A post for Pinterest

Where can I find this? I really like it!

Can I just say?

It irritates me when people assume the phrase, "God bless America," carries with it an implicit, "...and to hell with all the other countries in the world." It doesn't. It only says what it says. Please God, please bless America. We need it. If I pray to do well on a test, does that mean I want everyone else to fail? No. When I pray for my children to pass safely on their way to school, does that mean I wish ill to all other children? Of course not. Perhaps the case could be made that if one were to pray to win a competition, then one is wishing the other team to lose, to fail. But international affairs need not be a competition. One country does not need to fail for another to succeed. Not in a ideal world. So the phrase, "God bless America" means just that. And nothing more.

And as long as I'm at it, when the Dugger family (18 Kids and Counting) thanked God for the blessings that were their children, there were a very vocal few who managed to find that offensive. If children are a blessing from God, then that must mean the Duggers thought that lack of children implied lack of blessings, i.e. God doesn't love those without children as much as He loves those with children, and you can tell how much God loves you by the numbers He blesses you with. How self-absorbed must you be to think that someone's gratitude to God is an insult to you? Amazing.

Whew! All right. I'm done.

Ethics vs. Economy

I have certain beliefs that I try to incorporate into daily life. Some of them have to do with food. I think animal fats are good for you, so long as they are healthily derived. I think that processed fats and synthetic fats (like hydrogenated oils and soy/cottonseed oil) are very bad for your health. I think processed foods as a whole are bad for you. The whiter the grain, the worse for your health, with the possible exception of rice every now and again. If it comes packaged in plastic and you can eat it right out of the bag, it's probably not good for you. I think sweeteners should be used sparingly, and even then they should be as minimally processed as possible. I also am of the opinion that the human body is designed to deal with poisons and poor foods in the diet, and so the occasional intake of any of the above foods will not cause trouble in the midst of a healthy diet. So, you can see where I'm coming from, food wise, right?
Now, here is my dilemma: Do I have a responsibility to feed a large group of people at the same standard I feed myself and my family, or can I justifiably feed them at a socially accepted standard? Making the food choices I do is not as cheap as the alternative. If I'm bringing a dish to a potluck or bringing a meal in for compassionate service, or even bringing cookies to a Primary party, can I make the food with cheap sugars, processed grains, and questionably healthy oils in order to save money? Especially if I feel that the recipients have no concern whatsoever which way I choose to do things? What is my moral obligation as far as food is concerned?

All right. I give in.

I decided to blog this giveaway at the Tall Snob Blog. This is the first time I have ever done this, linked a blog entry to a contest. Is it worth it for one more entry? We'll see. I certainly hope so, even if it feels just a little mercenary. Like having ads on your blog. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. Just not what I'm used to. On the positive side, I love to support any organization that's advocating for cute clothes for tall people. I wouldn't call it an earth-shattering cause, but it does mean something to me. So...if you are tall and want to win $50 (and who doesn't), click on over and enter. Or something like that.

Nice

I heard once that in order to consider myself well-read, I needed to read something by Larry McMurtry, so when I found Lonesome Dove at the DI, I snatched it up. I'm still getting into it, but came across this passage that I loved.

The boy's face lit up as if he had just been given a new saddle. He had practically worshipped Jake Spoon once, and would clearly be willing to again, given the encouragement. Augustus felt a momentary pang - he liked Jake, but felt him to be too leaky a vessel to hold so much hope. But then, all vessels leaked to some degree.

Nice. Very nice.