Persecuted Christians?

It is about a week after the Supreme Court decided that all states need to allow Gay marriages.  This is a landmark decision, one of the first ones that I remember catching my attention.  Sure, Roe V Wade was big, but at that time, I was not.  I had not even become interested in girls at that point. This one though has really been on my mind, pulling my interest and leaving me feeling unsettled.

I am reading people's thoughts about it, their writings and emotions.  Some are very well reasoned, and some are a bit more incendiary.  (I think that is a good word for man who declared that he would set himself on fire if this was allowed).  I am wanting to understand the thoughts of my respected Christian friends and to understand my thoughts as a Christian man.

The thing that has me most unsettled though are the comments that we are no longer a Christian nation and instead Christians are now being persecuted for our beliefs.  The US was not called to be a Christian nation, but a nation that allowed the freedom of religion.  Being an American does not equal being a Christian.  They are two entirely different things.  One can be an American Christian, but one could rather be an American Hindu, Muslim, Jew, agnostic or atheist.  Being an American means you have the freedom to choose and to worship or not worship your God.  Being an American does not mean that all of the laws and decisions will be made according to our Christian desires.

I was very surprised to find out I am now being persecuted for my beliefs.  Wow, somehow I missed that.  As I drove off to Church this morning, meeting to worship God together, I felt incredibly persecuted.  Spies watching us to see if we are Christians, reporting us to the officials?  Ummm, no.  I drove past any number of Churches that had any number of cars in them, all with people freely going into worship together.  Bibles available on bookstore shelves, the purchase of which does not even raise an eyebrow.  Am I being forced to change my faith, my sexual preference, my marriage because of the decision last week?  Not really.  Not at all.  I am just as free as I was last year to be the Christian man I was before, just as free to propose to and marry Denise, and to live out our lives as husband and wife, worshiping our Savior.  I would have a tough time telling my Christian brothers in many other parts of the world that I am being persecuted, while they are being arrested for their faith, and even killed at times.  Telling those that have to have hidden Church services because it is against the law in their country to be a Christian.

So, how am I to respond to all of this?  I have the same call as I did last week, last month, last year.  I am to love the Lord my God with all my heart and strength and to love my neighbor as myself.  All my neighbors.  Every single one of them.  I checked my bible to see if there was an exclusion next to neighbor, but no, nothing.  No asterisk or footnote number that tells me to love this person and not that one, to include this group but to exclude that one.

Many in the states have created these wonderful litmus tests that allow us to formulate opinions about others quickly while ensuring that we are always seen on the good side of any line.  It allows me to cover my sins and poor behavior by creating a test that does not uncover the skeletons in my closet.  "He is gay, the problem with America.  Let's not talk about my cheating on my wife, my taxes, the lies I tell to get what I want"  I create a position that allows me to be "good and right" and to judge others.  "He is a democrat, they are ruining the country", neglecting to talk about the problems the republicans have caused.  "He is this race, this faith, this ethnic group"  All the while people "just like us" are covering up the lies, deceit, cheating, crime, and sinful lifestyles they are living.

The Bible did not promise us a "Christian" nation during this life of ours.  Neither did the constitution.  But, the Bible does tell us how to live, no matter what country and what political climate there might be.  So, please, instead of all of the empty rhetoric, please, my Christian brothers and sisters, join me in doing what we are called to do, and what we have been called to do for centuries.  Let us love our God, love our neighbors, pray for those around us, serve those around us.  All of those around us.

Just

It is once again time for my semi-annual blog post.  My lovely wife is a word lady.  Denise is an excellent writer.  If you have absolutely nothing better to do than to read some poorly crafted words and drivel, then read on.  If you want to read some excellent writing, thoughtful, encouraging and moving, take a look at Denise's blog.  She plays with words in our four concurrent "words with friends" games.  At first she was nice, letting me win so that I would feel good, but now she is beating in many of those games. I tried to institute some rules in those games, like saying that she could only use words that I had heard of, but she continues to use words from the farming communities that she has lived in, like heifer and shoat.  (some kind of cow and something to do with pigs)

 Denise also decorates parts of our home with words.  Sayings, encouragements, signs, mugs, words in many shapes and sizes.  I am finding these to be most interesting.  Some I agree with, some are thought inspiring, some seem a little off putting, and some are just downright confusing. (Now the decorating that was here before Denise and I married was wonderful, and had been perfected over time by my sons and myself.  We had decided to go with an early dorm room style, which has worked at colleges across America for generations.  Decorations, the few there were, were designed to not match, to have no scheme and to not generate any thought.  Color and shape was never thought of in adding to our collection of art.)

