tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78785988844047716722024-02-20T17:47:43.587-08:00Cross Castle1982Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-87797906047823431522020-03-20T10:49:00.000-07:002020-03-20T10:49:01.973-07:00How to Survive Prolonged Social Isolation<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In what would
normally be my sophomore and junior years of high school, I spent
18-24 hours a day alone and almost never went outside. I was supposed
to be home-schooled, but really wasn’t getting schooled at all. This
set a pattern that has recurred over and over in my life of severe,
chronic social isolation. I know it isn’t good for me. I was about
to start regularly going to something just to start getting out and
combating it again, but the new virus has everything closed.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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I know about social
isolation. I know what it does to mental health. Humans are basically
pack animals, we are not meant to be too solitary for too long. Even
us introverts need a certain amount of socialization or it adversely affects us and sometimes we do not realize the harm it is doing to
us. In my experience, one builds up a tolerance after going through
intense, prolonged isolation over and over. Yet, even I have my
limits. Since many people are experiencing it for the first time, and
on top of that many people may be very extroverted by nature and not
cope with this as well as us loners, I will here offer some tips on surviving
social isolation.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Number
one, count your blessings, it will keep you from feeling sorry for
yourself. Most of my isolated life, I did not have a computer at
home, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">or just</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
not have internet access at home, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">because I
did not have the money </span><span style="font-style: normal;">for
it</span><span style="font-style: normal;">. U</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ntil
fairly recently, I did not have a smart phone. </span><i>That</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
was isolation! If you are reading this, you do have at least this way to reach other people, so
that is something, even if it </span><span style="font-style: normal;">definitely
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">is not enough. Start making a
gratitude list every day, and try to avoid using the same things more
than once in 2 weeks. Go longer without repeating yourself if you
can. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Gratitude helps keep the
situation fr</span><span style="font-style: normal;">o</span><span style="font-style: normal;">m
swallowing you up inside.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Having a
purpose helps. You must create some sort of goal, I cannot stress
that enough. Initially, you want to read books, play video games,
watch TV... It is OK to enjoy those things, but actually they do not
work that well long-term. Work works better. Study helps.
Spirituality helps, meditating on Creator and the universe, reading
and intensely studying sacred text. You need to have a goal, a plan.
All the entertainment stuff only works for so long, then it becomes
surprisingly depressing. You need to feel meaningful or productive. I
still have a job and do not work from home, but it has not always
been that way; financial strain makes isolation much harder. It makes
one feel worthless on top of lonely. I think we have an instinct, as
a species, to connect disconnectedness with threats to our survival, and being alone usually meant you screwed up unforgivably.
Purpose is a strong medicine for that feeling.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If there is no paid
work for you to do, do you need any? If so, you need to be looking
for ways to make money online or from home. If you have a landline, a
desktop (or maybe a laptop will work), and a reliable internet
connection, there are work from home call center jobs you can look
into. People running call centers may still need help, just not at
their call center building. People are having to shop online and
order things instead of go and buy them in person. Delivery jobs are
likely rising in some areas. Above all, there are sites like upwork
and freelancer.com, which I have personally used when out of work,
and perhaps even others. If you had a business and you can’t have
your employees come to work, look online and determine if there is
anything you can do with the skill-sets available on those sites, see
if you can reinvent and survive. Even if you do not own a business,
maybe someone who does needs what you can do. If you do not end up
finding work this way, you are working on finding work, and it will
keep you focused and more sane. Some of those sites offer low cost or
free education in some of the fields they connect employers with
workers for. It helps their business if the prospective employees
with profiles on their site are well-trained and better skilled, so
it is in their own best interests to offer training. Even if you do
not land a job, you are trying and the effort will do you good, it
gives you a goal to accomplish and meaningful activity to focus your
mind on. Without the latter you will go crazy, no ifs ands or buts
about it.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Panic will start
after a while, if you are alone too much. When it starts to get
overwhelming, you have to take a deep breath, focus hard on that
breath, encourage yourself to persevere, and find something
worthwhile to focus on. Look up “mindfulness meditation” and try
it if this starts happening often. Writing is often an isolated
person’s best survival skill. Write your emotions out. Journaling
is therapeutic and give the overpowering feelings an understandable,
manageable form. All these things are coping skills that work well,
and are non-habit-forming, unlike use of drugs or porn.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
What can you learn
online for free? What have you always wanted to to learn, or need to
learn in order to make progress on something you really want? Mango
language app and duo lingo app are good for learning to speak new
languages. It could give you new things to discuss with online
connections very far away. Youtube and e-how offer so many ways to
learn new things for free, and mass open online courses are often
free unless you choose to get a certificate for your work. Try to
find something new to learn every day, even just some little thing,
it will still mentally help you.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have had years –
not days or weeks, but years – of not knowing when the isolation
would end, when I would be able to connect again. The barrier isn’t
always external, but is effectively no less real. When I would become
literally panicked – because we do that as humans when we are alone
too much, even if we are accustomed to it or generally prefer it –
I would find a plan or a goal that would ultimately change something
in my life that I wanted changed, or something that would make a
difference for somebody somehow. For a few years, I focused on my
bottom line and what I needed to do to achieve free and clear home
ownership. Obviously, trouble connecting with people can be career
limiting, and I have been homeless a few times. I wanted to put that
behind me, so that was my goal. I did it. I worked until I achieved
that goal. I own my house free and clear. Now I have new goals. One
of them is breaking the power of this social anxiety/aversion/phobia
or whatever it is. Oddly enough, everyone else being cooped up has
made others easier to talk to, and not just online. I have not had
any face time online, I usually cannot handle that. The way things
are going, before this crisis is over, I may have even tried it.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Look out for your
physical health. Eat healthy as you can, do a few sit-ups or squats
or push-ups daily, or alternate them every day. Drink plenty of
water. It is amazing how much those things help. I think your body
thinks you are in danger of dying because your village is not there
to help sustain you, and it makes it much harder to stay sane if you
truly aren’t receiving what your body needs. I wish I had known
this when I was younger, and I wish I had known how much impact it
has on mental well-being, but I know now and must develop the habit.
Those unaccustomed to isolation should be even more focused on this
because you need every resource you can get right now in order to
cope.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The best thing I can
say about serious isolation time is, do not waste it. Make something
out of this nightmare. Learn something. Grow somehow. Use the
internet to find a way to lift someone up, even if maybe you feel
like you can’t lift yourself; it comes back around to you when you
do that. Do not worry about when it will stop or whose fault it is,
just keep your mind on something good or a problem <i>you</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
can pursue a solution to. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Vent
your feelings honestly, the answer yourself, in writing with
encouragement.</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Practice
mindfulness. Use this opportunity for growth to achieve something you
could not if you did not lose your job (if you did), </span><span style="font-style: normal;">or</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
without having to be stuck inside for however long. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">The
same is true for social isolation with internal causes as opposed to
external causes – do not waste it, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">find
a way to make something out of it.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Take
care,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">~Mother
Star</span></div>
<style type="text/css">
p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115% }</style>Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-22655249065174564542019-06-29T06:02:00.001-07:002020-03-20T11:07:01.657-07:00"The world is watching us make a colossal difference between homosexual and heterosexual sin and claim that we do so because there is no difference!" If I wrote an ethnography on my country and its attitudes toward homosexuality, I would not say there are people who have a construct of homosexuality being inborn and part of a person, and also people who disagree. I would say we have people who have said construct and deeply value it, and people who have the same construct but maintain a very ambivalent relationship with it, denying that they have it at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
You can't behave like homosexual attraction or behavior makes one "other" and still say that you don't perceive it that way. It seems most church people do that though. There are numerous people I have met at work in my life who are church going people and cohabited out of wedlock or were having blatant affairs people at work all knew about. Wearing Christian shirts and leading church projects and talking to everyone about Jesus and their church and trying to witness to people while living in open sin. If they were homosexual they might have been kicked out of church, or just not been allowed to lead anything. More likely the former at the time. If homosexuality is grounds for dismissal from work, exclusion from certain occupations and military service because it is a sin, then why are adulterers and promiscuous people allowed to do these things? "It is a sin" does not justify exclusion from certain things unless it excludes everyone, except if this particular sin makes the individual a whole different kind of creature and different kind of case. If I said, "this is a different case than these other sins because it is a sin," I would sound crazy right?<br />
<br />
Besides that, where does a Christian's responsibility begin and end? If a cashier gets fired for refusing to sell condoms to a gay couple on grounds she is "standing up for her faith" (I remember hearing about this happening sometime, I think...), did she ring up the product for other couples that may not be married or that clearly are not? If she is responsible before her maker for what the customer does with what they intend to buy, it would definitely be better not to be a cashier anywhere... You have to decide where the boundaries of your responsibility before your Maker lie and be <i>consistent</i> with them. If you "stand against" something on grounds of your responsibility before your maker and you do not have responsibility for it anyway, the person you are "standing up" to does, this is not "living out your faith" it is attempting to control someone else. It is a boundary violation. Jesus gave us all free will and with it comes individual responsibility. Now, if you attempt to force people to comply with the will of the Lord when no violence is occurring if you do not, this is not living your faith, it is violating the boundaries set down by the Master between you and that other person. You can't use responsibility before Jesus to get bullheaded about things you are not even responsible Him for, but people often do that.<br />
<br />
I agree that a minister cannot stand and pronounce the blessing of Jesus Christ on a same-sex marriage, but I also see that if a person is leaving a spouse for a new one, the minister cannot pronounce blessing on that either for the same reason; it is not part of the biblical plan for marriage. Why are so many minister's performing blasphemous weddings? Kim Davis was on her 4th husband. There is this guy that plays bass in a local band around here who is on his 5th wife; he left every previous wife for whichever one was next. Most weddings are performed by allegedly Christian ministers, right? Who is doing all these blasphemous weddings WITHOUT ANY<br />
CONTROVERSY? And why is that without controversy while we have churches splitting over homosexual marriage? It's<i> all</i> fornication right? These unions are wrong for the same reason homosexual marriage is wrong, it is against Jesus' plan for marriage, as He clearly stated in Matthew 19. Why do the heterosexual sinner's emotions matter so much that we have to ignore the word's of Jesus Himself to accommodate them and watch family after family be destroyed, and do not defrock the minister's who participate? Families torn apart and who knows what the fallout will be like for all those broken homes, but allegedly doesn't pose as much threat as a same sex marriage? People come up with all sorts of reasons, some of them absurd, why same sex marriage will destroy society, and watch their society destroyed by fornication in another form with comparative docility. If the word "fornication," or the term "sexual immorality" depending on your biblical translation, means sexual sin period, then we need to start acting like it. In the meantime we truly do manifest hate and discrimination, and cannot use the bible to justify our rage, because we are not really following it in any case.<br />
<br />
"3 Then the Pharisees came to him, testing him and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any reason at all? 4 He answered and said to them, Have you not read how it was that he who made man at the beginning made them man and woman, 5 and said, For this thing shall a man leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two shall be one flesh? 6 So then, now they are not two, but one flesh. Let not man therefore put apart that which God has joined together.<br />
7 Then they said to him, Why did Moses direct to give a testimonial of divorce and to put her away? 8 He said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives. But from the beginning it was not so. 9 I say therefore to you, whoever puts away his wife (unless it be for fornication) and marries another, breaks wedlock. And whoever marries her who is divorced, commits adultery.<br />
10 Then Jesus’ disciples said to him, If this is the case between man and wife, then it is not good to marry. 11 He said to them, Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 Some are chaste who were so born from their mother’s womb. And others are chaste who were made so by men. And others are chaste who have made themselves chaste for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who can receive it, let him receive it."<br />
<br />
I think it is obvious that "whoever can receive this..." in Matthew 19 doesn't mean "Whoever wants to." Sometimes people leave you and you do not have a choice in the matter. They sinned, you didn't. Most marriages in the world are arranged (according to my anthropolgy professor, sometimes marriages are arranged by parents for impure reasons like greed or selfish ambition. I don't know that it happens all the time, but it happens. My church will not even recognize a forced marriage as valid, actually, and priests are required to make sure people are not joined in a previous union before they agree to do the wedding. If people are forced into a marriage against their will and can prove it or can prove some other legitimate thing nullifies the vows they took, the priest can still do the wedding. The priests are accountable for what they stand representing Christ to bless and bind, and take it very seriously. Therefore I think they have credibility in saying they cannot do same-sex weddings because it isn't in accordance with the divine plan. They are consistent in upholding said plan. But people who have blessed numerous adulterous unions without a thought, or blessed a union they did not expect to last for some reason, "What God has joined together let no man separate," violating the divine plan have no credibility in fighting gay marriage because they care so much about the divine plan. That just looks stupid. To say, "Well, I just don't receive it," for any cause whatsoever does not work, and you can't say anything about upholding biblical standards for marriage if you do not honor them yourself.<br />
<br />
If you do not believe people are naturally and physically wired to be bouncing from one bed or one union to another, and sit talking about brain chemicals like oxytocin to state that we are wired to mate for life, but treat sins of promiscuity and adultery different from homosexuality, you have no credibility when you say you oppose "lgbt agenda" on grounds of it being a sin. The language "lgbt agenda" indicates an attitude of otherness too... We can't watch that show because it has homosexuality in it, but we watch unmarried sex every day and in every film, and we won't listen to songs about homosexuality that do not tempt us, but listen to songs about promiscuity and adultery, some of which very possibly might tempt us. We do this stating that we are walking out our convictions that homosexuality is "a sin just like other sexual sins and not anything different". We say fornication refers to sexual immorality period (it does), then we get entertained by what we call "fornication" and do not mind, but will not watch or listen to homosexuality "because it's a sin". We say we believe something but behave another way. Fornication is fornication, so either start acting like it is or stop talking.<br />
<br />
Repentance is needed here. Jesus is the SAME yesterday today and forever, is no respecter of persons and doesn't make a difference for what kind of sins you are doing, as if some are actually ok (how would sin be ok?) and some not. If the church intends to be a living witness to the unconditional love, justice and mercy of our creator, then a lot more needs to be addressed than same-sex anything. Consistency is key. We are NOT being the same all the time and do not treat every sexual sin the same, especially if it is homosexuality. Ask yourself what you think is wrong to listen to or watch if it doesn't stir temptation in you, and be consistent about it. Where does your responsibility and your preacher's responsibility begin and end, exactly? Be consistent. Is it ok to watch shows and listen to songs about heterosexual unmarried sex? If so, you do not have a valid argument for the<i> immorality</i> of watching gay shows or listening to gay songs either, let alone to demand to have it taken off the air. You might not enjoy watching it (you might want to ask yourself why you do enjoy watching the other in that case...) but there would not be moral grounds. I'm NOT saying what you should watch or not, I'm saying, sexual sin is sexual sin, period. Do you really treat it that way? If not, think about what you need to change to make your behavior and your professed beliefs line up.<br />
<br />
<br />
The world is watching us make a colossal difference between homosexual and heterosexual sin and claim that we do so because there is no difference!<br />
It needs to stop.<br />
<br />
Godspeed.<br />
<br />
~Mother StarMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-16414085884470649612019-03-10T04:57:00.005-07:002020-08-05T22:19:53.504-07:00How Gender Variants Reinforce and Preserve Man-Woman Gender NormsThere is a great deal of noise lately about people who self identify as transgendered.<br />
