Today I'm cleaning. Not just organizing and making my room look neat, but really hardcore, sort-through-my-life, cleaning. So I pulled out my boxes of crap from under my bed, and I've been sitting for 2 hours going through everything; garbage-pile, save-pile, what-the-heck-is-this-pile, this-is-definitely-not-mine-pile... you get the picture.
Going through stuff like this is one of my favorite things to do. Not all the time, mind you... I hate deep cleaning all the time. But every once in awhile, to go through everything and see old things and wonder why the heck I ever saved that thing... I like it. And when I'm done, I feel really accomplished.
So, the reason for this post... One day, I was apparently on a mental Soapbox, and wrote my feelings on moral relativism in a notebook. I just found the notebook, and before I rip out and toss the few pages I used in order to reuse the notebook, I thought I should type up my political rant... It seems like far too much thought went into it to just let it go to waste. So, at the risk of allowing my blog to become another "I have thoughts on politics, and if the world could just hear them, I could fix everything" type of blog, here's the product of my soapbox moments:
Moral Relativism: The great oxymoron of the culture of Death.
"Truth is always truth, even if no one believes it." -G.K. Chesterton
Truth is truth is truth is truth. It is not subjective. It is objective. Morality cannot be relative to the individual, because morality is truth. It applies to all people, in all cultures, every day. It is always wrong to kill. It is always wrong to steal. Circumstances do NOT make an action "less wrong." This is a great misconception. Circumstances, rather, change the level to which a person is held accountable or morally responsible for the action. Circumstances affect culpability, not morality. For example, a person killing in self-defense has not done a good and moral thing. Of course not; killing is still wrong. But his need to protect his own life or the lives of others keeps him from being held morally responsible for his action. Similarly, a man stealing food to feed his starving family has not done a good deed. But he is less culpable because of his grave circumstances.
The idea that "what's right for you is right for you, and what's right for me is right for me," is a great lie woven by the culture of death, and society is caught up in the threads. Political correctness keeps the truth from being told. But truth needs to be told. Yes, we need to respect those around us. But to what extent? At the expense of our morals? At the expense of others' lives? Political correctness, however it began, is no longer about tolerance and respect. It's about catering to a particular political agenda. And it is demoralizing our society. Everyone is so worried about offending someone (and probably getting sued, since that seems to be America's new favorite pasttime), that no one stands up for their beliefs anymore.
Yes. Tolerance and respect of those around us is important. In fact, it is vital. If we had practiced more of it in the past, maybe we could have been spared the race riots and other such ghastly events. But morality is non-negotiable; killing is wrong, at all times, whether it's an unborn child, a 95 year old man with a terminal illness, or just a murder on the streets. Moral relativism is a lie. If you believe in something, speak up. Speak out. Give truth a voice. Give the victims of this lie - countless unborn children, their mothers, millions falling prey each day to sexual immorality, victims of euthanasia and the death penalty - give them a voice.
But, in tolerance and respect, do it with love. As Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, "We can do no great things. Only small things with great love." Small things and great love can start a revolution. And this society could use a revolution.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
October 6, 2009
Today I...
-Took a math test, the chapters for which I never did homework. I stayed up really late and got up really early to study, and I think it went well. 3 cheers for procrastination!
-Saw 2 Mormon missionary white boys in white shirts and ties walking through the predominantly Hispanic Catholic and Haitian Voodoo town next door. Best of luck to them.
-Ate a taffy apple. I'm not giving up on Fall yet.
-Took a 3 hour nap to make up for my lack of sleep the last two nights. I feel human again.
-Bought mickey mouse pumpkin string lights for my dorm room. Again, i WILL have Fall, if it kills me.
-Irish danced hard shoe for the first time. I pretty much suck, but it is fun. I shall try, try again.
-Drank apple cider. ...Fall will come to Florida, so help me.
-had Oreo night with my roomies! We sat on a rug with mugs and a half gallon of milk and a package of halloween oreos. It was pretty close to perfect.
-sang at Mass. We have no monitors...so it's always an adventure. :)
-played with a baby. I recommend doing that every day.
Today was good. :) Hope everyone else had a good day too!
-Took a math test, the chapters for which I never did homework. I stayed up really late and got up really early to study, and I think it went well. 3 cheers for procrastination!
