Address to Congress

As you may recall, I posted a blog a while ago talking about how I was very sceptical as to whether or not Barack Obama would be able to accomplish any of the things he had promised to the American people. After watching his address to Congress last night, I'll admit that my feelings have changed a bit. Now I'm concerned that he actually WILL do what he's promised. =^/

I'm especially scared of what he's going to do to our healthcare system. I agree that it would be good to fix some of the excesses and corrupt practices that make it impossible for a lot of people to afford health insurance. However, I am PRAYING that the American people will not allow him to take us all the way into universal, homogenized, government-controlled healthcare. A year ago I may not have thought that was such a big deal. But now that I'm married to a military officer and have to rely on government health care, I've realized the value of competition in that field. Sure, it's awesome that we don't have to pay for anything and know we'll never get turned down for care that we need. However, we have no control over which doctors we want to see or when. The referral office makes all apointments, and if they set a day and time for you that doesn't work with your schedule...that's your problem, not theirs. Also, since all of the health care professionals get paid exactly the same no matter how many people they help during the day, they are natoriously lazy and do the bare minimum just to get by. No one has a sense of urgency, which is terrible when you have a big need to see someone fast. If communism didn't do anything to help promote productivity in other countries, imagine what it would do to a life-or-death industry like health care...

I don't see how people can complain about how the government handles everything from foreign policy to taxes to social rights and then be willing to trust it with the care of their bodies. I think what was said in the Republican Resonse last night was very true. The President seems to think that he will be able to fix all of our problems, but those who lived through hurricane Katrina (or any recent crisis) are not so sure...

Ups and Downs

This has been a pretty crazy week - full of extremes.

>:^( It all began last Friday with strong frustration as my computer died - again. This was the fourth major problem I've had with it in the last year and was very afraid that we wouldn't be able to bring it back to life this time.

:^D However, I chose not to let that weigh on me as James and I headed to San Antonio that weekend for our romantic Valentine's Day get away.

:^/ The high from the weekend was rather short lived as I prepared to see the local orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday morning. I've been having back and joint pain since December. I've had problems like this before and tried my best to fix it by exercising more, but it didn't work. The doctors on base recognized my pain was probably related to my back, but were rather intimidated by the magnitude of my surgery so they referred me to an orthopedic surgeon who could take proper X-rays and say for sure if there was anything wrong. I figured I just needed some good physical therapy to set me right again, but the doctor seemed to think it was possible that I would need a second surgery...which, I'm not going to lie, is a rather terrifying idea.

So, I started out the day by getting up while it was still dark outside to drive James into work (because I needed the car for my appointment). Around 11:30 I headed over to the local hospital. They had told me that the appointment was actually at 1:00 but they wanted me to get there an hour early to fill out paper work and get my X-rays taken. I figured I'd be out of there in an hour and a half or two hours tops. Of course, that's not how it worked out...and three and a half hours later I couldn't help feeling extremely worn out and anxious.

:^) Thankfully, all the waiting was worth it because when I finally got to see the doctor she took one look at my X-rays and said that everything looked great, the hardware was solidly in position, and said that with a little stretching I should be just fine. That was a HUGE load off of my shoulders and I couldn't help but hope that change of fortune would mark the end of this dismal period of poor health.

ERRRR - WRONG!

:^( Somehow I ended up coming down with a wicked sinus infection late that night and am still feeling really bad. It's as if my evil body knew I was feeling triumphant and wanted to spite me. Actually, I probably just caught something from one of the people at the hospital, even though I tried really hard not to touch anything unless I had to and washed my hands every chance I got. SO, it was back to the doctor on Friday morning for some medication. They were not particularly helpful and only consented to give me a box of Mucinex so I've been left to my own devices and hope that my super weak immune system will somehow manage to fight this off soon.

:^) I felt slightly more hopeful yesterday as I got word that my good friend Ryan promised to call and help me fix my computer. He said he thought it was just a software problem and I should be able to fix it and still keep all the info on my harddrive.

:^( Turns out we COULD have fixed my computer with no problem if I had spent the money to replace my fried CD drive last spring. But, because I had to rely on an external drive, the install discs couldn't run diagnostics or fix anything. Soo...unless I want to drive back to San Antonio and take it to an Apple store and pay a whole lot of money to have them fix all of my problems, my computer is irrevocably broken. It's not the end of the world because James does have a computer that I can use for internet, but I preferred my own and will very much miss it.