there is even noise about how this will help justify an unjust gender system.<br />
I strongly believe this is not so. To choose to be classified as the opposite gender or a third gender on grounds that you do not dress or behave according to social norms assigned to your physical sex in a gender binary does not get rid of the oppressive norms of the gender binary, it preserves them.<br />
<br />
Put it this way. G = Gender. S = Sex. And . . .<br />
<br />
<u> S+G = Your worldview of who you are and how you fit/the role you play in the world around you</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
If there is a conflict between who you are inside, or your needs, or etc., and the gender norms for your physical sex, and you respond by doing this:<br />
<br />
S+G<br />
<u>- S </u> What you will end up with is still G.<br />
<br />
Some real life examples:<br />
Native American tribes with more than 2 genders have classified people who performed occupations, or did other behaviors, socially assigned to the opposite sex separate, additional genders; this is often called a "gender variant" by anthropologists. Notice, please, that in order to have gender variants, they all have to have this . . . "baseline" I'll call it, of lifestyle norms associated with male and female bodies. Gender variants who were/are socially sanctioned and recognized as such adopt to one extent or another the lifestyle associated with their opposite sex. This <i><b>did not </b></i>lead to big changes in the baseline gender roles for men and women at all; the roles and expectations for most of the men and women of these tribes remained unchallenged and unchanged by the acceptance of gender variant lifestyles. Having people in their community running around breaking the rules of the gender system most certainly would have altered the basic set of rules for men and women sooner or later, but this was addressed by creating gender variants. These groups did not apparently have gender systems that were causing problems for most of their population though. Westerners <i>do</i> have serious problems with our gender ideology and are in need of real change. Another gender variant example, the Hajiras in India, are religious ascetics associated with a deity in the Hindu pantheon that is associated with the Hindu gender system -- a gender system where women are very severely oppressed. One of the Hajiras' roles is to officially call a baby a man-child or woman-child and bless their future fertility and their entry into this world, which seems nice, but <i>other</i> ways they appear to serve the deity of their gender system is by validating very powerfully the gender norms by how they express their third-gender identity. Hajiras, always physically male, have been demonstrating that they are not men by not working (along with some other more benign lifestyle choices, like wearing traditionally feminine clothes) for ages. They do not have jobs or homes of their own, which is seen as taking female attributes. This powerfully reinforces very oppressive gender ideology, and the effect is probably intensified further by the fact that these are clergyman of the gender-deity. Often, Hajiras themselves end up as prostitutes or beggars because of this. On the other hand, they use coarse language, which apparently Indian women cannot do, and are clergy. Clergy is a male-only role in Hindu belief, this along with the coarse language is seen as manly behavior. This gender variant obviously reinforces the gender norms that make it so hard to be a woman in Indian society. They have been doing this for ages, and it has not helped Hindu women a bit. I am skeptical and actually applaed when men take hormones to grow breasts and wear pancake make-up and fancy clothes, and get their picture taken and retouched and carry on about how beautiful they are and how great they are and are like, "See how womanly I am!" This does NOT help with the Western over-emphasis on women's physical beauty. constructing one's sex out of the equation when a conflict arises between who you are or what you need and the norms laid out for you doesn't fix a broken gender system. It can't.<br />
<br />
If you say instead:<br />
<br />
S+G<br />
<u>- G </u> You have taken the G out of the picture. you have defied and subverted the gender norms.<br />
<br />
Some real life examples.<br />
<br />
<br />
When the American suffragists fought for the female vote, they were called "unsexed" just to be mean, i.e. they were being told that they were not acting as women and thus should not be counted as such. People also said that voting would "unsex" American women. The suffragists did not accept any of this, but insisted that they were indeed women and would still do what they were doing and fight for the woman's right to vote. I have been voting since I was 18 years old as a result -- mainly in elections that they got the strongest resistance to having women vote in. At times, these ladies also cut their hair short and changed their clothing, which immediately identified them to any who saw them as "ultras", extremely radical feminists who wanted women to vote in all elections, including Presidential elections. If they had been reclassified as gender variants of some sort because of that behavior, maybe they would have been given the ballot buty most women would still not have it. At the time there were women who opposed women's suffrage because they believed all the lies in the gender ideology of the day, and said they didn't want to vote! If suffragists or women who wanted to vote were reclassified as gender variants and granted the ballot because they were not seen as women, most of us still wouldn't be voting and would still believe all the awful lies about ourselves that were so normal to believe back then. Gender variants do not subvert male-female gender ideology,<i> they protect it from being subverted</i>. Instead, American suffragists (and probably all the other country's suffragists too) violated their culture's gender norms, which led to changing those gender norms.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtsmkrdkUiyDDk6WXQp6dW8RbT9oyF9x6_DByrf0Znlj_9RTYcrISq-0MbP2ceVdmyr5BFa2_PmjpacJWjK_05r4KEVAMmPN8IYSOc3F7wfVS_16LbkZwNlBT29z30Ik1jpyIlXu0cM8c/s1600/susan+b+anthony%252C+hair+bobbed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtsmkrdkUiyDDk6WXQp6dW8RbT9oyF9x6_DByrf0Znlj_9RTYcrISq-0MbP2ceVdmyr5BFa2_PmjpacJWjK_05r4KEVAMmPN8IYSOc3F7wfVS_16LbkZwNlBT29z30Ik1jpyIlXu0cM8c/s1600/susan+b+anthony%252C+hair+bobbed.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: center;">Susan B. Anthony, the most famous and accomplished American suffragist, with her hair cut short in protest.</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
In the 1960s and before that, young men in America were often forced against their will to go to war. They were rounded up at their high schools to be tested and, according to an elderly friend of mine who was subjected to this multiple times, they were stripped naked and forced to stand before the cold, examining eyes of the recruitment officers as if they were cattle being scrutinized at a meat market.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHemOc-1V0MSO4UD5njUDdsmSSTSwij2IR72BIDWfQHLCR90ELRtxDfrevV_Ui049GA8cXqS3QRO_z9WvXDgFzpX9ArbIcD2YG0uO0IsrSWi6fKAmPGRPVXS_EjQ-93TGtoUwLVXfOEiZK/s1600/forced+recruitment+scene-hair+movie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHemOc-1V0MSO4UD5njUDdsmSSTSwij2IR72BIDWfQHLCR90ELRtxDfrevV_Ui049GA8cXqS3QRO_z9WvXDgFzpX9ArbIcD2YG0uO0IsrSWi6fKAmPGRPVXS_EjQ-93TGtoUwLVXfOEiZK/s640/forced+recruitment+scene-hair+movie.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Forced recruitment scene in "Hair" the movie, which my elderly friend said was quite accurate. I covered up his backside...</b></div>
My friend and many others publicly burned the "draft cards" that were sent to them, ordering them to report to military bases for training. They grew their hair out, and rejected being classified as homosexual or effeminate because they did so. Today, it is illegal for our government to force anyone into the military. In that generation, people were spared the degree of media bombardment and brainwashing that we have today. If they had allowed the system to reclassify them, or maybe if the system had thought of reclassifying people who defied gender norms into non-binary gender types or gender variants, we would still have forced military service in our nation now. <br />
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<b>Another scene from "Hair" the movie, which my friend said was correct. People accused them of being homosexual or androgynous, but they rejected that classification just as much as they rejected the draft cards. If they hadn't, we would still have a draft, even if they did not have to participate.</b>
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In order to conquer an oppressive gender system, you must defy its rules. Defying its rules does not mean rejecting the body you are in, it means rejecting the system that makes your body feel like a prison.<br />
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In order to operate as a gender variant and claim to be one, you must first take the norms of the gender system as being in some way real and valid. To defy and destroy them, you must ignore or defy them and count them as<i> invalid</i>. Since gender is constructed by people, people's belief in it is the only thing that makes it valid or real. Sex, however, is concrete and real. You wouldn't need medical intervention into a healthy body if hormones were gender norms instead of sex traits, you could handle it all by yourself. You must believe in a gender ideology very strongly to arrive at the conclusion you are "transgendered" rather than saying you are a man or woman and will still do things current gender ideology forbids because you want, or need, to. To call yourself in language according to the <i>gender</i> norms associated with the opposite sex (yes, gender is constructed but it is people's constructed ideas about sex), you further validate the gender system.<br />
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Besides that, sex hormones are not a gender norm, they are a sex trait. To believe you need to take hormones to be who you really are based on the gender system demonstrates excessive belief in the constructs one claims to realize are merely human constructs. To say, "Gender is socially constructed, sex is fixed biological reality. Therefore, who I really, truly and irrevocably am inside is a male despite my female body, and I need to take sex hormones to make my biology fit the that gender I am" is insane. "A is fixed, and B is infinitely changeable, therefore my true irrevocable and predestined self must be B and so I need to do something about my A," or "A is fixed and B is infinitely variable and changeable. Therefore, since B is infinitely changeable that means I can change my A however I want! :)" is a reasoning atrocity. If you tell me something like that, I know you are saying the words "gender is a social construct and sex is a biological phenomenon" without knowing at all what it means. Westerners are notorious for not being able to distinguish between the two. Yes, gender is socially constructed, but it is social constructs about biological sex. If you experience a conflict between how your gifts and interests are classified in your gender system and the body you have, then the gender system is what needs to change, not your body.<br />
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I used to feel like my body was a prison, a cage I couldn't get out of except by death. Not only was I female, but very small framed, very petite, and somewhat voluptuous. I didn't feel like I could do anything I wanted to do or be anything I wanted to be at all. I seriously considered suicide. I thought about hormones or surgery. I thought men were spoiled with their Y chromosome and their physical strength. I was raised a Christian and wondered how a loving creator could play such a seemingly cruel joke on me, giving me the desire to be and to do so many things and a body that made it either impossible or maybe even a sin to do them. The stupid beliefs I had about the meaning of my body in this life and world changed a little at a time. At work now, where I am the only female in this facility maintenance subcontractor crew, women who work for the company we subcontract to have said to me that they are so happy to see a woman doing what I do. The fact that I am small, and female, and somewhat voluptuous in figure and I operate the overhead cranes that I use and the other equipment that I operate makes them feel better. The women who have said this to me all run equipment that is much more complicated and their jobs are at least as dangerous and so on, yet some have actually told me "I could never, but I'm so glad to see a woman do this." They still believe they can't! They haven't woken up yet, but seeing me do it makes some women feel a little bit better and to believe in themselves just a little bit more. Now I know why Creator put me in this body and gave me the desires and the talents that I have - to breakdown the lies this gender system has put in people's heads, little by little every day of my life. If I accepted a gender variant identity, that effect would be destroyed, and probably reversed. My life would not send a message to them, "Oh yes, you can!" It would say perhaps even more strongly, "No, you can't. <i>Women</i> don't run this kind of equipment here." Eventually, I realized that the difference between sex and gender is, sex is Creators blessing, it's the vehicle I drive through life, and it's beautiful, it's part of me, its how I have life in this world in the first place. It gives me real power in this world, it does not take it away. It can only limit me or cause me problems if I somehow fail to see the value in it. I really shouldn't hate it, ever. I've come to realize that, basically, gender norms are other people's will, my sex is the Creator's will, and the two ought not to be called the same.<br />
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This current gender system is still basically rooted in the same stuff that caused women not to be able to vote and young men to be forced to fight in wars that had nothing to do with them or their country. It still makes people think that motherhood is by nature an impediment to economic independence or a career, and thus leads to massive bloodshed in the name of emancipating women without actually bothering to emancipate anybody. It causes people to keep kids away from impoverished fathers because men are still seen as meal tickets not really as human beings. It has to go.<br />
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In conclusion, here are some pictures of people who identify as male, but do not accept the rules for how a man should look. They are not androgynous or gender variant in any way, they are not rejecting their maleness or even a binary gender system in their behaviour. they are rejecting rules other people made up. They are not rejecting the Will of their creator. Enjoy.<br />
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Godspeed.<br />
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~Mother Star<br />
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<b>Hippies of the 1960s</b></div>
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Gothic <b>Male model in a "manskirt"</b></div>
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<b>Christian rock band Petra receiving a Dove award, the Christian music version of a Grammy</b></div>
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<b>80s rock band Ratt</b></div>
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<b>80s Christian metal band White Cross</b></div>
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<br />Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-29230900910448004752018-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:002018-01-09T07:44:41.087-08:00The Archangel MichaelIt took me months to sit down and process it, but I had an interesting spiritual experience a few months ago. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but it was as real as I am sitting here now.<br />
I was experimenting with asking the intercession of St. Michael, I've been Catholic for 2.5 years and have still hardly ever done stuff like that. I had just read how Pope Francis and Benedict XVI recently consecrated the Vatican to St. Michael due to the corruption and other things they were dealing with, and there was a thing at the end telling how to do that.<br />
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There's a huge terminology problem here, because consecrating stuff to St. Micheal or any other saint is <i>not</i> giving it to them like you consecrate and give something to God, i.e. an act of worship. It's more like when these missionaries came to another church I went to years ago and asked people to commit to being their "prayer cover" (protestant terminology) because they were going from the Northern edge of Mexico to the Southern end of South America <i>by land</i> and that is very dangerous. They came close to dying a bunch of times but never did and many times it was a miracle they did not. I was part of their prayer cover. It was more extreme than "Yea, I'll pray for you guys." It was a commitment. We understood that our vigilant intercession could and would make a difference between life and death for these people we knew, and between salvation and damnation health or sickness and maybe life and death for those they ministered to along the way. That's what patron saints do, its like prayer cover." We were sort of taking it as our<i> job </i>to take care of that. Also, if we were going to "pray in agreement" about something and place it in the hands of Creator to take care of, which is something we sometimes used to do, that's another part of what consecrating to saints does. When we did that, it wasn't like, "God, please do this, that, and that, or fix this," it was "God, this is nothing but a mess, I have no idea what to do or to specifically ask You to do, <i>take this</i> God, it's all Yours."An individual could give a situation totally over to Creator by themselves and people do so, but when people prayed in agreement with them about it, it was thought to be more powerful and did seem to be. When you "turn the whole thing over to God" (consecrate it, but in some Protestant terminology) "praying in agreement" (more Protestant terminology,) with a minister or someone else, then you are giving it to The Creator "through the intercession of" (Catholic terminology) those people, as well as through your own prayer. Saints entire job in the church is intercession now, they can't get distracted or fall asleep and forget, and its hard to have more faith and less doubt than someone in Heaven. Their prayers are extremely powerful. Some folks on earth have very strong faith and everybody wants them to pray because when they do, "mountains move". Saints are even are more so. I have discovered that lately myself. Catholics say "Consecrating it to a Saint is consecrating it to God through their intercession" and Protestants think you are making them idols when they probably do the same kinds of things with living people and just don't call it that. We get thrown off by terminology. I've been working on researching this for weeks now, because I was confused by the terminology and by the terminology used to explain it! I finally got it straightened out. Finally. Ok, got that explanation out of the way...<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Consecration to St. Micheal is something I was drawn to and have studied and wrestled with intellectually for a little while. Originally, I had a video here, where the concept of "consecration to saints" was introduced to me. The practice is a Catholic practice as described above, but the video was off base. A priest told me that, "'</span>Keep the prayer running in the background, experience His abiding presence,' i<span style="font-family: inherit;">s not acceptable and smacks of superstition. We don't believe in spinning the prayer wheels of Bhuddist monks." Other things in the video were also unacceptable, and there were things that I was disturbed about too. I have removed and replaced it with this picture of a cool tattoo! </span></b></div>
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While I was saying the ready-made part of the Consecration to St. Micheal, I really meant it fervently and then when it came time to state my intention (the thing I was "consecrating to St. Micheal," see above paragraph), my head was swimming with hard-line anti-Catholic rhetoric I'd had drilled into me in the past. My head was so full of doubts and questions about the validity, efficacy and even morality of what I was doing that it was hard to even do it. I think it was a spiritual attack, because not long after I finally finished it, I felt The Presence come very strongly into my room. Now, I don't know if you all know what the <i>kabod </i>is, or have heard the word. Its Hebrew, and it refers to the weighty glory of Creator. I have felt that before. I've been places where it was so strong it knocked the ministers to the ground and much of the congregation, which sounds terrible but it was actually fun, it didn't hurt at all, it was great, but you just couldn't stand up in it. 2 Chron 5:13-14 tells a story of something like that, except with <i>kabod </i>there is no cloud. The cloud is the <i>shekinah</i>. <i>Kabod</i> is the sense of heaviness or weight, the tangible or almost-tangible Presence. It's awesome, and that's what came in my room. It shocked me, I hadn't expected it.</div>
