The Perfect Relationship

Hello, my blogging readers!

I know there is much going on the world these days, but, just for one day, I'd like to bask in a momentous occasion that has occurred in my own life, and the implications of such.

On Sunday last, my boyfriend of 2 years and 3 months got down on one knee and requested my hand in marriage. Which, as you most assuredly can imagine, shocked me into utter silence...but not so long that I couldn't give this wonderful man my answer. And the answer was a resounding "OF COURSE!"

Now that its been a little while, I thought it most prudent to post a blog on love and marriage. This event has got me thinking. Not so much about the act of love, but the feeling of love. It also made me wonder. Why is it, every book, movie, or series I have every seen or read, always ends with the wedding? Or that heart-stopping kiss that sweeps you into the moment and leaves you with a tear in your eye? Why does it never go on, into the actual marriage part of the relationship? We know how to deal with romantic relationships, but what about marriage relationships?

And what about romance? Does it end with the wedding vows and that first night alone? I don't think it ever should, but does it? I know that when you marry, your feelings change, and the whole relationship changes...but how does it change?

There are several amazing examples of good marriages out there for me to draw from. But there's this one couple that I really look up too. Its not like they've been married for years and years, but I just love being around them. They clearly adore each other, laughter a consistent component of their relationship. The delight they have in each other radiates off of them, making you so very happy and at ease when in their presence. They are the kind of couple one aspires to be like. He still surprises her with burned CD's of music she mentioned in passing and little romantic get-aways. She still cooks him his favorite meals and greets him with a "Hey Honey" and kiss when he walks through the front door. They are the best of friends and are clearly still madly in love with each other...its a beautiful relationship.

So, is that how its supposed to go?

And then you have my parents. They have been together for something like 45 years, and have grown used to each other. My mom is still gorgeous and looks like someone 15 years her junior. My dad, while bald and semi-toothless (long story) looks about 20 years younger then he really is. Sure, they get annoyed with each other sometimes. They've had there arguments, many of which I've been privy too. But my dad try's, in the best way he knows how, to be romantic and to help around the house. He shows his love by cooking dinner for my mom, and picking up the groceries for her. My mom listens when my dad gets home from work and keeps a clean house for him. She holds family issues at bay until he's ready to hear them. And they still laugh with each other sometimes. With my dad's goofy sense of humor, who wouldn't laugh?

The truth is, I don't know what to expect. You can't get all your information from movies, TV, or books (I know, you're thinking: Really, Wondering Mind?) But I can get some real information from the example people set. And I guess I'll just have to cross bridges when I get them.

But I'd like to know what you guys think. What happens to Romance after marriage? And do you have any amazing examples to draw from?

In the mean time....I have a wedding to plan and fiancée to hug :)

Much love,
The Wondering Mind

Inherent Goodness in Japan

Hello, my readers. I hope all is well in your respective worlds, despite what happened in Japan on Friday morning. On that front, if any of you out there happen to be from Japan or have family there, I extend my condolences and pray for your continued safety and peace of mind.

After much deliberation among my colleagues (aka, my bf), I came to the conclusion that it would be unfair to "stir the hornets nest" concerning the American response to this disaster. I would rather pose a question and raise a few concerns.

I have noticed in recent news, there have been no instances of looting in the regions of Japan most ravaged by the earthquake/tsunami/threat of nuclear fall-out. I began to wonder why. Why a country so in need of help wouldn't simply take it. I began to contrast in my own mind our own disaster in New Orleans when Katrina struck. And then I struck logic gold.

When Katrina hit New Orleans, the people literally looted to the point of rediculum. There were people filling up trash cans of goods, and not just necessities. They were breaking into jewelery and clothing stores and taking things that they had literally no need of, as the coast guard and police just stood by and watched. 10 pairs of jeans and shirts, 3 pairs of designer heels. There was no concept of right and wrong, yours and mine. In the end, it became bloody as the police where forced to shoot people who wouldn't stop taking and taking. It was terrible!

No lets discuss Japan. In the greatest Earthquake in recorded history, worst tsunami and the most devastating damage, there have been no instances of looting that I have seen or heard about. Why? In a place where just to stay alive long enough to make it through the night, is there no looting, no taking out of desperation, or even possibly greed?

Some analysts are citing culture. Actually, mostly all of them are. This, again, got me thinking. Is it ingrained in them since birth the importance of social goodness? Or are they just inherently good?

Why is it that America, in its worst crisis, turns to crime and thievery, when this country, whom we take little notice of, shines brighter in its darkest hour?

It just made me think. Most of Japan is family centered. They may be hight-tech, but that doesn't mean they are isolationists. There is nothing higher to them then family. In America, we spend so much time trying to get away from our families, and more time with our computers and Facebook and cell phones and Wii's and gaming consoles. We do not treasure family. So, is this the reason for the difference?

