Love is as Love does

 A PARABLE: A certain man, as a result of genetic predisposition, was addicted to drugs.  After a time he allowed the addiction to define him as a person.  His friends and family loved him and wanted to help him.  Some of them concluded that because he felt so good when he was on the drugs, and suffered so badly when withdrawing from them, that the most compassionate thing to do would be to supply him with the needed drugs and thus prevent the withdrawal symptoms.  They had been warned that the drugs would eventually kill their friend, but they could only see the short term results.  It made them feel good to shield their friend from the pain and chose not to see that they were in fact harming him permanently.
The others had a longer view.  They believed it was more compassionate to not contribute to their friend's eventual destruction and instead did all they could to dissuade him from using drugs.  They knew the short term pain would blind him and cause their friend to feel victimized and become angry.  Nonetheless they loved him enough to take the brunt of his misplaced indignation, knowing it was best for him and that he would live long enough to eventually be grateful.
Question:  Which group actually loved their friend more?

This post will most likely be regarded as hateful and intolerant by some.  It saddens me that they will choose to ignore the point of my comments because they become defensive.  Labeling people with whom you disagree 'hateful' is intellectual laziness.  My motive is a sincere concern for the welfare, the eternal welfare, of all concerned.

I've recently become aware of a 'movement' made up of members of The Church that are actively supporting legalization of same-gender marriage.  I find this tragic because I wholeheartedly believe these well-meaning church members are shortsighted and that their actions serve to hurt the very people they wish to support.  They are not seeing the big picture.

For the purpose of this discussion I'll concede that same-sex attraction comes naturally to those that experience it.  They don't ask for it and can't help it.  For those conflicted by it I have much compassion.  That said, I believe that makes it no different than other unwelcome temptations faced by all people, except that it has become politicized.  The 'natural man' is routinely beset with temptations which are not welcomed, but that we are nonetheless expected to resist.  What could be more natural than lust, greed, envy, selfishness, pride, hatred, etc. Which should we endorse next?  We all have burdens to carry.  It is a vital component of the growth we came here to experience.
For those of faith that profess to believe in scripture, it is inescapable that those who engage in homosexual behavior will be subject to eternal consequences.  Ignoring this truth does not change the reality of it, disliking this truth does not nullify it, garnering supporters will not alter it.  Defining morality is God's privilege, not ours.
True compassion for those that experience same-sex attraction by people of faith requires that we tell the truth for their long term benefit, even if it means taking the brunt of their misplaced indignation.  I know it's hard sometimes.  Professed followers of Christ that enlist to endorse same-sex marriage simply become well-meaning enablers.  They are in fact harming them badly and permanently.  Good intentions cannot divorce us from the consequences of our actions.

Had enough!

Can I just say that I've had more than enough of the piety of Ron Paul's fanatical supporters?
Is that too harsh?
Just because Paul uses the word Constitution in every sentence doesn't mean he's the master of it.
Just because some of us acknowledge that there is true evil in the world, and would rather prevent being attacked rather than waiting to respond to one, doesn't make us blood thirsty.
I've been involved in politics for many years now, at times very closely. I understand feeling passionately and supporting your candidate(s).
However, I have had it up to here (imagine me holding my hand just above my eyebrows) with many of the Ron Paul supporters misusing scripture, falsly insinuating support of church leaders, and generally acting like anyone that doesn't support him is missing a vital chromosome.
I know we will SOMEDAY see the time when the lion and lamb will lay down together. But RIGHT NOW I pity the lamb that tries it.

