Coffee

Some call it swill. Others prefer chai lattes. I was the in the latter group until about April, I believe. Maybe it was May. All I know is that I am now a coffee drinker. I was first introduced to it by my current manager on my project who bought me a blonde roast with milk. I added my own Stevia and actually liked it. I discovered the iced version soon afterward. Now, in about 2 months’ time I’ve graduated to medium blend (Starbucks: Pike Place Roast). I still add way too much sugar-free vanilla syrup and whole milk. Maybe I still can’t stand that taste too much? In any case, whenever I have it, the boost is great.

My New Attraction. !Coffee! !!!!

Y’all. Lemme tale you how much life I get from a Tall order from Starbucks. It’s ridiculous. I understand why people depend on it for a perk in the morning. It really gives you a good boost. It makes me feel like running long distance to get in the presence of someone I don’t like and swing at them about the temples with a sack full of half dollars. Then I’d run back to someone who grabs my fancy and do wonderful things with them, but then I think about how Jesus would feel about that and I ask for forgiveness for those thoughts.

And scrap the carefully handwritten details about executing the plans. And deny ever having any urges like that.

Like any good church-going American does.

Coffee is pretty much all it’s cracked up to be. I don’t have it often during a week, but I got a good boost today and whenever I have it. It also helps you poo! The downside is that I get a little jittery and annoyed when I have to encounter mess at work (or elsewhere) and I just want to enjoy the buzz. People car really harsh my buzz. I sound like a drug addict. *slaps cephalic vein with the vigor of Billie Holiday*

In closing, coffee is good. I understand why people like it so much now. I’ll probably try a darker roast soon. My grandmother said that coffee makes you black. She must have had it every day since childhood because she was the complexion of the darkest member of the Mofesebutu tribe from the bowels of East Central Africa. No, that tribe does not exist. Yes, I just slandered my dead grandmother. Yes, I loved her dearly and lost it in the car at her burial. You will deal.

Bye!

Updates

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted (6 whole days). I was fighting a sinus infection all week that took me out of work on Monday and had me working remotely on Tuesday. I didn’t feel 100% until yesterday. Bleh.

So, let’s update with some things:

1. Sinus infections suck. This is my 3rd one in a year. Two were now viral (after a cold) and one was bacterial (after an allergy attack). I need to see an ENT. I’ll try irrigating my sinuses once a week, though, first to see if that will work (Neti Pot) along with daily Flonase use.

2. I’ll just say that when you’re not horny, that’s when you get offers. If you are and even think about looking for it, you don’t get offers. No one has been taken up on any offers.

3. I don’t know what I’m getting people for Christmas, which is 13 days away. THIRTEEN DAYS AWAY! We’ll see what happens. I only want two gifts this year – a food processor I saw on Amazon and cash. Preferably about $16,000 tax-free, but whatever can be provided will help, I’m sure.

4. I went to my company’s Christmas party in Pennsylvania Friday and had a really nice time during the party and afterward! It was fun. I liked talking to everyone and always enjoy conversations with the CEO’s wife. I got Lottery tickets in the White Elephant exchange and scratched off two free tickets and $2. I invested those $2 back into the Pennsylvania Lottery and got 3 more tickets. I won $20 and a free ticket from those and that was the end of my winnings. I was happy with that $20, though it would have been nice to hit for $24,000 that one ticket offered. I joked with my table, CEO, and HR director that if I get a big winning ticket (enough to have that I’d never spend that much in a lifetime), I’d quit on Monday. I’m at work today, so yeah.

5. I saw this 60 Minutes interview with Obama (it’s on their site) and he struck a stronger tone than usual. He’s campaigning, and that’s okay. There was one time I thought he didn’t answer a question and babbled a bit, but overall he handled the interview well. The interviewer, however, was clearly showing is Red stripes with some questions and facial expressions.