-Saw 2 Mormon missionary white boys in white shirts and ties walking through the predominantly Hispanic Catholic and Haitian Voodoo town next door. Best of luck to them.
-Ate a taffy apple. I'm not giving up on Fall yet.
-Took a 3 hour nap to make up for my lack of sleep the last two nights. I feel human again.
-Bought mickey mouse pumpkin string lights for my dorm room. Again, i WILL have Fall, if it kills me.
-Irish danced hard shoe for the first time. I pretty much suck, but it is fun. I shall try, try again.
-Drank apple cider. ...Fall will come to Florida, so help me.
-had Oreo night with my roomies! We sat on a rug with mugs and a half gallon of milk and a package of halloween oreos. It was pretty close to perfect.
-sang at Mass. We have no monitors...so it's always an adventure. :)
-played with a baby. I recommend doing that every day.
Today was good. :) Hope everyone else had a good day too!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
untitled.
i'm scared i'm scared
I'm here I'm here
i can't i can't
but I can I can
they go they go
but they don't they don't
they do they do
i'm sad i'm sad
Me too, for you
help me help me
I am I am
Don't you see? you're still standing.
I'm here I'm here
i can't i can't
but I can I can
they go they go
but they don't they don't
they do they do
i'm sad i'm sad
Me too, for you
help me help me
I am I am
Don't you see? you're still standing.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
LIFE is beautiful!
I have recently re-discovered hope and joy. I know it sounds emo; bear with me. It's been a crazy few months since the spring, and things were getting difficult to deal with. But I was dealing with them in my own head, without God, and it was not working. I have since let the guard down from my stubborn, stubborn heart. Here are a couple of quotes I am obsessed with currently:
"Have no fear of entrusting yourselves to Him! He will guide you, He will grant you the strength to follow Him every day and in every situation."
--- This is so very true. So often we are afraid to trust God, because we are afraid of the unknown, of where He might lead us. But why? As someone very wise once said to me, "God isn't there to deny you your dreams." He wants better for us than we could ever want for ourselves. Maybe He will lead me somewhere that I think is outside my comfort zone; but that's just it: HE is my comfort zone. And where He goes, I will follow. Because He gives me the strength.
"It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness, He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal."
"Have no fear of entrusting yourselves to Him! He will guide you, He will grant you the strength to follow Him every day and in every situation."
--- This is so very true. So often we are afraid to trust God, because we are afraid of the unknown, of where He might lead us. But why? As someone very wise once said to me, "God isn't there to deny you your dreams." He wants better for us than we could ever want for ourselves. Maybe He will lead me somewhere that I think is outside my comfort zone; but that's just it: HE is my comfort zone. And where He goes, I will follow. Because He gives me the strength.
"It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness, He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal."
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
All of my friends are gone and I'm bored out of my mind.
So...when I was at school, all of my friends were home. I came home, and all of my friends were either back at school or on their way very soon. Now there are only a few left home, and I don't really have time to see them! What a crazy world. Anyway, I'm bored, so instead of feeding my arts and crafts addiction, I decided to do one of those note things that everyone on Facebook does. But on here. Because...that's not annoying or anything ;)
25 random facts about me... because i'm THAT self-absorbed.
1. I really like big hoodies. I feel safer in them.
2. I could live on green beans and be totally, blissfully happy. But my favorite meal is bratwurst on the grill, in the summer, with my moms cauliflower and bacon salad.
3. I crack my knuckles. a lot.
4. Tigers are my favorite animal. I don't know why. but I have a stuffed one that looks really real in my bedroom at home.
5. Orange is my favorite color. Again, I don't know why, because I don't own a significant number of orange clothing or anything. But...my room is painted orange.
6. I need a watch on my wrist. At all times. I must know the time. it's obsessive-compulsive.
7. I've traveled across an ocean many times already in my life. All for religious purposes.
8. I really like hometown coffee shops. A lot.
9. I have a weird accent, because it's a mix of Minnesota and Chicago. A big thank you to my parents -- I sound like a freak.
