It is the one thing I miss about my years living in Connecticut, well that and the snow– very few people smoked! Not so in the south. Here at Tennessee Tech you’d think that being a smoker was a requirement for admission- I don’t know how I got in! I hate tobacco in all forms and I hate even more the way that smart, cool people who know better let themselves become hooked on this habit and then try and rationalize it.

This is what I hear the most and it kills me (no pun intended)- “I smoke cigars/pipes, etc. — that’s different.”

WRONG! From the American Cancer Society:

“One large cigar can contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes.”

Smoking cigars is NOT a sign of taste or refinement. You do NOT look cool doing it. Plus, most cigars have as much nicotine (what makes you addicted) as several cigarettes, and you are still putting yourself at risk for lung cancer, cancer of the esophagus, cancer in your oral cavity (lip, tongue, mouth, throat), and larynx (voice box) cancer.

I also hear people try and give me the excuse that when they smoke, they don’t inhale, so they’re fine! People have to feel silly when they try and use that argument because surely they know that’s baloney. But just in case, the American Cancer Society debunks that myth for us too:

For those who do not inhale, tobacco smoke does not reach the lungs in the same amounts as it does in cigarette smokers. As a result, the risk of death from lung cancer for cigar smokers who don’t inhale is not as high as it is for cigarette smokers. Still, it is many times higher than the risk for non-smokers.

And then there’s the cigarette smokers who open themselves up to all of the possible ailments associated with tobacco in its various other forms, as well as bronchitis, emphysema, aneurisms, reduced fertility, and if a pregnancy is involved- stillbirths and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Smoking cigarettes accounts for 30% of all cancer deaths and kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined!

Moreover, smoking is probably the single most inconsiderate habit one could have, because not only do you harm yourself when you light up- you harm all of those around you!  When you smoke you are releasing cancer-causing agents and toxins into the air such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia.  Mmm, sounds delightful-and I get my daily dose of that every time I leave the dorm to walk somewhere else on campus.

Furthermore, I can’t help but, when thinking of the issue, particularly as it relates to Christians, considering verses like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

If you look at the context of this passage of scripture you see that Paul makes this remark in reference to matters of sexual immorality, but could there be some application here as well? Christians love the age-old debate of “Is such-and-such a sin?” Well I’m not going to touch that with this issue, I’ll leave that to someone smarter, but if we’re asking ourselves the question “What would Jesus do?” What do you think the answer would be when it comes to this? Just a thought for your consideration.

I don’t say these things to condemn or put down those that consume tobacco products. Do I want to make them think about the consequences of their decisions, sure? But condemn- no. In fact it’s just the opposite- I comment on the issue for the benefit of and to make an appeal to certain people that I care about who I know are better than this. Also to say that if you smoke- there is a way out! You can quit! Start today and take it one step at a time! Talk to someone about it, take advantage of the host of resources and smoking cessation aids available to you. Only 4-7% of smokers and tobacco addicts will successfully quit on their own.

Quit for your those that want to see you around in 50 years. Quit for your children or future children. Quit for you.  Quit today!

Guide to Quitting Smoking

Help To Resist Cravings

]]> http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/jonathans-tobacco-soapbox/feed/ 0 Jonathan http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/random-thoughts/ http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/random-thoughts/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:02:55 +0000 Jonathan http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/?p=562 ]]>

My New Favorite Place In Cookeville!
So since I’ve been up here at Tech, my friends and I have been doing a lot of hiking and exploring. That’s not really something I did a whole lot prior to college, but I go to a school with an overwhelming number of Agriculture Science majors in Putnam County, Tennessee. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!  . . . Except I’m not interested in getting a pickup truck or wearing a fishing hook on the bill of my hat, but I digress. Anyway- It’s been a lot of fun for me! One place we’ve frequented since I first came to Tech in this really neat, privately owned place called Cummins Falls. Well then a couple weeks ago somebody died while they were there, plus every time we went there, there was inevitably a big group of people drinking their brains out, and on two occasions now, we saw people smoking something that definitely wasn’t a cigarette — just sayin’. So anyway, we’ve now moved on to bigger and better things with our discovery of Burgess Falls! It’s a neat place, check it out:

The whole group!

Beautiful!

My 2nd New Favorite Show– After ‘Glee’ Of Course!

Wednesday nights, 8:30/7:30c ABC- Watch it!

