My Birthday

Today is my birthday, but it's not a particularly joyous one. First I'm up here all alone with no one to celebrate with. It's also been a tough year. Last year on this day, I found out that one of my dearest friends had died in a car wreck the night before. It's been a year of depression and anxiety. Just when I thought I was doing better, my last grandparent, Granny, died. It's certainly been a year of heartache.

I do not know what this year brings. I have hope that it will bring a good companion into my life. I have hope that it will be a year of less depression and anxiety. I have hope that I will be able to lose some weight. I have hope that I can get my life back onto a track of happiness. A year ago, I was on that track of happiness and i got severely derailed, but things are looking up. I have hope that they will continue to look up.

By the way, I turn 39 today. This is my last year in my 30s. What will the future hold?

I'd Grown Accustomed to His Face

I've grown accustomed to his face

He almost makes the day begin

I've grown accustomed to the tune he whistles night and noon

His smiles, his frowns, his ups and downs

Are second nature to me now

Like breathing out and breathing in

I was serenely independent and content before we met

Surely I could always be that way again and yet

I've grown accustomed to his looks, accustomed to his voice

Accustomed to his face

He's second nature to me now

Like breathing out and breathing in

I'm very grateful he's a man and so easy to forget

Rather like a habit one can always break and yet

I've grown accustomed to the trace of something in the air

Accustomed to his face

Originally this song was "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" from My Fair Lady. Diana Krall, however, changed the lyrics a bit. I'd change one thing. I would change I've to I'd as in I had. You see, a year ago, one of my dearest friends died. I woke up almost every morning to texts from him, and there would be his smiling face. We would always text as we were getting ready for work, or soon thereafter. We would text during the day, and each night before we went to bed, we'd text "Goodnight. I love you." I never heard him whistle but I knew his ups and downs. I knew his mood from the type of texts I'd get, and I knew when something was wrong.

I was independent if not lonely before we met, but he encouraged me to get out there. He encouraged me to date and he encouraged me to get the job I have now. I'm trying to be what he encouraged me to be, but it's hard. I feel as if I've let him down in some way. I fell into a deep depression when he died in a sudden and horrible car wreck a year ago today. I haven't wanted to put myself out there, though I've tried a few times. New England just isn't that friendly of a place, and Vermont has tons of lesbians but is a little low on sane gay men.

Texting him was like second nature to me. We were constantly in contact though we lived many hours apart. When I lost him my breath, not to mention my joy, left me. I'm doing better these days. It's been a year, and I am coping much better. Antidepressants help with that. He's not so easy to forget, however. He was one of the most loving and generous person I've ever known. He wanted to be able to give as much as people had given him when he'd been on hard times. Sadly, he didn't live long enough to be as generous as he had wanted to be. He left a legacy though that can't be forgotten. He will always have a place in my heart, and I'll never forget his beautiful face. The face I'd grown accustomed to.

Gilmore Girls

I don't know if any of you were a fan of the show Gilmore Girls but I remember watching it when it was first on. I was so happy when Netflix announced that it would be doing four more episodes of the show, and I spent this weekend watching those four episodes. I laughed, I cried, and I laughed and cried some more. It was a very satisfying end. If you were a fan, don't miss it.

In the Morning of Joy

Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’   ‘Where, O death, is your victory?   Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

In The Morning of Joy

When the trumpet shall sound,

And the dead shall arise,

And the splendors immortal

Shall envelop the skies;

When the Angel of Death

Shall no longer destroy,

And the dead shall awaken

In the morning of joy:

In the morning of joy,

In the morning of joy,

We’ll be gathered to glory,

In the morning of joy;

In the morning of joy,

In the morning of joy,

We’ll be gathered to glory,

In the morning of joy.

When the King shall appear

In His beauty on high,

And shall summon His children

To the courts of the sky;

Shall the cause of the Lord

Have been all your employ,

That your soul may be spotless

In the morning of joy?

In the morning of joy,

In the morning of joy,

We’ll be gathered to glory,

In the morning of joy;

In the morning of joy,

In the morning of joy,

We’ll be gathered to glory,

In the morning of joy.

