Starbucks has ruined America's values

Ok so maybe it's not altogether Starbucks' fault, being there the whole free will deal.  Our nation has lost it's sense of culture, it's sense of community and it's ability to discuss meaningful topics because of Starbucks, or the advent and crazed popularity of it. Oh I know many of you are screaming at your screen and yelling, We go to S everyday or every week and meet with our bible study, or GNO, or whatever else!!!" Read on. Hear me out. In 1978 the little wonder company flew on the scene, virtually unnoticed by most people south of Oregon.
I grew up with coffee, fresh coffee brewing almost at breakneck speed at every relatives house. Cuppa fudgey it was called. If you dare allow folks to come sans a brewed pot you were given "the look". The one that said " good Lord! What is wrong with you and where is my coffee??" The world's problems were solved over coffee. Ok I know I've written this exact same idea before. But people please it bares repeating! Coffee and the lack of community I believe is ruining our nation.
Fast forward to the age of Starbucks and all the people who grew up with coffee pots in their homes. Like me many did and it was a comfort food of sorts. The smell of it brewing brought in intense wonderful thoughts and feelings like no other aroma. It's no wonder all of us adults who were 18 in 1991 donned a plaid shirt and wandered into this magical world. Wait, hold up... This place offers not just black, or coffee with a little cream or espresso, they offer um, something called flavors?  Odd, but ok let's give it a go. Vanilla infused in my skinny latte? Well that was delightful wasn't it.
So there we were mindlessly ordering shorts, talls, and grandes with a splash of flavor. Wait what's this?? Mochas now? Ohhhh, hot cocoa WITH coffee?? Oh sweet Jesus this is truly straight from heaven. A lovely winter treat if you ask me. May I remind you I lived in Ca during the 90's, and the coldest temp I can bring to mind might be in the 50's. Still, chilly mornings right? Mostly I loved my skinny vanilla number and went about the day. Short please. Round about, oh I don't know 1997 all of a sudden no more shorts listed on the menu but tall, grande and good Lord VENTI! Because everyone needs that much caff in one sitting. Like every other blind melon I ordered my "tall" drink and nary a thought passed my brain.
Now friends comes the advent of Frappucinos, made with whole milk and a mound of whip that could choke the cow it came from. Has anyone ever stopped to look at what these glorious drinks are costing us?? I'm not talk pennies friends, I'm counting up calories.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 24 fl oz
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 150 Calories 470
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 17g		26%
	Saturated Fat 10g	50%
Cholesterol 55mg		18%
Sodium 280mg		12%
Total Carbohydrate 77g		26%
	Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
	Sugars 77g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 20% Iron 8%

There it is in bold print. Oh my soul, 470 calories for a beverage??? 17grams of fat, 1/4 that fat a human should consume all day is sucked down in one drink. Never mind if you add a snack to that costing another 100-200 calories. Did anyone notice the cholesterol? And people have the nerve to say high cholesterol can be hereditary. My ass! Put down your high fat, high cholesterol soaked drink and your numbers will plummet I promise!
So I went to dinner with friends three times this month. Twice I tried to order decaf coffee after my meal. Two different restaurants. Both times I waited and waited and waited til I asked for my check and left to make my own after dinner treat at home. By the time I went out third time I decided why frustrate myself and get the coffee goodness at home. I just wanted a cuppa to wash down my meal with friends. I listen, talk, communicate better with coffee in hand. Apparently now it takes a team of specialists to make a pot of decaf. The kicker is, all my friends, pre-meal ordered drinks, alcoholic of sorts and got them in record time, AND were able to order seconds and thirds. Believe me when I say I was happy to leave before any of those people hit the streets after all that consumption of alcohol. Me, all I wanted was a simple cup of coffee. Didn't even need cream.
I was deeply grieved at the way our nation has turned from this time honored tradition of gathering with friends and solving problems over little roasted beans.
We are in a culture where taste is sullied by sweets and fats, not aromas and memories. May I say our tastes have been ruined? Cheapened as it were. I'm grieved that a Sangria holds more appeal that our old friend the cuppa.
I assumed if the establishments offered Fraps, sugar Lattes and the like, you'd be able to get one lickity split!
People used to linger over after dinner coffee for hours in a restaurant. Or better yet, head over to someone's house, throw on a pot, put the kids to bed and talk. Now Starbucks closes by 10, and is not always next to the eatery you are at. Folks head home. Or folks have drank a little too much ahead of time to make much sense by 9 so the sober ones head home, devoid of meaningful chatter and deep thoughts.
In any case, we don't drink regular coffee with cream and sugar, which any person can make. We now consume, in large amounts, the beverages Starbucks only offers, which you have to be a Barista to make.
It's not legalizing gay marriage, abortion or no prayer in school that is ruining America's values my friends. It's Starbucks, and all the other high fat high sugar Coffee Establishments dotted around the country that is ripping away at the fabric of our values.  

