Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness??

"We can protect the values This great nation was built upon Life, Faith, and Family"

This is an attractive video. Well shot. Good music. The above quote is at the end of it and it makes me go..."Hmmmm?".

It's really indicative of my frustration and struggle. This illustrates why I've posted twice about just wanting it over. There's a small part of my brain that says I'm struggling with this because my decision (been mailed in already) is wrong. I'm so stubborn tho'.

One big HUGE argument is at this article. Particularly in the comments here. The whole thing really breaks my heart.

I'm also just plain scared.

I also what this done so I can actually write about something else. :P

so....I want it done

I've said it before. I want the election over. I feel as though I'm getting bombarded with how bad a person I am for voting for Barack Obama. Bishops have come out saying it's nigh on to a mortal sin to vote for Barack Obama. I don't want to venture to assume "What Jesus Would Do"; but I think that he would not be too involved with "politics".

On another note... my student who I talked about here actually was training in august. He just graduated and is a scout. He leaves for Iraq in a couple of months. After he left, I had to hide for a moment in my classroom because I was trying to keep myself from crying. I am so, so worried for him. Also, found out that another former student is in the same unit. I've never prayed so hard.

Mad

So, I'm catching up on my milblogs...and then other milblogs I get led to....see The Sandbox widget to the left. At some point I realize woefully that I don't know what the current Death Toll is for Iraq and Afghanistan. That fries my bacon something fierce. Why don't the newscasts end with the death toll? Probably the same reason we don't see flag draped coffins. If we were subject to the number everyday I bet people would have more of a fire lit under their butts to get this thing done.

Ya know it pisses me off that people probably don't know this information. Also, I'm frustrated that I have to hunt down the numbers. Trying to get to the Washington Post Site so I can link to their "Faces of the Fallen" Project.

4183 in Iraq

612 in Afghanistan*

An even more painful thought is those veterans who have taken their own life because they didn't have the help/support/whatever they needed.

I pray for them all.


*from here

holy moly

so I had a great idea to write about last night when I was walking the dog. I can't remember what it was. I've gotten out of the practice of writing so I thought I would just check with a brief entry.

New thing: There's a certain peace that comes with having the house clean. We had a pretty major dinner party so the house was cleaned from top to bottom. Each time I do a major clean there's this desire to "keep it up" then it takes about a week before it's all over.

I haven't done anything today and I'm yawning like a fiend.

I guess that's all today.

Frustration + Politics

The election can't come soon enough to suit me. Because I work at a parochial school and do a lot of work within the parish I have little concept of what views are outside my realm. The community here is VERY conservative. At least the vocal people are the most conservative. I feel muzzled because I can't talk about my political views. There is no nuance here. More than one car has the "If you vote pro-Abortion; you are pro-Abortion" bumper sticker. The silent (possibly) people who don't support McCain speak in hushed tones. It's almost like we're an underground. We speak softly and quickly looking around in case we're overheard. It's freakin' ridiculous. What pains me most is I can't "back-up" my students from families that support the democrats with anything other than, "No politics in class". I've been burned before.

I feel really isolated.

I posted this over at the Deacon's Bench, in response to a response to one of the Deacon's post.

Forgive me if I've become bitter from listening to Pro-Life Politicians (and Catholic Lay-People) spout off about how much they value human life. As long as sweet cute helpless babies are safe all is right with the world. Who cares about criminals or foreigners or poor women of color and their children.
Oh I get proportionate reasons...but what about hypocracy? The word pharisee keeps rolling through my head.

I just feel like there's a better way to accomplish the pro-life aims than counting on politicians to do anything.

Send Me A Shower of Roses

St. Therese of Lisieux - the Little Flower



Yesterday was her "feast". I enjoyed very much studying her teaching. She is so beautiful to me.



Some of her words:



"...believe me when I tell you that we never have too much confidence in the good Lord who is so powerful and merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for."



"God would not give me the desire of doing good on earth, if He did not intend to fulfill it. He would rather give me the desire of finding my repose in Him."



"This {eternal beatitude} is not the thing that attracts me, but love. To love, to be loved, and to return to earth to make Love loved."