Need some help...

Oh, the joys of being a TA a many and great. But, right now, I have a task that has stumped me. The prof I TA for is writing a book..has written a book...has a book coming out soon...whatever. I'm supposed to find the original source for this quote.

It is attributed to Oswald Chambers all over the place in secondary sources:
"The root of all sin lies in the suspicion that God is not good."

Any hints on the primary sources? An, I know that it's not from Oswald Chambers' The Philosophy of Sin.

Material Girl

I went shopping today. Please leave all the lame "when your husband is out of town, you go shopping" remarks in your head and not on my blog.

My questions is this: (I assume I'm talking to the ladies, but you never know.) What does one wear with Knee-high black leather boots with heels? I know they'll work with my really long denim skirt and a sweater. But how do I venture into the world of reasonably short skirts with knee high boots and still look more like a therapist than a street walker? Since I got that tattoo, I guess I really have to watch myself. ;)

Advice, please give.

Wal-Mart Joins the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

My hometown newspaper has a "Sound Off" line where locals (yokels?) can call in and state their opinions on anything and everything. Anonymously. It's low class journalism, and just a bad idea. However, it's there. I'd love to link to it, but my hometown paper has instituted a registration system where only those who subscribe to the paper edition can actually read the online edition. Explain that to me, because I don't understand it. I use my parent's account to keep abreast of the happenings of my small, rural hometown.

Now, ya'll know I hate Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is evil. It may be no more evil than other stores out there, but I know about the evils of Wal-Mart, so I have to act on my knowledge. Haven't spent money in a Wal-Mart in 4 years and counting. However, I think Wal-Mart is evil because of their labor practices, exploitation of its workers, taking out local business, etc. etc. etc. Click on that big banner at the top of my blog if you want to know more about that.

But, what are all the people in my hometown upset about this week? Well, Wal-Mart Joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Which, I don't give a rat's aspirin about. It does make me a little giddy, because with the informed yuppie and hippie populations of my generation not using Wal-Mart, they have suffered a bit. Now, Wal-Mart is ostracizing their very conservative shoppers from all across the rural America that keep them in business. Wal-Mart is self destructing. (*Gleeful smile.*) Oh, and Wal-Mart got rid of lay away. That's the final nail in the coffin for some, as well.

Below are the excerpts from this week's Sound Off Line. Now, no making fun of my folk. My folk are rural, but they are smart. They are informed. They are good folk. And the people below, are not my folk. But, reading the comments below will help you understand why I get a little anxious about heading back down South. My favorite comment is in bold.

Wal-Mart was not only in the news in recent days, the retailer also was on the minds of “Sound Off” readers, many of who were critical of two corporaate decisions. First, Wal-Mart announced it was ending its longstanding practice of offering layaway service and then, secondly, that it has joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Many religious leaders then called for a boycott of Wal-Mart, which also generated comments from readers.

Below are the opinions registered this past week:

Not everyone can get the Wal-mart credit card. Why are they punishing all their patrons? It is not fair, that they want everyone to use a credit card and have to pay their interest rates. They will lose a lot of business.

I think it is a shame Wal-Mart eliminated the layaway plan. Since they are promoting more use of their credit card, they are promoting debt. As if they didn't make enough money already, they want people to pay interest rates so their already fat wallet can grow fatter.

The first thing that caught my eye in Friday's DPA was Wal-Mart joining the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. I believe Wal-Mart should treat each shopper as an equal individual, but that's a long way from joining their club. It sounds as though the Devil has taken over what a good man once put together, Mr. Sam Walton. My Bible says what is not of God is of the Devil, and the gay movement is not of God. Wal-Mart should go back and read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

I just read in the paper where the Baptists are boycotting Wal-Mart. That's good. Now maybe I can find a parking place.

If the Southern Baptists boycotted everyone or everything on its wish list, we all would be sitting at home chained to our bedpost. Please, get off the cross, someone needs the wood! I believe that I can choose where I want to shop or go on vacation. So dry it up, clean off your own porch before up you trash up someone else's.

I would like to know how these churches can get tax breaks when they talk about boycotting Wal-Mart. They are clearly stating a political opinion that should not be part of the church's responsibility. If some of them would have their way, all stores and restaurants would have to be boycotted. Let's see, sale of alcohol, sale of movies R-rated, sale of books that may not contain what they want, etc. So, I suppose people will need to put on burkas and hide behind them to be able to trade anywhere without these people thinking they have the right to cost people their jobs, etc. I believe homosexuality is mentioned several times in the Bible, since the beginning and no one has been able to change it. These are social issues that need to be handled by individuals and the church needs to preach the Bible and let people make the choice from what they hear in the pulpit... It is time to get back to separation of church and state. See the mess the pope has now.

