Praying through it

I never experienced religious intolerance on a personal level until I became Catholic. While pagan, even Christians treated me normally. There were no jokes aimed at my faith practices directly nor indirectly.
But I have been witness to all manner of mockery and vitriol recently from people that I once considered open-minded and intelligent. These people are, for the most part, pagan themselves.
It leaves me bewildered. I understand that Catholicism has been prey to some less than desirable practices by clergy. But the attitude towards the church that the population at large seems to hold just baffles me.
At first, It left me angry. I wanted to confront these people in like manner. But that will accomplish nothing good. I realize that now. It is still a desire I struggle with, but I hope to keep it at bay.
I have decided to pray for these people instead. I just hope that is the best approach. I hope it is the appropriate response to their juvenile attempts to create strife where there need be none.

Common Questions

One question I have heard frequently from people discerning their relationship with God is the one about purpose. I've even asked it. I heard that we are all born with a purpose. But, what was my purpose?
I suppose I expected it to fall out of the sky written on a really big rock and crush me to death with the impact of it. That, thankfully, never happened. But don't we expect that? Bells and whistles, some phenomenal thing to happen and then we can say "Aha! That's it!". No, it does not happen that way. Well, maybe for a few it does. But the majority of us, we get a deafening silence.
I am almost 40 years old and now I think that I know why. I could be wrong. I have been before. But I believe that God is leaving it up to us.
You see, our one, great purpose is one we ALL share. No matter who you are you have the same purpose as I.
It is to love and worship your creator. He has revealed Himself so you know who He is.
No questions there now. I missed that one for a long time and now it seems impossible to miss. (It is actually easy to miss when you are whining about all this suffering you have to do down here...take it from one who did all the whining in the world.)
But what about the big stuff? What about the "God wants me to go to China!" and the "I'm going to the rainforest!" people? How do they know God wants them to go? They just know.
You see, I read once that when God has a job he wants done, he does not send someone from Heaven in a big flash and bang kind of way. That's not His style. What He does is bless two people who with a small child and I believe that he plants the plan in the heart of the mother whether she is fully aware or not. Fully aware or not, she will be fully prepared and led by God to raise that child to develop his/her sense of purpose. (Just another reason I hate abortion so much.)
The child will certainly have inclinations toward his/her purpose.
If you are the one 'not getting that'. Cheer up. There is prayer and worship. And those two things can keep you busy a long time.
And don't despair if you get that deafening silence. Just do what you do. Pick something. You've got talents. You know that thing you've been drawn to, that's where you can start. It was drawing for me. Other artistic pursuits followed. You know what I should have done? Maybe gone down to homeless place (Community Kitchen, here) and just sat and painted with the kids that weren't in school that day because mom was on the street and they went with her. Maybe I could have used my skills to do beautiful paintings for old people at the nursing homes. There were many options for me to choose from. I did nothing. I whined and cried about how I couldn't take this suffering and would God please make it easier for me. Yeah. That's what I did.
But maybe God leaves it up to us. And maybe after you have proven that you are going to use the talents he gave you for His purpose, then He will give you the big job.
So, if you build houses, build them for God. If you paint, use it to help ease the suffering of others if only temporarily. If you write, use it to help others somehow instead of just for your own entertainment or bank account. If you sew, wow, the things you could do!
I wrote this just to encourage people. Because I know a lot of people who wander through life wanting to find their purpose and they never seem to get there. Nike says it best, 'Just do it'...whatever you do. And like the Isley Brothers, "It's your thing, do what you wanna do". But do it for God. And He will take it from there.
Yeah, these are the things I wake up with.

I Really Cannot Blame Them

for their fear of Christians. I am talking about people of alternative religions. Even in today's cultural climate of 'anything goes' many neo-pagans suffer a bizarre paranoia that Christians are out to get them. It is not that far-fetched really.

I would like for all my Christian friends to stop for a moment and think about what comes to mind when you hear the word 'pagan'. Now let's do 'Wicca'. The images are probably similar and probably very different than mine.

