Ponying up...

So this is what I looked like a year ago when I saw Josh off to Iraq... (per special requests...)

Pictures...

My husband didn't recognize me in the airport when I picked him up on leave. So, as part of the reintegration effort, I am reminding him what I look like... Oh, you mean Josh might not have recognized me because I've lost a lot of weight?

by the way, thanks to HG for taking the pics.

Please do not let my husband’s gender offend you…

But, he is, indeed, a man. And you know what women, get over it .

Fellow women, there are things in life that are not equal. Deal with it. Life should not be handed to us on a silver platter. You want to make as much as a doctor, then pay the price. You want to make as much as an economist, then pay the price. You want a high paying job, then pay the price.

Furthermore, my husband has a favored tax status right now. He is deployed. You want a favored tax status, join the military.

You want equality with men. Register for the draft.

There are many issues one can discuss when talking about giving women a lower tax bracket for genders sake. One can discuss the marriage preferences of men. One can discuss how women are not willing or able to perform the difficult tasks of obtaining a degree in math, engineering, economics, science, or other fields that offer greater financial return on the investment. One can discuss whether favored tax status will encourage men to become transgender or discourage women from becoming transgender. One can discuss the behavior modification people want to impose on women who wish to stay home with their children or encourage men to stay home with their children.

But the fact of the matter is, women hate men, and hate men viciously. Men, be very careful who you marry.

Update: The paper mentioned in the above article can be found here. And it operates out of the general assumption that the government should tax people into better behavior. Personally, let’s say I wanted to get rid of war protesters in my area… since they tend to congregate at low points in the road where water sits after rain, I could either: a. splash them as I drive past, or b. call the police. Option A is more effective and more fun. I have certainly never *stopped* people from protesting in my neighborhood. I just discourage it is all. (And yes, for the uninformed, war protesters are adverse to being splashed.) I don’t believe the government should be in the business of encouraging certain behavior. That means I just reject their entire theory. Flat taxes for me, baby. Or even better, consumption taxes…

Oh, wait… women spend a lot… I suppose that defeats the entire purpose of the study…

Maybe if Vox Day ruled the world women wouldn’t have the vote, as such would not be subject to taxation. Yup. Some things have merit.

Dads are important…

Certainly, as an adult who has adult friends who did not have relationships with their dad, I know in hind sight dads are important. And as my dad is and always has been involved in my life, I see his strong influence.

Last night I was out with some of my FRG friends. Most of the women in our FRG fall into two categories. They are either of child bearing age or are moms of young single soldiers. I have some weird blood disease so Josh and I don’t have children right now. I am the only one without kids who regularly goes.

Sure, I check out babies because they’re cute. But I spend more time these days checking out 2 to 8 year olds. A couple of the kids came with last night. Women who are contemplating divorce and removing fathers from their children’s lives should talk to a military wife who has kids. A military wife will set them straight on what dad brings to the household.

In our FRG, the babies seem to be various deployment and leave conceptions. They are either born right before a deployment, or nine months after mom last saw dad, or nine months after dad gets home. And we also know when dad was deployed before then because that’s how old their siblings are. (When someone says, “This is my Bosnia baby,” they are *not* indicating the adoption of a child from Bosnia… it means the child was conceived either before dad left, during a pass to Europe, or shortly after dad got home.)

There’s this two year old starting to learn about daddy coming home. At FRG, we had M&M cookies. So, like a lot of two year olds, he removed the M&Ms that were on top of the cookie and ate them one-by-one, commenting on whether or not Daddy likes M&Ms (he was assured by his mom that, indeed, Daddy likes M&Ms), if Daddy would share M&Ms with him (his mom was sure that, yes, Daddy would love to eat M&Ms with him) and what his favorite color M&M is. Last night, we also learned that cell phones are very important to the two year old. Cell phones have pictures of Daddy on them. He doesn’t distinguish between his mom’s cell phone and the cell phone of others yet, though. Yes, looking at a picture of Daddy is so important to this two year old that he assumes that all cell phones *must* have pictures of Daddy on them.