“The Middle.” 8:30/7:30c ABC- Watch this show! It is hilarious. I love it. The End.
Oh, but then, as soon as it’s over change the channel to FOX for ‘Glee.’ . .  I sound like I watch a lot of t.v. I don’t really, I promise.

A Special Weekend

David, Susan, the praise team & the choir bringing down the house at Long Hollow!

This past weekend was a very bittersweet one at our church, as our Worship Pastor, David Moffitt, and his  family are leaving after 13 years to pursue other ministries. Since my family started coming to Long Hollow in the summer of 2003 I have looked forward each week to the worship in church. David is so, so talented, and in fact has written a number of praise & worship musicals (one of which garnered him a Dove award) and penned a lot of songs that you’ve probably heard of including Clay Crosse’s “I Surrender All,” and worship songs like “Alive, Forever Amen,” “The Lamb Has Overcome,” and what I think is one of the most moving, beautiful songs I’ve ever heard- “Jesus Saves.”

When I heard the Moffitts would be leaving, I knew I had to be back at Long Hollow for their last Sunday, even though I usually stay in Cookeville on the weekends and attend church up here. So last Sunday morning, some of my friends from Tech and I woke up bright and early and made the drive down to Hendersonville for the service. It did not disappoint.

Words can’t describe that worship service. Luckily, though, I don’t have to try and explain it to you! (see video below) Also, all of the songs we sang Sunday were songs that David has written or co-written. Thank you David and Susan for your hearts for leading others in true, sincere worship. You will be dearly missed!  I’ve probably already watched this video fifteen times . . .

And A Few Other Things . . .

]]> http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/random-thoughts/feed/ 2 Jonathan DSCI0038 DSCI0030 6ed79d6326441d38e5d3c1510fd0692c 34022809 http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/second-year-so-far-so-good/ http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/second-year-so-far-so-good/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:43:17 +0000 Jonathan http://jonathansthoughts.wordpress.com/?p=549 ]]>

I’ve been back up at Tennessee Tech for a few weeks now, and so far it has been great! I wanted to be more involved this year, so I started writing for our school newspaper, “The Oracle” (I don’t know what that means, but it always makes me think of a Saturday Night Live sketch with Will Ferrell, does anybody else know what I’m talking about?) and I’m taking a DJ class for our student radio station.

That has been VERY interesting. I feel totally out of place in the class because everyone else is extremely passionate about Indy rock, and all these bands that I’ve heard of but couldn’t tell you a single song they sing- The Who, The Ramones, etc. I’m pretty sure I was the only person in there that wouldn’t give up my life to defend the good name of my favorite band. These people are intense. But anyway, I thought it’d be fun. After you take the class they put you on a “rotation” where you man the DJ booth for an hour or so a week, but they tell you what songs to play. Then, the following semester you’re eligible to apply for your own show. I’m thinking Christian music, or conservative talk radio. Lord knows we could use a little bit of both on Tech’s campus, but something tells me either of them would be a hard sell. We’ll see what happens.

Also, this semester my friends and I have really enjoyed going to the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry), where we participated in and (almost) dominated  a SCAVENGER HUNT last week. Basically, I live for scavenger hunts, as the pictures show:

At Big O's Donuts! I wanted a donut really bad, but we had no time!

Hanging out with TTU police. I almost had to do something illegal to get them to take a picture with us!

We had to have a picture of us doing what a sign said to do. The 'Enter' sign at Wal Mart was perfect for the assignment.

Recreating a Disney scene inside K-Mart. I believe this was supposed to be the Lion King.

Our picture with a random Taco Bell patron and his taco wrapper!

Anyway, you get the idea. It was awesome, but not quite as awesome as this . . . .

Rudy. Our new puppy we got at the Humane Society! I adore him.

Aaahh! We got a puppy!  I’m convinced he could be a dog model. I know I’m a little biased, but please- try and find a cuter puppy than him! Also, the name, if you’re wondering, comes from former New York City major Rudy Giuliani. Dad wanted a political name for the dog, so after we all rejected his ridiculous suggestions of ‘Goldwater’ (à la Barry Goldwater) and ‘Milhous’ (Richard Nixon’s middle name) we settled on Rudy.

Oh, also my new favorite show in the world right now is “Glee.” If you’re not watching it, you’re seriously missing out. It’s amazing.  Oh how I miss the days of show choir . . .