6. On Facebook I posted a status update supporting gay marriage in spite of my view of marriage as God ordained it. My friend from college saw the post, asked for my explanation, and I gave her a long response. She told me that I had changed since college, was “lost” because I support gay marriage and think that a person can be gay, a Christian, and still used by God to do His work, and that she wouldn’t engage me in this topic again because it is such a touchy subject for me.

Meanwhile, I didn’t go off on her, I just explained my points:

• While marriage is defined in Genesis 2:24 as being between one man and one woman, society has polluted that ideal over time, and even some of God’s most ardent supporters and followers He used throughout time to do His work (Jacob, David, Solomon, etc.) had multiple wives. Thus, the definition of marriage has changed depending on the society. Now that we have all these laws and privileges tied to marriage in this country, that’s really polluting it further because there are rights tied to it that people don’t get equally. When the state gets involved it’s no longer a religious issue. There is no ground for it from my view and gays should be allowed to get married just like straight people.
• Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you’re having sex. God speaks against sex outside of marriage for anyone, not just homosexuals.
• She praised the Lord right along with me to Richard Smallwood, Tonex, James Hall and Donald Lawrence songs just like I did in college yet says you can’t be gay and serve God. Granted, she said gay lifestyle, but I don’t know how she defines that aside from just being gay. (Some of those guys haven’t come out of the closet, but…well…I mean, really? I’m not trying to slander anyone, but just saying.)

7. Church was good Sunday. Learned about the importance of setting up a patriarchy/matriarchy of faith in Jesus so that it can be passed down from generation to generation (came from Genesis where Seth’s family was the family that began to call upon the name of the Lord whereas Cain’s family showed themselves to be selfish, murderous, and inwardly focused).

8. I need to get my play edited! Ugh! And Christmas decorations up! Ugh ugh! I just want to start writing my comic book as a movie. It’s together in my head, but I have to be diligent and get other stuff done first.

Now we’re all caught up!

Tuck In Your Fears, Christians

After watching a video clip of Michelle Bachmann answering several questions over the rights of same-sex couples to wed, I got angry. She equated the rights of gays as being special privileges based on sexual relations. She said there is no room in this country for that. Okay, but using that logic, straight people have federal marriage rights based on with whom they have sex, so why can’t gay people?

She then went on a rant about how Christians are being persecuted and silenced in this country when asked a question about religion. Now, while I agree that there is some silencing going on, it’s nowhere near Iran as a lot of Christian conservatives are making it out to be. The springboard for all of this was gay marriage.

Then I thought about The Salvation Army and their statement for their Christmas donation that needlessly explained their position on homosexuality. Then Chick-Fil-A released a statement saying that while they respect homosexuals as people, they cannot bear to see them get married and will donate money to make sure it doesn’t happen. It’s part of their belief system. The Salvation Army has the same belief system. So does Michele Bachmann. I’m supposed to have the same belief system, and I do (Jesus is Lord), but stuff like this really gets on my nerves for several reasons.

