That Church Doesn't Even Have a Cross...

...was a comment made on a facebook status I put up about attending a mom-to-mom sale at a mega church and feeling kind of jealous. I want to explain my jealousy, my faith and my saddness at the mega church in this blog.  But first a few PSAs

I know some of my blog reading friends might belong to mega churches.  I really don't want you to feel judged or put down because of your faith expression. I am going to compliment your churches muchly, but I am also going to call into question a certain aspect of this phenomenon and frankly, that might offend you, so you might not want to read.

I am going to make some sweeping generalizations in this blog.  That is okay.  I know there are exceptions. I know I am not speaking about 100% of the time or 100% of mega churches.

Okay, so the husband and I went to a mega church for a mom to mom sale.  Aaron warned me going in that I was going to be BLOWN away and BLOWN away I was. First, the parking lot.  OFF THE HOOK.  Pretty sure they have a VALET parking area!  When you walk in the lobby you are greeted with huge banners, and tons of flat screen televisions show you announcements about the church.  As we followed signs to where the sale was, we saw a STORE, a COFFEE SHOP, and TONS of flat screen televisions.  When I used the restroom, there was a sign that said, 'If we are not meeting a standard of excellence, please let us know'.  In the room with the sale, there were the huge projector screens, hip Christian music playing, everything was sleek/everything was modern.  We went into the big ticket room and there were fake trees/and what appeared to be a 'downtown strip' area with different store fronts that I am assuming is their daycare?  This place was off.the.hook. I could not believe that people worship there.  It was crazy because everyone was so lovely and nice and welcoming.  What a freaking amazing community!  We left and Aaron and I kept laughing saying, 'um we are kind of jealous'.  Then reminding ourselves that we get to consume the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity and we feel pretty good about that.

Now, here is where I am going to 'tangent' but I want you to stay with me.  We went to a marriage talk tonight and they talked about the high divorce rate.  The speaker referenced that the MAJORITY of marriages end at the 5 year mark. I know the statistics, but it is still hard to hear.  He then went on to list 5 things that you must do to have a successful marriage.  And man, those things that he listed...they are FREAKING hard.  They are things like forgiveness, communication, caring for your spouse the way your spouse WANTS to be cared for.  And, one of the points he made was that to love, is to suffer.  And DUDE.  Something clicked.

NO WONDER marriages are hurting right now.  We are a culture that cannot stand to sit with suffering.  We do everything to avoid it.  Headache? pill.  Heartache?  pill.  Attraction to things that aren't good for you but feel good?  Just go for it. etc.. etc... etc... (oh, yea-h I just went there with the three ETCs).  How can we possibly stay in marriages that are difficult for us when EVERYTHING in our culture tells us to avoid suffering at all costs.  Almost everything in our culture celebrates, in a sneaky kind of way, a certain type of selfishness.  To the point where being selfless has become foreign ...not easily understood by the natives.  NO WONDER MARRIAGES CAN'T LAST THROUGH THAT.  And guess what friends?  I would love to tell you that I am not affected by this, but I TOTALLY am. I HATE suffering.  Always have.  No wonder marriage is a crud-ton harder than I thought it would be- it demands an acceptance of suffering and I DON'T DO SUFFERING.

And, that is when it hit me.  No wonder I freaking wanted to join this mega church.  THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A CROSS!!!

You know, about a half a year ago Oprah had on Joel Osteen.  We recorded it because the husband wanted to watch it.  I have never cared for the man's style of preaching.  Even greater, I have never cared for his message.  As we watched him, I actually had to remove myself from the room.  Would you like to know why?  It was because he was LYING.  He was/is LYING to tens of thousands of people who believe HIS view of who Christ is.  And that person IS.NOT. Christ.  Now, I know, I know, I am speaking in really big OFFENSIVE terms...and maybe I will feel bad in the light of day.  But right now, I am going to call it like I see it and the person that Mr. Osteen is selling to HIS worshipers (note- it is very important that I say HIS worshipers) IS.NOT.CHRIST.

Christ is a cross.  Christ is the face of suffering.  Christ said the road would be narrow.  Christ said that he would be DESTROYED before he rose.  Christ promised that to be his follower, we would have to be willing to carry that same cross.  Christ lost his mind in the temple because he couldn't believe that his FATHER's HOUSE was being turned into a den of trading.  CHRIST is who I choose to follow and in this world, and, often, CHRIST is not attractive.