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There were two presences in my room, one much like an echo of the other, a much lesser version but still so much like the Presence of Creator. I was flabbergasted and I can't say how I knew, but I knew that it was St. Michael. I did not hear anything with my ears or see anything with my eyes, but I got just as clearly as if I had, I got the message "I'm here! I'm here! I heard you! What's wrong? What do you need?" They were like fire. The intensity and the passion I could sense from both were incredible. The other big difference was St. Michael did not know the answer to those questions, I was able to discern that very clearly. I think the Holy Spirit allows us to experience things like this and through the Holy Spirit we are spiritually able to "hear" each other in cases like this and pick up on what's happening.</div>
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Anyway, my head was full of warnings from a sometimes hard-line Protestant past that I must not worship angels, that I needed to make sure all my devotion was directed to Creator, and "keep my focus on God alone," etc.I kept saying "Thank You, God, for this," and "Thank You, God, for that." That was fine but I began to have a feeling something was off somewhere in my prayers, that something wasn't quite on target for what Creator desired from me at the moment. I was almost painfully aware of St. Micheal and avoided speaking to him or even looking in the direction I felt him standing. Or towering, whatever. It's like the Presence of the Almighty, except so much smaller and where Creator's Presence surrounds and envelops you and is limitless and even goes through you, St. Michael was there like the table is there. You know where it is but it's in just one spot, nearby you. That's how it was for me anyway. After a minute or less, I think, it started to feel awkward, feeling someone there so strong and not letting yourself acknowledge them. I started to feel convicted by the Creator, so I just tried even harder to ignore the angel in my bedroom. I started to sense that St. Micheal was getting put out, which is a hair-raising thing to pick up on even if you know he won't hurt you. I think its because Creator wasn't getting what Creator wanted. I just got quiet inside and out, and I waited to hear what I should be doing that I wasn't. Creator said, "I didn't bring him here, like this, for you to ignore him! He is going to stand right there until you say something <i>to </i>him!" I felt tongue-tied and didn't know what to say.</div>
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<b>Obviously, I didn't see this standing in my room. I sensed a presence strong enough to equal seeing. This is the closest I could find to express what he felt like to me. Of course, that doesn't mean the other pictures are "wrong".</b></div>
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I get tongue-tied anyway, with people. I guess St. Micheal hadn't been so completely real to me before and I was half-way taking a shot in the dark when I had consecrated some people I really cared about, who the devil was wreaking all sorts of havoc on, to St. Micheal. When I could feel him standing there and knew he was paying attention I just couldn't do it. He was unfamiliar to me. I'm that way with people too, initially. I struggled for something to say, much like I do with other people sometimes - except I think this was worse... Finally, I just thanked the Creator for Their Presence, for the wonderful experience I was having, and for St. Micheal, i.e. I started in my comfort zone and worked my way into what Creator wanted me to do. I said, "and, St. Micheal, uh... um .... thank you for being here." I hadn't realized how much this gift from the Creator did for me emotionally until I thanked St. Micheal for coming. I picked up very, very strong waves of surprise, perplexity, and bafflement from St. Micheal. I was embarrassed, but I felt Creator surround me in Their Presence like a cloud, again I didn't see anything, it was almost tangible like a hug. I could feel the Holy Spirit say that what I said was OK; it was the best I could do, it was obedience, and it was totally sincere. St. Micheal, a created being, didn't understand that but the Creator did.</div>
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We as humans, made in the image of Creator, can empathize as They do, share sorrow and burdens as They do, love and feel connected and share in a feeling and be blessed by each other as They do. Our bodies and brains and psyches are made to work in unison with our spirits and with Creator's Spirit like that. St. Micheal is a created being and is holy, unfallen and of heaven, but apparently his love doesn't work quite like that. There was passion and concern in the "What do you need? I heard you, I'm here!" I got initially, but apparently the way we do love and empathize doesn't work for him. He's something else. He was expecting me to give him something to do. That's how he does love I guess.</div>
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While I was weeping in the heavy presence of my Creator, I could sense that the angel was at peace seeing that Creator was satisfied, but was perplexed in an interested and inquisitive sort of way. He was not able to share in something like that, but was interested in how we can connect like that with our God. I deliberately turned my mind away from Micheal and focused on Creator because that was as much entertaining of angels and communing with saints as this Protestant convert could take in a day. I sensed Creator letting him know he was dismissed and he was surprised, I think still expecting to receive orders, not merely to stand there with me for a minute. Then it was like a veil or door shut and I could not feel or sense him anymore, I just caught that his attention was on something else now and he was going to deal with it as the door "shut". Back in my comfort zone again, I guess, just me and my Creator.</div>
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I know this is Creator's way of explaining to me that this whole Saints thing is ok, despite whatever I had been taught all my life. Obviously, it's hard for me to adjust to, it was uncomfortable that night, but it was still glorious. I've been trying to learn about relationships with saints since then, and about different kinds of "devotions" to saints, what it is about and how it works. I absolutely hate that terminology, "devotions to saints" because it sounds like you worship them, or in Protestant terminology that is what it seems to refer to, even though I know now that it isn't that. It confuses me to talk about it like that, but I don't have a replacement word right now. We as the Church (the whole church, not just Catholics) are going to have to communicate better or we are never going to be able to become One. We as Catholics ought to find some alternative terms to convey these things to Protestants, or even to each other, to eliminate such confusion and accusations flying around. But right now at least I have my clarification I needed. Intercession of saints is another wonderful thing stuffy people I grew up with didn't think I should ever have or do, I guess, like the best music and the coolest clothes and nearly everything else associated with my vocation in this life...<br />
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I will post another blog on what I learned from that experience because there is way too much for one post, but for now, let this be enough.</div>
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Godspeed.<br />
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~Mother Star<br />
<br />Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-86894821161014925842018-01-07T14:28:00.001-08:002018-01-07T14:58:23.009-08:00An Example of Lay Person Using Christ's Power Over the DevilWhen I hear Catholic exorcists describe their experiences, frankly they sound far less potent than what I am used to. I think that they have power and good things, and i know protestants have some areas they need to get their act together. but when exorcists talk about going through session after session to get rid of demons, and about possibly getting hurt, and at times the person they are seeking deliverance for has died from the strain, based on my experience, they still need to work on it. The devil has no power over a believer that they/we don't let em have. I mean, <i>the devil</i> has no power over us if we are in the state of grace. None. Other people, that is another story. If they are under the devil's power, fighting the power of the devil will help then too, but if they do what they do of themselves, well, that's different.<br />
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One night, I was pretty much homeless (I've had a hard road most of my life... been extremely poor until this past 18 months or so) I was walking in Wicker Park in Chicago at night. I got lost. I found myself in an area with few street lights. I was passing a spot with many parking lots and some dude on crack or some such "upper" saw me and started screaming at the top of his lungs, "I want some p***y! I want some p***y!" there was no one else around. I was exhausted but I started trying to run away. That guy moved like greased lightening, i think because of the chemicals. There was no where for me to go, no way I could fight, nobody there to help me.<br />
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I started saying, "Oh God, Oh God! Help me!" and the Spirit brought to mind the teaching I had, that all temptation comes form the devil, and that people under the influence of those chemicals can't fight it. that I need to "speak to the mountain" not sit there and ask god to move the mountain but to speak to it in his name. so with ragged breath and barely loud enough to her myself I commanded the demons influencing that man to stop, told them they had no power over me, that my body was the temple the holy spirit and any that would defile it would be destroyed (all things from the bible, of course, "sola scriptura", back then), and that they must get AWAY from me right now and stay away in the name of Jesus. I was afraid to look behind me. after a moment i did look anyway. I saw no one. NO one. He was fast but not fast enough to disappear, to reach a building or a tree amid those big lawns and parking lots at that intersection... Nevertheless,he was gone. He must have been moved by something supernatural. He had to have been. A verse came to mind as stared in disbelief at the empty parking lots and lawns and streets, Deuteronomy 28:7 "The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways." That is what I mean when I say "It does work."<br />
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I believe that the man was under enough demonic power that when they had to flee from me, they took him along. If you are on the streets you will see a lot of demonic activity. Probably more than you'd even believe. That's where I encountered most of it. These weapons of spiritual war are how did not ever get raped through all that time of either the street, or more often low income neighborhood living by myself with no car and having to be outside on foot to get places even at night, and its also why I am still alive at all despite never carrying a gun. I know who my real enemy is, and I don't need a fist or gun to defeat em. a fist or gun wouldn't work anyway. Only the cross.<br />
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GodspeedMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-58093979744838073442017-12-26T11:17:00.002-08:002017-12-26T11:24:24.599-08:00Letting Go Of Old LiesIn 2004 or 2005, I was going to a church that was becoming a cult. In a prayer line one day, this lady who I had gone to Sunday school with and who allegedly had a very strong "prophetic" ability told me something about my needing to be able to handle I don't remember what by myself, because there would be times when there will be <i>no one </i>there to help me. I had issues already with trying to do it all myself and carry the world on my head. I had been taught that the way you can tell if something like that is right is if it confirms something you already have inside you. That is not a good way to discern spirits! There were many other things she said, things she prayed for and asked for me that I had not asked her to pray for but that I really did want and need. She prayed for my family, she prayed for my dreams that I had written in a journal and never shared with a soul. There is indeed no way she could have known all that about me, we didn't hang out and I never told her or anyone who could have told her, I don't think. That doesn't mean it was God. I believe now that it was the devil. Absolutely, positively sure it was the devil.<br />
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<b>Hit my head and had no one to take me to the doctor for hours and hours. Only had one friend locally, and 2 local acquaintances who were all either working or in bed. Isolating too much.</b></div>
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That was a self-fulfilling prophecy, unfortunately. As I have gotten healthier, my circle of friends is getting smaller and smaller. Unhealthy relationships have been ended, but new ones have not started. I've been increasingly self-sufficient and even more reluctant to reach out than before. Many times I know I have consciously chosen not to reach out and had that "prophecy" in my mind as the reason or justification or whatever. Not anymore.</div>
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After what I went through this morning in the depth of winter with my right foot out of commission and my head bleeding like a stuck pig and having to wear shorts in the freezing cold because I can't pull my pants over the boot, and finding the truck door froze shut and dropping the phone in the snow and all being in pain from the cold on my hands and the bump on my head and the recent surgery on my foot, crawling down the steps with bare knees on snow and ice, unable to clear the wind shield myself so I had to let it warm up until the ice thawed, man I tell you I am done. I am done feeling like I need to be stronger and learn to do it on my own in case I gotta, because sometimes it results in my having to do it alone when maybe I wouldn't otherwise. This kind of crap is not God's will for anyone's life and it doesn't make you stronger necessarily, it breaks you down over time. I have been asking myself lately when it is going to be enough, when I will have "done it myself" enough already. Today was it. Today, I got pushed over the edge and am so done with trying so often to do everything on my own. I had a feeling I would find that point, to be able to root out and change this pattern, while on medical leave with foot surgery. Apparently my gut feeling was right.</div>
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So in spite of the pain and misery of today, I am happy to have gotten a breakthrough out of it, if indeed that is what I have done. I think I have written stuff like this before, but I did not confront that "prophecy" as a falsehood and tried to "balance" that message and just not take it so far. You can't work a lie into your balance in life, period. As long as you believe it, it will mess you up.</div>
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I told God I forgive that lady for that fake prophecy and asked God to forgive her too, and help her break loose of what is using her like that. I also ask God to forgive me, for believing it so long when I realize He has tried to tell me, many times, to let that belief go. Today, through many tears, I did.</div>
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What's holding you back? At what point will you be willing to let the lie(s) go?</div>
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Stuff to prayerfully think about.</div>
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Godspeed.</div>
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~Mother Star</div>
Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-22940510993723121252017-12-23T14:06:00.004-08:002017-12-23T14:08:45.352-08:00On Relationships with Patron SaintsI used to be afraid to do the catholic thing of developing relationship of sorts with saints, it sounded creepy and I feared I'd just go nuts thinking I was doing that and really just be getting really weird in my head. Well, it hasn't done me any good to be cooped up and refusing to do that, because I just get a head full of stuff I don't always want there that is not productive. So, doing what verifiable sane people all over the world and through the ages have done, I am, since I'm stuck by myself so much anyway, learning about how people on earth relate to saints. It's very new to me, but what little I have dabbled, so far it's been very good.<br />
A brief testimony of my experience this month already, havingjust started to actually try tand pursue this: I had, I admit, an awful struggle with lust in my head since I've been so cooped up by myself this past week and a half. I've been out of commission with foot surgery since the 13th, and have barely been out since. I have very few friends nearby, as I am pretty much a hermit otherwise anyway. My patron saint, the one I took my confirmation name for, is Teresa of Avila. So, I looked up some patron saint stuff, and I asked her to please pray for me since I know as a Carmelite nun she spent a tremendous amount of time alone. From reading her stuff I know she knew she would have been kind of a hoochie momma instead of a nun were it not for the grace of God, and she was a total flirt when she was "single". She struggled with that a lot for many years of her life even well into her time as a Carmelite, with temptations and thoughts that she didn't feel she should have, and with being a temptress or a flirt when she was around guys a lot. The details are different, but the situation is similar enough so I asked her to pray for me please.<br />
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<b>St. Teresa of Avila, a.k.a. Teresa of Jesus</b></div>
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<b>My patron Saint. </b></div>
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I must say, the answer to those prayers came pretty darn fast! It's been a lot better since even a few minutes later, and getting better still. I have gotten enough energy and a regular enough sleep schedule (though not the one I want) to get things done in my room. I looked up how to do laundry by hand and have gotten some done already. Plus dishes and putting away things that haven't got put away. I crawled of course, but knees somehow could take it.I made a to do list for the week, and the weekend and the day, and have really been knocking stuff out. she was a work horse too, like I usually am. So Thank you, Teresa of Jesus, for the prayers that avail so much. Godspeed.Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-47189889723700366882017-08-25T17:32:00.001-07:002017-09-09T12:24:08.489-07:00Reflections on Intolerance, 10 Years After Sophie Lancaster's Murder<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
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With the 10-year anniversary of Sophie Lancaster’s murder passing this week, the crime and its motive is drawing attention again from some.</div>
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After hearing of the crime, I started shouting from the rooftops about things that, while not exactly violent, were nevertheless extreme and which I had, at that point, pretty much kept my mouth shut about for 5 or 6 years.</div>
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Its not as bad as it used to be, but people don’t realize how intense and irrational so many people get over something or someone different, especially appearing different.<br />
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<b>This crime shook the entire Goth community around the world, and aparently shook all of England too. The attention unfortunately made it harder for Rob to heal, but it resonated so much and scared so many people, to realise that "lookism" really can get this bad. </b> </div>
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It should work the opposite way, but unfortunately, professing Christians tend to be worse than most. Friends of mine have had objects thrown at them by adults yelling things like, “Mother F****** devils!” or “You’re going to hell!” The people who killed Sophie Lancaster were not professing Christians, which almost seems like an anomoly, actually. I’ve definitely had my share of crap, not as much having things thrown at me that many times, but quite significantly worse.</div>