O the bliss of that morn,

When our loved ones we meet!

With the songs of the ransomed

We each other shall greet,

Singing praise to the Lamb,

Thro’ eternity’s years,

With the past all forgotten

With its sorrows and tears

In the morning of joy,

In the morning of joy,

We’ll be gathered to glory,

In the morning of joy;

In the morning of joy,

In the morning of joy,

We’ll be gathered to glory,

In the morning of joy.

I've had this song in my head lately. As I sang it to myself, tears rolled down my face. This song was sang at my grandmama's funeral, and I often sang it when I was the song leader of my church. It brings me comfort, since I know that in that morning of joy, I will be reunited with my friends and family.

The above sculpture is called "Angel of Grief" and is an 1894 sculpture by William Wetmore Story which serves as the grave stone of the artist and his wife at the Protestant Cemetery, Rome.

Moment of Zen: Rivalry Weekend

Whether you root for Michigan or Ohio State, Georgia or Georgia Tech, Florida or Florida State, Ole Miss or Mississippi State, Clemson or South Carolina or more importantly Auburn or Alabama, this is an exciting weekend in college football. I couldn't name all the rivalries, but I named some of the more important ones. Of course to me, the most exciting of them all is the Alabama vs. Auburn game. Who will win? We shall see.

Black Friday

Today, of course, is Black Friday. It means a lot of people are shopping today. I will not be one of them. First of all, I hate crowds. I don't mind shopping, but I hate the crowds of people shopping on Black Friday. I plan to spend the day inside watching movies or tv shows on Netflix. Then I will watch some football. Will you be shopping today? What will you be doing?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day is usually filled with family and food.  There are many LGBT out there who are without their families because of the hate and bigotry that exists in this world.  I hope those who cannot be with their families, for whatever reasons, have wonderful friends with whom to share this day of Thanksgiving, and I hope they feel the love that I send their way.

I wanted this post to be about all that I am thankful for this year.  In many ways, it's been a year of loses, with the passing of my grandmother recently and the passing of my beloved friend who I lost nearly a year ago.  There have been some bright spots though.  With my birthday, (it's next week), I will begin a new year of my life with hope and promise for a wonderful future.  I am so thankful for my family.  They may drive me crazy at times, but I love them and they love me.  I am thankful for the love and companionship provided by my dear kitten Isabella, who will never replace HRH, but she is a wonderful and joyous companions.  I am thankful for the wonderful people with whom I have the pleasure to work. I am thankful to be alive and in a happy point in my life.  Most of all, I am thankful for my many friends in my life.  Some of them are people I've never met in person, but have formed a connection with through my blog.  For them, I want to say, you are as important to me and as loved by me as if you were a friend I saw everyday.  I love you all!  Thank you for being my friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Stonewall

The other night, I watched the movie Stonewall, a completely fictionalized account of the Stonewall Riots. While there is very little historical facts in the movie, I found it quite enjoyable to watch. The best part of the movie is the gorgeous Jeremy Irvine.  Stonewall is a drama about a young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) is forced to leave behind friends and loved ones when he is kicked out of his parent’s home and flees to New York. Alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, he befriends Ray (Jonny Beauchamp) and a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the local watering hole The Stonewall Inn; however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, we see a rage begin to build. This emotion runs through the entire community of young gays, lesbians, drag queens and trans people who populate the Stonewall Inn and erupts in a storm of anger. With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born.

If you haven't seen it, it is currently available on Amazon Prime Video. It may also be on Netflix, but I watched it on Amazon Video. It's well worth watching.

The Garden

The Garden

By Helen Hoyt

Do not fear.

The garden is yours

And it is yours to gather the fruits

And every flower of every kind,

And to set the high wall about it

And the closed gates.

The gates of your wall no hand shall open,

No feet shall pass,

Through all the days until your return.

Do not fear.

 

But soon,

Soon let it be, your coming!

For the pathways will grow desolate waiting,

The flowers say, “Our loveliness has no eyes to behold it!”

