Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Sometimes I don't even know what to say to certain things. Why do I even need to say anything, I suppose? I could say nothing. I could write nothing. Maybe that's even better at times.   I recieved a number of comments & messages about Obama's victory in the election on Tuesday. Yes, I am quite relieved! I cast my vote around 3:30 that afternoon and then headed off to yoga to destress. I tried not to watch the election coverage, but when Obama hit 270 electoral votes, I turned the TV off and went to bed, feeling pretty good about the presidential election. When I woke up the next morning, I found that my senator was re-elected for another term, both of the Minnesota amendments were shot down (YES), and Minnesota had Democratic majority in both the house & senate. The only thing that didn't happen that I wanted was that Jim Graves didn't beat Michele Bachmann (he lost by 1%). All in all, a very good election and I'm glad that I can finally relax and breathe for a few years, knowing that we have a feminist president and someone who supports equality among minorities.   See, all of that was pretty boring. Maybe it would have been better if I had said nothing. I'm pretty sure that at least half of you readers couldn't care less. What matters is that Obama won, right? Or maybe some of you are mad as Hell that he was re-elected. Oh well, it's my blog - I'll say what I want. Or not say what I don't want to say. (I feel like being all existentialist and confusing tonight - it's my French lit classes!)   I just ate a bunch of candy while waiting for the weather to come on (they mentioned SNOW in the preview) and then I ended up unknowingly talking through the whole report and now I have no idea when this snow is supposed to be. I am, however, filled with candy. Life.   Today was pretty warm (50°F) in comparison to what we've been having, so I wore light layers. I bought this poncho at Forever 21 a couple of years ago (and I haven't been in F21 since) because it was so swingy and soft. I never get to wear it because it's really not season appropriate for Minnesota. It's too light for winter but too heavy for summer. Spring and autum are the only times when it might work, and in that case, I am usually off to campus and wearing a backpack over a poncho is strange (as I confirmed today). I really should wear it more in my freetime, but freetime is far and few (grammatically incorrect) during the school year. I am also wearing Romwe leggings and boots from wholesale-dress.net. Oh, and the sweater that I wear to work.   I did get to spend last Sunday and yesterday going out with various friends, which was great, but now I'm paying for it because I have loads of homework for the next couple of weeks (plus an exam, a presentation or two, and a film project, aye yi yi). In fact, right now I should be writing my 5 page essay. Why am I blogging? I ask myself this question everyday.   I keep telling myself that I just have to take things one day at a time. There's no use in getting stressed. I just need to take things as they come and remember that I have to study sometimes, but I also get to have fun sometimes. I can't try to do everything at once. There's a time for everything, and maybe now isn't the best time for the things I really want to do most. It's all part of self-control. You have to clean up your messes first, before getting into anything new. Patience can be everything, too. Self-control and patience.   I think faith and religion is a lot about self-control. I've actually gotten quite a few emails or comments about how I identify with the Christian faith, but yet am still the somewhat free-spirited, free-thinking individual that I am. We all translate our religious books in different ways, and the way that I translate the words of the Christian God are a direct reflection of me.   Religion, like a lot of things in life, is about making sacrifices. Some of those sacrifices are easy - for example, not going out on Saturday nights so that I can make it to church on Sunday. And some of them require immense self-control. They require trust in God. They result in a lot of prayer, a lot of tears...but also in a lot of happiness. The choices I make in my life are a direct reflection of my faith. I am the person that I am thanks to my God (the Christian God; however my translation is entirely unique to myself - he is my own God).   I am absolutely the type of person who collects Bible verses. I write them down and tuck them away into little places where I can find them when I least expect them. Part of being a person of faith is not only living within that faith, but having reminders of that faith in the little things that I do in life. I like having the reminder that I can always trust in God.   And so, I'll leave this post off with a couple of photos of Moses (just 'cause I can) and a verse from Ecclesiastes. I used this passage in my faith statement when I was confirmed in 10th grade. It is a good reminder of the sacrifices, the self-control, the patience, and the rewards of having faith and of living life.   (side note: I am not in anyway suggesting that the Christian faith is superior to any other religion. It is simply my own and it directly reflects my life, thus meaning that this blog - a reflection of my life - would also have some mention of my faith. I am, however, suggesting that having any type of faith or belief system is indeed a good thing.)   Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:   A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;   A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;   A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;   A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;   A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;    A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;    A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.