Beware: Somewhat rambling political post

I know you all love it when I post about politics.

Listening to other people's political views is usually about as interesting for me as listening to their vacation stories. Or their pet stories. Or frankly, any story.

I hate listening. (which is kinda tricky with my career choices and all...)

Anyway, my point is, even though I know it's obnoxious, I am going to post anyway.

I was thinking the other day about how inevitable it all feels.

How; as conservatives or libertarian's or whatever, we can put up a fight for a while, but that the increasingly progressive trends will eventually just drag us all under, like the tide.

Gay marriage will soon be nationalized.

Premarital sex will continue to increase and (has already) become the norm and with it more single mothers and non traditional families. I don't think anyone can argue that the role and presence of fathers hasn't been slowly diminishing over the last several decades.

Pro-death umm...I mean, anti- life..no, I mean pro choice activists will continue to rail against "the war on women" until abortion is legal up through the third trimester and readily available in every state and county.

And on and on and on....

I was thinking about all of this and feeling overwhelmed when it occurred to me... 

This is how Satan works.

He doesn't come into a society and paint the town red with sin and vice and all manner of hedonism.

He takes Godly principles and slowly...so slowly you can't even feel it, he twists them.

The principles of freedom, equality, free will, self determination, and love, even.

All things that originate from God. His gifts to us.

That's why people so passionately believe in the things that will; in my opinion, lead to the end of our society. Because there is some truth to them. Some remnant of sacredness.

There is something beautiful about the idea of any two people; regardless of race, gender, religion- finding love and happiness together. It feels good to think about supporting their right to be together and to be recognized.

In the argument for abortion, you get that message of self determination. Something about free will and not being held back by one mistake, one bad choice. Taking your own destiny in your hands. It feels powerful.

Single motherhood has a kind of nobility to it. And there is something liberating in the idea of finding love and pleasure and joy with someone, even if you aren't legally tied to them and then enjoying it will it lasts until you both grow out of it. Then you move on to someone new. No need to be with the person you thought you'd love forever at 19. What do any of us know at 19 anyway?

Satan knows that we are all looking for truth. All looking to find our way back to God. He knows that Godly principles will resonate with us as we are His sons and daughters.

People never give Satan credit for how smart he is. How he managed to convince 1/3rd of the Heavenly hosts to follow him. There are times; when I am swayed by these liberal ideas, that I wonder how I wasn't one. The idea of saving everyone, not losing a single person, bringing everyone home- it's very appealing to me.

All of the liberal ideals are appealing to me. But I've come to realize that Satan isn't the voice that  jumps up and says"Have a hit of that heroin, Lori. It's time to get high! Then we can go and rob someone".

Satan is the voice of the friend that is rubbing your back and whispering " You are about to graduate college. You can't raise a baby. It wouldn't be good for you or the baby". The voice that says "I'll go with you to the abortion clinic and you'll be ok".

Satan is the voice that says " You don't need a man in your life. What kind of father is he going to be anyway? You can do it on your own. I'll help you. You can be the mom and the dad".

Satan is the voice that whispers " Your parents are just hateful bigots who won't accept the beautiful person that you are and what you need to be happy. I love you and I'm proud that you are gay".

These words couldn't sound less like the cackling voices of devils. They sound like the voices of love and understanding. Isn't that what God offers us? Love and understanding?

Except, they're not.

Because they are taking sacred principles and applying them to wickedness. It's wicked when you hurt someone else. And abortion hurts someone else.(and you. My gosh, how it hurts you) And raising your kids alone hurts you and them.(I can't tell you how badly this hurts the kids). And being gay (and this is the hardest one for me to say) hurts someone else. It hurts you because it limits your eternal potential.

Satan is persuasive. He's got a comforting and reasonable sounding argument for any moral hangup or "old fashioned" argument against any of these issues. That is how he has convinced so many brilliant people and how he continues to find new converts every day.