The leaves murmur all day with longing,

All night the boughs of the trees sway themselves with longing…

 

O Master of the Garden,

O my sun and rain and dew,

Come quickly.

Why Jeff Sessions Is a Disaster!

Last week, Trump set the United States back at least fifty years with the appointment of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.  Sessions was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama beginning in 1975. In 1981, President Reagan nominated Sessions to be the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. The Senate confirmed him and he held that position for 12 years. Sessions' office investigated the 1981 killing of Michael Donald, a young African-American man who was murdered in Mobile, Alabama by a pair of Ku Klux Klan members. Session's office did not prosecute the case, but both men were arrested and convicted.

Then in 1985, Sessions prosecuted three African American community organizers in the Black belt of Alabama, including Martin Luther King Jr's former aide Albert Turner, for voter fraud. The prosecution stirred charges of selective prosecution of Black voter registration and was based on no more than 14 tampered ballots. The defendants, known as the Marion Three, were quickly acquitted. Interviewed in 2009, Sessions said he remained convinced that he did the right thing, but admitted he “failed to make the case.”

Sessions has referred to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as "un-American" and "Communist-inspired" because they "forced civil rights down the throats of people." At his 1986 confirmation hearing for a US District Court seat, Thomas Figures, a black Assistant U.S. Attorney, testified that Sessions said he thought the Ku Klux Klan was "OK until I found out they smoked pot." Whether what Figures testified to or not was true, it is readily apparent that Sessions cares little for civil rights other than those of his own race.

If his Civil Rights record wasn't bad enough, Sessions as Alabama Attorney General became famous for outlawing sex toys in Alabama. Not a dildo could be bought, which left safe sex educators to be forced to use bananas to educate on the proper use of a condom. As Attorney General, Sessions also worked to deny funding to student Gay-Straight Alliances at The University of Alabama, Auburn University and The University of South Alabama, stating "an organization that professes to be comprised of homosexuals and/or lesbians may not receive state funding or use state-supported facilities to foster or promote those illegal, sexually deviate activities defined in the sodomy and sexual misconduct laws." He accomplished little else in his two year tenure before becoming a senator.

As a Senator, he was one of nine Senators who voted against a Senate amendment to a House bill that prohibited cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment of individuals in the custody or under the physical control of the United States Government. Sessions has taken a strong stand against any form of citizenship for illegal immigrants. Sessions was one of the most vocal critics of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. He has advocated for expanded construction of a Southern border fence.

Furthermore, Sessions has been a vocal opponent of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He criticized the foundation for distributing books related to Islam to hundreds of U.S. libraries, saying "Using taxpayer dollars to fund education program grant questions that are very indefinite or in an effort to seemingly use Federal funds on behalf of just one religion, does not on its face appear to be the appropriate means to establish confidence in the American people that NEH expenditures are wise."

Sessions has been an opponent of same-sex marriage and has earned a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, the United States' largest LGBTQ advocacy group. He voted against the Matthew Shepard Act, which added acts of bias-motivated violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate-crimes law, commenting that it "has been said to cheapen the civil rights movement" Sessions voted in favor of advancing the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006, a U.S. constitutional amendment which would have permanently restricted federal recognition of marriages to those between a man and a woman. Sessions voted against the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Sessions is against legalizing cannabis for either recreational or medicinal use. "I’m a big fan of the DEA", he said during a hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sessions was "heartbroken" and found "it beyond comprehension" when President Obama claimed that cannabis is not as dangerous as alcohol. In April 2016, he said that it was important to foster "knowledge that this drug is dangerous, you cannot play with it, it is not funny, it's not something to laugh about... and to send that message with clarity that good people don't smoke marijuana."

So when someone asks why are so many gays afraid of Trump? I can simply and easily point to Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. The Attorney General is the safeguard of civil liberties and human rights in the United States, but Jeff Sessions does not believe in civil liberties or human rights. He is a bigot. Trump's appointees so far have been largely bigots: Sessions, Bannon, and Flynn. How much more must he do before people realize we are in the process of losing fifty years of progress.