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Pretty much run away and homeless at 19, some people from a church who really did care about me thought it would be a good idea to put me in a faith-based drug rehab.</div>
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I wasn’t on drugs. I had not, and have not, ever taken drugs in my life and I told them so, but I’ve spent a year in a drug rehab anyway. I was told that the people in there were just like me, except I wasn’t on drugs. I got so I actually believed that too, for a long time. It wasn't true at all, Ihad issues, I had run away for a reason, but I wasn't like the girls in there, I was very much the opposite instead. That's what people around me believed though, and I came to agree, so I went.</div>
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I was the only goth in the drug rehab the whole time I was there. The top guy in the faith-based drug rehab that knew I had never taken drugs decided, after 9 months, that I wasn’t making enough progress. I don't know what progress would even have looked like, really, I don't remember. So, without even as much training for such things as their counselors had (they did not have actual counselors, they had “biblical counseling” which requires basically no training in psych whatsoever), he decided to take over counseling me himself. He said he knew I really had a heart for God but for some reason I wasn’t progressing well, so he was going to renew my mind for me. Seriously.</div>
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So I had to keep a journal and “track my thoughts” throughout the day and let him read it and tell me what to do different, sort of interrogating me like a movie lawyer about stuff. Leaving wasn't really an option as far as I knew, I had nowhere to go. They of course weren't going to help with "re-entry" unless I finished, either.<br />
Long story short, they found a place for me to stay for 2 or 3 months at an A.G. Bible school when I finally finished their “program” (I guess it really did help some people. Drug addicts and career criminals got their lives turned around sometimes by the ferocious “tough love” and rigid control in there, but I sure didn’t. This mess I dealt with wasn't their typical thing though. I was different).</div>
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The folks at the bible school gave me a welcome basket and a piece of paper to fill out, just to get to know me better. It asked questions like my favorite food or favorite movie, favorite color, likes and dislikes, pet peeves etc. The only questions I could answer were my name and birthday. I honestly didn’t know myself anymore, at all. I doubted my memories, especially the most awful ones, I didn’t know what I really thought or how I really felt about anything. I had learned that anger was always a sign of a “personal right” that I had not given up to God and that I needed to identify that idea of a personal right and give it up to God and repent if I ever felt angry, and that most everything I liked or was interested in wasn’t really my interest but Satan had told me it was and I had believed him. Black couldn’t possibly be my favorite color, I didn’t really like bats, I didn’t really like . . . anything. I may not really have been abused, I didn’t really…</div>
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I truly could not sort out answers to those very simple questions. I realized then what had been done to me. I’d been brainwashed or mind-wiped or something.<br />
I had to believe that the God who made me would be able to put me back together. He can, and He’s still doing it. Of course I have to do my part too.</div>
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<b>The song seems very fitting for the topic here, it's just how it is when you must get through something like this. I don't know what happened to the singer to make him feel like this, but he sums it all up quite well.</b></div>
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In that awful place, a totally well-meaning and oblivious ex-priest with a theology degree came and talked to us a few times. He had left the A.G. church and went back to Catholicism, but was married instead of being a priest. What he said was just amazing and inspiring. My saintly maternal grandmother was also Catholic and I had one of her rosaries. I didn’t know how to use it, but it did seem to ground me and make me feel closer to her and to God. I forgot it in the prayer closet one time. Someone threw it away. Everyone knew I had it and several gave me crap for it, but I wouldn’t relinquish it. Somebody did it for me, though. I never forgot. The anti-Catholic prejudice from everyone but maybe two people there made me more drawn to Catholicism than I even was before. It was 12 years before I became Catholic, though.<br />
I got into a cult when I got out and upon realizing it, left again and ultimately ended up working with the “Christian Goth” community in Central IL. Of course I believe you can be a Christian goth, but I’m not real sure anymore about organizing as such. . . After I got out of all affiliations with organizations claiming to be Christian goth organizations or churches or whatever, I came to the Catholic church. I was always told about how controlling they were. LOL! I remember thinking, “They can’t be any worse than I’ve already been through!”</div>
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For the most part they are nowhere near as bad. Some other churches I’ve been to like to do laying on of hands for <i>everything</i>, its just over the top, but they wouldn’t touch me. They’d hold their hands toward me and keep at least a few inches of space between me and them, but everyone else got actual contact. In RCIA, when I couldn’t take communion yet, I went down for communion with my arms crossed over my chest, like in a coffin. That’s the code for “I’m not Catholic,” and they won’t give you communion, they will give you a blessing instead. Fr. John drew a cross on my forehead and never recoiled, no matter what I had on. He didn’t seem to think I might spiritually contaminate him if he did that, like the Protestant charismatics and Pentecostals so often did/do to subculture people and to Goths in particular. The first time I did not go to C-stone or Audiofeed festivals to hang out in the goth tent, I went on a pilgrimage with my parish to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL. I was the only goth in the place, I totally stuck out like a sore thumb, but you can’t even tell that in the group picture. I didn’t get any mistreatment either, a few people at the cathedral did very minute double-takes but that was all, I was treated the same as everyone else.</div>
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<b>I'm the 6th from the left on the bottom. I don't get the impression of being a square peg in a round hole from this photograph.</b></div>
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I still have problems from the unfortunate experience in the drug rehab I went to for a drug problem I did not have, though it's nowhere near as bad as it once was. I. can relate somewhat to Rob <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/15/robert-maltby-on-the-of-his-girlfriend-sophie-lancaster-the-goth-thing-was-an-oversimplification" target="_blank">Maltby</a>’s depression and anxiety, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3lTbDGVBMY" target="_blank">becoming</a> a recluse, and struggling to get on with his life. It’s been a muddy uphill battle for me too for about … well for about 15 plus years at this point. Not without gains, but its one of those things like, the further you go the further you see that you need to go.</div>
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I know I can never imagine what its like to lose someone you expect to be your life partner so suddenly, so violently, and then have no privacy due to media attention and not have a decent opportunity to heal. I can’t imagine how difficult this time must be. I definitely pray for him and for others who have endured particularly extreme attacks for being different, and especially for looking different. I pray for tolerance everywhere and especially for the church - the whole church - to come out of the grip of whatever unholy influences drive this kind of behavior. I pray for an end to violence, and an end to intolerance, and an end to foolish stereotypes. I hope any who read this will pray too.<br />
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Godspeed.<br />
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Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-84774699558939979952017-03-15T22:47:00.000-07:002017-03-15T22:50:11.485-07:00Today's Worthwhile News Breaking: Westboro Baptitst Church founder's Daughter Goes Pro LGBT.I was just talking to an elderly friend about polarization and pride in the church and politics earlier today. <br />
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My understanding is, the Westboro Baptist Church founder's daughter is pro LGBT now, because she began to see the evil that they did and the cruelty and inconsistency in their teachings. The worst part is, being taught about sexual morality from the likes of them will probably make it harder for her to ever see the truth right. There is always hope, but we really need to pray for her.<br />
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I did not watch the TED talk she did, but I read a synopsis someone posted in a group. I agree with the problems she's pointed out, and that gentleness is the way to solve most and maybe all of our problems. I also note however, that Adolph Hitler probably believed that 2+2 is 4. that doesn't make 2+2 something other than 4. Even if people are really really terrible, it doesn't mean EVERYTHING they believe is wrong. Something being delivered the way out of balance and completely the wrong way wrong way doesn't make it all wrong.<br />
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Something being handled the right way doesn't make it right, either.<br />
People instinctively and unconsciously begin to adopt the mindsets and views of those who love them, who they depend on and have relationship with. she did it growing up, and she has done it as an adult because she is human. People reaching out to you doesn't guarantee that they are right in their views or their lifestyle or their interpretations, though.<br />
<br />
The only bad part is, if she is now doctrinally in favor of homosexuality, this is not going to do that much to remove the polarization, because it still reinforces the notion that to be gentle and listen (like James 1:5 clearly says to do) is equal to starting to justify sin. I've always said that nobody did more to advance the LGBT movement than Westboro Baptist Church. The older ones in the lgbt movement didn't think they'd live to see gay marriage be legal, I've read. Without WBC, I really doubt they would have. WBC makes some type of martyrs out of just about everybody, because they're so extremely mean. Evidently, the effects reach to the founders own children.<br />
<br />
We need people who stick to their values *consistently* and humbly, and deliver it the right way. The enemy isn't going to work as hard to get people who do inadvertently justify sin to discredit themselves through bad behavior; he has something to gain if they don't. If they flip out just enough to provoke people who don't, and soften us up for his assaults on *our* conscience and character, then he is in ship shape. The people who justify sin start doing it with a good attitude, and the people who should be the balancing force go all unbalanced and off the deeper end. meanwhile the whole ship sinks that everybody of any philosophical position is on.<br />
<br />
A nice big disaster for him.<br />
<br />
We gotta break that pattern, like now. God, please send correction to your church, let her learn the lesson that this multi-faceted spiritual tragedy<br />
teaches. Please let us all see the light and find the right way somehow.<br />
<br />
Amen.<br />
<br />
~Mother Star.<br />
-Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-64863107505795062182017-03-06T01:37:00.001-08:002017-03-06T01:54:42.500-08:00It's Amazing What You Can Learn from a SongNot everybody would expect to gain encouragement from a doom metal song.<br />
<br />
But I did.<br />
<br />
I don't typically discuss what I give up for lent, because it seems almost like either bragging or making too light of something that should seriously matter. The last two years,since I've bee practicing it, I gave up chocolate for lent. One I gave up heavy and dark music also. <i>THAT </i>was hard. Lent isn't supposed to about making yourself miserable though, its supposed to be about growing up, maturing on the inside. It's supposed to be a season of inner growth and of getting rid of things that need to go out of your life. I'm trying to give up pushing to hard and driving myself toward goals with too much obsession and fervor.<br />
<br />
I'm in the middle of getting demoted, I think. I expect it anyway. I am not well enough to do this new job, my foot is killing me, I think I have bone spur, and it's being on feet 12 hours a day, on concrete. That on top of anxiety was a bad enough mix, my brain apparently got so flooded with cortisol (stress hormone), there were moments I couldn't even read. It feels like, yet again, growth has been thwarted, frost has come and killed off what I had growing.<br />
<br />
I listened to this song, "The Arrival" by Skepticism, which I've heard a bunch of times before, yet I never really heard it like this. Lyrics as follows.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skepticism</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Arrived autumn<br />
With a visit uninvited<br />
And by chill slowly growing<br />
With a lesson fully dreadful<br />
And by message all displeasing<br />
<br />
Then arrived autumn<br />
With a growing understanding<br />
And by vision slowly clearing<br />
With belief calmly growing<br />
And by readiness to embrace<br />
<br />
Then arrived autumn<br />
With unpleasant companion<br />
And with frost overwhelming<br />
With a lack of will to stand still<br />
And with movement backwards drawing<br />
<br />
Then arrived Autumn<br />
Not the light of spring to follow<br />
Nor a summer nor a winter<br />
With autumn tints the forests glowing<br />
And with leaves newly falling<br />
<br />
Then arrived<br />
I to visit uninvited<br />
With a message to me ageless<br />
Carrying the understanding<br />
Year of autumns one to embrace</i><br />
<br />
I listened to it several times, and realized what a wonderful message is in it, and how timely it is for me now.<i> </i>I never have given up on my dreams, but that shouldn't mean that everything I do is to get back what the frost has killed off. "Lack of will to stand still," boy can I relate. Like I said, I'm trying to give up pushing to hard for lent, because it's killing me, it is more often than not just driving me crazy. I need to enjoy the autumn, enjoy the time when things aren't going my way, when it seems like I'm going backwards.<br />
It is good to not give up but I have to stop pushing for Spring to come in the middle of another season. Hating the frost that comes killing everything you're working on is understandable, but still try to at least enjoy the color in the trees. Embrace the season, even if it is winter. Accept the timing and wait for your Spring, whenever it comes. That's what I shall try to do for lent and, hopefully, thereafter.<br />
<br />
Godspeed.<br />
<br />
~Mother star.<br />
<br />
<br />Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-51411234870811496292016-10-08T20:48:00.000-07:002016-10-08T21:45:54.880-07:00To Christians With Same Sex AttractionsOne of my old crushes was doing a radio interview today. Melissa Etheridge has a new album out, all covers of 50's and early 60's tunes, and older blues tunes. I had forgotten entirely about that. Obviously, the radio interview didn't cause me to start going all crazy or anything, but it reminded me of another time... Then I remembered other crushes like that. I was almost afraid that remembering would bring it back, which it didn't, but that reminded me of the torment that so often goes with that kind of temptation. You're always afraid it will be triggered, and that you will feel terrible while you sit there with whatever positive chemicals God made for romance flooding your system at the same time. it is very confusing. And awful. I can understand why people would want to just give up.<br />
I wanted to give up. But I didn't. And now I'm talking about the whole thing in the past tense, as I have been for a long time.<br />
<br />
A post someone made in a facebook group I am in:<br />
"The Book of Romans chapters 5 through 8 are very powerful. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede and guide you through the scripture readings. For the scripture is Spiritual and communicates with our Spirit."<br />
When I was walking through it I read those a lot. I didn't think it was helping that much,only a little. but i think it kept feeding me and i kept on growing.<br />
<br />
Abraham waited decades for his answer to prayer, and I remember thinking I didn't want to have to do that, but I told myself it didn't matter, my life and my being was God's and if for some reason he would make me wait that long i would do so. I bet Abraham wanted to spend his youth running and playing and wrestling with his kid. He didn't get that, but he did still get the kid.<br />
It was definitely not that longfor me.It was years but not decades. Also I have found since that more healing is needed of the wounds that made it possible for me to be tempted that way. I am still healing, but I have still been walking free, as in, without any same sex attractions and in my case also having opposite sex attractions, for along time despite those wounds. Don't get discouraged by seeing a new pile of wounds you never realized you had that need healing. It doesn't absolutely guarantee a delay in your answer. However, having the wounds exposed may still be part of God's work in freeing you...<br />
<br />
Its like a metaphor Corrie ten Boom used to use: she showed a cross-stitch she was doing and showed the back side, which looked a mess. she said "Life is like a weaving between my god and me. He sees the upper," she showed the front of the cross stitch" "and I, the underside." then she showed the back/bottom again, which looked like a tangle mess of crazy threads going this way and that way.<br />
Everybody has that problem, it just comes in many forms. Some people its crippling disease, for some people its a temptation for some kind of sin, some people it is poverty, or crazy relatives. For some people, its a war torn and starving country! Or combination of these things. Never let the enemy make you feel isolated, like this temptation makes you different from others who don't experience it. all of us are different, but all of is are the same. just keep walking, knowing who He said you are, and stick to that.<br />
<br />
Don't give up. It is not who you are. We all do get to decide who we want to be and what direction we want our life and thinking to go. And God never makes carry anything alone, He's there and there are others even if you just don't see it right now.<br />
Godspeed.<br />
Btw, Just to make sure there is no confusion, I did not use any "reparative therapy" and I definitely do not endorse that.<br />
~Mother Star<br />
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<b>Keep on walking in the light that you have. As the sun rises, more will be seen. But stay on the road you must travel until you reach your destination, whether the journey be short, or lengthy.</b></div>
<br />Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-11102369680211697642016-08-05T07:24:00.002-07:002016-08-05T07:38:12.175-07:00You Cannot Lose What You Are!<div class="MsoNormal">
You can't lose what you are!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You cannot lose what you are, you simply cannot. If God made
you something, a man or a woman, you can't do anything to not be that. “Be a
man!” is like telling the water to be wet, or to be water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lucifer was created a powerful celestial being, and was
created to worship God. He fell, and his nature was corrupted beyond redemption
(Ez.28:11-19, Is. 14:12-20). Yet in Jude verse 9, we see that he is still a
powerful celestial being. His nature was corrupted, he lost his job forever,
his destiny was not fulfilled, yet what he was, the basic thing that he was,
did not change. He still is that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Judges 19:22-30 we find a group of rapists assaulting
somebody until she died! I can’t say much for the guy she was actually with,
either. It does not say anywhere that any of these guys were OK to behave as
they did, but it does say that they were men - “Men of Belial [the devil]” or
in the NASB “a perverse lot” is what it calls them. Their natures were corrupted
severely, whether beyond redemption or not we don't know, but pretty darn bad.
