Nothing will happen if nothing happens

I don't think elections are about right or wrong, or even about right and left; it's about what candidate best represents you. We live in a representative democracy, also known as a republic. We elect those who best align with what we believe and how we want our city / county / township / state / nation to be handled. There is no correct way to handle a group of people. I probably shocked half of you, but it's true! There is no "one ring to rule them all" principle when it comes to people. Diversity is good! Differing opinions are good! How boring would it be if we were all the same?

I think even my ultra conservative friends can agree - we would be straight up boring if we were all mirror images of each other. God created the Heavens and the Earth and every living creature. God created diversity! He created us to make our own actions and choose our own paths. He gives us a choice of devoting our lives to Him or live a life apart from Him. Even within those who follow Him whole heartedly, there can be many different choices that can still honor God.

Getting back to the real world where not everyone is guided by faith, I think a mutual respect needs to occur when we discuss how we can improve our nation. Every pundit on television is a caricature of a thought and rarely represents an actual demographic within the American population. From Keith Olberman to Glenn Beck, these sorts of talking heads are to be treated as characters and shouldn't be used as a gauge to see "how the other half lives". Sure they make valid points every now and then, but when you do an hour long show 5 days a week, there is only so much quality in the quantity of sensationalism and chalkboards. I think it's gotten to the point that even our President has turned into a character and not a respectful leader of this nation. His rhetoric is very divisive and he often blames others rather than rising above division to set an example for the elimination of bipartisanship, like he promised.

By the way, if you believe in restoring the Constitution, then you believe in the same Constitution that gives people the freedom of speech, religion, to bear arms, and the pursuit of happiness. That gives everyone something to believe in: freedom for life at conception, freedom to marry one's same gender, freedom to have and use a gun, and the freedom to have religious expression. It's easy to forget that Obama doesn't support gay marriage. It's easy to forget that not all Republicans are gun-toting Bible thumpers. It's easy to forget that terrorists can be any color, and any gender.

All I'm saying is that if you want to make a chance, then use your American-given powers for good and VOTE. Nothing will happen if nothing happens. If you don't vote, then don't complain.

Five day Facebook Fast

Rather than fasting meals, I am choosing to fast Facebook for 5 days. Fasting can be a powerful way to surrender to God. For the next five days, rather than trying to connect with over 1,000 Facebook profiles, I will intentionally be connecting with God and learning more about Him.

This morning while I was still waking up, I opened my computer, checked my email, paid the power bill, then typed "facebook.c.." and realized what I was doing. I think this fast will be more challenging than I thought. The most challenging experiences tend to be the most rewarding.

-------------
DAY ONE
-------------
First day of no Facebook and it's been great! I think that God is challenging me to connect with people in the Lynchburg area instead of trying to maintain close connections to those in Northern VA and Texas.

Tonight I had the chance to be with my husband's students. He is a Marching Band Tech (like a coach) for the drumline. The entire marching band went to a putt putt place and it was wonderful getting to know current students and hear their stories. God allowed me to connect to a group on a deeper level than I had before.

-------------
DAY TWO
-------------
More professional development occuring.. wow God. There's no time for Facebook today!

----------------
DAY THREE
----------------
Without divulging details, today was another opportunity to connect, this time on a managerial level. I inherited a stressful situation at work that has been brewing for a number of years. I was given the responsibility of speaking with those involved and coming up with a solution. Even though conflict is not necessarily fun, getting to know my employees better is something I am very thankful for. Thanks for more connections, God!

When I came home, I found myself wanting to relax and go on Facebook to just look at pictures or maybe poke a friend or two. It was hard to resist, but I did and I am thankful for it! Facebook is a habit I am looking forward to breaking.

---------------
DAY FOUR
---------------
Today was no exception. I was able to move to the next level of the previous work-related situation. On a happy note, I had a wonderful evening with Jonathan :)

-------------
DAY FIVE
-------------
Okay, I kind of cheated today.. I logged on with the intention of, "well, I need to see what time I posted my '5 day' status update so I can know when the 5 days are up.." I logged on with the anticipating of my notifications being in the triple digits! I was quickly disappointed to see that I had 6 updates. Six! 2 people wrote on my wall, 2 people commented on a photo I commented on, and 2 people "liked" my status. God already humbled me with a broken nail, but this exceeds my cosmetic conundrum of what color to paint my fingernails.

Alas, the fast has commenced. Although I don't feel I was missed by my Facebook universe, I feel so much more connected to my city. I moved here with one friend: my husband. In two years, I have formed many relationships, but I always tried to hang onto my relationships back home without fully investing in the ones right in front of me. This fast has helped me socially, professionally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Lynchburg is a gigantic transitioning mason jar for 20 somethings. I suppose most college towns suffer the same fate. The friends I grow closest too often relocate within a year and I start the process over again with another journeyer. I'm growing out of my habit of connecting with work-based relationships and investing more into my church body. Because I work at a University, most employees my age do not stay in town for long. However, the friends of my local congregation have roots here so they are often in it for the long haul.

So here's to friends that are three dimensional!