Wedding Day

Anyone who has gotten married, or even witnessed someone else close to them get married, know it is a lot of work to plan a wedding. Thanks to some timley wisdom from an unexpected source, it worked out that my husband and i had a year and a half to plan our wedding and prepare for our marriage, which was truly a blessing.

I remember throughout the process with picking a date, locations, the dress, invitations, etc. I remember the one prayer I repeated almost every day through that year and a half. I prayed that our wedding would glorify God. And? God answered that prayer. Our wedding ceremony was devoted to God, his principles of unity and role within the marriage relationship and how we wanted everyone there to know God. Even our wedding reception was God-focused, specifically our first dance song: God with us by Mercyme. I remember my husband whispering in my ear during the dance, reminding me of the words that our friends and family were hearing, the message we sent. "all that is within me cries, that You alone be glorified. Emmannuel, God with us.". Beautiful.

I decided to share because the thought brought me to tears the other night. As the bride, it feels like all eyes are on you on your wedding day. And while all eyes were on me, I was pointing to God. Sal was there, pointing to God with me. So awesome. Such a blessing.

Just wanted to share my thoughts.

-Erica

What If?

Two posts in one day! Craziness I know.

I heard this speech tonight and thought it was a very powerful representation of Ron Paul's foreign policy. I believe it was from early 2008 in congress.

"Madame speaker, I have a few questions for my colleagues. What if our foreign policy of the last century is deeply flawed, and has not served our national security interests? What if we wake up one day and realize that the terrorist threat is a predictable consequence of meddling in the affairs of others, and has nothing to do with us being free and prosperous? What if propping up repressive regimes in the middle east endangers both the United States and Israel? What if occupying countries like Iraq and Afghanistan and bombing Pakistan is directly related to the hate toward us? What if someday it dawns us that losing over 5,000 American military personnel in the middle east since 9-11 is not a fair trade off for the loss of nearly 3,000 American citizens no matter how many Iraqi Pakistani or Afghan people are killed or displaced? What if we finally decide that torture, even if called enhanced interrogation technique, is self destructive and produces no useful information and that contracting it out to a third world nation is just as evil? What if it is finally realized that war and military spending is always destructive to the economy? What if all wartime spending is funded through the deceitful and evil process of inflating and borrowing? What if we finally see that wartime conditions always undermine personal liberty? What if conservatives who preach small government wake up and realize that our interventionist foreign policies provides the greatest incentive to expand the government? What if conservatives understood once again that their only logical position is to reject military intervention and managing an empire throughout the world? What if the American people woke up and understood that the official reasons for going to war are almost always based on lies and promoted by war propaganda in order to serve special interests? What if we as a nation came to realize that the quest for empire eventually destroys all great nations? What if Obama has no intention of leaving Iraq? What if a military draft is being planned for the wars that will spread if our foreign policy is not changed? What if the American people learned the truth that our foreign policy has nothing to do with national security and it never changed from one administration to the next? What if war and preparation for war is a racket, serving the special interests? What if President Obama is completely wrong about Afghanistan and it turns out worse than Iraq and Vietnam put together? What if Christianity actually teaches peace and not preventive wars of aggression? What if diplomacy is superior to bombs and bribes in protecting America? What happens if my concerns are completely unfounded? Noting. But what happens if my concerns are justified and ignored? Nothing good. And I yield back the balance of my time."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqAF-Alc7CM

Here also is a recent quote from Ron Paul: "Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long." — Ron Paul

Pretty powerful speech. I'm not sure why people have such a hard time understanding that what our military is doing is putting us more in danger and more in debt. America needs to wake up and be more actively involved in fighting for their own rights, which are being stripped away by our current government (NDAA, Current proposition of HR 3166 & SB 1698).

Here are some more videos if you are interested in Ron Paul's ideas and campaign. It might benefit you to know that more veterans have donated to Ron Paul's campaign than to all of the other Republican Candidates combined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4a__tcfFug


www.youtube.com/watch?v=92OV3RbU3ek

 
- Erica

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD" Isaiah 1:17-18

Newton's Law of 2012

So there have been so many things I have wanted to blog about that I haven't even written one! So, here if the next installment.

Sir Issac Newton stated that 'every object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an outside force'. My motto that I am adopting for 2012 is the idea that a body in motion is likely to stay in motion. In a practical way, this means coming home from work and not plopping in front of a screen or laying down for a nap. It means coming home and working to accomplish one significant thing. Then, since I am already in motion, I am more likely to keep moving and not blob the night away.

I don't know if it will work, but it is an interesting concept. It will definitely take some conscious, intentional thought , especially during the winter months.