But, do you know what is attractive?  Cupholders!  Christian Rock Music.  Messages that tell you the more you believ,e the more cash-flow will come your way.  BATHROOMS THAT ARE PRISTINE AND PROMISE TO STAY THAT WAY.  DUDE- that is attractive.  And tonight, it is making me a little sad.  It is making me a little sad because this message of attractive Christianity, a Christianity that is NOT built on what is true about the Christian walk,  is STEALING my teens.

In this modern day of distraction, feel-good philosophies, instant gratification...it is close to impossible for my teens to walk up the communion line, receive the BODY AND BLOOD of Christ (the BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST BECAUSE HE TOLD US IT WAS THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST)  and be amazed.  Instead, they are looking to go elsewhere.  Where they are more entertained. More engaged.  There are more 'cool' groups for them to join and better music.  The body and blood of CHRIST!  IS BORING.  That is where we are at.

So, I guess, in closing, to wrap this string of thoughts together.  If your church does not have a cross, a big one, an obvious one some where visible...you should be taking a second to wonder who, or more importantly WHAT you are worshiping.

Sorry if this hurt your feelings.
the.end.

Speaking of...

--- 1 ---

Parks. Omgosh, I love them! On my Stay at Home Mom days, we have been going out and finding new parks with walking paths (thank you two birds with one stone- healthy living). Lil’ Aaron is just getting into the fun of climbing on the structures and sliding down slides! We have so much fun and it is a great way to spend the day. Plus, it kind of makes me feel like ‘super woman’ SAHM :)

--- 2 ---

Speaking of slides and climbing, I can tell a lifelong struggle of mine is going to be to encourage my son’s adventurous spirit, without having a heart attack in the process. I am trying to give lil’ A freedom to climb and slide and have fun, but meantime, in my head, I am like, ‘oh man, what if he falls back, runs away and leaps off the structure, etc…’ I can just tell it is going to be a difficult balance to achieve. Parenting, ladies and gentlemen…is not easy.

--- 3 ---

Speaking of not easy. Omgosh, healthy living. Tomorrow is our official three week weigh-in. I am almost at 11 pounds lost (hoping to hit that number tomorrow) and, of course, my husband has already lost 17. Men, men, men. :) We are working really hard to achieve our goals. I do have to say, I enjoy eating healthy, though I wish there was more variety that I liked. I am SUCH a picky eater, but the good thing is, I do not get bored with food. So, having salmon with broccoli 5 times a week is totally okay by me!

--- 4 ---

Speaking of broccoli…guess who got their 16 month old to eat vegetables?!?!?! THIS GIRL! Yes, it is true. He will only eat roasted broccoli though, but last night he kept asking for more, so that is a good sign huh? Looks like the apple phase was short lived, so I am glad we got some vegetables in. He is also currently digging turkey hot dogs and whole wheat bread, so I feel good about that.

--- 5 ---

Speaking of feeling good about something, I am SO FREAKING EXCITED for Fall. I don’t think people truly understand how much my soul changes with the changing of the weather. I love me some Fall, I love me some Winter. The Fall has a crispness about it that brings about such joy. Our first Cider Mill trip is set up for Saturday morning (shout to Bethany’s recommendation), I cannot.wait. to take the minis on a hayride. We are going with our very good friends, and I can’t wait.

--- 6 ---

Speaking of very good friends, awhile back I read an interesting blog about what your children should call your friends/neighbors/etc… I am SUCH a last name girl. We were raised ALWAYS referring to adults by mr. and mrs (last name). I think it helped us learn to be very respectful of adults and learn how to treat people of authority in general. But, here is the ‘sitch. I don’t want to ask my kids to call my good friends by their last name, it just seems too formal. I have been doing some thinking on this, and I think it is because my close friends are going to be way more like aunts/uncles to my children because all of my siblings are out of state. I have read some interesting articles regarding circle of friends becoming more like family, as family spreads further and further apart. I know in my life, that has been my norm. The only sibling of mine that lives in-state is my younger/single sister Annie (who I love). All of my other siblings/nieces/nephews live out of state (which is incredibly heart breaking to me), so friends will be the main adult influences in my children’s lives. It just doesn’t seem right to have them call my friends ‘mr. and mrs.’ (obviously, this is not a problem with strangers/acquaintances etc… ). At the same time, I don’t want them to call EVERY.SINGLE.ONE of our friends ‘aunt and uncle’ because that doesn’t seem right either. Anyone in a similar situation? How should this be handled? Oh, and for sure what I DON’T like is, ‘Mr. Mike’ or ‘Miss Jodi’ (not judging it, just personally don’t like it from my time working in daycares). So, that is out.