Even with guys this bad, the Bible doesn't say that they were not men at all, it
says what kind of men they were – really super-crappy ones. They did not lose
basically what they were, but their destinies were not getting fulfilled by them acting like that. They are did the opposite of what they were created to do – I think the
guy she was with did too – but they were still men, just as Satan is basically a
celestial being like he has always been. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You get to choose what kind of man you are, but it is<i> not</i> up to you to make yourself one. God
already did that; that ship has sailed. You cannot lose your manhood by losing
your job, or by any kind of moral failure, no matter how bad, or by anything
bad happening to you or by anything anyone does to you. No matter what anyone says.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is an incredibly painful thing to think that you are not
what you are, particularly as far as gender is concerned. People will go to mind-boggling extremes to satisfy the need to believe they are men or women, and parents will go to amazing lengths for their kids in this area too. It even seems to be a stronger drive than self-preservation or avoidance of physical pain. or than protecting kids from harm. Below, I have embedded footage of one of the less horrific male rights of passage I've heard of. Its pretty intense! Some initiations for girls are even worse than almost any I've heard of for boys. It can't be fun to
walk around feeling like “the other shoe is going drop any minute” and expose you as some kind of posturing phony, or "not a 'real' man" or some such. Dude, there
is no other shoe. There can be no other shoe. God making you what you are is
not a shoe in the first place, therefore there is no need to assume there's
another one gonna show up any minute that will be the opposite somehow. It
can't happen. There is only what is, and that's what you are. You can't lose
that. So stop worrying about it, and letting Satan push you around by telling
you any impossible “If… then…” stuff, putting conditions on something that
cannot even change. Your mind is your mind, you have control over what goes on
up there. You don’t have to believe what is not true, regardless of what those
around you believe or say.<o:p></o:p><br />
There is nothing you can ever need to prove to God, God made you and knows everything about you, and He understands everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZGIZ-zUvotM" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, there is nothing you can ever need to prove to God, and God's opinion is the only one that ultimately counts.<br />
Any situation or threat that causes you to doubt yourself, to fear or wonder in this area, honestly cannot actually take what you are away from you. All it's doing is showing you where you have built your "house" of gender identity, and perhaps self-worth, on sand instead of rock. If you really aren't enough for whatever you have been
called to do or created for, than God failed, since you did not make yourself.
Can God fail? Can God get it wrong? Or do we sometimes ask things of ourselves
and each other that He doesn't, putting human will above His? Can God do shoddy
craftsmanship, or do we just not appreciate or understand what he made in us? He can't fail, and he made you. That is the rock that identity should be built on. Everything else is merely sand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Woe to him who says to his father, 'What begettest thou?'
or to the woman, 'What have you brought forth?” “Woe to him who says to his
maker, 'What makest thou?' or 'Thy work, he hath no hands.'” To doubt yourself
in this manner is to doubt God, and that is actually a sin. Sin is to be
resisted, not accommodated, or accepted as status quo. Declare war on it. “The
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down
of strongholds. We demolish arguments and any high and lofty thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make
it obedient to Christ.” A “stronghold” is pretty much a mindset or a
deep-seated belief that is not true, in this case it is a cultural entrenchment.
There are peoples in the world who don’t think men need to “prove their
manhood” all the time. At least as late as the early 1990’s, the Minangkabau of
West Sumatra, Indonesia and the Mbuti of the Ituri forest in Congo were
examples... <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I challenge you to begin to prayerfully pursue and root out <i>anything</i> in your life that reinforces these lies for you that you actually have control <o:p></o:p>over (some things in our lives that do this, we don't have control over, but we're not responsible for that) – especially your media choices and the things that you say. I don't care if it is Christ-professing or well-intentioned media or whatever kind of influence it is. Maybe there is some good mixed in with the bad; mixing about six spoonfuls of potent vitamins with a teaspoon or so of rat poison is still gonna make you sick. Get rid of it. If you can identify what it is, than get rid of it if you can. Give the enemy no place in your life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been around 20 years since I began the process of removing the poison of pornography and “women’s magazines” that basically tell me how to fix everything that is not even wrong with my appearance, and other such crap out of my life. I can say that it is a difficult process sometimes, and at times it is a sacrificial road to walk for a little while, but is well worth it. I encourage you to prayerfully give it a go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take care and Godspeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Mother Star</div>
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<b>God made everything in nature what it is. Despite how confused we humans can get about ourselves, either thinking to much or too little of ourselves, who and what we are doesn't go away. We can't putout the sun by disbelieving init, and w can't cease to be who we are no mattr what we think or how we feel or what we do because we doubt ourselves.</b>Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-38181331379169792132016-07-02T05:11:00.000-07:002016-07-02T05:11:15.245-07:00Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><u>Matthw 10:16 "[ A Hard Road before Them ] “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves."</u></b></span></span><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>John 7:24 " Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Galations 5:17-24 NASB "17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."</u></b><br />
<br />
<br />
There is so much talk about "judgment" in church, and some legit complaints do get lost in the mix with the ridiculous ones. The authentic problems with "judgment" in church are as dangerous to her as the false claims of it are.<br />
<br />
I used to go to a church that pretty much became a cult. A guy who claimed to be an apostle (Chuck Clayton, in case you ever find yourself tempted by same snakes), and believed every church was supposed to be "submitted" to an apostle came to our church and the pastor agreed to "submit" to him and his group.<br />
<br />
In the end, if you wanted to hold the mike, give a testimony about the pastor and how anointed he was and how he had all the gifts of all the the five-fold ministry, apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers.<br />
In the end, the normally very sweet and extra gentle and quite shy pastor's wife was up on the platform yelling at us like a drill instructor, and everyone knew it wasn't her, at all. She was saying how its not an option when she and her husband start a ministry to be involved or not, and how you can't be going off and doing all these different things of your own, you need to get in line with what god is doing and that would come through them, basically. We all knew it wasn't her, but most people thought it was God speaking through her.<br />
It definitely wasn't.<br />
The "apostle" who introduced this teaching kept offering to lay his hands on people and "impart" his spiritual stuff to them and everybody was running for it. I did too, like an idiot. I have since renounced all that.<br />
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<br />
The thing is, I was a goth, and when I came there for that message of hers after a long absence living in another state, I was totally looking goth. I was "dressed to the nines" that day. People gave me a wide berth, like obviously walking way out around me to avoid getting close at all and to prevent any contact. Even when I went there before and had down dressed a lot, they would not lay hands on me but would hold their hands away, though stretched out to me for prayer but they wouldn't touch me. They'd walk along the line laying hands and "prophesying" to each person but would hold their hands out to me but not make contact because of how I looked, lest they should "catch" the devil from me. It was mean, actually. Why? because he was wearing an expensive suit and I was well, counter-culture. See my point?<br />
There is, unfortunately, a dangerous current of unhealthy judgment in the church, probably not just directed at goths and tattooed folks, and is directly contrary to John 7:24 "judge not according to appearances, but judge righteous judgment". It is in fact real, and it does cause big problems. People running *to* a possessed person in a nice suit who spouts angry remarks about liberalism and etc, and asking him to impart his deceptive and controlling spirit to them, and fleeing from me for wearing black clothes and an unusual hairdo/make-up job because they think strangeness = devil worship. Many people of "a different breed" if you will, not just goths, have left the church and god, because they think its all about looking a certain way, conforming to a particular outward standard they don't find appealing, and becoming to whatever you see/people-pleasing. Basically, that it is all about everything they can't stand.<br />
You had church people truly afraid of me, but running to a person who was full of the devil asking him to impart the spirit he had to them. It brought a lot of destruction to their lives too, a LOT, besides wounding me way more than I even realized/faced at the time.<br />
<br />
Besides, if certain attire were required of Christians, we would all have to wear togas or something. The early church didn't wear any leisure suits or dresses like what we have. Their music was way different too. Sometimes they didn't have any instruments whatsoever because it reminded them of pagan festivals...<br />
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<b>thanks to whoever shared this photo in "*the gothic christains*" group on facebook, and to adam4d,whoever that is, for making it.</b><br />
BOTTOM LINE: The fruit of the spirit mixed with *thoroughly* sound teaching is what matters, not political rhetoric and clothes. Chuck Clayton was on our side about homosexuality and abortion but he still wasn't from God. There are more deceptions out there than just those. Lets all be careful in these times, as it will likely only get worse. Even the elect will be tempted and it gets more extreme as it gets closer to the end. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves "Harmless" means unmixed, pure,innocent. I don't think that means unmixed with clothes or outward things, I think it is a heart issue. Mixing rage, spite, name-calling, glorifying death and torture and violence happening to certain people (Arabs/Palestinians in this case), pride, and other carnal manifestations, perhaps even obscenity, with a Biblical standing on marriage and procreation or whatever else IS mixing, and is by no means harmless. Or wise (Proverbs 11:30 "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls."). I'm not referencing Trump here when I make this list, in case he really is doing all that, (idk if he still is, because I ignore the news media; I don't have a tv or want one) but I'm referencing "apostle" Chuck Clayton here. Btw. if you see these signs anywhere, I don't care where, beware.<br />
Cultural and sub-cultural things that pertain to celebrations/customs, clothes, stories, art and etc aren't necessarily mixing, per se. Not that it never happens but it isn't automatically "mixing" in and of itself; it depends what the custom/item/etc. is, and the reasons people are doing it. Not understanding this damages mission work and evangelism anywhere outside of a certain kind of Westerners. Plus it opens the door to serious deceptions, within said group of Westerners, by liars who "look the part". Lets be careful and separate sheep and goats, ok?<br />
Godspeed.<br />
~Mother StarMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-76187068374661137152016-07-01T08:29:00.000-07:002016-07-01T08:29:13.360-07:00An Open Letter to the Kid I Saw RunningTuesday night, I heard loud noises, like gunshots or certain fireworks, near my house. We do fireworks on 4th of July in my country - well, I don't, but almost everyone else does.<br />
When I headed toward the car, I looked down the street and I saw a young man running, maybe 14 or 15 years old, and absolutely terrified. I wondered what was wrong. This neighborhood has been much quieter in recent years, there haven't been any shootings in the last couple years, and I have never actually heard gunfire here before.<br />
Well, moments later another person came to the corner, moving slower. He was chasing the kid, but not moving as fast, or really trying to. He stood there and stuck his arm out and I started hearing the popping sounds again. I was scared half to death; I was witnessing a murder, or at least an attempted one.<br />
The poor boy got away, thankfully, I found out the next morning. A person of his description had been arrested in connection with a shooting. Someone a block away, in the direction the gunman was firing and the kid was running, had been hit in the eye and died. He may or may not have been an intended victim; the kid definitely was. The kid didn't do the shooting I know he didn't, and now the police know it too. I reported the next day what I saw, before I knew anyone had been hit or whether the boy got away or not.<br />
<br />
I don't know the boy's name, and I don't know how I would talk to him, whether it would be safe to, or what.<br />
I know this much, this is what I would want to say, if I knew he would hear me.<br />
<br />
"Dear neighbor,<br />
I don't know your name, and have never met you, but I've seen you around the corner house and the neighborhood sometimes. I heard some loud noises the other night, as I was walking to my car, and I saw you running like the devil was chasing you and wondered what was wrong. Then a silhouette of a man or older boy, I'm not sure which, came to the corner after you, stuck his arm out, and the noises started again. I realized he was shooting at you and freaked. I ran into my house praying for all of us, but most especially for you. For the gunman to stop what he was doing, and that God would protect you. I think He did. I was a happy to hear you were seen a couple hours later, in handcuffs, but thankfully alive and well.<br />
<br />
I don't know how you came to be in that situation, but I know this: No one is made to live in the kind of terror you were obviously dealing with that night, or die the way you almost did. Nobody. Especially not anyone so young.<br />
Growing up around water would not make you a duck, and growing up surrounded by this environment doesn't mean it is your destiny and purpose. You are a man, made in the image of God, and you deserve to get old, and have a wife who loves you dearly and sticks with you through everything, and a house of your own if you want that, and if you have kids, to be able to protect them and keep them safe.<br />
<br />
Now, doing things that would bring dangerous people or things into their home is not keeping kids safe, it's the opposite. I don't know if someone's let you down that way, but even if they have, you don't have to et yourself down like that.<br />
I don't know if you are still growing, but even if you aren't, your brain is still growing. It won't be fully developed until sometime in your twenties, that's how humans are. The things you are into and are able to do, the ability to process things and find what you like, don't like, what you understand, and all those things, those are still developing and growing. You can't know who you are just yet, because all of the ways you will be able to think and feel and understand and do are not there yet, and won't be for about ten more years.<br />
Be true to yourself; live long enough to become who you are. Not every young person in this area ends up in situations like you were in. There are things you can do, decisions that you can make, to help protect yourself and get through this.<br />
I used to have to deal with people's expectations, like I'd be walking to school or to the bus station and people would offer me money for sex, acting like it was a compliment. I ignored them and kept on walking. Once I turned and chewed the guy out. Its painful when people don't believe in you because of the neighborhood you come from and think there's just certain things you're going to end up doing, and its all bad things. It's not your problem if other's don't realize your potential, just don't let it become your problem by agreeing with them. Other people don't define what you can become or do, only you do, and unless you spread your wings you'll never find out how far you can fly.<br />
If your house is not safe, spend as little time there as possible, or call the abuse hotline if no one will call for you. I think having dangerous people and things in the house is listed as a type of abuse. If its not as bad as that, get involved in something safer that can keep you out of the house. I volunteered when I was on the street, and it actually did me a lot of good, It gave me something to do that mattered, and my life made a difference to somebody, plus I met different people who cared about what I cared about. It kept me off the street, away from dangerous people and out of trouble, and helped me believe in myself more. Make a list of things you hate about the world, at least ten things, or at least ten things that you wish would be that are not. Then see if there are any non-profits in town that are trying to make the kinds of changes you want to see. When you find them, see about volunteering there, and start being the change you wish you could see around you. For example, if one of the things you hate is child abuse and child molesters, then try volunteering at Growing Strong, which helps people of all ages who have been hurt that way and helps put the bad guys behind bars. There are things you can do, even little things, in a lot of places, that can make more difference than you know.<br />
If the school is not safe, then maybe see about dual credit, take as many high school classes as you can at the college instead, so you won't have to be in that hard environment. Its safer there than in the high schools, and there are more older people who don't feel much need to cause problems.<br />
Study can be an escape. Any time you're studying, you are not dealing with other's bullshit. Any time you're thinking about what you are trying to learn, you don't have to think about things that bother you, plus it gets you through school. Study at the library or at the college or in a further away park or somewhere that you are not likely to get pulled into things you don't want to be part of. Find something you are interested in and learn about it. Study with people who are safer to be around, and will not suck you into dangerous trouble.<br />
Don't give up on yourself, whatever you do. Don't give up on your future, and don't give up on God.<br />
