We Accept the Love We Think We Deserve

Dead man, is it being high that makes you alive?

It makes you leave behind three boys and a wife in '89

As the track marks inched their way up your arm

My mother taught my brothers and I not to call you daddy

But to call you father

But I believe there is something here to be learnt of grace

'Cause I can't help but love you

Even with a heart that breaks

Like the promises that you made

My God, what a world you love

As Cities Burn


Sometimes you have to love people first.
Even if they don't deserve it.
Sometimes to be loved
You have to love unconditionally.

I talk about love so much. I can't help it. Because people forget that EVERYONE deserves compassion and love...and we can't be selfish about it. It's not about us...it's about others.

-Noelle

I wrote too much about politics over the election season and no one likes that so some good applicable things are coming soon :-) I'll try and talk about things that aren't just LOVE OTHERS soon haha...

Love Til It Hurts <3

There are things more important than politics. They're called people.

(vs. 1)
who's your brother, who's your sister
you just walked passed him
i think you missed her
as we're all migrating to the place where our father lives
'cause we married in to a family of immigrants
(chorus)
my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

(vs. 2)
there are two great lies that i've heard:
“the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die”
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

(chorus)

(bridge)
but nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we've got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think

Derek Webb

The Dreaded Absentee Ballot Arrives

So I haven't written really since school started. Other than the busyness that comes with school, I've been dreading this post. There are plenty of other things with more application and meaning going on in my life I could share...but no...it's the election season and I feel the need to comment on it.

I've finally decided on a candidate and suddenly feel like I'm probably going to get a lot of criticism and be defending myself constantly. No matter who you decide on, someone around you will disagree and not get it. But I've decided to vote third-party. Which will get a ton of criticism. So I'm going to give a brief defense of this decision.

Here's the main argument I get from people to not vote third-party:

"It's wasting your vote."
"There's no chance they'll win, so why waste your vote?"

I think this is a terrible argument.

Let's take this out of the Mccain/Obama realm of things for a second. Let's be extreme.

If two terribly evil men were competing to run your country...and you were told you had to pick one, even though you knew for a fact they were both terrible people...would you...an American...just pick the lesser of two evils for the sake of voting? I don't think you would! I think you'd cry out against such a narrow choice, against being dictated by evil men. It would be like taking a survey where someone asked you who was a the best most moral person: Hitler or Stalin. You'd say they were both bad. And they kept pushing...yeah but which one was good? You'd struggle with it. Would you cave and pick the less of two evils for the sake of answering the question? Or would you just not take the survey because the question was completely ridiculous? (Maybe a reason some people choose not to vote?)

Okay so I know Obama and Mccain are not evil men. But if I disagree with them both...why should I be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils if there are in fact other people running I agree with?

Whether or not they get elected isn't the point. It is a matter of principle. You should vote your heart. You should vote for who you agree with on the issues and who you feel will do the best job. This is what our country was founded on. Vote out of principle.

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." - John Quincy Adams

I love this quote. Cmon guys...even if you know you are the only person standing up for what you believe in...shouldn't you still do it? Isn't that a commonplace for Christians even? Even if you knew everyone else in the world thought God wasn't real...and you knew no one would agree with you, that you'd stand alone and make no progress whatsoever. Wouldn't you still stand up for what you believe in? Still believe in God, though everyone else mocked you for it?

And I think it IS making progress to vote third-party. A two-party system is not good enough. And it is not American. Freedom of choice and expression is American, no matter how many opinions that shows. Just because these are the two dominating parties does not mean they always will be. Historically there has been almost a dozen Presidents who were not Republican or Democrat who were elected. And some of them are some of the most memorable!

