venturing to ferngully

On Sunday, we leave for Costa Rica. I feel a little ridiculous that we are going on another vacation only 2 months after getting back from DisneyWorld. The way I justified it several months ago was this: since our plans for possibly doing a big 3 week Europe trip this summer were foiled due to the horrible exchange rate between the euro and the dollar, why not take two 10 day trips instead and seize the day?

So we booked DisneyWorld and we booked our tour to Costa Rica within the same week. And now I feel kind of silly because I know that so many people rarely have the opportunity to go on a vacation once every five years, and yet we're doing two vacations in one year. But I realized that instead of feeling guilty, I need to embrace this current blessing we've been given of having the financial ability and the time off work to be able to do something like this. However, the key is to never take this blessing as a given, as something I'm entitled to have. I don't believe in the Joel Osteen version of the gospel---where if we grow in favor with God, God will then prosper us financially. There are a lot of good people that are poor. And a lot of evil people that are rich. Rather, my view is that God gives and God takes away (and this doesn't depend on how 'good' you are) and I pray I can recognize the blessing in each situation----through financial security and financial hardship.

Anyway, that was a long-winded introduction to this post, but I needed to get it off my chest. So yes, in two days David and I will be headed to one of the most beautiful places on Earth (so I've heard)! Ever since watching "Ferngully" as a child, I've always been intrigued by the rainforest and now I'm actually going to one! Pictures will follow upon our return, but until then....have a wonderful Thanksgiving, complete with lots of turkey and sweet potato casserole, and I'll catch ya'll on the flip side!



We'll be seeing lots of these guys:

election night thoughts

Almost two years ago, when his candidacy was first announced, the thought of a Barack Obama presidency seemed unreal to me. Going into the voting booth this morning and bubbling in Obama's name on my ballot felt unreal to me. And now, after the election is over and Obama has been declared the next president, it still seems unreal to me. I can't believe it's all over (finally!) and that what seemed like a distant dream is now going to become a reality.

However, despite my sentiments above, I am not an Obama fanatic. I know he won't solve all the country's problems and that he will make mistakes that will let me down. Like my fellow blogger Dan said:


"He is after all, merely a man, though extremely gifted and talented, and the challenges facing this land are of such a great magnitude. He's bound to disappoint and perhaps sooner rather than later. If you are looking for the Messiah, I believe he's already been here and is still at work but he's not running for President."

What inspired me most about today was not that my candidate won, but rather that the citizens of America were so interested in this election (no matter what side they were on). People were EXCITED again to participate in the process of democracy! Maybe this interest will last and people will become more involved in the political process of finding solutions to the problems that affect us all in some way: education, health care, and energy. That's my hope anyway. And I'm pretty sure it's hope that has got us to this result on election day, so it can't be such a bad strategy....

Here's to a new page turning in America's history.