Jan 28 2012
Yes, I am Catholic and still consider myself one even though the current Pope and I don’t see eye-to-eye. In as much that I call myself Catholic, I am open to other religions as well. I listen and I take the good things that I can get and keep them to guide me through my journey.
Jan 28 2012
As someone who loves to travel, I have been very lucky. I have been to much of Europe and Asia, and have also lived in several cities in North America.
I travel mostly on vacation but I did have an opportunity to travel for work. The best place for me has been Brazil and I have gone to Brazil every year since I visited in 2009. I was planning on going again this year but I may have to put off my plans because the airfare this year have gone through the roof.
So, in place of going international, I would like to explore more local spots. I have lived in New York City but I wasn’t much into the gay scene while I lived there. I wasn’t out yet. I have always wanted to visit the San Francisco, Castro Area and maybe that’s what I will do this year instead. Besides, the hassles of coming in from a foreign country back to the US has gotten old for me. I always get stopped by Immigration every time I come in (something to do with the random list) and I am tired of it.
Jan 16 2012
I am coming to blog about this very late in the game because I wasn’t sure whether what I initially felt while watching the video (Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus) was the way that I should feel. Jefferson Bethke posted a Youtube video on 01/10/2012 and within a couple of days, the number of views reached millions. As of this writing, the video has garnered over 12 million views and it continues to climb.
When he opened the poem with “What if I told you that Jesus came to abolish religion”, I didn’t hear it. I somehow got caught in the poem after that. When he continued on, I felt the sincerity of what he was trying to say and the message I got in the end is that I am loved by Jesus regardless of what I have done, doing and will do in the future. That’s when I cried.
I have always known that but with Jefferson’s delivery and how he said “I WANT THAT MAN”, I literally saw visions of God pointing at me saying that He wants me.
But after I saw the video a gazillion times, I began to actually listen to the words. When I heard him say that Jesus came to abolish religion – - I had to think again. “Did he just say that?” Because in all my years of studying the bible, one very distinct phrase I remember Jesus saying is this:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. – Matthew 5:17
Although I agreed with Jefferson’s message, I sincerely hope that he is not misleading people who’ve seen the video and take his words as fact. Because if you look it up, Jesus DID NOT come to abolish the law.
I still believe that Jefferson’s message is one that has to be proclaimed. One special part that touched me was when he said that the Church is not a museum for good people, but a hospital for the broken. I agree with that wholeheartedly. It’s the most powerful part of his message. The church, being the bride of Christ should accept ALL people.
And when he said, “The Son of God did not support self-righteousness; not now, not then” – I almost stood up to applaud him because it is true. Self-righteousness is really not how Jesus taught us to deal with others. James 4:10 states, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
So, in total, I think Jefferson has the charisma and the power to preach. I do hope that he will rely on the bible for his facts before he spills it out as if they’re true. He is definitely gifted and he can deliver speeches and lectures well – - – he just has to be careful. He is a young and passionate kid and I must commend him for that. But it is easy to get caught up in things and I hope that his celebrity status doesn’t murky the waters that he’s trying to tread. (One interesting thing from his video is that a link to the watch company was provided below saying that it was the watch he was wearing on the video and if you’d like to purchase, to click the link. HUH? Sales?)
Jan 10 2012
I was a little careless in 2011 about my finances. I usually plan my vacation very carefully so as not to go over budget and make sure that I keep my lights on… ha! But, somehow I went overboard last year.
I went to Brazil in May and then in November, I was coerced to go to a Mediterranean cruise by a friend of mine. No regrets here. I had a great time on both trips but you know what that meant right? I went over-budget.
Jan 04 2012
I appreciate the guest post, Jewel Rodgers
We just installed a Home Security Family system in our home. Now, I feel much safer when I am home alone. My husband has recently started working the night shift. I feel like I hear everything that goes bump in the night. Any little creak or noise will startle me. For a while, I was tossing and turning. I was getting hardly any sleep. It made for a very stressful day at work. I would sleep with the lights and television on. After I got the alarm system, by suggestion of my mother in law, I started sleeping better. My father in law is a surgeon and worked a lot of nights. She said that she was in the same situation when they first got married. She said that she would toss and turn and was totally exhausted when she worked as a nurse during the day. I really got to the point where I couldn’t afford to loose anymore sleep. It was fraying me at both ends and I was having all sort of problems. I was getting sick and wasn’t able to focus. Now, I’m back and work and back on track. I wish I had gotten an alarm sooner.
