Leviticus 18:22

Have you had a conversation with a Christian they says they are against same sex marriage? I certainly have, and I find it completely frustrating and enraging the things some people say. First I need to say that people can believe whatever they want. Whatever it's your walk with God, not mine. I also I need to say that the Bible can be read by somebody one way and the person sitting next to them can read the same Bible and have a totally different perception of what is being said. It's when the people start using the Bible as a weapon of hate, is when I start to get really ticked off. When they pluck out certain passages, take them out of context, and make them a doctrine, and preach from pulpits for congregations saying "this is God's will!!". When they use the words to bring down other people, try to control their lives and impress that their thoughts on the Bible are the true ones and everyone else is wrong, a sinner and going to hell, well those are the "Christians" that I have a problem with.

Ever hear the phrase "opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and the usually stink." ? Well here is my opinion. And i think it smells like roses, thank you very much.

In a conversation I had with one of these people it came up "Where does it say that God is against same sex marriage?" and of course they went right to the old bigot stand by, "Lev 18:22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman that is detestable."  First off I asked you about same sex marriage. This says nothing about love, commitment, raising children and giving to the community. This talks about sex. AND it only covers one half of the the sexual relations homosexuals have, as it doesn't mention anything about women. So there is the first thing i find flawed in your opinion of the Bible.

I thought to myself afterward if Leviticus is so important in Christianity today, maybe I should read it and see what else it says. So I did. I found some out some very interesting stuff. Leviticus chapters 1-7 tells me exactly how to sacrifice bulls, lambs, doves and other animals to God in atonement for my sins. Step by step gory detail, of what to do with innards and brains and where to put the blood on the bulls horns. Seven full chapters. Yup, that's relevant. Leviticus 1:9-tells us about not eating anything from the sea with out fins and scales. I better stop eating my fried calamari and going to Red Lobster, God commands it. LEV 13 47-52 Will tell what to do about having mildew on articles of clothing and tents. Come on all you upstanding "Christians" follow me to my basement to make sure i use the correct amount of bleach. I don't want to sin!

"But Theresa," you may ask. "LEV 18:22 is talking about sex." Well I'll tell you that all of LEV 18 is dedicated to sexual behavior and what not to do. LEV 18:16 Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother. Where in the state laws does it say that I can not do this? Oh yeah it doesn't. LEV 18:18 Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living,there are people out there who get divorced and re-marry their sister-in-law. Don't hear much opposition to that. And according to "LEV 18:19 Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period" all the churches in the country should be standing with picket signs outside my bedroom window because I am a sinner and going to hell.

I'll tell you something else I found in LEV. LEV 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. And funny, it sounds kinda familiar.......I think if I'm going to pluck anything out of LEV it will be this one.

Being Mom

Right now I'm am sitting up late to make sure that a puking DJ makes it to the bathroom each time that the urge comes over him to do so. And as i sit here i read a passage on face book that says something similar to " I am your Mother first and your friend second....." It goes on about how mothers look after the well being of their children rather than caving into being someone at the same level as the children.

What does it take exactly to be a mom? the basics are food, clothing, shelter, school. They teach them the ABC's and 123's. They teach about love for God and Jesus. They teach children that there are rules of society respect, laws and civic duty. They show them what courage and respect is.  They teach them love, honesty and truth. They show them what chlorophyll is and that is how the grass is green and how Hawaii was created and why the Great Wall of China was built. (well at least that are the kind of questions my children ask about the world)

Mothers open the doors of the world to their children. They are the tying link between who kids are as they are young and who they grow up to be. Mothers can be what you always aspire to be. The kind of person who is strong,loving,caring, giving and always there for you.

I hope to always be there for my children. God willing, I will be.

Right now my children are at the stage where they need someone to guide them. Someone to show them the rules of the "playground". They need me to be the police, per say, and make sure that they don't kill each other in fights over transforming toys and building blocks. They still need me to help them take care of their dishes when they are done with breakfast, change their sheets and tell them which pile is theirs of the clean laundry.

One day tho they will change their own sheets, and fold their own laundry. They will not need me to look over their shoulder or have me be there while they read a story from their school books. Not only will they not need me to do it, they won't want me to either. they will hit the stage, as all of us do, that Mommy is not the lead in their life anymore. when friends and (oh god I'll say it) girlfriends become foremost on their mind than whether or not Mommy approves. And I'm sure that will last for several years, I'm guessing from about 9-23. And I'm being gracious in that bc I want my children to think I'm the most important from at least 11-20.

It is my hope that when my kids come out of the "mommy don't know nothing" stage that they will appreciate all that i have done as the police officer that i was when they were growing up. In all honesty I look forward to my children being adults.

Here is why.

I want to sit down with my kids and talk about God. To have them question authority with me. To ask me why the government stands this way or another. I want to see a 25 year old Spencer ask me "why?" of society the same way he asked me "why?" when i wouldn't let the 5 year old Spencer eat a second cupcake. I want them to ask me these questions. To sit down with me, not as a mother, but as a friend and confidant. To feel that their mother is no longer the police or guiding force in their lives, but an educated, loving reasoning adult that expresses many of the same view point of the world as they do. And even as adults if we disagree, well then that's OK because we are adults and we are allowed to our viewpoint.

I guess that what I am saying is that I know that I am raising three children. They will always and forever be my children. But it is my hope that when they get to the right age, that we may also be friends.

The Playground

I absolutely love taking the kids to the playground behind their school. I love to watch them run, play, learn and explore. I love seeing as they grow new skills, the increase their hand eye coordination, and having them explore new parts of the playground as they get older. The joy on their faces as they race around the wood chips playing tag and just plain ol' having fun. Eventually comes the time when the fun has to end and we have to go home. I call to them "LAST SLIDE" they groan a little and fight me a little yet they each, in turn, go to the biggest slide, go down and come to me so we can leave. As we walk past the school there is a small hill. I let the kids roll down the hill on the grass as many times as they want before we get to the parking lot. On the walk home we continue the fun as they race from house to house, in anticipation of me stepping on the same block as them so they can shoot to the next driveway. So even though the fun has ended on the playground, we continue to have joy as we head home.

Life is a playground were we all run, learn, play, develop and grow. Sometimes, in life, we have our "last slide". God may not shout out to us when that will happen tho. You never know when will be the last phone call to a friend, the last time you hug your mother, the last time you hold your partners hand. I'm not saying that we should all walk on eggshells waiting for those horrible, inevitable times to come. Just as children playing on the playground, we need to enjoy ourselves in the moments of small joys and amazing triumphs with our friends and family, not in anticipation of our last slide.

What i want to concentrate on is how we choose to walk home. I could walk home with three very crabby children who are all angry that they had to leave the playground. Have them dwelling on their last slide and wishing that they had one more turn. Instead we embrace that we are done and continue with other things that make us happy. Using the time we have now, the walk home, to have fun. We have a choice after our last slide in life how we "walk home" after tragedies. Yes, it is important to acknowledge the pain and the hurt, but eventually you have to continue with your life. How do you choose to "walk home"? Full of pain, anger, regret? Wishing forever that you had just one more slide? Or do you choose to roll down the grassy hill?

When it came to my own personal walk home it took me almost three years to let go of my anger, sadness and pain. It took a lot of therapy, talking and looking deep within myself at who i am. It took a long time for me to understand that a last slide had happened and that i needed to choose how i walk home. I'm glad that i finally chose to roll down the hill in the grass, to race from house to house, and not walk home with regret in my heart wishing for one more slide.