:^) On the upside, even though I'm still feeling bad, James was very thoughtful and went out and picked up some Quizno's for us to eat while watching The Oscars! Hopefully things (particularly my body) will normalize soon.

A Romantic Week

Mid-February is always a special time for me and James because it means we get to really celebrate our relationship. In addition to Valentines Day, we commemorate the anniversary of when we started dating (February 12th, 2006). In the three years that we've been together, this is the first time we've actually been able to spend Valentines Day together so we decided to go all out and spend a romantic weekend in San Antonio.

Thursday night (the 12th) they were having a romantic Valentines dinner at the O Club on base and we figured that would be a good way to get out of the house and celebrate our anniversary. However, because James was in training all that day and didn't get home until late, we realized it might be more stressful than fun to have to get dressed in a hurry and drive 30 minutes out to the base for dinner. Instead, I decided to plan out a romantic dinner here at the house and had fun decorating and baking all afternoon. I set out the good china, all of the candles we own, some of our wedding pictures, and turned on some jazz to set the mood. Then I made a tasty stack of heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes with eggs and fruit. I think he appreciated the effort and even agreed to dress up for the occasion and indulged me by posing for a picture afterward. =^)

Saturday morning we took off for San Antonio and enjoyed talking and rocking out together over the three hour drive. When we arrived in the city, James decided to take me out for a very nice Valentines Day lunch at Piatti's Italian Restaurant. We shared a fabulous pasta dish and a decadent dessert, and then headed next door to the gigantic Quarry Cinema to see Slumdog Millionaire. I LOVE Indian cinema and had been dying to see it so it was very special indeed to have my husband hunt down one of the few theaters in the city where it was still playing, and planning our day around that. After the movie was over, we grabbed some of our beloved Chipotle and headed back to our amazing hotel room on Lackland AFB where we ate and relaxed while watching one of my favorite romantic comedies - Benny and Joon.

The next morning we got up and met our friends Caleb and Jordan at their church. We thought it would be nice to go worship together even though we weren't at home, but didn't realize it would be such a treat! Turns out this is the home church of celebrated Christian author Max Lucado, and we actually got to hear him speak! I don't think James is very familiar with his work so it wasn't as big of a deal for him, but I've read several of his children's books over the years and was excited to tell my friends all about it!

After church we went out shopping with Caleb, Jordan and her mom (they had a few more things to pick up for their wedding) and then they took us out to eat at a nice restaurant in the hill country for lunch. It was great getting to catch up with them and hear all about their wedding plans and share some wisdom. Unfortunately we had to leave early because I had an apointment to get some new glasses and a hair cut (both of which were very needed). That whole process was very time consuming and by the time we got back to the hotel room late in the afternoon I was exhausted.

James offered to just stay in that night because he knew I was tired, but I didn't want to waste our time in the city so - after a short nap - we headed out to a near by theater and saw Gran Torino. I'm usually not a huge fan of Clint Eastwood films and hadn't been in any hurry to see it. However, James' parents saw and loved it and insisted we see it if we got a chance. It really was a good movie - dark, but funny and meaningful, with some good Christian themes. However, I still think I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire more.

As one final hurrah before heading home Monday morning, we decided to have a nice breakfast at The Guenther House restaurant. It's a part of the Pioneer flour mill on the river in downtown San Antonio, and - as a result - has some of the best baked goods you've ever tasted! While we waited to be seated, we toured the small museum and gift shop. Eventually we were seated in their outdoor heated pavilion and had fun sampling the various muffins, rolls and biscuits they gave us while we waited. James got a gigantic blueberry waffle with whipped creme (his favorite!) and I got a big plate of fresh fruit because we can't get produce like that in Del Rio. We sampled each other's food and laughed and talked together till we were quite full and happy.

It was just what we needed to lift our spirits and give us the energy to get through our last few weeks in West Texas. We got to spend a lot of quality time together on a 3 day-long date, and invested in a few things we had been needing. I feel very blessed to be with a man who tries so hard to treat me like a princess and make me feel valued.