10. I skipped Kindergarten, so I'm always a year younger than everyone else in my class.
11. I like chalk. Sidewalk chalk, chalk boards, whatever. I like writing/doodling with it.
12. I love baseball. Watching it, I mean. I love playing soccer. And watching high school football.
13. I'm a theology major. And I want my masters in clinical psychology. to be a Jesus-lovin' therapist.
14. I'm kind of a phase person when it comes to habits. sometimes I bite my nails a lot, then it totally grosses me out. sometimes I swear all the time, then I never curse at all. sometimes I really want to knit, then it bores the crap out of me. Etc.
15. I really like comfy clothes to be navy blue. Navy blue sweatpants, navy blue sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. Otherwise I really like bright/bold colors.
16. I like parties. But not every night. I need alone time. And I need my few very close friends.
17. Sometimes I have a hard time trusting people. But I didn't always have that problem. But there is a small handful of people who I trust completely, which is the greatest blessing in my life.
18. My WHOLE family (immediate family, me, grandma, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc) thinks fart/poop jokes are really funny. And they are. Base humor as it may be.
19. I'm in a huge arts and crafts phase right now. And I'm not a creative person. But I'm getting better with practice, I must admit.
20. I really like community service. It gives meaning to my life, honestly. But I don't like when people say they are humbled by service. Because, to quote Anusia, "it implies you were above them to begin with, which is not true."
21. I'm a firm believer that Taco Bell only tastes good after 10 pm.
22. Fall is my favorite season in Chicago. Spring is my favorite in Florida.
23. Palm trees eventually get old, as snotty as that sounds. I really love and miss the city of Chicago, everything about it: white sox baseball, chicago style hotdogs, the too-busy-to-give-you-the-time-of-day attitude in the city, the brick buildings, the suburbs with the corn...everything.
24. I sleep on my stomach, with one leg straight and one leg bent, like the number 4.
25. I really really really love my family. No matter what.
You're welcome.
25 random facts about me... because i'm THAT self-absorbed.
1. I really like big hoodies. I feel safer in them.
2. I could live on green beans and be totally, blissfully happy. But my favorite meal is bratwurst on the grill, in the summer, with my moms cauliflower and bacon salad.
3. I crack my knuckles. a lot.
4. Tigers are my favorite animal. I don't know why. but I have a stuffed one that looks really real in my bedroom at home.
5. Orange is my favorite color. Again, I don't know why, because I don't own a significant number of orange clothing or anything. But...my room is painted orange.
6. I need a watch on my wrist. At all times. I must know the time. it's obsessive-compulsive.
7. I've traveled across an ocean many times already in my life. All for religious purposes.
8. I really like hometown coffee shops. A lot.
9. I have a weird accent, because it's a mix of Minnesota and Chicago. A big thank you to my parents -- I sound like a freak.
10. I skipped Kindergarten, so I'm always a year younger than everyone else in my class.
11. I like chalk. Sidewalk chalk, chalk boards, whatever. I like writing/doodling with it.
12. I love baseball. Watching it, I mean. I love playing soccer. And watching high school football.
13. I'm a theology major. And I want my masters in clinical psychology. to be a Jesus-lovin' therapist.
14. I'm kind of a phase person when it comes to habits. sometimes I bite my nails a lot, then it totally grosses me out. sometimes I swear all the time, then I never curse at all. sometimes I really want to knit, then it bores the crap out of me. Etc.
15. I really like comfy clothes to be navy blue. Navy blue sweatpants, navy blue sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. Otherwise I really like bright/bold colors.
16. I like parties. But not every night. I need alone time. And I need my few very close friends.
17. Sometimes I have a hard time trusting people. But I didn't always have that problem. But there is a small handful of people who I trust completely, which is the greatest blessing in my life.
18. My WHOLE family (immediate family, me, grandma, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc) thinks fart/poop jokes are really funny. And they are. Base humor as it may be.
19. I'm in a huge arts and crafts phase right now. And I'm not a creative person. But I'm getting better with practice, I must admit.
20. I really like community service. It gives meaning to my life, honestly. But I don't like when people say they are humbled by service. Because, to quote Anusia, "it implies you were above them to begin with, which is not true."
21. I'm a firm believer that Taco Bell only tastes good after 10 pm.
22. Fall is my favorite season in Chicago. Spring is my favorite in Florida.
23. Palm trees eventually get old, as snotty as that sounds. I really love and miss the city of Chicago, everything about it: white sox baseball, chicago style hotdogs, the too-busy-to-give-you-the-time-of-day attitude in the city, the brick buildings, the suburbs with the corn...everything.
