Ignorant Historian

“If what a person wants is his life, he tends to be quiet about wanting anything else.  Once the life begins to seem secure, one feels the freedom to complain.”  - Ann Patchett, Bel Canto, p. 56

“Good arguments will not convince anyone who is not open to being convinced.” – Frank Turek, Correct, Not Politically Correct, p. 8

“I suppose it’s terribly sexist of me assuming that all of the terrorists were male. It’s a modern world, after all. One should suppose a girl can grow up to be a terrorist just as easily as a boy.” – Messner, character in Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, p. 147

“Many have become immune to Christianity by contracting a mild and unbiblical form of it.” – Randy Alcorn, If God is Good, p. 35

“Americans have a bad habit of thinking like Americans.” – Roxanne Coss, character in Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, p. 222

“Anyone who observed us would conclude the purpose of all academic discussion was to provide the grounds for becoming further entrenched in our original positions.” – Richard Russo, Straight Man, p. 201

“You’re young, you’re Black, and you’re on trial. What else do [the jurors] need to know?” – Kathy O’Brien, character in Monster by Walter Dean Myers

“In our reckless pursuit of self-gratification we impose upon ourselves gnawing emptiness rather than the joy and contentment that comes in loving God and others.” Randy Alcorn, If God is Good, p. 64

“If the Bible tells us what life is and how to live it, then biblical literacy isn’t an option. I need it. We all do.” – Rachel Starr Thompson, “What We Don’t Know”

“She gave him a smile in which hope and knowledge were going at it, bare-knuckled, equally and eternally matched.”  – Empire Falls by Richard Russo, p. 161

“…but where is the woman, in the whole range of our sex, who can regulate her actions by the abstract principles of honor, when those principles point one way and when her affections, and the interest which grow out of them, point the other?” – Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, p. 176-177

“She emphasized what few wanted to accept, that some people did win Trivial Pursuit: The Deity Looks Edition and there wasn’t a thing you could do about it, except come to terms with the fact you’d only played Trivial Pursuit: John Doe Genes and come away with three pie pieces.” – Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, p. 90

“If you’re white they don’t let you grow up to adulthood if you haven’t mastered the art of pretending to say one thing while actually intending to do another.” - Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card, p. 153

“But if there are no gods, why are we so hungry to believe in them?” – Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card, p. 177

“I don’t want to be married just to be married.  I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to, or worse, that I can’t be silent with.” – Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, p. 8

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.” – Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, p. 53

“To come with a well-informed mind, is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others, which a sensible person would always wish to avoid.  A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing any thing, should conceal it as well as she can.” – Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, p. 1o4

“Covetousness is desiring something so much that you lose your contentment in God.” – Future Grace by John Piper, p. 221

” ‘The United States of America has not the option as to whether it will or it will not play a great part in the world.’ Roosevelt would argue.  ‘It must play a great part.  All that it can decide is whether it will play that part well or badly.’ ” – FDR quoted in The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 333

We’ve all heard, reheard, and heard again that famous JFK quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country,” right?  Well, it seems like we’re all for quoting it, but not for putting it in action.

Given my job, I hear a lot of whining about taxes.  The most common complaints is that the government just isn’t giving them enough money: whether they should have gotten more in the stimulus payment last year (one suggested $6,000 instead of $600), more back in their tax refund, tax breaks for veterinary bills (you’d be surprised how many times I’m asked about this one), or just another stimulus check.

I’m all for getting people the credits on their taxes that they deserve and the laws allow, but it seems like all people are interested in how they can benefit from the government.  Isn’t that what all the congressional pork is about, getting the constituent what they want, not caring about if it is in the interest of the country as a whole?

I can’t say that I’m entirely innocent on this issue, but it does disgust me.  I think the seagulls in Finding Nemo said it best when they said, “Mine!  Mine!  Mine!”

This makes me sad.

So does this.

This does too, but really, it’s not surprising if you look around.

Yes, America needs revival, and may it start with me.

I want to write a post for Veteran’s Day, but I’m afraid I can’t beat last year’s. Regardless, I’ll give it a try. I think our troops and veterans are worth it, don’t you?

Dear veterans and troops,

Thank you for serving this country. I know that I don’t think of you enough, but on this day, your day, I want to give you a particular salute.

I know that serving in the armed forces can’t be easy, but you do that for us. Thank you. I can’t think of a better way to express my admiration and gratitude than to use those two simple words.

Thank you for giving up many of your freedoms that we can keep ours. Thank you for spending months and years apart from your loved ones that I can stay near mine. Thank you for putting yourself in harm’s way that I can walk more safely on American streets.

I pray that God will protect you as you continue to serve and will be your strength and guidance throughout the rest of your days.

Sincerely,

Ronnica

Did you catch the story a few weeks ago that happened on a beach in Italy? A couple of Roma (Gypsy) girls drowned, and while their bodies were still on the beach covered with beach towels, sunbathers continued enjoying the sun nearby as if nothing happened.

