I was just reminded this morning of the four reasons why I very rarely put chocolate chips in my pancakes. (Sorry, no photos, we need new batteries for our camera. Just picture four (happy) faces and eight (sticky) hands COVERED in chocolate!)
Today Kevin is painting downstairs, I've been cooking and cleaning and might, MIGHT, do some painting myself. There's also (always) laundry that needs to be done and other assorted household tasks.
Funny story for your Saturday (and reason for the above photo): When I re-registered to vote when we moved here, I changed my affiliation from "Republican" to "Undeclared". WELL, this has translated into Barack Obama heavily courting my vote these last few weeks. (Which makes me feel so important!) I recently received a phone call from one of his volunteers asking who I was voting for. (Did he like my answer? No. No, he did not.) The next day, there was a knock on the door while I was making dinner. (I hate when random people that I don't know drop in to talk to me!) I heard Kevin (who knows this) answer it, and it was an Obama volunteer (maybe the same guy?), who said he wanted to ask me some questions. Kevin asked if the guy could ask HIM some questions instead. He said no, just me. Kevin THEN proceeded to tell him that I COULDN'T COME TO THE DOOR because I was MAKING DINNER! HA!!! I can SO imagine this person thinking, what kind of weird, 1950s-type-of-couple lives here?! I of course found it terribly, terribly funny.
(Random evidence that apparently you CAN be a 1950s-throwback-traditional-kind-of-gal AND an Obama supporter): 
And for the record, we're really NOT the Denver version of June and Ward Cleaver. (Note that I listed June first, without thinking. Ha! Can't you so picture Kevin and I dressing like this every day?) Our division of labor may play out pretty traditionally, and truth be told I LIKE being barefoot-and-pregnant (well maybe not barefoot since my feet get cold!), but both of us are really involved in parenting, we both do a ton around the house, and we make all our decisions together. I DO like to play the, "That's man's-work" card however when a job comes up that I don't want to do. I DON'T let Kevin play it the other way though. Hmmm. He loves to say how it's a double-standard...Shhhh, don't tell, but I think he might be right! :) 
22 comments:
I registered as "independent" and all that did was prevent me from voting in the primaries. Why don't Republicans allow independent voters to vote their ticket? Democrats allow it but rather than vote their ballot I used the "non partisan" ballot that let me vote on minor local issues. Oh well. I was wondering if I was the only republican who was so discusted with my party that I dropped the R from my voting identity. Good to know that with your new kitchen appliances you can put your high heels on, throw a meat loaf in the oven and meet Kevin at the door with a dry martini and a smile. *wink*
ok, is this a pregnancy announcement? :) not barefoot, i noticed....teehee...
oh i love that too, i am def. of the double standard mentality, esp. when it comes to scooping the dog poop..yuck!
jacquelyn, ugh, i know. i changed my status b/c i didn't want to be associated with the standard republican, but yeah the "undeclared" just seems to be more trouble than it's worth!
darci, ha, nope, not pregnant. :) i was just saying that i LIKE being pregnant. and that's definitely not big news!
I am wondering if you can help me understand something. I don't mean to be disrespectful but it is my understanding that Obama is very pro-abortion. I am wondering how you reconcile that as a christian who is supporting him?
anonymous... you must not read this blog... b/c she said that the guy at the door would NOT like her answer, and has said before that she is voting McCain...
Secondly, you didn't ask me, and I don't know which way I'm voting, and I am a Christian, but I don't know how people can just vote on THAT ONE ISSUE. We've had a pro life president in office for 8 years and it HASN'T CHANGED A THING! abortions are still legal and that isn't going to change, no matter WHO the president is. It really ruffles my feathers when people get so crazy about that one issue. Why do some get to care so much about abortion, when there are literally thousands of children, 'our neighbors' around the world dying of hunger and preventable diseases and they don't seem to give a bleep about them? Some would argue that liberals are the ones that are really more 'Christian'...after all...didn't Jesus say to clothe the naked? And feed the hungry? I don't believe HE mentioned abortion at all... Hmmm... something to think about...