Just like in Lehi's dream, the path to God is not easy. (I should know, I've over here in the mists of darkness somewhere!). But the great and spacious building is easy to get to. It's open and welcoming- a sort of "come  as you are" establishment. It's got great music and an open bar. You can sit and chat with your friends for hours in a big, comfy char while you get a nice buzz and have a few too many pigs in a blanket.

When you look out the window and see the wretched souls, dragging themselves along the rod towards the tree, you kind of feel bad for them. You wonder if they know how nice and warm it is where you are. How everything feels good and soft and comfortable. It's kind of sad for them, actually, right?

Wow.

This is the longest post I've ever written. I think the 2014 mid terms are revving up my bipolar already:)

Anyway, I'm not trying to change any minds or make a big statement with this post. I'm just trying to figure things out for myself and not be afraid to say what I think.

If you've made it this far, thanks for listening.

Lori Ann

And never see the 7 wonders

Danielle and Elly on our late night McD's ice cream run in Lancaster

Random Life Updates: The Monday I really don't want to go back to work Edition

Ginger ale is my marijuana. I've given up soda but; when I got a cold a few weeks back, I started drinking ginger ale. And now I can't stop. And it's going to be a gateway to the hard stuff...diet coke.

I have avoided watching trials. I can't tell you anything about Jodi Arias or Casey Anthony (other than the headlines). OJ just burned me too bad. But I've recently gotten sucked into the Zimmerman trial. If he doesn't get acquitted, I am going to riot. By myself. Unless you want to join me.

I have had off from work for 5 days. I really, really, really don't want to go back. Like, really.

We are already making plans for musikfest. I haven't been in years and I need some musikfest in my life. 

I was telling my dad that I want a laptop and a nice camera for my birthday. (Not much, right?) Because I am older, single, and slowly losing the weight that has slowed me down for years. I've decided that it's time for me to go on adventures! (and I need a camera to document it and a laptop to blog from the road! *first world problem*- it's hard to blog on my iPad)

On a political note, what is the deal with abortion clinics? I feel like pro-choice or liberal politicians want to regulate EVERYTHING from how much soda you can drink to where you can smoke to what wattage light bulbs can be sold, but then they want everyone to BACK OFF from regulating an industry which has recently (umm...Gosnell, anyone?) shown that it can be given to unhealthy and unsafe practices.

I need a really good quote I can put on my wall to motivate me to go to gym every day. Any suggestions?

Lori Ann

I keep your photograph

I have lived in 8 different states. They have all been beautiful in their own way. 

In Colorado I felt the stars were the biggest and brightest I'd ever seen. 

In Utah I was awed daily by the wall of majestic mountains all around me.

North Carolina had rolling fields of tobacco and remnants of its old Southern charm. 

Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan all had their own specific features that I loved.

But none of them; in my opinion, compare to Pennsylvania.

There are very few things I feel strongly about. I don't hold on to friendships, jobs, homes, things, or old places. Everything I cherish can fit into one bin.

Moving so much in my life has made everything very transitory for me. 

Except Pennsylvania. 

In every state I ever lived in, I would dream of PA.

Of it's rolling hills, endless trees, and incredible history.

The Constitution was written here.

Gettysburg happened here.

Early pilgrims; notably the Quakers and Amish, settled here.

You can feel the history in every square mile of this state.

From the winding, narrow roads built for carriages rather than cars, to the stone cobbled roads of Philadelphia, to the strong heritage of Pennsylvania dutch found in the complicated town and river names. 

You can see how the settlers tried to recreate their homes and towns in the this new world. 

The history is beautiful.

And; my gosh, the land is so beautiful. 

I love nothing so much as being in the passenger seat of a car, just staring at the farms and fields and rivers and lakes.

This past week Danielle, her kids and I were up in a town called "Bird in Hand". There was so many Amish there. And just like everything about Pennsylvania, I love little Amish towns.

There is something so compelling about the way they live their life. 

And while I am no fan of manual labor, explaining their life to the kids made me realize that; if conversion weren't required, I think I could live a plain life as they do.

At the risk of unfairly romanticizing their lives, I think I could live on a small farm in a beautiful corner of PA and give up all the distractions which take me so far away from God. 

