ETC: Everyday Thoughts Collected
News & Views of Yet Another Person
From the category archives:
The following is a great little video. Watch it all the way through to the end.
Also, a friend forwarded a letter from House Republican Leader John Boehner to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The note from the friend included, “this is what the MSM won’t tell you.” [click here to continue reading …]
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“How Do I overcome my fear of telling my gay friends I am overcoming my same sex attraction and homosexuality tendencies? What can I say to them that won’t sound like I’m personally attacking them.”
I want to spend some time laying groundwork here by sharing about my gay friends before and right at the time of my initial decision to pursue Christ’s will for my relationships. I will also touch upon the fact that I do have people I consider friends who identify as gay in my life today.
I left my gay identity and started questioning my gay defined worldview at the age of 24. All my friends were gay or pro-gay, I was “out” at work, with family and neighbors. Being “gay” affected what I considered to be options for sex, romance and friendship. It also imposed some restrictions on who I thought God could be like and what He believed. I would often share with Christians that God couldn’t possibly be who they think He is because I wouldn’t be the way I am if He thought so differently. I had even met an “former homosexual” when I was twenty years old and thought he was crazy. Being gay was the focal point of who I was. Sure, there were other elements of my life but they were all somehow run through the filter of a presupposed gay defined worldview.
In other words, I gave every Christian a run for their money if they brought the subject up. I know a little bit about the above question from both sides of the fence.
[click here to continue reading …]
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I got my good looks from Mom and yes, those are Superman glasses (emblem on the side of the ear piece.) 
This was the picture of my Mom and I when we joined Radnor Baptist Church in Nashville. I was in sixth grade. It was my only time in church growing up (about six months.) I was Baptized but didn’t know what it all meant. I did not have a saving knowledge of Christ and don’t remember how it all transpired even. But … I remember the day *very* clearly. More on that in a minute.
At this church one of the funny memories is when my brother and I were making noises, loud noises that sounded like “barking tree spiders” if you know what I mean. Brother Paul, the preacher, made my brother and I sit on the mini-thrones behind him on stage. My brother seemed to love it. I was terrified.
My brother and I gave the elders a run for their money though. We rode the church bus to Sunday school and then would hide in the construction site (expanding the sanctuary) after Sunday School before “big church.” Most of the time the elders would find one of the two of us and the other would come out of hiding to not leave the other alone to suffer through the sermon without company. One elder, a balding red headed man, was very good at finding us. It took him a while but he usually was the one to find us.
[click here to continue reading …]
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I love Q & A. We had a Question & Answer session at the Freedom Conference on Saturday morning. We covered a lot but it would have taken days to answer all of the questions. I saved those questions and while I can’t promise to answer every single one here on my personal blog. I will try to pick questions that represent themes I see in many similar or exactly the same questions.
So let’s get to the question for today …
I want to be transparent, but I find myself having to battle some false and serious allegations. This causes me to have to end up in defensive mode but unable to prove innocence. How do you handle false damaging attacks?
There is a lot that could be said with regard to this but what I always come back to is the example Christ set during his trial which eventually led Him to be tortured and crucified. In that poignant moment you see Him sticking to His message, being silent in the face of people lying about Him and yet affirming who He was and the Father’s will.
[click here to continue reading …]
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***UPDATE: At the end of the post, after the jump***
I first wrote about Augusten Burroughs‘ not long ago. I was impressed with his writing ability and honesty.
I mentioned that I wasn’t really ready to read his book A Wolf At The Table because it sounded traumatizing. I knew it would trigger some of my own “stuff” and I was right.
It was horrible … very well written … but horrible.
I bought the book with a gift card I got for my birthday. It is easy to read … technically. Although, the subject matter kept my consumption of the book at a slow pace.
I was really surprised at the level of empathy I have for Augusten. Granted, I am not going to explore that in a blog post to any respectable degree. While the details of the different events in our respective lives are different I can relate to the systematic rejection, abuse and abandonment with the occasional violence and terror. Again, seperate lives and circumstances but many of the same themes and results.