The Religious Right has a claim on 'Christianity' in our American culture. But is that really what Christ Himself was about in scripture? Here is a challenge. Try to forget everything that American Christianity has taught you for a second and go back and read through the gospels. Read the red letters of Jesus's words. Try to put aside everything else and focus just on what Jesus said. Learn what His heartbeat was. And vote your conscious...whichever way that is.
annonymous, i said i WASN'T voting for barack obama. :)
just for the record (and this has nothing to do with my post, which really wasn't intended to be political at all, but now i feel like i need to clarify because i'm hopelessly neurotic), i consider myself prolife and anti-abortion. i believe life begins at conception. (as in, i don't use the birth control pill. yes, i'm that conservative on this issue.) Christians are called to pursue justice and i believe that includes justice for pre-born children. it's a HUGE reason i'm voting for mccain, but certainly not the only one.
the president can't necessarily change laws, but he CAN appoint judges, designate where tax dollars go, etc. most of all, i think we all vote for someone in part based on how ethical or principled they seem to us.
feeling strongly about abortion doesn't mean you shouldn't care about feeding the hungry. you can do both. and speak out about both. which i hope to always do.
i don't think obama's the antichrist. i don't care if he does or doesn't have a muslim background, or if he randomly didn't have his hand over his heart during the national anthem. (what on earth is this magic litmus test for "loving america" anyway?) and in some ways his vision for america resonates with me. but the nuts and bolts of his ideas don't. i don't think his self-described redistribution of wealth is a good idea, and i DEFINITELY don't think his views on abortion are right.
there is so much stereotyping that goes on with political parties. republicans do not have the corner on morality and democrats do not have the corner on caring about the poor or human rights.
anyway, i hope no one stops reading my blog b/c of my comment here! there are Christians and non-Christians with differing beliefs, and there always will be, and no matter who you vote for i'm glad you're reading and that we are bloggy (and/or real life) friends! :)
i came back to delete my entry, but it looks like i can't. after stewing over it for awhile, I regret that I didn't write it with enough love or compassion, so i wanted to delete it. i appologize if i offended anyone.
brianna, i respect you so much, and love you dearly. i so agree with you that you can be BOTH... I feel that I am outspoken on the prolife side, and the poverty side as well...which is one of the reasons i am having such a hard time in this election. i've always been a 'conservative conservative' but i feel like my views over the last 4 years have been changed somewhat as I've been challenged to look closer at Jesus and His teachings from just a scriptural standpoint. I feel like growing up I was taught that to be Christian was to be Republican, and now I feel the need to challenge that veiw. I wouldn't say that I am a democrat either. I strongly believe that there are amazing Christians on both sides of the fence here, and they can both be seeking God with their whole hearts and still vote differently on election day. 2 of my closest friends and fellow bloggers are and they happen to carpool to our book/Bible study together! (you know who you are!) And...I respect you both a ton!
Again, I appologize if I offended anyone. I guess I was just trying to say that I think we should each do what we feel is right...whatever it may be...
Oh Angela it's okay! For me, blogging is strange because I vascillate between wanting to be known, and wanting to stay neutral so i don't tick anybody off. (okay that's maybe just me in general).
All too often Christianity is paired with one party or another, which completely oversimplifies things. My political views don't define me, but my faith in Jesus does. (Which of course INFORMS my political views, so it starts to get tricky I guess.)
Ha, the carpooling, so far the un-named-bloggers-voting-for-different-candidates have had quite peaceable drives to Erie, and they will most certainly continue! :)
Oh my gosh, I came on here to comment, that this post made me fall out of my chair I was laughing so hard! (this is not a joke)I was busting up. I had no idea that I was going to find a bunch of political comments, sorry Brianna. Just know, that you brighten my little corner of the world and I thought nothing more of your story, my Husband loved it also!! (I am like you too, I love being barefoot and pregnant, most people think I am weird.) Keep up with the post, I need to roll around on my floor more often.