--- 7 ---

And finally, speaking of television (wait, we weren’t speaking of television?!?!) I am totally digging the new show Revolution, but I am so certain it will be canceled and I hate entering into shows that could be canceled. Talk about the definition of a #firstworldproblem (did you see how I did the hash tag thing to be super cool and relevant? I am awesome!) This show combines everything that intrigues me, end of the world disasters, science fiction, end of the world disasters, and, oh yeah, end of the world disasters. While watching it, I keep thinking about what we would do if all electricity suddenly went away (for those of you that don’t watch, that is the premise)? How would I protect my children? Would we survive? It is just so interesting to think about. Well done, NBC (I think) for coming up with such a cool concept for a show! Happy Weekend everyone!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

contraversial.. .

...so it won't be posted to facebook (due to the nature of the post). But I have to say it!  I just can't help it.

Although I do not condone any movie that mocks any faith, I find it slightly bizzaro that we live in a world where the headline is, 'Michigan Rally Against Anti- Muslim Film, Urges Peace'...
As opposed to, 'Michigan Rally Against Senseless Death and Violence Because of a Stupid Film, Urges Peace'.
But, alas, that is the world we live in.  Can you imagine if my Catholic brothers and sisters rallied or worse yet, brought about violence, for every sacrilegious movie against us? AND, better yet, can you imagine those headlines.
Whew I am done.  Thanks for letting me get that out there :)

--- 1 ---

Two hour naps are a gift.from.Jesus, as is coffee. I have always been a, ‘coffee when I like it’ kind of person. I enjoyed it, but didn't depend on it. At this stage in my life, I have started to depend on it. My morning goes like this…wake up, wipe sleep from eyes, kiss husband (who has wonderfully been up with the children for the last hour), he goes to bed, I check my fertility via an awesome monitor, kiss my children and make coffee. From the 'wipe the sleep' to the 'kiss children', I am fantasizing about the ‘make coffee’ portion of my morning routine. And, I truly believe my eyes don’t actually open until the first cup.

--- 2 ---

What?!? NBD I eat whole apples :)

OM lowercase g. Lil’ Aaron eats whole apples. Like, he loves doing it. I give him an apple and he goes at it for the next half hour. All the way down to the core of the core. It is awesome. Healthy snack/keeps him distracted/totally adorable. He has also taken to dragging his teddy bear behind him when he goes from room to room. The cuteness is hard to handle and pretty much makes my heart break with love for him.

--- 3 ---

my sleeping angel

Joseph Michael ‘the rockstar’ Wilkerson slept from 9:00 pm- 5:30 am on Wednesday night. You, Joseph Michael Wilkerson ROCK! And I am so very thankful for sleep. However, part of me is sad, because if you sleep through the night, that means daddy will probably stop getting up early with you boys (because he gets up early to make up for all the sleep that I miss feeding you at nighttime). And, I really appreciate that extra hour in the morning, better start thinking of ways to negotiate the continuation of our current system of mommy sleeping in!

--- 4 ---

Example of the w-w-wild and crazy
things I get us into!!!