Then there’s a five year old girl. She’s desperate for people “like her” that have daddies in Iraq. Since they are of shortage at her school, she brought all her little trinkets to dinner last night for us to oooo and aaah over. She has this bear that has removable BDUs (she proceeded to explain that they are not ACUs, and that they are jungle BDUs and not desert BDUs… one of those “you know Dad is a service member if…” moments). On the back of the bear’s BDU top, inside, there is a small pocket where she keeps a picture of her and her daddy. And she had a little box of various little things from Iraq.

These kids are testimonies on a couple of things. One, their moms are good moms who are obviously keeping things together and are making Daddy an active presence in their family lives. Two, they are a testimony on how kids need their dads. These dads are coming home soon but in some ways, they never left. Women in my generation should treat their children’s dads better.*

*I am well aware that there are also bad fathers out there. But, it’s so easy for women to screw over men in court these days, that my guess is it is the rare and heavily publicized exception, and not the rule.

How can you help with reintegration?

I was listening to King on the Tax Payer’s League today. I have blinders on, really I do. My biggest concern is Josh coming home safely and reintegrating him safely and effectively. I mean well, I really do. I try to include others in Josh’s reintegration, but I don’t realize how little information I pass on to people outside the family.

When people ask me how they can help, I don’t know what to say. So, I am going to provide you with information. If you are interested in helping soldiers reintegrate, go through this information. If something sounds interesting to you and the area of your gifting, that’s what you should help with.

“Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” is the ultimate resource web-site for Minnesota. There is a lot of information, so I’m going to point you in the direction of easy to consume formats on this site.

podcasts

video

Thanks for caring!

Special to my orchestra friends...

I found this at The Rebellious Pastor's Wife

.

And a special "Hi" to Heather and all the other cellos.

You know, *sometimes* Becky might be right... in this case, if it's Baroque, don't play it.

Is it my fault if someone goes to Hell?

Wow. That’s a loaded question, posted by House M. Div. , by the way. You know what, though? I actually lived with that type of guilt for a while. I had many unfruitful attempts at “leading people to Jesus” in college. I am, by the way, a very persuasive individual. The question is, am I personally to blame if someone does not repent of their sins and become baptized?

Let’s break the question down. Why would someone go to Hell? As it is written, “There is no one righteous, not one, no one understands, and no one seeks God,” and “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3 ) and “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6 ) The direct consequence of our sin is spending eternity in Hell. So, people go to Hell because they are sinners. And, is it my fault someone else sins? Nope. Therefore, is it my fault if someone is going to Hell?

OK, so how would someone not go to Hell? “Repent and be baptized.” Become a disciple of Christ by baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and learn to observe Christ’s Commands (Matthew 28 ). Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10 ).

There is a vast difference between reaching a culture and placing individual burden on a fellow Christian. It is not, I believe, heresy to place the words of scripture or creeds or theologically sound words to contemporary music, or if one is going of to a distant land, in placing the above words to music that is prevalent in the culture. Perhaps one should also learn the vocabulary of the culture one is trying to reach. However, I am not spiritually powerful enough to win souls. Only God can win souls through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the prompting of the Holy Spirit which calls to repentance and baptism. As it is written, "Christ died for sins, once for all." (I Peter 3 )* To say otherwise is heresy. To say, “Well perhaps if you used the Roman’s Road , or The Four Spiritual Laws , or The Way of the Master , or if you knew more arguments from Stand to Reason , they may have been saved*” places undue and abusive burden on fellow Christians.

Think of how Methods Evangelism places abuse on those who have speech disabilities or are shy or are not eloquent with large vocabularies. Or what about those who just can’t memorize Bible passages? Is it not enough that people are proclaiming the gospel of Christ? And if we want to go to the logical conclusion… if people are really persuaded to convert to Christianity by a relevant and modern sounding message, should we also not start picking on the incredibly superficial? If someone’s voice is not like butter, they should not be preaching the gospel. Oh, no. And if someone isn’t pretty looking, nope. I mean, an ugly speaker may turn people away from God, and then it would be the speakers fault.

