This morning, when Roser and I dropped XX5 off at pre-school, a mom approached me, asking me to sign a petition. It was a petition to ban same sex marriage. I looked over to Roser with panic in my eyes. He was no help at all. He gave me as small sympathetic smile and looked away. XX5 goes to a Lutheran pre-school, so it is not entirely unexpected that I would be approached by something like this, but still, I was surprised. I smiled politely at the mom and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sign this.” She said “Okay,” and turned quickly away from me.
It is not that I am strongly in favor of gay marriage; it is that I am not strongly against it. In my religious beliefs, marriage is a sacrament, a covenant between a man and a woman and God. My own marriage is a promise to God that I will stay married to my husband until death separates us. In my opinion, the ease with which divorce is obtained is much more of a threat to marriage than gay marriage. There is no social stigma attached to divorce at all. Not that we should go back to the days when women stayed in horrible marriages with abusers and philanderers, but now, there is no reason to stay in a marriage if you don’t want to. This is a threat to what I see as the sanctity of marriage.
I have always believed that if everybody put their time and money into the one or two things they believe in, things would get done. That being said, I am shocked that this is an important cause to some people. Women are still being killed by their husbands and boyfriends. Children who are sexually molested by a parent may still have to have visitation from that parent. Little girls in Africa and the Middle East are still have their clitoris’s ripped from their bodies with no anesthesia, and their vaginal openings sewn closed. Babies are still being chopped up and sucked from what should be the safety of their mother’s wombs. The most important thing to this mother though, is that two people of the same sex should not share the same benefits as two people of the opposite sex.
My religious beliefs are my own. My relationship with my Creator is the cornerstone of my life, without which, nothing else matters. My children’s sharing my faith is the paramount issue to me as I raise them. I want to spend eternity with them. I will gladly tell everyone about my Savior. I will not expect anyone else to live by the parameters of my faith. I will not support legislation that does. I will not fight to ban a movie that presents my Lord or my religion in an unflattering light. I will not fight to hinder the right of someone to say their most abhorrent thoughts. I will thank God that I live in a country in which I can walk according to my own convictions openly and unafraid. I will fight for those around me to walk according to their own convictions, as long as those convictions do not impede my rights. I do not see how gay marriage impedes my rights. I will not sign a petition to ban it.

Sore Jaws

Life in the suburbs seems a little oppressive right about now. I am walking around with my jaws hurting from being clenched so much. I permanently feel like I have been chewing 5 pieces of stale Bubbalicious gum. Of course I have not been chewing gum, because chewing gum would be fun, and there is certainly no time for that right now. I have a stash hidden in my jewelry box, because gum is a strangely valuable commodity, but I cannot remember to chew it. It's probably for the best anyway. My jaws would be too sore.

Every conversation Roser and I have becomes serious or depressing. I have an overwhelming urge to talk about something like the migration paths of butterflies, but then I think of how honeybees are dying off, and I think of pesticides in our foods, and how produce prices are going up, like gas prices, and how the paper said a recession is inevitable, and do you see? That was just from thinking about butterflies! I try very hard to only read the comics or Dear Abby, but sometimes I accidentally read real news. Even Dear Abby is depressing. Sometimes I tell myself she makes it up, just so I don't have to acknowledge that there are so many idiots in the world.

"Dear Abby,

The man I am dating has a very mature looking 16 year old daughter. They are very close. She often sits on his lap and kisses him on the mouth. They also share the same bed when she is at his house. Am I wrong to be concerned?"

You really need advice about this? If that is true, then someone remind me why enforced sterilization is a bad thing. This person should not pro-create, as favor to us and her future children.

I am sure I will be back to myself soon. Shortly after Easter I am guessing. I gave up chocolate for Lent. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Not so much now.

I have been crazy busy. I know, I know, cry me a river right? So, I love my pastor. Not in a "Days of Our Lives" kind of way. I have been so wah-wah, poor me lately. We went to church today, and I was none to kindly reminded that there are people in this world that have real problems. Our pastor really doesn't pull any punches as to the obligation of Christians to live a certain way.
I also love my husband. We have been watching CMT (country music videos) after dinner. I think we are both so worn down from having to get the house on the market, an actual TV show seems like to much effort. Anyway, we were watching a video with this totally hot woman coming out of a swimming pool. I took the opportunity to feel bad about myself, and my weight, and grey hairs. Roser was staring very intently at the TV and then he turned to me and said, "Did you see that outdoor kitchen? That was amazing!" Yep, I love him. XY17 is no longer unbearable, his condition has been upgraded to annoying.

Hmmm....I was missed!

Wow, day 46 of year 2008. With the exception of Super Bowl Sunday, this year is off to an across the board bad start. Without my faith, I would be curled up in a ball under my bed. There are still days that under the bed seems like a great idea.

I have had endless health issues, nothing serious, all annoying. We are putting our house on the market in the worst mortgage crisis in over 10 years.

XY17 has finally gotten the testosterone surge that turns 17 year old boys in to sullen pains in the ass.

On the upside, I love my husband, and all four of my kids, even the sullen one, and we are all pretty healthy. I'm not, but they are. I am thinking about quitting smoking. I know, kind of stupid timing, but I need to get some things right.

Thats all for now.