Psalms 103: Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 

who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 

who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 

who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 

For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 

to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 

Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! 

Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! 

Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!  

Psalms 103

Moment of Zen: A Hot Bath

Jack Falahee

“How to Get Away with Murder” star Jack Falahee responded to Donald Trump’ssurprise victory in the U.S. presidential election by coming out as straight. 

The 27-year-old actor plays Connor Walsh, an openly gay law student on the hit ABC series, and has engaged in plenty of steamy, same-sex love scenes on the show. He’d previously dodged questions about his sexuality in interviews, noting that the subject seemed “reductive.”

On Tuesday, Falahee posted a snapshot on Twitter of a short essay he’d written, recalling how he’d watched the Nov. 8 election results with a group of dismayed friends. He said witnessing one pal, who identifies as gay, break down in tears after learning that Trump had been elected president, inspired him to offer his support to the LGBTQ community as a straight ally. 

He wrote: 

While I’m not gay, on HTGAWM I play a character who’s in a relationship with an HIV positive man. However, in the past I’ve declined to discuss my own sexuality in an attempt to try and dismantle the closet. Opponents to my ambiguous answers to questions surrounding my sexuality argued the importance of visibility. Ultimately, I think that may stance has been unhelpful in the fight for quality.

Falahee then added, “I feel that I’ve sacrificed my ability to support the community for a more theoretical discussion about sexuality. Now more than ever, I want to offer my support to the community as an ally.” You can read the full tweet here. 

In a second tweet, he laid out his plan on how to get better educated about the country’s political system as well as issues pertinent to the LGBTQ community, and invited his fans to follow in his footsteps.  

1. Educate: I’m going to be come more informed about our political system and its shortcomings. I’m going to read more about social equality and how I can help achieve it. 

2. Engage: I’m going to engage in local elections and actions. I intend to participate in direct action more than once every 4 years. 

3. Support: I will certainly mess this one up, but I hope to support the LGBTQ community, as well as other communities jeopardized by this election, to the best of my ability. This includes giving my time, money and body in support. As allies, I believe we have a duty to stand up to discrimination and hate. 

4. Listen: I’m going to listen to the other side. I’m going to listen to opinions that challenge my own. 

5. Donate: I’m going to set up monthly donations to a variety of statewide and nationwide organizations that help protect the rights of those threatened by the new President-elect. 

We’ve always loved Falahee as Connor on “HTGAWM,” and his willingness to embrace the LGBTQ community, as well as other minority groups, outside of the confines of the small screen feels so refreshing as we move toward an uncertain future. Hats off to you, Jack! 

Donald Trump’s Supreme Court Shortlist May Have A Secret Gay Porn Past

You will no doubt be shocked to hear that a crazily homophobic federal judge has been tied to a gay sex scandal. But here’s the fun twist this time: Donald Trump is thinking about nominating him to the Supreme Court.

The man in question is William Holcombe “Bill” Pryor Jr., an eleventh-circuit judge and former Attorney General of Alabama. He’s married (to a woman), has two daughters, and he really really really hates queers. He’s said that queer people should be arrested for having consensual sex in their homes; that being gay is harmful; and he voted to keep kids in orphanages rather than allow them to go to supportive same-sex adoptive parents. Trump says he’d consider Pryor for the Supreme Court.

What a bunch of jerks.

He is also, allegedly, featured in nude photographs that floated around on BadPuppy in the 90s. It sure looks like him! The man in the picture is looking glumly at the camera, on full display, and is identified as “Bill Pryor.” Various unnamed officials have identified the photo as authentic; but then again, it’s easy to claim all kinds of things anonymously.

For his part, Pryor says it’s not him, just like every other Republican caught doing something sexual.

For now, Trump hasn’t said anything about Pryor’s potentially-naked past. But lots of other legitimate legal observers have heard the rumors, and are only too happy to spread them. Maybe that’s the silver lining to Trump’s impending presidency: it’ll force some truly shocking secrets out into the open.

You can see the NSFW shot of possibly-Pryor here, along with some very wild theories on the topic.