Marriage is sometimes hard and my husband sometimes drives me crazy (and he would say the same for me). But today, when I went downstairs to do laundry, I realized that he had bought laundry detergent (we were almost out) and I had this moment of clarity. I keep telling the husband that he ‘tricked me’ into marriage. He ‘used’ to be romantic, he ‘used’ to buy me flowers, he ‘used’ to like to do w-w-wild and crazy things (to the tune of ‘w-w-wild and crazy kids’…you’re welcome). After the marriage, the house, the debt, the two kids in two years, etc…some of those things have gone by the wayside and when I am feeling sorry for myself, I accuse him of tricking me into marriage. See, what I forget is that he is the guy that buys the laundry detergent and replaces it without asking. He does stuff like that all the time. Household maintenance, that I NEVER thank him for. He budgets for us, pays our bills, buys toilet paper/papertowel/soap/detergent/etc…when we run low. He just takes care of that stuff. I’ll get in my car to find he has filled up my gas tank, in between doing some other errand. He washes the dishes (occasionally), changes dirty diapers, wakes up early with the boys, works hard at his profession every day for our family and still finds energy to rub my back almost every night (though that is getting more rare now that I can’t use pregnancy to manipulate him into it). So, don’t tell him I told you, but I am pretty sure I married the best guy ever. And, I’m pretty sure I hard-core take him for granted. I’m gonna work on that.

--- 5 ---

Speaking of my awesome husband...people often make fun of us because we fight so much, but what they don't understand is how fabulous we are.  Here is an example of a conversation we had last night.  On Saturday, we are going to the Tiger's Game.  I would like lil' Aaron to come with us, the husband would like him to stay home (he finds him high maintenance at sporting events,  I find him super fun).  Anyway, here is how the conversation went...
"Dear will you scratch my back?"- me
"No"- Aaron
"If you do, I will move six inches closer to letting Aaron stay home"- me
"Out of how many inches?"-  Aaron
"20"- me
"okay"- Aaron
...backscratching was less than stellar...
"If you don't do it better, I am going to take away two inches"- Mary
"No, you can't do that unless there is serious cause"- Aaron

PERFECTION!!!

--- 6 ---

Speaking of, we had a ‘pat your back’ moment this week. We are really working hard, as a family, to try to take care of our children, our marriage, our spirituality, our health, our finances, our communication, etc…MAN- it is hard work, but it feels so darn good to be striving to be ‘better’ (though never near perfect). Sometimes I forget the progress we are making. I mean, we haven’t had a fight where I jump out of the car and try to walk home in like, four months! I call that success.
Sidenote: Yes, that is a fact, when I get mad at Aaron I have been known to refuse to go places, threaten to ‘walk places’ (see point two), or just open the car door- get out and start walking. My poor husband has married a psychopath…thank God he chooses to love me.

--- 7 ---

Youth Ministry kicked off this week with our first meeting of the year. The meeting went great, the teens were phenomenal. Don’t believe me, check this out! I mean, have you ever seen such cool kids. That was my youth leadership’s team intro video. We have a youth led youth ministry program which is something 100% believe in. The teens I get to work with are AMAZING. I don’t blog about them that much, because this is a personal blog and I try to be really clear about such lines, but man- they are something else (besides, it is on youtube, so I figure it is fair game). They rock and this year is going to be very special to me! I can already tell. Someone remind me of that halfway through October when I haven’t tucked in my babies for a straight week… I am excited to see what God has in store for the ministry this year. If you are the praying type, please keep us in your prayers!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Stuff to Remember...

...about my sweet boys.

Things I have to remember about you, my firstborn, Aaron

…I have to remember how you occasionally look at me with so much love it makes my heart stop

…I have to remember how your hair curls in the back, but lays flat in the front

…I have to remember how you refuse to cuddle, except when you are really REALLY tired, and then you lay so sweetly back on me

…I have to remember how when I sing, ‘the itsy bitsy spider’ you move your little fingers up and down

…I have to remember that you and I can’t be in the kitchen at the same time without you begging for a snack, and I created this monster by pacifying you with cookies the first couple weeks of your brother joining our family

…I have to remember how you watch the animals on Zaboomafoo with wide eyes, staring so intently as you try to figure out the world

…I have to remember your favorite books, ‘No Matter What’, ‘I love you forever’, ‘Three little pigs’

…I have to remember how when we go for walks, often times you turn around and place your hand on your brother, and just leave it there, as though you are protecting him

…I have to remember that even though you don’t have words yet, you talk as though you fully expect me to understand

…I have to remember what you look like when I come into your room after you wake up for a nap and you are ready to start the day

….I have to remember how you open your mouth wide and suck air in loudly to express your excitement

…I have to remember how when I wake up in the morning, you run down the hall and give me a big hug with a huge grin on your face

…I have to remember that after taking a big gulp of water you say, ‘ahhhh’ because you saw me do it.

