President Bush's War on Terror Speech

Here's is the text of the President's speech I went to last Friday. I volunteered and ended up taking tickets and helping the secret service with bag checks…freezing cold and rainy outside that morning…The SS weren’t too friendly (shock surprise) but all the people attending the speech were military so talking to all them for several hours and the line filed in was interesting and fun…I analyzed the various aspects of all branches of the military based on their interaction with me. Navy is still my favorite…and not just for the best uniforms. I did get a couple date-invites from marines but I guess they’re the most starved for female interaction… =)
Anyway, we got really close seats as volunteers and it was interesting to be in that setting--actually hearing the President while sitting down-- since it was just us and thousands of military...totally different audience! I It was a long speech but I thought it was interestingly ideological....  Actually, the spiritual atmosphere in the room was WIERD... I felt like I've felt in several sermons when there is this wall and things are bouncing back...except it wasn't natural because the audience was supporters of the president...but not really HEARING him in that setting. This was the day after Miers withdrew her nomination. I was analyzing why it felt so strange... He talked a lot about radical Islam (interesting...no longer a war on terror, he is now calling it a war on radical Islam)... but really, when I thought about it later, I felt like part of what is going on with the President right now is spiritual... especially right after the Miers nomination. So many Christians dropped their support for him instantly because it was all based on the abortion issue to start with. With him losing that support, I think it has had an impact upon how is being perceived by the American public...why he's not being "heard" in a way-- Hard to explain, but I felt it really strongly... something shifted in the spiritual. Anyway, I can't figure out what all I think right now spiritually about a lot of things going on... Anyway, thought you might want to see the speech. It was completely unique among anything I've heard him say.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051028-1.html#
It was an interesting experience.

Another Month

It’s the first of November. Where has this year gone? I know…I only blog when I’m aware of time passing. Talked to Paul and Hope for a long time today. As Hope was chattering away on various topics, she had no idea she had me tearing up on the other end. I can’t believe she turns 13 in a few weeks and listening to her talk was striking me so strongly…even though she’s younger for her age than I was at 12, I think, she is still growing up so fast. Change.

It’s been a good week thus far. Weekend was a mixture of homework and other random stuff. Really enjoying dance at church… Like getting challenged. Had to decide between dancing here on xmas Sunday or trying to get home for xmas Sunday and I opted for the latter. I’ll perform with the team on Dec 4th but will be gone before the other dances, so I’m helping out as a stand-in so I can teach the missing dancers their parts. Always someone missing since there’s 15 members of the team. Trying to build some relationships there but somewhat difficult…partly a racial thing. I’m one of three white girls and it just takes more time to break into the relational world…

In other random Church news…I talked to Sandy, Ps. Ron Johnson’s wife, for a long-time last week. Much to my dismay she’s offering to “set me up” with their 24 yr old son. She said I could attempt the 22 yr old as well but he’s currently dating someone. Oh joy. Why do some ppl meet a single woman and immediately think of how they can rid them of their singleness? Bugs me that even nice people do it to me. This isn’t some plague I’m rushing to get rid of…. And how do I respond to the Ps’ wife? I just laughed at her and tried to be polite but…  Anyways, supposed to have lunch with their family in a couple weeks… we’d planned it for this Sunday but Ps Ron had to fly to Australia to speak at David Cartledge’s funeral and Paul Wilbur is in town this Sunday.

School-wise, things are starting to pile up on me. For some reason ALL my classes keep delaying assignments so that they will all come due in the last two weeks of November…so I need to be disciplined and not procrastinate but that’s not happening. Need a little less socialization and a little more actual work.

Speaking of work, I am so overwhelmed with what Dr Walker has me doing in my GA work. It’s such an incredibly huge project that the further I get into it the more I am aware I will never make enough progress to be meaningful. Oh well, I can’t complain for lack of hrs like the other GAs…

Really missing home today and can’t wait ‘til thanksgiving…