, to be the intended consumer of such a product would be the woman who thinks she might have messed up with her birth control and just wants to make sure...

But then again, maybe this is a health issue...a mental health issue. Women need to stop seeing their bodies as objects to use for their own satisfaction. Women who feel entitled to have sex out of wedlock and who feel justified in using various contraception methods and abortion if necessary to maintain some plastic notion of freedom...these women are simply insane.

Set aside the notion that there is some form of freedom in wordly views. Women are not free when they can kill their babies and have sex with men who are neither in love with nor committed to them. Freedom can only be found when you stop following the dictates of a blind society and start following the truth that is written in your heart.

V-day Philosophy

...speak of one who loved not wisely, but too well.

- Othello.

Lesson of The Day

It is better to be a seal than a penguin.

Facing Ghosts: more on courtship

The pain of heartbreak for me has been linear in nature: the more trust involved, the more pain felt. I think it is quite possible to trust someone more than you love them. The worst kind of heartbreak is the kind where love and trust are equal, and in great amounts...that pain can be almost unbearable.

I've been broken up with before...I've also been the one to do the breaking. It sucks, either way. The term "breaking up" is very apt. Whether or not you are physically involved, there is always an emotional "oneness" that is created during the dating process. Knowing what it means to give yourself to a person takes a lot of heart. In her article, "Why Breaking Up is Hard To Do", Sara Hinlicky wrote about a guy named James who was dumped by a girl named Cindy.

He is the one who really understood what was at stake in their romance. It wasn'’t an arrangement designed to be temporary or merely preparatory for something else. He saw, and felt in his heart of hearts, the profound spiritual implications of his intimacy with Cindy. It was a sacrifice of himself to her that required incredible trust. He willingly blended his identity with hers;

James was heartbroken when Cindy broke-up with him. She wasn't. She moved on. He struggled. I can't say how long any one person struggles or not with such a problem, but it is a tough road for the person who really knows what dating and courtship and emotional intimacy bring.

For the givers out there who give their hearts freely, with complete trust...be more discerning. I speak with experience over many years. I've had to face those ghosts too...the questions with no answers. "Why me? What is wrong with me? Why aren't I good enough? How do I lack...how can I fix it? Don't I have value?" The ghosts of the "exs". The ghosts of regret.

Toward the end of her article, Hinlicky says that perhaps we really aren't one until we are married to that person God has intended for us. Maybe she is right, I certainly do not profess any aptitude for maritial theology. What I do know is this: in marriage, we are one before God; as a married couple, we should build each other up, not tear each other down; my husband should complete me in ways that I am incapable of filling, and I should complete him in the say way.

Reason from Above

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord" Isaiah 1:18.

Many times, I've been chastised in my life for my faith, that faith is without reason. I quite disagree. Faith is the highest form of reason...requiring the utmost in mental commitment from the person in which it abides. And since our relationship with God is based on faith...in Christ..."[i]t is important to realize, [when talking with God], that one is having a discussion. Religious thought is not an abdication of reason or discussion; it is simply reasoning and discussion by other means." (Nate Olman on God and taxes).

It is a plain man indeed that finds solace in mere logic and philosophy.

In Memory

In memory of my Aunt Prissy, who passed away yesterday of cancer at 49 years old.

More on tax treaties

In this post on the Tax Prof blog, the issue of tax treaties comes up again. (See this previous post).

As a general note, I think I find the U.S. entering into treaties that submit the people of this nation to foreign power a bit unconstitutional. (Please add a note of sarcasm to the word "bit").

And you think taxes are bad now...

Can you imagine having taxes on global e-commerce? Ack! Tax Prof blog has a post here, and I have copied the abstract below, regard global taxation.

This paper assesses national and international responses to tax challenges presented by cross-border electronic commerce. Almost ten years after these challenges were first identified, a survey of national government reactions shows that many countries have not passed any significant tax legislation or administrative guidance with respect to the taxation of global e-commerce. This lack of action at the national level can be explained in large part by the leadership role taken by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in developing the guiding principles and, subsequently, the tax rules to confront the e-commerce tax challenges. The OECD’s general success with e-commerce tax reform demonstrates the potential of the OECD to act as a kind of informal (lower case) world tax organization, which emphasizes deliberation, consensus-building and the use of non-binding mechanisms such as the OECD model tax treaty. Moreover, the OECD’s success suggests that calls for a more formal (upper-case) World Tax Organization, which could impose binding tax rules on participating nations, may be misplaced.

