Showing posts with label Fight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fight. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Thoughtful Tuesday
Sometimes life is a fight. Everyday my life is a fight. I have autism. Life is more challenging for me. Sometimes I need people to help me fight. Tom is one. My mom. Friends. But when you enter my world, you become a fighter with me. And I need more fighters. Tom's around the globe right now. But I know his words are echoing right now. His pride. My mom's pride. God, are You proud of me right now too? I'm really trying. Who are we fighting? Those who try to tear me down or try to keep me down. And there are many that have, do, and will. Everyone has a fight though. And that comforts me because it means I'm not alone.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Who Is Your Neighbor in a Broken World?
I was going to write this on my general topic blog, but then decided that it would probably fit better on this blog because as a fairly new believer, I'm actually thinking that this particular topic is better suited over here because it addresses social issues that the churches might need to investigate further and act upon. Church, stand up and fight!
You see, I'm confused.
President Obama recently announced his support of same-sex "marriages." Now the media has had a field day questioning if he is gay. Hmmm....
In local Alabama news, a girl who is gay claimed she was excluded from a senior class composite and yearbook for being gay.
Evidence that President Obama cannot be gay? For one thing, he IS married to a woman and has two daughters. For the entire time that he has been in office, he has been the subject of harsh criticism. Come on people, he got into office at the start of a recession that was actually beginning before President Clinton got out of office. President Bush the second got all the blame for it. President Bush the second got us engaged in a war that we really did not need to be involved with while also engaging in a war that we did need to be involved with. President Bush never proactively did anything about our failing healthcare system in which insurance companies profit from underinsured individuals and raise premiums because hospitals are not getting the money owed to them by individuals who are rich enough to pay for their own healthcare but manage to get out of it because they do not have insurance and also because of people living in America illegally living off of slave wages taking the jobs that American citizens need. Do you know who paid for that $40,000 appendectomy? An underinsured individual who not only paid for his/her own medical care, but also the care of the uninsured.
President Obama took a Republican concept for reforming health insurance and got it passed and signed into effect. He has received nothing but criticism for it. Republicans now claim it is illegal to mandate that individuals get insurance. Why? Isn't theft also illegal because as it stands now, all the uninsured people out there stole thousands of dollars from me and my health care and I am underinsured (meaning my insurance pays for the necessary things, but does not include dental or the speech and occupational therapies I need for my autism). And if it's illegal to mandate individual health insurance, then isn't also illegal to mandate individual drivers carry car insurance? Also, if you are reading this and you are a healthy uninsured individual, what are the reasons for you not having health insurance? Do you not value your health and your life? You don't buy car insurance AFTER having a car accident or house insurance AFTER having a tornado take your house, do you? You buy it BEFORE there's an incident. A car and a house can be replaced, but if you become sick with cancer, you may not be able to get health insurance to get the treatments you need to survive and you might end up dying. Not that cancer might not take your life anyway, but do you understand what's at stake?
President Obama gave in to societal pressure on the issue of same-sex marriage. Does this make him any less of a good presidential candidate? No. I plan to vote for him because he was proactive in the health care reform which now lets me go to my women's doctor for a yearly checkup at no charge because it's preventive care. Men had the ability to do that for their prostates long before women could and really there's no difference in what is being checked for: CANCER.
Do I support his stance? No. Because as I understand what I've been taught in my theology classes and at church, marriage is between one man and one woman and is supposed to be for life. It's a covenantal thing that was established at creation. Adam and Eve. Covenant. The two were created to be helpmates for each other. Not one inferior to the other, but equal partners. But men are supposed to be like Christ and take the lead when it comes to church attendance. And women are supposed to submit to their husbands as they would to Christ. Don't ask me to explain that one because I honestly still don't get it except that women were created smaller than men and physiological different.
The thing is that now there are even some churches that support same-sex unions as well. As much as I will refuse to condemn any church that does this or any individual that chooses this lifestyle, I also will not condone it. I will not condone it because God called it sin in black-and-white in the Bible. But I will not condemn it because God is the only one who can do that.
The facts that were presented in the local news about the girl being left out of the senior composite. From the school's stance they told her she was supposed to wear a "drape" like all the other girls. They told her again after she chose to wear a tuxedo instead. She chose not to. Basically, if that's what was stated, then that's the rule that was presented and because she broke the rule, she is dealing with the consequences. Her stance, they left her out because she's gay. Hmm.... Does that mean that gay people are exempt from rules? Because IF in fact what the school claims is true, forget her sexuality, she broke the rules. Rules are rules.
