Thursday, October 30, 2008
A Short Post
I sit down at my computer today, fingers poised, determined to write a short blog. So here it is. Tomorrow, I am meeting with my academic advisor to get her signature on a very, very special little piece of paper. Across the top, this piece of paper says "Application for Undergraduate Graduation"...OMG! It's been a long and winding road, filled with detours of every shape and size, but I have arrived! I'm just a smidge from having my very own Bachelor's Degree!
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Controversial Issue
Here in the state of Utah, it's hard to imagine that we'll ever get the chance to vote on legalizing the rights of homosexual couples. In general, Utah as a whole is about 20 years behind the times.
But the battle over Proposition 8 rages on in California and Utah has it's own part in the controversy. The religious majority here has taken a firm and highly visible stand against Proposition 8. The LDS Church has donated millions of dollars to the fight for Proposition 8 and has called their members to mobilize for the cause.
I have heard the opinions of many over the last few weeks. Many have said that marriage is a sacred covenant, ordained by God. I've also heard that gay marriage is equatable to murder, in that both are moral issues. I heard one person say "It's the same thing as child sex abuse or polygamy...and you don't see anyone trying to legalize those things!"
In all honesty, I don't really understand what the issue is here. I am a devout Christian and I do believe that marriage is a sacred institution. But the difference is this: MY marriage is a sacred institution. It is a sacred institution because my husband and I treat it as such. There are only two people in this world who can threaten or demean our marriage and those people are myself and my husband. No one else can do that. So to say that homosexual marriage threatens the idea of marriage is ridiculous. It's not the legality of the term "marriage" that is sacred. It is the people participating in the marriage that make it sacred.
Furthermore, the discussion about how gay marriage is equatable to sex abuse or polygamy is simply not logical. Those offenses are illegal because there are VICTIMS. Victims are people who are forced to participate in an activity that they don't like. Polygamy is illegal because too often, women and children are abused and degraded, forced to participate in a situation where they are not able to give consent. Obviously, sex abuse is the same there. But there are no victims in homosexuality. As long as there are two consenting adults, there is no crime.
I understand the religious aspect of the argument against gay marriage. Homosexuality is still a very controversial issue. But my argument is very simple. It's okay for you to have your own beliefs about the morality of homosexuality. What isn't okay is to try to force your morals on another person. In trying to legislate your morals, you are fostering discimination, which fosters hatred, whether that is your intention or not. Just because you feel strongly about an issue does not mean that everyone has to feel that way. You may feel that your morals apply to everyone, but each and every one of us has the right to make those choices for ourselves. That is one of the great things about America. As long as you aren't hurting anyone else, you have every right to live your life in the style that you choose. You have the right to pursue a happy and fulfilling life for yourself, and you define what makes your life happy and fulfilling.
As a Christian, this is my mantra. Jesus died for every single one of us, and we are all sinners. First and foremost, He offers love and acceptance to every single one of us. His love and acceptance changes us from the inside out. Your life and your sins are between you and God alone. As the bearers of His name, we are called to do the same. Jesus never forced Himself on anyone, any neither should we. We need to love and accept everyone and let God do His work on their hearts.
But the battle over Proposition 8 rages on in California and Utah has it's own part in the controversy. The religious majority here has taken a firm and highly visible stand against Proposition 8. The LDS Church has donated millions of dollars to the fight for Proposition 8 and has called their members to mobilize for the cause.
I have heard the opinions of many over the last few weeks. Many have said that marriage is a sacred covenant, ordained by God. I've also heard that gay marriage is equatable to murder, in that both are moral issues. I heard one person say "It's the same thing as child sex abuse or polygamy...and you don't see anyone trying to legalize those things!"
In all honesty, I don't really understand what the issue is here. I am a devout Christian and I do believe that marriage is a sacred institution. But the difference is this: MY marriage is a sacred institution. It is a sacred institution because my husband and I treat it as such. There are only two people in this world who can threaten or demean our marriage and those people are myself and my husband. No one else can do that. So to say that homosexual marriage threatens the idea of marriage is ridiculous. It's not the legality of the term "marriage" that is sacred. It is the people participating in the marriage that make it sacred.
Furthermore, the discussion about how gay marriage is equatable to sex abuse or polygamy is simply not logical. Those offenses are illegal because there are VICTIMS. Victims are people who are forced to participate in an activity that they don't like. Polygamy is illegal because too often, women and children are abused and degraded, forced to participate in a situation where they are not able to give consent. Obviously, sex abuse is the same there. But there are no victims in homosexuality. As long as there are two consenting adults, there is no crime.
I understand the religious aspect of the argument against gay marriage. Homosexuality is still a very controversial issue. But my argument is very simple. It's okay for you to have your own beliefs about the morality of homosexuality. What isn't okay is to try to force your morals on another person. In trying to legislate your morals, you are fostering discimination, which fosters hatred, whether that is your intention or not. Just because you feel strongly about an issue does not mean that everyone has to feel that way. You may feel that your morals apply to everyone, but each and every one of us has the right to make those choices for ourselves. That is one of the great things about America. As long as you aren't hurting anyone else, you have every right to live your life in the style that you choose. You have the right to pursue a happy and fulfilling life for yourself, and you define what makes your life happy and fulfilling.
