Politics

I recently decided that I should start actually writing more on my blog.  Sharing my thoughts and ideas is important for me, and I don't get to do that in person very often anymore.

SO, I've been thinking about politics for a while now.  If you know me very well, you know that I hate political debates.  I avoid conversations about the government like the plague.  But, right now, facebook is flooded with "anti" posts- anti gun control, or anti guns, anti socialism, anti public health care, etc., etc., etc.  All those posts eat me up, and I've been trying to figure out why.  I think I know why. And, what follows will be my opinion on gun control.

People want to feel safe.  People don't want to fear for themselves or their children.  Some people want to feel safe by having guns to defend themselves.  Some people want their government to step in and make it harder to for "bad guys" to get hold of a gun.  Both sets of people want to be safe and secure.  Will either of these situations keep everyone safe and happy and fearless?  NO.  Will either of these situations change the "bad guys" minds about doing horrible things?  Maybe sometimes, but not always.

So, what can?  What would a place look like where people wouldn't live in fear?  Where people wouldn't even need weapons?  Where people could be happy, and could live in love for all other people?  An upside down place.  A kingdom; yes I know what you are thinking... heaven.  And, yes, heaven will be perfectly like that.  But when Jesus came to earth he brought his kingdom with him.  When he ascended back to heaven, he left some of his kingdom behind.  I am a friend of Jesus, and I can experience part of that kingdom now. We can.

We could invest in people.  If we want there to be less crime, we could reach out to criminals.  We could tell them Jesus loves them.  (After all, it is his love and kindness that bring about real repentance, not fear of punishment). I want his kingdom.  I will pray for it.  I will engage in the things Father puts in front of me and watch how it unfolds.

Okay, next topic: Welfare

This one bothers me even more than gun control debates.  Some people want the government to take care of the poor, and some people don't want them to.  But the people who don't want them to, talk about the poor with words like "have-nots"and "lazy", while the middle class is referred to as "working hard", "upstanding citizens", people who "take care of their families".  What is it that I don't like about that kind of talk?  I don't like the classing of people.  I don't like the us against them kind of talk.

Jesus was compassionate towards the poor.  He healed them, he loved them, and he taught them with stories they could understand.  If we feel that welfare is harming people and keeping them stuck in the place that they are in, then how about if we help someone personally.  How about if we let them know that they are loved; that they can change; and that we are their brothers and sisters here to help them along the way.

In conclusion if a perfect law system and government could eliminate sin, then Jesus would not have come.  There was already an extreme law in place, and extreme measures were to be taken to ensure it was upheld; but it didn't work.  Jesus coming did work, and is working.  He is changing hearts, lives, and communities.  He is forgiving sins, cleansing evil, and putting things right.  If those are the things we long for, perhaps we could ask him how we could join him in his work.

Ian's 2012

Well Ian went from this

to this

to this

to this 

 He learned to smile, to roll over, to grab things, and got his first 2 teeth

2012 for Hope

beginning of 2012

Hope's year had quite a few milestones as well!
She turned 2 years old
Increased her vocab and her story telling skills
Overcame her fear, and jumped on a trampoline by herself

December of 2012

Took care of baby dolls
Was a flower girl in a wedding (as was Jubilee, I forgot to add that to her list though)
Became a big sister
Started remembering and telling me things from Bible stories that I've told her.
Went to the Calgary Stampede for the first time
Played in the snow for the first time

2012 for Jubilee

What a big year 2012 was for this little girl!
She turned 5
Learned to go across the monkey bars
Learned to swim (with arm floats, and a wee bit of practice without them)
Lost her first 2 teeth
Started Kindergarden
Lost a lot of her timidity and made some new friends
Excelled in drawing, pretending, singing, dancing, and everything else she set her mind on doing!