Rules are rules. Problem there. You have some individuals, even with high functioning, who are special needs and may not always get the rules. Are the rules explicitly worded so there is no room for any loopholes? Are the rules actually even realistic? And if you're saying that the person can do what EVERYONE ELSE does or that they can have the SAME ACCESS that EVERYONE ELSE has yet you are making rules that forbid that person from actually having that, then are you really being fair when what you are saying the person can do or have is not what is happening?
Special needs. Special needs are in your churches people! Open your eyes! You may not SEE it. But listen. Look and learn. Some disabilities are hidden. Do you have a person in your church who seems "defiant" or "impatient" or "impulsive?" They may seem that way, but they may have autism or ADHD. What are you, the church, doing to INCLUDE these people? Are you doing anything? Do you understand that EVERYONE has gifts that God gave them to use for Him in the church? God doesn't see a person with autism. He sees a person that He created in His image. Why are you not including him/her when God does?
You see, I'm confused.
President Obama recently announced his support of same-sex "marriages." Now the media has had a field day questioning if he is gay. Hmmm....
In local Alabama news, a girl who is gay claimed she was excluded from a senior class composite and yearbook for being gay.
Evidence that President Obama cannot be gay? For one thing, he IS married to a woman and has two daughters. For the entire time that he has been in office, he has been the subject of harsh criticism. Come on people, he got into office at the start of a recession that was actually beginning before President Clinton got out of office. President Bush the second got all the blame for it. President Bush the second got us engaged in a war that we really did not need to be involved with while also engaging in a war that we did need to be involved with. President Bush never proactively did anything about our failing healthcare system in which insurance companies profit from underinsured individuals and raise premiums because hospitals are not getting the money owed to them by individuals who are rich enough to pay for their own healthcare but manage to get out of it because they do not have insurance and also because of people living in America illegally living off of slave wages taking the jobs that American citizens need. Do you know who paid for that $40,000 appendectomy? An underinsured individual who not only paid for his/her own medical care, but also the care of the uninsured.
President Obama took a Republican concept for reforming health insurance and got it passed and signed into effect. He has received nothing but criticism for it. Republicans now claim it is illegal to mandate that individuals get insurance. Why? Isn't theft also illegal because as it stands now, all the uninsured people out there stole thousands of dollars from me and my health care and I am underinsured (meaning my insurance pays for the necessary things, but does not include dental or the speech and occupational therapies I need for my autism). And if it's illegal to mandate individual health insurance, then isn't also illegal to mandate individual drivers carry car insurance? Also, if you are reading this and you are a healthy uninsured individual, what are the reasons for you not having health insurance? Do you not value your health and your life? You don't buy car insurance AFTER having a car accident or house insurance AFTER having a tornado take your house, do you? You buy it BEFORE there's an incident. A car and a house can be replaced, but if you become sick with cancer, you may not be able to get health insurance to get the treatments you need to survive and you might end up dying. Not that cancer might not take your life anyway, but do you understand what's at stake?
President Obama gave in to societal pressure on the issue of same-sex marriage. Does this make him any less of a good presidential candidate? No. I plan to vote for him because he was proactive in the health care reform which now lets me go to my women's doctor for a yearly checkup at no charge because it's preventive care. Men had the ability to do that for their prostates long before women could and really there's no difference in what is being checked for: CANCER.
Do I support his stance? No. Because as I understand what I've been taught in my theology classes and at church, marriage is between one man and one woman and is supposed to be for life. It's a covenantal thing that was established at creation. Adam and Eve. Covenant. The two were created to be helpmates for each other. Not one inferior to the other, but equal partners. But men are supposed to be like Christ and take the lead when it comes to church attendance. And women are supposed to submit to their husbands as they would to Christ. Don't ask me to explain that one because I honestly still don't get it except that women were created smaller than men and physiological different.
The thing is that now there are even some churches that support same-sex unions as well. As much as I will refuse to condemn any church that does this or any individual that chooses this lifestyle, I also will not condone it. I will not condone it because God called it sin in black-and-white in the Bible. But I will not condemn it because God is the only one who can do that.