Denise has changed that, bringing in color, light, thoughts and fun.  It is a whole new world here.  Each day now I compare my life against the sayings in our home.  Am I being happy enough, am I living my life to the fullest, do I like people???  It is probably best to give you some examples.

This one is simple enough.  Think happy, be happy.  Makes sense, enjoy my life.  Think about happy things and be happy.  It does not quite fit with the curmudgeon lifestyle I was working on, but then things are different now.

Embrace the moment.  Carpe the Diem.  Grab onto this moment and live life.  (I think fishermen have one that says "Carpe the carp", something about grabbing onto the carp, but i am not really quite sure)  Again, simpler, make sure that you live your life by living the moments.  I turn this one around when I feel like taking a nap, it makes me feel guilty.

This one made me wonder.  "I don't like morning people, or morning, or people"  Denise really enjoys the calendars that Mary Engelbreit puts together.  The pictures are cute, the colors bright.  But the words on here just plain make me uncomfortable.  Denise is one of the most caring people I know and likes people, and morning, very much.  This one would have worked better in my old curmudgeon days.

Love the life you live the life you love.  This is the "Row, Row, Row your Boat" of the saying industry.  It can go round and round and round.  Love life live life love life live life love......  No beginning and no end.  I once spent two hours stuck in the endless loop of reading this saying.  

Ok, this is not a saying at all, just a gratuitous triptych that Denise made from a photo that I took in the smoky mountains.  I just like it.

This is one of my favorite additions, because all of the words on here relate to us.  Denise is a fan of word clouds.  She made this one for us, and then has done some for each of the kids as well.  Photography, smiles, Chuck (me), Denise, words, Illinois, Love.  All words that help describe our life together.  (There is a special reward for the first person to find "instrumental" in the word cloud.  It is my favorite style of music)

This is the sign that is up in the kitchen.  It give me something to think about when I see it.  There are some items on here that I really agree with, such as Living with Intention.  Don't just float, but have purpose.  Show Gratitude.  I appreciate so many things and do try to express my gratitude for them.  I thought about living fearlessly, but I am afraid to, so I left that one alone.  I asked Denise if we could just cross our the bottom one, "Trying New Things", but she said no.  Those of you that know me know that trying new things is definitely NOT what Chuck does best.  I tried one new food item this year, well, this decade.  Sure, it is ok, but that is about my quota.  I am 55 and content in life, I don't feel the need to try new things.  I have certain favorite restaurants that I go to, and there, I order the same things that I have been ordering for years.  When Denise is not around, I just cover that suggestion with a post-it note.

Now, here is the tough one.  "Just be".  Just be?  I am willing to consider what these sayings say, but what is this telling me?  Just be what?  Just be happy?  Just be where?  Just be in St Charles?  In Utah?  Just be on time?  Just be late?  Just be myself?  Just be something different?  Just be quiet? (I hear that one a lot).  I am trying to figure out how to "do" this one.  It is making my brain hurt as I search for the meaning behind it.  I want to understand just what I am to be.  Sometimes I just sit in front of it and just "be", but i don't really get very much done that way, and I often fall asleep when I try that one.

I have come to the conclusion that this is part of Denise's master plan, that she will start putting words under it to help me.  Things like "Just be a fruit eater", "Just be a husband who takes his wife to dinner tonight", or "just be more helpful with the dishes".  I will watch carefully for these changes in the sign.

Anyway, that is it for today, I will be back for my next blog installment when I next "just be writing again"

Oh, and by the way, instrumental is not in the word cloud. I was "Just being" funny.

In defense of the selective eater

.First off, I want to clarify.  I am not a picky eater, I am a selective eater, I am a conservative eater.  I know what I like to eat and I select to eat that again and again, and again and again. And then again.  

It is not like I have just discovered food, or eating, or taste. I have been part of this eating system for more than 55 years now. I know what I like and I stick with it.  My approach to eating is " if it isn't broke, don't fix it ".  And, so far, I am not broke.  I don't have scurvy or any of those other lack of food maladies.  So, I figure my eating approach must be working.  

Now, my lovely bride's approach is a little different.  She has two maxims in her approach to food that just don't quite agree with. One is "sure, I'll try that" and the other is "you need to eat from all these different food groups to be healthy". 