As a Christian, this is my mantra. Jesus died for every single one of us, and we are all sinners. First and foremost, He offers love and acceptance to every single one of us. His love and acceptance changes us from the inside out. Your life and your sins are between you and God alone. As the bearers of His name, we are called to do the same. Jesus never forced Himself on anyone, any neither should we. We need to love and accept everyone and let God do His work on their hearts.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
An Ode To The Love Of My Life
Sap Sap Sap...Sappy Sappy Sappy. I make no claim to the toughness or coolness of the blog that follows. It's silly and gooey and girly. But it must be said. So here goes....
I love my husband. No. That's not quite right. I adore my husband. I'm wild about my husband. I'm crazy-in-love with my husband (...oh my. Cue the tears. I'm seriously getting a little misty...). Here's why:
1. He is so incredibly good to me. I get choppy and demanding occasionally, and yet, he still treats me with so much care and love and respect that it amazes me.
2. He is so hot.
3. He has the biggest heart in the whole wide world. He never gives up on anyone or anything. He never hesitates for one second to help, no matter who they are. I can honestly say that he would drop anything and everything for me if I asked him to.
4. He is going to be the greatest dad in the world someday. I can see it in the way he plays with other people's kids, the way he puts on Lala's sweater and takes her to Home Depot with him, or the way he always shares his food with her.
5. He works so hard to take care of me and our little family. Even when times are hard, he is willing to get on his hands and knees and get dirty to make sure that I don't have to worry. He would do anything in the world, just to make sure that I'm happy and content.
6. He gets so excited about a new hardwood floor cleaner that makes our floors sparkle.
7. He lets me be lazy after a long day of school and work, even though there is no reason that I shouldn't take turns cleaning the cat box, doing the laundry or washing the dishes.
8. He sends me IMs and text messages that just say "luv u".
9. He calls me to tell me when the puppy does something funny.
10. He is my biggest fan, my protector, my support, and so much a part of me that I cry when I imagine life without him.
11. He is so tough and smart. In so many ways, he inspires me because he is the product of a situation that would break your heart. It hurts me when I think about all of the stuff he's been through, and yet he still came out to be the most loving, sensitive, caring person.
12. We laugh and laugh and laugh when we are together. We crack each other up. Over silly, ridiculous stuff.
13. He is my best friend in the whole entire world, from the first day I met him. It was the weirdest thing, I never believed it would happen until it happened to me. He was a part of me before I even knew it. One day I looked at my life, and I suddenly had someone that I absolutely, positively could never live without.
14. I love the thought of spending every day for the rest of my life with him. I look forward to tickling his feet, walking our dog, raising kids and just hanging out at our house for the rest of my life.
I love my husband. No. That's not quite right. I adore my husband. I'm wild about my husband. I'm crazy-in-love with my husband (...oh my. Cue the tears. I'm seriously getting a little misty...). Here's why:
1. He is so incredibly good to me. I get choppy and demanding occasionally, and yet, he still treats me with so much care and love and respect that it amazes me.
2. He is so hot.
3. He has the biggest heart in the whole wide world. He never gives up on anyone or anything. He never hesitates for one second to help, no matter who they are. I can honestly say that he would drop anything and everything for me if I asked him to.
4. He is going to be the greatest dad in the world someday. I can see it in the way he plays with other people's kids, the way he puts on Lala's sweater and takes her to Home Depot with him, or the way he always shares his food with her.
5. He works so hard to take care of me and our little family. Even when times are hard, he is willing to get on his hands and knees and get dirty to make sure that I don't have to worry. He would do anything in the world, just to make sure that I'm happy and content.
6. He gets so excited about a new hardwood floor cleaner that makes our floors sparkle.
7. He lets me be lazy after a long day of school and work, even though there is no reason that I shouldn't take turns cleaning the cat box, doing the laundry or washing the dishes.
8. He sends me IMs and text messages that just say "luv u".
9. He calls me to tell me when the puppy does something funny.
10. He is my biggest fan, my protector, my support, and so much a part of me that I cry when I imagine life without him.
11. He is so tough and smart. In so many ways, he inspires me because he is the product of a situation that would break your heart. It hurts me when I think about all of the stuff he's been through, and yet he still came out to be the most loving, sensitive, caring person.
12. We laugh and laugh and laugh when we are together. We crack each other up. Over silly, ridiculous stuff.
13. He is my best friend in the whole entire world, from the first day I met him. It was the weirdest thing, I never believed it would happen until it happened to me. He was a part of me before I even knew it. One day I looked at my life, and I suddenly had someone that I absolutely, positively could never live without.
14. I love the thought of spending every day for the rest of my life with him. I look forward to tickling his feet, walking our dog, raising kids and just hanging out at our house for the rest of my life.
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