An add in

I just thought I should add in a very important bit to what I was saying before about homosexuality. I mentioned how there is physical evidence for it not being a choice, but I forgot to mention one very important thing; it shouldn't matter! What I wrote about before was in many ways wrong (I just found it to be very interesting information) but defending the the idea that it's not a choice is like condoning it at the same time, making excuses for people because it's "wrong". It shouldn't matter if someone is or isn't a homosexual (choosing to be or not), because they are human too and God loves all people! I just really needed to say that, and I just hope that someday somewhere, whether I know about it or not, I can help someone else to see that.

Speaking about having impacts, my freshman year of college I had a discussion with a friend of mine about faith and God. She told me about how her dad had lost faith in God because of his father dying. I told her about how I grew in my faith and relationship with God through the death of my mom (which makes interesting perspectives, don't you think?). Anyway, I am, and have never been, the best at describing my feelings or thoughts, so when I was reading bits of Seth's blog (or should I say a conversation between him and a commenter), I felt like it summed up how I felt about how God deals with the world and how God doesn't punish people for things by giving them cancer for example. Anyway, I felt the need to send this to her and I got an email back telling me that she was very thankful for it, that it couldn't have come at a better time, and that she really needed that. I felt really good about that and felt like God really was working through me/Seth to reach out to someone who needed it.

I have been thinking a lot lately about God and how "he" works in the world. None of my previous beliefs have changed (I feel I established those a while ago) but I definitely feel as if they have been growing recently. I am very glad for that because I have been feeling a lack of spiritual growth lately. That's one thing that I really enjoy about being with David (there is a huge list there) but the fact that David is still experimental in his faith has led us into some really interesting conversations about faith and God, which have helped me grow more in my faith, and in different ways of looking at it and at God. I would like to think that our conversations have been good for him too. I don't actively want to change him, I love his beliefs, but I like being a part of his spiritual growth process, no matter what rode that leads to. :) I have been watching a lot of Joan of Arcadia lately on Youtube, it might sound funny, but that show brings up some really good/neat issues dealing with God, and it makes me think, even if it just makes me rethink about a topic.

I have noticed something lately about my spiritual inspiration, as many of you may know I am not the best at reading my Bible, in fact, that bit of me is pretty much nonexistent. I have always wished that I could be one of those people who carry around their Bible a lot and get inspired from it, but it doesn't have that effect. I think what's in the Bible is really important, and I am very grateful for its existence, but for some reason, unless I'm in a Bible study I just don't get much out of the messages. I think I read too literally into it sometimes (not that I take what it's saying literally, the outcome is that I just get stories and don't always get the bigger picture... the ones I do get I have heard a million times and have had explained to me in church). Anyway, to the point, what I have found out about myself recently is that I may not be so good at reading the Bible, but I get my inspiration by those who did/do! I find incredible inspiration and beauty from stories!! Stories like A Tale of Two Cities (one of most beautiful stories of self sacrifice apart from Jesus' in my opinion), The Chronicles of Narnia, and one can't forget the best of them all, Les Miserables. Even though I can't even force myself through a few pages in the Bible, I still find my spiritual growth and learning in the amazing stories that have been created by others who did get the message. I used to feel a bit bad in certain company (and sometimes still do I guess, subconsciously) because I don't read the Bible, but I know now that it's ok, everyone has their own way of growing in God, and for one reason or another, even though I am an avid reader, the Bible just doesn't do it for me. Thanks for "listening" (reading) my little thought tree here, but it feels good to write it. :) Haha, I feel like I'm sneaking into Seth's "theme" here. :P