We cannot water down the message of repentance and baptism just because the culture dictates we must. And we cannot place abuse on people who are genuinely trying to proclaim the gospel message to others. The most powerful witness to Christ that I was part of was obtaining a Bible for someone in their own heart language when they did not have such a Bible. The Word of God stands alone. There is nothing I can add to the Word of God to convince anyone to believe. It stands alone.

*As an aside: Examine your life against the law of God and the commands of Jesus and see that you have sinned against a Holy God in thought word and deed. Your sins, as stated above earn punishment in Hell. However, God sent His Son into the world to receive the wages that we deserve. Christ died for sins, once for all. And Christ rose again from the dead. If you are sorry for your sins, ask the forgiveness of God in Jesus name and ask the Holy Spirit to help you leave your life of sin (this is called repentance). Be baptized. Join a church and receive the teaching of Christ’s commands. To find a church in your area, go here .

*As a second aside: I, in no way, want to criticize the witnessing techniques of others. But, as Christians, we often place undue burden upon each other because we don’t have defined quantities of “souls we’ve won.” I am pointing out errors in vocabulary that can often indicate deep theological problems, i.e. who wins souls.

A Weight Watchers Dream Come True!

So, let me get this straight… I can put vodka on my fruit and its healthy ? Neat! See, fruit is a core food in the Weight Watchers Plan, so I’d only have to count the liquor… What a wonderful thought!

Thanks to Barb and Betsy !

On flags…

Josh was expressing disappointment about the flag policy over the phone this weekend. And here’s what a soldier in Afghanistan has to say about the matter.

I am not one to say we shouldn’t mourn the loss of lives at Virginia Tech, but we do have misplaced priorities on heroism. The issue, I have found, is not that soldiers want the same respect as everyone else, rather, everyone else wants the same respect due soldiers (I’m using the generic term of soldiers, even though the same applies to Marines, Airmen, Seamen, and the Coast Guard.)

People may argue that “well, people volunteer to go to war.” The difference between the two is: people do not volunteer to go to war in the same manner one volunteers to go to college. One goes off to war because one believes a cause worth dying for. One goes off to college in hopes of economic benefit. The death of military personnel is far more heroic then the death of the victims at Virginia Tech, and at a minimum deserves the same honors bestowed upon these men and women.

The shootings at Virginia Tech were indeed tragic. And I mean absolutely no insult to them or their families. However, this is an example of how we as a society need to do better in honoring our servants and we as a society should not demand the same treatment as people who are indeed better people then civilians could hope to be.

On some of the soldiers…

Saturday, the Strib published an article on how the 1/34 ID soldiers are handling the extension. The article appeared in the faith pages, and I’d like to offer some highlights. I’m personally not one to address soldiers by name, rank, and location. If one were *really* curious, one could always click on the above link.

A Chaplain’s Assistant: “…there have been so many things I never would have experienced if I hadn't been in the military, especially the people I've met and become friends with. I don't believe in coincidences, and I try to learn from every person I meet.” And, “They say that war shows a person's true colors, and I have seen a lot of good and a lot of bad. I try to be aware of what colors I'm showing. It has been difficult to remain positive. I lean on God's word, especially the Psalms, to find that strength to make it another day.” And, “Many soldiers have never been off the base except for leave. They have guarded the base's perimeters and stared out into the desert for up to 12 hours a day with only one other person in the tower, a radio and an occasional visitor. You can't listen to music, watch a movie or read while on duty. As I work with in the transition program, I observe that these soldiers have the most frustration and anger issues.”

A Chaplain: ”But the experience I most want to share was worship on this last Ash Wednesday. I had just explained how the symbol of ashes was a symbol of our mortality, how we are "created from dust, and to dust we shall return," when in the distance there was a sound of a mortar being fired, then the hiss of an incoming round and an explosion a few hundred meters from my chapel. It wasn't close enough to harm us, and by the grace of God, no one was hurt at the site of the impact, but we had to postpone worship. When we continued, and I marked the sign of ashes on people's foreheads -- well, my sermon pretty much preached itself.” And, “I found myself reading Psalms of lament, such as Psalm 22 ("My God, my god, why have you forsaken me?") and being reminded that pain and anger are not the opposite of faith and love -- indifference is. So my anger ran its course, and I found that I still loved God underneath it. I probably would have lost the connection if I hadn't been schooled in what Lutherans call a "theology of the cross," which points to the suffering and death of Jesus to remind me that the presence of suffering is not a sign of the distance of God.”