The Coolness of Tax

The government will always get its own...

Take for instance this article on the Tax Prof blog.

"Having someone else pay your taxes can get tricky, since the government counts the amount that person pays as taxable income. "

Gary Allan - The One

No rush though I need your touch
I won't rush your heart
Until you feel on solid ground
Until your strength is found, girl

I'll fill those canyons in your soul
Like a river lead you home
And I'll walk a step behind
In the shadows so you shine
Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Somebody else was here before
He treated you unkind
And broken wings need time to heal
Before a heart can fly, girl

I'll fill those canyons in your soul
Like a river lead you home
And I'll walk a step behind
In the shadows so you shine
Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Trust in me and you'll find a heart so true
All I want to do is give the best of me to you
And stand beside you

Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Good Thought

“I WOULD RATHER TEMPORARILY FAIL WITH A CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SUCCEED, THAN TO TEMPORARILY SUCCEED WITH A CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL.” –WOODROW WILSON

A funny...

From BuffaloWings&Vodka, a funny thought.

Things your law professor is doing instead of grading your exam:

....Looking at the webcounter he's installed to see how many times you've checked your grades, and laughing....

All law student's know how true that seems!!

Spirit of the Law

Every law student knows about IRAC (or the newer CREAC). Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion. The crux of it, that which determines the top and bottom half of the class, comes from knowing the rule and applying it to the facts presented. That is what lawyers do...why they are paid so much sometimes. They have to use their minds to take a rule that can seem impersonal and distant on paper and apply it to a real scenario, involving real people.

It is application that makes those stale words in books come alive. More and more, I'm understanding that is what I need to do in my life as a Christian. In the song "Everything to me" by Avalon, the lyrics go like this:

I grew up in Sunday school
I memorized the Golden rule
And how Jesus came to set the sinner free
I know the story inside out
I can tell you all about
The path that led Him up to Calvary
But ask me why He loves me
And I don't know what to say
But I'll never be the same
Because he changed my life when He became...

Everything to me
He's more than a story
more than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breath
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything, everything to me

Living in a modern world, it is sometimes hard to remember that Christ really did live those words written in the bible. He cast out demons, raised the dead, walked on water, and most important, took the sin of the world with him on the cross and conquered death for us. The significance of that is hard to grasp until you really dig into scripture and see how we are suppose to live. However, the first step is to realize that those stale words on the page won't mean anything to us individually until we apply them to our lives.

I Am, Part 2

In a previous post I talked about Nicole Nordeman's song, "I Am". I've been listening to the song so much lately because of hard times in my life, I'm publishing the song's lyrics in full below:

Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn't always this tall
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed.
You watched my team win, and watched my team lose
Watched when my bicycle went down again

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
And I said Elbow Healer, Superhero, come if you can
You said, I Am

Only sixteen, life is so mean
What kind of curfew is at 10 pm?
You saw my mistakes and watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I'd never love again

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
And I said Heartache Healer, Secret Keeper, be my best friend
You said, I Am

You saw me wear white by pale candlelight
I said 'forever' to what lies ahead
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is 2 am.

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
Oh, Shepherd Savior, Pasture Maker, hold on to my hand
You said, I Am

The winds of change and circumstance
Blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that's familiar
And bless the moments that we feel you nearer

When life had begun I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne
Who can say when, but they'll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home

I will be weak, unable to speak, still I will call You by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer
Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and the End
I Am, I Am

KLove Ministry

There is a radio station I listen to here in Lubbock. I'm not sure from where, but it is sydicated nationally and anyone can listen via the internet.

They are funded through pledge money from listeners, and they failed to reach their goal during the Fall Pledge Drive. Therefore, they are doing a year-end pledge drive.

One guy called in who said that while he and his wife cannot afford much, they both received the same message from God that they should give monthly to the KLove ministry. They are selling their house and some of their things so they can get financially back on track...but in the mean time, they are donating.

Relying on Malachi 3:10-11, the man said that God has all the money in the world; He doesn't need our money, he needs our trust, our faith.

I say, Amen.

KLove

A resolution worth keeping

From Dr. Jack Graham, Dallas TX:

You probably know the story of Simon Peter, a sometimes brash and confident fisherman, who denied Jesus just as the Lord predicted. When Peter realized his sin, he wept bitterly and went away into the darkness of misery. But that same Peter who had been outside the love of God and having denied Christ moved back into the arms of Christ because of forgiveness. He was renewed, restored, and recommissioned.