Finding Your Purpose in College

Here is the first little part of the first chapter of my book. It's the only part (aside from the intro) that I'm really happy with so far. Figured you might be interested to read it. Any feed back is welcome and appreciated! (Oh, and if any of it sounds familiar, that's because I reused some of my SIU talk material in parts...but I figured it wouldn't be a big deal to rip myself off. John Williams and James Horner do it all the time!)

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It's typical for someone to seek advice and reassurance when facing a big life decision. Whether or not to go to college definitely falls under that category and has caused enough anxiety over the years to inspire an entire sub-genre of self-help books devoted to the subject. Most have catchy titles and large print and seek to impart readers with enough practical tips that they will be sure to survive their first year on campus. Unfortunately, most of these books stick to the basics and neglect the core issues that cause many of the problems they address. Fact is, it really isn't that difficult to survive in college. As long as you go to class most of the time, eat and sleep enough to stay moderately healthy, and pay your tuition bills on time, you shouldn't have too much trouble "earning" a degree. In reality, the biggest problem young college students face is not how to avoid flunking out but how to find the motivation to do their best. Getting a college education takes a lot of time and money and, unless you have a good reason for being there, it might be easier to just give up and find something better to do.

If you haven't done so yet, now would be a great time to sit down and really think about why you want to go to college, and what you hope to get out of it. Do you have a specific career in mind and need this education in order to achieve it? Are you uncertain what you want to do in the future and are hoping to discover your life's passion amid all the classes a university offers? Or maybe your motives have less to do with gaining an education and more to do with getting away from your parents, friends, and everything familiar so you can start over?

A surprising number of young people apply to college simply because that's the logical next step in growing up and all of their friends are doing it. These are the people I worry about the most. Because they don't desire to do anything more than enjoy themselves, they waste a huge amount of time partying, sleeping and goofing off. Theirs might be that iconic college experience you see in the movies - full of exciting sports events, occasional mundane class appearances, and surprisingly enticing displays of social debauchery - but in the end they will have nothing to show for the years they invested there except a sizable beer belly, a series of messy, shallow relationships and a degree in a field that they may not even care about.

You might be wondering what possible "deeper purpose" a person could have for going to college. Isn't the point to get a degree so you can have a lucrative career after you graduate? Sadly, that is all most high school students are being told. But, if you think about it, a college degree is just a piece of paper stating that you've studied a subject for several hourss. Even with a diploma in hand, you may not be qualified or prepared for the job you really want, and it certainly doesn't mean that you really learned anything substantive or grew as a person while you were at that institution.

One of the most important things I learned while in school is that college is about so much more than just going to class and getting a degree. You will be presented with so many opportunities to grow and expand your horizons, and much of what you encounter will challenge who you think you are and what you know about the world. You will meet all kinds of people with whom you can build meaningful, lasting relationships. Some of the most important lessons you learn will come from outside of the classroom. The sum total of your experiences in college will mold you into the person you will be for the rest of your life.

You may not end up taking full advantage of your college degree. (I know I definitely have not, and probably never will). But even if you don't, I want you to walk away from your chosen school feeling like the time you invested there was 100% worth it. Simply surviving won't give you that feeling. No, in order to truly live it up in college and be completely satisfied, you need to do more than survive. You need to learn how to THRIVE!

Apathy

If there's one thing I can't stand within a community of believers it's apathy.

If only I had a dime for each time I've heard the phrase "I didn't get anything out of that [ins. worship, sermon, conference, etc.]" I'd be a very rich person.

People are lazy and expect other people to do all the work of growing spiritually for them. True - we hope to hear something uplifting or challenging when we go to a conference or to church, but in reality ministers and worship leaders are only human and can only do so much. What people fail to realize is that God can speak to us powerfully through any kind of talk - whether it was eloquent and thought provoking or disorganized and lacking depth. What matters is how open we are to hearing what He has to say, and how much effort we put into applying the lessons to our own life.

I heard a great sermon a few years ago that I won't ever forget. The minister talked about how Jesus faithfully went to the Temple as he was growing up. If ANYONE had a right to complain that he was not getting anything out of a worship service, it's the Son of God - but he went anyway, if only so he could commune with the people there and impact their lives. So I think that we have no right to complain. If people would put more energy into listening and proactively growing than they do into griping about what was missing, I think the Christian church would be in a much better state than it is now.