Right now in Washington and throughout the country there exists a great deal of debate over the nationalized healthcare plan that the Obama administration is rushing through congress. Make no mistake, if this healthcare plan is passed, the result would be disastrous. It would lead to rationing of care, and it will be a door that we can never close once we open it. As Ronald Reagan once said, “A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Senator Sam Brownback raises the most concerning point about this healthcare plan, however, in a piece for the National Review, in which he writes:

One particular provision in the Democratic bill has seniors worried, and rightly so. A new “Center for Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation” could ration access to medicines and treatments based on the government’s assessment of the value of a human life and the “cost-effectiveness” of treatment.

The government’s assessment of the value of a human life?! The fact that we live in a time where this is even being discussed is deeply disturbing to me and it bears worrisome consequences for our elderly and disabled citizens in America, who are at the greatest risk for being denied treatment. Oh yeah- and we can’t afford it!!! But that hasn’t stopped the Obama administration’s spending spree yet, so why should it now?

But I digress. What I really want to discuss and am most concerned about right now, is the manner in which Republicans and others that disagree with the course the Obama administration is charting are reacting.

Think back to the last few years of the Bush administration. The level of disrespect and pure hatred leveled at him and all those within his administration was unreal. Or even more recently- Sarah Palin. From the moment she was selected as John McCain’s running mate for the 2008 election, she was made the target of some of the lowest and most outrageous personal attacks we’ve seen in modern political history. So many of us saw what was happening, and were furious. And rightfully so. Yet today, it seems to me that the same group of people that decried those personal attacks against President Bush and Sarah Palin, are now, in their frustration with his liberal agenda, doing the same thing to President Obama.

As the healthcare debate rages on, we’ve seen town-hall meetings held for the purpose of discussing this healthcare initiative in a civil manner turn into shouting matches and violent brawls. We’ve seen posters depicting the President as, among other things, ‘the joker’ circulating all over the internet and in many public places. Meanwhile, conservative talk radio figure Rush Limbaugh recently compared President Obama to Hitler, of all people, saying on the August 6th broadcast of his radio program, “Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate.”

I believe my party is above the dirty, cheap tactics we’ve seen used by the left for so many years. We must be able to separate our leaders from their policies so that in criticizing elements of their agenda, we don’t reduce ourselves to the same personal attacks we’ve railed against. If we partake in the same kind of smear campaigns we’ve condemned, we become hypocrites and, in doing so, compromise our message. So as we look to confront the radical agenda being laid out by our President, particularly this outrageous healthcare bill, let’s do it civilly, respectfully, and intelligently.

Last night at about nine ‘o clock our plane, carrying our team of 31 adults and youth from our church home from our mission trip to Canada, touched down in Nashville. I knew, even before the week ended that I had to at least try to write about it, but I knew that I’d ultimately be disappointed with what I wrote, because words could never do justice to describe all that happened during the week. But here goes my best effort . . .

Every year since 2001, with the exception of last year, our church has taken a crew of people to a very rustic campground set along the banks of Heritage Lake in northern Saskatchewan to do a wilderness camp and vacation bible school program with children from the First Nations’ communities nearby, most of the kids come from a reservation named Muskoday about an hour and a half away. For five years now, I’ve been blessed to go with the church and do this. We all camp in tents, bathe in the lake, and spend the week just trying to show love and explain this concept of Jesus to these children, many of whom come from the most dysfunctional, broken homes you could imagine. They come carrying the kind of baggage and life experiences that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. There are exceptions, but they are far and few in between. In fact, only a few days into camp a van pulled into the campground to collect two of the kids that had come to camp. It was two deacon’s from the church we worked with up there coming on behalf of children’s services. These kids’ Mom had been found strung out on drugs, and the government is not able to come and take kids off of the reservation since they are under their own jurisdiction independent of the government, so they came and got them while they were at camp. It was devastating to all of us, and a sobering reminder of what these kids go through every day.

All of the high school and college students from our church that attended the camp are assigned “Tent Buddies” that we get to know and watch over throughout the week. My friend Clint Lamberth and I were assigned to the oldest boys that came to camp that year. They were all twelve years old, but hearing the conversations they had when they didn’t know we were listening, or even some of the stories that they willingly shared with us- you would’ve thought they were much older. They all came wearing a tough front, using language that would make any sailor blush, thinking they were too cool for school. But it was amazing to see how during the course of the week, God chipped away at their facade little by little until they really were themselves. And Wednesday night in tent devotions, our whole tent group prayed to receive Christ!