He went from that time of turmoil in his life to be ignited by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and become the greatest preacher and Apostle of the first century. Why? Because Jesus said he was going to build His church on people, just like Simon Peter, who are frail, fragile, and often fall, but that also desire to wholeheartedly love, follow, obey, and live for Him.

It may be that in the days of this past year, you’ve found yourself living in denial of your faith at certain times. Maybe you’ve walked away from the love of God or found yourself distracted and unfocused when it comes to your relationship with Christ. Pray that Christ would bring you back into a spirit-filled relationship with Him and that He would reignite your heart on fire for Him.

In the coming year, commit yourself to the spiritual exercise of your soul. Build yourself up in Christ through faith, ground yourself in Jesus growing into spiritual maturity, and live fully in the love of God. Do you want to stay in the love of God during this coming year and those after? Then stay in the Word of God!

YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION SHOULD BE TO BUILD YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE UP EVERY DAY THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST AND IN HIS HOLY WORD.

Guardianship

I'm taking a short course this next semester on Guardianships. I found the following blog post on my professor's website incredibly interesting and thought it was worth an entry on my own blog.

Here is the link

A list to think on

I took this list from another blog. I thought it sounded great...

1. Parents ... have wisdom of gold that is not taken until long after it is given.
2. My greatest ... fear is being left alone.
3. I secretly ... wish I had a room full of books that I could work through at my own pace.
4. The problem with ... problems is that they never go away.
5. My mother used to ... get up early in the morning to go to work, and I would sit in her bathroom door and watch her get ready.
6. Women ... love and feel things deeply.
7. Men ... smell great - sometimes!
8. I hate ... (am massively irritated by) slow drivers.
9. Long ... lines help me build by patience.
10. Being young ... is over-valued, because there is rarely much wisdom in youth.
11. Aging ... is under-valued, because there is quite often a lot of wisdom in age.
12. I love ... good coffee, chocolate, and sunrises.
13. People tend to ... refrain from speaking their minds.
14. My favorite ... thing to do is watch movies.
15. I'm getting better at ... learning to let my issues go.
16. I wish ... I could lie under a blanket of stars and try to count them.
17. Some things ... are of little consequence, despite the value we try to give them.
18. In a year ... I hope I will have found a job that I love.
19. Children ... have enough innocence to give them wisdom beyond their years.
20. I would like to be ... Christ-like in everything I do.

Back in the Saddle

So Christmas is over, and the New Year is right around the corner. Colorado was absolutely fantastic...pics coming soon. I'm back in The Big D visiting my family...but once I return to good ol' Lubbock, just wait! Regular posting will start once again (whereas they ended right before finals) and I'm doing a re-organization of the entire blog.

Hope everyone is having a great time of year! I'm off to Bath and Body to buy 5 Anti-bacterial soaps for $10...lol. Gotta keep those hands clean and smellin' good!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

I'm finally done with finals!!

Woooohoooo!!!!!!!

Now, off to Colorado and then Dallas. Awesome! Here I come oh snow!

The End of Courtship, Part 1: a commentary

In a recent conversation, I posed the question, "What sets me apart from other girls?" The answer surprised me...because it was rather bland. Though token thoughts were offered, ultimately, nothing was offered.

For the first time in human history, mature women by the tens of thousands live the entire decade of their twenties — their most fertile years — neither in the homes of their fathers nor in the homes of their husbands; unprotected, lonely, and out of sync with their inborn nature.

A century ago, things were much different.

In polite society, at the beginning of this century, our grandfathers came a-calling and a-wooing at the homes of our grandmothers, under conditions set by the woman, operating from strength on her own turf.

I write a lot of entries on dating...not because I have some aspirations to be an informal social theorist or the like...but because I am in the midst of it. I want to get married. I'm not saying tomorrow, but I greatly desire to find a Godly man who will be the spiritual leader of my home. He will make me and our children feel cherished; he will see me as God sees me - as one of a kind.

One of the problems with dating today is that it has turned from courtship, in which two people yearned for each other, to advertising. Today, we sell ourselves; we are commodities on an open-market; free-trade princples are the rule.

Those women and men who get lucky enter into what the personal ads call LTRs — long-term relationships — sometimes cohabiting, sometimes not, usually to discover how short an LTR can be. When, after a series of such affairs, marriage happens to them, they enter upon it guardedly and suspiciously, with prenuptial agreements, no common surname, and separate bank accounts....

