Prayer is Prayer.......My Thoughts on THE RESPONSE- Day of Prayer

I have been reading an awful lot lately about Gov. Rick Perry and his call for a Day of Prayer and Fasting set for August 6, 2011. Some Christians I know are in an uproar about the lawsuit filed against Perry for organizing such an event. They believe it is an attack on prayer fueled by our “Muslim” president who wants to do away with our Judeo-Christian values. I decided to do a little research and came to a few conclusions of my own. I know I am going to catch some heat over writing this, but I am doing it anyway.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation argues in its lawsuit filed in Houston that Republican Gov. Rick Perry's day of prayer and fasting would violate the constitutional ban on the government endorsing a religion. The event, which is called The Response and is billed as Christian-only, is scheduled for Aug. 6 at Houston's Reliant Stadium. The complaint alleges Perry violated the First Amendment's establishment clause by organizing, promoting and participating in the event.

No one has a problem with prayer. The issue is with Perry using his office to promote, recognize and endorse something that is specific to only one religion. It obviously does not include members of different faiths. They can attend, if they wish, but they must follow the rules: Bring a bible and pray to Jesus. Take a look at those endorsing and sponsoring this event. Look it up for yourself at:
The Response Leadership

If you are openly gay, support Marriage Equality or believe in a woman’s right to choose, forget it. You will not feel welcomed there. Not to mention, you are REQUIRED to register for this event, if you plan to attend or want to endorse it in your church. It's free, but you must sign up. Registering to gather in prayer. Hmmm..... If you cannot attend, they will send you a 7 day prayer guide in preparation for the big day.

Perry states that our nation's only hope for the future lies in belief in Christ. Does this mean those who don’t believe in Christ are the problem and they need to get on board in order to heal our nation? Isn’t that kind of forcing ONE RELIGION and ONE BELIEF on everyone? I thought we had a freedom of religion in this country: the freedom to practice any religion. Or no religion at all, if we so choose.

We have a National Day of Prayer every May, which encompasses ALL faiths. Contrary to popular belief and rumor, President Obama did not cancel it nor did he ever have any intention of canceling or permanently eliminating this appointed, annual day of prayer.  Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and any other person  hopefully sets aside time to pray, reflect or meditate on this day. Our country does need help. Everyone I know needs help. Life is tough! No question about it. Let me ask you this: because we don’t do it the Rick Perry way, does that mean THOSE prayers are not heard?

I have no issue with gathering together in prayer. I believe in prayer. I pray every day. I believe we should never stop praying. I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I think an organized day of prayer such as The Response, where all are urged to fall to their knees for our nation and pray to Christ, is a slap in the face to others. They are basically being told by a government leader:  if you don’t believe or pray this way, your prayers don’t count.
 
I believe prayer is prayer: a simple, humble, cry of the heart for assistance, interception or understanding from something greater and stronger than what we see, feel, touch, or hear. I personally pray to God- a loving, forgiving, understanding father-figure. I have always believed this way and that will never change. But..... shame on me if I ever discredit, discount, or dismiss the cries of others simply because they do not pray the same way I do.
 
Here are some of my sources:
Rick Perry Day of Prayer- Huffington Post
 
Is Rick Perry Trying to Bring Other States to Their Knees- The Statesman
 
President Obama Cancels National Day of Prayer
 
And this is my Daily Cyn.......

Are You Constantly Being Accused?!

When someone constantly accuses you of something; most likely they are guilty of it themselves.

Jesus said it best and I will paraphrase:

Before you try to take the splinter out of another person's eye, remove the 2x4 from yours!

In other words, people will nit-pick, accuse, and shame you over the very things they see in themselves. And their offense is usually greater and more terrible than the thing for which you are being judged.

This is called the BIG COVER-UP!  It makes them look and feel better and justifies their own wrong-doings. They simply shift the focus on you so you cannot see what is wrong with them.

This puts you in a weakened state of body, mind and spirit. You spend your time and energy trying to prove your innocence. It's nothing more than a subtle but dangerous form of abuse.

This kind of person is NOT YOUR FRIEND. He is your enemy. Run as fast as you can and don't look back.

A true friend......

loves, hopes, and believes the very best about you.

rejoices with you when you are happy and successful.

weeps with you when you are sad.

never kicks you when you are down, but tries everything possible to lift you up and help you stand. 

always tells you the truth, but will do so with kindness and compassion.

never uses your faults, mistakes or weaknesses to hurt you.

never judges you without admitting their own guilt first.

Look for these qualities in friends and lovers. Nourish these qualities in yourself.

Never settle for anything less.......

And this is my Daily Cyn........

I Love Being Single!

Most of you know I recently ended a relationship. It was my first REAL committed relationship in almost a decade.  It lasted exactly two years. The first year together, despite a few obstacles, was pretty good. The second year was awful enough to not want a third.

All kinds of things run through your head when a relationship ends. No matter who is responsible for calling it quits, there's always heartache, disappointment and sorrow. Honestly, I am experiencing a great deal of disappointment. Disappointment in him for not being the person he claimed to be. But, mostly, I am disappointed in myself. After being single for so long and all the emotional work I've done, you'd think I would know how to choose the right guy. But NO! So I've been emotionally beating myself for being so STUPID STUPID STUPID! I am forty-nine years old, for God's sake! How many chances at this am I gonna get?

