Politics

Well-I wanted to avoid commenting on politics, because people have very strong opinions regarding their parties, candidates, and views of the world. However, it's forefront on my mind. For me, it seems like a dark time is coming up for America, and I think it will be painful for those of my ilk. Mr. Obama seems to have won over the masses, though I can't think of anything besides rhetoric which points to the fact that he will be able to make good changes for our country. Along with a democratic congress, we are in for things heading pretty left. Cut and paste the address below into your browser for a sense of what it might be like...

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122420205889842989-lMyQjAxMDI4M
jE0NzIxMDcyWj.html

The hope we have to have, regardless of party in charge is in the Lord. Our government or a man will never have all the answers. The Truth will be more important than ever as our society becomes more tolerant of everything but Absolute Truth. I'm thankful for friends and family who share in this knowledge... keep the faith!!

CALL + RESPONSE

HI everyone- I want to let you know about an amazing new documentary coming out this week that exposes human slave trafficking. There will be showings in both Denver and Chicago, (where most of our readers are)... so I thought I'd put the link up for you to check out. We are going to go this Friday night with a group from my church. I am setting it up and an outreach ministry of the Injustice Team I am on, and am really excited to see it. After a very moving sermon series a few months ago, I have wanted to help fight injustices. It seems like an uphill battle at times, but a lot of what we can do on a daily basis is promote awareness of what's going on in the world. Injustice refers to an abuse of power by one group over another. It can result in human slavery, sex trafficking, illegal seizure of land or property and a host of other really disturbing things. As a Christian, I think I am called to take a stand against injustice, as Jesus did. To see where this movie is playing near you, see http://callandresponse.com/tickets.html At least read up on the documentary if you get a chance, at callandresponse.com Heidi

Nothing New

Just wanted to say hi to everyone and let you all know that we're just trucking along. Josh is busy with recruiting season (again). He's looking for jobs in one of the slimmest economies in a long time. However, we both trust that God knows His plan for us and we will be taken care of by Him. Josh also is busy with the Christian Business Student Association (CBSA), of which he is a co-chair at school. I am proud that he is willing to take a stand for Christ in an environment where that isn't always popular.
I have just been hanging out with friends, going to knitting and guitar classes, and generally keeping myself busy. I love that it's football season (my favorite sport), and I am following both the Broncos and Bears. We decided to go to North Dakota for Thanksgiving to see my grandparents. My family is going to meet us up there too. It should be fun... That's about it for now. Hope everyone is doing well.

Italy

How do I sum up two weeks of glorious Italy in a few words for our avid readers? We only expect that you be as avid of readers and we are posters, which isn't very...
Well the highlights of Italy were: 1) Gelato (we were pretty much eating it twice a day 2) All the other food- it's truly amazing 3) Spending time with Italian friends of Micheal and Amanda's we met once when they came to the States (Lucia and Alfonso) 4) Relaxing 5) Seeing beautiful old historical sites and towns 6) Sleeping in a lot 7) Watching Josh drive our manual shift rental (A Fiat Punto) through narrow, winding Italian roads 8) Five course meals 9) Staying at Agroturismos 10) Time together after so much time apart
Italy is fanatastic- Our route was Rome-Tuscany-Cinque Terre-Florence-Venice-Bolzano (Dolomites) Anyone who ever wants to plan a trip there, get the Rick Steves travel guide. I spent tons of time planning the trip, but it was all worth it... Now we're back in the groove. Josh starts school this week, and I have been back to work for a week.
Remember my beloved bike I got this summer? Well, someone stole it from outside my work yesterday. I was so sad.... Oh well, I guess I can always get another, but thought I'd let you know. It was fun while it lasted. Hope everyone is doing well!

IPOD Inspired Musings

So I was running last night- listening to some good tunes on my IPOD (Rodrigo y Gabriela) and then was stopped in my tracks by the cutest little puppy (Shih Tzu of course). I bent over, took out my earphones and started petting the puppy and talking to it's owner. As I took off again, the thought occurred to me- What does it take to get me to take my earphones out? Or, in other words, what does it take to get me to interact with my neighbor or community member instead of just doing my own thing? Turns out, a puppy... but not much else. It is so much easier to go through the day without so much as looking at anyone else on the train, smiling at anyone on the bus, or saying hi in the hall at work. I wonder how I am coming off sometimes? Definately in a hurry, independent perhaps, irritated? How can I spread the Gospel if I essentially tune out the rest of the world, except my chosen few? I have to be intentional sometimes, because I truly can value efficiency over people, and would rather be listening to my own created soundtrack for life on my IPOD than letting conversations with others interrupt my thoughts. Going forward, I still want to use my IPOD on my runs, but I got the point of this self-inflicted existentialist metaphor... I wonder, does anyone else?
Anyways, on a lighter note, we're off to Italy on Sunday, but I promise pictures when we get back, and maybe a guest appearance on this blog by Mr. Josh Wheeler himself. (Who passed the CFA by the way!) I welcome him home on Saturday, a long summer without him, almost to an end....

Why Women Should Vote

This came from an email from my aunt, and is worth the read for any woman. Make sure you vote!

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers, as
they lived only 90 years ago. Remember, it was not until 1920 that women
were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed
nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the
vote. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison
guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against
the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her
head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They
hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed
and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead
and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards
grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and
kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the
warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a
lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket
Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their
food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the
leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair,
forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited.
She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the
press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why,
exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't
matter? It's raining?

HBO released a movie on video and DVD about this Night of Terror. It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken
for insanity.'

Exercise your right to be heard this November!!!

The Maine Event

I returned to Boston to visit Josh again this weekend and we had a blast! We rented a car and headed up to Maine for the first time and loved it! Of note, we got to coordinate seeing Josh's brother Joe and our sister-in-law Beth for a couple of hours after they flew into Portland, ME to start their vacation. Josh didn't know that they were going to be there, so I coordinated the surprise with Joe and Beth and it turned out perfectly! We met at the lighthouse at Ft. Williams and then had lunch at a near by Lobster Shack on the ocean. Here's a summary of what Josh and I did this weekend...

Ten Fun Things We Did This Weekend

1. Made fun of the Boston/Maine accent and tried to mimic it
2. Went to the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport, ME (but didn't buy anything!)
3. Played Frisbee on the beach (I am terrible, but Josh has taken on my lack of skill and is trying to teach me)
4. Act huffy about the huge number of kids at our hotel's free buffet breakfast (Do people who are parents mind OPK's (other people's kids)? Come on, the line at the waffle maker was outrageous! We'll be there soon enough with our own annoying little kids...
5. Went to the Coldplay concert Monday night (awesome)
6. Had the BEST chicken sandwhich ever and Harvard Gardens (a little bar by Josh on Beacon Hill)
7. Met Barclay (Josh's college friend in town doing a concert at Cape Cod) for dinner and subsequently walked around Beacon Hill that night with gelato from Belle Vita, a cute Italian gelato place
8. Saw Maine lighthouses
9. Tried fresh seafood at the Maine lobster shacks (no full lobsters though, sorry Micheal, it looked like too much ability was involved in getting those suckers open)
10. Just got to be together and laugh alot