I could try more foods, but why?  I like what I am eating now. I enjoy the meals I have.  They are tried, true and safe. Sure bets in the world of meals.  Front Street Cantina is one of my favorite restaurants, a tasty little Mexican place. I happen to like their ground beef chimichanga, which I have every time I eat there.  I like many types of Mexican food (yes, I know most of it is the same ingredients, just with different names) and I would like many things on the menu, but what am I to gain by trying them?  In my mind, I look at it as a wager, a gamble. I am gambling the cost and enjoyment of the meal on whatever new plate I may try.  If I don't like it as much, then I have wasted the cost and the enjoyment of that meal by trying something new. So, I would be just as happy with that restaurant if they took everything else off the menu and just had chips and ground beef chimichangas.  

My lovely bride is trying to "improve" my eating habits. I admit it is very nice having home cooked meals  and Denise is an excellent cook.  I have very much enjoyed each of the meals she has made.  The thing is that she has decided that I need to be eating "better" foods.  Like eggs, for example. I guess there is something missing in me that eating eggs will magically cure. The thing is, they are "supposed" to be good for me.  Well, they were supposed to be good for me about 35 years ago, then for a while they were supposed to be "not good" for me.  Then, voila, they are supposed to be good for me again. I am sorry, but I am just not buying it. If all of the scientists cannot make up their mind on whether they are good for me, then why should I be expected to commit my eating habits to them.  Because, as previously noted, if I like them, I will eat them again and again, etc.  So, I am just going to wait this one out until someone can agree again. And, until then, I will just suffer whatever malady there is that is caused by my not eating eggs.  

I hear that I need to have fruit in my diet.  I have done well so far without it. I think it is a good idea, healthy, biodegradable and all of that, and I think it will catch on.  I am willing to try this. Right now, I am trying to determine how many blueberry muffins I will need to eat each day in order to get my minimum daily requirement of fruit. 

You're my wife

I often tell Denise that "you're my wife".  Until I explained it to her, she would just look at me with that expression that said "ummm, yes, I know this".  (Just to clarify, I did not have to explain to her that she is my wife, but explained what I meant when I told her that)

You need to understand the back story (I never had a back story before, but I just got one for Christmas).  I have been a single man since 1999.  Yes, since sometime in the last century.  I guess I was a bachelor (no, not the one on tv), but I did not consider myself one.  I figured that I would be married again sometime before too long, but after a decade or so passed, I began to think maybe I was wrong.  I think I was close once, but I did not have enough stamps to send in the mail order. After a while, I figured that singleness may be what God had called me to.  I began to think of myself as a tortured artist, alone, working on my art that no one would appreciate until after I was gone.  I felt a kinship with Vincent Van Gogh.  But I digress (always wanted to say that)

At the beginning of October, quite as a surprise to both of us, I met Denise on facebook.  Messaging led to texting, then to phone calls, skyping, then to our fairy tale romance, time together and our engagement.  

Then, late on the evening of December 23, Denise's plane landed at O'hare and we were together for good (with some exclusionary blackout periods).  We enjoyed our first Christmas together, and finally (after having to wait all 3 months), our wedding.  After that, we had our brief honeymoon in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (state motto:  great, more people from Illinois coming to visit).

Now, things have settled into a routine for us, with my going to work each day, and our enjoying our time on the evenings and weekends.  

It is at these times that I will pause, look at Denise, and tell her "You're my wife".  This is not a possessive comment, a lording over her comment, or a new realization, but a statement made in awe. This lovely lady is my wife.  I realize how very fortunate I am, I see her love for me in so many things she does throughout the day.  I am humbled each time as she creates photo books for us, fixes up the house even more for us, decorates the place with photos we have taken, cooks delicious meals for us, prepares left overs for me for my lunches at work.  (if you don't think that is love, try eating the same things at lunch for work year after year).  If I have a headache, she applies lavender to help soothe it, she massages my shoulders, encourages me in my writing and photos.  Just this week, Denise joined me for taking photos at the youth theater and for a writers workshop.  I never have to ask for any of these things, she wants to be involved in the things that I am involved with, and wants to care for me.  

Denise retired from teaching and moved (like moving house moving) from Utah to St Charles IL.  Denise chose me to be her partner, to build a relationship with.  I am in awe of the partner I have found.  How is it that I, that bachelor, photographer, century long single man, have found this lovely woman?  And this is not simply a dating relationship, no, she has married me.  Committed her life and her future to me.  This is forever, as long as we both shall live stuff.  She is my biggest fan, my best friend.  

So, as I enjoy this new part of my life, day after day, I will look at her and comment "You're my wife".  And I will say it with awe in my voice and deep gratitude and appreciation.