An Infantryman: “For me, the hardest things about being in Iraq has been being forced to work desk duty instead of being out doing what an infantryman is supposed to be doing in Iraq. It is hard to do a job different from what you are trained to do, far less fulfilling and below your potential as a leader. We all left our families and home lives in Minnesota to do what we volunteered to do on behalf of our nation, and in doing so we want to push the envelope and make the biggest impact we can. No one joins a team just to ride the bench.” And, “Talking about Iraq will be hard, not because of the horrors of war, but because the reality of what is happening in Iraq is so different from what is being reported. There is a reason why soldiers over here are so disenchanted with the media coverage of this war -- the "gloom and doom" on your nightly news is not representative of the true story of Iraq in its entirety. Failing in Iraq would hurt innocent people and America.”

Their words speak for themselves. God bless our soldiers and keep them safe.

Self-Interpretation

As I mentioned below, I ordered the Second Edition of Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions . I kind of thumbed through it on Monday, but then I had belly dancing. One must support ones soldier after all. So, I didn’t have time to do a proper perusal. This edition claims to be a “reader’s edition,” or one for novices such as myself. Something I noticed in the “Preface to the First Edition” is strange to the mind of an Evangelical. As I grew up in an Evangelical Denomination, we were taught that self-interpretation is asking: what does this passage mean to me? Now, certainly, I believe the scriptures to be universally true, and one can find great personal comfort in the scriptures, however, adding “to me” leaves room for heresy. The Preface to the First Edition states: “It [The Book of Concord] is intended for use… any place that people gather to reflect on God’s Word and how that Word is correctly believed, taught, and confessed.” In other words, there is a correct and incorrect manner of believing, teaching, and confessing the Word of God.

Lutherans can ask, “What does this mean,” but because they do not personalize it, they use scripture to interpret scripture within the framework set by the Book of Concord. Lutherans believe they can answer the question, “What does this mean” because they are given the framework to answer this question without heresy. There are many things in the Bible that we mortals do not fully understand. There are many things in this Universe that we mortals cannot fully understand. However, in most areas of study, we are presented with a framework. For science, it is their method of observation. Statisticians have their tests. Mathematicians have their proofs. Musicians study music theory. Economists study economic theory. Artists study method. Writers study the grammar of their language. All Christians should be students of the Bible, as such, they should work within a framework of doctrine.
Here’s to my journey through the Book of Concord. I intend to follow the recommended reading guide, though I highly doubt I will actually do it in 150 consecutive days. The Kolb edition is above my reading level. Perhaps this reader’s edition will be of great assistance.

A nice little milestone…

I have been notified that I will be added to the Aardvark’s Book of (the Sweet) life . Very exciting, and a Lutheran Blogger’s dream come true!

As an aside, though there is plenty to blog about, I may not get a chance to do so this week. I did just receive my new copy of Concordia, per Rev. Paul McCain’s recommendation. But I’m going for a walk with my folks tonight, tomorrow to get my hair done, Thursday Josh is going to call plus I have Weight Watchers, and Friday I’m going to my girlfriend’s house to meet her new son. Then this weekend out with the Banaians and Janet .

A lovely week it will be. Of course, I will be providing some commentary on the differences between the above listed Book of Concord and the Kolb edition. I’ll talk some more about my new belly dancing class (super fun!). And give some other random television observations.

Scotty has the right idea

After all this talk about Imus, Rosie, Baby-Nicole Smith, and the worst humanity has to offer... Scotty talks about worship .

May I learn to follow Scotty's example.

So what’s up with this Lutheran/Evangelical debate?

A little over ten years ago, my faith was rocked. I started to question everything I grew up believing, and am now in the process of catechizing myself in the Lutheran tradition of the Christian faith. So, I’ve been tossing around ideas in my head that I am only now starting to come to terms with. Obviously, some of these questions I’ve discussed; others I may in the future.