Anyway, I took all of these words and all of these pictures to basically say what you all have heard me say a million times before. I love my Pennsylvania so much.

Lori Ann

p.s.- On an unrelated side note, my niece Elly is becoming quite the photographer. Enjoy this moving self portrait she took during unsupervised iPad time:) 

Let us live to make men free

I know you were all looking forward to my post on beautiful Pennsylvania. Don't worry. That post is coming.   (Along with my pictures of the Amish, homemade soft pretzels, and my thoughts on living a 'plain' life)

But you all know that no Monrobie adventure is complete without a video. I really love this one. I hope you will too. 

Lori Ann

Never looking back again

The Battle of Gettysburg.

A somewhat appropriate title for our whirlwind 36 hour mini vacation and American history expedition. 

Here are the top 3 takeaways from our latest Live Your Life adventure!

3. We would never have made it as soldiers at Gettysburg.

 (except maybe Danielle...that girl does not stop!)

Danielle and the Monrobies going to check out the Union camps

The "high water mark"- we watched the Pickets Charge  walk from here

The kids with a civil war surgeon reenactor

It was rainy. Then scorchingly sunny and hot. It was HUMID. The children were hot, tired, and at times very crabby. (maybe I was too) There were several plaques that said things like "The 5th Vermont Battalion marched 32 miles overnight and then had to immediately cover the battle from the top of Little Round Top."  Yeah, I started melting down emotionally when I had to wait 10 minutes for the shuttle. 

2. Even when hot, tired and crabby, those Monroe kids take some cute pictures! 

They are so cute, right? SOOOO cute. 

Their very first time jumping on hotel beds

Elly and Katy (super excited to be in traditional civil war dresses)

1. It's really cool to not just observe and remember our amazing American history but to be part of it as well.

Elly with the Union soldiers, waiting for Picket's charge 

A plaque to the women of PA

Pickets Charge (see the confederate flags?)

Not an unusual sight yesterday in Gettysburg

The PA memorial. It was beautiful and sad. 

Even though I know they don't appreciate it right now, I hope that this trip will be part of who my sister's kids become. I hope they will be proud and grateful Americans. 

Yesterdays trip; while exhausting and insane, was a moment for me to recognize and remember how very lucky I am to be an American. 

 Happy Fourth of July.

Lori Ann

p.s.- Tomorrow's topic will be Amish country and how stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful Pennsylvania is.

No telling where it will take ya

You guys,

We've been to Philly.

 We've conquered NYC

And now, the next city to feel our wrath  (I love that phrase, I can't explain why)

Gettysburg!

(just like NYC, only rural. And smaller. And the site of a major civil war battle. And no hot dog vendors.)

Everything about this trip is already awesome. Between staying in a shady hotel in Amish country, to the kids extreme fascination with the idea that there might be ghosts, to the Miley Cyrus heavy playlist I created for our roadtrip.

This is going to be the most epic trip yet, I can feel it!

Lori Ann

I've got homies

My weekend so far. The picture version.

 This was me on Friday. In the middle of my 7 appointments in a row. Look at my eyes. Completely glazed over. 

 Then Elly challenged me to some soccer in the backyard. The picture after this is Elly crying and asking me for my autograph. (or perhaps its of Elly blocking me from scoring....again)

 The Monroes' are having weird and fancy dinners at their house like every night. I don't know what to make of it but it feels a little like betrayal. I felt the same way when they bought a house and got retirement plan and all that. I don't understand that kind of fancy living:) 

 I took Jack "I've read more books than you", James "Kayne speaks to my soul", Elly " The Olympic soccer scouts are calling me already" and Katy " I feed my stuffed animals human food" Monroe out on the town for a little while this morning. We started at Payless. Then made the next logical stop... 

 The fireworks tent!

Then for a secret club meeting at McDonald's. 

Since that time I have been watching shows about people murdering other people and getting into minor squabbles with the cats. 

La la la. 

Lori Ann

p.s.- I did see "the heat" with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock last night. (in a pouring down thunderstorm). I give it a 6/10. Funny but worth waiting to rent.