Timeless

I've recently been watching a new show on NBC called Timeless. There are several reasons this show appeals to me. First, I've always been fascinated with the idea of time travel. As a historian, who wouldn't want to travel in time and see things as they really happened. Second, one of the main characters is a historian. It's rare that a historian gets to be the exciting lead in something. Third, Matt Lanter (above) is one of the stars of the show. So far the shows have been fascinating. Small changes in history are shown to have a ripple effect and it's a mystery as to how or if it is even possible to put things correctly.

The show isn't perfect though. The changes to the timeline are hard to believe when there is no apparent connection to the events that are changed. Maybe this will be a mystery that is solved later in the series. Furthermore, the historian on the series is able to recall the dates of important events in history, no matter how insignificant. Historians have specialties, usually very minute items in history, but the historian on the show seems to be a master of all of history. Unless she's a savant, I don't see how she can know all these dates without doing a minimal bit of research, yet she seems to know dates and facts right off hand. The last thing that isn't perfect is that Matt Lanter seems to always be fully clothed. That really should change. He's a gorgeous man, and I want to see more of him.

Crude Lament

Crude Lament

William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963

       Mother of flames,

       The men that went ahunting

Are asleep in the snow drifts.

       You have kept the fire burning!

Crooked fingers that pull

Fuel from among the wet leaves,

       Mother of flames

       You have kept the fire burning!

The young wives have fallen asleep

With wet hair, weeping,

       Mother of flames!

The young men raised the heavy spears

And are gone prowling in the darkness.

       O mother of flames,

       You who have kept the fire burning!

       Lo, I am helpless!

Would God they had taken me with them!

Headache

It's been a while since I've had a bad headache. Saturday night, I didn't sleep very well. It was one of those times when you close your eyes but you don't sleep, you just drift in and out. After I finally did fall asleep, I woke with a headache. I spent most of my Sunday catching up on the sleep I did not get the night before. I'm hoping that I wake up this morning headache free.

Love Overcomes

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:8

We must continue to love each other. Protests have broken out across the country because of the election. Their slogan is "Love trumps hate." Of course, it's a play on words, but it has a deeper meaning as well. In bridge and some other card games, one suit is designated as trump, and cards from that suit carry special powers to take tricks and defeat cards from other suits. This is called "trumping" as a verb. So "love trumps hate" means that love overcomes or defeats hate, with the obvious pun adding an additional layer of meaning. We must remember this in the coming months and years. No matter what happens under this new president, love conquers all. We will survive. We survived the Bush years. We survived, more or less, the Reagan years. We will survive the Trump years.

When it comes time to protest his policies, remember that "for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." I'm not calling for a rebellion, but I am saying that love is above the law. The Civil Rights Movement often sand the song, "We Shall Overcome." And we shall overcome this too.

We shall overcome, we shall overcome,

We shall overcome someday;

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, 

We shall overcome someday.

The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through,

The Lord will see us through someday;

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,

We shall overcome someday.

We're on to victory, We're on to victory,

We're on to victory someday;

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,

We're on to victory someday.

We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand,

We'll walk hand in hand someday;

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,

We'll walk hand in hand someday.

We are not afraid, we are not afraid,

We are not afraid today;

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,

We are not afraid today.

The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free,

The truth shall make us free someday;

Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,

The truth shall make us free someday.

Moment of Zen: Coffee Time

Stand Together

Just a few short days ago we all believed we were on the verge of ushering in a new era of equality – filled with hope and promise. But in a crushing blow, we find ourselves in a very different place, experiencing a rush of emotions.

I know many of you are having trouble putting your feelings into words – many of us are heartbroken, stunned, angry – and for many, even scared. But to every LGBTQ person across this nation feeling disheartened and questioning if you have a place in our country, know this: YOU DO.

It will take time to fully process the outcome of this election, and the enormous challenges we now face. But one thing is certain, we must move forward with greater strength and resolve than ever before. And we must do it in locked arms together. We must stand together and keep a check on the tyranny that Trump promised to bring to this country. Stand up for what we believe in.