If you know another life long Evangelical who becomes Lutheran, they have to sit and work through some of these issues too:
*What is the proper initiation into the Christian faith?
*How does one receive assurance of salvation if initiation is not asking Jesus into ones heart?
*If ones friend claims Christianity, how does one tell if they really are, assuming we are not using the “have you asked Jesus into your heart” standard?
*Why is it important to have a foundational and comprehensive doctrinal statement like the Book of Concord when Protestants claim self-interpretation of scriptures?
*Isn’t Divine Liturgy imposing a trapping of religiosity?
*When you memorize and regularly recite The Apostles Creed, does it not loose its meaning?
*When you memorize and regularly recite The Lord’s Prayer, does it not loose its meaning?
*What is Holy Communion, really?
*What’s up with this Confirmation thing?
*Why do Lutherans kind of snub non-denominational things?
*Don’t Lutherans believe in women pastors/gay marriage/and other assorted liberal things?

At any rate, when meeting someone transitioning from Evangelical to Lutheran, be patient and realize the Evangelical doesn’t speak Lutheran and needs some extra care and catechizing.

Tying up loose ends…

From my notes on the District 3 Town Hall meeting.

So, Congressman Ramstad’s position on Iraq can be summed up as follows:
1. If he would have had the intelligence he has now back when he voted in favor of Iraq, he’d vote against it. Nor should we set arbitrary pull out dates
2. That said, we can’t cut and run; so we need to stick it out to complete the mission
3. The mission can be defined as training the Iraqi Army and Police to take care of their own security
4. He is against the surge for two reasons
a. The generals on the ground didn’t ask for it
b. It makes the Iraqi Army and Police more dependent on the Americans which defeats the point of the mission.

To clarify Ramstad’s position on having health insurance to drive… it’s really a move in the direction of universal health coverage, much as they have it in Massachusetts. (Indicative on who his pony is in the race.)

Something every Lutheran or Catholic Hears…

“I know this Lutheran or Catholic who was baptized and confirmed but went to the bar drinking every Friday night.”

Well, I know an Evangelical who asked Jesus in his heart and committed adultery. I was told I should be more forgiving of fellow Christians.

There are two issues in the previous statements. One is a definition and the other is the major, fundamental difference between Evangelicalism and orthodoxy-with-a-small-o (as opposed to the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is Orthodox-with-a-big-O).

The first issue is the definition of sin, or rather is one sin worse then another. The heart of the issue is who are we, sinners all, to sit in judgment of another? And, Evangelicals make no distinction between having a beer with some friends and getting drunk. But, let’s, of course, assume the worst here and that the offending Lutheran/Catholic did indeed get drunk. In the eyes of God, all sin is deserving of eternal damnation in Hell, as such the adulterous Evangelical is just as bad as the drinking Lutheran/Catholic.

The second issue is most important. What is the proper initiation into the Christian faith? The implication of the Evangelical who mentioned whatever offending Lutheran/Catholic was that the offending Lutheran/Catholic was not a Christian. The implication of my retort is that perhaps the act of asking Jesus into ones heart/dedicating ones life to Jesus/asking Jesus to be Lord of my life/whatever you call reciting the sinners prayer these days is not initiation into the Christian faith.

I believe the Bible clearly teaches Baptism is the initiation to the Christian faith, as such, I will have my children Baptized. Repentance is an act required of Christians in the process of sanctification. As such, when I am in sin, I should repent of my sin and receive absolution. And I will teach my children to repent of their sins.

The issue an Evangelical brings up, which, I tell you, had me stumped until recently, is “what about assurance of salvation?” They mean Lutherans don’t have a moment where they can say, “I asked Jesus into my heart on such and such a date, therefore I know I am saved.” In Liturgy, the assurance of salvation is the absolution the Pastor proclaims after confession. It is no more then, “The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins.” I am reassured my salvation every time I receive absolution.

Then you really get into an argument with an Evangelical… “Well, what if they don’t mean their confession or intend on repenting?” This is usually asked by the same people who say, “I don’t say the Lords Prayer because people tend to say it and not mean it.” I will say, “Whatever, you’re just being argumentative.”