Forgive me for mis-reading your comments. I really was not trying to stir up controversy... just trying to understand both perspectives. I do not think the election should be decided on this issue and I know there are Godly peole who do Support Obama so I honestly was just trying to understand that perspective. Again, forgive me for misunderstaning your position and for obviously exciting some of your readers. But for the record, I do care about hurting children around the world and strive to make a difference for them, I also greatly care about the unborn. We can indeed be a champion for both. I appreciated your clarification. Thank you.
Anonymous, thanks for your comment. I know you weren't trying to be rude. It can be hard though having a blog, putting yourself out there and having people anonymously calling you out.
I obviously can't speak first-hand as to why people are voting for Obama, but I do know that there are those who just really like him, who like his economic policies, and who are excited about the possibility of an African-American president. Though I'm NOT voting for Obama, I'm downright thrilled that we have a Black man in the running for the presidency, a woman vice-presidential candidate, and that there was a woman who made a good run for it in the primaries. our nation is making progress in some areas, and that is a good thing!
Anonymous, I think it's great you're talking about these issues. Sometimes I want to hide in a hole and ignore this stuff and the implications for Christians, but that's probably not good! Our pastor just gave a recent sermon where he said that the Gospel critiques BOTH the right and the left. And I say "amen!" to that!
Amen Dawn! :)
and
Amen Brianna! :)
I love you both, too!
oh...and glad to hear the carpooling has been peaceful! :) i was worried about that... NOT. HEEHEEEHEEE...
hahahaha!!! it's hard to picture fighting with jennifer about ANYthing! she's just too sweet!!!
well, if I'm gonna get compliments in the comments section, I'm going to have to watch comments a little more often! :)
seriously, VERY good reading, comments, etc. here. I LOVE seeing people wrestle with their faith, with following Jesus, and how that intersects with these political choices. inspiring!
Good comments and you guys are all so nice and loving to each other!!! That's so awesome, especially THIS particular election year. I have two cents, but feel free to disregard since you don't know me from Adam.
1. Godly people can be wrong. Godly people often spend their whole lives being wrong! ;-) I'm saying this because we are often very quick to point out that if godly people do something, it must make it right, or at least acceptable. This likely won't be a very well-received thought on this particular blog, but it's my opinion that godly people who vote for Obama are wrong in this specific instance.
2. Abortion should not be the ONLY issue one votes around, but it should definitely be one of the most important, if not THE most important. We're not talking about money or health; we are talking about the lives of innocents. What we do to the least of our citizens (with absolutely NO rights in this case) speaks volumes about our country as a whole. If we, as a country, sanction holocaust-proportion murder, what else matters, really?
Anywhoo, take it or leave it...I'm no expert and these are only thoughts/opinions. :-)
-Erica
I agree that abortion should be a paramount voting issue to believers. Unfortunately, the answers aren't as simplistic as who will place which justices on the Supreme Court (even with an overturn of Roe v Wade, the issue is then simply determined at the state level and abortions will continue in our country). Economic factors, justice issues, and class disparity contribute in significant ways to the abortion rates in our country - these issues must be addressed. Do I agree with Obama's stance on abortion? No. Do I believe that abortions will decrease in our country as a result of his policies? Yes. Do I believe that abortions will decrease in our country as a result of John McCain's policies? No.
In addition, as believers, life around the world needs to be included in our pro-life stance - God desperately loves Iraqi babies, Sudanese babies, HIV infected babies and their parents.
Brianna,
I have run into this pro-life issue a lot lately and whether Obama is actually Pro-life or Pro-choice. I wrote this out recently to think it through. Be sure to look at the links I posted at the bottom they are very good.
