A Funny for the day...

How far would you go...

To protect the environment...how far would you go? Certainly we need to take care of our resources. Make sure that people are safe and the environment is safe, but how far would you go to make sure everything' okay? Would you sue the city over fireworks?

One man is...he's attempting to stop 4th of July fireworks over Lake Union in Seattle until he state shows that gathering that many people together is safe for viewers, the park and surrounding wildlife. He's claiming that the city failed to conduct a review in accordance to the State Environmental Policy Act befor permitting the annual event.

Seattle city officials maintain that the once-a-year civic event is what the state had in mnd when it exempted certain activities from these revie requirements and there are already conditions on the event' private contractor sonothing happens that might release any contmination this weekend.

The event is an annual event held at Gas Works park on the north end of the lake. It was a toxic clean up site becuse the park was once the site of a coal-to-gas plant.

With the fact that Ivars pulled out of 4th of July celebrations out here earlier this year, the timing for his petition isn't exactly the best. WaMu Family 4th, now Chase Family 4th, is the only fireworks celebration that will take place inside Seattle city limits this year. Many people attend this free event and it certainly would be a shame for this event to not take place.

The Lake City man does have a point though. Because it is built on a former industrial site, the soil and groundwater on the site was contaminated. The 1971 Master Plan called for "cleaning and greening" the site through bio-phyto-remediation. There are no known areas of surface soil contamination remaining on the site today, although tar occasionally still oozes from some locations within the site and is isolated and removed.

Toxic sites are not something to be messed with...boats aren't allowed to launch from the park because the soil has hazerdous substances in it. Nonetheless...it would be a shame to lose this wonderful event. But I would think that the welfware of its viewers should stand higher than the lighting of fireworks once a year.

Bad Habits

Things I want to stop doing...

• Swearing - It's not exactly a good habit, while most people won't mind...I still view it as a bad habit.
• Biting my nails - A TERRIBLE habit! I've been doing it for years and it's awful.
• Being Critical - Sometimes it's frustrating to work with people who don't take all things into account or pause for a moment to think through what may be going on. It's not fair for me to get upset because I can often do the same thing to someone else.
• Judgemental - Yes, I judge you...and I'm sorry. It's just something I have to work on.
• Procrastislacker - I'm lazy sometimes...I put things off. Not exactly a good thing to do.
• Lazy See above ^_^

Just a few of my bad habits...I'm sure there's more. I can't name them all though; the page would be full. :-P

Where did my heart go, part two.

There's a post from earlier about my heart and how I had this disconnect between my head and what I know...and the feelings I have for what I believe. I'm not exactly a person who shows all their emotions and often masks them from other people. To me it's often easier this way.

Anyway, I'm not sure what entirely put me on this path to being happy (I am right now and I started having feelings again for what I believe). I've questioned just about everyone I trust. By trust I mean someone who I know won't change their opinion of me at the end of the day because of my doubts, unbelief...failures...skepticism...the things that maybe I don't want to be known for for the rest of my life. I can't say that all of them know me well either...some I've just met...some I've never met in person, but decided to ask based on their blogs. Each person gave me a different answer...things to think about.

But I realized while I was searching, that the only reason I was searching was so that I could feel good again. Isn't that a little selfish? My search was all about me and how I was feeling. It had nothing to do with God and my desire to love Him. It was my desire to feel good about myself. All of a sudden things cleared up for me. I'm not saying I have an easier time praying or reading my Bible. I'm by far one of the worst disciplined people you'll meet when it comes to doing daily things to grow in my belief. Nonetheless...things made sense when I started approaching them as God would...not as myself and my selfish desires and intentions, but as God would in turning the other cheek, forgiving those who have wronged me and consistently showing love to everyone around me.

My heart is starting to come back in bits and pieces. There's still some healing to do...I still have a hard time handing God the reigns because I have a hard time trusting that things will be okay. It's a daily struggle...I've certainly been blessed these past 5 years, but I've also had some of my biggest struggles. Struggles with family, my

"To be a Christian one must take up his cross, with all its belief in God, trusting those around me...and recognizing that suffering refines us. it refines us to make us better. difficulties and agonizing and tension-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes only
through suffering." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

I like this quote. He's saying that the hardships and the things that we suffer redeem us and make us better. I'm not entirely sure how we're refined and I'm not saying I enjoy it. I hate pain. I hate hurting...it's hard to see someone you care about destroy their life and not have the power to intervene. I often am sitting on the sidelines watching...and it pains me so much. Why do these things have to happen? Why do people get killed for no good reason? Why do people do drugs? Why do people get terminal diseases? Why do people get made fun of for their race?

This life isn't fair. I want it to be...I want it to be fair so badly. but this life isn't. Nor will it be. This is what we have and we do our best to make it better. This is why I often have a disconnect. i want a better life for everyone. I don't want there to be poverty. I don't want people to not have medical care. but it happens...in a country that consumes the majority of the world's resources...we can't get every one universal healthcare, food for everyone who's hungry and shelter for those who have no homes. We don't bind up wounds or take care of the Widow and the orphan. But as a country, we have the resources to do so....WHY is it not better then?! Why is it so hard to come together and take care of each other? Why is it hard for Americans to live in community with each other and trust that their neighbors and their friends will come through for them when needed?

This is my disconnect and my frustration with God and with people. Things don't work perfectly and it's frustrating. It eats me up inside that I know that this is the way the world works, but my heart won't accept it. Or that God is who He says He is and He loves everyone...but still people suffer.

My heart has a hard time following. I will always have a disconnect. But I started having a love for God that I haven't known in years.

This is one of my more random posts...I do apologize for it turning into a rant at the end.

LAWL