Dec 27 2011
It is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Christian calendar: The birth of Christ being celebrated on the 25th of December. I’m not going to get into a debate with other people telling me that Jesus wasn’t really born on December 25th and so on and so forth. I know that as a Christian, I celebrate the birth of my Savior and it doesn’t matter really what day is designated to celebrate it.
During the holiday Season of Advent, similar to the Season of Lent, Christians from around the world try to be at their best behavior. It’s a time to pay respect to our risen Savior. Jesus Christ came and died for us to set us free.
This year Christmas day was the first time I have ever celebrated Christmas alone. I spend the day at home, recovering from an operation performed on me a week prior. It gave me time to reflect and I was glad I had spent it alone.
Nov 28 2011
I am a big fan of Oprah – in case you haven’t noticed. I think she’s made a difference in the world we live in today. Since her show ended, I found myself tuning to OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) when she launched her Oprah’s Life Class series.
I watched a portion about forgiveness on her Life Class series. It’s about clearing out obstacles in your life in order that you may be able to fulfill your full potential. I never realized how much holding a grudge can set you back in your journey to becoming a better person.
I have been in a rift with a few of my friends recently because of certain events that rattled the dynamics of our group. We are a group of about thirty friends living in the same area. When a group is that big, you know that you’re bound to have an argument or two with some of them.
Nov 22 2011
Guest post written by Lloyd White
I never thought that I would become a fan of ballet, or even one particular ballet. But you grow up, have kids and then things really change. We had three little girls and all of them took ballet. So it only became a natural decision to take them to The Nutcracker around Christmastime. We didn’t go every year, but we went often enough. I started to look forward to it, not only because I saw my girls’ faces light up when we went to it. But also because I started to genuinely enjoy it. Now my daughters have daughters and I decided that it would be nice for me to get them tickets so they could take them to see the ballet that we used to love going to see together.
As I was looking up some info on buying tickets, I saw some info on miracle ear hearing aids and decided to go in and get fitted with some.
I bought some tickets for the girls to go and see the play together while I watch the boys at home. I’d like to go with them, but I know that taking some rowdy young boys to see it won’t be fun for anyone so it’s better to stay at home and babysit them.
Nov 22 2011
It was 1999 when I first met him. We hung out all the time because during the time, I lived in Lansdowne, PA and he lived in the city (Philadelphia). He would come over to my apartment and we would belt out songs from Miss Saigon in my living room. He’s a good friend.
He always complained to me that he can’t see his future as being successful. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Fine Arts with concentration in painting. With a degree such as that, it was very hard for him to either sell his paintings or even get into the industry since it was highly-competitive.
So, a few years later – he decided to go back to school and take up nursing. He said that the only way he can improve his life is to finish a degree in technology or healthcare. It was funny for me to see him at first wearing medical scrubs.
We have lost touch for a while simply because we were both too busy. He, with his studies and I, with my job. I saw him the other night and he told me that I have yet to congratulate him. He had earned his degree and have passed the board exams.
Now, he wears nothing else but scrubs for men, every time that I see him. He was recently hired by a famous hospital in Philadelphia and is scheduled to start next week.
So, the other night I asked him, “Can you still not see success in your future?” He responded, “I don’t have to look into the future anymore – I have it now!” Good for him!
Oct 26 2011
Hello folks! I’ve been absent for a while again. It seems like this has become regular for me to stop posting for a while and then I feel the urge to blog and I write apologies after a long hiatus.
I decided to write a post tonight simply because I have never been this excited in my life. Everywhere you look today, whether it be newspapers, blogs, magazines, news and even celebrity videos, same-sex marriage seem to be a hot topic for debate.
That makes me doubly excited because I will be attending a wedding in December. The first ever gay union I will witness in my entire life. It’s one of my dearest friends whom I have known for the past nine or so years.