1. I don’t know who started it, but it needs to stop. When did Christians move from keeping interracial couples apart (unless you’re these people) to picking on gays? It seems to be everywhere. Christians are taking a stand against gays and giving their all in the fight without saying one word about reaching out to gays.
2. Michele Bachmann, Salvation Army, Chick-Fil-A, et al, your Christian witness does not hinge on homosexuality. It never did. Please stop acting like it does.
3. There are an alarming number of avowed and casual Atheists and Agnostics in the gay community and I’m the only one concerned about it?
• The main reason they don’t believe in God (or Jesus) is because of how Christians in the public arena and their private lives act and treat them. If all you hear from a Christian when you tell them that you’re gay is how they’re a sinner bound for hell just because they’re gay, how would that make you feel if you were in their shoes? Don’t give me that “I’d want to find out how to avoid Hell!” crap. You’re human and you’d be just as hostile.
• Why are you content with not reaching out to understand what you don’t understand about gay people? Why are you not sitting down to find out why they’re attracted to someone of the same sex and how it comes as naturally to them as opposite sex attraction comes to you? Why are you not trying to understand something and just outright dismissing it (and a fellow human being) as being worthless?
• Why do you say you love someone yet do nothing to show compassion toward them? You can say you love them, but I guarantee you that you’re loving from afar with no plans whatsoever to fully engage.
• Why can’t you see that Jesus NEVER told anyone who followed him to get right first and then follow him. He said, “Follow Me,” “Go and sin no more,” and “You must be born again” after doing what with Nicodemus? TALKING TO HIM AND ENGAGING HIM!
• Why are you not participating in gay pride marches telling everyone that Jesus loves them just the way they are?
• Why are you concerned with gays living as they do and equating that to a Spiritual decay problem yet not allowing the Holy Spirit to fix it (if it can be fixed) or clean it up just as He did you when you became a believer? Why are you demanding the world when it was not demanded of you?
4. All you’re charged to do (by Jesus himself in Matthew) is to go and teach all nations about Him, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptizing can now be done by churches after a decision to accept Jesus has been made, but you can still go and teach all nations. Start at home. Why are you neglecting your commission? You’re not telling gays about Jesus. If someone is straight, you have all day to talk about Jesus. They mention they’re gay? You zone in on that and try to get them to change before they even meet Jesus. Talk about backward thinking. Why are you holding back from gays? They need to know that Jesus loves them enough that he died and rose for them, too. He’s not just about straight people.
5. Stop trying to change people overtly and subtly.
• The moment you hear “gay” and say “You know Jesus can change that,” without trying to meet their immediate need, you lose.
• The Salvation Army says (now) that homosexuality does not agree with God’s plan for life and if a person is a Christian and feels they cannot change their orientation, then God has called them to a life of celibacy. So, let me get this straight. You don’t like gay people and want nothing to do with them; however, there are brothers and sisters in Christ who are gay, but in order to be used in the body of Christ they now have to pass a sexual activity litmus test in order for you to be satisfied? You didn’t require that of Eddie Long, Herman Cain, Jimmy Swaggart, or Sandi Patty, so why require it of gays? Why are you so focused on what two dudes or two women do in their bedroom? Even if they are celibate you won’t believe it and still will think that gays are icky based on that Christmas statement alone.
• While God can do anything, the people I’ve seen “change” their sexual orientation are those who had sex with the same sex as just sex, and nothing more. They had no emotional bond or connection with someone of the same sex. I’ve never seen anyone who had the emotional connection break out of homosexuality. For everyone who did or attempted to, one thing remained: they were/are still attracted to those of the same sex with varying degrees of resistance. I’d say it’s probably over 90% who don’t change, though.
• That’s the rub that you don’t like, Christians – some folks won’t change because they can’t and refuse to go back into the closet or live in denial of what they want and who they are. Sexual activity outside of marriage is forbidden in the Bible for anyone (straight or gay), so unless you’re married, everyone should be celibate or abstinent while serving the Lord, right? Listen, I once sang in a choir where there were more philandering praisers of the Lord than…but I digress.

All I want is some true love shown to gays from fellow Christians just like you would anyone else with whom you’d want to share the Gospel. Give them a fighting chance – it’s what Jesus told us to do. If they accept, great. If not, okay, at least either a seed was sown or they heard. We have to do better and stop picking on vulnerable groups.

Why Jesus Is Awesome & Right For You Too

Yeah, I said it. Where do I begin?

Let’s see, it was November 1994 and I was rehearsing with the high school choir at my Christian high school. The director told us that we were going to sing at a nursing home the day before Thanksgiving. (This was before schools closed for Thanksgiving week. Really, schools? A whole week? No wonder American schools are far behind the world.) She requested that two students give their testimonies about how they became Christians. I volunteered and was selected to speak at the event in two days.

