Fairly Ordinary

I’m choosing to ignore the state of this blog at the moment (I’ve been attempting to clean up errors, edit some wacky php, and organize it better), and write about something that has been on my heart all day long and is quite time sensitive.

Today is the deadline for adding your name to the open letter being sent to the leadership of Bob Jones University in regards to their past racial policies. I signed this letter several months ago and I sincerely urge you to sign the letter.

There are many of us who have differing views on BJU right now. Some completely hate anything and everything to do with the University. Others are nonchalant. And some are quite pleased and grateful to be apart of the BJU circle right now. No matter what your current relationship with the school is like, I believe you have an obligation to view the documents, learn the story, and weep for those whose only view of the Christian faith has been through these particular stories of racism.

Even since I’ve moved to Pennsylvania, I’ve met a few people who immediately upon hearing that I graduated from BJU questioned me harshly on whether I was racist. That’s really heart-wrenching to experience.

All we are asking the University to do is to simply acknowledge the mistakes that were made so there can be reconciliation.

If you simply “don’t want to get involved” or don’t want your name to publicly be attached to a criticism of the University, then spend some time pouring through the archives of Please Reconcile and read the stories of how racial discrimination has broken hearts even after the ban was lifted.

Here are others who have written a considerable bit more than I have:

A Time to Laugh
Karagraphy
Broken Silence
Where do the Mermaids Stand
And So It Goes
Unmeasured Grace
The Savage’s Lair

Also, the Facebook group.

Twelve days into NaNoWriMo, I’m supposed to be around 20,000 words. I’m actually at 9,342 words. I have some catching up to do.

My novel has just now started to feel as though something I actually want to delve into with a passion. I’m not naive enough to think that it’s actually *good* writing (worthy of real editing and publishable) but I’m having the time of life writing it. And that’s what this is all about, right?

I’m still wavering on whether I want to post the novel at the end of November. But I will share the first paragraph.

Elise sat tightly scrunched in the bottom of the hall closet, elbows pushed against a clutter of old coats, and her knees shoved between winter boots and the handbag that Aunt Margaret had sent for her birthday. There wasn’t an all-encompassing reason for why she’d chosen this specific hiding place, but right now, the bottom of the hall closet seemed like the natural place to be.

It’s very, very cold here. Being a Southern girl to the core, I have heard of socks before but never really had a need for them since I’ve worn flip-flops year round. But now it’s so cold that I’ve dug into my long forgotten stash of socks.

There is something about this weather that has made Daniel and I quite nostalgic and romantic, too. Which is not a problem at all, mind you. It’s just that the last time we experienced this type of weather was when we were falling-in-love over Christmas about four years ago. I’d traveled up to the North to meet his family over the holidays and I’d been shocked that I needed a thick coat to even open the front door.

Last night we drove to a neighborhood restaurant and filled ourselves with hot food and then took a drive through the country. It was so calming to wind through the farms and stately houses with their cute little candles in the windows. Duffy was belting her heart out through our car speakers but you could still hear a small voice from the backseat saying, “One. Two. One. Two. One. Two.” He’s learning to count, by the way.

He’s also learning to mimic every single word that he hears. And when we hosted our first overnight guests here a few days ago (Tim and Dani), Drew practiced words like “buttock,” “Santa” and “booger.” Yes, his Uncle Tim is atrocious. The last thing I need Drew screaming in the middle of the grocery store is “SANTA HAS A BOOGER ON HIS BUTTOCKS!”

It really was a lovely weekend with Tim and Dani, though. We had some long talks, reading sessions, TV-watching, and book-sale shopping. And one particular card game that got wild and lively. Of course, I was half-asleep in the green chair. Try as I may, I simply cannot stay awake when it gets really late. I’m pretty much a little early-to-bed nerd.

They also came along on Sunday to the first “preview” service we had at Engage. The service echoed quite a bit of what I’ve been re-learning about God in the past year. Two moments stood out to me. A new friend that I’ve just met shared part of her faith story and in so doing, she admitted that living with rules and regulations in faith is something she finds to be attractive at first glance. I heard her words and had to blink back tears as I saw myself in what she was saying. Another moment was when Jon asked us to share with our group what questions we would ask God if we could simply turn to Him and expect an audible answer. I didn’t expect to break down into tears at all but when I started opening my heart, I pretty much lost it. I have so many questions. Very few answers.

I am very thankful that we’ve found this band of believers. Being with them reminds me to look for God to pop out of the mundane, ordinary, and really frumpy days of life.

After a crazy few days for all of us (some are happy, some are sad, and some will think this post is bad), I think we need some hamster on a piano (eating popcorn).

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. - President-Elect Barack Obama

I arrived at the address listed on my voter’s registration card at 6:30am this morning. The polls were to open at 7am, and I wanted to be near the front of the line.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the church, my jaw dropped because there were no cars, no lines, no people. I sat there for 9 minutes before I got out and walked to the front door of the church.

A sign instructed me that the polling place had been changed to a different address. FUSS. Of course, since I’m new here, I had no idea how to get to the new place. If only I had an iPhone. ;)

I scooted back home and looked up the address. It was just around the corner from the first church. I zoomed over quickly and found a long line.

I had to wait 45 minutes to vote but I did not mind one bit. It felt exceptionally sober, patriotic, and wiggly to watch the political process unfold before my eyes.

There were quite a lot of political signs everywhere.

This particular church is part of the Church of the Brethren. Their symbols were all along the path to vote. Very fitting, I thought.

And of course, a sign reminding us not to kill each other in the long lines.

And a sign to remind folks to stop passing out campaign literature.

The greatest moment of this morning was watching two old guys sitting in front of the polling place. One had an Obama button and one had a McCain button. The Obama guy shouted out to the crowd that he was here to make sure the Republicans wouldn’t be causing too much trouble. Classy. ;)

Happy Voting Day! I hope you all don’t have too long of lines.

So, on tomorrow, history will waltz in with change one way or another.

I’ve already shared how I’m voting. We are heading to the polls in the morning and are quite curious to see if our particular township is going to have long lines or not. If Obama wins, we are seriously looking at attending the Inauguration in January since we aren’t too far away. If McCain wins, I’ll just weep for the long-lost high-pressure Hope Front that could have swept the dark clouds of this current Administration away.

Yes, I’m watching Jon Stewart. ;)

P.S. Read, read, read.