I define Pro-life as the political and ethical view that fetuses and embryos are human beings, and therefore have a right to live. I believe there are only 2 explanations for someone who would describe themselves as a pro-life voter and yet vote for Senator Barack Obama. The first explanation would be perhaps there are more important issues at hand, whether it is a single issue or issues collectively. The second explanation would be that the individual believes Senator Barack Obama could find "common ground" with pro-life voters. I will present the case to anybody that claims to be pro-life that the importance of banning abortion can not be outweighed by any one particular issue or issues in this particular election. Also, I will argue that if an individual claims to be pro-life and votes for Senator Barack Obama based on finding "common ground" they are either not pro-life or have been extremely misguided as to Senator Barack Obama's history.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRswgN-Wf6g)
Recently Senator Obama answered questions at the Saddleback Forum at a church in California. His response when asked when a baby gets human rights was rife with contradictions not only in his response but also with his past statements and voting records. It was an appealing response to pro-life voters however because few know his history or his true beliefs on the issue. After hearing the answer a pro-life individual could be misled to think they could find common ground. Personally as I read the links at the bottom of this paper from Senator Barack Obama's speeches on the floor of the Senate and other places I was shocked at his comments.
Obama starts off by commenting that "whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade." Liberals and the undiscerning love this answer because he is implying there is no right or wrong answer. Looking at it from a theological perspective Obama is well above the income of an ethics professor at any college since he makes well over a million dollars a year. From a scientific perspective again Obama makes as much or more than the average doctor. Obama is implying 2 fundamental points to us average folk. First we should not act as though we can have authority on such a subject that is out of our pay grade and/or education level. Second, the question can't be answered with any specificity and not even the President of the US can answer it. Senator Barack Obama did not mention infront of this crowd as he did to the Planned Parenthood crowd that "the first thing I'd do as president is, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. [Applause.] That's the first thing that I'd do."
Despite Obama just claiming there is no right answer and he can't answer it with any specificity he continues to try to clear things up by stating the obvious to both the pro-life and pro-choice sides. "And so I think anybody who tries to deny the moral difficulties and gravity of the abortion issue, I think, is not paying attention." Neither side denies the gravity of the issue. In fact both sides do understand what is at stake and that is exactly why people are more passionate about a woman's right to choose or pro-life than just about any other ethical or political issue.
Obama then moves on to make his second point. "But point number two, I am pro-choice. I believe in Roe v. Wade, and I come to that conclusion not because I'm pro-abortion, but because, ultimately, I don't think women make these decisions casually. I think they — they wrestle with these things in profound ways, in consultation with their pastors or their spouses or their doctors or their family members. And so, for me, the goal right now should be — and this is where I think we can find common ground. And by the way, I've now inserted this into the Democratic party platform, is how do we reduce the number of abortions? The fact is that although we have had a president who is opposed to abortion over the last eight years, abortions have not gone down and that is something we have to address."
Many people just missed what Obama said because he was talking like a politician. If you read that closely he is pro-choice because "women don't make these decisions casually." This is where Obama is fundamentally wrong in believing that if an individual struggles with a decision then whatever conclusion they come to must be right because they have struggled and sought counsel.
The 2008 democratic platform states the following: "The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family planning services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions. The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman's decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre and post natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs."
Obama stated to Warren that "I've now inserted how do we reduce the number of abortions into the Democratic party platform." I am struggling to find where he mentions reducing the number of abortions other than providing sex education and providing proper health care. He is not talking about encouraging mothers not to have abortions but rather to prevent "unintended pregnancies."
Obama then appeals to pro-life voters by undermining the administration that has done everything in its power to minimize the number of abortions not only in the U.S. but in the world abroad. Obama stated that "the fact is that although we have had a President who is opposed to abortion over the last eight years, abortions have not gone down and that is something we have to address." Democrats always cite this statistic when they have known since 2003 it is completely untrue yet they continue to lie. It works every time because how many people really read a transcript and look into the "fact(s)" stated? In fact, the abortion rate has decreased between 7 and 9 percent, and the annual total has declined by more than 100,000 during the Bush administration. Also, the U.S. withdrew $34 million of funding to the UN for "family planning."