The facts that were presented in the local news about the girl being left out of the senior composite. From the school's stance they told her she was supposed to wear a "drape" like all the other girls. They told her again after she chose to wear a tuxedo instead. She chose not to. Basically, if that's what was stated, then that's the rule that was presented and because she broke the rule, she is dealing with the consequences. Her stance, they left her out because she's gay. Hmm.... Does that mean that gay people are exempt from rules? Because IF in fact what the school claims is true, forget her sexuality, she broke the rules. Rules are rules.
Rules are rules. Problem there. You have some individuals, even with high functioning, who are special needs and may not always get the rules. Are the rules explicitly worded so there is no room for any loopholes? Are the rules actually even realistic? And if you're saying that the person can do what EVERYONE ELSE does or that they can have the SAME ACCESS that EVERYONE ELSE has yet you are making rules that forbid that person from actually having that, then are you really being fair when what you are saying the person can do or have is not what is happening?
Special needs. Special needs are in your churches people! Open your eyes! You may not SEE it. But listen. Look and learn. Some disabilities are hidden. Do you have a person in your church who seems "defiant" or "impatient" or "impulsive?" They may seem that way, but they may have autism or ADHD. What are you, the church, doing to INCLUDE these people? Are you doing anything? Do you understand that EVERYONE has gifts that God gave them to use for Him in the church? God doesn't see a person with autism. He sees a person that He created in His image. Why are you not including him/her when God does?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Practicing the Waltz in the Midst of Brokenness, Or Trying Not to Fall Apart Under the Pressure of the Fight
The saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Problem. Although good in theory, is there really a person out there who is really all that tough? Are we not all sort of wimpy under pressure? I know I am. And that is just being openly honest.
There's a practice at my church. I don't mean like choir or drama or anything like that. I mean a practice for the Christian life. Wait a minute, you say. Don't all churches have one? I'm sure they do in their own ways, but my church has a "waltz." It's a three-step that we should all be involved in. Repent, believe, fight.
Sometimes I get stuck in one step and I just sort of sway. Sometimes I go from one to another and do a sort of two-step sashay. Shuffle ball change. This is where I find myself needing to remember the reason for the fight after repenting. And that's believing.
Admittedly, it's hard to not fall apart right now. My toes have been stepped on by my teacher. I'm sure he did not really mean to, but mistakes happen. Sometimes those mistakes inflict deep wounds, but this is where I find myself needing to repent and fight. Repent of some actions that may have contributed to him stepping on my toes and fight for restoration and healing. Believe. I've been in some in-depth discussions this week as I deal with some hard-core recovery and I have been reminded to believe. Believe that the one who saved me will bring things together and restore us. It's going to be a long, hard process and in the middle of it, he and I both will have to face many challenges, but we both have to put Christ at the center and perhaps do a little square-dance or Irish step dance along the way.
Life is not easy. Never has been. Never will be. Thank you Adam and Eve. But you know what? If life were easy, it might get boring. Live. Love. Learn. Repent. Believe. Fight. Keep waltzing.
There's a practice at my church. I don't mean like choir or drama or anything like that. I mean a practice for the Christian life. Wait a minute, you say. Don't all churches have one? I'm sure they do in their own ways, but my church has a "waltz." It's a three-step that we should all be involved in. Repent, believe, fight.
Sometimes I get stuck in one step and I just sort of sway. Sometimes I go from one to another and do a sort of two-step sashay. Shuffle ball change. This is where I find myself needing to remember the reason for the fight after repenting. And that's believing.
Admittedly, it's hard to not fall apart right now. My toes have been stepped on by my teacher. I'm sure he did not really mean to, but mistakes happen. Sometimes those mistakes inflict deep wounds, but this is where I find myself needing to repent and fight. Repent of some actions that may have contributed to him stepping on my toes and fight for restoration and healing. Believe. I've been in some in-depth discussions this week as I deal with some hard-core recovery and I have been reminded to believe. Believe that the one who saved me will bring things together and restore us. It's going to be a long, hard process and in the middle of it, he and I both will have to face many challenges, but we both have to put Christ at the center and perhaps do a little square-dance or Irish step dance along the way.
Life is not easy. Never has been. Never will be. Thank you Adam and Eve. But you know what? If life were easy, it might get boring. Live. Love. Learn. Repent. Believe. Fight. Keep waltzing.
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