A fine woman understood [way back when] that giving her body (in earlier times, even her kiss) meant giving her heart, which was too precious to be bestowed on anyone who would not prove himself worthy, at the very least by pledging himself in marriage to be her defender and lover forever.

Defender and lover forever...how fantastic. I dream of the day that a man tells me that he wants to be my defender and lover forever. There are two men in my life that will never leave my heart...even if they leave this world, I know they are still with me: my father and my brother. I know that both of them love me beyond reasoning (for real love cannot be lowered to the level of mere logic)...I am their daughter and sister. I pray simply that someday, a man will cherish me enough...love me enough...be able to see the woman that is uniquly me...to be my defender and lover forever.

Thought of the Week

Speaking as a woman...men, listen up. I have some great advice for you.

The key to a woman's heart is this: courtship. Women want to be courted...they want romance.

Learn the art of courtship, and you are 90% of the way there.

Of course, knowing what is involved in actually courting a woman is a whole other matter....

Halloween Pics

My Costume...Meow!


The Trunk!

These are from "Trunk or Treat" at my church. Good times!

Separation of Church and Church

I was priviledged recently to engage a good friend of mine in a theological discussion about the role of doctrine in the lives of Christians and the Church as a whole. It was my view that the idea of doctrine leans toward religiosity, which I try to avoid at all costs because I think it tends to separate the body of Christ more than unify it. She clings quite closely to that same doctrine that I try to avoid, because she says that the church's doctrine (Catholic, Methodist, Church of Christ, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc.) defines the sermons it gives, the activities it engages in, etc.

During our discussion, I could feel her putting up a wall. Since then, I learned that she went away feeling that I did not respect her position, that I had preached at her, and that she felt I was ignorant in "my" church's doctrine and should learn about it. I am hurt by what she said because I tried very hard to remain relaxed and open during the entire conversation. Her exact words in her later email were,

"I was totally shocked at how uneducated you were about your denomination. I know you don't like denominations, but regardless, this is your chosen one at the moment. I think education is key to anything and you can't just say, well I read the Bible, that is all that matters."

I would like to argue that I can say that. Because, the theology of any particular denomination does not bind God. However, God gave us his word; he is perfect, and will honor what he has said. Therefore, when I read the bible, I know what the truth is. Likewise, I feel that even the idea of denominations is unbiblical.

When the church was forming in those first centuries, Paul warned the various churches to watch out for division. To the church in Rome, he said, "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teachings you have learned." (Romans 16:17). To the church in Corinth, he wrote, "I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1 Corinthians 1:10). Christ warned us of this very problem: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25).

There are many, many other examples in the old and new testaments about how division causes failure, but unification will glorify. Therefore, I do not spend my time dwelling on those aspects that will divide the church. We should turn to the bible when we wonder what to do. My friend pointed out that at some churches, and she specified the Baptist church, you have to be a member of that church, according to its doctrine, to partake of the Lord's supper. Who is allowed at the Lord's supper? Everyone. When the members of the church in Corinth didn't wait for people, when the were divided about who was allowed to partake of the Lord's supper, Paul chastised them. (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40). We are not called to exclude people, but to welcome people. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one ande only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, emphasis added).

I'm not sure if my friend will ever see what I'm trying to say about not focusing on those things that divide us, but bring us together; that the bible is the only set of "rules" that counts. I think the unease between us right now is rather symbolic of the unease within the church as a whole. Personally, I still don't think knowing or not knowing about the particularized doctrine of the church I go to will serve me as a Christian. I will attend a church that follows bibical teachings and no others; I will not attend a church that treats the bible as a euphemism or excludes people. As far as point of view, I will use the discernment given to me through the Holy Spirit to listen to what my pastor says. We are called to do that in all areas of our lives, and that includes in church. You have to watch out for false teachings. Regardless, my prayer is that enough people will see my point regarding denominations that the church can become a unified force in the world to effect change and enable the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of men.

20/20 Foresight

It has become a habit of mine recently to complain. Everyone has negative things in their lives, but recently for some reason, I've thought that my burdens were somehow greater or more important than others...that it was time for me to have some "self" time.

Listening to Third Day's "Cry Out to Jesus" made me change my thinking.

Several years ago, I began loosing weight. Back in 2001, I weighed significantly more. Four years later, I'm 110 pounds lighter. I've manage to keep all the weight I've ever lost off; that is truly a blessing. When I was heavier, I use to wonder why God had allowed me to become that way at such an early age. I remember back into elementary school being overweight. At that point, it was more my parent's duty than my own to make eating choices for myself. Over the years, their bad habits became my own. It took going to college and living on my own to change. I wondered many times over those years why God hadn't provided me with a different situation.