Friday morning, the kids left camp by bus to go back to the church we worked with where their parents, or hopefully someone would pick them up. I was able to ride on the bus with the kids with a few others from Long Hollow, which allowed me a little extra time with the kids. I wrote notes for some of the kids, including all the guys in my group, which I handed to them at the church. It was funny because they all stopped right there and read the notes in front of me and then said the most sincere “thank-you” as if I had just given them my life savings or something. I had half expected to be picking the notes up off of the parking lot after everyone had left. It was amazing how much they appreciated such a simple gesture.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t keep from crying as one by one, the kids left the church to go back to their lives. Part of it was sadness because I knew that so many of these children would be returning to such undesirable circumstances, but the other part of it was tears of joy and awe over what God had done that week at camp. I used to wake up in the middle of the night to hear our kids in their tent having these coarse, appalling conversations. On the last night of camp, they stayed up late in their tents again, only this time- you know what they were doing? They were all sitting in there reading their bibles that they had just been given. I’m not naive enough to believe that they won’t struggle and that old habits won’t ever come creeping back in, but I feel very strongly that the decision they made was a genuine one and I have a hope for them and their futures I didn’t have before. It was the most amazing picture of life-change you could ever see, and I thank God for my front row seat to it all.

Now, here I sit. I’m back at home scratching my mosquito bites, but a piece of my heart remains in Saskatchewan with all of those precious children. All I know is that I can’t wait for July 17th, 2010!

Brayden was one of my favorites. I just wanted to take him home with me!

My Tent Group!! (+ Brayden on the far right)

Sweet little Aleah

Singing and dancing to our VBS songs!

The lake where we bathed. It was beautiful but cold!

So over a month has passed since I last blogged and the reason is- I’ve hardly even been home during that time. The Summer is always crazy busy for my family, but it seems to be especially hectic this year. But lots of fun! I just got back from our family vacation to Arizona. We stayed in Sedona and visited the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas while we were out there. We LOVED it! We’ve been to a lot of neat places, but we saw the most memorable and beautiful sights on this trip. Sedona has these distinct red rock formations that we had incredible views of from our hotel, while the Grand Canyon was absolutely spectacular and more beautiful than I could’ve imagined. 

The day before we left for family vacation, I was just getting back from a trip with my friends to St. Augustine, Florida- the oldest city in the country. It was a fantastic trip. We did the “ghost tour” (was more historical than anything, lots of fun!), saw the oldest school house in the country, visited the beautiful campus of Flagler College, and stayed just a short walk away from a practically empty beach. We could never get the t.v. to work in the condo and we were without internet so it was kind of like camping, but I think I actually preferred it that way. Two of my friends that came brought their guitars, we grilled out on the beach, and we walked down to the ritzy beach club by our condo  during the day and pretended to be members so we could use the pool (hey, we’re all poor college students okay? We also ate fast food for half of our meals, and went to a Dunkin’ Donuts close to closing time to beg for food they were going to throw away. It wasn’t my idea, but we have no shame) . . . we didn’t need television for fun. 

The beautiful campus of Flagler College. I seriously want to take a summer course there now! They have a Poly Sci program!

While we were on vacation, we celebrated something very special. My sister Katherine’s 10th birthday. Katherine is the baby of the family, and her birthday is special for me because she’s my only sibling that I vividly remember being born, and being a baby. My memories of that time in Margaret’s life are a little faint now, and I’m only two years older than Alex. But I remember everything surrounding the time of Katherine coming into the world. As does anyone that knows our family. Those that were around for that could never forget. I remember what Katherine’s due date was supposed to be. It was August 14th. She came into the world June 30th. She was under five pounds, and would spend the next 11 days after her birth in the ICU. Those days after Mom had left the hospital and was able to come home, but Katherine was still there were hard and scary days for my parents. They, like every parent, just wanted a happy, healthy, child, and well, here’s what they got . . . 

Katherine with her classic and mischievous smile

Is she sane? Well, not entirely, but she is happy and healthy. Mom and Dad’s miracle baby is now a highly entertaining ten year old ball of laughter, energy, and brains too! (If you can believe that from her goofy picture) But beyond that, she is also uniquely thoughtful and considerate of others for her age. Recently Katherine did something that she was very intent on doing, and had to commit to over a pretty long period of time. She grew out her hair until it was long enough, and then chopped just about all of it off to give it to Locks of Love. Now, somewhere out there a child that has lost their hair in chemo therapy or some other medical treatment can get a little confidence and normalcy back in their life, because of what she did. It was completely something that she wanted to do and I couldn’t be more proud of her for it. 