Frankly, I don't know. But I wonder, what do you, my readers think? Is America flushing its goodness and morality down the figurative technology toilet, or is it just a difference in culture?

So, leave a comment in the section below and let me know what you guys think.

<3
The Wondering Mind

The Big-Bang Theory

In this time and day where simple faith is being replaced with science, I feel it necessary to discuss certain idea's which are, in fact, under attack.

I used to attend community college. If you know anything about public community college, the populace consists mostly of left-wing extremist professors and impressionable youths with very little to no moral or religious grounding. These left-wing extremists mold their students into liberalistic zombies all under the guise of high-education, thus creating an environment where immoral and faithless ideas fester and thrive like an infection. It makes it increasingly difficult for the faithful and well grounded few to continue to hold on to truths firmly ingrained in ones mind since childhood. It starts with a simple nod of the head, and then an essay change to maintain that GPA. And before you know it, you are just another zombie, ready to infest the world with extreme liberalism. You become Godless.

But this is not my point. I have a simple discussion today I'd like to present to you. A friend of mine from high school is one of those people who will argue God and her ideas, and will do so brilliantly. Recently, she had a run-in with an astronomy professor arguing the Big-Bang theory. Now, her response to this, being who she is, is to immediately raise her hand and argue the existence of God and His hand in the creation of the universe. This did not go over well.

But this got me thinking. This simple truth, which most people understand, has been completely perverted into something very far from the truth.

For those of you don't know, according to the book of Genesis, which is the foundation of the Torah, Bible, and Koran, God created the universe and everything in it in 6 days, including man-kind. Its the very first story of creation, and is still believed by the 3 major religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The way in which the Universe is created is extremely orderly, with nothing random about it.

The Big-Bang Theory, on the other hand, is basically the chaos theory. The Universe at one point was very small and dense. A phase transition caused an explosion, and the universe expanded rapidly. Basically, there was this huge flash, a resounding bang, and when the particle dust cleared, the universe and planet earth was kinda just sitting there. Mix in a few billion years, add a whole slew of random mutation and genetic chaos, and before you know it, you have us.

As I usually do, allow me to use logic to come to some form of an arguement against this. I have learned over the course of my studies that the universe is anything but random. There is a consistent order to everything, from photosynthesis to the formation of embryo to the course of planets as they rotate around a star. There is no chaos in anything. Something has to happen before something else can take place. Rain must fall before crops can grow. A thought has to form before an essay can be written. A egg has to be fertilized before a child is born. Event followed by event, cause and effect, a systematic chain of occurrences. There is a system of laws in every science known to man-kind, a set or rules and order.

A system is a design. Even scientists do not discount the idea that there is some sort of a design to the universe. But if there is a design, it must be created. It can not be at random. It must be systematic. And if there is a design, there must also be a designer.

And now, before any of you go begin to discount my point, allow me to offer the following: I never once, in the above 2 paragraphs where I stated my argument, quoted the Bible. Which makes my point of reference valid.

So now, where does this leave my friend in community college arguing against the liberalism of her professor? With an incredible anti-dote to the zombie virus that is affecting her peers. Once again, logic wins the argument.

Finally, allow me to sum up my findings with following quote by the revered Father of Physics: "Science without Religion is lame, Religion without Science is Blind."

The Wondering Mind.

Longing for the Beach

Hello, Blogging World!

Its warmth of the spring sun has finally seeped into the California soil, and my long drenched bones are just now beginning to thaw. But alas, I find myself, yet again, trapped in a stucco cage, unable to escape the bars of society and gainful employment. Why is this an issue, you ask? Because its 75 degrees F outside! And the far away sounds of crashing waves and seagulls call my name, as the imagined feel of salty spray on my face beacons me further out into the ocean....

It is my desire, on this incredibly lovely day that has induced me to shake out my short skirt and t-shirt, to visit the great expanse of the ocean, enjoying the feel of water and sand as they tickle my bare feet. I feel as though it has been long since I have been in its company.

But alas, as I said before, duty calls with its bleak voice and rings out the responsibilities in my name: Car insurace, car payment, school saving, savings in general...

But I shall still continue to envision myself watching a beautiful sunset over the blue waves, the salty air and sound  of seagulls.

Sigh.

Much love,
The Wondering Mind

God's Love, the WBC, and the Bible

Dear Readers,

Today, I am very angry. And this is why:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110302/ap_on_re_us/us_supreme_court_funeral_protests

After some extensive research (aka what I could find when I Googled it), I have become so very upset and angry with this church that believes they are doing "God's Will," that I know I need to write it out before I put this anger on display in my workplace.