About Wal-Mart helping the gay and lesbian people, giving them money to help pass this thing, I think everyone should boycott Wal-Mart and go elsewhere because they're not for everybody, just the gays and lesbians.

Reading the article about the local Baptists boycotting Wal-Mart shows once again how ignorance persistently rears its head over and over again with these religious groups which claim to not be “gay bashers.” Then what are you? I think the word is bigot. Isn't it? Isn't that what denying people their civil rights due to prejudice is, Baptist leaders? You can timidly call yourselves anything, but it comes down to being full of malice and hate. Jesus would not advocate such behavior. He never mentioned being gay, lesbian or transgendered. This is just personal fear and bias translated by using passages in the Old Testament to do your dirty work. Shame on you all. Your money and you time would be best served elsewhere.

Random notes...

This week, my wonderful husband is out on his own, being a writer, doing writer type things, and hanging out at all of our old favorite Knoxville haunts. That means I have to somehow make extroverted me deal with all this silence, quiet, and being aloneness that comes with a week of married singlehood. This includes such anomalies as making my own lunches, picking up my own dirty clothes from their random flungness on the bedroom floor, and feeding myself and two cats (kibble is for kitties, kibble is for kitties). From this, I've learned that I'm completely NOT ready to be a parent. Not until after graduate school. So, what have I been up to?

Well, I read Meg's great post on productive vs. fruitful. She has another one on suffering that I found pertinent, astute, and clever.

On Friday, before my dear husband left, we went to a hip hop show downtown at the Abbey Pub. Me! In all of my rhythm-lacking anxious whiteness, went to a hip hop show, and I. Loved. It. Please, do check out two great hip hop groups of artists. The other one is over here. If you've ever wondered what my husband looks like, he looks like Adeem, the rapper in Glue. (What a great name for a music group!!!)

I've been reading for advanced psychodynamic class, again, some excerpts from Soul Making by Alan Jones

This is how you have to be--like the dead; beyond cursing and praise, unaffected by the opinions of others.

Silence and a feeling of deadness seem to go together. To be utterly silent can feel like death. And silence is important to both the desert tradition and to psychoanalysis. As we have the the psychoanalyst's role is sometimes to sit with the patient and remain completely silent and apparently unhelpful.

'Stopping the world' is an exhilarating experience. Just for a moment, we have no chioce but to see all our dogmatic and philosophial baggage thrown overboard as we stand ship-wrecked on an unknown island. There we are, naked, stripped of the fig leaves of our prejudices and presuppositions. The believer's world is full of images of this "dying." It is strange how many believers are cuaght off guard, since some for of 'dying in order to live' is at the heard of all the great religions. Yet the really creative and free souls I have encountered all have been shipwrecked at one time or another. They have had their world taken from them and lived to tell the tale.

Last night, I had a long overdue, meaningful discussion about life, family, and becoming a therapist with my friend Sarah. She has the most beautiful hair in the world, and a beautiful spirit that is even better than her hair. But let's not talk until 2am again, okay Sarah? At least not on a school night.

I have also spent time being called out, by my clients. Or A client. Yeah, so ever tried to help another person become comfortable with silence when that's YOUR growing edge as well? It's not easy. Rewarding, but not easy. Said client called me on the fact that I always take a sip of water on my kick ass water bottle anytime I want to be maintain the silence, but am having a hard time keeping my fat mouth shut. Wow, how perceptive! So many of my clients would be great therapists. Many of them are so gifted in this sense of the word.

I've also been doing some psych testing. I'm getting to know the Woodcock Johnson. Written by Dick Woodcock and his colleague Johnson. How many slang terms for penis can you fit in one test name? It makes me giggle. Any suggestions for what a female version of a test name could be?

The greatest compliment anyone has ever given you...

Today, on Eric and Kathy in the morning, on 101.9 The Mix, they were naming questions you should ask every first date. One of those questions was "What's the greatest compliment someone has ever given you?"

I could think of a few meaningful moments to share, but then this afternoon my mom gave me a gift. She gave me the greatest compliment that I have ever had.

"You've broadened my picture of what a Christian is. Your horizon looks much different than mine, and I think that I like the way yours looks more than mine. You see much farther. I look at my horizon, and I see people like Jerry Falwell, and I'm fed up."

Thanks, Mama.