He spared your life the other night for a reason. Spend it finding out what that reason is."<br />
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After what happened the other night, I find myself praying the prayer of St. Michael, or at least the parts I know. I've thought of getting the kid a St.Micheal medal, to remind him that God is with him and that he is not alone.<br />I don't know what to do, I wish there was someway I could reach this boy, but I don't know how.<br />
. I heard that loud gun again last night, I think its a .45. As traumatized as I am from being around it, I can't imagine what a child experiences, going though what he's going through.<br />
Prayers appreciated about this whole situation<br />
<br />
Godspeed.<br />
~Mother StarMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-9578386214960636052016-06-21T02:42:00.002-07:002016-06-21T02:51:13.243-07:00Is Mother Star an "Ex-Gay"? No.I am not "ex-gay" I am not "ex-bi" I am not "ex-"anything because who and what I am have absolutely nothing to do with anything I have ever been tempted to do, ever thought, or ever done.<br />
Rejecting the identity I used to have for myself is about being true to myself, the real me, the God-created me that is always there and that I am continually growing into and becoming in so many ways. Actually, its happening in ALL ways, not just in the area of sexuality.<br />
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I did not and do not go around all day name-it-claim-it-blab-it-grab-it-ing heterosexual temptations and interests into my life. If that helps you, go for it, if not than don't.<br />
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If at some point, for a brief time or for longer, homosexual temptations begin to resurface, that doesn't mean you are losing anything, it means you are being tempted. Thats all there is to it.<br />
Temptations do not make a person who they are. I had a homosexual urge very strong and unexpected about two or three years ago, triggered by a video I had seen many times and that had no sexual content in it, just a lady playing guitar. I had never had that response to it before. I looked away, prayed and looked back. I still felt the same way. I actually threw a towel over it and thought, "this is ridiculous..." and I prayed and asked God what to do and felt he was saying I needed to make a decision. Do I believe in who I am or not?<br />
Well, I usually do not advocate talking much TO the devil, because he doesn't deserve it. Say be gone in the name of Jesus and that's it. So, instead I said, "I don't know why you are able to do this to me, but I know its from you and not me. I choose not to care if I still feel like this again for years, I KNOW WHO I AM. And THAT ISN"T IT! Period." I did not say that just in an effort to make the temptations go away, like "abra cadabra, battle is all finished and out of my face" or "if I say this, than it will stop" or "If I say this than I won't 'change back' and be gay or bi again" or any such. I *didn't* actually know if it would stop if I said that, and I didn't care. I chose not to care, like it was a decision. I meant exactly what I said. I knew what I believed about who I was, I knew he was attacking that, like sometimes he will attack your faith in God, your belief in your call, or in somebody you are close to, or your finances or whatever. He was attacking my identity, but his attacks did not have the power to change it, or even merely what I believed about it, without my agreement/consent. I was determined not to give in, regardless of how long the attack should last. I actively decided also not to even think about length of time it might last and get worried if I could fight that long. Just think "No." End of story.<br />
I removed the towel and went on watching the video, steeled inside to endure whatever attacks, because there was no way I was going to be running away from attacks endlessly and perhaps end up cooped up in the house looking at nothing for however long. Why should I? Those temptations had no real power, not unless I gave it that power and I intended not to.<br />
<br />
Well, when I took off the towel and turned the vid back on, everything was back to normal and the attack was over.<br />
He was testing me when he knew I was weak due to having lost pretty much everything I had over the year or two leading up to that moment, and due to being sick and snowed in and unable to get through the weather to church for two or three weeks in a row. I was hurting, I had no idea where it was all going to end, or where I went wrong - if I did - to end up that way and etc. I was broken in very many ways, but my faith was not and my will was not. I was down, but not out. I guess that was what I was being checked for, to see if I was still alive in there, or If I was done with and defeated - or at least defeatable... By God's grace, I was not.<br />
By God's grace I never will be, and sexual sins are not the only things that applies to, just one of many.<br />
DO I know for sure I will never ever be tested again? No. I don't care either. I know who I am, and that is all I need to know about the subject.<br />
Godspeed.<br />
~Mother Star<br />
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<br />Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-78993372618403489722016-06-07T04:21:00.000-07:002016-06-22T12:15:31.140-07:00Growing in Discernment: Lessons Learned in TransitionAs I continue to grow in discernment and reassess my beliefs about things and the directives I use to run my life, discernment keeps rising as a priority. <br />
<br />
Having grown up around a lot of people who thing they are prophets, I have found that I gravitated a lot to environments where inaccurate teaching about such things was the backbone of the whole show. I have been a lot of places where individuals who thought they or somebody else was a "prophet" - of course we use that term very loosely here - and had overblown and romanticized ideas about what that meant. I've moved in worlds where people aspired to have some alleged prophecy spoken over them to guide them in their life and to make their decisions by. It's dangerous actually, to believe that way.<br />
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People in these environments often feared the Catholic Church and thought it was there to suppress the moves of the Spirit, to put people under fallen human control. The Magisterium actually is there to protect us from false prophecies like you so often find in places like that.<br />
<br />
I have heard parts of how alleged visions and prophecies are judged officially by the Vatican, and applying what little I know of it to the stuff I have heard in my life, it knocks out so many things I thought really were from God that caused me to make huge, life altering, devastating mistakes.<br />
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When I moved out of Decatur a few years ago, for example, I had received counsel from my mother, who is now unfortunately nutty as a fruitcake, and from a friend who was also nuts. I had heard that people with mental health issues seem to be very "open to the Spirit" but you have to be careful and sort out what they say because sometimes it is God and sometimes it isn't. SO I wasn't taught to steer clear of that, only that it could be wrong. One of the things the Vatican inquires about when they investigate a professed prophecy or vision is whether the person's mind is sound. If not, they inquire no further. It's not that God can't use people like that in any way, He can, but He isn't going to set a person in that place who isn't able to discerning His voice consistently because they have other things that masquerade in their mind as His voice. God doesn't want his people confused and isn't going to send us a messenger we have to wonder if is really from him or not, where we have to determine if that person really heard from Him or from their own issues. What "discernment" in these cases boils down to is, if we agree with what they say, we believe them, if not, than we dismiss it. That passes for discernment. In Catholic tradition now, the individual's mental health is one of the first things they ask about.<br />
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The other thing I do know about the investigation process is they want to see humility. Some of the people I listened to would not pass what I know of the tests they would use for humility. They believed they were the ones God would use to bring all kinds of revelation and unity and stability in the Church, they believed they were more Christian than most Christians, they believed that because they were outcasts that they were the number one group God was going to move though in the last days. It is true God looks on the lowly, but He chooses those who do not feel qualified in themselves; I and those I moved with prior to becoming Catholic had a lot of wounded pride and other issues and the thought that others mistreatment of us meant we were going to be the number ones caused us to be lifted up in pride, I think. That is a big hindrance to one being used by the Lord in really big and mighty ways. Therefore I don't think God was going to put us on top like that any time soon. <br />
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I have asked my pastor to recommend some books on how the Catholic Church investigates alleged visions and prophecies from God, and plan to read as much as I can as soon as possible. There are many things I believed came from God tome or from God through others tome, that I was basing and intended to base major life decisions on including things like marriage and what to go to school for. I need to get that sorted out before I do much else.<br />
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If anyone out there knows of such writings, please pass the word along to me, if you will.. The little bit I have learned about the process has gotten me out from under a lot of bondage and is probably keeping me out of a lot of trouble.<br />
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Godspeed, And don't buy into any alleged "prophecies" form people with questionable mental stability, even if you have a bunch of them who agree with each other.<br />
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-Mother Star.<br />
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<strong>Teresa of Avilla, the Saint from whom I took my confirmation name. She spent a lot of time with God and received a lot of revelation. She struggled with discernment too, to decide what was from God and what wasn't. Some of her writings helped me grow in this area as well, I recommend them and think I should read them again.</strong></div>
Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-67989968121749306142016-06-05T02:19:00.000-07:002016-06-22T03:47:43.302-07:00On Growing in Discernment - A Few Lessons Learned from My Own Mistakes.<div data-contents="true">
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<span data-offset-key="a6v2p-0-0"><span data-text="true">Learning, learning, never stop learning.</span></span></div>
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One important lesson in life that is a pre-requisite for numerous others, is that you must acknowledge and learn from mistakes. If there is a pattern of destruction in your life, as there has been in mine, it is often hard to isolate the cause. You will likely not see it and others may not either.<br />
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<span data-offset-key="2i12h-0-0"><span data-text="true">I went from MI to IL, leaving a motel room and a non-temp-to-hire temp job where they wanted to hire me anyway, to another temp to hire job that laid me off after four months due to a drop in orders. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="eeil8-0-0"><span data-text="true">I had misgivings about leaving to go to work for a temp agency because I knew stuff like that can happen. I had sat down and assessed what I needed, what was important to me and what I wanted, and wrote it down. I prayed and I asked God to show me where to go, and said I wasn't leaving for a temp agency, it can't be depended on and I needed something dependable. Well, I turned around and accepted a job with a temp agency anyway, and it paid $0.50 less an hour than what I calculated I would need, but hiring in usually pays more than the temp service does so it would have presumably been ok if I'd hired in. It was everything else I was looking for, and I got impatient, so I hurried. I compromised. They laid me off and so my work record was not that competitive, to say the least. I couldn't give notice where I was before I </span></span><span data-offset-key="eeil8-0-0"><span data-text="true">went there either, or they would have found someone else, so that messed it up worse. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d74k5-0-0"><span data-text="true">The next job I found paid even less, costed more to commute to, and was non-temp-to-hire temp job again. I was there 11 months. It was an hour drive one way and paid somewhat poorly. It was the only job I could find at the time. After 10 months a snowstorm hit and blew my car off the road and totaled my car. I lived in a motel for most of the next ten days so I could take the bus to work, then I managed to find a decent enough car for only $575. I panicked, though, and one of the first things I did was apply where I am now, which pays great but is increasingly unsafe and has this awful, unhealthy, swing shift. The day of my pre-employment screening physical, we had another snow storm. I was really late for work but I got there ok. I had been driving too fast in order not to be tardy when I had the wreck and had learned from that. That was the last real snow of the season, so the danger of going through the same thing again was over for the rest of the year - in hindsight, that means the reason to panic was no longer even there. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3nt8-0-0"><span data-text="true">I had told God back in January that I wasn't going to apply here because of the schedule, I wasn't sure I could handle it and I knew it was very unhealthy. I said I would have to be desperate, but I said if for some reason he wanted me here, to let something drastic happen but please don't let me lose my job. One big reason I did not want a swing-shift was because I wanted to go back to school.<br /> I didn't lose my job after the wreck, due to favor from God with the employer and with friends who helped me through it. </span></span><span data-offset-key="3ehuk-0-0"><span data-text="true">I took the wreck and my getting through it all ok as the sign I had asked for, and went ahead and applied here. I only put that stipulation in there because it paid really well and because I didn't trust my self to make good decisions anymore after what happened when I moved. Looking back, an awful lot of people were in the ditch, not just me, many were upside down or on their side. If Gideon had put out a fleece like that, he'd have set next to a big puddle so that if the wind blew right, it would soak his fleece anyway. I recall hearing inside, "Its better to be late to work than not have a car or even a life to get there with anymore. Slow down" or some such and I said, "God, I sure hope that's not you, 'cuz I sure as hek am not going to risk being late." I really try not to be late for things, especially work. I was late anyway though, because I was in the ditch. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3ehuk-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="3ehuk-0-0"><span data-text="true"></span></span>I heard teaching long ago that I forgot about, where the minister said he knew a lady who got into a <em>VERY</em> bad marriage that was advised against by himself and others. The lady married the guy because while she was asking God for guidance about what she should do, the wind began blowing through her wind chimes and she took that as a sign from God that she should marry the man. This minister had said we should not be just going around looking for fleeces all the time, we need to use wisdom and common sense and other things, but he said for major decisions, its all right. He said, however, that a sign needs to be something that cannot possibly happen by chance, like wind in chimes or my getting blown off the road in a severe snowstorm while going 60pmh. The speed limit was 70, but 60 was still too fast and now I know better. I shouldn't have taken that as a sign to take this job, though.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cjqd8-0-0"><span data-text="true">I've learned to listen more to my instincts, I've learned not to compromise or let situations make me feel like I have to compromise. Now, if I'd been blown off the road with no wind, and no storm or anything, and not speeding, THAT could have been a sign. It happening in a snowstorm when tons of cars went off the road, after I'd had a nagging feeling to slow down more than I was doing, is not a sign from heaven about anything except that I should have slowed down. Nevertheless, I hurried again, into a closer-to-home job that was a big compromise and guess what? I absolutely hate it and am not even sure if I can do it over the long term because I have so much trouble with the swing shift. They aren't sure I will work out long term either at this point, though I am trying to do my best. My education plans are dead in the water again, which was devastatingly disappointing too, but I thought I had my sign so I went for it anyway.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="70sbh-0-0"><span data-text="true">What have I learned? I've learned not to compromise what I know I need in order to push something else that I need through faster. I learned to wait on God even if it takes much longer than I want it to, and I learned that even in unpleasant things, one can learn. I also remembered what I used to know, that you can't take things anything that can have a non-supernatural root cause as a divine sign.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="19heq-0-0"><span data-text="true">Hopefully, I have really gotten the lesson through me this time. My plan now is to NOT rush into the next thing but to do research and make sure I am not doing the same thing again.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d1uk8-0-0"><span data-text="true">In the mean time I will try to pay attention to what I need and what works for me and look for something that is a better fit. I need to not worry about how long it takes though, I need to worry about making sure it is right. Therefore I am now making another list of what I need and want and considering what is honestly non-negotiable. This time, I must not compromise no matter how long it takes, because that leads to instability, misery and disaster. I've also learned to cope with the pain of facing my mistakes and owning them. Its not fun, but it is the only thing to do to break a deadly cycle.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d1uk8-0-0"><span data-text="true">I hope my exposing my own foolishness and what I learned from it can help somebody else somewhere. Be careful if you think it should have been obvious. I used to do that and someday those who gloat over other's goof-ups will be banging their heads against the wall trying to figure out their own. I sure have been for a while now, so I also know now that I can never throw stones at somebody else's poor choices because I am more than capable of being blind of making mistakes.</span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="d1uk8-0-0"><span data-text="true">Take care and Godspeed. And don't ask God for signs that aren't really signs. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d1uk8-0-0"><span data-text="true">-Mother Star</span></span></div>
