At present they are still calling Lauren Ashley "Miss Beverly Hills," though that may change in the near future if Beverly Hills has anything to say about it.
What was the alleged "crime" that would turn the city officials against the 23-year-old Miss California USA hopeful? --- She quoted from the Bible.
"If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination."
As soon as the quote was rendered on Fox 411, and reported on Fox News' Pop Tarts, the liberal media once again began the verbal joust of political correctness, lashing out with the claim to fame of intolerance against Ashley, in a quick comparison to the former Miss California Carrie Prejean.
It always amazes me that they use the "intolerant" defense, when they are breaking their own rule. After all, are they tolerantly allowing Ashley to think and act as she wants? Or, in liberal-speak, is that only allowed for the individuals with aberrant behavior?
Coincidentally, it is the liberal media that loves to fuel this fire. For instance, there were several headlines immediately following the quotes and reports on Ashley that insist "the beauty queen wanted gays put to death," which is a total fabrication from the truth, and piss-poor journalism.
In actuality, Ashley quoted a couple verses from the Bible, and the liberal media took the wild leap from the context of those quotes, and began claiming it was what Ashley wanted, when she had made no such claim.
I, for one, applaud Ashley for having the strength and fortitude to announce her true belief. In a day when most young people succumb to peer pressure, it is refreshing to see strength of character in one so young.
Three cheers for Lauren Ashley!
May God continue to bless you as long as you follow His chosen path for you.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Extreme Depths
This was originally written soon after my wife died in 2008, but there have been several deaths lately within my church and local community, and I felt compelled to post it here as a reminder to those who have the power to make a difference... if they just step up when needed.
I never realized the depth of love a man could reach until I loved Karen --- than lost her to a cruel combination of cancer and an auto-immune disease called "Wegener's Granulamatosis Vasculitis."
Six and a half of the seven blessed years Karen was in my life she was, sadly, fighting for her life. And after such a lengthy battle it might be assumed that the remaining mate would have been prepared for what the medical profession called, "the inevitable." --- Especially since I had stayed beside her through every ordeal, and eventually became her live-in caregiver for the last several months of her life.
However, no amount of preparation could have prepared me for the depths of grief that overwhelmed me at Karen's passing. I was literally inconsolable.
Having given myself totally over to Karen, as she did with me, we had discovered why God's word says, "they are no longer two, but one." And when Karen went to be with the Lord, I felt that part of me had also died.
The situation compounded after Karen's memorial service, when family, friends, and church members left me to deal with this extreme grief alone. No calls or visits for weeks on end.
I was going through the worst emotional pain of my life, and having to do it without any support.
As a partially disabled Veteran who, at one time, used to pick up dead bodies for a living, I thought I knew how to handle grief. And I had already lost friends, along with my father, whom I loved dearly. But nothing could reach me through the grief of losing Karen. It was an emotional bottomless pit, and I just kept falling.
No hands to hold, no shoulders to cry on, no ears to listen. As if family, friends, and the church body each equally adhered to society's image of how a man should act: even under the most stressful conditions.
Perhaps it was because they knew I had grown up on the violent streets of Los Angeles, was an ex-recon scout, an ex-stuntman, and an ex-private investigator who had seen my share of stressful situations. Maybe it was because like most men in this society, when others were near me, I put on the standard mask of little emotion.
However, as soon as I returned to the home Karen and I had shared, no wall, shell, or mask could hold back the torrential rain of tears. I could not turn in any direction and escape her presense. Nor did I wish to. Every house plant she had grown, every craft she had made, and every piece of clothing she had worn invoked precious memories, which only served to remind me of my great loss.
So-called specialists in the secular arena claim men do not know how to commit to relationships. But they are wrong.
Karen and I had become one, like God intends a man and woman to be. And when that relationship was severed the only thing capable of bringing me back from the depths of despair was the only like-minded relationship available, God's totally committed love for me.
It was still no easy task, but God was willing to love me back every slow and painful step of the way. And I'm eternally grateful.
However, let me challenge you to not leave everything to God alone. We are to be His hands as well. And it's not easy in this society for a man in pain to reach out. So please, look passed the masks of men in their time of grief and take steps to support them when you can.
I never realized the depth of love a man could reach until I loved Karen --- than lost her to a cruel combination of cancer and an auto-immune disease called "Wegener's Granulamatosis Vasculitis."
Six and a half of the seven blessed years Karen was in my life she was, sadly, fighting for her life. And after such a lengthy battle it might be assumed that the remaining mate would have been prepared for what the medical profession called, "the inevitable." --- Especially since I had stayed beside her through every ordeal, and eventually became her live-in caregiver for the last several months of her life.
However, no amount of preparation could have prepared me for the depths of grief that overwhelmed me at Karen's passing. I was literally inconsolable.
Having given myself totally over to Karen, as she did with me, we had discovered why God's word says, "they are no longer two, but one." And when Karen went to be with the Lord, I felt that part of me had also died.
The situation compounded after Karen's memorial service, when family, friends, and church members left me to deal with this extreme grief alone. No calls or visits for weeks on end.
I was going through the worst emotional pain of my life, and having to do it without any support.
As a partially disabled Veteran who, at one time, used to pick up dead bodies for a living, I thought I knew how to handle grief. And I had already lost friends, along with my father, whom I loved dearly. But nothing could reach me through the grief of losing Karen. It was an emotional bottomless pit, and I just kept falling.