However, God walked with me through my weightloss; I did indeed cry to Jesus many times. Since that journey, people are always shocked to find out I weighed so much more at one point. What was a burden at one point, what drove me to incredible self-hatred before, grace has turned into a blessing. I've been able to be a real, personal role-model for dedicatedly changing something about myself. One of my friends is loosing weight right now and says that she knows she can because I did. God has given me the opportunity to witness in a way I never thought possible: by using my own struggles to glorify him - I never would have made that journey but for God's grace.

Today, when I struggle, I complain. It seems I've forgotten that God uses our struggles to teach us and others. What I learn today, I can share tomorrow. If Christ was as self-centered as I've been recently, if he had as much self-pitty as I do, man would the world be in trouble. The saying goes that hindsight is 20/20. I say that for Christians, so is foresight. No matter the problems I have today, I know that God will use the lessons I learn in my life and the lives of others. I know that I am here for a reason and I won't be here longer than he needs me to be.

Another Golden One

Again, my First Amendment prof makes my day:

The KKK are equal opportunity haters...they hate everyone.

This was noted after reading Virginia v. Black, in which, inter alia, it was O.K. for the "klan" to get together and burn a cross during a rally about how they hate certain people...i.e., people who weren't a part of their group. LoL, I wonder what songs they were chanting.

The Language of Love

One of the most common problems between men and women is that they don't understand each other. That isn't because either sex is incapable. I think it is because people think and act in their own terms; their ways of showing affection are self-oriented. To facilitate communication, I think men and women should learn to speak a language of love.

Speaking the language of love, there is no better example than how Jesus expressed his love for us. To show us he loved us, he gave his life, himself. Because we were unable to act Godly and not sin, he took the punishment: death. He conquered death for us. In return, he asks us to do the same thing; we are to die to this world and be "born again" (like Christ was when he was "risen") and live a new life, modeled after his own. In love, we should give ourselves back to him.

Men and women should learn from this example. When communicating, when showing affection and love, they should start thinking about how they can give themselves to the one they love. Say, for example, I write poems for the person I love, be it a family member, a boyfriend, or a friend. That is most likely because that is how I want love to be shown. "Do unto others as you would have then to unto you." Therefore, if anyone wants to show me love in return, they should try writing me a poem, a letter, or something small like that. Speak my language. And, I should do the same in return. I should give whatever it is the other person needs.

It is said love is not selfish; that is true. But at the same time, it is thoughtful. For many reasons, sometimes people seem to need more than at other times. Loving them, we should unselfishly give ourselves by taking time and understanding what it is they need.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is republished in the comments, but since it goes to the substance of the post, I thought I would paste it here:

The most important thing is, my entry isn't based on expectations of the first person, but the perceptions of the other person. We should be discerning enough to perceive what the other person needs. In fact, if we expect anything in relationships, that is often disappointing and destructive. What I'm trying to say is, in relationships, when showing love and affection, we shouldn't show it in ways we desire, but in ways the other person desires. When I show my family I love them, I do it in their terms (my mom loves to talk, so I listen!).

i carry your heart with me

By: e. e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Defensive Driving

According to a new poll, Americans are getting ruder. "From road rage in the morning commute to high decibel cell-phone conversations that ruin dinner out, men and women behaving badly has become the hallmark of a hurry-up world." "The most common complaint about rudeness in the poll was aggressive or reckless driving, with 91 percent citing it as the most frequent discourtesy."

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an aggressive driver. Therefore, I must take up the cross as it were, and perform my duties as an aggressive driver apologist.

It must be noted that, with exceptions, most drivers become "aggressive" and "rude" when another driver...a sloooowwwww driver...cuts in front of him or her. Take the following senario as an example. You are late. Very late. If you are good enough, you can just make it to (fill in the blank with an important place) on time. You are in the middle lane; people are filling up the right and left lanes to turn right up at the light ahead. The person in front of you gets over into the right lane, and the road in clear until past the light...you will make it! Then, just as you hit 30 mph, a mini-van "merges" in front of you (I would prefer "cuts", but I'll be nice). The driver proceeds to go slowly, causing you to miss the light. UGH!

There are many such examples. Sllloooowwww drivers going 10 mph below the speedlimit, coming to complete stops before turning, not using their indicators, stopping at yellow lights, sitting at stop signs waiting for everyone and his brother to go first (out of the order learned long ago in driver's ed). Though I would make the argument that they create us, slow drivers at the very least perpetuate the aggression and rudeness in those of us who actually like to get where we are going.