Today is Veterans Day. Since the founding of this country veterans have fought against tyranny to make us all safe. They have fought to make the world safe for democracy. Let's not let democracy slip through our fingers.

A Scary Time

Tuesday night’s election results threaten the extraordinary progress we’ve seen toward LGBTQ equality in recent years. We don’t have answers today about what comes next. This much is clear – we are going to need new strategies, new approaches in the push for full equality.

I know that people are feeling so many different things – from anger, to despair, to resolve, to finding some solace in a long-view perspective. I'm also hearing a lot of people express fear, especially those in our country who have long been under attack – communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people, women, and survivors of rape and sexual assault.  

For 240 years the republic has survived and it will survive this tragedy. In the last two Democratic presidents, we had HOPE and CHANGE. Now we have to hope for change in 2018 when we can take back Congress and 2020 when we can take back the White House. 

We also have to fight and resist the change that Trump has in store for us. Already the KKK are dropping fliers in Alabama that say "Sleep well tonight knowing that the Klan is alert and awake." And that they will "hold Trump's promises close." If that isn't sickening enough, patrons of the Bourbon Pub, a gay bar in New Orleans, were greeted with shouts of, "Get ready, fags," by hecklers after the election.

If nothing else we must stand up to the bigotry, misogyny, and hypocrisy that is Donald Trump. He says he will act differently as president than he did as a candidate, but it was the way he acted that got him elected. He will still clamor for the spotlight as president and get wilder and wilder in what he does and says. I am truly afraid of what's in store for us.

The pundits will spend countless hours trying to figure out just what combination of events led Trump to pull the most stunning political upset since Truman’s defeat of Dewey in 1948. Was it that Clinton was too damaged and establishment of a candidate? Was it that the polls seriously underestimated Trump’s appeal? Was it that white working class voters were making one last stand for dominance, motivated by hate? Was it the economy, improving but slowly?

What does it all mean for us? As with so much else in Trumpland, it’s almost impossible to tell. Trump has sent so many mixed signals in a campaign characterized by chaos that what actually happens when he takes over the reins of government simply can’t be predicted.

On the one hand, Trump doesn’t really seem to hate us the way he genuinely hates many other groups, like immigrants, Muslims, and Latinos. In fact, Trump made a favorable remark about us at the Republican convention. At his rallies, his campaign distributed LGBTQs for Trump signs, an unimaginable turn of events from previous GOP presidential campaigns. These aren’t the marks of a man who bears us the deep-seated ill will of a hard-core homophobe.

On the other hand, he’s surrounded himself with a nasty cast of characters who have no such qualms. His campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was a pollster for the National Organization for Marriage. His political adviser, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, can always be counted on to spout some homophobic nonsense. And then there’s Mike Pence, in a category by himself.

Moreover, none of the potentially moderating forces in the GOP ever fully backed Trump. That role fell to some of the worst figures in the religious right, who gladly stepped up to support Trump even after he was caught on tape admitting to sexual assault and accused of the same by more than a dozen credible women. They will be lining up at the Oval Office door on January 20, with the full expectation that their support will be repaid, and not just with a Supreme Court appointment.

So what happens? Probably a genuinely weird mixture of both nice words from Trump and vicious policies from his backers. Of course, that will pale in comparison to the sufferings of a lot of other people (and the economy). It’s going to be a really rough ride for the next four years.

Let’s just hope it’s not as rough as as a lot of us think it will be now.

Damn, Damn, Damn

How could America do this to themselves? I am so disappointed. I thought we had this won. We were going to have our first female president, and a good qualified one. The maniac couldn't win, but he did. I'm ashamed of my country, and I fear what is to come in the next four years.