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Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-84298108997292501032015-07-18T13:30:00.002-07:002015-07-18T17:52:43.188-07:00Study of Native American Cultures and Beliefs and Being a ChristianI've been reading "The White Man's Gospel" by an Anashinabe (aka<br />
Chippewa, Ojibwa, or Ojibwe) Christian minister.<br />
When making the case that Christianity is really not "The White Man's gospel" or "The White Mans's religion" he points out the comparisons between the Isrealites/Jews and Native Americans. He said Jews were divided into twelve tribes, and when Jesus walked the earth as a man, he was a Jew and lived in the Jews native land, a place that was occupied by a conquering external power. They lived with Rome's laws and some of their own laws, and were surrounded by a mix of Rome's religion and their own... he made some other observations of life in 2nd Temple period Israel. It's very much like what Native Americans deal with today. They feel the same pain and much the same way about the situation though (I personally note that there were Zealots and Herodians, and in betweens, in Jesus' time. Different Jewish people had different ways of dealing with the situation, and they didn't necessarily agree or get along about it, and there was internal political struggles of sorts, and that's the way reservations are, especially Pine Ridge as I understand it....) He gets people to connect Christianity with its Jewish roots, and to relate the ways of the Jews with their own traditional ways where applicable and it is a way that breaks down some of the hostility and barriers.<br />
He also notes something that I myself have noticed:<br />
Salvation came through the Jews, but as far as the giving of the law and basic morals and rules to live by, as well as practices that instill and support those things, MANY - and perhaps even most or all, idk yet - tribes do indeed have a lot in common with ancient Jews. I've been noticing that myself and it is good to hear another Christian confirm that so I know it isn't my imagination or the enemy trying to deceive me...<br />
He says he has been to many tribes and spoken with many medicine men about the Bible, especially the OT. A great many have said, after hearing about or studying the OT, that if somebody put down the history of their core beliefs down, and their stories of how it has developed and was given to them, it would be very much like the OT.<br />
Israel even sometimes got deceived into mixing demonic and animistic practices with the worship of God, as the Bible records in some of the major and minor prophets, and it upset God greatly - as I'm sure the Cherokee and Lakotah and etc do when they do this as well. I think that is pretty much what has happened in many Indian religions, and it seems that this brother thinks so too.<br />
He notices as I do, underneath the animistic and demonic practices (Satan can't create anything, he can only mess up what is), the commands and workings of God that were originally probably given to them by God, who they call "The great spirit" or something close to that. They do not, however, have the indwelling of the Holy spirit or claim to, nor do they profess the same kind of connection to "Ya" that we do. As far as I know, Judaism doesn't profess the same degree of connection and familiarity with God that Christ offers us either, though there might be and I just don't know about it. I have noticed some Lakotah calling Ha Shem the Great-Grandfather, though, but not anything like "Abba."<br />
So when I post or write about the rites and stuff of the Lakotah or any other tribe, that is the stuff I am looking up and trying to bring out. There are things in there that I find helpful and maybe someone else will too. I am aware that there are other forces that are not good that work in these religions, who have brought in a lot of their stuff in that is not worth studying. I do find that if I study hard and dig, I will find stuff like that woven into about everything, sadly. But when people give the gist of it, the core, they primarily talk about the Great Mystery (aka, Ha Shem, I am pretty sure) and the things that they say will primarily be VERY uplifting and good. Its like hearing stuff from the bible explained in a really different way, with nature examples and perhaps hunting/hiking stories involved... If you try and go too deep though, you will hear about the other spirits who are not the Great Mystery, they are totally separate but are equally revered, and all the crap that they have added and continue to add (Mostly in the form of rules and complicated steps that people have to take, and must do just right in order to be right. Sounds familiar, huh? Its the devil) All of that stuff is useless, and does not have the same kind of beauty, or the same respect for women that attracted me to it all in the first place.<br />
What got me into this stuff in the first place is, I was trying to find out what life was like for men in non-patriarchal societies. I just wanted to know. I ended up finding all this other great stuff and wound up extremely passionate about Native American issues and my own native heritage. It's been a journey, and I pray all the time that I will not get sucked into anything awful.<br />
I hope that through sharing some bits of the discoveries along the road I can help somebody else. I keep putting scriptures with it, and if I can't find any scriptures that fit it without serious editing, it is a nice big, red flag for me. Thanks for any prayers going up about it.<br />
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Godspeed<br />
~Mother StarMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-42325252770242257822015-07-06T21:00:00.000-07:002015-07-06T21:00:05.441-07:00Eagles Don't Fly from Nest to Nest"Eagles don't fly from nest to nest" - Lakotah teaching on human sexual morals.<br />
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I know it upsets guys to hear this, like it upsets people if you tell them god didn't make them gay. but if you don't believe stuff the world and the enemy tell you about yourself (identity) and your sexuality, it makes it a lot easier not to give in to the temptations, and to even become free of the attacks at all to one degree or other. There are guys out in jungles and remote places and they get in conversations with westerners, called anthropologists (who do not even believe God's teaching on sexual morals and who sometimes seem to do all they can to twist their research in favor of their corrupted ones), and they are forced to admit that many tribal guys can't wrap their mind around why anyone would go to a strip club, or why anyone would pursue things like porn.<br />
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Lust by itself, like in strip clubs and porn and such, doesn't make any babies, it doesn't make any bonds between people that get them through things together. It doesn't discharge any of the natural functions of sexuality in human lives, at all. There are no creatures out in the wild looking for a chance to watch each other mate,let alone giving up food or nesting material or whatever in exchange for a chance to see it. There is actually no support for the notion that lust like this is natural. It truly isn't found in every human society and isn't found, as far is I know, in ANY animals at all.<br />
Eagles don't fly from nest to nest. According to Russel Means and Bayard Johnson's book, wild canines like wolves and coyotes do not mate promiscuously. Only alpha females and alpha males mate, and only with each other. non-alpha females do get in heat and there are males present but mating does not occur for one reason or other. Domesticated dogs are not particular about mate choice, but those with no human intervention and alteration are very particular. The Lakotah guys I was reading basically interpret the behavior of wild canines as a form of monogamy and take it as testimony from nature that faithfulness in marriage is the dictate of "natural law"or "Universal Law" as they call it, and the will of the Great Spirit for their lives.<br />
Apex predators, which humans are, do not need to multiply like rabbits to keep their balanced spot in an ecosystem. Male apex predators don't behave the way THIS society says men are hardwired to live, and humans are apex predators. Yes it is possible for us all to be tempted to step outside God's balanced plan for our sexuality, but no, he did not hardware our species to do so, not even males. That's what they teach us in women's books, that men are hardwired to be "sexual hunters" to look for chances to mate everywhere, like they would look for food. There is no actual support for that in the natural world and there are even unreached people groups who don't have that view. Mice live like that, they are near the bottom of the food chain and are almost defenseless, but you're not a mouse and neither am I. We - any of us - aren't designed to think/be promiscuous, any more than wolves and eagles are. That is a lie of the devil as much as hardwired homosexuality is, and the church needs to get a grip on truth if we're going to live in freedom God has for us,let alone be light in this gross degree of darkness,<br />
I hope this didn't sound like an attack. It's not one. Truth will make you free, whether it hurts or not, but I hope of course that it doesn't/didn't.<br />
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Godspeed<br />
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~Mother StarMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-42057334392695393442015-06-26T21:00:00.000-07:002015-06-26T21:00:05.327-07:00Review, Stopping and Preventing Child Abuse, Part 5: More Ways to Prevent Abuse and Resources to Fight It WithNot everyone has time to read such long posts as the recent one about stopping child abuse. If someone is suspicious and feels a need to double check the information that made roused their suspicions about a person or situation, the post is not really "reference friendly either". Therefore, I am reposting the information in bits so people can get to it easier.<br />
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<b>More Ways to Prevent Abuse:</b><br />
<b><u>Whether you suspect abuse or not, let kids in your life know you'll listen,</u></b> and talk to them often. Acknowledge them. Pedophiles actively seek and are quick to pick up on a child who feels they have no one to talk to or has unmet emotional needs. They use these needs to get close and to win their trust and affection. Abusers do not exclusively pick on the already abused or kids who are lonely or bullied or feel they have no one to talk to, but those kids are easier to make connections to because they are needy. Children who have trusted adults and know they can talk to their parents are more likely to tell when they have been given things they shouldn't have, or offered opportunities to do what they aren't allowed to do. Pedophiles do those things (see above"How ot spot an abuser> "The rules do not apply to me") in order to find out who will tell. This is how they sort of thin the herd of kids they gather around themselves, and decide who to victimize. You may have heard they single out their victims, these are common ways they do so. (DO NOT blame yourself if you were victimized, after being given forbidden things you wanted and not telling, Do not blame kids/teens if this happens to them. This is never their fault).<br />
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<b><i><u>Report abuse to the law if a child reports it to you</u></i></b>. Even with the steps they take to "screen" victims and eliminate kids who are likely to tell, the average convicted child molester is told-on 5 times before any legal action is taken. Five times! That is just not right. If authorities were consistently notified the first time a child reports abuse, the other four who would eventually tell, plus all the ones who would not tell, might not be abused at all. The number of kids being abused could go down by at least 80%, based on that number! If you are told about abuse by a child, it is your responsibility to report it to authorities and/or to parents if a child tells you this. It may be illegal not to, depending where you live.<br />
Here is the child abuse hotline's website if you need more information. <a href="https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/">https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/</a>This is the number: 1-800 -4-A-CHILD that is 1-800-422-4453. That applies to Americans only, or course. If you do not know your countries hotline number (or if there is one) you should probably look that up, unless you truly neither have kids, nor know or ever see any.<br />
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Be careful at fairs, amusement parks and water parks, and other crowded, noisy places. One convicted pedophile interviewed for this research said he'd loved water parks. He got a lot of video plus a lot of "accidental" touching in the wave pool. He said they were some of the best places to go, for a pedophile. Beware, do not let kids go about unsupervised in crowded public places, and keep them very close to you in water parks. Stay right by them and be very watchful - be their bodyguard - if you do go into the wave-pool, but ideally you should probably avoid it.<br />
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<i><span style="font-weight: bold;">Never</span><b> let children go tot the public bathrooms by themselves, no matter how upset they get. </b></i>This author experienced the consequences of that mistake first-hand, many years ago, and in a church the family only visited once.<br />
While most instances of sexual abuse/assault are committed by someone the victim knows [also true of the sexual assault of adults], usually trust is built and a relationship developed with the parents, whether it is at a church or another social event/hub. That is still not 100% of cases. Asmall percntage of those who abuse children are doing so out of hate, not attraction, and it more like the common motivations for sexual assault of adults - control, dominance, perhaps cruelty. This type of act may also involve physical abuse and/or murder. This type of person may take kids by force from a mall or store, or assault them in the bathroom, They are indeed out there, and we all need to be aware.<br />
All churches are still located in this fallen world and have fallen people in it of every possible sort, just like the rest of this planet. The doors are open to the public, anyone can open them and enter. Do not take chances with your kids.<br />
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Check the state police website for a list/map of the local registered sex offenders and become aware of convicted abusers in your area. Warn you family and others about them.<br />
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Thank you for reading. Please put what you'v learned here into practice<br />
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Godspeed.<br />
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~Mother Star.Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-41388186194805681322015-06-23T21:00:00.000-07:002015-06-23T21:00:04.215-07:00Review Preventing and Stopping Child Abuse, Part 3: Not everyone has time to read such long posts as the recent one about stopping child abuse. If someone is suspicious and feels a need to double check the information that made roused their suspicions about a person or situation, the post is not really "reference friendly either". Therefore, I am reposting the information in bits so people can get to it easier.<br />
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<b>Creating a Safe Church (Control Access, Monitoring Programs) </b>Some adults should be kept as far from kids as possible. Controlling access is about keeping people like this away from children as much as possible.<br />
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Screen <i>all </i>volunteers - Background Checks, reference checks, etc. - While it is true that a person has to have been caught or reported sometime before this will turn anything up, it is sadly amazing how many incidents would be prevented if adults in responsible positions had done this!<br />
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Know where kids are at all times - pretty self-explanitory<br />
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Parents or guardians (but only parents or guardians) should be allowed to visit a class or daycare center, anytime with or without notice. Drop in sometime on your kids' daycare, if applicable.<br />
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Monitor all programs. Some people start new church programs without proper permission. DO NOT TOLERATE THIS! Make sure all programs go through approval process, no exceptions. It crates loopholes for example, if you do background checks but people start programs and such for your church or school without proper permission. They might not have been screened/ Also, an aware pastor or other supervisor might see red-flags in some "programs" for outreach or whatever that are created with these evil ulterior motives. You can't use your discernment for this without being on top of what is going on and making sure no one does these things without your permission.<br />
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Lock all unused rooms - probably self-explanitory. People can get behind closed doors with a kid whose trust they have somehow won if the unused doors are not locked! Only carefully screened people should have keys, and they shouldn't be unlocking these doors without good reasons.<br />
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Thank you for reading,and please take this seriously. It is part of being salt and light, to shelter innocents from devastation, especially within your own church or community.<br />
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Godspeed.<br />
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~Mother Star<br />
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Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-78313742712107021112015-06-22T21:00:00.000-07:002015-06-22T21:00:01.858-07:00Review Preventing Child Abuse Part 2: Knowing the Warning Signs of a Potential Abuser or Abusive SituationNot everyone has time to read such long posts as the recent one about stopping child abuse. If someone is suspicious and feels a need to double check the information that made roused their suspicions about a person or situation, the post is not really "reference friendly either". Therefore, I am reposting the information in bits so people can get to it easier.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Five steps to preventing or stopping sexual abuse:</b><br />
Know warning signs<br />
Control access<br />
Monitor Programs<br />
Be Aware<br />
Communicate concerns<br />
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<b>How to spot a pedophile (Knowing Warning signs):</b><br />
More excited about socializing with kids than adults.<br />
May have house full of toys (especially concerning if they do not have any kids).<br />
Always wanting to touch kids (not necessarily sexual touching).<br />
Keeps bringing kids over all the time.<br />
"The rules do not apply to me."<br />
* encourages/lets kids do things that are actually not allowed<br />
* Gives kids opportunity to engage in forbidden or risky activities or activities their parents do not approve of.<br />
* Gives kids items their parents do not approve of them having.<br />
* Generally acts like the rules do not apply to them. Taking pictures without asking, for example,<br />
Taking kids into unauthorized areas or whatever else, not demonstrating customary respect for parental authority or approval processes.<br />
