Boil That Trouble, Cauldron Bubble

Word of the Post
Today's word is: forgive
/for*give"/ verb
To cease to feel resentment toward; to give up claim to retribution upon. The person or the action can be the object of this verb; commonly one is the direct object, while the second is the indirect object, i.e. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." - words of Jesus, Matthew 5:12.
To stop blaming; to absolve from payment. This does not imply that the action was not wrong, but that the feelings of the wronged can be put aside for the betterment of the wrongdoer.
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Forgive me, I have not posted in a long while. This life gets crazy at times. I have been dealing with travel, helping my friends, and depression. I don't know what causes my depression, but I know that I have it. I have never been diagnosed, because I have no insurance, and do not feel comfortable talking to a doctor that may not be a Christian. I know to some of you, that makes no sense. To me, it is everything. I want to talk out my problems, but I don't want a heathen to listen to the issues that effect my Christianity, because I don't think they can understand the background music. I don't want to talk to a Christian counselor (there are some fine options at my congregation), because I am afraid that I may end up as an example in a public lesson. Either way, I sit here without help, and don't know exactly where to turn.

So, in an effort to get myself out of the funk I have allowed myself to fall into.... I pour myself into work. Around the house, I have done dishes and laundry enough to make my hands raw. For my friends, I have traveled to St. Louis, picked up kids from school and laughed. I have not tried writing, which is usually my first course of action. I have gone through the motions of having a normal life, and hated most of it. Today, I felt I must write. If not for you, then simply for me. In an effort to stir up conversation, and maybe to get myself to think more critically, I want to start a new topic.

I have many strong opinions on this subject, and you may not agree with me at all, but I have to state them, as it is my right to do. I have been prayerfully considering my statements, and I ask that you prayerfully consider your answers. I do not mean to cause division, and I am trying to maintain my own humility toward the subject. My first resource is the Bible. I want to make sure to keep the integrity of the Word, and allowing my opinions to form from there and not from my own pride or humanity.

Many times over the past few months, I have thought on the subject of sexuality. Primarily the sinfulness and public acceptance of the homosexual community. Their public push for equality mirrors that of many minority groups in America. They all want so much equality that they become the standard, not the aberration.

What if the tendency is a born trait? I have a hard time believing that God would create a trait, and then tell us it is a sin. Leviticus 18:22 calls this act "detestable" or "an abomination" depending on the translation you look at. Leviticus 20:13 says that both parties in such an act should be put to death, and the guilt of their blood is on their own heads. Death is the God-decreed punishment for such sin. Why would any god, especially a Creator God, make something that He calls sinful and plans to destroy?

Romans 1:27 - "and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." (*NOTE: Politically Incorrect thought warning: I don't care that my opinion is not PC. I don't try to be PC. Politics can kiss my left toe. I would rather be a Jesus Freak.) Seems that AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a punishment, a disease brought on by the sin of sexual misconduct. Probably not a new way to die, simply the new term for an age-old illness. I am not saying that everyone with AIDS is a sinner in this manner. There are many ways to Acquire this Deficiency. Children of drug users can get it, having done absolutely nothing wrong. Maybe it got its start in the depravity of sin?

I won't argue if the tendency to be attracted to the same sex is a born trait. I will say that, like any other sexual choice, it is the action and the lifestyle that are sin. I do believe that a person can change. I believe that sexual conduct is a choice. A person who has lived a gay lifestyle can repent, and abstain, as any heterosexual person can abstain. If the tendency is born, then it is a result of human error, not of creation.

I truly do not wish to know what goes on behind the door to anyone else's bedroom. It is none of my business. It is not my place to know, nor to judge. However, if it is brought to my attention (as in, "Hi, I'm gay!") I can feel the need to comment. God has already pronounced judgment on this sin. For me to call a sin by its name and to inform the sinner of the verdict is not a judging. I share only the judgment that is God's word. Sexual conduct in this manner is sin.

The spark on the kindling for this discussion for me this week was a movie ("What Makes a Family", made for TV, 2001) about a woman who had lost her partner (death), and was suing the maternal grandparents for custody of the child (the partner had a sperm-donated baby) she had helped to raise but she had no blood tie to. According to the movie, Florida was at that time the only state with laws still on the books preventing same-sex couples to adopt. Rosie O'Donnell (not my favorite political spokesperson) tried to adopt, in New York, a child from Florida, and was denied because of their laws.

I am not heartless. I want kids to have stable, safe, loving homes to live in. There are way more kids in this world who are unwanted by their birth parents, than there are foster and adoptive homes to care for them. There have been many studies to show (and used in these Florida court cases) that same-sex couples are not any more likely to raise gay children. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. The problem I see is that they are promoting "tolerance" for something that God does not tolerate. The children raised in these homes may not feel that they are personally supposed to be gay, but they are raised with the idea that being gay is OK. That it is "normal". That it is simply a persecuted minority, or a misunderstood cult.