That’s about all for now, and hopefully it won’t be another month until I update this thing again. Until then, I’m looking forward to our Mission Trip to Canada with my church next week! Prayers for all of us are appreciated. I’ll post pictures when I return! 

I have not been a very consistent blogger this summer. Surprisingly, it’s actually been a lot more busier than the school year was and there seems to be way less time to sit in front of the computer and think long enough to write out anything worth reading.

But there is a lot I want to tell you about, so here goes . . . .

VBS!

CANADA!!!!!!

Fathers Day

Look at this new Amy Grant song. It hasn’t even been released on a c.d. or to radio or anything yet but it is beautiful.

I realize I’ve been a delinquent blogger lately- my apologies. It’s been really hectic! This past week I moved back home from Tech for the summer and here is what I have found to be true: Moving is NO FUN! It was such a pain that I decided that when I grow up I’m just going to find a house I like and stay there until I die. But now I’m all unpacked (it took me two days) and finally have a moment to breathe.

I cannot believe my freshman year is over! It flew by. And I was a little sad when it was all over. But I’m also glad to be home. Let me break it down for you this way:

Things That Are Better About Being Home

• No More Cafeteria Food
• No more flip flops in the shower
• No more having to hide my toaster every month for “Safety Checks”
• No more fire alarms being pulled at 2 in the morning (and I had a test the next day in an early class- I swear if I ever find the kid that pulled it . . . )
• No more cigarette smoke seeping into my room from the room down the hall. If you only knew how many cans of Febreze I went through there
• The toilets are usually a little cleaner at home . . . usually

Things That I’ll Miss About Tech This Summer

• My church back in Cookeville. Mainly because they had a free lunch every week. And also because they have a great choir. But mainly the lunch.
• Poet’s Coffee Shop- that place is amazing. If you’re ever in Cookeville, go there! . . . Actually you probably will by default anyway. There’s not much to see in Cookeville people.
• All my friends that go to Tech but don’t live here! But they don’t live too far away- like 99% of the students live in Tennessee. Except I met a group of people from Japan.  I guess Tennessee Tech is wildly popular there- or maybe they were just offered a scholarship.
• Being able to do things more spontaneously- it’s easier when everybody lives within walking distance of each other.

I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things here at home. You know when you go to church camp, or on a spring break trip with your friends, and then you come back home and it takes  a day of readjusting to your surroundings because you’re so used to being in the constant company of your friends and there’s a little bit of disappointment that the fun is over? . . . Or maybe that was just me. But in any event, that’s how coming home from college is, but more so.  I am so glad to see my family (and my dog) again, and it really is great to be home- but it’s quite a transition from college-life.

This summer will be a busy and exciting one though! I’m back on full-time at Chick-fil-A this summer and saving up my every penny for a mission trip to Canada in July. I’ve been taking clothes to consignment shops, taking bags of coins to the “CoinStar” machine at Kroger, and working as many hours as I can so that I’ll be able to afford the trip. But I know it will be worth it. This will be my fifth year to go and it has always been such an amazing time!

Wednesday will mark Barack Obama’s 100th day in office as President of the United States. The ‘honeymoon’ for our 44th President shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, as much of the media is still willing to give him a free pass on the hard questions, he continues to enjoy widespread public support, and he still has his trusty ole’ teleprompter feeding him his every line.  Except when it messes up, like it did this morning. Or that time on the campaign trail. Classic. 

But a closer look at Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office reveals a young presidency rife with errors, doublespeak, and overspending. Oh, and a blossoming friendship between our commander-in-chief and Hugo Chavez. Aren’t those two just adorable? 

So we’ll jump in with his changes on the social issues, which have surprisingly gone widely unnoticed. Now here’s the deal, even I get worn out with the culture-issue wars, but when Barack Obama proposes reversing the “conscience clause” that protects doctors who refuse to provide abortions and other services that conflict with their personal beliefs- we have a problem. Add that to his decision to overturn the Bush administration’s ban  on embryonic stem cell research and his plans to reinstate the federal ban on assault weapons and we can already see a sharp turn to the left on social policy.