So I say to those of you who drive in two lanes, who drive slowly in the left lane versus the right lane like you should, who seem uncaring that the person behind is late and needs you to move over, YOU should stop being so selfish. Stop being selfish enough to think the road is yours alone; move over, to that right lane where you belong, obey more of the traffic laws, and I bet you will notice a marked decrease in the aggression of other drivers.

Quote of the Day

From my First Amendment Professor

The Supreme Court is here is save the day, to keep the world safe from or for democracy, I'll let you decide which.

Bring It!

I Love Cold Weather!

Please Make It Stay!

My Favorite Branch

Law.com had a story about the new Chief Justice. Here are some of my favorite quotes. They show both the history and oddities of my favorite branch of government.

The first day of the Court's fall term began early, with senior Justice John Paul Stevens administering a ceremonial oath to Roberts, who had been sworn in more formally last Thursday. President George W. Bush looked on from the seat in the Court reserved for -- but rarely used by -- the president.

Stevens also noted that in his previous career in the Solicitor General's Office and in private practice, Roberts had argued 39 cases before the Court, "a number that exceeds the combined experience of the rest of us. We know him well, and he has already earned our respect and admiration."

The Miers announcement overshadowed the pageantry of the Court ceremony somewhat and was the buzz among the luminaries on hand. "A stealth candidate, par excellence" was the verdict on Miers from Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe, who had been invited to attend by Roberts, a former student in his constitutional law class. But the formalities were in keeping with Court traditions. Before he was sworn in, Roberts sat waiting in a chair below the Court's bench. As expected, the sleeves of his black robe carried no golden stripes; Roberts has apparently allowed Rehnquist's Gilbert & Sullivan-inspired wardrobe innovation to lapse.

Roberts asked five questions in the first case and seven in the second, placing him in the "moderately active" category in comparison with his colleagues -- about the same number that Stevens asks, fewer than Antonin Scalia usually asks, but far more than Clarence Thomas. In a single day, Roberts asked lawyers more questions than Thomas has asked in several terms combined.

And that was just day one! Love it!

Flight Plight

From Reuters...

Labor unions representing most of the nation's 90,000 flight attendants have urged their members to boycott a new Jodie Foster film that portrays a flight attendant and a U.S. air marshal as terrorists.

A union statement issued on Tuesday also complained that other flight attendants in the film are shown as being "rude, unhelpful and uncaring."

She said the portrayal of airline cabin crew members as evil-doers adds further insult to long-standing Hollywood stereotypes that have depicted flight attendants as sexualized bubble heads or as harsh, humorless disciplinarians.

Aw, poor flight attendants. I must wonder if they ever noticed how many movies portray lawyers as evil people...or women who pursue careers as heartless individuals, willing to use sex appeal to get to the top...or men as womenizers in any context...or Muslims as terrorists...or people from Kentucky as white trash.

I guess I must sound rude, but I'm feeling a bit unsympathetic to their cause.

An Odd Parallel

In a law.com news article, one of my favorite justices, Justice Scalia was quoted as saying the following:

"The line between protected pornography and unprotected obscenity lies between appealing to a good healthy interest in sex and appealing to a depraved interest, whatever that means."

I'm forced to wonder, is an interest in pornography a good healthy interest in sex? I would argue that it is not. I'm not sure what constitutes a "healthy" interest in sex, and when that healthy interest is good or bad...I'm not even sure what a bad healthy interest would look like.

The clear confusion on this topic goes to a larger point: the Supreme Court, for all its good intentions, needs to engage in a massive reexamination of the first amendment doctrine. In that same article, Scalia admitted that the Court has not done a good job of defining obscenity. I think the court hasn't done a good job in defining a lot of first amendment issues...making the dialogue surrounding the subject matter unfocused.

For example, the so-called "establishment clause" has been construed to mean "separation of church and state." However, when you read the constitution and its amendments, nothing about separation is ever mentioned. When making an attempt to read the most literal of meanings, really, it would appear the whole point is that Congress can't make a national religion, much like France and England had at the time our nation was formed. Our society has gone too far, trying to require that government employees appear divorced from their values at work.