…I have to remember what it feels like to have you sneak up behind me and lean against my back

Things I have to remember about you, my sweet baby Joseph

…I have to remember that when you sleep, you truly look like an angel

…I have to remember how strong your arms are, and how tight you can squeeze my hands

…I have to remember how you feel when your head is curled up in the space between my head and my shoulder

…I have to remember what you look like in the middle of the night, when I turn on the light so I can feed you

…I have to remember your smile, how it starts in one corner and gets big real quick

…I have to remember when you are laying in front of me, and you look at my face and follow me from side to side

…I have to remember how I give you kisses all the time, and I can see in your eyes the love that we have

…I have to remember what your hair looks like, just after a bath, when it has dried and it sticks straight up

…I have to remember your complexion, the perfect blending of daddy and I.

…I have to remember your crazy long toes and your crazy long fingers

…I have to remember that you used to HATE when I cleared out your nose, but now you put up with it patiently, sometimes you even smile

…I have to remember how when I sit you up to snuggle with your brother, you really look at him

…I have to remember your cry, it is so gentle and raspy and you only let us hear it when you are hungry or need a diaper change

…I have to remember how fantastic it is that you brought me from one child to two, making our family so special, and allowing me to say, ‘my boys’

--- 1 ---

So, when Aaron was 3 weeks old, I distinctly remember being on a walk with him. My c-section 'wound' was pretty well-recovered and I thought to myself, 'that wasn't so bad...I could totally go through that again!' (pregnancy and having a child). Anyway, as I have alluded to, recovery with Joseph was not super awesome. I was in a lot more pain, for a lot longer. The newborn not sleeping phase was pretty tough with the one year old and although I love my son, it is pretty exciting that we are passed that. However, last night, whilst walking with both boys in their super awesome double stroller, FINALLY, at 2 months post c-section...I thought to myself, 'that wasn't so bad...I could totally go through that again'. Fear not friends, we are gonna try to take a breather :) At least for a year (if God agrees with us, which, for today, he does).

--- 2 ---

Speaking of taking a breather...
A few years back, I was doing a talk with girls regarding dating/chastity. A young person totally called me out regarding some of my language (which was flowery, and lovely, and all things beautiful) and said, 'yeah, but Mary, it is like,  REALLY hard not to have sex when you are in love'. At first I was a bit taken aback, but since then, it has changed the way I talk to young people. Chastity is beautiful, but it is also REALLY difficult. It takes prayer, grace, confession, and focus. It demands a type of selfless love, which is difficult in a world that celebrates selfishness. Now, when I talk to young people about such things, I say it is going to be tough, it is going to challenge you at times, especially if you are 'in love'. I try to be as real as possible with young people because they need it. Well, my friends...what I have been discovering the last two months is NFP is TOUGH! It takes prayer, grace, confession and focus! It's funny, because like my 'old' talks with teens, I think a lot of people celebrate the beauty of NFP, without talking about how hard it is! About 1.5 months ago, I put out a status update asking practicers of NFP if I could inbox some questions (I put it out without realizing how many people would respond, if I never responded to you, thanks so much for the offer to help). I got some really great guidance from couples going through nfp, it was real, it was good and it was helpful. The whole point of this 'quick take' which is becoming less than quick, is that I STRONGLY feel we need to be REAL when we talk about all things Catholic. We can celebrate the good, the truthful, the beautiful, but part of our faith is a cross...we gotta remember to mention that too.

--- 3 ---

Okay, so here is the thing.  Right now, in our country, there is a crud-ton of stuff to be upset or concerned about.  The news is daunting and sometimes REALLY makes me wonder what type of world my children will raise their children in.  Of all the things to be concerned about, can I tell you one thing that is REALLY bothering me that doesn't seem to bother anyone else.  In freaking New York City, they FREAKING passed a FREAKING law about how much soda a person can order at one time.  Now, the thing is, soda consumption is bad (see below), I really don't think people should be gulping down HUGE sodas all day long.  But, in this country, I think we should be trusted to have a RIGHT to order whatever size soda we'd like.  I am being dead.serious. right now.  This kept me up for like an hour yesterday.  It is a really REALLY slippery slope, when even for good reasons (obesity, the cost of health care, etc...) we begin to allow the government to dictate decisions like this.  It is terrifying to me that this law passed with so little concern or outcry from the people.  Are you freaking kidding me?  The sad thing is, it doesn't seem like many people are paying attention...so scary.  That is all I have to say about that.