I have heard pro-life individuals make 3 excuses to disregard the political views of a particular candidate to justify voting for them.
1. What have the Republicans done in the last eight years to overturn abortion? It does not matter nothing will change it is law.
Answer: Abortions decreased over the past 8 years and that is a fact. When recently polled 92% of Americans ranked the importance of the Supreme Court nominations of a President as high or very high when considering a president. When a Justice steps down and a replacement is nominated it is generally understood that they would like to be replaced by someone like-minded. Justices Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg and Breyer could be described as the Justices that are pro-choice in regard to abortion. Justice Stevens is the oldest member of the court at 88 years old and the average age of the 4 pro-choice Justices is 75 years old. If Obama were to nominate Supreme Court Justices he has made it very clear that the nominations would be pro-choice. Likely, the nominees would be around the age of 55 to ensure his nominations would sit on the court for an extended period of time. This election is critical because I would argue if he serves 1 or 2 terms he would likely nominate between 2-3 new Justices that would replace the 3 of the 4 pro-choice Justices. This would ensure the Supreme Court would remain pro-choice and attempt to legislate pro-abortion measures from the bench for the next 25-30 years.
2. Pro-life is not just about being anti-abortion it is about being for life in general. Christians are hypocritical by implying pro-life only applies only to abortion and not life in general in the US and around the world.
Answer: Pro-life will not be hijacked to refer to being "for life" in a general sense of feeding the hungry, educating the poor, and caring for widows and orphans. Hell, I could argue I am Pro-choice in the same sense I have heard democrats get all huffy over the term pro-life in this last election. This argument implies abortion is insignificant compared to the struggles of people in the U.S. and around the world deal with every day. Are American's so blinded to the fact that over 40 million babies have been aborted since Roe v Wade?
3. You can't outlaw abortion because what if the life of the mother is in danger, the child has defects, or a woman was raped?
Answer: The fact is less than 1% of all abortions fall into the category of incest or rape. When the life of the mother is in danger it could be argued that this is an exception but this is also very rare. 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child. To translate those numbers approximately 93% or 34 million lives have been lost since 1973 for social reasons. It's your choice whether to throw the baby out with the bath water over the rare exceptions.
I am not a one issue voter, but for me abortion is the most important issue of the many issues when choosing a candidate. It is clear in this election that Obama is anything but pro-life and as for me he will not hijack a term and flip it on me to mean the sanctity of life in general to tip toe around the 40 million babies that experienced horrible deaths since 1973. The "religious right" and those who are pro-life can not be duped into believing Obama sympathizes with their views or shares them in the least bit.
Really if a pro-life individual were to actually read the extreme views Obama has taken on abortion it would be clear they do not share anything in common with Obama. One example would be that Obama voted against the BAIPA (Born Alive Infant Protection Act) in the Senate in Illinois because of the "unconstitutionality" of the bill. The bill had actually been revised many times to match the Senate bill in Washington because Obama insisted it could be used to outlaw abortions because the way it was worded. When the Senate in Washington voted on BAIPA it passed unanimously. Why did not one Democrat in Washington see the "unconstitutionality" or loop-hole Obama claimed to see?
One would think that the President of the U.S. would be able to answer a question about when a baby gets human rights with specificity especially since Obama is a Harvard graduate and has practiced as a civil rights attorney. I would hope that no question is above the pay grade of a President. If abortions continue at the same rate there will be approximately 2 million abortions over the next Presidents first term. When voting this election the most pressing issue is abortion and it is a faith issue. When we vote this fall we will have a choice. You can vote optimistically for the candidate who will give the most hope to those 2 million babies. Or you can turn your back on the 2 million plus babies and vote for the candidate that will most certainly do everything in his power to never let the voices of those 2 million be heard.
