Holla. Haven't been on this thing in a good while, but felt like writing out some thoughts.

Quick update on life:

-School kinda sucked this semester, mostly due to some health things that I was irresponsible enough to not get taken care of.

-I am going overseas again this summer. I am grateful to the Lord for the opportunity. It continues to humble me that He allows me to be used in that capacity.

Anyways. I am often asked (I think because I am a Political Science major, and also a person who likes to talk politics) about who I am voting for and why in the upcoming presidential election. Placing behind me the fact that the candidate I supported in the primary election (which the majority of people don't bother to vote in), Mike Huckabee, I am moving on and placing my half-hearted support behind John McCain. My reason for voting for him can be summed up thus: No, I am not a blind supporter of the Republican Party. Half the time I feel the Republican Party doesn't remember what it means to be conservative. I am voting for John McCain because out of the candidates, he is the one who will do the least damage. One can hardly call him a champion for causes that are to be important to the Christian voter. He is hardly the evangelical right's ideal candidate either (obviously).

Now allow me to say that I have been greatly annoyed by Dr. James Dobson's approach to the election, which is to refuse to vote for anyone. Boy that will show 'em (not). I admire Dr. Dobson as a person, but resent his leadership of the values voters for this election. Speaking of values, it has been interesting to me to see Christians who are supporting behind Barack Obama. Aside from the fact that this is a man who is a junior senator who simply does not have the experience to run a country, just the banner of empty rhetoric which is not backed by any sort of realistic policy options, he has a voting record which, I am sorry, should alarm any Christian selecting a candidate. Look at his record on partial-birth abortion. Scary. And while John McCain is no champion of pro-life causes, his potential to be lobbied by those who uphold the sanctity of life is far better than Senator Obama.

Alan Keyes made this statement about Obama: "Christ would not vote for Barack Obama, because Barack Obama has voted to behave in a way that it is inconceivable for Christ to behave." Quite the bold statement, and generally when candidates drag Christ in as an endorser (or the opposite) it raises my hair. However, Keyes makes an interesting point that Christians need to think hard about. Somewhere in the middle between refusing to vote, and voting carelessly, is the answer. How do we determine which are more important issues to select a candidate (for the Christian)?

I think half of the difficulties for Christians come from the fact that we, like the rest of America, have a VERY poor understanding of the system, history, the constitution, and the Christian's role in government. So what is appealing about Obama (or Clinton for that matter)? Most Christians who are shifting to the left point to poverty. But when we examine the solutions the candidates are presenting for reducing poverty, we find that the solution is very utopian (and thus anti-Christian in worldview). The very foundation of the differences between liberal and conservative is the issue of government authority. The liberal view of government is that the government will fix everything, eliminating individual responsibility. The conservative view is that the government needs to leave the responsiblity (and freedom) with the individual. Does this mean the Republican party has done a good job of stepping up individually? No. But all it takes is a look at the inefficiency of government in handling the current budget to see that the proposed solutions such as universal healthcare, or continuing tax burdens on the "upper class", are utterly (and potentially disastrously) unrealistic. Take a look back at the history of welfare and the monster it has become to understand that better.

I could keep ranting, but the basic jist of it is that, as supported by the Christian worldview (aka the Bible), utopia WILL not happen. We as Christians must do our best to ensure that we maintain a government that will continue to support religious freedom (this is quickly slipping away, esp. due to liberal legislators and supreme court judges), and do what we can to uphold God's law. This election my voting strategy is: damage control. But damage control is better than a lack of participation.

This hasn't been a clear entry....we'll edit it later. Coming up next....thoughts on mobilizing Christians, the interesting problems of the conservative Christian bubble, and my current frustrations about evangelicals and their blind support of Israel. As you can see, there have been many, many thoughts running through my head.....

Yep. You guessed it. I'm at Sweet's "studying", aka in a state of distraction due to the massive amounts of caffeine I have consumed today.

There are a lot of interesting things going on in my life right now...verrrry interesting. But, sad day for you, I will not write them all out here. Except that I have applied to go back overseas this summer....so prayers for the teams forming would be much appreciated.

I have been trying to type some thoughts up concerning missions. I am sharing briefly at Hillside Fellowship on Sunday....trying to ask the Lord for what He would have me say in 5 minutes....so...this is a random paragraph of thoughts that came up...

With a revelation of God’s heart and how it beats for the redemption of every tribe, tongue, and nation, it was also revealed to me how this is his heart for us in our own country as well. Mission work is not something to be compartmentalized into a trip, or a lifestyle choice for the few super-spiritual elect while the rest of us  partner solely in financial support. Rather, mission work refers to what every person who professes to love Christ is to walk in obedience to. True, this looks different in an overseas setting than it does on our home soil, but the basic focus of our missionary journey is to be Christ and having our heart beat as His, to think His thoughts after Him. It’s been surprising to me how natural it is to live that out when our focus is on Christ Himself. That doesn’t necessitate an easy time, but it does result in an abundance of opportunities.

That's probably a no-duh thing for many, but those are thoughts that have really been profound for me as I've learned about the Lord's heart for the nations recently.

I just caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrow across from me...and I am whiter than I have been....ever I'm fairly certain. I think it's time to break free of my permanent seat in Sweet Eugene's studying...it's time to see the sun.

No, it's the title is not a cool radio station. That was my body temperature this morning. Bleh. I've never had the flu before, and let me just say, I am very sympathetic to all the flu-sufferers now. Boy, that flu shot was a waste of $20. Anyways....I decided to make the most of my sick time yesterday evening by curling up with some intellectual reading material and a journal....only to discover that pain meds and a raging fever make for a mind that is not functioning at top form. So instead I laid there aimlessly staring at a depressing Bravo show because I was too sore to get up and change the channel. Anyways...so Mom came up today to take me to the emergency room, so I now have drugs, a happy ending to the story....oh, and I have 3 days off of school...which I don't really want to take, but then again I don't want to have a relapse....so, I will probably be mind-numbingly bored for the next few days.

So, since I am on house arrest (haha) I will post my list of random songs I am currently very much in love with.

"Almost Lover"-A Fine Frenzy. So emo. So everywhere. So great.

"Mad World"-The Gary Jules version. So depressing. I swear, I am the most un-emo person ever.

"Car Crash"-Matt Nathanson. I think it was an itunes free download or something. Which is how I discovered Colbie Caillat waaay before she was actually popular. Now I am tired of her.

"Mais Um Lamento"-Ceu. Yes, it is in Portugese. It is fabulously seductive, coffee-shop music.

The entire Garden State soundtrack. We had a fling freshman year, and I have rediscovered its amazingness.

AND FINALLY.....drumroll please...."Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop". Yes, it is the song from the diamonds commercial. The lyrics are pretty. And mushy. And, seriously, what better place is there to fall in love at than a coffee shop?

Ok, well, that was a pointless post...I think I am going to go take some more painkillers....