Books you should read

Well since I really don't have much to throw out my opinion on right now, I simply want to recommend a couple of fantastic books I've been reading lately.

Searching For God Knows What

I'm rereading a book by Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors, called Searching For God Knows What. This book should be required reading for all Christians, because it shows how our faith is really in a true relationship with God instead of an old religion founded on rules and formulas. It's amazing because it will tell you what your deepest desire in life is, why, and how God ultimately fulfills it--all based on the Bible. The first time I read this book, I felt closer to God than I have ever been. Now, a year later, I'm reading it again and it is helping to mend the wounds and heal the scars in what is now a damaged relationship with God. I couldn't recommend it more.

If you want to understand more about your human nature, the nature of God, and how they go together, then read this book. If you don't--read it anyway. If you are fed up with the traditional, formulaic, and at times false Christianity, then read the book. It's an amazing read, and Donald Miller's writing will keep you turning pages all the way through.

Harry Potter

I have caught a little bit of crap from Christians because I read these books. In fact, one day in a Christian bookstore I saw a book about why Harry Potter is wrong. Well, it's worth mentioning that the next day I went out and bought the first book and started reading, thus beginning my fascination for this wonderful story.

First of all, there is nothing wrong with reading Harry Potter books, no matter how old you are. I've heard many arguments against them and they are all ridiculous--and they all came from people who have never read the book. Yes, it has magic in it. Yes, it has (fake) incantations in it. I have tried to cast spells in the book and it doesn't work. I haven't conjured a patronus and I've never been able to disarm someone by saying "Expelliarmus". Maybe I just suck at magic. Or maybe, just maybe, it's a fiction book and we never could do that anyway.

That being said, the reason these books are so good is not because they have magic in them. I heard once that some guy on TV said the reason Harry Potter books are so successful is because of wish fulfillment. Basically, people are attracted to the idea of being able to wave a wand and make stuff happen. Well, that guy is wrong. The reason that Harry Potter books are so good is because J.K. Rowling is an amazing storyteller. The characters are deep and interesting. The plot leaves you wanting to keep turning pages. In each tale, you will go through every hundred pages like they are a simple newspaper article. They are that good.

If you've seen the movies, you still don't know what I'm talking about. The movies are good, but they don't even compare to the books. In the movies, you basically see the highlight events of book, but rarely get a glimpse into what's going on in the characters' heads, and it is harder to really be interested in them. To truly get the Harry Potter experience, read the books.

A blog about politics? Oh Lordy...

So today is Super Tuesday, and politics are once again the #1 topic of discussion among friends, co-workers, and strangers at local sit-down restaurants. I have never been one for politics. I always hated them. I used to try to avoid discussions about government and elections and all that, mainly because I was so badly informed (which explains why I voted for Bush last time). One thing I've noticed lately is that a lot of people act like they know a lot about politics and run their mouths off. I always want to ask these types of people, "Well, why aren't you running for president then?" Because, obviously, they can do a better job. I, on the other hand, don't like to talk about things I don't know anything about. And I know very little about politics.

However, each person is given only one vote, and no matter how big a person's mouth is, each vote counts the same. So in some way everyone, whether well-informed or not, has equal power to elect the next president.

My mind has been on the primaries all day long. From this morning when I read the newspaper to this evening when I voted to later tonight when I watch for the results. Normally I think about politics very little, but today I got started quick and just kept going with it.

I'm really glad this is an election year. It will be interesting and exciting, but man I am ready for a change. I'm tired of George W. Bush and his way of doing things. Monday, President Bush proposed a jaw-dropping $3.1 trillion budget for 2009. This is the first time ever for the budget to top 3 trillion, and obviously the largest budget in history.

One would think that all this money will be going to good use in several areas, but that's not the case. The education budget would be frozen at $60 billion, with no increase to keep up with inflation. The Medicare and Medicaid budget would be cut by $200 billion over the next 5 years. In Alabama, community development and social services grants would be cut by almost 30%. Low income home energy assistance would be cut by 14.1%. The highest increases of budget money in Alabama go to school breakfasts (6.6%) and school lunches (4.7%).

In a country where the price of oil and many other goods climbs higher and higher, it seems like the poor are being pushed lower and lower.

So with the giant budget and all the cuts, what's all that money actually going to? Basically, the military. The cost of the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq, plus homeland security, plus the the Pentagon - the money is going there.

When I finished reading about the president's proposed budget, I continued through the front section of the newspaper. On the back page there was an article titled "Civilian deaths in U.S. attack bring fears of Sunni backlash". Apparently, what happened is a U.S. army gunship strafed a house Saturday after confusing Sunni fighters (who are allied with the U.S.) with extremists. The result was 9 civilians, including 1 child, dead.

Now I know that's just one circumstance, but I as well as a lot of other Americans look at stories like this, try to understand what's going on, and wonder why in the world we are over there. Yesterday, I read a quote from an anti-war speech by Barack Obama. I don't remember it word for word, but basically he said that we need to decide to go to war based on reason, not based on emotion. He said this before congress decided to go to war. And I agree with him, the war on terror is based on emotion. There were no weapons of mass destruction, so what in the world are we doing? Getting back at the terrorists? Maybe. All I know is that billions and billions of dollars are going into this, taking away from education, healthcare, and programs to help the poor. Not to mention the lives of our soldiers and the lives of innocent civilians.

I'm ready for a change, and while I know that voting won't necessarily save the world, I think that a good president can do a lot of good. I at least want to insert myself into the discussion anyways, because this stuff matters. Life and death issues are here, and they are important. Heck, with global warming our own survival as humanity may be at stake. This is important, so I want to be informed and I want to be involved. I hope that everyone else will do the same.