Now, unlike Augusten, I never fantasized about killing my father … or anyone. Although, I did have serious other issues and ways to cope or escape.
I would recommend this for Christians interested in reading a non-Christian survival response ( I don’t think Augusten claims to be a Christian) to an abusive childhood. While the end result for Augusten is extraordinary (best selling author), his upbringing is unfortunately something millions and millions of people can relate to on some level. I would recommend this book, for the strong of heart. Augusten, again, displays a tremendous survival response, perseverance and amazing insights.
There is something about Augusten’s will to survive that speaks to the epic dignity of every human’s struggle against darkness and being able to cope in an imperfect world.
An Aside: It should be stated that Augusten’s Dad was planning to be a Pastor when he was young but he eventually fell away from faith with scorn and derision. It is a tough testimony to read.
While I do recommend the book, be warned… it could mess with your head. Make sure to take care and maintain proper stewardship of your time and attention.
[click here to continue reading …]
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Halperin posts A Nation Responds to New of Kennedy Brain Tumor.
I find it so humanizing that as bad as American politics can be … as much as I cannot agree with Ted Kennedy on SO many things … I genuinely felt terrible after hearing news of his brain tumor. I am very glad to see many conservatives and Kennedy’s political opponents sharing good will, respect and civility toward Senator Kennedy.
Please join me in praying for Senator Kennedy’s healing. Will you do that with me? Michelle Malkin is praying.
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La Shawn writes about The Body (of Christ) and asks the following question.
Christians, what, if anything, amazed or surprised you (about yourself and/or others) when you first became a believer?
I thought about changing the title of this post to something else because it is the same as La Shawn’s. But then I thought better of it … we are one Body so … uniformity actually sends a message of unity.
Now, to answer the question; there have been *many* surprises over the past sixteen years as a Christian. In the beginning, what surprised me the most was how not weird (but still kind of weird) Christians were. I had thought they were absolutely bonkers but they weren’t. Maybe I was lucky but when I showed up with my crazy gay self (I *was* gay identified … I am *still* crazy) nobody freaked out. That was my first surprise (this was in 1992.)
Also, in the beginning, I was very surprised at how much fun The Body of Christ actually had. Granted it wasn’t, “Let’s all dance half naked at an underground alternative bar!” kind of fun (what I was used to before becoming a Christian.) They were full of joy and always doing something cool or hanging out. They taught me joy instead of instant gratification. I had not known that instant gratification often short circuits joy and contentment.
What surprised me about me was that I wasn’t a soloist in how screwed up a life could get. I loved their humility. They helped me to feel acceptance in a deeper and richer way. I took my place among the redeemed willingly, eagerly. This surprised me because at one point in my life I hated Christians. Again, maybe I was lucky but the humility shown by other Believers turned my heart very quickly.
I travel *all* the time and meet Christians all across North America. The sense of familiarity and unity among believers is amazing. Since moving to Orlando almost six years ago, I have said on many speaking engagements, “No matter where you are in the world, if you are in the House of the Lord among the Body of Christ, you are home.” That’s the biggest surprise since living here. It is absolutely true. Having traveled quite a bit I know first hand that The Body does transcend culture.
Well, that’s what came to mind in response to the question … so Christians, it is your turn.
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Honestly, when I first heard about this situation I didn’t believe it. Although I don’t know Peter extremely well, I have met him and had quality conversations with him. The guy is usually very nice, smart, eloquent, calm, understanding … I couldn’t believe this statement of “exporting homosexuals” had come out of his mouth.
but then … there was the video … it definitely came out of his mouth. I was suprised because it didn’t seem, at all, like the guy I know.
The below statement was just published to the FRC Blog. (emphasis mine.)
