Random Assortment of Topics

First, does anyone who is reading this on blogspot know if a person can leave a comment without registering with blogspot? Someone wanted to make a comment on one of my posts, but had to go through all this hassle of signing up.

Second, today was an incredible day. I had BUILD class and honestly I wasn't all that excited about it. Yet, I think there was a breakthrough today. I spoke up about issues, when before I just sat there and let my thoughts roll around in my head. I think it helped that it was a smaller group. I no longer feel like anyone is negating my experiences because of race. Rather, I see more of where others are coming from and I feel like they understand a little more about me. Dare I say it? I am really looking forward to the next class.

The discussion moved into politics and the war which is one area where I am quite passionate. Going into the type of ministry I'm in you would think I'd be a Democrat. I'm not going to go into it here, but there are plenty of reasons why I am a Republican (and no, it's not just about moral values), even with the line of work I'm in. I refuse to subscribe to the policy that says a person interested in social justice has to be a democrat. I also refuse to subscribe to the notion that Christians have to be Republicans. I think it's important for people to remember that political parties are systems created by failed humans. No political party is going to be perfect.

That being said, let me move on to my third topic......money! I went to this presentation tonight with this rich lady (who makes about $850,000 a year in Mary Kay and doesn't even sell the product, she just got so high up in the company that she earns a percentage of what people under her earn) trying to get people to sell Mary Kay.

I was listening and she threw out all these reasons why corporate America is the bad guy and master's degrees aren't worth anything. She went on and on about all the places she's gone and how she's earned 8 cars and toured the Vatican at night and stayed in luxurious hotels and on and on and on.

Realize now, I had just come from work where the lifestyle is anything but lavish and full of trips to Greece. She talked about how people would remember you. The point was, if you were rich people would remember you has being happy and being able to do things you loved and giving money away. She asked if anyone would like to have her lifestyle. I didn't raise my hand.

Here comes the hard part: how do I hear this and not judge? I thought about how God loves her every bit as much as anyone else, but I couldn't help think....what's the point in this kind of life? She said she gives to charities and I think that's great. I can't say what her relationship to or with God is. My job is to love her. I have such a potential to get so bitter. How do you hear these stories of crazy lavish lives and not get annoyed with the person?

Oh sure I got tired of hearing her talk and my bottom started to hurt from the hotel chair, but I can't really say she made me mad. I wasn't mad or even all that bitter.....just thoughtful. No, I don't want a private helicopter to fly me around Spain. At the same time I don't want to think I am a better person for my lifestyle cause that's just plain wrong.

I know I just said I don't want to be bitter, but I really want to say something. She kept mentioning the national news source, Rueters, by pronouncing it, "Rooters." It's pronounced "Royters." I distinctly remember my college journalism professor saying you'll sound like you don't know what you're talking about if you pronounce it wrong. But I guess that was for us journalism people. I don't think the rest of the world really cares!