Monday, February 28, 2011

Are you going to waste your life?

This speaks for itself I think.



"Reach Records presents the offical Don't Waste Your Life music video ft. Cam singing on the hook.

Be sure to check the DWYL Tour website to see when were coming to your city! http://www.reachrecords.com/dwyl

Special thanks to the video team at Desiring God (http://www.desiringgod.org) for their production and editing of this project."

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Lessons from a cough drop

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a cough drop. I started untwisting the ends and opening up the little paper that encase my lozenge like a little cocoon. And then the unthinkable happened.
Some of the paper stuck to the cough drop, and tore. This left little strips of paper behind, impossible to peel off.
"That sucks."
I suppose sitting in my car in the heat or in my pocket had caused the cough drop to slightly melt, then re-harden. I wondered if Hall's couldn't be bothered to use a paper wrapper with a wax interior, or something similar to avoid this all-too-common predicament.
Cough drop ruined, frustrated thoughts coursing through my brain, a sigh escaping my lips...and then, a bemused thought came to my head.
"It could be worse."
In fact, it is worse. I envy those who have to contend with a ruined cough drop as their largest concern.

For some unknown reason, I can not be content with the status quo. I want to change the world in some little way. If I learn something, I want to share it. More often than not, no one cares about the same things I do.
I think that is why religion and politics are the two biggest things I write about here. They are also the two biggest things that I post about on Facebook. I find myself sharing videos, articles, and links that I am certain most of you never take the time to read. They are the two biggest things I think about. This is because the topics of religion and politics, to me, are extremely important. My children's futures are at stake. I want to do everything I can to make the world a better place for them.

Maybe starting a dialogue about the deeper meat of my faith can help even one other person understand it better. Maybe it will help me understand it better. Things like penal substitutionary atonement, verbal plenary inspiration, soteriology...these types of things are important to me. It breaks my heart that others do not find them to be so important.
When people sit idly by and watch their country go a direction they don't like and do nothing about it, I get frustrated. Why don't people care if their liberties are being undermined, if our elected officials view the document that they (and I) swore an oath to defend as a mere piece of paper, that innocent unborn children are being murdered daily? Doesn't it concern people that our nation is heading toward bankruptcy? Doesn't it matter that most of this can be prevented? Why do I feel like I am the only one that either a. cares, or b. hasn't given up yet?

I don't know why I have the weight of the world on my shoulders like this. I don't know what makes one person care about the little things so much, and another care about bigger things. The things I think about sometimes keep me up at night (well, actually, it's daytime.) when I try to sleep. By little things, I mean those that don't matter in the long run for us as a country, or as humans and our eternal souls. Often, I wish I could just put these things out of my mind, and live in the moment more.

This isn't to put down those whose chief concerns involve how to get the attention of that girl or guy in your class, or at whose house you are going to watch the big fight, or trying to increase your 1 - rep max on the bench, or learning how to play a new musical instrument. These things are important to you, and at some point or another these things were or will be important to me.

I just wish I could understand why I am motivated to think this way...
Is it something genetic? Something to do with how I was raised? Maybe just a combination of both plus my life experiences? I will probably never know.
These are things that weigh upon my mind, heart, and soul. Sorry if they bore you.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Atlas Shrugged Part 1



Perfect timing for this movie. I hope it turns out to be well made and have good acting.

On the PATRIOT Act...

As you hopefully know, this past week the US House of Representatives voted on whether or not to extend three controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. The vote failed due to some legislative maneuvering that required a 2/3rds majority for passage.

Here is some information for those of you who want to know more about the PATRIOT Act.

First, we have Wikipedia.

Next, a 3 part article written in October 2009. Some of the info is a little outdated, but most of it is still relevant.

And here is a video from Senator Rand Paul regarding the PATRIOT Act. It expresses the feelings of many people in the most eloquent way I have seen thus far. Please take a few minutes to watch it.



The act extending the provisions is expected to go through legislative channels and be voted on again. This time, it will only require a simple majority to pass. If you do not want your liberties and 4th Amendment rights threatened, I urge you to call your Congressperson. They need to know how you feel, and how you would like them to vote.

Please ask your representative to vote "NO" on H.R. 514

Perhaps we can get enough reps to listen to their constituents and not allow this bill to pass.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Abortion update: Thornberry responds.

Back in January I posted about abortion. I was greatly concerned that my elected representative, Mac Thornberry, had not cosponsored H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.
I posted on Mr. Thornberry's Facebook page regarding this, and I am excited to report that I eventually got a response!
Me: Congressman Thornberry, why have you not co-sponsored H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act?
Mac Thornberry: I co-sponsored this bill in the last Congress, and have signed on to do so again this session. Since I came to Congress , I have consistently voted to oppose funding abortion and will continue to support such efforts.

So, I double checked, and sure enough, on February 8, 2011, my Congressperson became a co-sponsor of the bill. There are now 200 co-sponsors to this important piece of legislation.

I hope those of you who read this blog consider contacting your Congressional Representatives when you would like them to vote a certain way on an item of legislation. Remember, you have to make your voice heard!

Left or right?

It seems to me that a lot of people tend to think that the American political spectrum is a simple left to right line. On the left are the liberals, or Democrats (evil, immoral people!); on the right are conservatives, or Republicans (stupid, racist people!). In the middle are the moderates or centrists (wishy-washy compromising people!).

I have found a better way of describing yourself involves a 2-dimensional graph, with one axis representing economic issues, and another representing personal issues. Some examples follow.

World's Smallest Political Quiz

Political Compass

Politopia

Political Spectrum Quiz

The Enhanced Precision Political Quiz...in 2D

Political Quiz.net


Some of these quizzes are shorter, some are longer. Some appear to be more biased in the way they word the questions. Some give demographic information, some give you reading recommendations. That is why I have listed several, in order to give you a more balanced view of where you stand.

I personally tend to end up on the extreme end of the economic scale, and moderate, but slightly conservative on the personal issues scale. Here is an example:




MY PERSONAL VIEWS AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN


I want the Federal government to stay out of the economy as much as possible. I support a flat tax or a consumption tax (such as the Fair Tax), but I would prefer no national income tax at all. For this to work, government needs to spend as little as possible. No subsidies or bailouts. Get back to sound money and get rid of the Federal Reserve.

I believe that the 2nd Amendment is in place to allow the citizenry to protect ourselves from a tyrannical government. Therefore, the only limits on how many and what kind of weapons I can own should be based on what I can afford.

I believe the role of the US Armed Services should be national defense, not nation building and empire sustaining. The best way to spread our views of proper government are by example, not through force. We need to declare victory in Afghanistan and Iraq and bring the troops home. We also need to close most of our military bases that are outside the US.

I believe doing drugs is stupid, but I believe that the government doesn't have the right to tell you what to do with your own body. I also oppose laws against prostitution, and laws mandating the wear of seat belts and motorcycle helmets for adults for the same reason. Ending the "War on Drugs" should be a priority to help our families, our overcrowded justice system, our national security, and our economy.

I believe abortion isn't something a woman does to her own body, but to a separate, living human that is inside her. Your right to do what you want ends when it interferes with somebody else's right to do as they choose. This goes both ways. If a mother's life is in danger, she has the absolute right to defend herself, even against an unborn child.

I believe our national borders should be secured, and everyone who is here illegally should be deported. The process to enter the country legally and to become a citizen should be made easier. (ie. tall fence, wide gate.)

I believe the education of our children is done best at the local level. Get rid of the Department of Education.

There are many, many more views that I have, but here are some of them. Please, share yours in the comments! I realize that most people do not agree with my views, and I think open and honest discussion is the best thing for all sides!