No hands to hold, no shoulders to cry on, no ears to listen. As if family, friends, and the church body each equally adhered to society's image of how a man should act: even under the most stressful conditions.
Perhaps it was because they knew I had grown up on the violent streets of Los Angeles, was an ex-recon scout, an ex-stuntman, and an ex-private investigator who had seen my share of stressful situations. Maybe it was because like most men in this society, when others were near me, I put on the standard mask of little emotion.
However, as soon as I returned to the home Karen and I had shared, no wall, shell, or mask could hold back the torrential rain of tears. I could not turn in any direction and escape her presense. Nor did I wish to. Every house plant she had grown, every craft she had made, and every piece of clothing she had worn invoked precious memories, which only served to remind me of my great loss.
So-called specialists in the secular arena claim men do not know how to commit to relationships. But they are wrong.
Karen and I had become one, like God intends a man and woman to be. And when that relationship was severed the only thing capable of bringing me back from the depths of despair was the only like-minded relationship available, God's totally committed love for me.
It was still no easy task, but God was willing to love me back every slow and painful step of the way. And I'm eternally grateful.
However, let me challenge you to not leave everything to God alone. We are to be His hands as well. And it's not easy in this society for a man in pain to reach out. So please, look passed the masks of men in their time of grief and take steps to support them when you can.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Food Is A Way To The Heart
A few Central Oregon Community College culinary students made a delicious difference at an annual Valentine's event.
Daniel Taylor was the driving force behind changing the ordinary community potluck into a culinary delight for the Valentine's dinner Saturday the 13th, 6:00 pm, Madras Baptist Church.
After being approached by Pastor Richard Burson to take over cooking duties for the annual community dinner, Taylor decided it was time for a change. As a culinary student at COCC he took his idea to the instructors, and put out a request for volunteers.
"Eighty-hours of a 300 - hour cooking requirement can be made up of volunteer work," said Taylor. He said the requirement gives students valuable experience through practical application.
The dinner, along with entertainment and door prizes, was held in the Fireside Room at the church. The event was free and open to everyone, though donations were gratefully accepted. And over half the attendees were not members of the congregation, including some homeless individuals who were more than welcomed.
With the help of volunteers, led by Ellen Courtney, the dining hall was transformed into a one-night Bistro. The mosaic of tables were slanted, adorned with linen covers, topped with floating candles, and sprinkled with rose petals. The overhead lighting was turned off, and softer floor lamps were spaced along the walls. Multiple plant and floral arrangements were brought in, along with lighted trees, and two soothing waterfalls to add to the ambiance.
Kyle Price and Chelsea Anttila, both COCC culinary students, assisted Taylor with the multiple courses, including two entrees: braised chicken breast and seafood risotto.
"We get class credit," said Price, "but I would've done it anyway."
All three students confessed and interest in community service and charity work.
"I would also eventually like to teach," Anttila said, though it is the delicate sugary concoctions that look more like art than food that fascinate her the most.
Other than a 15-minute delay on the serving time, three broken dishes, and some comedy relief when Pastor Burson knocked over a large flower vase, the event was a success.
"It gave a lot of us a chance to experience what it would be like at a fancy restaurant," said Pat Beno, a guest, who was not shy about going for seconds.
Touching lives with good food was a desire mentioned, in a variety of ways, by each culinary student volunteering at the event.
"Doing this on the heart-centered holiday," said Taylor, "is the proverbial icing on the cake."
Daniel Taylor was the driving force behind changing the ordinary community potluck into a culinary delight for the Valentine's dinner Saturday the 13th, 6:00 pm, Madras Baptist Church.
After being approached by Pastor Richard Burson to take over cooking duties for the annual community dinner, Taylor decided it was time for a change. As a culinary student at COCC he took his idea to the instructors, and put out a request for volunteers.
"Eighty-hours of a 300 - hour cooking requirement can be made up of volunteer work," said Taylor. He said the requirement gives students valuable experience through practical application.
The dinner, along with entertainment and door prizes, was held in the Fireside Room at the church. The event was free and open to everyone, though donations were gratefully accepted. And over half the attendees were not members of the congregation, including some homeless individuals who were more than welcomed.
With the help of volunteers, led by Ellen Courtney, the dining hall was transformed into a one-night Bistro. The mosaic of tables were slanted, adorned with linen covers, topped with floating candles, and sprinkled with rose petals. The overhead lighting was turned off, and softer floor lamps were spaced along the walls. Multiple plant and floral arrangements were brought in, along with lighted trees, and two soothing waterfalls to add to the ambiance.
Kyle Price and Chelsea Anttila, both COCC culinary students, assisted Taylor with the multiple courses, including two entrees: braised chicken breast and seafood risotto.
"We get class credit," said Price, "but I would've done it anyway."
All three students confessed and interest in community service and charity work.
"I would also eventually like to teach," Anttila said, though it is the delicate sugary concoctions that look more like art than food that fascinate her the most.
Other than a 15-minute delay on the serving time, three broken dishes, and some comedy relief when Pastor Burson knocked over a large flower vase, the event was a success.
"It gave a lot of us a chance to experience what it would be like at a fancy restaurant," said Pat Beno, a guest, who was not shy about going for seconds.
Touching lives with good food was a desire mentioned, in a variety of ways, by each culinary student volunteering at the event.
"Doing this on the heart-centered holiday," said Taylor, "is the proverbial icing on the cake."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)