Moving on to bigger and even scarier things- let’s talk spending. And my friends there is a LOT of it going on, with this years budget deficit sitting at $1.5 trillion-with a t. His spending bill containing a whopping 9,000 earmarks sure didn’t do much to help this, but on the bright side he asked his cabinet to cut costs in their departments by $100 million, an astounding .0027% . . . , let’s not get carried away Barack. 

On April 15th concerned citizens across the country took to the streets to protest the gross misuse of their hard-earned dollars, and ABC news reported on the same day that the White House said the President was “unaware of the tea-parties.” Umm, seriously? You know it seems like there is someone in his staff that is supposed to brief him on the news events of the day . . . oh well, it was probably the same person that advised him on protocol when meeting with foreign leaders. Such as the Queen of England, who Michelle Obama touched (big no-no) and Barack Obama gave an iPod filled with audio of his speeches to, or the Saudi Prince that Barack Obama bowed to.  . . . Cause you know, we typically try and avoid having our President bow to leaders of a country where women are less-valued that livestock.  

We’ll shift gears to the war on terrorism– Oops, I mean “overseas contingency operation”- since that’s what we have to call it now.  To me this is the issue where we have seen Obama’s naivete at play the most.  First there was the plan to close Guantanamo Bay. I was with him on this until I learned that we’re considering releasing these people into the United States!  Then there was the declassification of top-secret CIA interrogation memos and his considering dropping a key demand to Iran and allowing it to keep nuclear facilities open during negotiations. For the cherry on top- the Department of Homeland Security’s recent warning against “right-wing extremism,” which was especially ironic considering the fact that the FBI’s newest “Most Wanted” terrorist, is a left-wing extremist. 

We can only wonder what the next 100 days will hold. I’m predicting sleepovers at the White House with Chavez, buying “magic beans” from Ahmadinejad, and the United States’ new policy on the proper treatment of detainees reading something along the lines of “You must fan them and feed them grapes,” because heaven forbid we use tough interrogation tactics that actually get results.

Well this has been a great weekend so far up here at TTU. My roommate, Joey’s friend from where he lives in Rhea County, TN came up to visit, AND the church I go to up here was hosting a Scavenger Hunt for the college students. I love scavenger hunts! was all over it! — Especially when I found out there was a prize of $200 for the winning team! 

So I rounded up my team, consisting of my friends Sara, Jon, Dallas, and Lauren. And we set out to dominate. We got to the church at six PM where we were given instructions and then all dashed to our cars to go out across Cookeville to find the various things and accomplish the many tasks on the list.

I picked a pretty good team, we’re all very competitive, and Sara and Lauren were on my team for The Black History Month Quiz Bowl (we each won $100 in that!) back in February. Here’s a few shots of us in action, trying to do some of the things on the list . . . .

Our attempt at doing handstands . . . look closely and you'll notice the pained expression on my face. Also, during this time Jon accidentally kicked Sara in the mouth.

Our "picture taken in mid-air"-- does anyone else just want to start singing songs from High School Musical when they see this?

 . . . Okay so all that to say that we didn’t win the scavenger hunt. But I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed that hard- we had so much fun doing it! And also, after it was over the church fed us so that’s always good too- especially because by this point the cafeteria was closed. The church said they should be putting pictures online in the next few days, so be sure to check it out!

It is April 14th, 2009. The McCain/Palin ticket lost their bid for the White House over five months ago. . . . but apparently no one told the media. And alas, the gratuitous smears and attempts to demonize Sarah Palin and her family continue. 

The media’s latest weapon? Levi Johnston. You know- that guy who impregnated Bristol Palin and now in a sad, sad, effort to garner himself publicity while taking cheap-shots at the Palin family, gave his tell all story to Tyra Banks. What, were the Maury Povich and Jerry Springer shows booked?  Stay classy Levi. 

 . . .  As a student of journalism I can tell you he’s not what we would classify as a highly-credible or respected source, to say the least. But the media is taking his word as the gospel, and running with it. And they couldn’t be happier to report on his every dig at the Palin family. 

The media, in a cruel plot planned out by James Carville, did the same thing to Rush Limbaugh. And it was completely unacceptable then but even more so now. God bless this woman- she’s a working mother of five children, one of whom is special needs, while another is fighting in Iraq, and another still recently gave birth to a child of her own. She’s been hit with half a million dollars in legal fees to defend herself against bogus claims (i.e.- the politically motivated “Troopergate” scandal), her own church was set fire to, and she remains among the most frequent punch lines in David Letterman’s nightly monologue, while poor ole’ Keith Olbermann over at MS-LSD  can’t seem to get over her either. 