24. I sleep on my stomach, with one leg straight and one leg bent, like the number 4.
25. I really really really love my family. No matter what.
You're welcome.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Playground
a midnight breeze
rattles chains of swings
the sounds of crickets and cars
say the world is still turning
two hearts sit
on a lily pad bridge
cups of caffeine the only evidence
of their hectic lives tonight
of what do they speak?
the wind will never tell.
for this is their reprieve, their solitude
the angels themselves stand guard over it
here they tell all
here their chaos ends
and there dreams begin
here is love: true, and unconditional
to some, it's a playground
to them, it's magic.
Monday, June 8, 2009
"What a Wonderful World..." =)
I really love moments like these! I get reminded that things I stress about so much - money, work, little problems - are really just so trivial in the grand scheme of things.
"I'm above the below and below the upper. I'm stuck in the middle where money gets tight, but I guess I'm doin' alright."
The title is taken from the Jo Dee Messina song "I'm alright". I've been a little bit, kinda-sorta, maybe just a tad, completely obsessed with this song lately. To phrase it dramatically: it speaks to me.
I went home after the semester ended, but only stayed for about 3 weeks; then I came back to school to work. Coming back to school was 100% necessary - money is tight, and the job I have here is good. But that isn't to say I wasn't sad about leaving. Because I was. For some reason, this time was really hard. Maybe it's because summer is the time you really are supposed to be out of school and with your family and friends, and I was fully expecting to do that until about a month before summer started. Or maybe I just really really missed everyone, because 2nd semester took a lot longer than 1st semester, and I didn't come home at all. Either way, leaving was sad. But despite the sadness and the still-lingering desire to be home instead of at school, I know it was the right decision - because even though I was sad about leaving home again, I have peace inside about the decision to stay here for the summer. And I learned (or actually re-learned because I'm pretty sure I've been taught this many times in my life) a bigger thing from this: I realize that when decisions have to be made, about anything, the easiest way or the popular opinion is really NOT always the best way. But no matter what you decide, it will be positive in some aspects and negative in others. So you have to make your decisions in life based on what gives you peace inside, because in your soul, God really is leading you to the best decision. You just have to be quiet enough to listen, and trust Him enough to get you through the difficulties.
So, I'm all, I'm all, I'm alright.
It's a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight,
So I guess I'm doin' alright!
I went home after the semester ended, but only stayed for about 3 weeks; then I came back to school to work. Coming back to school was 100% necessary - money is tight, and the job I have here is good. But that isn't to say I wasn't sad about leaving. Because I was. For some reason, this time was really hard. Maybe it's because summer is the time you really are supposed to be out of school and with your family and friends, and I was fully expecting to do that until about a month before summer started. Or maybe I just really really missed everyone, because 2nd semester took a lot longer than 1st semester, and I didn't come home at all. Either way, leaving was sad. But despite the sadness and the still-lingering desire to be home instead of at school, I know it was the right decision - because even though I was sad about leaving home again, I have peace inside about the decision to stay here for the summer. And I learned (or actually re-learned because I'm pretty sure I've been taught this many times in my life) a bigger thing from this: I realize that when decisions have to be made, about anything, the easiest way or the popular opinion is really NOT always the best way. But no matter what you decide, it will be positive in some aspects and negative in others. So you have to make your decisions in life based on what gives you peace inside, because in your soul, God really is leading you to the best decision. You just have to be quiet enough to listen, and trust Him enough to get you through the difficulties.
So, I'm all, I'm all, I'm alright.
It's a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight,
So I guess I'm doin' alright!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Megan - "Always a Day Late and a Dollar Short"
It's been another x-amount of months since I've posted on here. Blogging is really NOT my forte. I also don't have much to write about at the moment, that I can think of. I mean, there is plenty on my mind, but, being in class right now, I can't really think of how to phrase it.
But what I DO want to know is, if you are one of the faithful few (who I can count on one hand) who read my blog, how are YOU doing?? School's almost out; first year of college done; ever-changing world.... what are your thoughts? I live far away and am in a disconnect from the world... I want to be updated!
