tell me something bad about tulsa

I'll tell you something bad about Tulsa: Ross is moving there on Saturday!

It's not all bad news, though. Ross got a job! It was a totally random and serendipitous thing. In early March, we went to Tulsa one Friday to check out some potential housing options. We stopped at Whataburger when we got to town, and while we were eating, Ross got a phone call from a Tulsa number. Turns out it was the manager of Guitar Center who wanted to interview Ross for a full-time job. He went in a few hours later and got an offer the following week! Ross starts next Tuesday at his new job in pro audio sales! Hooray!

Only bad thing: Ross has to move Saturday, and I can't move until May. So, that's kind of a bummer. But I'm really glad he'll have something to do, and the money will be nice, too.

The Saturday Ross got his phone call was one of those days where everything just kind of fell into place. Ross got an interview. We found an apartment. I felt really great about our move to Tulsa. Hey, Big Guy Upstairs? Thanks.

spring break: why i love it

This is why I love this week:

It's been so nice having NOTHING to do.

But soon, this is coming for me:

I'm not excited.

the purpose of the pulpit

This morning, due in large part to that evil "spring forward," I skipped church. It's rare that I don't go to church, but when I skip church, I usually take a gander at the television. Sunday morning TV is chock full of TV preachers who yell and scream and boo and hiss...and then ask for money. I find it equal parts appalling and hilarious.

Today, I had the, um, "pleasure" of watching Dr. Ed Young of Winning Walk. To be fair, I only saw about five minutes of his "sermon." But I think that was enough. 

Excuse me for a moment while I get out my soapbox.

Okay. Too many preachers today are using their megachurch/TV venues for political ends. I saw the most bizarre sermon illustration today. On Dr. Young's pulpit were three large clear glass pitchers. Each was labeled. The first was labeled "We the People." The second was labeled "State of Texas." (I guess he's from Texas. True to Texan form, the label disregarded the other 49 states in the Union. Hmmph!) The third was labeled "Federal Government." 

Using a separate pitcher full of water dyed bright blue, he explained the meaning of the Constitution. He first explained that the purpose of the Constitution was to vest all of the power in the people -- he poured all of the blue water into the "We the People" pitcher. Next, he explained that the people gave some of their power to the states -- he poured a small amount from the "We the People" jar to the "State of Texas" jar. Finally, he explained that the states gave up a tiny amount of their power to the Federal Government -- he poured a little droplet from the "State of Texas" jar to the "Federal Government" jar. Of course, the problem, he says, is that the Federal Government has stolen all of the power from the people; to illustrate this point, he poured all of the water from the "We the People" jar to the "Federal Government" jar.

This bothers me on two levels. (1) What is this guy, a legal scholar? His research was that he "read the Constitution again just last week; it's plain English." Apparently, this makes it easy to understand. Perhaps he should teach his method to law students everywhere. I'm sure they'd be thankful. (2) Here's the soapbox part: THE CHURCH SHOULD NOT BE A POLITICAL PLATFORM OF ANY KIND! The pulpit is not the appropriate platform from which to "explain" the Constitution or discuss healthcare reform. 

The purpose of the pulpit is to teach the Bible. Not to teach the Constitution. Not to teach civics class. Not to support or oppose legislation. Just teach the Bible, please. And some church history would be nice, too. (I'm talking to you, Baptists.)

If you're interested in watching this monstrosity, it's available here. The sermon is called "A Broken Washington." It's part of a series called "Healing Broken America." Upcoming gems in the series include "A Broken School" and "A Broken Court." I can't wait.

what was i thinking?

Yesterday was my birthday.

I'm...twenty-seven.

*Sigh.*

A few days ago, my sister got accepted to nurse practitioner school. I would make a big hoop-la and congratulate her endlessly on the blog, but we were all expecting her to get in. She has an excellent job, and she made a 4.0 in college. It was a given!

Anyway, because of the large number of applicants, and because she expressed an interest in the part-time program, she was accepted into only the part-time program. She was glad to be accepted, but I think she was a little bummed. She'll have to go to school for three years instead of the two she'd planned on. "I'll be twenty-seven when I get out of school," she told my Mom. The tone in her voice said, That's just so old! 

In a way, it is old. I remember being a senior in high school, thinking that by the time I was 25 I'd be married and have a few kids already. Ha! What was I thinking?

It's strange how often that's a theme in my life. I lived in Yocum Hall for five semesters. Gross! What was I thinking? I repeatedly dated idiots throughout high school and college. Stupid! What was I thinking? When I was sixteen, I requested AND received a 1995 Ford Probe. What on EARTH was I thinking? When that Ford Probe's battery died, my then-boyfriend and I tried to jump the car and hooked up the battery cables backwards, blowing every fuse in the car! What was I thinking?

I think those moments are critical, though. Without those what was I thinking moments, would I be too prideful? Too confident? Too judgmental? Probably yes, yes and yes. So, I'm happy for the failures and the moments of idiocy.

Look at me. I'm so much older and wiser!*

*I'll bet you ten bucks that on my 35th birthday, I'll look back at this post and say, What was I thinking?

thirty-five!

As of today, this tiny little blog has THIRTY-FIVE subscribers! Thirty-five! Three-five. 35! That's really saying something, considering that my family is larger than 35 people. I'm tickled to death. (I realize that four of my followers are web crawler bot thingies. I am ignoring this and, instead, am choosing to believe they are real people. It's my blog. I can do what I want.)

Thanks so much for reading, everyone. We like you. We really do. Keep reading. And keep leaving comments!