Election Day, November, 1884

Election Day, November, 1884

By Walt Whitman, 1819 - 1892

If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and show,

‘Twould not be you, Niagara—nor you, ye limitless prairies—nor your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,

Nor you, Yosemite—nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyser-loops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,

Nor Oregon’s white cones—nor Huron’s belt of mighty lakes—nor Mississippi’s stream:

—This seething hemisphere’s humanity, as now, I’d name—the still small voice vibrating—America’s choosing day,

(The heart of it not in the chosen—the act itself the main, the quadriennial choosing,)

The stretch of North and South arous’d—sea-board and inland—Texas to Maine—the Prairie States—Vermont, Virginia, California,

The final ballot-shower from East to West—the paradox and conflict,

The countless snow-flakes falling—(a swordless conflict,

Yet more than all Rome’s wars of old, or modern Napoleon’s:) the peaceful choice of all,

Or good or ill humanity—welcoming the darker odds, the dross:

—Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify—while the heart pants, life glows:

These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,

Swell’d Washington’s, Jefferson’s, Lincoln’s sails.

Get Out and Vote

I hope you will be voting for Hillary, and I hope you will get out and vote.

Health and Healing

Bless the LORD, O my soul, 

and all that is within me, 

bless his holy name! 

Bless the LORD, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits, 

who forgives all your iniquity, 

who heals all your diseases, 

who redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 

who satisfies you with good 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 

Psalms 103:1-5

Good health is something we take for granted—until we start to lose it. When our health takes a downturn, we quickly begin to question our habits and diet. God has designed the human body so that it is a finely tuned instrument that is the most resilient on earth. It can endure fractures and adhesions, constant pain and great stretches of tedium.

However, it is a fragile instrument because it is not built to handle excess, whether in the form of nourishment, fuel or additives. Unlike machines, it chokes on poisons when ingested in unending doses and mistaken for fuel. Though it has moving, feeling and thinking parts, they can be misused. God has provided us with an "owner's manual" that tells us how to operate the human body. That manual is the Bible, a book that contains instructions for proper maintenance. Although it isn't a medical text, it is God's Word, and in its pages He reveals many basic principles for good physical, mental, and spiritual health.

A major part of the Bible's health instruction dates back to the time of Moses. Yet in our day, many researchers and medical doctors are stunned at the accuracy and effectiveness of its many provisions. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia tells us that the laws given by God to Moses contain remarkable rules pertaining to public health which concerns us even today: water and food contamination, sewage disposal, infectious diseases and health education. These issues were all dealt with in the Mosaic health laws.  Many of these same laws are found in most basic law codes of the ancient world.  Some of them were forgotten by Christians until the late Middle Ages.  Some no longer apply because of modern medicine, technology, and nutritional practices.

The Bible gives us the foundational key to physical and mental health. That key is simply this: "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity . . . This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:1-2, 8). It should not surprise us that obedience to God's commandments and other laws would promote health. When we obey them, we operate in accordance with His instructions. As our Creator, He knows what's best for us: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  He commands us to treat our body as a temple and that we should take care of ourselves.  We should not consume things that will harm us, and we should especially not consume things in excess which might cause us harm.

Some biblical statements about health are specific, such as: "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you" (Exodus 15:26). The ancient Egyptians suffered from the kinds of diseases that have ravaged mankind throughout history. Autopsies on Egyptian mummies have revealed evidence of cancer, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, tuberculosis, gallstones, bladder stones, parasitic diseases and smallpox. They suffered many diseases because they did not understand the health principles God gave to Moses. 

The Good News is that Jesus died for our sins, we should not fear God's punishment while on earth.  He will not bring forth diseases as a means of punishment, as some have claimed.  In the Middle Ages, people claimed that the Black Death was a punishment from God.  Since the early 1980s, people have claimed that HIV/AIDS is a punishment from God.  These same people claim that earthquake, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are punishments from God.  They are not.  Jesus came to earth to bring us a new covenant, and to absolve us of our sins.  If we believe, are baptized in the newness of life, allow our sins to be washed away, and follow God's teachings of love and acceptance, then we shall walk with God and provide a healthy and honorable view of ourselves as Christians.  We can live a life in God's example.

The biblical instructions regarding health, maintenance, and recovery from illness involve application of cause-and-effect principles—based on true science—that were given thousands of years before scientists developed the technology that enabled them to discover germs, bacteria, viruses, genes and the like. Modern medical science has discovered many principles of good health, but they originated with God who designed and created the miracle that is the human body.