History can tell us so much current issues but rarely do we apply those lessons from history. Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it? What would you have thought of the church in the days of American slavery that said nothing and tip toed around the subject of abolishing slavery? What would you think about an abolitionsist who tried to find "common ground" with a slave owner to only reduce the number of slaves? What changed American history was the belief that court decisions could one day be overturned and that everybody regardless of race had a the basic human right to be free. We have lost that hope today in America for those babies being killed. The abolitionists never lost sight of that hope and my prayer is that those who want to abolish abortions in the US will not lose sight of that goal by voting for Barack Obama.
References
http://www.nrlc.org/obamabaipa/WhitePaperAugust282008.html
http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/obamarecord0608.pdf
http://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans92/ST033001.pdf
http://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans92/ST040402.pdf
http://lauraetch.googlepages.com/barackobamabeforeplannedparenthoodaction
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/01/22/obama_statement_on_35th_annive.php
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1173 – Freedom of Choice Act
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s1173/text
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27023915/
http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/obama/senate-illinois/
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=950DE1DC1039F930A25753C1A96F948260
http://www.abortionfacts.com/statistics/statistics.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9duXeLahkV4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRswgN-Wf6g – Obama responding to Rick Warren
http://www.now.org/issues/abortion/roe30/record.html
Caleb, thank you for taking the time to write out your thoughts! I so appreciated reading them.
As Christians we truly do need to take a stand against abortion and speak out for what is right. I have two sons who were born to a woman on the other side of the world, who chose life for them. They were born into some tough circumstances, yet their lives are NO less valuable than the most "wanted" child. ALL children are wanted and planned by God.
Obama, at the very least, seems inconsistent in his views on the abortion issue. Saying one thing to Planned Parenthood, and another to pro-life groups.
It seems like it is so NOT in fashion to talk about abortion this election season. The economy and national security are big topics, but anytime abortion gets brought up, it gets pushed aside b/c it's a divisive issue, etc. But someone needs to speak up for these babies!!!
I'm going to go look up those references. Thanks again for dialoguing!
Okay Caleb I just put it together who you are! Sorry--I'm a little slow. :)
Great to hear from you! At some point we should get our families together.
One last thought I had...I feel like some people don't realize that working to outlaw or restrict or reduce abortions is not in opposition to serving the poor. Quite the opposite. The poor, and minority groups (especially African Americans) are the very people that abortions are marketed and sold to. And if you read Margaret Sanger's writings, you'll see her ideas about eliminating races of people, the disabled, etc. Pretty scary stuff!!!!
Brianna,
Let me know what you think of those links. The transcripts from the Illinois State senate are pdf's and you have to search by Obama and you eventually get down to his speech on the floor.
I agree that people have pushed the A word to the back burner which is sad because I believe this is the election that may change it. Obama and McCain both stated Roe v. Wade hangs in the balance because of the Supreme Court nominees depending on who the next President is.
I find it odd people defend Planned Parenthood when Sanger founded it and he "personal beliefs" are unfathomable and deplorable. I believe she would be happy where Planned Parenthood today if she saw their numbers. Also wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Rüdin who Sanger tried to model her program after.
Well I hope Tuesday comes fast. We will have to get together again sometime. Do you still do the AHOPE stuff here in CO?
I should have mentioned who I was before posting that long post. You probably were thinking who is this person reading my blog and commenting.
Holy moly, Brianna! I just wanted to comment on how hysterical your blog post was and... WOW!
One tiny little additional comment: Dear Anonymous, if you truly want to "champion" issues, do it boldly! Say, "My name is Laurie and I'm a Christian, Pro-Life, homeschooling, Libertarian biological and adoptive mother of five!" You don't have to be ashamed of being yourself, or of having different opinions or honest questions. Brianna doesn't bite. :)
(my 2 cents)
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