That is the theory. In practice, I have two wonderful examples of how the secularists fail. Here in Lubbock, County Court Judge, Judge Head, has many books in his office about faith. These include several copies of daily devotionals. He even has a pillow with a quote from the Book of Isaiah about following where God leads you. Also, while working at the DA's office, being a very talkative person, I've made friends with one of the secretaries, Linda. She is a Christian, and we have had many open discussions, especially in the wake of all these hurricanes, about the power of God in our daily lives. She loves the song, "In Christ Alone" (quoted in one of my May entries), and I'm taking her a CD full of Christian music on Monday. Government employees or not, these people carry their values with them as they work.

Coming back to my original point, it would appear the Supreme Court has a lot to learn about the first amendment. Perhaps our Justices should "slum" a little, and work in a grass roots area to see how it works in the "real" world, outside the marbled walls of the court. Then, perhaps, we wouldn't have "healthy sex interests" and "pornography" tied together.

Fear No Evil

...The fact is…bad things do happen and we do live in a world filled with deep, dark valleys. And in this age of anxiety, we hear more and more of panic attacks and episodes of fear that absolutely demoralize and defeat people. But as believers, you and I must realize that Satan only uses fear to keep us discouraged and in despair.

God loves you so much that He allows tragedy and trouble to enter your life to draw you closer to Him. First Peter 5:10 says, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

If you suffer from fear of what’s next in your life, then you can rest assured that there is freedom from it. Consider the fact that you and I have a Shepherd that will lead us through the deepest, darkest, fear-filled valleys. Ask God to carry you through times of fear and calm your spirit with His peace.

--Pastor Graham

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
--Psalm 23:4

To my Dad, Richard, Cody, Sarah, her son Kaden, and Fred and Judy Allen (my mom has a very full house, bless her heart!).

In the Interlude

In his daily email, my pastor wrote the following:

"Most people don’t like to wait—we are very impatient. When I drive up to an intersection and see a green light turn yellow, what do I do? I punch the gas pedal and try to make it through the light because I don’t like to wait. But don’t laugh at me, because I know that’s what most of you do too....We tend to think that the yellow light means “hurry up and get through the intersection” when in fact it means “slow down, there could be danger ahead.” The problem is…we’re always in a hurry when God isn’t....God doesn't speak to you in a booming voice while you're speedily hurrying through life. You can hear the still, small voice of the holy spirit when you take some time to stop, rest, and actually listen."

Waiting comes down to issues of value - we are more willing to wait for things on which we place value. So when we punch the pedal through the light, we are placing value on ourselves and our own plans rather than humbling ourselves enough to let other people go first.

In the greater scheme, we should place value on God's plan for our lives by lifting the lead foot and getting down on our knees. The hard thing about trusting God is that He isn't bound by time, and the moments between submission to His will and knowing where He is taking you can seem very long. The key is to enjoy that interlude...since that is as much a part of His plan as anything else.

This post is dedicated to one of my very good friends, for whom I know waiting is the hardest part in her life right now.

Thought of the Day

Don’t get caught up in the paralysis of analysis, but move forward and God will direct your steps. Take some risks. Don’t wonder what might have been...

- Dr. Jack Graham, Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX.

Funny Funny Man

People often ask why I refuse to see Sean Penn movies. I respond: "It is because I can't stand him."

In the spirit of things, I wanted to display this picture for all to see along with some quotes from a Herald Sun article, "Sean Penn's rescue bid sinks":

EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina [floundered] badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak....The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup....With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?" (end article excerpt).

Good try Mr. Penn. Noble effort aside, why the personal photographer? The fewer people you bring, the more you can take with you, right?

Katrina's Fogotten

Mississippians' Suffering Overshadowed

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press Writer

.... Richard Gibbs was disgusted by reports of looting in New Orleans and upset at the lack of attention hurricane victims in his state were getting.

"I say burn the bridges and let 'em all rot there," he said. "We're suffering over here too, but we're not killing each other. We've got to help each other. We need gas and food and water and medical supplies." ....

... In a strongly worded editorial, The Sun Herald of Biloxi-Gulfport pleaded for help and questioned why a massive National Guard presence wasn't already visible.

"We understand that New Orleans also was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but surely this nation has the resources to rescue both that metropolitan (area) and ours," the newspaper editorialized, saying survival basics like ice, gasoline and medicine have been too slow to arrive.

"We are not calling on the nation and the state to make life more comfortable in South Mississippi, we are calling on the nation and the state to make life here possible," the paper wrote. ...

Failed Civil Order

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Unless those tired and poor are already here,
In which case I will smother them...
Those wretched refuse on my own battered shores
Those homeless and tempest-tossed,
I crush them, dead and dying, by my own indifference!