I had no idea what to say the night before. I knelt at my bedside and prayed for the words to say. Now, prior to this night I had a bad emotional relationship with my father. I prayed for his death often. I never enjoyed reading the Bible privately. It bored me, no matter the version or fanciness of the Bible. I even had trouble with a study guide. I felt a gaping void in my heart. I had called a suicide hotline, which proved to be no help to me. I often felt hopeless internally, but externally I was the perfect Christian (albeit quietly rebellious teenager) preacher’s kid at church and at school, but had gotten into trouble for cheating and fighting more than once.

While praying, I heard a voice say, “You’re not saved.” I replied, “What?”

“You’re not saved.”
“Wait, what? Yes I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am! I go to church. I’m an acolyte. I’m a junior usher. I’m a member of the teen choir (heck, I started the choir)!”
“But you’re not saved. Most saved people have joy in their lives at any time. You have no joy in your life. All Christians typically enjoy reading the Bible and don’t get bored with it. They understand what they read. You don’t do that. You get bored reading it and can’t figure out what you’re supposed to get out of it. Also, you hate your father. That’s breaking a commandment and you disobey your parents often. That’s also against the Bible.”
“But…”
“If you’re saved, when did it happen?”
“When I was…I…hmm.”

So, I confessed that I was a sinner and asked Jesus to come into my heart. Immediately, I felt this warmth filling up a hole in my chest (no exaggeration or hyperbole). I stopped disobeying and quietly rebelling against my parents. Ever since then, I’ve been on an amazing journey of faith and growth in Jesus. Who else would talk to me to let me know that I wasn’t what I thought I had been all along?

So, let’s just see what He’s done for the world: Gave up being God in Heaven to come to earth and live as a poor human; connected with people on a deeply personal level, taking care of their needs (physical, mental, emotional, Spiritual); willingly died for the sins of mankind, past, present, and future; overcame the finality of death by rising from the grave; offers a simple free gift of salvation through faith and not any kind of works or “proving” to Him that you’re worthy – the gift just requires acceptance; He offers growth as well, so you only have to worry about being caught (as a fish), He’ll clean you up.

For me: He took someone who was (and still is) a hot mess and saved him by grace. Life has been a series of ups and downs for me; faith growth, restrictions and more growth; unconditional love even if I get everything “wrong” in my life; unconditional acceptance of me and all that I am, no matter what I was taught about myself growing up (I’m not Hell-bound as has been so wrongly stated in church, especially Black churches); a love that I still cannot fully express in words or accurate descriptions even though it’s been since November 22, 1994.

I want everyone to know this love. Once you’ve had it, you’ll never go back to anything else. I guarantee it. Who else would give up so much to die for people but stay humble about it at the same time? No other founders of religions were willing to die for others. Oh, and none of them conquered death and offered eternal life, either.

Jesus is just that awesome. All. Day. Long. Plus, the Creator of the Universe (and ALL that comprises) wants to know you and love you personally. It’s a simple answer – yes. Even living the life of thankfulness afterward, while not always easy, comes with Help from the Holy Spirit. I stumble every freakin’ day. I curse, I’ve been drunk about 5 times in my life (I know, I’m a lightweight), and I’ve had sex outside of marriage. However, I am forgiven, I’m not loved any less, and I’m chastened into living right, so there is help available. I’d say choose the non-chastened route, but it’s not always going to be that way. I don’t go out and do whatever I want just because, though. You’re loved and viewed as being right with God if you have Jesus, so you’re good. And there’s a LOT more freedom living this way than critics seem to think. Trust me.

“Whether gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life,” Jesus is the right track, baby, He’ll make you born (again) to survive! (No, that wasn’t a plea to change your sexuality. I have a different view on that than what you hear from most Christians. Bottom line, some will stop and some won’t stop, but no one changes. I just want you in Heaven with me and it’s a simple answer “yes” to the free salvation gift offer. That’s it. Really.)

That’s it. Jesus is awesome. He is love, unconditionally. Take my word for it and then tell others based on your word for it. 🙂

All of this!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+2%3A15-21

Galatians 2:15-21

The Message (MSG)

 ^15-16We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.” We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.

^17-18Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was “trying to be good,” I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.

^19-21What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.