Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

I’m going to do a no-no and talk about one of the big two today, because its weighing on my mind.  You know, the two things they say never to talk about: Religion and Politics.

I have a serious question, and I hope this opens up a serious dialog (without BASHING!).

This is a hypothetical question, and any similarities to events you may know about are coincidental.

Hypothetical Scenario:
You are a member of a fairly large church for several years.  It is learned the Pastor/Preacher/Reverend of said church has been cheating on his wife.  You are not his wife, nor a member of his family.  You are simply a member of the congregation at the church where he happens to provide the sermons.  He then is removed from his position at the Church and no longer preaches.

Questions:
At the knowledge of this information would you then feel like he owed YOU, personally, an apology?  Would you feel the need to chastise him and belittle him and his family all over the internet, leaving comments like “you will burn in HELL!” etc. on his website, the Church’s site, his facebook, etc?  If so why? 

You see, instances like above are a lot of the reason I find I don’t go to church anymore.  I’m not saying I don’t believe in a higher power, because I do!  I need to!  What I am saying is CHURCH in itself to me, the concept does not meet the reality.  Its a hypocrites hideaway.  In my experience, what is said and done and attested to IN church doesn’t normally take hold once the people are outside the door. 

On the side: I do not think there is a human alive who has not sinned in some way or another, not even the Pope.   Yea, I said it.  No human is infallible.  It’s part of what makes us, human.

With the above scenerio as an example…

Couldn’t one argue that if you DID feel the Pastor owed you personally an apology:  that he had wronged YOU by stepping out on his wife, then you had faith in the MAN and not the Word?  Couldn’t you say that a truly faithful person (a Christian) would not be attacking the man and his family, they would be praying for his wife’s strength to get through the situation and praying that he would find his way back to the way of God?  Shouldn’t the fact that this said Pastor/Preacher/Reverend had brought hundreds if not thousands of people to finding their faith count for something?  Is all that good work moot since he, himself, strayed from the path?  What if him straying from the path and finding his way back was his very own test of Faith, and God is waiting to see if he passes or fails? 

I am not saying the above scenario is acceptable at ALL.  Cheating is crap.  He’s already lost his position in the Church.  I’m sure he’s dealing with the aftermath that is what’s left of his “home”.  What I’m saying is that why is it anyone’s business other then the man and his wife’s and their IMMEDIATE family?  He stepped out on his wife sure, why would that have any affect on how I carry myself or temper my beliefs in any way?  He is not my husband.  He did not cheat on me.

More so, it makes me really sad to see all the attacks on him, by so called “people of faith”.  {see my thoughts on hypocrites above.}  I don’t know what religion these people follow, but the faith I follow would never implore such behavior from its followers nor condone it.  err.. I mean, hypothetically speaking, of course.

People’s faith, beliefs, actions, and all the different religions and aspects there of REALLY intrigue me!  I’m leaving the comments open.  I hope you reply and voice your thoughts on this!  Even if you don’t normally visit my blog, I’m still interested in what you think about this.  However, overly (unnecessarily) mean/nasty comments will be deleted.

Now, let’s talk about it!

><

As I sat out on my porch swing this morning sipping my coffee and listening to this sleepy little neighborhood slowly wake, I began to think about the word I had chosen for my Word of the Day today.  I’ve been working on building my grownup vocabulary ever since I got stomped by my lil’ Bug in a game of scrabble.  She’s only 9 and I am … older.  I should’ve won.   I had felt empowered this morning, and in browsing synonyms for the word unstoppable I ran across ineluctable.  Ineluctable, according to Webster’s Online, means incapable of being avoided.  That’s certainly something I’ve been looking for.  My path.  Ya know? 

So my morning thought for my facebook friends: “May your hopes and dreams become the ineluctable truths of your future. {hugs}”

I have felt for the last year or so, that somehow, though it felt right under my feet when I started down it- this is the wrong road for me now.  Not to be cheesy, but to quote one of the masters Tolkien.. “Remember what Bilbo used to say: It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”  Only in my case, I feel like my feet stepped into a small rut in the road, and I have been unable to step up and deviate from that course.  Even when I felt like I should be turning here…

I decided today, as I looked around at the people I enjoy talking to the most “online” and off, that I am nothing if not a little envious.  Though they all have different beliefs, goals, and LIVES, they do all share one common thread.  They figured out the correct path for them, and they stepped up and took it.  Even if they couldn’t always see the huge X marking the spot at the end of their journey.  They still all stepped out of the rut and caught their turn.