It's not all his fault. In fact, the reason the relationship ended is because of me. He is who he is and perhaps there is another woman out there willing to put up with the things I did. If so, more power to her! I couldn't do it. I also to lean toward the persuasion that I am simply destined to be single. I am independent, strong-willed, stubborn and very set in my ways. I endured a very bad marriage for many years so I have an awful taste in my mouth concerning love, commitment, and relationships.  I know I am not easy to deal with because of that.


Anyone who gets involved with me is going to have to understand I have a little bit of baggage. He will also have to tolerate my temper tantrums when I sense any signs of control or ownership.


It would be perfectly fine with me to remain single for however many years I have left on this earth. I can come and go as I please. Do whatever I want. Not have to answer to anyone. I love my freedom. What I hated about my last relationship was all demands placed upon me, having to give an account for every second of my time, explaining why I didn't return a phone call or a text message quickly enough, and sacrificing everything I wanted to do in order to do what he wanted. And most of the time, he just wanted to sit around and do absolutely NOTHING.

If this is what it means to be in a relationship, NO THANKS! I'll stay single! I know what you are thinking. I JUST HAVEN'T FOUND THE RIGHT GUY! Perhaps...... but at my age, if I haven't found him yet, he probably doesn't exist.

I had a long conversation about all this with my mom yesterday during all our trips to and from the hospital to visit my dad. When I finally settled in for the night, I went over all of it in my mind. Yep. I think I will just stay single the rest of my life, I like my life. I can take care of myself. I am financially independent. I am strong. I am secure. I don't need or want a man. Okay.... they are good for a few things. I just don't want to be attached to one 24/7. In other words- no more relationships!

And then my head began to pound. It was at that moment I realized I hadn't eaten a thing all day.  I have hypoglycemia. I am not supposed to go long periods of time without food. It can be very dangerous.

 I want and need my freedom. I want to live my life on my terms. I don't want to become someone else's property, be controlled, or sacrifice my life in order to exist with someone else. I could call any number of my single guy friends and ask them to take me to dinner or satisfy a physical need or two any time I want. That's not the problem.

Last night I found myself longing for someone to take care of me. A guy so in tune with me and what is going on in my life now that he simply says," Baby, I know you had a rough day so I am taking you to dinner!" That kind of sensitivity only exists in a solid, healthy relationship. I can't win!

I do need to fly solo for awhile right now. I can't get involved with anyone. At this point, I get sick to my stomach at the idea of even meeting a guy for coffee. Guys keep asking. I keep declining. I need to heal. I need to do some inner house-cleaning so I don't make another mistake. I need to learn how to recognize the right guy and to run for the hills immediately when I come in contact with the wrong one. And, I need to stop believing the lie that I am perfectly content to remain single the rest of my life.

I don't really want to be alone. After all, there are two chairs on the porch of my dream home! It will remain empty until I can find someone to sit beside me, hold my hand, and gaze at the stars on quiet evenings. The kind of guy, who doesn't want run my life, or force me to fit into his.  I will just continue to wait for the right guy who simply wants to share one life..... with me.

And this is my Daily Cyn.........

Don't Take It Personally.............

Whatever happens around you, don't take it personally... Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. - Don Miguel Ruiz


And this is my Daily Cyn.......

Shooting the Gift-Giver

A few months ago, I decided to give a friend a gift. At the time I made the decision, times were good, funds were abundant, and because I felt I already had been blessed with so much, I could afford to pass something good along to someone else. Seasons change, situations turn, but I had made a promise. Once I make a promise, I do not like to break it. And I truly believe that the course of our lives can change dramatically when we give to others out of our own need. I believe in some way, it will come back to me, perhaps not financially, but in other positive ways.

It took a little while for that person to actually receive the gift. She had to make a few phone calls and arrange things in order to actually hold it in her hands. It saved me the aggravation of having to do it. I don't have the time or the energy right now. She was willing to do the work. And she was grateful. She called me several times yesterday to thank me. She told me she would find some way to repay me. I explained it was a gift- no strings attached. You see, she has extended kindness to me quite a few times so I simply wanted to express my gratitude by helping her out.

Truth be told, I could have really used it myself. Times are tough. But I still have so much, regardless. So why not bless someone else?

What totally shocked me was the reaction of others. Those who believed she did not deserve this gift. One person in particular, thought it was rightfully his. I had orginally given the item to him, but it wasn't good enough, so I gave him a better one. And he left the orginal to sit and rot and take up space- for almost two years! I repeatedly asked him to do something with it so I did not have to suffer a total loss. He never did a thing and this frustrated me to no end. So I simply told my friend, make the arrangements and the proceeds would be hers to keep. When he discovered she was making arrangements, he suddenly began to do the same, hoping to beat her to the punch, take it all for himself and never tell me about it. In other words, he was going to steal it- from me. This was the most painful of all revelations. The one to whom I have been so generous over the years was stealing from me.