So far it has seemed to work pretty well (at least for the last couple of weeks). I am more likely to get things done, get up when I am sitting, and feel better about things (the house looking better, being more active, etc.). I will also be starting the Insanity program this week. While I already know that it will be hard to incorporate exercise daily (like Wednesdays: work 9-5, class 6-9), I still want to try it out. I have officially gained 15 pounds since our wedding and definitely some body definition, so I want to try to get back to where I was or better. For me, for Sal, and for the potential health issues it may cause down the road.

I suppose that's all for now. January month of prayer is going really well. I have already seen God working in a number of ways: Increased communication between Sal and I, getting Sal and I more involved in our church, and an increased desire to seek out other thoughtful Christians. I have also felt God tugging me to get more involved in my prayer times. More exposed, more genuine, and to treat the time as almost sacred. Very exciting stuff. I am also already plotting my ideas for February's focus of incorporating God's word more into my daily life. Very excited about that, too.

More soon.

- Erica

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD" Isaiah 1:17-18

Finish List

So there is a blogger from the Dave Ramsey camp named John Acuff. He proposed that his readers create a "Finish List" for 2012, instead of calling for New Year's Resolutions (See his blog post here http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/the-hardest-part-of-a-project-is-also-the-most-important/). I say this because that was the train of thought that got me thinking about this blog post.

I have a lot of big ideas for 2012. Finding a full time job once I graduate, paying off the loan my father gave us to put me through graduate school, join a new social group, creating a savings account that increases every month that we don't touch, vote, going through the Insanity program in 60 days, losing 40 pounds, get a dog.

I also have a lot of ideas on what I don't want to do. I don't want to have a baby (yet), I don't want to be in school anymore (after May 2012), I don't want to lose my passion for social justice and wide scale change, I don't want to sell my car, I don't want to lose any of my distant friendships.

In thinking about all of my plans for the New Year, I've realized that it is very...planned. I have a very clear idea of what I want to see happen in 2012, at least as far as major events go. I'm very good at writing daily, weekly and monthly To-Do lists and getting them done. I'm good at getting things accomplished. But even in the midst of the plans I have, I realized I've left out a minor detail: God's plans.

So my focus for the new year is not to lose weight or to find a job, though those things I assume will happen. My focus will be on God. More importantly, my focus will be on God's plans for me for 2012. Romans calls us to renew our minds in order to divine God's will. That is my focus for 2012.


"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

If my focus in on God, the desires of my own heart, such as losing weight or saving money, will follow suit through the increase self-discipline and wisdom found in Christ. Not only that, but the humility that will come from submitting my plans before God will be a great, great thing to grow as well.

January's focus will be prayer. I will journal at least once a day, and more than that, I will engage in a daily vocal prayer to God. Sometimes I feel as though I hide behind my journal, even though my entries are worded as prayers and conversations with God. Engaging in verbal, direct communication is a very different feeling. Feeling God's presence and listening for Him feels very different when I say things out loud.

 So while I make my to-do lists on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, my focus will be directed towards God. As I move forward, I pray that I am following a path that is pleasing to God, and that He grants me a vision for what He wants from me in 2012.

Happy New Year.


"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13


- Erica

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD" Isaiah 1:17-18

Why America Is Ready for Ron Paul 2012

Obama had great ideas when he went into office. Ideas of social justice and pulling out our troops and fighting for the American people. Ideas that the American people supported and voted him into office.

Throughout his term, we have seen numerous pieces of legislation that the American people largely supported get shot down. America called for a balanced budget, and time and time again partisanship reigned. Compromise was a foreign word in the national government.

If there are proposals that the American people support that cannot be passed through Congress, is that not an indication that our democratic society is completely backwards? Our national government is doing what they think is 'best for the country' when their job is to act as a proxy for the states they represent.

What about the seventeen-year-old who told me she wanted to be a lobbyist because she wanted to have a say in government? When we have to resort to being a lobbyist in order to feel as if we have a say in our government, something is wrong. The government is supposed to be a representation of the wants of the American people.

Ron Paul is, and has been, in support of reverting the country back to the way it was designed in the constitution. States make the majority of the decisions based on the people represented in a geographical area. This allows for the people to directly hold their representative accountable for their actions and votes. The national government would be in charge of national defense, national currency, post offices and roads. Period. And what is the national government defending? Our freedoms and rights as individual members of our society. Protecting our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We are ready to hear from Ron Paul because America has seen that their wants and needs are not being represented in their own government. We have turned around and realized that our power has been ripped from our hands and given to the government. Its the government's job to represent us, not to do what THEY think is best for the country.

America is ready to revert back to the ability to voice their opinion and hold their representatives accountable.

America is ready for Ron Paul.

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

- Erica

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD" Isaiah 1:17-18