My friend Tiffany, who is not only an amazing mom (which she was really worried about nearly 16 years ago) is an accomplished accountant AND she teaches college courses at a big University.  Man, to go from where we came from to where she is now.  My eyes truly tear up with happiness and pride for her.  And a little envy.   Ok, more than a little. 

My Dad.  Man, my poor Dad.  My Dad fought polio when he was little, and won.  Only to end up being a single “mom” before men raising their kids was “common”.  I can’t imagine a young man,  in the late 60’s early 70’s, stuck with not one but TWO girls (under the age of 5) to raise.  He tried hard to find an acceptable mom for us.  Unfortunately, none of them were.  Once we were grown though, he decided FINALLY, that he had had enough.  He stepped out of his rut, and is now happier then I ever remember him being.  Ever.  At least, he seems to be.  Over 40 and finally just said $%^& it, and moved off and started over.   Now, he is all smiles and jokes, and doing quite well for himself.  For the first time in his entire life.

My Aunt, who, bless her heart… has no idea how much people look up to her.  She has had a pretty shitty life. If you’ll excuse me for being blunt.  Some folks just are born with an amazing ability to pick the absolutely worst people to try to share their lives with.  She was brave enough to step out of her rut too, put her feet on firm ground, and she didn’t just walk down her correct path – she FLEW!  She is a very successful woman in her career path, and living the life she wants.  You ever heard the old saying “beats to their own drum”?  That’s my Aunt, and God bless her…I love her for it. 

and that brings us to my friend Dave.  Kind of giggling to myself here, because if he knew he made my “people I’m proud to know” list, he would surely turn purple with embarrassment.  Dave, as it turns out, found his rut had come to an abrupt end through circumstances completely out of his control  Just like a lot of folks have with the state of the economy.  But Dave, instead of sitting around and whining “why me” said “All righty then!”  He stepped up and went back to school!  I know it was a scary choice for him.  I know because we talked about it while he was looking at the road in front of him and trying to decide which fork in the road to take.  He chose, in my opinion, the harder road with the better “x” at the end. 

Every time I talk to Dave and Tiffany, and we get on the subject of school… It makes me think that just maybe… the turn I missed last year would have taken me THERE.  TO be honest though, just the thought of going back to school makes me want to throw up a little.  It wasn’t exactly a joy ride the first time around and the thought of going back.  *shivers*

All though, somewhere deep deep inside, I swear every now and again I hear a faint little echo of a voice screaming to me as if from underwater.  Screaming “Its time to nut up!”  Yea, its a southern term.  And how a little cowboy is somewhere deep in the caverns of my mind I have no idea.  But I hear it, none the less.  So, that’s where I am today.  Knowing, that it IS time to nut up.  Grow a pair and step out of  my rut and hightail it in a new direction…But to where?

hmm… 

and this has been my conversation with myself, pretty much for the bulk of the day.  Maybe tomorrow I will have a better idea of an answer.

Maybe.

Hi ya.

Its Wednesday, I have spent the day fighting with my webhost that hosts the DSO site. bah.  They are having server issues today and it seems the store and main site are up and down, and so is the email! BAH!  At least the DSO forum and gallery are still up.  Pretty funny it went down TODAY since I just announced yesterday I was planning on taking a few days OFF the internet. Period.  Not even logging on.  Only, I did log on.  I logged on and found a billion emails telling me the site was down. lol.

I have done all the cussing I can do for today.  So now we wait.

Meanwhile I thought I would get ahead on my own site.  I have some recipes programmed to post for the REST OF THE MONTH!  Go me! I’m also typing up a few book reviews and going to program them to post throughout the rest of the month.  I feel so poorly lately, I’m afraid if I don’t do it now while I feel like it won’t get done.

Since its Wednesday, what’s your workspace look like today?

Here I am, sitting in the dining room.  I like it better in here.  Its brighter in here, and I’m not down in a “dungeon”.  The chairs aren’t comfy so I don’t know how much longer I’ll be sitting here.  I wonder what Hubs would say if I tell him I would really like to move the living room downstairs and the studio up here to the livingroom and dining room?  He’d probably stroke out and his head would pop off from the blood pressure…. lol! (especially since he wanted to put the living room downstairs to begin with. hahah!)

Anyhoo, here I am, sitting in the dining room… slaving away on the first day of my “taking some time off”.  Hoping tomorrow is a better day. lol!