I am not happy about it, but I have family members who have differing opinions and lifestyles than I do. We have had long discussions about this. We all still get along fine. We have a mutual respect. We all understand that Public Displays of Affection are gross, no matter who is doing it. We do not spend the night in each other's homes. We still invite them over for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I pray all the time that their souls will be saved by a change of heart that may never come. It is hard to change a person who 1. does not want to change, and 2. has been with his partner longer than my own parents have been married (more than 38 years).

God calls homosexuality reprehensible. To raise a child in the opinion that it is OK is wrong. To have a strong opinion based on God's laws does not make me "intolerant".

To ignore God is an exercise in futility.

Let the games begin!

Overlooking The Bad

Word of the Post
Today's word is: condone
/con*done"/ verb
To regard or treat (usually action that is bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable or harmless. To overlook an offense; to pardon; make allowances for, or be lenient with.
When a child is caught doing something bad, many parents today condone their actions instead of punishing and educating.
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I got the car back, and things seem to be operating properly. I now have to settle up with the shop. I don't like giving up my money. I didn't even have to work for this money, but it just seems wrong to pay so much for installing such tiny parts. Dread fills my being. Unfortunately, I am also an honorable person, and must pay my debt. I want the guys to make the money for their labor. Just not so much of it. I have told the guys in the office more than once: I appreciate the work you do for me, but I am really getting tired of looking at you.

I think the cats are trying to break the door between the living room and the garage. They run throughout the house, at break-neck speeds, and hit the cat door at full tilt. One of these days, the door is going to pop out of its place, or just break in half from the force.

Of all the things that can go wrong, I have to deal today with the most painful. I have been having horrible back spasms. It hurts to walk, hurts to sit, hurts to move. I have iced my back, rubbed it with Tiger Balm, massaged, taken Tylenol, heat packed, and stretched. I have no idea what is pinched or what is out of place, but my muscles are crying. I wonder how much of this comes from all the walking I did over the weekend, going to the craft fair and a Blazers hockey game. You might question why going to a hockey game should make my back hurt, and I have the answers. I spent all day Friday at the State Fairgrounds at An Affair of the Heart, a twice annual craft fair. My legs and feet hurt for two days after that. On Saturday, we went to the hockey game at the Ford Center. We park about three blocks away, and walk to the arena. Then we have to hike up and down the stairs to get to our seats. The seats are not built for babies who have back like I have. I have to sit in the seats at a bit of an angle, and I am sure that is the actual culprit.

Thankfully, none of these will last forever. I have the money in hand to give to the shop for my car. I know the pain will go away soon enough. I should not complain. It brings everyone else down, and doesn't make me feel any better. Just know that I am doing all I can (for free) to help myself.

I wish for all my readers, loyal or new, to have a fun and safe and Happy Halloween!

And A Cherry On Top!

Today has been a bit of a roller coaster. I went to my friend's memorial service. It was one of the shortest, happiest funerary ceremonies I have ever attended.

The man was a Christian, and lived a long and happy life. He was full of awe at new experiences, and loved any new gadget he could get his hands on. He was well-loved, and will be much missed. The preacher who did the eulogy was impressed with the masses of people that kept the family company at the Heart Hospital. Apparently, even without me, the room was always full from Sunday night when he had the initial heart attack until Tuesday morning after he passed away. The Heart Hospital at Mercy was even good enough to bring a food cart for the guests. Amazing.

The funeral was a mix of congregational singing (our church being fond of acappella music), and a short talk about his life. I felt a bit self-conscious during one song. I was the only alto I could hear, on an alto lead part of the chorus. I don't think I was the only one singing, but I KNOW I was the only one the song leader could hear. It took a few minutes for all the adrenaline to get back to a normal level. I like singing, but I didn't want to be the center of attention at a funeral.

We laughed, we cried a little, and we broke for food. The actual service was only 1/2 an hour. He would have been happy to know that we all visited a long time over a good meal. His widow is such a sweet woman. I feel for her. She will no longer have her husband to listen to her. Her son lives with her, and I think things will be fine. He is a good son, taking care of his parents recently.

His daughter, my good friend, works for Hertz. I find it funny that the meaning of the name Hertz is "my strife". There are very few people I know who have worked there that enjoyed it; and I know a LOT of people who have worked there. Even I worked there for a short while. I guess you have to be off the phones in the call center, and then things are fine. Hertz (yes, the rental car company) is not fond of letting its people off for any old reason. But today, there were many people who work with my good friend at Hertz, and came to the funeral. It was neat.

The service was not a preachy service. The minister didn't try to convert the heathens who knew this man. We just celebrated his life, and it was peaceful.

I still don't have my car back. They keep trying to fix the sensors that trigger a fan that cools the system. They have replaced the water pump and two sensors, as well as the thermostat. They have one more part they are replacing tomorrow, and I should have the car back after that. I hope it works correctly. I miss my Malibu. I love that car. I have said before, if we could put the cushy seats and the cassette player from the Buick into the Malibu, the Malibu would be close to perfect. But perfect requires working. So, we wait. Pray that I don't go crazy without my car.

Go with God, Friends.