Political Affiliations

Well, for the last several years, I've taken quiz after quiz about my political leanings, and the results always seem to say I'm a Democrat. (The image above is from isidewith.com, and according to my answers to their questions, those are the political affiliations I side with the most, in order.)

I'm always a bit conflicted over my results, though. It's probably because my mom is a staunch Republican and most Georgians are staunch Republicans and I think most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Republican. I don't feel special or unique or superior to anyone in those groups because of my quiz results, but I do feel a bit . . . Confused, I guess. And I also don't want to identify with any party, least of all Democrats or Republicans. Each of those have their drawbacks, and as far as I'm concerned, Democrats are often snobby and Republicans are often willfully ignorant. Both -- at least at the extremes -- are close-minded.

So I'll continue to call myself moderate, I guess. Or left-leaning. But it is strange . . . It's maybe the one label I don't like using to define myself.

Thing I'm thankful for: Advil liqui-gels

Trust God? Not This One!

I saw this image on Facebook last week and made a mental note to blog about it -- not because I love it, but because I hate it. HATE it. It's a horrible representation of Christ, and I defy any Christian to explain to me why it conveys trust in God. Let's work through it together:

1. When it comes to actual, physical blessings, no one knows what God's promised blessings are. Maybe there are none. What we do know from scripture is that He promises peace, comfort, and happiness. That's pretty much it. 
2. The teddy bear is probably a physical symbol of spiritual blessings here, but I think it's a bad one. Not only does it support a prosperity gospel, it also trivializes spiritual blessings, which are far greater than a physical blessing could ever be, especially if that physical blessing is a teddy bear, rather than say, a lifetime supply of food.
3. This illustration depicts a tricky God, a deceptive one. When God has a blessing ready for us, He does not dangle it in our faces or hide one hand behind His back. His hands are always outstretched, with no deception or equivocation to be found. In my mind, if this illustration was on target, Christ would clearly show the little girl what He's holding, and He'd say, "I want to give you this bigger bear instead; would you like to trade?" But . . .
4. . . . God doesn't usually take things away from us that make us happy* in order to give us something else that makes us happy. He adds to the happiness we already have. So again, in my mind, if this illustration was on target, Christ would clearly show the little girl what He's holding, and He'd say, "Here, take this bigger bear, too."
5. Bigger is not always better. Perhaps the little girl likes the small size of her teddy bear because it's easier to hold and take with her on trips or to the playground. It's also easier to wash, so . . . I'm sure God would want the little girl to be exposed to less germs over time. Why would God give such impractical gifts?

*I would argue that God never takes things away from us that make us happy; we do that. Others do that. Biology does that. People die. Or they make choices. Or they abuse. Or they steal. Or they move. Or they change. Agency -- that's what life's about. It's not about God calling all the shots. It's about making choices on our own.

Thing I'm thankful for: my colleague Jacquie's incredible sense of humor and sass

It's That Time Again . . .

Time for the Oscar-nominated live action short films!!!

I look forward to February every year because of the shorts. (See Oscar-nominated Shorts, or the Film Industry's Best Kept Secret.) They're only shown at your friendly indie movie theater, and I love that. Well, actually, I don't know if I love that because it means not as many people have the opportunity to see the shorts, and boy are they missing out!

The nominees this year are wonderful yet again, and I'm going to spoil it for you and tell you which short won the award because I want you to watch the filmmaker's acceptance speech. So. The winner was "The Neighbor's Window." Here's the acceptance speech:



Is that not a lovely speech? I liked the part at the end: "A well-told story is a powerful thing. It can change the way we see the world and it can help us to notice other people and care about those other people and maybe love each other a little bit more."

I believe that. Truly. And that's what "The Neighbor's Window" did. It spread a little bit of love.

Now go watch it! Find out where the live action shorts are playing near you and go!


Thing I'm thankful for: my co-worker Jacquie

Changing Tires

Well, I finally learned how to change a tire. I'd learned when I was in my mid-20s but never had a real need to commit it to memory, so I quickly forgot.

A few weeks ago, Daryl had to put Winter tires on one of his cars, so I helped him with all four tires. He probably could've done it all by himself twice as fast, but he spent the time to teach me and I'm really grateful for that. Also, I was reminded how much I love doing work with my hands. I also love putting things together. Machines, puzzles, Legos, flat-pack furniture -- you name it. It's so gratifying.

(It's also fun to get dirty with grease or paint or dust and then wash it all off afterward. I dunno. Maybe I'm just weird.)

Thing I'm thankful for: learning new things