I was raised in an extremely closed-minded and conservative family. As a child, I remember never having any discussion with anyone over any facet of their identity, be it their race, their class, their gender, or their sexual orientation — I lived in a don’t ask don’t tell world. And don’t get me wrong, there… Read More Identity: Complex & Personal
Queer. As much as I own the description of queer, I appreciate that some do not. I don’t mean to conjure up awful memories when the term was used against someone in a derogatory way. I know how this feels, because I was accused of being a titzy-pritzel (a vulgar connotation of queer) when I… Read More Titsy Pritsel
Love is a powerful force that has the ability to bring people together, to heal wounds and to create a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, this force is not always extended to the LGBTQ community. Members of this community have been subjected to hate, discrimination, and violence simply because of who they are. This has created… Read More The Power of LOVE
I lived in a closet for 55 years. It was a lonely and scary place to live for so long. It was a secret that could never be told. The lonely life of a closeted queer man can be a difficult and painful experience. A closeted queer man is someone who has not yet come… Read More Closet Life
Transgender discrimination refers to the unequal treatment of individuals who identify as a gender other than their assigned sex at birth. This discrimination can manifest in a number of ways, including but not limited to, employment, education, healthcare, housing, and social interactions. Despite some progress towards greater acceptance of transgender individuals in recent years, discrimination… Read More Discrimination Awareness
Has mankind gotten religion wrong? I don’t mean completely wrong, but have we made the small things the main thing and the main thing irrelevant? I suppose that depends on what you fell the main things is. I think it’s the gospel as an expression of God’s love. So I think the church has gotten… Read More God Loves Me
I’m thinking I read slower than most, because I have to spend time visualizing what I am reading in order to better internalize the text. When I speak, teach or preach. I can’t imagine a better way to understand what God is saying to you in Scripture than to visualize yourself in the text. Preachers… Read More Visualizing Stories
William Shakespeare once wrote, “Let thee embrace me, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.” It is thought that this is where the military came up with the phrase, ‘Embrace the Suck’. I like the militaries version, because it encapsulates so many thing sin life. Life sucks at times. Embracing that… Read More Embrace The Suck
Masks can change your appearance, but can never change who you truly are. Your appearance does though have a huge effect on the way you’re treated. Maybe this is fair, maybe not, but it’s true and yes, it’s true for men as well as women. I recognized this at an early age. I recognized early… Read More Perception Is Reality
I had a dream once where I got a job at the State Fair as a “Fire- Eater”. The only problem was that I had no idea how to do this job, as I had never eaten fire. I tried for a long time to figure out what that dream meant. I think about the… Read More I Dreamed A Dream
Sandpiper is a good symbol for problem-solving and going great distances to achieve your goals, either physically, or geographically. I am the pastor of two churches. I sat in a bible study last night with one of my churches where the topic of discussion was a bible verse that seems to suggest homosexuality is to… Read More A New Normal
The nervous system uses tiny cells called neurons (NEW-ronz) to send messages back and forth from the brain, through the spinal cord, to the nerves throughout the body. Billions of neurons work together to create a communication network. Different neurons have different jobs. You have nerves throughout your entire body. Nerves send electrical signals that… Read More Communicate Love
made in the image 