When asked my testimony, I’ve decided to quit saying, “I asked Jesus into my heart at…” and start saying one of the following, “I was baptized on…” (problem: I know month and year, but not day.) Or, “I am becoming a disciple of Christ. I am not where I want to be, but it’s not over until He calls me home.” It’s a journey. Away I go.

(By the way, if Paul could not decide for himself to follow Jesus, who am I to say I can decide for myself?)

Belly Dancing...

I had my first class tonight! It was so fun! We are starting on vertical and horizontal hip isolations and also a slick rib cage movement. The two sore spots that surprised me are my knees and arms. Someone has not played her violin seriously in a while, so it hurt holding my arms up that long. And moving around without my running shoes needs getting used to. I'll let you know if anything else is particularly sore tomorrow.

I didn't know I was missing it...

Until I knew what "it" was. Did you know that I couldn't recite the Apostle's Creed until I was in my early 20's? Never touched a catechism until then, either. In fact, when I signed up to be a confirmation mentor at my church, I told the youth pastor, who then gave me a copy, but said, "You know, it's pretty dry reading." Thus said to a young women with a degree in economics (now, an econometrics book, that is dry reading).

Anyway, so I didn't know how important it is to have a solid doctrine from which to base your interpretation of scripture. Of course, my brother and sister Catholics will say, "You still don't," but the Book of Concord is just that for Lutherans.

Easter Service at my church is fabulous! But, even though singing Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" is way cool, this is what makes Easter for me as a Lutheran:
"I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The thrid day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead."

And, "What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives, and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true." ( Luther's Explanation of the 2nd Article of the Apostles Creed from Luther's Small Catechism.)

This is most certainly true...

He is Risen!

He is risen, indeed! Thanks be to God.

You know, I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank some of the men in my life who go and follow Christ’s example.

To Sidney, who loves America, though not your own country, so much you have devoted eight years of your life to her service. I am proud to call you brother citizen.

To Peder, who will become my cousin in December, who loves America and served his country doing three tours in Iraq, and doing some of the most unpleasant of jobs.

To my Dad, who loves America and sacrificed through service in the Vietnam War, in the Real Man’s Army. And who continually follows Christ’s example by donating blood, over thirty gallons throughout his adult life.

To my husband, Josh, who served honorably for eight years in the Army and National Guard. Though no one would have thought less of you for not re-enlisting, you did, knowing you would go to war.

Our country is a better place because these men follow Christ’s example, by giving themselves, by saying, “I will,” to the call, and by getting little in return. May we all follow these leaders as they show us how Christ lived.

Not feeling well today

Had a fever between 101 and 102 all night. And though I'm under 100 now, I still don't feel well...

Which means I haven't gone to Holy Week Services... sigh...

Also means I probably won't go to Easter dinner at Mom and Dads. Who wants to be person who gives Granny the cold that ends her life? Not me.

Anyway... When I am feeling better I will comment on Ramstad's opinion on Iraq, respond to Becky on health care, and give my Holy Week commentary.

When ones husband is in Iraq, he cannot go and buy you orange juice and chicken broth. I suppose getting it myself serves as some sort of self sufficiency lesson.

District 3 Townhall...

I went to Congressman Ramstad's town hall meeting. I wasn't surprised by anything that was said. He did his talking points, he really isn't a conservative, and Minnesota is left leaning, to say the least.

Between the preaching and the "Congressman Ramstad, please become more liberal and support my cause..." there were a couple of things that stood out. There was the "Oh, we need to do something for the uninsured." Aparently, Ramstad likes the approach from Mitt's state. He'd like to make people show proof of health insurance in order to get a driver's license. And he somehow thinks it is intuitive to require it.

OK, I look young and I have a carefully crafted image of not appearing as bright as I probably am. And I've been known to associate two unrelated topics to eachother. But... um... this is so not intuitive.

First, health insurance and car insurance are two entirely different products and they work different ways. I pay for my oil changes, new battery, tires, and other general maintenance repairs out of pocket, but I have car insurance in case I get into an accident. For health insurance, the carrier pays for my physical and a lot of other "general maintenance" costs.

Second, car insurance is a government handout to the insurance industry. I get car insurance fairly cheaply, and would probably continue to get car insurance should I not be required to carry it. But, there are people out there who would not get car insurance if they were not required to do so. Decreased demand, all other things being equal, would drop prices.