* Gives gifts to children without asking parents permission first<br />
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<b>Warning signs that a child has been/may have been sexually abused (Knowing Warning signs):</b><br />
Sudden changes in behaviors<br />
Grades drop<br />
Outbursts of anger<br />
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<b>How to approach a young person you suspect may be a victim</b><br />
Talk with kids patiently, let stuff come out<br />
Let kids know you'll listen to them<br />
Talk to them often<br />
Let kids know you'll listen and not blame themMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-36882243387825455472015-06-21T20:10:00.001-07:002015-06-21T21:47:34.567-07:00Review: Preventing Child Abuse. Part 1: Myth Busting About Child AbuseNot everyone has time to read such long posts as the recent one about stopping child abuse. If someone is suspicious and feels a need to double check the information that made roused their suspicions about a person or situation, the post is not really "reference friendly either". Therefore, I am reposting the information in bits so people can get to it easier.<br />
<br />
<br />
According to the law enforcement and psychological authorities who helped design the Vertus program, 3% of the population are pedophiles - which means,[in the clinical world] they have a sexual orientation that is geared toward children, tis part of who they are - and one pedophile can abuse hundreds or even thousands of children in their lifetime. They often start very early, around the age of sexual awareness or in the early teen years, and they do not stop unless someone stops them. They can hurt more kids if they are allowed a position with authority over children/teens and have unsupervised access to them often - teaching, coaching, mentoring, scout leading, daycare work, youth workers, etc. A person with this "orientation" should never be allowed around children at all, but they will actively seek such positions out.<br />
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<b><u>Myth Busting:</u></b><br />
<b>Myth 1. Children who report sexual abuse are usually lying.</b><br />
<b><i>Fact: Children <u>rarely</u> lie about sexual abuse. Accusations of abuse should always be taken very seriously. 5%, or less, of sexual abuse allegations are intentionally false.</i></b><br />
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<b>Myth 2. People who were sexually abused will become/are more likely to become sexual abusers.</b><br />
<b style="font-style: italic;">Fact: Those raised in </b><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">physically</u><b style="font-style: italic;"> or </b><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">emotionally</u><b><i> abusive homes are very likely to become abusive because that is the way they learned to behave; it's how they learned that a home should be run and discipline administered. </i><u style="font-style: italic;">Sexually</u><i> abused people rarely become abusers later. There are many, many times more victims than perpetrators of sexual abuse. This is true of both males and females.</i><br /><br />Myth 3. Priests become sexual abusers because of their vow of celibacy.<br /><i>Fact: The percentage of priests accused and/or convicted of sexual abuse is the same as the percentage of accused and convicted pedophiles in the rest of the population. The vast majority of sexual abusers do not take a vow of celibacy and do engage in sexual acts with other adults. They have a preference for adults who look extremely young.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i>Myth 4. Most pedophiles are "gay," or have homosexual tendencies.<br /><i>Fact: the majority of sexual abusers of both boys and girls are heterosexual men. They date, sleep with, and often marry women, with a strong preference for women who look like young girls or seem childlike in some ways. There is no correlation between SSAs/homosexual behavior with other consenting adults, and pedophilia.</i></b><br />
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<b>Myth 4. You can always recognize a pedophile, they will seem strange and look and behave in an unusual, disturbing or deviant manner. They will be loners and weirdos on the edge of society. They will be poor, probably addicted to drugs. They live in ghettos and slums [this is a symptom of classism and/or racism btw].<br /><i>Fact: Pedophiles </i></b><b><i> come from every ethnic, religious, political and socio-economic, occupational, and cultural group. You cannot predict pedophilia by anyones income, race, occupation, tastes, or by their bad habits (or lack thereof) such as smoking, drinking, swearing, spitting, or even other criminal behaviors (or lack thereof) such as drug use.</i></b><b><i> They behave normally in public, are usually extremely charming, persuasive, and can easily win people over. They are frequently everybody's favorite. This is why they are able to gain parents'/guardians'/care-givers' trust in order to access victims, and to manipulate victims into compliance and/or silence. They are often very well-liked and popular, and may be either male or female. They do not</i></b><b><i> appear threatening.</i></b><br />
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Make sure you note that pedophiles may be male or female. Women can abuse too, both boys and girls.<br />
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<b>Five steps to preventing or stopping sexual abuse:</b><br />
Know warning signs<br />
Control access<br />
Monitor Programs<br />
Be Aware<br />
Communicate concerns<br />
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I will re-hash information on how to live out those five steps in future posts. One a day, probably.<br />
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<br />Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-61157986559184670592015-06-20T12:29:00.003-07:002015-06-20T18:21:44.091-07:00A Beautiful Image of FatherhoodJerimiah 3:4 "Have you not just called to me: ‘My Father, my friend from my youth,"<br />
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Psalm 27:10 "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me."<br />
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Psalm 103:13 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;"<br />
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Zephaniah 3:17 (AMP) "The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing."<br />
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Continuing my study on never-before-patriarchal societies and how the men in these view themselves and get along in the world there, and especially in honor of father's day, I offer an account of how the Lakotah of the High Plains traditionally approach fatherhood.<br />
I have included a video done by one of the authors of the book, the late AIM leader, author, musician, and actor Russel Means, discussing this subject on his youtube channel.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D0AaWxn91E0" width="420"></iframe>
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According to Russell Means and Bayard Johnson in "If You've Forgotten the Names of the Clouds, You Have Lost Your Way," a woman's pregnancy is divided into <i>quad</i>mesters, not trimesters. Each of these quadmesters lasts three months, and the final quadmester ends three months after birth. The first three months, what we commonly call the first trimester, and the second, and the third, and finally the fourth quadmester which we have no Western equivalent for, all have somewhat different but important duties for the traditional Lakotah father.<br />
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The first duty of fatherhood begins when life begins - at conception. His job for the first three months is to get down to his wife's stomach and sing to the unborn baby. "He sings lullabies and other comforting songs, to let the growing child know of his care and love."<br />
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The second quadmester is very similar, but instead of just singing, he is supposed to do some regular talking as well. Before the second quadmester starts, the infant probably can hear the sounds. so one of the first sounds baby will ever hear is his/her father's voice, singing of his love and care for him or her.<br />
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The third tapers off more of the singing, and greatly emphasizes talking. The purpose of this quality time is to create and strengthen a bond between father and child.<br />
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Finally, when the baby is born, <i>dad</i> takes responsibility to hold the baby and carry him or her around, and to change diapers and to comfort the baby when he or she cries. Only when the baby must eat or when baby particularly wants mommy or for mom to have some quality time too, does he give the baby to her in this quadmester. He is given paternity leave from his tribal duties outside the home for three months to care for his baby full-time.<br />
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"Every time the baby cries, it is the father's responsibility to take the newborn and console it. The father learns nurturing this way, and the entire village sees it, even the young children. Everyone sees and acknowledges the Father's vital role in his family and in his newborn's life."<br />
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Western science has found that it takes three months for the mother's body to return to normal. "So with the man taking on all the responsibilities during this period of time, and getting a small glimpse of what its like to be a mother, there is also the added benefit of the mother never falling prey to post par-partum depression or any of the other stresses of being overwhelmed by new motherhood and all the responsibilities associated with it." - Russel Means<br />
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I do not think there is really anything to add. His testimony of the beauty of fatherhood as celebrated in the traditional High Plains Lakotah way is so beautiful as to take one's breath away.<br />
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What can we, as a community, do to help support fathers in their efforts to bond with their children and assist their mates? What can we as employers, friends, relatives, church (or synagogue etc) attenders, new mothers, and neighbors do for the new father's in our lives? What can you, as a man and a new father, do to get closer to your child and assist the new mother in her initial adjustment? Are there special issues involved in the situation somewhere, and if so, what can we do to help? Just some thought to take away from this. Clearly, Lakotah dad's had the support and understanding of the community to be able to take time to bond with his child. It makes a huge difference for them both, too. It also positively impacted the entire community. What can we, as community members, do to help fathers in our part of the world?<br />
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Godspeed.<br />
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~Mother StarMother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878598884404771672.post-37676519256070883902015-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:002015-06-23T22:36:34.919-07:00The First Thing in the Morning<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” -Psalm 148:8</b></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In “If You've Forgotten the Names of the Clouds, You Have Lost Your Way,” I read of the traditional Lakotah Man's morning ritual:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">"In the traditional Lakotah way, the husband wakes at first light, in the early pre-dawn. He doesn't Speak, he doesn't wake his wife sleeping beside him. He goes outside and speaks the Lakotah Morning Prayer [below] with the Morning Star when it is the only star left in the dawn sky. Speaking the morning prayer clears the mind of all worries and anxiety, and makes a person aware of his place in the mosaic of life. It humbles you.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Then he goes back in the tipi and combs his wife's hair. “Neither speaks a word. The husband's first interaction with his wife is a very sacred exchange. Hair is very important because it grows from the head... Hair holds memory. It is only cut when one is in mourning. This first exchange between a husband and wife is a caressing touch, on a sacred part of the body.” - Russel Means</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Lakotah Morning Prayer [most of it anyway, its quite long]:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">“Oh Holy Great Mystery, thank You for this day. Thank you for the Universe, our tabernacle, our house of Worship [“house of worship” probably added for clarity to modern readers].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Star People who watch over our water and all that lives and give us direction and place in life [navigational tool, changes in star patterns coincide with changes in seasonal water situation. Not sure if astrology is involved in this statement as well, or not.]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank You for the Moon, which also watches over the water and purifies the women naturally [they practiced NFP, and women noted their cycle by the 28 days of the lunar cycle. Menstruation seen as purifying. Modern studies show that NFP strengthens marital bonds].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for our Sacred Grandmother, the Earth, mother of all living things, for they are our relatives [Lakotah place immense value on all life, human and non-human, and believe God made us all and we all came out of the earth, so we are all related in that way and interact/interdepend kind of like a family is supposed to, or maybe like their clan systems did*].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the East wind, which brings the Morning Star which gives us the dawn of a new day, so that we will not repeat the mistakes of yesterday...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Black Tail Deer People [black tail deer, all creatures respected almost like other people in this society*], who live in the East and watch over us [Creation is viewed as a non-threatening, nurturing thing, and everything is sort of doing its part in taking care of each other and you, and that this is how things are supposed to be. There may be a reference to spiritism here too, but not necessarily.* "The Law of the Jungle: Kill or be killed" Was a white/European contrivance.]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the South Wind, which brings warmth and generosity to our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits, as well as to our sacred Grandmother, the Earth and all of our relatives [all living things].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Owl People, who live in the South and watch over us [Encampments strategically placed to in relation to different kind of animals and birds I think, but am not 100% sure. Tribe was nomadic before reservation system]*.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the West Wind, which gives us the lightening and thunder … which bring the cleansing and refreshing rains for our Sacred Grandmother, the Earth and all our relatives, and which brings cleanliness and refreshment to our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Buffalo people, who live in the West and watch over us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the North Wind, which brings strong and enduring winds that give our sacred grandmother, The Earth, and all our relatives strength and endurance and brings strength and endurance to our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Elk People, who live in the North and watch over us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for all the winged beings of the air, for their teachings, their generosity and their sacrifices*. Thank you especially for the eagle, who flies the highest, sees the farthest, and is faithful to its mate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the four-leggeds, who give us so much and teach us so much, and for their sacrifices and sharing*.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And thank you especially for the buffalo, because as the buffalo goes, so go our people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for all our relatives who crawl and swim and live within the earth, for their sacrifices and sharing and for their generosity*. Thank you for all their teachings and for everything that they give us*.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you also for all the green, growing things of the earth. They teach us so much and give us so much. Thank you for their sacrifices and their sharing*.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you especially for the tree with whispering leaves, for its strength and independence and for its teachings...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the salmon and the other fishes, who teach us that it is our birthright to return to our home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Sundance, which allows men an opportunity to comprehend the miracle of new life by sharing, in a small way, the miracle of childbirth**.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Crying for a Vision ceremony, which permits us to recognize a positive and independent road to follow through life**.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the Throwing of the Ball ceremony, which brings the community together as one heart, mind, spirit, and body**.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the ... sweet medicines produced by our green relatives who grow. Together they care for the infirm, the crippled and the sick.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the soil, for the clouds, for the white blanket that comes over our Grandmother the Earth in time of cold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the sacred colors, together representing everything that is worthy in life, and individually teaching us so much**.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for the wind that travels in a circle [tornadoes], for it teaches us respect and wonder and awe [there doesn't seem to be any fear here, though].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I thank you for everything that is holy, and sacred and good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">We are all related. ”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">* I will write another post on the natural phenomena God made that this is a reference to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">**I will probably write about this separately, its too much for a f</span>ootnote and is really good.<br />
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If one starts the day like that, every single day, can you imagine how strong their heart will be, and how strong their marriage (if married)? What a beautiful beginning to the day the Lord gave us.<br />
Even if you work third shift, and are headed for bed when the Morning star rises, start your afternoon like that for a while, as close as you can, and see what happens. :) I plan to try it myself, as well.<br />
Take care and God bless ... My Relatives.<br />
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~Mother Star<br />
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<b>This is a morning song, reportedly from my own tribe, not the Lakotah, but it is along the same lines, so<br />Enjoy!</b></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YhcgX1VHsgk" width="420"></iframe>Mother Starhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15329218846748800081noreply@blogger.com0