Many Christians I know are deathly afraid of these people. Sure, there are some weirdos out there on the fringe who do think it's ok to murder babies and animals in 'satanic' rituals. They might drink blood. Those people are NOT the average pagan/wiccan. Those people are sick and dangerous. We've had a few Christians fall into that category, too. Don't forget that.

Your average pagan is trying to hold down a job. They just get together (or alone) have a ritual that you would think bizarre by your standards and then go on with their life. Just like you do. They are just like you. They are just as judgmental. They are just as kind. They get married and have babies and work and vote and have friends and eat just like you do. They probably sin more you than, or at least sin in much more dramatic fashion than you...maybe.

They are searching for their creator, too. So next time you meet one, don't act like a simpleton or a fool. They have no supernatural powers. Things happen for them because the forces they work with. As a Christian, I lean toward seeing those forces as demonic at the worst and certainly self-serving at the least. You should see these people as people. And pray for them if you want to share your life in Christ with them. Pray a lot. And do not light into them about how they are sinners and going to hell. That won't work with these guys. Be kind. Listen much. Talk little and gently. And pray a lot.

It finally hit me……

My husband has said to me, “Americans do not necessarily vote into office the ‘best’ man for the job; We vote for the man we NEED to be in that office.” Americans elect the man most needed at the time. That man was not McCain this time. The white, elite man may never again be the man we need. And he is correct, I think.
Ultimately, that’s why Palin failed to be effective, as well. She is not the reason the Republican agenda failed. But, she was not what was needed to solve the problems of this country either. Hockey moms are good for solving status quo problems. They do not lead nations out of peril. They kiss boo-boos on skinned knees. Sure, they can govern a state, too. That is a lot like running a really big business. Hockey moms do that all over the country every day.
No, our country did not NEED more white male elitism (their era IS ending…not too many of them left). It did not NEED the Hockey mom to kiss its collective skinned knee. Our injuries are more of a trauma unit sort of nature. They are coding us, we just aren’t aware of it yet. What we needed is an entirely different perspective if the collective untit is going to survive. We NEED the Black Man. The one who we perceive as having a genetic predisposition to survival, the one so immersed in multicultural lifestyle that he HAS to be the one to connect with us ALL.
Yes, given my husband’s theory, we need Barack Obama. And now, he gets prayed for everyday in this household, after my husband and kids…his spot in the list is right after the Pope.
We will one day NEED a woman in there. Maybe a mother of five…maybe the battle-axe office bitch….Who knows. I think it largely depends on what our circumstances happen to be at the time. Maybe after Obama we will need the Hockey Mom to kiss our skinned knee after Dad tells us ‘to rub some dirt in it and get moving’.
I am uneasy. But that has more to do with the fact that I am conservative. We generally do not take change well. Liberals love change…they thrive on a constant diet of it. That’s why we cannot get along. I certainly do not take change well. I do not like sudden difference. It puts me in a tailspin. I was much more flexible to change when I was young(er). But I am not younger now. I want stability and status quo. I want boring and settled. I want things to work. They are not working anymore. The machine is broken and needs to be replaced by a newer, different model that we must learn all over again.
But, we will learn. And I believe that God wanted this man in office now, or he would not have been elected. I love that conservative Christians, my brothers and sisters, cannot concede that God willed this, but they will admit that HE WILLED George Bush to be elected. Be certain, God’s plan included them both. Our great nation is being judged and found wanting and he gave our nation what she asked for and chose….
But then a lot of people who pass themselves as Christian are actually evil Republicans. Christian and Republican are not the same thing. They are most definitely not synonymous. A lot of Christians vote republican. A lot of Republicans pretend to be Christian. I do not think it is possible that a diehard Republican CAN be a Christian. But I digress. This is a totally different, albeit related, rant I should reserve for another day.
Our situation lost McCain the race. Sarah Palin, if anything, gave his campaign a much needed boost. Without her, this thing would have been called much, much sooner.
Given better circumstances in our country and the world, I would love to see her in the White House. I like her. I always will. I believe she is perfectly capable of governing an entire country. Hell, Alaska practically is its own country! I just cannot see her being effective against these problems.