--- 4 ---

Healthy eating has begun. Big Aaron and I had our big weigh-in and picture taking last Saturday, and we are on our way to, hopefully, a healthier us. Lemme just tell you, I do well with about 99.9% of it, but when it comes to not drinking soda, MAN I am struggling. This week, I only had 'pop' twice though...the rest was water or skim milk. My goal is to go soda free next week. MAN, it is hard. We are also reading a great book, 'skinny rules' by Bob Harper (thank you Katie), the biggest loser trainer. Aaron and I are reading a chapter a night to try to remember all the good stuff we have learned about nutrition (side note I think is important to mention, though I ADORE the book, I have ZERO desire to reach society's standard of skinniness...my goal is to get my size 12 'bangin' body' back!).

--- 5 ---

Healthy living has begun. As I said last week, I HATE exercise. I mean hate it. BUT, alas, it is part of healthy living and so, it cannot be ignored. This week, I have taken the boys on at least a mile walk, all but one day. That seems to be something that will work for me, while it is still light till later in the evening. This will need to be re-evaluated as it gets darker earlier. We are kicking around some ideas and got some great suggestions.

--- 6 ---

Speaking of great suggestions, I just about wanted to cry at how kind people were last week in my '7 quick takes in which I sought advice'. I mean, on my fb page there was a thread of over 60 suggestions. Then, in my inbox, there had to be at least be 20-30 messages. THEN, on this blog, in the comments, I got really good stuff. My dear friend Nichole suggested I compile all the suggestions into some type of document. 'Idealistic Mary' thinks that can happen, the realist in me encourages you to check out the thread to get great ideas! To each of you that took the time out of your busy lives to comment, guide, offer advice...thank you so much! I probably won't get to message back or personally thank everyone, but you all rock. I can't speak enough about how much it meant.

--- 7 ---

Big Aaron taught his first 'Financial Peace University' class tonight. I am so very proud of him. His dedication to our family and passion to helping others really does humble me sometimes. The awesomeness of choosing a spouse that puts the needs of others before his own is difficult to put into words. Now, if I could stop yelling at him every thirteen seconds, that would be helpful! Have a super great week!

7 quick takes in which I seek advice

Seven things I'd like you to advise me on.

--- 1 ---

My child does not like to eat vegetables. We have tried everything that you'd think of (blend it, put it in with other foods, disguise it, etc...). Anybody have a similar situation? What did you do? The pediatrician does not seem too concerned. But, it really bugs me. Lil' Aaron in the last month has become such a picky eater. Because of his age, and lack of consequences, I just don't know how to deal with it.

--- 2 ---

Speaking of, can someone tell me how to discipline a 16 month old? Thanks! Looking more for what you have done that actually works, vs. what books or experts would tell us to do! what have YOU done with your children/nieces/nephews/cousins/friends/babysitting kids?

--- 3 ---

Healthy Living starts in our household as of Saturday...what are your go to healthy dinners that do not take long to make and are not super expensive? I REALLY need help with this one, I am so not a creative cooker and cooking healthy for me means, 'bonless skinless chicken' which is fine...but some variety would be good. What are some recipes you use that are delicious and healthy?

--- 4 ---

Since you're thinking of healthy dinner options, how about snacks? After babies, I get very hungry, all.the.time. So, I need to do the whole, 'eat six times a day' thing. What are some small snacks I can eat during the day that are cheap, easy and delicious? Snacks that you have tried before so you know are good?

--- 5 ---

OM lowercase g, I HATE exercise. Like, hate it. The only thing that makes it tolerable to me is working out at a gym (a long time ago I lost 50 pounds with a gym membership), but alas, we cannot afford a gym. Also, I do not live in a place where I would feel comfortable walking/running outside, except in the afternoon, which is impossible with my two children. I do not want to do tapes, but is it going to come to that since I have two small children? If so, what are some FUN ones? None of this 'insanity' thing for me. I need fun. Or I get bored and hate it and quit. I know, I know, I am high maintenance. What are some fun things that you do for exercise?