What the Bible says about health is that those who follow God will generally be healthy. That does not necessarily mean that those who don't follow God will always be sick. Nor does it mean that God's people will be absolutely free of disease. The Bible says, "I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 1:2). Obviously, God is more interested in our spiritual health than our physical well-being, but He does want us to be physically healthy as well. On the other hand, disease is a result of Adam's sin, and even the most righteous may suffer. After all, Job was righteous, but God allowed him to suffer disease and hardship as a test of his faith.

It was not until the modern era that men obtained detailed knowledge of human physiology and medicine. Yet the Creator God, who is sometimes called the Great Physician, knows everything about us, and He's provided the necessary keys to good health. The choice to obey the Lord and reap the resulting benefits is ours to make.

Moment of Zen: Football

There is a big game on tonight LSU (5-2) vs. Alabama (8-0). Historically, if LSU wins during an election year, Republicans win the White House, but if Alabama wins during an election year, Democrats win the White House. I'm not an LSU fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I am an Alabama fan. This gives me all the more reason to root for Alabama. If you're interested, it's on CBS at 8pm Eastern Time.

Early to Bed

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. I was tired yesterday and decided to go to bed early, but I doubt I will be too early to rise. So, I don't think I'll be made healthier, wealthier, or wiser.

Game 7

I didn't watch the World Series. I pulled for the Cubs, but it just made me too nervous to watch. So last night, instead of watching Game 7, I watched the Country Music Awards. It was the 50th Anniversary so a lot of classic country music people were on their. I enjoyed seeing Alabama, Alan Jackson, Reba, and many others in the first eight minutes of the show. The newer acts though were hit or miss. Some I thought were just awful. However, anytime I get to see Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum, it's a good night. He's so impossibly handsome and even more so in person.

The CMAs or the World Series, it didn't matter because I didn't stay up to see the end of either one. I just can't stay up that late and still get up and go to work. At least not go to work and be productive.

Facebook

I have a Facebook that I used to rarely check but since I'm so far away from home, it's the main way that I get news about friends and loved ones. Now I check it most every day because I want to know what's going on at home. The thing is, people post too much political bullshit. They will post articles against Hillary or tout how wonderful Donald is, and it drives me nuts. Nine times out of ten, if you look at the source of the articles posted to Facebook you find that they are from some bullshit source. Luckily I have a few liberal friends who post articles from legitimate news sources. I realize some people have a true hatred of Hillary Clinton, I'm not even her biggest fan, but my gosh look at the alternative. We've had some slimy politicians run for office before, but none as corrupt or as sleazy as Donald Trump. Though quite honestly, Bill Clinton could come in close, but he was just sleazy. Bill wasn't nearly as corrupt or as rich. Anyway, I'll be glad when this election is over with. I'm tired of political ads and I'm tired of politics being all over Facebook, because most of my friends are disappointing me with their political rhetoric. I'm with her, and that says enough.

What Shines Does Not Always Need To

What Shines Does Not Always Need To

By Adam Clay

Because today we did not leave this world,

We now embody a prominence within it,

Even amidst its indifference to our actions,

Whether they be noiseless or not.

After all, nonsense is its own type of silence,

Lasting as long as the snow on your

Tongue. You wonder why each evening

Must be filled with a turning away, eyes to the lines

Of the hardwood floor as if to regret the lack

Of movement in a single day, our callous hope

For another wish put to bed with the others in a slow

Single-file line. I used to be amazed at the weight

An ant could carry. I used to be surprised by

Survival. But now I know the mind can carry

Itself to the infinite power. Like the way snow

Covers trauma to the land below it, we only

Believe the narrative of what the eye can see.

About This Poem

“I wrote this poem thinking about the recent death of a young poet and how loss can mean both the absence of a person but also the absence of the work that could have been created, had the poet’s life not been cut so short. This idea of creation, of course, extends beyond art and into other facets of life—the line our lives will follow isn’t always straight or straightforward. Within the reality of living another day lives the possibility of creation, despite the sense of loss we might feel right beneath the surface.”

—Adam Clay