Tony Campolo's story of a gay son

This is just an amazing video!  I recommend all watch!

Be a Rainbow!

Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

Ezekiel 1:28

Those that know me know I love rainbows.  I am effectuated with them.  On my personal computer, there is a picture of one and it says "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud" by Maya Angelou.  I think about this saying often.  What does it mean?  How can I be a rainbow?

In life, there are many dark clouds that seem to pour on us, but we can be a rainbow to each other by encouragement and giving hope.  I see a rainbow and it reminds me that the rain will stop and God's love that He won't flood the Earth.  When being a rainbow to someone, it is reminding them that this will end and that God won't flood them where they can't survive.

There are people that do this automatically and shine when they walk into a room, but for some it is work.  So, for those that it is work, here are some simple things to help:

1.  Do your best to be positive.  We choose daily if we are going to be positive or negative.  It is easy to get all wrapped up in the bad and let the flood of things get us down to where we are no good to anyone.  Yet, if we look at the good, we will find that the storm ends quicker.  And when we are being positive, we can be that hope to someone going through their own storm.
2. Pray for good things upon the people who have storms going on.  There is power in prayer!  It can change things and people.  God wants to be part of the rainbow making and He wants to hear from us.  So don't only pray for the person, but that you yourself are a rainbow to others.
3. Share your experience, strength, and hope with the person.  Sometimes knowing others have gone through storms in their life and made it, helps the other person know that there is hope and that it will end soon.
4. Give hope to people.  Let them know that nothing is forever and that there is a good side coming.  My preacher tells me that there have to be highs and there have to be lows, it's called life.  And it tells you that you are alive.  Think about it, do you want your heart rate to be flat?  No, it has peaks and valleys that let you know you are ticking along.  So remind people that there will be a bright side to the storm.
5. Give them a hug.  There is power in human touch and giving a hug will do a world of good.  It says, "I am not alone!"  And it allows the other person to let down their walls and release the negative and be acceptive to the good.

Sure there are more things that you can do, but these are just a simple suggestions that could make the world of difference in someone's world.  We all must do our part to show a loving concern for each person and be a rainbow in someone's cloud!

God's court room!

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Romans 14:10

The courtroom is filled, the scene is set.  The prosecutor snares, the Devil himself ready to present his case.  There is no jury as this is going to be just before the judge, the God almighty.  The defendant stands in the middle shaking.

"Lord, let me tell you of Sally Sue here.  She has a history of sins.  She stole, she lied, she had sex out of wedlock, she cheated on her taxes, she cheated on her husband, she divorced him, she has not one but two felonies...." Satan kept going with his list.  Sally just hung her head as she knew her case did not sound good.  She just knew that she displeased the Lord.

"Lord, she has done wrong, she is a sinner and she belongs with sinners, not in Heaven!  She is undeserving of you love!"

"Stop!"  The defense attorney yells out!  And Christ rises at this point.  He walks up to Sally and raises her head and whispers in her ears, "I got this, don't worry."

With that Christ turned around and looked at God, "Hey Dad, how are you?"

"Hey Son, I am good and you?"  God said.

"Listen, I was listening to Satan but he left out something very important, see Sally here, well, she was baptized and is one of my sisters, she has been washed by my blood, I paid her debt."  Christ proclaimed.

"Well son, why didn't you say so!  Case dismissed, Sally welcome home!"  And with that, Sally was lead to the freedom of Heaven.

Interesting story huh?  You can almost imagine it!  Just put yourself there as Sally, standing before God, Satan reading off all you did wrong in your life, but Christ with just one sentence making things perfect and you were set free!

Guilt of being a Christian and Lesbian...Is there any?

Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?

John 8:46

Today I got an email that asked a very important question. It was "Please how do you handle the guilt of being a Christian and a lesbian?"  I have been meaning to write on this subject for some time now and just not gotten to it.  I get asked this a lot believe it or not.

I honestly don't have any guilt.  Not from that!  Sure I have guilt in my life, but it stems from sins that are not because I am gay.  I don't feel being gay as a sin.  I have read too many books on the matter and studied too much to believe that it is wrong to be gay.  I honestly believe that I didn't just wake up one day and say "Hey, I think I am gay"  No, I know I was born this way.

Knowing that I came from the womb this way, made this way and knowing that in Genesis 1:26 it says that we are made in God's image, then that means even the gay me is in God's image.  I am not a mistake.  It would be like saying an autistic child is not in God's image when really they are more like God than maybe a lot of us are.

So with this knowledge, I can not feel guilty that I am gay.  Yet that does not say that I can not have the guilt of acting on being gay, so the question is do I?  No!  Not one bit!  Why?  You may be saying, "But Lesley, there is scripture that says it is wrong!"  Is there?  I have studied these scriptures left, right, sideways, and all around.  Read books about them, and come to the conclusion that really it was not the act of homosexuality but the acts of rape and idolatry that they are talking about in them.

Nowhere in the Bible does it actually say, "Homosexuality, the act of a loving committed relationship, is wrong!"  It does say that acts that are of cruel nature, acts that are worshipping other gods are wrong, but not where it is natural for a person to love another and committed to that person.

In 1 John 3, we read of God's love and how we are to love.  I honestly believe that where there is love, then there is God.  Where there is hate, then there is not God.  How then can you explain that a gay couple can flourish and grow who love's God and each other?  Because God is in their life!  I am single, I love God, and since I have come home to the church, pronounced my love of God, and moved forward in my walk with God, He has been evident in my life!  How you may ask?  Well, I have been flourished at work with more sales that increased my pay, got a better living arrangement, got a brand new car, this blog has flourished, and I have been blessed with a slew of new friends.

So no, I don't feel guilty being gay and Christian.  I love that I am both!  I don't have an issue with it.  And I pray for the day when one doesn't have to say "Gay Christian" and we are all just Christian.  Just like I pray for the day we are all just people not straight or gay, but just people.  Till then, I don't mind being the Church of Christ Lesbian plowing through this world one blog post at a time hoping to help others know it is okay and to form your own opinion that there are others of us out there!

God bless you and know you don't have to feel guilty!

You are not alone!

 Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,

God is there, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?
Hebrews  13:5-6

In life it is easy to think that we are alone.  I fight with this a lot.  I soon will be living alone with just my dog and part of me thinks that life will be like this forever.  I forget though that I am truly not alone.  I have friends, I have family, and I have God.

It is easy though for my mind to say things like "they will leave" or "they are not here now with you" and for me to get depressed.  Yet I don't have to look far to find scripture that says God is right there with me.  I need that!

This world can get lonely, friends may leave, family dies, and at times you will reach out and no one is able to be there, but God always reaches back.  One reason I love having a dog, is no matter what, she is there.  I can snuggle up to her, and tell my day to her.  Well, no matter what, I can pray and tell my day to God.  I may not always feel God, but I can tell my day to God.

And when I really need a human touch, I have prayed for God to send someone and you know what, someone has always appeared.  Maybe not who I thought or how I thought, but someone has always appeared to be there for me.  And sometimes, it is them reaching out for help.  Which got me out of me!

We are not alone in this world, God made us to be social!  That is why He gave us a church family.  Utilize that!  Reach out to them.  Get to know them!  Make connections!  How else are you to have people who care if you don't get to know them?

And this goes to me too!  I am horrible at reaching out and getting to know mine.  I don't go eat with people and go to functions where I get to know them.  I don't participate in extra things.  I say hi to just a few.  But I am working on it.

Church is important and surrounding yourself with God's people is important.  Well, I am going to leave it with that and go join my church in playing some softball!  Taking my own words to heart!