Song Obsession of the Week, maybe of the year

He is seriously my favorite.

John Mayer's cover of "Free Falling."

Breathing Time

I cherish my weekends. I always have, but I love them even more now that Scott and I are both in school, working, and probably busier than we should be. All good things, but sometimes it's easier to go through a week and forget to stop and breathe - to look at each other and really talk, to check in with friends and catch up, and to just enjoy the little things and be totally present. That said, the weekend is when I feel the most "present" with Scott, my friends, and all of the parts of my life that don't involve school, work, or running around. I get to sleep in, go to the grocery store leisurely, sit around and watch re-runs of my favorite shows, sit on the porch and study, play around with Facebook and listen to music, take walks, see friends for lunch, watch football games with people and eat terribly, and bake cookies. 

This weekend, the highlight was probably Friday. Got out of class early, went to Live on the Plaza where I got to just hang out with two wonderful friends, one of which we hadn't seen in a long time. We got to hang out, look at cute and artsy clothes and dream of being adventurous, and be silly. That led to VZD's, where we listened to lovely music, people watched, and laughed some more...which obviously led to a 1am trip to IHOP!!! Fabulous...I haven't done the late night IHOP thing since college, and it was so fun to just be ridiculous and eat pancakes again. Hannah captured a quote or two from the night here. Good times.

It's Sunday and almost time to gear up for the week...but that's okay, because I got to breathe, so I'm good to go. So, here's to weekends!

Song Obsession of the Week

This song makes me smile and inspires spontaneous dancing:

Lenka, "The Show"

Don Miller's Benediction

I was honored to deliver the closing prayer at the DNC on Monday night. Evangelical voices have been scarce within this party, perhaps since the Carter administration. But as strides are being made on key issues of sanctity of life and social justice, as well as peaceful solutions to world conflicts, more and more evangelicals are taking a closer look at options certain members of the Democratic Party are beginning to deliver. There is a long way to go, but sending a message to Washington that no single party has the Christian community in their pocket, thus causing each party to carefully consider the issues most important to us, is, in my opinion, a positive evolution. I am glad that, for the most part, the dialogue has been constructive and positive. Will you join me in keeping the conversation thoughtful and not reactionary?

That said, I was honored to speak to, and especially pray with and for, the DNC. Here is the full text of the prayer:

"Father God,

This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.

We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.

We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.

Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.

Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.

Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.

Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.

Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.

Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.

We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.

Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.

A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.

Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.

Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.

Lastly, father, unify us.

Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.

And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.

God we know that you are good.

Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.

I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.

Let Him be our example.

Amen."

Ok, I had to go there sometime

I was a tiny bit surprised (but not completely) and hugely excited to hear that the author of one of my favorite books, and a person who truly lives his faith out in so many ways, had been chosen to give the benediction at the Democratic National Convention. I have become emotionally invested in this election, and it is so offensive and hurtful to me when I hear Christians say, "You can't be a true Christian and vote for a Democrat." That statement is hurtful because it directly puts my own faith into question, implying that my commitment to following Christ is somehow less authentic or "misguided." I fully believe that God is not a Republican...or a Democrat. He is not partisan, and he certainly would not support belittling others' beliefs or attacking a person's character in a very un-Christlike way, as so many politicians do. He does, however, demand that we love the unloved and hate injustice.

This particular election is crucial to these demands because, in the last 8 years, the gap in wealth and resources in the U.S. has become wider than it has EVER been in this country. That is injustice. A mother who is honestly working two minimum-wage jobs to feed her children but still struggles to make ends meet or obtain health insurance for them - that is injustice. A school in south Oklahoma City that is literally falling apart and struggling to teach algebra to its students because they are more concerned with not getting gunned down in a gang fight - that is injustice. I will get off my soap box, but I have posted Don Miller's benediction above. These words are not Republican, or Democratic - they are human.

Song Obsession of the Week

"In the Sun," Michael Stipe feat. Chris Martin, written for the people of New Orleans following Katrina...this was, again, the only video I could find!

My heart hurts a little bit today...sometimes the world and its needs seem so overwhelming.

Indifference is no longer an option.

I started classes last week, and while sitting in class for 8 hours twice a week is draining, the week was an incredibly affirming one. I realized that this IS where I should be right now, despite the bumps and difficulties this decision brought with it, and I began to think that social work, as a field, is much more fitting to my personality than academic research settings would ever be. I think I may have found my "people." Whatever that means.

My experience last week was somewhat defined by the "welcome to grad school" lecture one of our professors gave us on the first day of his class. His intent was to give us a broad explanation of how the values and objectives of social workers define our practice, and he did this in a way that won't leave me anytime soon. A lot of what he said was obvious, but the way he said it really woke me up a little bit (okay, a lot). He explained that, as social workers, we are primarily advocates. We are advocates for the poor, for the disabled, for the physically and mentally ill, for the oppressed. We are also advocates for the sex offenders, for the violent husbands or mothers, for the alcoholics, and for the criminals...because the primary, overwhelming goal of social work is to preserve and advance the dignity of human life. To see the dignity in every one who walks through our door. (Does this sound like what Christ meant about the least, the last, and the lost? I certainly think so).

He warned us that a lot of what we will discuss, research, and read will make us sad. It will make us angry. We'll feel guilty. We will want to throw in the towel and give up before we even start. But, he said, all of those reactions are good. "The reaction that terrifies me," he explained, "is indifference." He went on to say that the minute we decided to become social workers, the moment we set foot in that classroom, we had effectively promised that we would no longer be indifferent. The decision to enter his classroom, he said, was essentially a commitment to care, and to act on it. A commitment to not taking no for an answer when no one else will help these people. A commitment to no longer reading or hearing about a problem, saying, "how sad," and turning the page. Indifference is no longer an option. 

Ack. 

It made me think about how often I have been indifferent, and how easy it is to fall into that trap. It's sneaky, and it creeps into us slowly, without us knowing. But we can't let it stay there.

I know getting rid of the indifference disease is most likely a life-long process, but I'm excited, in an absolutely terrified way, to let it start now.