I stopped caring when my kid got cancer

Before cancer descended on Weir,Tx, I often said what I think. Only to my super close friends though. I never had a reason to really put my life out there for all the world to see and hear about, not that I never wanted to mind you, I'm a bit of an extrovert. But it was unnecessary.  As a hairdresser for most of my life I was used to listening to other people's problems and didn't need to share all mine with every passer by. Again saving the best for my besties. Ya'll are welcome by the way.
 I have been pondering the fact that many many many many, did I say many? Many folks have commented on my blogs/carinbridge post as so raw and real. My response is often um thanks, I think. In my head of course. I know it's meant as a compliment but it sounds odd. Sort of like the first thing my father in law said to Marck about me was that I was "refreshing". HAHAHAHA!!! Thirteen years later I see why, I'm not an uptight, always says just the right thing, wears just the right thing and believes just the right thing kind of Christian.
So ok, raw and real.... My close besties have not ever said that to me, even after reading the posts. Likely because they knew me pre-cancer. I remember one friend, who I wasn't close to until post-cancer, we were chatting about the gay marriage thing and I think she about DIED when I told her I'm not against it.
And with that last line I lost most of my readers.....
meh. Moving on.
I told her from a sanctity of marriage stand point the argument is stupid because if you're going to make a law based on keeping marriage holy and pure then please make cheating on your spouse, going to strip clubs, oogling some hotty at the pool and all the other stuff illegal as well. No? Then shut it about gay marriage already.
Anywho, the reason why this must have shocked her is she had a preconceived notion of me and who I am. A Christian. eekk, follows rules, has zero fun, never swears. My husband always says one thing he loves about me is I'm soo sweet and just a little bit crass.
Enter cancer. I bet you were wondering how this all tied in. Stay with me. I started writing about my precious child having a tumor to get info out and ultimately get some free therapy in the form of my writing. I've written forever but apparently I never had anything interesting to say. It came as no surprise to some that of course I said exactly how I feel, my mom for one to be sure. I never sugar coat things. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. The one thing I did pre-cancer that changed is I softened my beliefs in front of other Christians. I cared what they thought because for most of my Christian life I was concerned I never got it right. I've ample examples of why this was true. I remember my SIL mentioned to me that if I wanted to be in a "leadership" role at church I needed to dress a little different. I wasn't a hoochy or anything I just wore jeans and t-shirts. Apparently some Jesus loving folks are offended by jeans? I didn't BTW, I just didn't pursue a leadership role. I always knew Jesus loved me no matter what. I guess no one else figured that out yet.
After the big C I had LOTS of folks interested in our journey all of a sudden. Understandably so, but I'm fairly certain most were in for a surprise to find out the real Jen Weir just stood up. I couldn't hide from churchy people anymore and I didn't care. My kid had a life threatening disease and I was pretty scared. Having always been a journaler I treated the blog as such. Laying out the nitty gritty of my soul on "paper" was something I was used to doing. If you were to read my journals you'd see the same. I've told God how crappy my day had gone or how I wanted to sell one of my children that day. Know why? Because I knew He already knew it! No need to hide from God. Adam and Eve tried that, didn't really work.  I sort of forgot in my blogging that some people who didn't know me would be reading my personal thoughts. I stopped caring. I didn't care any more who thought I was crazy for home schooling, or who was offended at my frequent use of crap, damn and shitty. Or who thought my faith just wasn't where it should be at this point in my life. If Jesus is offended or I have stepped out of line with Him, don't you worry He will let me know.
I don't play make believe very good, just ask my kids. I don't do it well in real life either. I don't follow a list of rules very well either, mostly because I'm lazy and hate to "do" a lot of unnecessary activity. Jesus doesn't ask us to do this or do that. Wear this or wear that. Listen to this or that. He says "come to Me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. My burden is easy and light". I've always known that and lived that way, I just stopped caring when my kid got cancer if other people knew.

Welcome to a day in the life of Jen's crazy brain

Weir,TX is a funny place to live in. Funny ha ha, and funny peculiar. Everyday there is something funny that goes on. Things like Jonah declaring it a " no underwear day!" Or Eden leaving the house wearing 2 different shoes. Well that one is ha ha and peculiar. It seems though that we have been going through seasons of funny peculiar. Eighteen months ago Zion was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma. Not really funny, just crazy scary. The after math of that is like living life on a roller coaster. One minute it's a downhill party and we're throwing our hands in the air singing... oh sorry. The next we are trudging uphill through tests and biopsies and praying like crazy. 