Hillary Clinton was a victim to these same kind of lame, personal attacks and Greta Van Susteren, one of my favorite journalists, wrote an excellent blog about the attacks launched at both of these women that is definitely worth reading. Here is, in part, what she said:

The level of vitriol towards Governor Sarah Palin by some is over the top.  I am not talking about disagreeing with her policies — I am talking about obnoxious hate.  She has even been asked to prove she is the mother of her child!! Who else gets it? Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  The criticism of her over the years has been over the top. And what has she done ? Worked hard for the American people! She has been accused of everything..even murdering Vince Foster!

. . . .  The New York Times think it is fine to laugh at Governor Palin and conservative magazines and papers have done the same to Senator Clinton.  It is vicious.  I wonder, do they even realize what they are doing?  

I am not talking about disagreement with their politics, or ideology, or job performance — I am talking about the just plain nasty gratuitous remarks that make the writer / or speaker look really lame.   We should aggressively disagree with politics or politicians when we think it wrong — but you know what I mean — “getting personal” or attempting to destroy is different.

I think the last sentence there makes a great point. Didn’t think Sarah Palin was quite ready to be VP? Totally fine. Don’t agree with her policies? That’s cool too. . . . But please, let’s not allow ourselves to stoop so low as to demonize, make personal attacks at, and make deeply hurtful remarks towards any of our elected leaders, especially when it is so completely unwarranted. I think that so often we forget that these are real people with feelings, and families, and it would do wonders for our political discourse in this nation if we could remember that.

Watch below for an interesting clip from a recent press conference of hers where she talks about how she’s been dealing with some of the nasty rumors and attacks. 

My Super Exciting Spring Destination

Some folks went to the beach, Disney world, etc.- I worked. And no that’s actually not my Chick-fil-A there in the picture but you get the idea. It was nice to get some hours in and make some money though, and one day we had a nice old couple that comes for BINGO on Wednesdays bring us muffins! . . . But I’m still recouping from hearing hours and hours of ‘Kidz Bop’. . . . Our store is right across from the carousel and that is what they play ALL DAY. Something about a chorus of eight year olds singing Maroon 5 and Fallout Boy is just weird to me. 

I Did Watch Some Good Movies Though!
 
 We watched “Madea Goes to Jail”- it was hilarious! Tyler Perry is comedic genius. We also watched the prequel- ”Meet the Browns.” And we also saw “Secret Life of Bees,” and this really good Angela Bassett movie we got from the Redbox called “Gospel Hill.”

My American Idol Predictions
 
I called in last week to vote for Danny, Kris, and Megan. Megan is actually their pick on votefortheworst.com  but I like her a lot! I think her style is really unique. I like Kris because I hear he’s a worship leader,  he’s a really good guitarist, and our children’s ministry intern at Long Hollow this summer, Britney Ables, knows him. And I think the competition is Danny’s to win- he’s mad talented. Tonight’s theme is “Motown,” which should be interesting. And I’m sorry to say it but Scott McEntire is overrated. I think he has a really cool story, and I love the fact that according to his profile on AI’s website he’s a Mark Schultz fan, but I just don’t think he’s that good. What do you think? 

 . . . Oo, and my favorite American Idol alum, Mandisa’s, new c.d., “Freedom,”  is out NOW! It’s so good. 

I Caved . . . 

I made fun of people that had a Twitter account for the longest time . . . and now I have one. There’s a little bit of a back story on this though. . . . Okay so I gave up my Facebook account until Easter- yeah, it SUCKS. I didn’t realize how much I relied on that thing. Not just for fun either- turns out I’ve missed like 2 College Republicans meetings since I gave it up. But I had been spending so much time on it. So I am gave it up for 40 days. But I was having withdrawals, and this blog had taken a big hit since my Facebook account gave it most of it’s traffic SO I kind of cheated and got a Twitter account. But, I don’t even spend a 1/10 of as much time on it as I do on Facebook. So, I guess it’ okay, right?  Follow me at twitter.com/jfrank08.

FUNNIEST COMMERCIAL EVAH!
My roommates don’t think it’s as funny but I laugh so hard every time this comes on . . .