In an interview with Medill News Service that was posted on the Internet last week, I discussed FRC’s opposition to an immigration bill that would allow foreign nationals who are the same-sex partners of American citizens to immigrate to the United States on the same basis as foreign spouses of American citizens. FRC does not believe that homosexual relationships are the equivalent of marriage, and we therefore oppose any legislation that would treat such relationships as the equivalent of marriage.
In response to a question regarding bi-national same-sex couples who are separated by an international border, I used language that trivialized the seriousness of the issue and did not communicate respect for the essential dignity of every human being as a person created in the image of God. I apologize for speaking in a way that did not reflect the standards which the Family Research Council and I embrace.
I am so glad Peter didn’t try to make any excuses. I appreciate the forthrightness of his apology. One of my most memorable conversations with Peter included the topic of respecting the dignity of every human soul. From what I know of Peter, he is a deep and thoughtful man so I have no doubt this one blunder won’t be a pattern.
The insult shouldn’t be minimized either. It is one thing to disagree about public policy and it is another to be trivial about matters of the heart (the relationships affected.) Legal and moral issues aside… people invest their hearts into relationships and that should be taken seriously. I pray that Peter’s apology will be received even though he continues to hold the original policy views regarding immigration and same sex couples.
What do you think of the above statement?
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Have you noticed that it is chic to be a critic against “the Church?” Especially if you are a Christian criticising the church. Have you also noticed that it is cool to criticize critics of the church? … you know to be a Christian criticizing Christians who criticize other Christians? It’s so … exhausting.
“Snarky” is not one of the gifts of the Spirit.
Now, I don’t want to sound critical ::: smile ::: but what if we spend more time encouraging, where we can, critical Christians we Christians are critical of? A humbling question could be, “How can I engage the Spirit to edify “the Body” instead of being critical for the sake of being critical?” What ways can I be grateful for the efforts of the historic church and other Christians who do things differently?
::: this is my lunchtime meditation today :::
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I’ve always been a Doubting Thomas. You know how some people relate to David for his bravery, or Job for his perseverance? I relate to Thomas because I suppose I see myself as kind of a big, whiny baby, demanding physical proof. And through the years, as I’ve watched tragedies and heartaches unfold, I’ve said to myself, OK, Jesus has holes in His hands, but that doesn’t explain why it had to be in the first place. Why, God? Huh?
My cousin Jay and his wife T.J. were the first people to ever tell me about Jesus Christ and how He could change a life. I was 11 years old at the time, and things were a lot simpler and more innocent then, so I absorbed every word and it wasn’t long before I wanted what they had. I accepted Jesus in to my heart the day before my 13th birthday.
They are a family of great fatih, and great struggle. Jay, like myself, has battled Bipolar Disorder most of his life, but he lead worship at church, worked with children, and raised his 4 daughters to know God. They were pretty people, with a pretty house, pretty kids, and a pretty life.
So when Jay was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) a couple of years ago, I started asking why again. Hadn’t he suffered enough with mental illness? And the illness took him in pieces, much more quickly than any of us thought it would… far more quickly than it should have. In November 2006, I was talking to him on the phone, and he was still walking. It was a challenge, but he was still mobile. In November 2007, I went to visit him and his family and he was no longer able to walk, eat, and he wore an oxygen mask constantly. Last month, he had a trach tube put in to breathe for him, rendering him permanently unable to talk. He now relies on his family for everything, from toileting, to tube feedings.
This is a man who wrote musicals, symphonies, played the piano, sang, and was a natural athlete.
But the amazing thing has not been his rapid decline, but the way God has taken care of Jay’s family. Even a Thomas like me can’t deny it. He surrounded them with friends, their every need has been met - both financially and practically - and their faith is more than intact. It is more intact that some of us healthy folks.
I asked Jay if he ever doubted God’s love for him, and he said no. It stuck with me, like having a rock in my shoe. I couldn’t shake it. I felt guilty for my own doubts. If Jay could believe, anyone could.
[click here to continue reading …]
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