But what I DO want to know is, if you are one of the faithful few (who I can count on one hand) who read my blog, how are YOU doing?? School's almost out; first year of college done; ever-changing world.... what are your thoughts? I live far away and am in a disconnect from the world... I want to be updated!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Another Day, Another Dollar, Another President
Barack Obama was sworn in as the new president today. My hopes honestly are not high. I don't quite understand his economic stimulus plan of "cut taxes, spend money". What money is he spending if he is cutting taxes? Somebody, somewhere, has to pay for it. And how is healthcare going to be reduced, if we are cutting taxes? I don't understand, so hope seems slim.
And yet, if you don't have hope, what do you have? So I'm hoping, and praying, despite my dislike. I hope his economic plan works. I hope people get jobs. I pray congress makes the right choices with FOCA. I pray for his enlightenment so that we can have an end to abortion and euthanasia and the death penalty, and start building a culture of life in America instead of death. I hope for an end to the war, but I pray that he is smart about how and when it ends, so that soldiers didn't fight and die in vain. I hope that politics return to how they were meant to be - for and by the people, rather than an ugly popularity contest with empty promises and fireworks displays.
I'm going on the March for Life in a couple of days. Once again, it won't be televised, it won't be reported in the paper, the media will attempt to make it go unnoticed. But the essence of politics and government in America is that the underdog wins. It's one of the only places in the world where it is possible for the underdog to become the Big Wig. It's true all the way from the Founding Fathers to Barack Obama. So, we might be the underdog in the fight for life, but I have hope that we'll win in time.
Pray this week, for truth and justice and righteousness in America's politics. It's a turbulent time, no matter what you believe, and our government needs prayers now more than ever.
And yet, if you don't have hope, what do you have? So I'm hoping, and praying, despite my dislike. I hope his economic plan works. I hope people get jobs. I pray congress makes the right choices with FOCA. I pray for his enlightenment so that we can have an end to abortion and euthanasia and the death penalty, and start building a culture of life in America instead of death. I hope for an end to the war, but I pray that he is smart about how and when it ends, so that soldiers didn't fight and die in vain. I hope that politics return to how they were meant to be - for and by the people, rather than an ugly popularity contest with empty promises and fireworks displays.
I'm going on the March for Life in a couple of days. Once again, it won't be televised, it won't be reported in the paper, the media will attempt to make it go unnoticed. But the essence of politics and government in America is that the underdog wins. It's one of the only places in the world where it is possible for the underdog to become the Big Wig. It's true all the way from the Founding Fathers to Barack Obama. So, we might be the underdog in the fight for life, but I have hope that we'll win in time.
Pray this week, for truth and justice and righteousness in America's politics. It's a turbulent time, no matter what you believe, and our government needs prayers now more than ever.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A few more poems, a little less intelligence.
Here's a couple more poems from the plane. They weren't even well thought out when I wrote them, so I'm not even sure what they mean. :) Take them as you wish.
Love, love, love.
Love is what brought me here.
Love is what drew me away.
Love is what will lead me back.
Love, love, love.
1
2
3
Can I count on you?
If I add, subtract, multiply, divide;
Will you follow me wherever?
4
5
6
Put it all down, take nothing with you.
Follow me.
7
8
9
10
No regrets.
Love, love, love.
Love is what brought me here.
Love is what drew me away.
Love is what will lead me back.
Love, love, love.
1
2
3
Can I count on you?
If I add, subtract, multiply, divide;
Will you follow me wherever?
4
5
6
Put it all down, take nothing with you.
Follow me.
7
8
9
10
No regrets.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Airplane + Computer = Poetry
Sooo I wrote some poems on the plane back to school. I got sick of staring out the window. I'll just post one at a time, over a series of time... If I remember to, haha. Here's the first one.
Look at the world,
The whole thing.
It’s there at your fingertips.
Pick it up, hold it in your hands.
Roll it around for awhile.
Put it in your mouth, chew on it.
Get the full flavor, the whole effect.
Then it’s up to you;
Swallow it,
Or spit it out.
Look at the world,
The whole thing.
It’s there at your fingertips.
Pick it up, hold it in your hands.
Roll it around for awhile.
Put it in your mouth, chew on it.
Get the full flavor, the whole effect.
Then it’s up to you;
Swallow it,
Or spit it out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