If you’ve been watching the news at all recently, you’ve probably been hearing a lot about Meghan McCain. McCain, John McCain’s daughter, made quite a name for herself during the election with her blog “The McCain Blogette” as well as her children’s book, “My Dad, John McCain.” 

But recently she’s been making headlines in a different way, saying of Sarah Palin after the election, “Sarah Palin is the only part of the campaign that I won’t comment on publicly” and of Ann Coulter, “I find her offensive, radical, insulting, and confusing all at the same time.” 

And in the past couple of days she’s been taking to the airwaves, making appearances on the likes of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” and “The View,” (where she told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham to kiss her a**. Real classy) posturing herself as the face of young, moderate Republicans. All the while taking shots at just about everyone within the party she claims to support. 

Now some of what Meghan McCain says, I fully agree with- such as her article on the Daily Beast, a news and opinion site she writes for, entitled, “Why Republicans Don’t Get The Internet,” in which she stressed the need for Republicans to adapt to new technologies and embrace tools such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. to convey their message to young people- a demographic being overwhelmingly won over by Democrats- that she was spot-on about (Side Note: Why couldn’t she get that through to her Dad during the course of the election?). 

But there’s a lot I don’t understand about this gal. Such as why she must take issue with everyone in the party (except her father), or how, frankly, she feels ready to enter this battle of ideas when even she says

“I didn’t even take econ. in college. I don’t completely understand it [the economy] so I’d hate to make a comment on way or the other. That’s – truly of all the things – I keep reading and I just don’t understand it.” 

Ya know Meghan, that’s kind of a biggie these days.

My intent isn’t to beat up on Meghan McCain. She’s been taking a lot of heat lately. This is a smart young lady that shows the potential to be an important voice for Republicans in the future. I don’t subscribe to this idea, as some conservatives do, that there is no place in the party for moderates such as her. And I certainly don’t want to alienate her from the party. We need folks like her.  

But this person is in over her head. She lacks any background in or comprehensive understanding of politics aside from what she’s learned through her father’s experiences, and is obviously still in the early stages of forming her world view. She’s ready to take all kinds of shots at her party, calling it “as hip as Donny Osmond” (who I think is actually pretty cool, but she meant it in a negative context) but seems to be unprepared to offer any solutions.

And with utmost respect to Miss McCain and while fully acknowledging that she has every right to say what she does, I just don’t think that’s the time to be sitting down with every talk show host that’ll have you. 

What do you think?

It’s funny how sometimes we remember just completely random things. One of those things for me was the second day of Vacation Bible School at Long Hollow in 2007. The theme was “The Sports Galaxy,” and I was helping with the drama. 

I LOVE doing the VBS dramas, but the past two years I have done it, it has also been one of the most stressful weeks of the year because often times we ended up memorizing our lines the day of the event. I remember on the second day in particular, we were all really stressed and felt that we just weren’t ready to go out there. Finally it was almost time for us to go on and the ladies of the Praise Team asked us if we wanted to join them in prayer. They did that thing where somebody opens, somebody closes and whoever can just go in the middle as they feel led. And I remember Sarah, who was also doing the drama, said Thank you for the privilege it is to serve. 

Well the praise team was comprised entirely of women, as was the drama team- minus me- and of course they all just started boo-hooing. But I don’t know that I entirely understood what that meant until this weekend. 

This weekend I had the opportunity to come home and lead a group of 8th graders at “Quest” at church (also called ‘Disciple Now, ‘D-Now’, etc.- whatever . . .). It was awesome! 

After the church service Sunday a lunch was provided for the leaders and co-leaders and Travis, our high school pastor, was telling us how appreciative the church was for our coming and ’serving’ this weekend. And I was thinking to myself that this gratitude seemed undeserved because I was so thankful for the opportunity to come and do it. I mean I loved everything about the weekend, I too, was challenged by the message given, and it was such a blessing to me that I just felt bad about being praised for having done it. 

I mean yes, it was somewhat of a commitment of time, and yeah we completed a service project- in our case helping a very sweet family move, and there were a number of responsibilities I had, but I benefitted from having come to Quest. And I was actually a little saddened when it was over.

And then I remembered those words, and today I pray them too- THANK YOU, God, for the privilege it is to serve!  I don’t deserve the reward that it brings, but I am grateful for it. 

Quest was AWESOME!  

My Quest Group!