Recently we prayed to expand our family. As many of you know God has answered that prayer with a big ol' yes! We are blessed to be expecting a baby girl. Though that has turned funny peculiar. She has some issues that will need to be fixed after she is born. Here comes the roller coaster ride again. 

In church on Sunday I barely held it together due to the fact I was plagued by scary thoughts.  We are still waiting on test results from the recent PET scan. Dr. Gloom went out of town. grrrr. Last week Zion wasn't himself, not eating much, emotional and grumpy. Just off. ( Maybe he was having sympathy pains for me) ;) 

As I fretted about him the thought came, " what if the melanoma IS in his organs? Maybe that's why he's off." What if the cancer comes back, what if my baby dies too early?? AHHH!! Before you get all Judgey Mc Judgerson on me, you try dealing with these thoughts EVERY DAMN DAY and see how well you fair. I swear it really is a minute by minute taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ for me. Some days it's only an hour by hour thing. Most days I do well and know God is good, even if Zion goes Home before I'm ready. But 4 months pregnant and hormonal isn't helpful. 

Then there is the news about Selah, our baby. Ok so it's not fatal. Yippee!! That is awesome news. But once again there are those pesky thoughts, planted, BTW by the doctors. They of course have to tell you the worst case because, well, I don't know, they'd never get a chance to be negative? :-) Things like, she could die because after all any child that has an issue of any kind could die. Or other pleasant things like she could have heart issues, from a tiny hole to major fatal surgery needed but not helpful heart issues. Because once again if a baby has issues, that also might happen. Swell. 

So you can probably see at times I might get a little crazy brain and lose it singing in church about how good and powerful and mighty God is. Yes I know all of this. I believe every single bit of it. My worries and frets have nothing to do with a lack of faith. Cuz here's why, crappy things happen everyday to people with great faith. We live in a fallen world where things unsavory happen. My frets are about " how will I deal with any or all of this?" Particularly with baby Selah. She'll likely be in the hospital for 2 weeks, in Dallas. I have 4 other people I love hanging out with, I don't live in Dallas and oh we home school. Eek. Oh and a newborn having major surgery doesn't sound inexpensive. 

So there it is. The bad and ugly of Jen Weir's brain. I hate that I can't just sail through whatever is thrown at me and not worry. There are so many unknown variables in my life right now. To a born planner that is terrifically hard. I trust Jesus more than anyone reading this will ever know. I believe He is so very good, even if the worst possible case was in my future. After we lost a baby at 5 months I thought I'd never feel joy again. I thought I would die from the pain of delivering and kissing my stillborn baby. I can still picture his sweet face and it stings my heart. But I did live, I did feel unspeakable joy. I knew joy even as we left the hospital that night. 

So as I wrestle with thoughts and feelings about the path Marck and I and the kids are walking, I know my faith is unshakable because He is unshakable. Not because of anything I can muster up, but because as I shake my fist yet again and say "It's not fair!!", He says " I know, but trust Me. I've got this." 

My very wise husband said to me yesterday, " I try not to worry about any of it because I will never be prepared for any of it till it comes." So true. I will not ever be ready to deliver a baby and have her whisked away to surgery. I will never be prepared to feel the effects of cancer returning.  I will never be prepared for any roller coaster ride that life throws my way. But God is. He already knows and is prepared. That is good enough for me. 

