It's been a while...

I haven't been feeling very good physically or mentally the last few weeks, so my non-existent audience (nearly so; at this time my actual audience seems to consist of my fiance and my stuffed cat that sits by the computer) has been let down a little, to say nothing of the fact that this blog was kindasorta supposed to be a substitute for things like church. Eh, He'll forgive me.

In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I feel I should post some things I'm grateful for despite the long list of things I feel are wrong with my life. Perhaps concentrating on them will improve things.

I'm grateful I live in a county that, despite making me jump through hoops to do so, will give me insurance so that I can at least get some health care for my problems.

I'm grateful I have a fiance who understands my problems and puts up with them, and does the lion's share of the work because of them. I'm trying to do more, but in the meantime it's good that he's willing to do so much.

I'm grateful to have rediscovered my religious and spiritual side, and the ability to separate that from the people who practice a form of my religion I cannot recognize.

I'm grateful for my ability to create. It's something that makes me happy.

I'm grateful to have had so many extremely wonderful friends to help me through some of the roughest times (and a little sad I've lost touch with so many, but glad they're still out there).

I'm grateful for all the other people who have the gift to create, whether songs or games or writing or art, because those are some of the best parts of life.

I'm grateful for sunrises and sunsets, kittens, laughter, and all the other wonderful things that were made for the enjoyment of mankind.

I'm grateful that there are good examples of people practicing my religion out there, because seeing those helped me find my way back.

I'm grateful to Google for offering a free place to write down my thoughts.

I'm grateful that I still have a place to live, food to eat, internet access, and things I can do purely for leisure and enjoyment.

I'm grateful that there is a power out there that loves me despite all my many human flaws.

I am appalled at my own kind

Well, they're not quite my own kind. I recognize them as Christians, but we're obviously very different. It's the ones who, in the wake of the horrendous tragedy at Fort Hood, are saying, "See, Muslims are all terrorists!" Who are, in the main, the same ones who when people, oh, say, shoot an abortion doctor in the name of Christ, don't have anything to say about that, or at best say "But that's not what we believe!"... and then refuse to give the same courtesy to others.

I'm appalled that Christians give other Christians a free pass on such acts, but immediately harp on anyone of any other religion, especially Muslims. We worship the same God. Never mind my belief that ultimately we all do, I mean this one much more literally; Muslims consider Jesus one of the great prophets and believe some of the same things Christians do about him (albeit not all of them). We should get along better. It's one of the shames of religion that we can't. And one of the shames of American Christians in particular that so many of them refuse to believe anyone who says "We're not all like that."

Are there bad Muslims? Yes. But there are also bad Christians. And a lot of them are right here in this country. Condemning the entire religion based on the whack-jobs is really... unChristian. Brotherhood, remember?

(Belated x2) Sunday Thoughts

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."—Mark 16:15

A fairly sizable portion of Christians seem to believe that the primary goal of all Christians should be to preach to others, and I believe this is one of the verses that makes them think so.