Native American Heritage Month

This is the month where our country is supposed to take the time to spotlight and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of those indigenous to our land.

November is the national Native American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month. But why am I just learning about this?

And where's the coverage in the news?

I feel embarrassed and saddened when I think about how little our country pays attention to Native Americans. The only time I can remember seeing a news story centered on a Native issue was when CNN did a short piece interviewing Alaskan Natives on what they thought about Gov. Sarah Palin.

I mean, come on, one story a year is completely subpar.

I wish that there was some magical solution to make things right in this country but easy answers are hard to find. So what are your thoughts on the issue? Do you think things are fine as they are? If not, what kind of change would you like to see happen?

Lastly, here are some cool links to check out:

• Native American Heritage Month
  
• Smithsonian Center Resources
  
• Reznet News
  
• Smoke Signals
  

Nicholas Sparks Writing Film for Miley Cyrus

According to Variety.com:

"Nicholas Sparks is writing a new novel and an accompanying screenplay that is being custom-fit as a star vehicle for Miley Cyrus at Disney."

I wasn't expecting this collaboration but it makes sense. Miley has a huge teen fan base and Sparks knows how to make teen girls cry i.e. A Walk to Remember and The Notebook. We all know the story is going to be inspirational and bittersweet. And that's a good thing.

Jared Padalecki as Thomas Kinkade

Jared Padalecki in a Christmas movie is a gift all by itself. I'll definitely be buying The Christmas Cottage on DVD.

Thomas Kinkade is one of my favorite artists, I'm a big fan of impressionism and he's a true example of how Christians can aspire for excellence in their creative endeavors.


The film is about "how the Kinkade was motivated to begin his career after discovering his mother was in danger of losing their family home" (IMDB).

The Good-o-Meter

If there is any beauty in this world, it comes from God.

James 1:17 says...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." (NIV)

"Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light." (The Message)

"Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." (NLT)



[Hat tip to Heather]

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Kristi Yamaguchi Friends & Family

I've enjoyed watching professional figure skating since I was little girl.

It's graceful, poetic and every time they land their jumps I get the tingles. Sure, figure skating can be a little cheesy at times but that adds to its charm. Plus, anyone who can do a triple salcow deserves respect.

This year the Kristi Yamaguchi Friends & Family special featured live performances by the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. It's amazing how seamless teeny-bopper music and ice skating blend together. It's like caramel apples, sugary sweet. To top off all the cuteness you get to watch skating legends share the ice with their kids. It's adorable. Nancy Kerrigan and Yamaguchi are my long time favorites and it's always cool to see them share the rink together.


[Photos via MomsLikeMe.com]

Obama Won! And what it means...

The United States of America is going to have its first black president come January 2009 and that's pretty cool. Actually, it's awesome!

When CNN declared Obama as the winner, I had this surreal feeling. Was this really happening? And in my lifetime? There are no words to describe the rush of emotion that came over me. I didn't cry but I did a lot of smiling. I smiled as I listened to Roland Martin talk about how he felt honored to be one of the newscasters on such a historic night. I smiled as I watched people in Africa cheer for Obama. I smiled as Michelle Obama and her two little girls walked onto the stage. And I smiled as I texted my friends and family, sharing the good news with them.

So what does Obama's win mean to you?

Dreams from His Grandmother

Senator Obama's grandmother passed away before she could see if he would be the next president of the the United States of America. I can only imagine how proud she must have been of him.

I've been pondering all day who I should vote for. Even though I'm leaning toward Obama, I'm still unsure. I consider myself an independent. I don't have an allegiance to any political party, I simply consider the options and vote for the best person. So who is the best person for our country? Who should our leader be? There are things about all the candidates that make me uneasy (yes, there are more than two). And it's always been that way when it comes to politicians. It's hard to decipher who's really telling the truth.

What I do know is that if Obama wins, a part of me will be happy, ecstatic even. The world will see us differently and I will see my country differently. A piece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream will have came true.

I also know that our struggle is not against Republican or Democrat but against "the forces and powers of a dark world." We see that darkness everyday in the images that flash across our TV screen of children going to bed without food, of women being sold into sex trafficking, of children being kidnapped and people being murdered.

When it all comes down to it my vote is for love. My vote is goodness and kindness. My vote is for faith and hope. My vote is for art and creativity that inspires us to reach for more, to be more and to give more.

This world is not my eternal home even though I've lived here for 25 years. There are a million things I love about this planet like sunsets, beaches, hot cocoa and great conversations. But there's more to life than what the eyes can see and what the fingers can touch. The USA is a great country and I support its efforts to offer people a fair place to live and carve out their niche.

I get all my dreams about the goodness of humanity from my Heavenly Father. And whoever you chose to vote for, think about Jesus and how he did things that went against popular opinion, against the religious people who thought they knew it all. He understood that there was more to life than what's written on money and who's in office. All people mattered to him. They still do.