"Why believe in a god?"

No. the lower-case "g" is not a mistake. This is the newest ad staring back at commuters as they ride the metro in the DC area. Below the question the ad goes on "Just be good for goodness' sake" as if that solves all the problems. However, the American Humanist Association (the group behind these ads) needs to go back to remedial logic classes. Without God, there is no standard of right and wrong. There is no good and evil. Our entire system of justice has been historically based on a Judeo-Christian foundation (i.e. the laws of God as they are found in the Bible). Without that foundation, the entire superstructure of our society crumbles. We now need to go back and define what "good" is. I once heard a philosopher say "in one civilization, the people love their enemies, in another, they eat their enemies." Which is right? Who are we to say which way is good? Can we really judge the cannibals - I mean, that is what they were taught from childhood. They obviously think it is right. Ok, enough with that... I think you get my point.

Now here is the kicker! The author of this article describes the ad, saying it has "a picture of a fake Santa Claus" as though there is such thing as a real Santa Claus! (granted, there was a real St. Nicolas back in the day, but I do not think that is who is being implied in that statement). So, let me get this straight, we should not have to "give credit to something that doesn't exist" (i.e. God), but we should believe in Santa Claus?! I am just glad we have our priorities in order! One thing is sure, my faith in the American people is definitely waning.

Standing on the promises...

This morning as I got up and checked to see what the final results were in yesterday's election, a feeling of foreboding took over. I was pretty sure I knew what to expect and already had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. The results were a little worse than I expected, but the outcome was the same. I went to gym and continued with my normal routine. Unfortunately, the TVs were on... the same thing over and over again... people cheering, screaming, laughing crying tears of joy. What can I say? I have never been a good loser. I was irritated and did not want to be happy for them. I headed to the shower, rather depressed and anxious to get away from the news reports, when a song popped into my head. It was hymn I learned as a child:

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

It got me thinking about God's promises. What are they? Well, one promise is that "He removes kings and sets up kings." (Daniel 2:21) God obviously has a plan for our new president and I suppose I need to keep trusting that God's will is perfect even when (especially when) I can't see the good in it.

Psalm 2
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Clinging to Romans 8:28

The lights go out all around me
One last candle to keep out the night
And then the darkness surrounds me
I know I'm alive but I feel like I've died
And all that's left is to accept that it's over
My dreams ran like sand through the fists that I made
I try to keep warm but I just grow colder
I feel like I'm slipping away

Here I am, at the end of me
Tryin to hold to what I can't see
I forgot how to hope
This night's been so long
I cling to Your promise
There will be a dawn

After all this has passed, I still will remain
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain
Though it won't be today,
Someday I'll hope again
And there'll be beauty from pain
You will bring beauty from my pain

~ Superchick, Beauty From Pain

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Next year in Iran

A year ago, my bags were packed, I was moved out of my apartment, and I was counting down the hours until take off. Once I got to my temporary duty station, I met a lot of great people and made quite a few friends (one, whom I've stayed close with, I met at the airport, before we even left). I left my first office (the best 6 weeks of my life... or close to it anyway) begrudgingly. I did not want to leave my newly-acquired friends, and I was not quite ready to face another unknown so quickly. One of the Navy guys there was always joking that we would all be back together in a year... only, in Iran the next time around. Of course, it was all in jest, but he kept saying it to comfort me as I left a place that had become my home like no other place has been since I left my family for college many years ago. "Next year in Iran!" It was somehow strangely comforting, and I think part of me almost believed it. As we head into another holiday season, I am beginning to feel out of place - like I don't belong here. I can't explain it, but I feel like I am supposed to over there... maybe not Iran, but Iraq, or Afghanistan, or... I don't know... somewhere in the world where our troops are deployed...

Where is "here"?

She feels lost in her own life
Treading water just to keep from slipping under
And she wonders if she's where she's supposed to be
Tired of trying to do it right
Her dreams are just too far away to see how steps she's making
might be taking her to who she'll be

And suddenly it isn't what it used to be
And after all this time it worked out just fine
And suddenly I am where i'm supposed to be
And after all the tears, I was supposed to be here

Trust is definitely not something I have an abundance of. I don't trust people, and sometimes I have a hard time trusting God. I can trust Him with the lives and circumstances of others, but not my own. I want to plan out my timeline (patience is also something I lack). Right now nothing I wanted for my life is going according to plan, and I just want it to all somehow make sense. As I was listening to "Suddenly," by Superchick, I was struck by the lyrics and thought, "exactly! That is how I feel right now... If only I could just skip all the in-between and figure out where "here" is..." I guess, in the end, I need a lesson in faith more than I need the other things I have been unsuccessfully chasing. I must confess though, it is a tough lesson to learn. I am so far from there (or "here" as the case may be).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GOOGLE!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a HUGE Google fan. Initially, I was attracted to the name... when C. and I were little we used to argue (as sisters are wont to do) and it would go like this:
Me: is too
C: is not
Me: is too
C: is not times a million
Me: is too times a googol!
C: is not times infinity!
Of course, C. always won (that was pretty much a foregone conclusion anyway), but my point was that the concept of a number with 100 zeros was something I found intriguing as a child and the fact that it had a name was even cooler, so when Google the search engine came out, I used it because I liked the name and then quickly decided it was my favorite search engine, however, as time went on Google took on a life of its own. I was soon using Blogger, Picasa, Google Maps, Google Photos, and a number of their other applications. On one hand, it is kinda hard to believe that Google has been around for ten years already... on the other, it is hard to even remember what life was like pre-Google!

So, Google, here's to ten great years and wishing you many more. =P