Prayer

I just wanted to do a quick post about the power of prayer. I've been struggling with something lately, not a huge thing, but it's been bugging me. The other night when Eric and I were saying our prayers together he prayed that the problem would go away or at least be improved for me. Then, yesterday at work his prayer was answered. It doesn't always work out that way, but then it did and that made me very happy. I know that prayers are answered and sometimes we just have to pay attention to how it's answered. I'll just keep praying and see how things go from here.

Advice Column

I am now in the process of preparing the launch of my new advice column. I would like to have some questions (with my response) put on there when I start. However, I don't have any questions to answer. Can you guys give me some questions to answer regarding relationships (of any type)? I want to talk about marital, sibling, parent-child, teacher-student and all other kinds of relationships. If you're not sure just ask anyway. This can be all anonymous so you're not stuck to questions just for yourself. Even make up a question if you want. Give me what you've got and I'd love to try to answer it.

I will let you all know how to access my website when it's finally finished and up. Thanks so much!

Heat!

I just wanted to let everyone know (for no real good reason) that I hate the heat. I would much rather be cold than hot. I'd probably rather freeze to death than burn to death. Here are a couple of things I think about hot weather and the heat.

• I think it's ridiculous that in this day and age that not every building (including our apartment) has central heating and air. I need better AC than an ancient machine.
• When it's cold you can always bundle up and get under blankets, but in the summer you can only take so much off.
• I get annoyed when people complain that the AC is too cold when it's nearly 100 degrees outside. Bring a sweater if you must because the rest of us would not like to melt.
• I get annoyed when weather people think that the weather/temperature is better when it gets closer to 100 degrees.
• I feel claustrophobic in the heat. I just can't escape out of the situation.

I think I should just move to London one day where it is much cooler and it rains a lot. Now that, I can handle. Good luck to all of you who are trying to stay cool out there!

Healthcare "Reform"

I am so not happy with the new ideas for health care in our country. I'll go point by point so that I don't get muddled in what I'm trying to say.

• They are talking about an "individual mandate" which is absolutely offensive to me. Part of the beauty of America is that we are free to choose, but if they require this of us then it is no longer a choice for all of us. I understand that when someone becomes seriously ill or injured, but has no insurance it hurts the system as a whole, but then find a way to make them pay for it without punishing me.
• They are setting an income limit for being able to afford your own health care. This like most other government programs is a poverty program. If they set the maximum at $16,250 then people will strive to make $16K when they could make $17K or $18K. In the long run they'll save money by letting the government and other taxpayers carry the burden.
• What about all the illegal aliens that use our health care system without insurance. They won't be legal citizens so by law they don't have to have insurance. Also, they'll probably make less than the maximum so we'll pay for it anyway.
• Those of us who have decent jobs and wages will end up paying more in taxes for many people who are capable, but unwilling to work harder to pay for their own medical care.

I am not opposed to health care because I know I've needed it in my life. However, I worry about where the money will come from and what this could do to our outrageously high national debt. I want people to be taken care of and perhaps we could find other ways to make it work. We're a young country with many new ideas, so let's get to work and use them.

Change of Plans

Original Plan
When we moved to LA in late 2008 we decided that I would work full-time while Eric interned. After interning for about 2 to 3 months then he'd get a full-time job in a mail room of a talent agency or a production company. Then, he'd work his way up to a desk (being an assistant). He'd be an assistant for one to two years. After that he'd continue to work his way up until he could finally start producing the movies he wanted to produce.

Reality
We moved out here and I found a job while Eric interned. During that time the economy took a nose-dive. Once Eric had completed his internships he looked so hard for work. He's been looking, applying and interviewing for over 6 months now and nothing has come of it. Things in the economy have possibly gotten worse. He's had to do temp work and other things that he doesn't care to do. Our financial situation is often scarier than I would like to think. While Eric has had the time at home he has written one script that he is now working on re-writing, but the story is really good and interesting. Plus he's working with friends to hopefully produce a piece that they've written.

New Plan
Eric is going to continue to look for permanent work that was mentioned in the "Original Plan" however we're moving on to Plan A.1. In this plan Eric will spend the majority of his time focusing on his own projects. He will finish re-writing his own script so that he can sell it to bring in some income. He'll also work toward getting scripts completed with his friends and colleagues so that he can produce those on low budgets down here. Basically, if no one else is going to give him a job he'll just have to make one of his own.

My Feelings
At first this kind of made me nervous to think of no consistency of income, but anymore I feel pretty okay with it. I think it will be just fine. We're going to move forward with faith and so far that is already paying off.

Fathers and Marriage

I read this article today and it really touched me. The article does include a sad and tragic story, but it's so much more than that. We do in our society think that fathers are insignificant to our lives and the lives of our children. Marriage and divorce is treated as lightly as middle school romances. Marriage is a sacred covenant we make with our spouse. It should be regarded as a serious contract to not be broken. If it becomes absolutely necessary then it can work, but all other options must be eliminated first. On the subject of father's we should all do better. A father is a huge influence on a daughter's self-worth and on a son's sense of male responsibility. The way a father treats the mother of his children will illustrate how man-woman relationships should work.

As adults we should all try harder to be responsible for the ourselves and the children we bring into the world. How can larger institutions (ie. companies, government, etc.) function when the smallest of them all (families) are crumbling. We need to do better!