State of Nature

...The chaos deepened despite the promise of 1,400 National Guardsmen a day to stop the looting, plans for a $10 billion recovery bill in Congress and a government relief effort President Bush called the biggest in U.S. history.

New Orleans' top emergency management official called that effort a "national disgrace" and questioned when reinforcements would actually reach the increasingly lawless city.

About 15,000 to 20,000 people who had taken shelter at New Orleans convention center grew ever more hostile after waiting for buses for days amid the filth and the dead. Police Chief Eddie Compass said there was such a crush around a squad of 88 officers that they retreated when they went in to check out reports of assaults.

"We have individuals who are getting raped, we have individuals who are getting beaten," Compass said. "Tourists are walking in that direction and they are getting preyed upon."

Col. Henry Whitehorn, chief of the Louisiana State Police, said he heard of numerous instances of New Orleans police officers - many of whom from flooded areas - turning in their badges.

"They indicated that they had lost everything and didn't feel that it was worth them going back to take fire from looters and losing their lives," Whitehorn said....

...An old man in a chaise lounge lay dead in a grassy median as hungry babies wailed around him. Around the corner, an elderly woman lay dead in her wheelchair, covered up by a blanket, and another body lay beside her wrapped in a sheet.

"I don't treat my dog like that," 47-year-old Daniel Edwards said as he pointed at the woman in the wheelchair.

"You can do everything for other countries, but you can't do nothing for your own people," he added. "You can go overseas with the military, but you can't get them down here."

The street outside the center, above the floodwaters, smelled of urine and feces, and was choked with dirty diapers, old bottles and garbage.

"They've been teasing us with buses for four days," Edwards said. "They're telling us they're going to come get us one day, and then they don't show up."...

..."We've got people dying out here - two babies have died, a woman died, a man died," said Helen Cheek. "We haven't had no food, we haven't had no water, we haven't had nothing. They just brought us here and dropped us."

Tourist Debbie Durso of Washington, Mich., said she asked a police officer for assistance and his response was, "'Go to hell - it's every man for himself.'"...

From: New Orleans in Anarchy With Fights, Rapes, by ALLEN G. BREED

Our leaders response to the Hurricane

An angry Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans' emergency operations, watched the slow exodus from the Superdome on Thursday morning and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency response was inadequate. The chaos at the nearby New Orleans Convention Center was considerably worse than the Superdome, with an angry mob growing increasingly violent and few options for refugees to leave the scene.

"This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control," Ebbert said. "We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lolis Eric Elie
5:50 p.m.

By Lolis Eric Elie
Columnist

Years ago, a young South African scholar told me about his trip to America, to Boston, specifically.

I don't know who was in charge of his trip, but either they failed to give him his script or he failed to memorize his lines.

He was supposed to tell me about how wonderful our country is. He was supposed to have been impressed with the vast wealth of this place and with the quality and quantity of the latest technology here.

He was supposed to envy our First World status.

He didn't.

What he remembered from his trip was not our wealth, but our poverty. He was shocked by the slums of Boston.

He wondered about American aid to poor countries. How can you send aid to these places, he asked, when you need such aid in your own poor communities?

What we are watching in New Orleans now is an indictment of our nation.

I can understand why we see refugees in Liberia walking miles in the hope of finding sustenance or safety; often there is little of either in that country. But why are we seeing these same images here?

Do we lack the trains, planes and automobiles to move our people to safety?

I can understand why it takes so much time to get aid halfway across the world, but why does it take so long to get aid to our own Gulf states?

I can understand why lawlessness rules the streets of many poor countries in crisis, but we have a huge standing army. Do we lack the soldiers to police American streets?

I am used to seeing images of desperate people hindering the very relief efforts aimed at saving them. I have seen news reports of refugees looting food shipments. I've even heard of warlords in some countries looting the shipments and then trying to sell food to those so desperate and poor as to be scarcely able to afford it.

But why are we seeing these images and hearing these reports of wanton looting — by at least one police officer, no less —in an American city?

I make no excuses for the looters.

What may have started out as a legitimate attempt to secure the most basic of necessities has quickly turned into a nightmarish free-for-all.

But we shouldn't be surprised that the criminal element that terrorizes New Orleans and just about every other major American city, declined to alter its behavior in the midst of this crisis.

I am surprised, however, that our leaders have failed to provide a more adequate and timely response to all of this.

I am surprised that, in light of the current crisis in New Orleans, that the United States of America can be seen to have so much in common with the poorest and most wretched places on earth.


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