it turned into a rant by mistake

Fact: Cool people were born in July. It's a good month. Today's EB's birthday. Friday is AT and MW's. Two of my crazy cousins were born.

I'm in a bit of a funk even though I had an excellent day on the whole. I'm letting little things mar the experience.

I had a discussion with a friend where I felt misunderstood and couldn't find a way to correct her perception of my position. It's a dreadful feeling. Synopsis of my side: I decided not to join my church after the "joining class". My deal breakers are: neither the Lord's Prayer nor the Nicene or Apostles' Creed are said in service-- to me, these say, "basic orthodoxy". I sense that it is a human-centered theology... to quote a Classics prof I had, "now that's looking through the other end of the telescope." And, along the same lines, there's far too much emphasis placed on feeling and desire in faith; I think you're setting people up for failure if they think they'll always desire to read Scripture, come to church and pray. Sometimes you just muscle through it to develop the habit of faith. Yes, one's faith needs to be lived out of a place deeper than a sense of duty, but that's the mystery. Jesus meets us in our striving. The flesh is willing but the spirit is weak... Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Obedience is a form of grace. Perhaps, I'm too simple and not hip enough to understand the complexities. I've been accused of being plebian before this.

Good things: I got my hair high-lighted and it looks good. I had a lovely outing with my mom and two neighbors; we went to a fancy restaurant and then for coffee afterwards. And, I found a writer in South Africa reads my blog-- it made me happy everytime I thought about it yesterday and today.

I need to go to bed because I have an interview tomorrow morning. I'm trying to be positive without being optimistic, if that's possible.