My summer of discontent

We've all heard that trials in our lives are, or can be, blessings in disguise. I know that blessings can be trials in disguise. (Parents, can I get an AMEN?)
This year I had a particularly difficult trial that I'd like to share. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the lessons therein.
Through the summer I had been coping with lower back pain. I had a lot of soreness, stiffness, etc. It was pretty bad at times, and not so bad others. During a week of vacation time while Julie was at Education Week my back was quite sore,(enough to keep me from accomplishing much) and I was having some pain in my right leg. It was enough to be bothersome, but it was only when I was sitting or driving. (Oh yeah, I drive for a living.) The following week, the game completely changed!
On my 2nd night back to work the pain was bad enough that I left work early. Once at home I was walking around, doing things just fine. It still only hurt when I sat. When I awoke the next morning and put my feet on the floor, the closest I can come to describing what I felt would be lightning streaking down the back of my right leg. I fell to the floor and crawled to the bathroom.
I had heard of Sciatica before, but never realized how debilitating it can be. For the next 4 days I only left my recliner to use the bathroom, and had to crawl to do that. I actually chose to go thirsty and hungry in order to reduce the need for those trips. After a few days I was able to stand, stooped way over, to walk very short distances. (50 feet) But it was excruciating to do so.
I was diagnosed with a significantly herniated disc (10mm) that was pinching my Sciatic nerve root. I was advised that the preferred treatment was a combination of pain management, muscle relaxers, therapy, and time. I was prescribed Percocet (narcotic), starting seeing a chiropractor 3 times a week, and began getting epidural steroid injections. This course of treatment would prove ineffective and after 8 weeks I was given a test to check for nerve damage. That test is called an EMG, and would fit right in a torture chamber. It indicated nerve damage and on Oct. 5 I was referred to a neurosurgeon. Every surgeon I called was scheduling new patients for late November to January. (Can you imagine, I would STILL be waiting) Through what I am convinced was Divine Intervention, I was able to schedule an initial consultation for October 18.
During this timeline, much more happened that made this an experience I will never forget, and hope to never repeat.
Percocet contains a high level of acetaminophen, which is hard on the liver. I have a history of high liver functions, and was therefore concerned. About 5 weeks into the ordeal I began feeling 'yucky'. It got steadily worse until I was feeling quite sick much of the time which made the overall experience much worse. On Sunday October 16, while at church, I was not only feeling sick, but experiencing a lot of anxiety and restlessness. I had literally been poisoning myself. It seemed like things were closing in around me and I ended up having an emotional breakdown in the clerk's office while getting a blessing from my bishop and High Priest Group leader.
I decided to stop taking the pain medication, knowing the pain would be intense. What my doctor had failed to inform me of is that even when using narcotics responsibly, which I had been, there would be withdrawal symptoms if quit. For the next 72 hours I had all the pain of the pinched Sciatic nerve, the sickness from the drugs, AND the withdrawal symptoms from having quit cold turkey. I only slept about 3 hours total in that time. The withdrawals made it nearly impossible to remain still and the injury of course made moving around very painful. Those long sleepless nights were the darkest times I can recall. I cried, literally, to the Lord like never before.
I saw the surgeon and he agreed to operate. He had 2 open times in his schedule. One was only 6 days away, and the other would have been month later. Fortunately I was able to get all the pre-operative requirements done in time to schedule for the first one. I had surgery on October 24th that has, so far, been successful.
I've come to believe that it was no accident that all those different factors converged to bring me to rock bottom when they did. I know the Lord's hand was in it. I've spent hours contemplating what I was supposed to learn from this and praying that it wouldn't be lost on me. I have some ideas and feelings with which I'm still wrestling. I also have a strong feeling that there will be an event or experience later on that will offer understanding and clarity.
I know I will be more compassionate to others' suffering. That's a good thing.

Barney Frank to Retire From Congress

Good riddance! 'Nuf said.

Too good to not share.

I LOVE THIS! Good luck not crying.
(You'll need to pause the music player at the bottom of this page)

Why not the horse's mouth?

Has anyone else noticed how many people out there that claim to want to know what Mormons believe are content to get their information from anyone BUT Mormons?

Other than naivete, personal agenda, or a preference for gossip over truth, I can't think of any legitimate reasons for such a practice.

Not all is as it seems

I learned some interesting statistics the other day. I had never heard them before but they really weren't surprising to me. I don't think they should be surprising to anyone that believes in freedom.
I'm afraid I can't give the exact numbers, but I can pass along the idea, which is much more important.
First let's mention the statistics that the proponents of wealth redistribution like to use. Over the past 2 decades the number of Americans in the bottom 1/5th of income has increased, and so has the number in the top 1/5th. This suggests that the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. A common complaint.
But there is more to the statistics than immediately meets the eye. When digging a little deeper we learn that the individuals that made up the bottom 1/5th in the past are now spread across all five groups, with a substantial number of them now in the TOP 1/5th. Only around 15% of past poor still are poor. Those that now make up the bottom 1/5th are 'new poor', consisting mostly of younger Americans getting started and immigrants. So the oppressed apparently really weren't. Most of them prospered, each according to his/her talents and efforts.
Of course most of us never needed a study to demonstrate this truth, we see it all around us.