election polls anxious obama supporters deny slow-rising surge hope feel dawn country holds possibility starting loved beginnings january school friendship week overly-sentimental inspirational-poster sense possibility figure screwed mess time growing family's year's rituals addition raucous game charades involved taking scraps paper privately writing regrets perceived flaws wanted individually threw roaring fire overly-romantic child steeped classic literature loved symbolic poetic beauty watching wrong flames good riddance shortly year slip fall habits make mistakes generally begin feeling disgusted inability follow resolve change idea offering beginning beautiful sunrise easy quickly twist ugly down-on-kristin-storm start kicking what's learn chances start bigger do-over higher expectations chance marriage stakes high pretty thought married faith institution marriage thought wrong simply painful bear jason story read suddenly imagine beginning perfection partnership effort forgiveness grace sense possibility strong chose verse corinthians invitations wedding text christ creation creation realized involved throwing past hurts flaws wrongs fire walking shiny perfect redeemed allowed carry slips paper pockets marriage aware handle history healthy ways piece pasts openly honestly deal context perspective critical we're wake magically we're amazing match learned marriages creation working redeem slowly perfect turning time mess starting leap love politics past messy stretch thinking today thinking hope marriage hard fall ways communicating hope obama elected tomorrow wins worry we'll expect obama administration reason mccain wins fear slip spiral despair deal worry stakes high reality carry metaphoric slips past decide deal country messy past baggage matter elected president hope words anchored beginning marked wedding election year hundreds miniscule beginnings happen god's redemptive work mother tennant expressed perfectly segment comment left recent post faith politics thing voting mccain obama pressing minds changing history highly world today christians business changing react interact matter elected world depends behaves voting 