Presidents Elected Historically By Party:

Democrats: 14
Republicans: 17
Federalists: 2
George Washington
John Adams
Democratic Republican: 4
John Quincy Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
Whig: 4

If we take the attitude that we shouldn't vote for third parties because they don't stand a chance...then they will never stand a chance. But if more and more people vote their conscience then maybe progress will be made. And I'd like to see a third-party president win in my lifetime.
So if nothing else, I'm encouraging you to vote your heart. If that is a democrat, or a republican and you truly believe in them and think they are the right person for the job...VOTE FOR THEM! Please! But look into every candidate. Put some thought, research and time into it. It's worth it! And then vote who fits you best no matter what their chances are. At least then you can feel good about who you chose without doubts.

Well this post has been too long for my to explain my choice, so I'm gonna end it here with just that I really put tons of time and research into my choice, and picked who I thought was best.

---Noelle

The Truth is Treason in the Empire of Lies

I need to rant my frustrations for a moment...scroll down for more positive and encouraging writings...:-)

I hate politics.
I hate the news.
Both are just biased pointless argument about trivial issues while ignoring fundamental questions. No matter who is doing the reporting or debating it is almost always unfair and misleading.

"Truth is treason in the empire of lies." -Ron Paul

If you think there are flaws with America you are unpatriotic.
If you think America shouldn't have so much involvement in other countries affairs you are an isolationist.

Black and White.
Boxes to fit your size.
Two Parties.
The Left.
The Right.

Here is some truth for you. Our country is trillions of dollars in debt and has troops in over 130 countries. Why is is surprising that other countries resent us? And why is it that when I point out flaws in our government people get offended? Like its not okay to question the system because we have to blindly follow while proclaiming "This is the greatest country in the world and I'd never want to live anywhere else!" If you truly believed in the American constitution you might notice that it is more and more being ignored. And maybe that materialism and indifference aren't positive qualities to be proud of as a country.

Every candidate promises change. But the truth is, nothing is going to change. Not from one man. It takes all of us.

Why am I bitter about our political system today?

Because I have to do an absentee ballot soon and I don't even know who the vice president nominations will be much less who I want to vote for. I don't have the luxury of blindly voting for a party.

The two party system is ridiculous. Where are the shades of gray?

Voting soon.

-Noelle

St. Francis and Mute Math remind me to Love.

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.” - St. Francis of Assisi


Exert from my Journal Summer 2007:

" Every person has a story.
Every person is interesting.
Every person should be treated well.
Regardless of how they come across because they are human with emotions and all humans deserve compassion.

No ne is born a monster, a whore, a bitch, a begger, a priest---life takes them there.

Life is only half choices
and the other half is circumstance.

We have the power to change, and to change others

and

the power to give in and ride to unchosen destinies. "

*Every single person you ever encounter deserves your compassion no matter how they seem because they are people with real emotions...love others. That is why we are here...to show love. And everyone deserves it. No matter what.

- Noelle



The crowds roll by
and im falling in
everyone's invicible
but its just pretend

and we all freaked out
what a shame
when only tears know how to remind us
we all break the same

we all break the same
and we all break the same

and everything we've built
could be our demise
it's the sticks and stones that wear us down
that often save our lives

the different stars tonight
will somehow fade the same
and all the tears we cry
tell us we're made the same
and when we fall aside
let's hope we fall in place
we built our different lives
but they all break the same

oh different worlds
and different hearts
and different souls
and different parts

and we all
we all break the same

mute math

Heart and Mind and Time

I am a woman of heart and mind
With time on her hands

When love makes a fool of me

After the rush when you come back down
Youre always disappointed
Nothing seems to keep you high
Drive your bargains
Push your papers
Win your medals
Fuck your strangers
Dont it leave you on the empty side
Im looking for affection and respect
A little passion
And you want stimulation-nothing more
Thats what I think
But you know Ill try to be there for you
When your spirits start to sink

Is it all books and words
Or do you really feel it?
Do you really laugh?
Do you really care?
Do you really smileWhen you smile?
You criticize and you flatter
You imitate the best
And the rest you memorize
You know the times you impress me most
Are the times when you dont try
When you dont even try

I'm a woman of heart and mind
With time on her hands...