Firstly, allow me to discuss the whole "God Hates Fags" issue. This is the title of their website, as well as a by-line Westboro Baptist consistently uses in their protests. I am a Bible-believing Christian, and I don't usually try to shove it in your faces, but allow me to quote scripture in my attempt to refute this issue. WBC states that God hates the gays. In the Bible, being gay is constituted as a sin, therefore making a gay person a sinner (don't hate me, its in the Bible.) Romans 5:8, says this:  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This would mean simply that every sinner, no matter what they have done or how they have done it, is beloved of God, because He allowed His son, His only son, to die brutally for them. If you follow this logic, you discover that all Homosexuals, being sinners, are in fact, loved of God. Unconditionally loved. Where there is love,  there can be no hate. Therefore, God does, in point of fact, love "fags". This is not to say that God excepts or condones their sin. This is to say that God has genuine love of His people, be they in sin or otherwise, and would have them at His side in heaven, if they would simply repent. 


Secondly, this WBC has made a practice of protesting at fallen soldiers funerals, dishonoring the dead by using them as a spring board to catapult their beliefs into the public eye. This, in of itself, creates such an unholy rage in me. I come from a long line of military men. My Grandfather was medaled in WWII, my father was in the Air force, my oldest brother was in the Army during Desert storm, one of them is still serving in the Army as a Staff Sergeant, one is about to join the Navy, and my nephew is about to join the Marines. My brother served 4 tours in Iraq, seen many a good man die in battle. He has never been the same. He has seen things that he won't even tell his beloved wife about, and somehow, still manages to hang on to himself. He's lost friends, brothers, subordinates. He has done this all in defense of a country that he loves. These soldiers that this church choses to protest have all fallen in this way. They are hero's. And they chose to desecrate their memory by protesting the last chance their family's have to honor them. Forget being a Christian, this is a blatant disregard of the thing that is most fragile in human existence: life itself.


Thirdly, the practice of protesting Jewish War Memorials and the Jews themselves. The WBC states over and over again that Nazi Holocaust was God's punishment on the Jews for tolerating the above mentioned Homosexuals. They also state the Jews will not remain God's chosen people for very long because of this tolerance. Something like 6 million people were killed during the Nazi Holocaust. This is over half the Jewish population of Europe at the time, 1/3 of the world's total Jewish population, a number they have yet to recover from. Let us exclude the fact that these people are the called "God's Chosen". God allowed 6 million people, men, women, and children, to die as brutally as can possibly be imagined, by a people that hated everything about them, and now is not allowed their numbers recover? Really? As I stated before, God loves ALL people, be they His chosen or otherwise. And I don't think He would be that brutal in doling out judgement, especially since the death of His son. The Jews, believe it or not, are still God's chosen people. In Deuteronomy 7:6, it says this: For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession. God can not break His own covenant. It goes against everything in the Bible and everything we believe in. The only change to this covenant, is the addition of the Gentiles who have confessed belief in Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light," in reference to New Christians. I think I've beat that topic to death.

Fourthly, protesting this country. The people of the WBC have said that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were God's punishment on a country that tolerated the gay community. They also state that this is the whole reason for the war in Iraq, and that God is using Muslims to kill American soldiers, therefore bringing judgement on America. What? Putting that aside, the issue of Homosexuality, though been around for a while, wasn't a major political issue until roughly 15 years ago, and has only been a serious issue for 2 years. So, what is their foundation for this belief? And, as we all know, Muslims declared themselves enemies of America because we have a Christian foundation and also support Israel. So, they believe that God, their God, would punish the country they live in, to get His point across? Need I say more?

There are many, many, many more topics I could cover on this radical group, but suffice to say that they are royally whack. How could a people who claim to believe the Bible and love God, protest this way? Have they not read their Bible's and seen the truth of the words reflected there? How can a group who claims to love God be so full of Hate, when it says right there in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. And in 1 Corinthians 13, John speaks of love, saying: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." This group has not followed this passage. They have dishonored the fallen hero's of this country. They have been self-seeking in their attempt to be heard by the public. They do not rejoice with the truth because they spread lies and hate. They do not protect, in fact, they shatter.

They are giving Christians a bad name, and while I respect the courts decision to uphold the 1st Amendment, I do not believe that this group, the Westboro Baptist Church, has any right or foundation to protest as they do. They have perverted the definition of God's love, dishonored the memory of fallen soldiers, desecrated the mass graves of the Jewish people, and built themselves up to be enemies of the American people. They are very mislead, and have only to read the Bible to see this. Their hate has clouded their judgement. Forget being a Christian. Any true believer in the God of this world would be able to see that they are wrong, even if they can not define why. Why can't the WBC?