Why I wear a mask

In this strange time of the Covid-19 pandemic, wearing masks to prevent the transmission of the virus has become controversial and politicized.  Those who do not wear masks accuse mask-wearers of living in fear, and those who wear masks accuse those who won't as being selfish and uncaring.

While much can be said (and probably has been said on social media) about masks, I want to just tell you why I DO wear a mask, even though it isn't the most comfortable or convenient thing in the world.

My entire perspective on this (and hopefully all other issues) comes from my identity as a Christian and how I feel I can best live out my faith and demonstrate love to others.

While I've made most of our masks, this one was purchased on Etsy from the shop MadeatHomeMasks -
you can also buy them at https://www.madeathomemasks.com/

The importance of knowledge

In many places in the Bible, but mainly in Proverbs, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are praised, and foolishness and ignorance are condemned.  While there are many opinions about the effectiveness of wearing a mask to prevent virus transmission, the scientific and medical community, the source of knowledge in this area, have said that wearing masks can prevent the spread of Covid-19.  Now, I do not necessarily want this to be true - it would be much easier to just decide it doesn't matter and go about my business any way I want to (without the inconvenience of a mask) - but then I read this:

"A fool's way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise."  Proverbs 12:15

"A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness." Proverbs 15:14

"The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of wise seeks it" Proverbs 18:15 

Love your neighbor as yourself

As far as I understand, wearing a mask does not protect ME against acquiring coronavirus.  My wearing a mask protects OTHERS - in the case that I may be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus.  Now as it would work best, everyone would wear a mask and everyone would be protected.  However, my wearing a mask is a tangible and visible way for me to love my neighbor.

"I give you a new command: Love one another.  Just as I have loved you, but you must also love one another.  By all this people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  John 13:34-35

"We must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action." 1 John 3:18

What if I'm wrong?

What if I'm wrong and wearing masks doesn't do anything to protect others?  Well, if I'm going to be wrong, I want to err on the side of love every time.  Which is why I won't be unloving to those who refuse to wear masks.  Their convictions of how to love others isn't for me to judge.  I can only live out my own faith and demonstrate love in the best way I know how and in the way that I feel led to do.

So there you go, one more opinion you didn't ask for, but got anyway.  :) 

Vegas, Baby!

As I was cleaning the other day, I came across my wedding album, and instead of continuing to clean, I allowed myself to get distracted and take a walk down memory lane.

On a beautiful fall day in 2005, Carlos and I got married in Vegas!  Why Vegas?  Why NOT Vegas!?  As a musician, Carlos had been to his share of weddings, and when we began to think about the logistics and costs, the idea of a destination wedding seemed more and more appealing!  I had never been to Vegas, but I was 100% on board with getting married there because it was a wedding and adventure all in one!

The first question people always ask when we tell them we got married in Vegas is "Did you get married by Elvis?"  The answer is no, we had a traditional, religious ceremony performed by a retired pastor.  But we did run into a couple of Elvis impersonators, which was always fun! 

We got married atLittle Chapel of the Flowers, just in view of The Stratosphere - where we stayed! Carlos found and bought me a vintage dress off of Ebay.  In 2005, it was the go-to site to buy anything online.

We were very lucky to be able to include our best friends in this adventure!  Carlos invited his best friend Angelo to be his Best Man.  Angelo and Carlos are both jack of all trades - they are both hairdressers and dancers, but while Carlos is a musician, Angelo is a stand-up comic. So in addition to his Best Man duties, he also did my hair!

Angelo pulling double duty as Personal Hairstylist/Best Man

Carlos and Angelo in a "dance battle" on Fremont street. 

Did they win?  Of course they did!

I invited my best friend Iris to be my Maid of Honor.  Iris is from Australia, she loves to travel and used teaching as a tool for her own adventures.  She has taught in 4 different countries, and we met while she was teaching in North Carolina.  She was teaching in Japan and was able to fly into Vegas to be part of our wedding.

Fun on Fremont Street

In addition to our best man and a maid of honor, we had wedding guests!  My aunt and uncle were in town for a conference so they were able to attend the wedding in person, but we also had virtual guests!  One reason we chose Little Chapel of the Flowers is because our wedding would be live streamed on the internet.  Now that everything in the world is streamed live that doesn't seem like a big deal, but in 2005, it was pretty cool!  So our friends and family from all over the world were able to virtually attend the ceremony!

After the wedding, we had dinner at Top of the World Restaurant and Lounge, the rotating restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere.  It was the perfect reception with our intimate wedding party.

After an amazing dinner, we headed down the Strip - we walked through the casinos, danced to some music, watched the Bellagio fountains, and received well-wishes from hundreds of strangers!  It was an amazing night, and we loved every minute of it!

Our wedding started our life of adventure together, and since then we have had many more adventures - but I'm confident that the best adventures are yet to come!

My Funny Valentine

In honor of Valentine's Day tomorrow , I thought I would share with the world at least some of the reasons I adore my husband.  :)

1. He cooks me breakfast (usually eggs, hash browns, and bacon) every morning. 
2. He packs me lunch for school and cooks me dinner every evening. 
3. Although I occasionally jump in and do a few dishes, he is pretty much the one who keeps the kitchen clean (can you tell that is "his" room?)
4. He has been so gracious in the past few months when I have come home from work and slept until time to go to bed - and he has made sure I ate dinner between those two "naps"!  He has even taken over nearly all the cleaning responsibilities as it is hard to clean the bathroom while sleeping!  
5. He is brilliant - really - it gets on my nerves a lot of the time, but he knows a lot about everything.  He is a trivia genius and beats me in Scrabble every time (which really bothers me!).  
6. There just isn't much he doesn't know how to do.  He is a computer guru, cooks, and even cuts my hair!
7. Specifically, he knows a LOT about the Bible.  Anytime I have a question, he can answer it almost without blinking.  
8. He makes me laugh - a lot!  He is so silly and it is great to be around someone who doesn't take themselves so seriously all the time.  
9. He is nurturing.  Much more nurturing than I am.  He is the one who not only takes care of me, but also of the dogs and the chickens.  I know he will be a great Dad!
10. He takes care of all of the finances, which takes a huge burden off of me, because when I am in charge of the money, it causes me much undue stress.  

I could go on for ages, but these are probably the top 10 - at least the first 10 I thought of!  :)