Debunking the Need For College

Oh yes I did go there. I lost about three fourths of you with that title. Others of you that are still reading are likely just morbidly curious. Yea for the ghoul readers! 
I was part of a fascinating conversation yesterday and it got me thinking. Actually most days I hear the  topic of college come up at least once. Here's how it usually goes, " Well you know we can't have more kids because after all there's college to pay for". Interesting reason for birth control, but I'm not going to start judging just yet. Or maybe this, " oh my child WILL go to college. That is NOT an option". To which I want to say " stand down tiger." How many people on this planet love being told by anyone they will do something?? Which brings me to my first point.
Why do kids HAVE to go to college? Is it to get a good job, with great pay and benefits? Is it to have the prestige of "making" something of themselves? Is it to make the parents feel like they've done a good job raising the kid? Oh no she didn't just say that. 
As I have been on my journey of home schooling for three years I have learned that each of my kids are vastly different in how they learn and what their interests are. Shocking yes I know. But as I hear other parents demand children go to college it makes me think how unfair. Not every child is a born learner. Many people are better with their hands, not books. Many people like to create rather than read about how to create. When we were at family camp this summer I met a college kid who I'm thinking was forced into going to college. Here's how I know; I asked him what he was studying and he said " forestry management". What the what. Oh and he has a minor in business. I about died laughing because here's what I think happened in that family. " Hey son you're going to college". "No I'm not, I want to be a park ranger." "Oh no, you WILL get a degree". "Ok fine, I'll go to college and become a park ranger!". BAHAHAHA!!  Those parents are spending crazy money so their son could be come Mr. Park Ranger. 
Which brings me to another point. Making a lot of money because you went to college. Um, this may come as a huge shock to you all but I did not go to college and when I worked in a salon I made a ridiculous amount of money for cutting hair. And then when I taught people to color hair, I made an even more ridiculous amount of money. I never went into cutting hair to make a lot of money. I did it because I knew my parents couldn't afford to put me through college so I thought I'd do it myself. By God's grace I "fell" into my passion and it has been the best thing ever! My whole family was outraged because I was wasting my artistic talent by being a lowly hairdresser. Being a woman who tries not to use bad language I won't tell you what I thought of them, but basically I want to sing along with Toby Keith, How You Like Me Now?? Indecently, he never wen tto college.  Particularly since now I get to stay home with my little people AND home school AND get to make some money on the side. How cool is my life?? 
So as I listen to other parents worry and fret about college and push getting scholarships or saving crazy money for their little prodigies to go, I wonder has anyone ever asked their child if they even want to go? Has anyone ever ask their child what makes them tick? Or what their passion is? I've watched 18 year old kids, boys in particular wander aimlessly through college miserable because they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere else but there. 
Zion has wanted to go into the military for ever. I couldn't be more proud of my kids if they even consider serving our nation. Recently he has decided he'd like to drive a fork lift for Briggs Equipment as a result of a recent tour of their facility. I would be just as proud. Eden wants to own a shop, and live in a hole in the ground. The last one makes me scratch my head a little but still would be just as proud and definitely look for opportunities to brag on my babies at dinner parties. Instead of forcing the idea of college on them, I want to encourage them to seek the Lord and see what His will and plan for their lives would be. Seeking Jesus for every decision is what I would be most proud of. 
My last point. Raise your hand if you are still paying on student loans. Your student loans. Raise your hand if you paid for them WELL past the amount of years you were in college. Four year universities are such a rip off. Oh dear I think now I've stepped on some tender toes. :-) Oh well, it's my blog. Paying for that much of college when the kid is not clear yet of what they want to do is crazy. Community college is a beautiful thing. How many of us have picked our doctors because they went to a 4 year university? I couldn't even tell you what college Zion's oncologists went to. All I know if everyone says they are the best in their field. No one has ever mentioned whether they started in cc or not. The point is no one cares. Only their parents cared I'm sure. 
So there it is. I'm not a fan of college. I'm a fan of encouraging my child in the gifts and talents God has given them. Once they figure that out, then praying with them to see what path God has for them to take.
Here's a list of people who never went to college. I'm sure they don't regret their choice. :-) 
Mary Kay Ash
Halle Berry 
Micheal Dell ( computer geek) 
Henry Ford ( yea for cars!) 
Bill Gates ( named richest person by Forbes 27 times, probably because he's not still paying on loans) 
Andrew Jackson
Rachel Ray ( I know I have a few of her cookbooks)
J.D. Rockefeller ( high school drop out) 
Steven Spielberg 
Mark Zuckerberg ( all of us on Facebook are grateful!) (and one of America's top 400 richest people)
Walt Disney (YEA!!! for Disney) 
Charles Dickens
Tommy Lasorda
Steve Wozniak ( the other Apple guy) 
Lucille Ball ( high school dropout) 
David Byrne ( currently listening to his music as I write) 
Sean Combs ( ok well, maybe he's not a good example) 
Simon Cowell 
Snoop Dogg ( ok, maybe I should stop with the rappers) 
Micheal J Fox ( high school drop out)
Ralph Lauren 
Wolfgang Puck ( let's hear it for yummy's!!)
JK Rowling ( I believe she was about homeless before the books got published)
Gwen Stefani ( Quoted as saying" school was just really hard for me. I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to be smart! But I was really dreaming. … It makes me sad when I think about it. I still have nightmares about tests.”) 
Thank you Gwen you've just summed up most of my point. Think I need to listen to a little "Happy Now"