This story struck me for two reasons. First off, the fact that these were Roma girls means something. I heard a national talk show host talking about this story, and he glossed right over this fact, clearly not understanding the history behind it. Gypsies have been a despised people in Europe for hundreds of years, and have been subject to enslavement and ethnic cleansing. Because of the discrimination they face, they often are seen begging and often travel from place to place. Though I don’t know that the sunbathers knew that the girls who drowned were Roma, it certainly seems likely considering the reports say that they had been begging prior to getting into the water.

Secondly, the response of the Italian sunbathers to the death of those around them was a sharp reminder to me that I all too often take this attitude towards the spiritual death of those around me. Like those sunbathers, I have fun and pursue my own interests, not letting the thought that those around me are actually dying dampen my day of fun in the sun.

American Christianity is really good at this. We spend our money on Christian trinkets and read the latest self-help books with a Christian veneer trying to learn how to be happy. How easy it is to forget that my own happiness is not my reason for being here!

This story has spurred me on to try to be more purposeful in everything I do. May God open my eyes to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those He has placed in my path, and may He give me what I need to address them.

You probably haven’t heard unless you live in the Triangle like me or are a golf enthusiast (I like to watch the sport, but I don’t follow the sport), but Rudy Giuliani’s son, Andrew Giuliani is suing Duke University (the story has nothing to do with the former mayor, but that provides context). Why?

Because he was kicked off the golf team, which dashed his dreams of being a pro golfer.

Duke recently got a new golf coach, and he has been trying to cut the team down to a more reasonable size. Andrew Giuliani also admits to some rage-filled behavior earlier this year, which may have something to do with it. He performed at a level that put him in the bottom half of the team. Several of the other players admited to him that they wanted him off the team.

But Giuliani demands in his suit that he had a right to remain on the team. That he didn’t deserve to be treated like he was. From what it sounds like, it wasn’t the coach who dashed his dreams. It’s either that he isn’t trying hard enough or he doesn’t have the talent to achieve higher status in the golf world.

Of course I don’t know all the facts and maybe the coach or school does have some fault for the situation. But it seems pretty clear that the reason he got cut from the team is his performance. If you were cutting a team in half, wouldn’t you cut the bottom half performers?

This got me to think if we applied his reasoning to other areas. What about all the girls out there who want to be princesses? Should they sue the US for not having a royal family?

Or what about all the boys who do not have the talent/skills/work ethic/height to become an NBA basketball player though they always wanted to be just like Shaq? Should they sue the NBA for not hiring basketball players of a wide range of abilities?

Or all the children who want to cure cancer, but don’t have the perseverance/mental capabilities/diligence to get through med school? Should top-level cancer research centers be required to hire them anyway?

Do I DESERVE to achieve my dreams just because I dream them? I’m kinda sick of my generation that thinks this way.

On the 4th, I joked about a few of the things I enjoy about our country, but today I’m going to write about something serious that I enjoy about the United States. This is prompted by an excellent message from my pastor on Sunday. I love going to a church where the pastor is not afraid to challenge us to apply Biblical truth to ever area of our life.

In America, I have the right to vote for whomever I want. Okay, that’s not a real shocker. Though democracy is still rather new in the history of the world, you and I grew up with it, so we’re rather ho-hum about it. I happen to like democracy. I’m not saying it is the way to run a country, but I think it has a lot of benefits.

The thing is, not only do I have the right to vote for who I want, I have the right to vote for whomever I want for whatever reason I want. If I choose to vote for Bob Candidate because I think his sneakers are da bomb, I can. If I choose to vote for Cathy Contender because she promises to buy all the little kiddies bubble gum, no one can stop me. Maybe I think Norman Nominee would be perfect because his speeches always make me smile.

Of course, I don’t vote for anyone for such frivolous reasons. I choose to vote for someone because of their values. I don’t necessarily mean religious values, though I definitely take that into consideration. Rather, I look at what they value and what type of principals they stand on. If their values aren’t evident at first, what consistences can be found in their campaigning? In their voting record? If no patterns emerge, maybe that should say something as well.

So, if I choose to vote for a candidate or not to vote for a candidate because I don’t believe they value human life, that’s my choice. If I choose to vote based on a candidate’s ethical outlook, then I can. On the other hand, if you choose to vote for a candidate because he looks spiffy while what he says tickles your ears, I can’t stop you. Don’t you just love America?

So, why do you vote? If you don’t vote, what would motivate you to do so?

I debated about whether to do a serious or a light-hearted post for the holiday. I opted for the latter.

No, my first allegience is not to America. My first allegience is to my true home, in heaven. But that said, for the most part, I really like my country. In celebration of Independence Day, here are a few reasons why I like America:

Apple pie. Iconic but delicious.

Mexican food. No other countries makes it as good as the United States. At least according to my palate. I’m sure many a Mexican would disagree, and that’s okay. They are free to believe that Mexico makes the best American food.

Eccentric personalities. Turn on the television or computer and you’ll see that we have more than our share.

Reality television, or at least some of it. I really like The Amazing Race and So You Think You Can Dance. This actually has something to do with the last thing.

Internet. Sure, you can get it almost anywhere now, but it was invented here.

Coasts. I may be a Kansas girl at heart, but I love going to the beach.

Airplanes. Once again, they were invented here. Without them, I would not be living here in North Carolina, because it would take too long to get back to Kansas. I also probably wouldn’t have seen as much of the world as I have.