As I attempted to spend yesterday with my father (the day BEFORE his radical surgery) I endured a constant stream of nasty, abusive phone calls. Threats were made. The police were called. They were being sent over to my house. I was devastated.  I could not believe what was happening. Fighting, arguing, accusations-- all over a gift. Something someone did not want until I decided to give it to someone else. I spent the rest of the day in bed, exhausted from a big fat dose of reality, the insensitivity of others, and a broken heart.

Eventually, it all worked out for the intended recipient but not without a great deal of stress and aggravation on my part.  I cannot even begin to express the sadness in my soul as result. The hatred and violence that exists in people when it comes to certain things is devastating to me. I don't care if no one thinks my friend deserves to receive this gift. I think she does. It gave me peace and made me feel good to give it to her. I need to feel good right now. That should be the end of it. I thought others would understand this. Sadly, they do not. They shot the gift-giver. There is a part of me that now wishes to refrain from giving anything to anyone ever again.

Material things are simply MATERIAL THINGS. When you come to the point in life where everything has been stripped, stolen or taken from you, (trust me- we ALL come to that point eventually) all you have left is a handful of relationships. Hopefully, you have nourished and maintained those relationships. If not, you will be alone. If you use and abuse others and step all over them; robbing and stealing to get what you want, I mourn for you.  You will never experience the beauty of life, love, peace, or the true joy found in the simple companionship of others.

Give and it shall be given unto you.
Take and everything will eventually be taken from you.

The Law of Life...

And this is my Daily Cyn......

Forgiveness

I know I promised the second installment of The You Complete Me blog. I am working on that and will deliver, eventually.

For some reason, a particular word keeps echoing in my heart and mind today and I want to share that instead.

That word is FORGIVENESS.




Perhaps I need to forgive. Actually, I KNOW I do. And I need to be forgiven. I also need to forgive myself.

Forgiveness. A very powerful word. An incredible, life-changing action we must practice if we desire to truly be free. People cannot heal without our forgiveness. We cannot heal without forgiving others and ourselves. 

A few things about forgiveness:

To forgive is to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; stop being angry with; to pardon.


You relieve yourself of the burden of the past. You shed the hurt, pain, anger, and loneliness. 



You give the person you forgive (even yourself) the freedom to live in peace and to be able to change for the better.

Keep in mind: Forgiveness is not about sitting there and taking it. It does not mean you become a doormat to be used and abused. Forgiveness is not turning the other cheek and allowing someone to repeatedly slap you in the face. Forgiveness is a sign of strength- NOT weakness.

Forgiveness is not forgetting.

The pain may not be completely gone. One can forgive and still grieve a loss or feel pain from a wound.

Damage and wounds can take time to repair.

Forgiveness does not deny responsibility for behavior. You have simply committed to not hold the other person in debt.

When you truly forgive, you no longer punish yourself or anyone else with unkind thoughts, feelings, or vengeful fantasies.

Forgiveness is the purest act of self-love. It is a gift you give to others but more importantly, to yourself. Those who do not love themselves, cannot forgive.

To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness."
- Dr. Robert Muller

 
 
 
And this is my Daily Cyn......

You Complete Me? Part One

"You cannot wait for someone to save you, to help you, to complete you. No one can complete you. You complete yourself."

Call me crazy, but I always hated the part in the movie Jerry McGuire when Tom Cruise utters that famous line to Renee Zellweger, "You complete me!"

Some women I know literally swoon over that line, hoping that some day, some guy might say the same to her. More than likely, it's never gonna happen. And if it does, girls, I suggest you run like hell. I don't know about you, but I would NEVER want the responsibility of COMPLETING someone! And if you are looking for someone to complete you, I am sorry but you will never find that person. It's up to you to be complete, on your own.

I admit, I do get a little lump in my throat when I watch that movie. It's sweet and I like a happy ending. The selfish Tom Cruise character finally gets it and wishes to spend the rest of his life with adorable little Renee and her equally adorable son.  He realizes that success is not as sweet without someone to actually share it with. That's great. I agree with that. Life can be better when you have someone beside you. And sharing it with someone who understands you, loves you and believes in you? It doesn't get better than that. But the whole completion thing? That just drives me crazy!

The Renee character was already complete- without a man. She had a son and she poured her life into him. She had a strong support system in place. She had the promise of a future and job opportunities. She knew who she was and was confident in who she was.  So much so, that she was willing to walk away from love rather than settle for a half-assed version of it. That was the attraction. That was what Tom Cruise found irresistible. Her strength is what drew him to her. She didn't need him. She wanted him. BIG DIFFERENCE!

Honestly, I think his epiphany that life is better with someone to share it with is what completed the Tom Cruise character- NOT the girl he realized he didn't want to live without. As wonderful as she is, eventually, she is going to fail him. If he puts all his hope in her- he will be disappointed. There is no way around it.  We don't really know what happens next because there is no sequel to the movie. We just assume they go on and live happily everafter......

Question: If he truly believes SHE completes HIM- can they live happily everafter? Something to think about.

To be continued, tomorrow.....

And this is my Daily Cyn........