Congratulations

go out to Our President- Elect, Barack Obama.

I did not want him in office. I still have reservations about him, especially his foreign policy.

However, he is now my president and I accept that. The first thing I did was pray for him. He is going to need all the help he can get. I think a good many of the country's problems will only be solved by the power of the Almighty. (Let us just hope that we have not elected the Anti-Christ.)

I watched the cameras pan to Jesse Jackson and I saw tears stream down his face. He lived to see a black man as president. Good for him. I do not like Jesse Jackson. I think he is a racist pig of a human being. But, I could see the joy on his tear-streaked face. It moved me.

I am hopeful after hearing Obama's speech. Well, I am at least less apprehensive or apathetic. I waffled between the two the last few weeks.

I liked Palin. I want to see her go into the Senate and get her 'experience' that others seem to think was so important. It mattered not for Obama (a first term Senator), but we have double standards in this country and since she is a woman, the experience will matter in her case. I want to see her come back in a few years and run. I think a Hillary/Palin contest would draw even larger, record crowds than the black man/ white man race did. Just my opinion.

My husband thinks Hillary is gone for good. I think not. That woman is too power hungry. I think she will return.

At any rate, I am glad it is over.

Mr. Obama,
You have a huge responsibility to the people of this country to be honest, hard-working, and ethical. Do not let us down.
You also have the added responsibility of going down in history as the first black president. It can go ill or well. Make sure that in the history books they say of you, "He was one of the greatest men to serve in the White House".

Welcome, Mr. Obama, President-Elect.

She

She was singleminded in her conviction of Heaven and family and responsibility.
She quilted love with nimble fingers until nimble fingers froze.
She loved unconditionally and advised with wisdom of an age we will never capture in this one.
She served undaunted until her body would go no more.
She laughed and her eyes would dance.
She taught biscuits and pillowcases.
She fed with creamy rice puddings and gravy smothered roasts.
She told night stories of 'beller-bawlers' while we listened for whipperwills.
She washed blackberry bush cuts and knew the best places to find juicy berries.
She loved the old music and had no use for 'progress' or 'modernity'.
She passed this world with love because she knew love is action not a feeling.
And while she was relatively unknown to the world at large, She left a legacy that defies comparison.

my world will not be the same without you gran-gran. may God greet you with the same hospitality and love you have shown all those of us who mourn your loss. you are the only person i know for certain will make Heaven.

I Just Have to Laugh

I just have to laugh right now. Many of you who know me know that I spent 20+ years involved in neo-paganism/new age. I asked God to 'open my eyes' about all that. I am happy to report that He is doing just that. I wanted to share something with you, particularly those who might still be involved in these 'spirituality' movements.


They (these 'gurus' of the 'new age') write articles designed to help you get over your past hurts and wounded soul. They talk about 'facing yourself' and your inner nature, your demons, and 'letting them go'.


I ask this, how can you 'let them go' when you are reliving it every time you go to session? These self-help methods of guided meditation and introspection only serve to keep that past alive for you, not bury it. I know, I lived in my own pity party for a very long time.


Their methods teach you that you do not need a book (but you'll buy hundreds of them on your 'path), a trick (but you'll learn many a 'programmed movement', mudra, mantra, chant, etc), a teacher (but you'll seek one out because they have knowledge you do not supposedly), a savior (and there it is- the real reason 'they' are here. ,to tell you that you are your own God).
But you'll go to how many of them so they can 'save' you from your sorrow, pain, spiritual thirst?

It is sad, really. But I had to laugh. It is so obvious that they speak 'doublespeak'. They lie to you and laugh their way to the bank. They tell you not to give your power away but you give it to them willingly by simply following them around and hanging on every word. And they call Christians 'hypocrits'. Wow.


Blinders. Rose colored glasses.

Jesus, help us. This is way out of hand.

Now, we need to work on my judgmentalism.