Third, what does the incidence of health insurance really do for my driving? Also, does incidence imply usage? In my health insurance policy, I have a prostate screening. Personally, I have no use for a prostate screening, and Josh is still a little young. The incidence of the screening does not imply that I use it. Furthermore, I have incidence of a breast cancer screening. Useful, yes, in another 12 or so years, but I have no use for it now.

Anyway, Ramstad also said if the 45 million people without health insurance were to jump on the band wagon, prices would go down. Um... how? All things being equal, more demand, higher prices. And we have an aging population.

The other issue was "We need to improve the VA system so soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress don't kill themselves." Actually, he said, "something" needed to be done. And he gave a statistic that 1/6 returning vets have PTS. Um, that sounds pretty high? Are we confusing it with Combat Stress (which eventually goes away)? Anyway, like I trust *the system* to take care of Josh if anything bad were to happen to him. I'd put up with it for a period of time, but really, soldiers should be given options. If the VA were made to compete with the private sector, care would improve. But the VA doesn't have to compete. Competition is good. Better care.

OK, so, after the meeting, I stood in line to shake the Congressman's hand and tell him I was a military wife who supports the mission. Yeah, I almost got brushed off by an aide who started to bring the Congressman to someone else. So, I said, "Oh, I'm a military spouse, and I have the right to talk to my Congressman." Aparently, this is not said often and I got a dirty look from the aide. It was fun. I said my bit asking the Congressman to continue funding and that I didn't want my husband to be hurt by being treated like a political pawn. I was done in a minute, and I felt better, but not pacified.

Breaking up time

I break time up into milestones. One nasty thing about the extension is it threw off my milestones. So, here’s how it went: Josh left. Work deadline. Thanksgiving. Project start at work. Josh came home for Christmas. Josh left. Work deadline. Trip to Chicago for work. Trip to DC for work. Project start. Trip to Mississippi to send Josh off. Work deadline. Project start at work. Started Weight Watchers. July 4th. Work deadline. My girlfriend’s husband came on leave. Project start at work. Trip to DC for work. Deadline. Get ready for Josh to come home on leave. Thanksgiving. Project start for work. Josh came home. Josh left. Deadline. And by that time there was an extension… It was supposed to go: Deadline, get ready for Josh to come home. Project start at work and Josh comes home.

Two days after I found out about the extension, my boss offered me a chance to go back to DC to train new employees. So, that broke things up. And we started our busy part of the quarter at work. But, I need something to break up the time. I am milestoneless.

By the way, I’m 13 lbs shy of goal and within a healthy BMI range right now. (Meaning, my prednisone weight is almost gone!)

OK, so how do I break up the monotony of daily life? Well, I just signed up for a belly dancing class.

When I say, “Oh, I’m taking a belly dancing class,” people either get it or they don’t. Those that don’t usually ask, “Why?” It just sounds like fun. Then we get into disagreements over preferences about fun ways to spend ones time. My other favorite response is, “Don’t you think every serviceman should come home to a wife that has taken belly dance classes?” I’m just doing my part to support my soldier, after all.

Now the tricky part comes when its one of my military wife friends who don’t think belly dancing classes sound fun. I am unable to persuade one of them that her husband would certainly forgo calling one night a week so she can join me.

Anyway… so how does this break up time? Well, by the time my class is done, this extension will be almost half way over. And if belly dancing classes are as fun as what they sound, then I’ll sign up for another session. If they aren’t as fun, oh well.

Sauce for the…

Because I’m a conservative, I’m a little more rough on people like Ben Shapiro who are in favor of the war, but won’t join the effort. So, here’s one for Rosie, Jane, Sean, and the rest of you liberals…

It’s a fair question to ask a young man, in favor of the war, under the age of 30 why he isn’t in the military… but are your kids going to join The Peace Corps ?

No? They have other priorities? They to rich and important?

And on a happier note...

Baseball season has officially started. Josh comes home during baseball season. At the very least, we are in the right season.

Sad day in baseball...

Touch em all, Herb Carneal.