--- 6 ---

What are some fun/family things you do with your friends/husbands/children? I am looking for things that are cheap to do with our family. What is your favorite thing to do that costs zero money with the people you love?

--- 7 ---

Finally, how do you like to pray these days? I am looking for some cool prayer ideas to incorporate into my life. Or, how about this, how do you pray with your husbands? Or, how about this...how do you pray with your friends? or your children that are super young? Lemme know what you do that works.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

You people...

...are freaking crazy!

4:00 am and I am up for one of Joseph's night feedings.  He has actually slept almost eight hours... yet another indication that things are on the upswing.  And then, THEN, I decided to turn on 'the facebook' on the ''interwebs".

Here is the thing...I love me some FB.  I criticize those that have bad things to say about.  I make good use of the 'hide' button and the 'unsubscribe' button, and when things get REALLY bad, I make good use of the defriend button.  I am sure that my social networking world is set up for the most positive viewing experience.  And then, at 4:30 am...all that changed because CLEARLY things have gotten political.

Which led me to the conclusion that 'You People' are CRAZY!

The right...with the fear-inducing, misleading 'facts' that declare things to be true that might not be.  Painting a picture of our current president as a real anti-Christ, or, at the very least, an up and coming Hitler.  In the name of defending life and religious liberty (all very VERY important things), you begin to adapt to an ideology I don't even think you believe.  Yesterday, someone...A GROWN MAN, posted a picture of a soldier with a gun and a slogan that said something to the effect of, 'Get ready'.  IMPLYING THAT WE WILL BE SHOOTING EACH OTHER SOON. Om lower case g...are you for real?

The left...with your worship of the current president, assuming that anyone who might lean right of center is a selfish racist that does not care for the poor.  Posting awful things about men and women that feel different than you.  Implying that to be Republican is to be intolerant, awful, anti women and anti helping others.  You people are CRAZY.  Yesterday, I actually read something that said that Republicans purposefully put the economy in a bad place to advance their agenda.  Do you REALLY believe that about people in this country?  Is that really the type of world you think we live in?

You people are CRAZY!  

And it depressed me.  Pretty big time.  At 4:30 am I was in a really bad place.  I was wondering what kind of a world my sweet baby boys will grow up in.  A world where we have become so divisive that true dialogue can't even happen.

But, then something wonderful happened.

It was about 4:45 am and little Aaron started crying from his room. I went in, to see that he had 'wet' the bed because I put his diaper on wrong.  I had to pull him out of his crib and stand him up while I changed the sheets.  He was so adorable.  He was wiping the sleep out of his eyes and just smiling up at me.   He started laughing because he thought it was hysterical that I was changing sheets, but he was still half asleep.  As I went in and out of rooms/hallways to finish the cleaning job, he just kind of followed me around.  It was QUITE fantastic.  After the sheets were back on the crib, I scooped little Aaron in my arms and brought him to Joseph's new room (where we have a rocker) and rocked him back to sleep.  He is SO freaking cute in the middle of the night (or early in the morning).  He kept looking up at me and smiling, giggling occasionally.  It was such a special, quiet moment.  He drifted back to sleep and I placed him in his crib.  I realized how GOOD everything is.  I went back into my room, with the bassinet with Joseph, he was still cooing himself back to sleep.  And I decided maybe the night feedings shouldn't be spent looking at the FB, but rather, should be spent 'goo goo ga ga-ing' over my sweet little angel.

See, the thing is, this political season...MAN! It stinks.  Stakes are really, really, high. I think we can all feel it.  So many left leaning people REALLY believe that right leaning people are crazy, intolerant, racist, anti-women, anti-gay, anti-poor people...horrible, awful people!  So many right leaning people REALLY believe that left leaning people are out to destroy the family, the home, religion, etc...and that they are really horrible, awful people.  I get it.  Sometimes I even feel it.

But, let's remember that we know people on the 'other side'.  Let's remember they are our family members, our friends, our coworkers, the people that sit next to us in the pew.  Let's not be tolerant of ideas that we find offensive, but lets remember to always be charitable and loving towards the people that hold those ideas.

And for goodness sake...

STOP ACTING CRAZY!

We have babies we are suppose to be setting an example for.

That is all. Carry on.